Briefly, possession and omission. Yep, it’s that easy.
People get very hot under the collar about apostrophes, me included. First my mother, then my wonderful English teachers – Mrs Campbell and Miss Robson – eradicated any nonsense about misuse out of me at an early age. Like other punctuation marks, apostrophes clarify, especially in English which has only very faint traces of ever having been an inflected language with nice case endings to indicate what a word is doing in a sentence. Genitive and accusative cases are particularly useful in Latin and German!
Anyway…
Let’s look at possession
Not the satanic kind, but people often think apostrophe use can be the work of the devil…
Baseline: If the person or thing doing the possessing is singular, or if you are dealing with a plural not ending in ‘s’ such as children, you follow it with an apostrophe and an ‘s’. If they are plural, and that plural ends in ‘s’, you just add an apostrophe.
Luckily, most English plurals end in ‘s’, even if some add ‘–es’ to the singular noun such as ditches, perches or varnishes and some by changing a ‘y’ to an ‘i’ and add ‘–es’ such as tragedies, ponies or enemies. The slightly awkward squad includes words that have an ‘f’ at or near the end which change to a ‘v’ such as knife to knives and life to lives.
Old English derived inflected plurals such as children, geese and mice continue to haunt us. Then there are the Latins… cactus to cacti, medium to media, codex to codices and formula to formulae. The jury is out on referendum to referenda/referendums, but I prefer the former. The even more awkward squad includes words ending in ‘–is’ in the singular and ‘–es’ in the plural such as crisis to crises and in ‘—on’ in the singular and ‘—a’ in the plural such as phenomenon to phenomena.
A few general examples:
The computer’s screen was blank.
The ponies’ feed arrived on time.
The children’s toys were everywhere.The witness’s testimony (the witnesses’ testimonies when there are several witnesses, but more later on plurals)
If you have a noun where the singular is the same as the plural such as grapefruit, salmon or police, treat it as if it were singular and add apostrophe + ‘s’. e.g. grapefruit’s tartness, salmon’s journey, the police’s many tasks.
A good trick to check whether it’s a true possessive apostrophe is to switch it back to the simple, if awkward format in your head:
The screen of the computer
The feed of the ponies
The toys of the children
Proper names
It’s a nightmare, aka ‘personal choice’. The Apostrophe Protection Society site shows the following:
When the name ends in an ‘s’, you either add an apostrophe and ‘s’ or just an apostrophe. The choice depends on the style guide that you’re following and, to some extent, the country in which you live. Thus:
James’s pen or James’ pen
Mr Jones’s van or Mr Jones’ van
Jesus’s disciples or Jesus’ disciples
Keats’s poems or Keats’ poems
Some guides say that we only add an apostrophe and ‘s’ if the possessive form is pronounced with an extra ‘s’ sound. Generally, most guides prefer the apostrophe-s style.
The Modern Humanities Research Association says [some examples cropped]:
The possessive of personal names ending in a pronounced –s or –z is formed in the normal way by adding an apostrophe and s: Berlioz’s symphonies, Cervantes’s works, Dickens’s characters.
French names ending in an unpronounced –s, –x, or –z also follow the normal rule and take an apostrophe and s: Cixous’s criticism, Descartes’s works, Malraux’s style, Cherbuliez’s novels
The possessive of names ending in -us also conforms to the normal rule: Claudius’s successor, Herodotus’s Histories, Jesus’s parables, an empire greater than Darius’s
However, the possessive of Moses and of Greek names ending in –es (particularly those having more than two syllables) is usually formed by means of the apostrophe alone: under Moses’ leadership, Demosthenes’ speeches, Sophocles’ plays, Xerxes’ campaigns
Brand names and shop names
They do their own thing. The fuss when Waterstone’s changed to Waterstones was bitter and long-lasting. Boots (the Chemist) was founded by John Boot in the 19th century, but I can’t find any sign of an apostrophe even in old photos. McDonald’s holds on tightly to its apostrophe. J.Sainsbury morphed into Sainsbury’s and I’m delighted to see it has an apostrophe. The best thing is to check the companies’ websites.
But this is on a van is wrong on so many levels (or should that be level’s? 😉 )
 Aaaargh! Sins of omission
The second main use of an apostrophe is to show that one or more letters have been left out. We use them every day: can’t, didn’t and haven’t, where the apostrophe indicates the missing ‘o’ of not. Other short forms include: I’ve, you’re, she’s, they’ll and we’d, which are abbreviated forms of I have, you are, she is, they will and we had/we would/should.
These are informal and most often appear in speech or in fiction as dialogue or internal thoughts. I use them when writing in the first person as I’m looking through the characters’ eyes and am in their minds. (I also use them when I’m talking to you as I think we’re on friendly, chatty terms.) Short forms such as won’t, shan’t and can’t are short for the quite long expressions will not, shall not and cannot, which are missing more letters than the simple ‘o’ of not. English is such an odd language…
Dates (groans)
Numbers in dates can be a minefield. A decade has a plural ‘s’ – no apostrophe – thus, 1950s. If you want to write it in the number form of the Fifties, then it’s the ’50s. Talking historically, we say the ’45 Rebellion or refer to a graduating cohort as the class of ’89.
Apostrophes that have vanished into the night
Yonks ago, the thing you talked into with a handset and a dial was called a telephone. Then we shortened it to a ‘phone. Now we call it a phone and nobody blinks an eyelid. Aeroplane became ‘plane and now you travel by plane. Influenza used to be a killer disease, then we got vaccinations against the ‘flu and now we have our annual flu jab.
But there are many reported hot disputes and popular protests when local signs lose their apostrophe. Is it St.James’s Avenue or St James Avenue? Although I’d prefer full-throttle punctuation on such signs, I’m ducking out of the argument. You decide.
Let’s talk about it’s and its
This is one that often results in an outburst of grammar rage, especially on social media. Irritatingly, wordprocessing, phone messaging and blogging software often inserts a completely unnecessary apostrophe while you’re deep into creating your sentence. Although called officially AutoCorrect, I have renamed it AutoCorrupt.
Okay…
It’s is a contraction of it is or it has and uses an apostrophe to show that contraction: It’s important not to get the wrong end of the stick.
Its is a possessive personal pronoun (like my, our or his) indicating ownership, or possession, or association of something, and does NOT take an apostrophe: The cat ignored its dry food and my patience evaporated.
If you’re unsure whether you need it’s with an apostrophe, just expand the contraction to ‘it is’ or ‘it has’ as appropriate and see if it makes sense: The cat ignored it is dried food doesn’t make sense and is obviously incorrect.
One last thing: there’s NO circumstance where you put an apostrophe after its.
Let’s boldly go into your/you’re territory
As with its and it’s, one’s a possessive pronoun and the other contains a verb.
You’re is a contraction for you are, and therefore takes an apostrophe: You’re looking a bit fed up today, i.e. you are looking, etc.
Your is possessive (like my or their), and doesn’t take an apostrophe: Your dinner’s on the table and I’ve already eaten mine, i.e. Your dinner is on the table (but I’ve polished my dinner off).
What apostrophes are NOT
Plurals
Plurals seem to cause a lot of unhappiness. One thing is clear – they do not need apostrophes. Satsuma’s, tomato’s, potato’s make me think of nails scraping down a blackboard. Just for the record, they should be satsumas, tomatoes, potatoes. If you’re referring to something about the satsuma, then the possession rule applies and you add apostrophe ‘s’. So you can say: ‘That satsuma’s skin looks soft. It must be going rotten.’
Plural MPs, GCSEs, IDs, TVs are perfectly happy without any apostrophe. They’re also correct. 🙂 If you’re talking about something that belongs to them or associated with them, i.e. possession, then the usual apostrophe rules apply, e.g. MPs’ pay, GCSEs’ value to employers, IDs’ numbers are at the top of the card. (Note that the apostrophe comes after the plural as we’re talking about a lot of MPs, GCSEs and IDs. If we were referring to only one MP or TV, then it would be the MP’s assistant and the TV’s aerial. )
Being English, the language has odd exceptions. One is: minding your p’s and q’s. Some write do’s and don’ts. The second, don’ts is dead correct; the first isn’t and I always write dos and don’ts, but then I’m super-picky. 😉
Finding out more…
This has been a quick run down. I’ve checked my workings, as they say, with some People Who Know These Things and I heartily recommend all of them. As I can’t type to save myself, let alone the world, there may be typos. These are solely my fault.
The Apostrophe Protection Society: https://www.apostrophe.org.uk/ They send a fun newsletter out each month – do join!
The MHRA Style Guide, The Modern Humanities Research Association (online and print): https://www.mhra.org.uk/style/contents.html For more formal writing, but very sound advice for any general writer.
The Accidental Apostrophe, Caroline Taggart https://www.mombooks.com/book/the-accidental-apostrophe/ (print and ebook) She has a clear and witty explanation of everything apostrophe-related.
Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers – INCEPTIO, CARINA (novella), PERFIDITAS, SUCCESSIO, AURELIA, NEXUS (novella), INSURRECTIO and RETALIO, and ROMA NOVA EXTRA, a collection of short stories. Audiobooks are available for four of the series. Double Identity, a contemporary conspiracy, starts a new series of thrillers. JULIA PRIMA, Roma Nova story set in the late 4th century, starts the Foundation stories. The sequel, EXSILIUM, is now out.
Find out more about Roma Nova, its origins, stories and heroines and taste world the latest contemporary thriller Double Identity… Download ‘Welcome to Alison Morton’s Thriller Worlds’, a FREE eBook, as a thank you gift when you sign up to Alison’s monthly email update. You’ll also be among the first to know about news and book progress before everybody else, and take part in giveaways.
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 Spies and secret agents are today the stuff of film, television and novels. We are more than intrigued by the countless documentaries and non-fiction accounts of espionage, deception secret operations, especially featuring gadgets, communications and tradecraft. Well, today Elizabeth St.John visits my blog to tells us that nothing really isn’t new under the sun.
Her critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England’s kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.
Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.
Elizabeth’s works include The Lydiard Chronicles, a trilogy set in 17th-century England during the Civil War, and The Godmother’s Secret, which unravels the medieval mystery of the missing princes in the Tower of London. Her latest release, The King’s Intelligencer, follows Franny Apsley’s perilous quest to uncover the truth behind the sudden discovery of the princes’ bones. In Charles II’s court of intrigue and deceit, Franny must decide what she’ll risk—for England’s salvation, her family’s safety, and her own happiness.
Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is the International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park, an English charity dedicated to conserving and enhancing this beautiful centuries-old country house and park. As a curator for The Lydiard Archives, she is constantly looking for an undiscovered treasure to inspire her next novel.
Over to Elizabeth to reveal the intrigues swirling around about 17th century undercover agents…
The inspiration for The King’s Intelligencer emerged from my research for The Godmother’s Secret, which delves into the story of the missing princes in the Tower of London. I found myself spending time in Westminster Abbey, particularly in the Chapel of the Innocents, where Sir Christopher Wren’s white marble urn is displayed, just by the glorious tomb of Elizabeth I.
Commissioned in 1674 by Charles II, the urn supposedly holds the bones of Edward V and Richard, Duke of York—the two princes who disappeared in the Tower of London. The inscription claims that these brothers being confined in the Tower of London, and there stifled with pillows, were privately and meanly buried, by the order of their perfidious uncle Richard the Usurper. The interred bones were found in the Tower after being buried for 191 years. But as I stood near the urn, only steps away from where my character Franny Apsley’s real-life parents, Sir Allen Apsley and Frances Apsley, are buried, I couldn’t help but question this official story.
This curiosity led me to Helen Maurer’s paper, “Bones in the Tower: A Discussion of Time, Place and Circumstance”, which raises doubts about the authenticity of the bones discovered in the Tower. Further investigation, including Annette Carson’s article “The Bones in the Urn,” provided even more questions. What if these bones weren’t the princes’ at all, but a politically convenient discovery for King Charles II to solidify his claim to the throne? After all, this was a time of intense political intrigue, where religion, power, and royal loyalty were in constant conflict. Reinforcing that no crime against the crown goes undiscovered could only strengthen Charles’s position.
The 17th century was a time of deep religious divides between Protestants and Catholics, and the political landscape was shaped by these tensions. While King Charles II outwardly practiced Protestantism, he was notably tolerant of Catholics. In fact, he converted to Catholicism on his deathbed. His brother, James II, was openly Catholic, a fact that led to his short-lived reign before being deposed by his Protestant daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange.
It was in this atmosphere of religious and political conflict that espionage flourished. The idea of “intelligencers” emerged, and their role was to gather information—often through subtle means, and more frequently, unofficially. A friend once joked that intelligencers were the 17th-century equivalent of people who sit in coffee shops eavesdropping on conversations, and that description resonated with me. It perfectly fit not only the world of historical espionage but also my character, Franny Apsley, who would thrive in such an environment.
In real life, Franny’s family was deeply involved in this secretive world. Her parents, Sir Allen and Frances Apsley, as well as her cousin Nan Wilmot, Countess of Rochester, were involved in espionage during the English Civil War, before Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660. Allen was one of the founders of The Sealed Knot, while Nan was frequently know to “befuddle” Cromwell with her subterfuges to save her beloved Ditchley Park from sequestration. Later, Franny’s brother, Peter Apsley, was listed in household records as an intelligencer for both Charles and his brother, James II, receiving large payments for his covert work. These activities helped form the backbone of The King’s Intelligencer.
I’ve always enjoyed novels that incorporate historical texts and hidden meanings concealed within paintings, and in The King’s Intelligencer, I drew on elements from Lydiard Park’s history, including ancient books and painted monuments. Franny Apsley’s search through family documents and memorials offered rich opportunities for clues to the real mystery of the missing princes, helping her sharpen her investigative skills.
Wanting to not only write about family history, but place it in the context of the wider national landscape, I incorporated into the novel another fascinating discovery – King Charles II’s Secret Treaty of Dover. In this treaty, Charles secretly agreed to declare himself a Catholic in exchange for financial support from King Louis XIV of France. Although I fictionalized elements of another treaty between James and the French King, it was well-known at the time that Charles and James were deeply involved in secret negotiations with France, many of which were hidden from the public for over a century.
Researching family history can be an immersive and often surprising journey. While working on Written in Their Stars,part of The Lydiard Chronicles, I uncovered a family tradition of spycraft. The novel follows three extraordinary women—Luce Hutchinson, Frances Apsley, and Nan Wilmot—who played active roles in shaping history through rebellion and espionage during the English Civil War. This earlier generation of ancestors involved in intelligence work for King Charles fascinated me, and I knew I wanted to explore it further. Who better, I thought, than Nan Wilmot to pass the mantle of espionage to her young cousin, Franny.
The King’s Intelligencer connects these family stories in an immersive historical novel filled with conspiracy, passion, and courage. Following Franny Apsley as she embarks on a dangerous quest for truth, the novel blends fiction with fact, inspired by the hidden history I uncovered in both public records and private archives. This novel is a companion to The Godmother’s Secret and The Lydiard Chronicles, continuing the exploration of secrets buried in the past.
——————–
Connect with Elizabeth
Website: https://www.elizabethjstjohn.com/
Twitter: https://x.com/ElizStJohn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethJStJohn/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethjstjohn/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethjstjohn/
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@elizabethjstjohn
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/elizabethstjohn.bsky.social
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elizabeth-st-john
Amazon Author Page: https://geni.us/AmazonElizabethStJohn
Goodreads: https://geni.us/GoodreadsElizStJohn
——————–
What’s The King’s Intelligencer about?
 London, 1674: When children’s bones are unexpectedly unearthed in the Tower of London, England’s most haunting mystery—the fate of the missing princes—is reignited.
Franny Apsley, trusted confidante to Charles II’s beloved niece and heir, Lady Mary Stuart, is caught up in the court’s excitement surrounding the find. Yet, as a dark family secret comes to light, Franny realises the truth behind the missing princes is far more complex—and dangerous—than anyone suspects. Recruited by her formidable cousin Nan Wilmot, Dowager Countess of Rochester, to discover the truth behind the bones, Franny is thrust into the shadowy world of intelligencers. But her quest is complicated by an attraction to the charismatic court artist Nicholas Jameson, a recent arrival from Paris who harbours secrets of his own.
Pursued by Nicholas, Franny searches for evidence hidden in secret family letters and paintings, and uncovers a startling diplomatic plot involving Lady Mary, which causes Franny to question her own judgment, threatens the throne, and sets England on a course for war. With only her courage and the guidance of an enigmatic spy within the royal household, Franny must decide how far she will go to expose the truth—and whether that truth will lead to England’s salvation or her own heartbreak.
In a glittering and debauched society where love is treacherous and loyalty masked, Franny must navigate a world where a woman’s voice is often silenced and confront the ultimate question: What is she willing to risk for the sake of her country, her happiness, and her family’s safety?
——————
Where to find The King’s Intelligencer
Buy from Amazon: https://geni.us/KingsIntelligencer (Universal link)
Also available on #KindleUnlimited (subscription)
Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers – INCEPTIO, CARINA (novella), PERFIDITAS, SUCCESSIO, AURELIA, NEXUS (novella), INSURRECTIO and RETALIO, and ROMA NOVA EXTRA, a collection of short stories. Audiobooks are available for four of the series. Double Identity, a contemporary conspiracy, starts a new series of thrillers. JULIA PRIMA, Roma Nova story set in the late 4th century, starts the Foundation stories. The sequel, EXSILIUM, is now out.
Find out more about Roma Nova, its origins, stories and heroines and taste world the latest contemporary thriller Double Identity… Download ‘Welcome to Alison Morton’s Thriller Worlds’, a FREE eBook, as a thank you gift when you sign up to Alison’s monthly email update. You’ll also be among the first to know about news and book progress before everybody else, and take part in giveaways.
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I was delighted to be invited to speak at the International Dublin Writers’ Festival again. This year, the theme was the creative well, something essential to good writing, but a slippery one to grasp. In essence, it’s the part of you that feeds your imagination. If it’s kept at a healthy level, it will help ideas for your writing flow to you more easily.
 With Laurence O’Bryan, Dublin Writers’ Conference organiser The audience was lovely. After my talk, we had some fascinating chats about the writing process which is always a pleasure. When I was starting on my writing journey, I received generous help from established writers. Now, I love giving back my experiences – good and bad!
Whilst there, I filled my own creative well by visiting the Book of Kells, including the new digital displays with its floating images!.
Of course, a visit to the Long Room library in Trinity College was compulsory! A very impressive place…
And I loved this spiral staircase. It will doubtless appear in a future novel or short story!
And I couldn’t resist buying this beautiful mug as a souvenir.
Dublin is a literary city full of bookshops brimming with a comprehensive range of every kind of book. I was lucky enough to be invited to Katherine Mezzacappa’s book launch at Hodges Figgis.
I was sorry to leave Dublin, its writers and its atmosphere, but I hope to return soon!
Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers – INCEPTIO, CARINA (novella), PERFIDITAS, SUCCESSIO, AURELIA, NEXUS (novella), INSURRECTIO and RETALIO, and ROMA NOVA EXTRA, a collection of short stories. Audiobooks are available for four of the series. Double Identity, a contemporary conspiracy, starts a new series of thrillers. JULIA PRIMA, Roma Nova story set in the late 4th century, starts the Foundation stories. The sequel, EXSILIUM, is now out.
Download ‘Welcome to Alison Morton’s Thriller Worlds’, a FREE eBook, as a thank you gift when you sign up to Alison’s monthly email update. You’ll also be among the first to know about news and book progress before everybody else, and take part in giveaways.
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 Today, I’m delighted to welcome Deborah Swift to the blog as part of her Coffee Pot Book Club tour. She’s a USA TODAY bestselling author of twenty books who is passionate about the past. Before becoming a writer, Deborah was a costume designer for the BBC. Now she lives in a former English school house in a village full of 17th century houses, near the glorious Lake District. After taking an MA in Creative Writing, she enjoys mentoring aspiring novelists and runs an award-winning historical fiction blog.
Deborah loves to write about how extraordinary events in history have transformed the lives of ordinary people and how the events of the past can live on in her books and still resonate today. The Poison Keeper featured the Renaissance poisoner Giulia Tofana, and won a Wishing Shelf Book of the Decade Award and a Coffee Pot Book Club Gold Medal. Her most recent books are The Silk Code and The Shadow Network both set in the Second World War.
Over to Deborah!
What attracted you to the difficult year of 1944 and to the Netherlands?
I had started the series with Nancy Callaghan – a fictional Secret Agent from the SOE (Special Operations Executive) – and the first novel was set during the scandal of Englandspiel, which was a disaster where British agents were captured by the Nazis when they were parachuted into Holland. I wanted to continue Nancy’s story and so searched for a period of the war where the Dutch people were under the most pressure. This turned out to be The Hunger Winter (Hongerwinter in Dutch) – the freezing winter of 1944 when half of Holland was liberated, and the other half was left starving behind enemy lines. It struck me that this period of the war when the Nazis knew they would be defeated, but the Dutch people were ever more desperate, would provide plenty of opportunity for conflict. Also, it showed both sides – the Resistance and the Gestapo – in their least organised and most chaotic period of the war, both sides fighting like cornered rats.
How did you prepare to write Nancy as a Nazi and to resist the urge to make Detlef Keller and Fritz Schneider stereotype SS officers?
 Truus Oversteegen with Sten gun Nancy Callaghan is a fictional character but followed in the footsteps of many real women who did this kind of work, pretending to be Nazi sympathisers. One of the most famous is the French agent Jeannie Rousseau, who spoke fluent German, and played on a German officer’s desire to show off in order to unearth details about the development of the new V2 ballistic missiles. For information about how it might have felt to be a Dutch agent befriending a Nazi for the Resistance, I used the book Seducing and Killing Nazis by Sophie Poldermans, which tells the stories of the Oversteegen sisters and Hannie Schaft who undertook these dangerous roles.
The Nazis in the book are after all people under their uniforms, not stereotypes, with different desires and different attitudes to the war. Detlef sees it as something that must be ‘got through’ before he can continue his life, whereas Fritz Schneider (his boss) sees it as a path to greater influence. Both soon discover their preconceptions are wrong. I used a variety of research mostly from non-fiction books about Germany in the war. Two that I found particularly helpful were The SS Officer’s Armchair by Daniel Lee and The Nazi Officer’s Wife by Edith Hahn.
How did you research clothes and food?
Most of my research was done through books. One illustrated book that I used extensively was The Dutch Resistance 1940 – 45 by Michel Wentling and Klaas Castelein, which showed me exactly which uniforms were worn by the different branches of the Nazi collaborators, and also the clothes worn by men and women of the Resistance.
Also extremely helpful were eyewitness accounts and biographies of people who had survived the Hunger Winter, such as The Hunger Winter: Fighting Famine in the Occupied Netherlands, 1944–1945 by Ingrid de Zwarte, and The Occupied Garden which is a family memoir of war-torn Holland. Both these describe the indignities of digging up tulip bulbs for food, or people dying in the streets if cold or starvation because fuel and food supplies were so short.
What are the challenges of thinking like a 1940s woman in an ‘unwomanly’ role?
I had a few difficulties with this in the editing process, because what was considered ‘womanly’ in 1940 is very different from what is considered womanly today. I was encouraged by one of my editors not to have the man open a door for a woman, or have her cook food in the kitchen, as it reduced her agency – but I argued that in the 1940s these were typical behaviours, and the woman couldn’t be depicted as just today’s woman in 1940’s clothes.
Being a woman in a man’s world was a necessity in the Resistance when the leader of your network was eliminated by the Nazis. This happened to Marie-Madeleine Fourcade who was the leader of the French Resistance network Alliance, under the code name Hérisson (Hedgehog) after the arrest of its former leader, Georges Loustaunau-Lacau. Hedgehog continued to lead the network, but had some difficulty persuading hr British contacts that she was in fact in charge. Her memoir is published as Noah’s Ark.
In Occupied Holland most of the men were either collaborators with the Nazi regime, or had been removed to Germany to work in German factories. Women were forced to take on the roles of saboteurs, assassins, and wireless operatives simply because men were too obvious and would be immediately deported if discovered. They were also able to travel by bicycle as couriers, taking messages and even weaponry between Resistance cells.
The role of Nancy’s partner Tom, who doesn’t think things through and ends up in serious trouble, is designed to contrast with Nancy and her role in planning and running a network. Most of the women undertook these roles out of necessity, and they didn’t consider themselves particularly brave. I think they were psychologically tougher than men expected, and this is still true of women in conflict situations today – that they are easily underestimated. There has however been an increasing interest in female agents of WW2, and this is one of the reasons why I wanted to write this series.
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Connect with Deborah
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/swiftstory @swiftstory
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordeborahswift/
Website: www.deborahswift.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/deborahswift1/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/deborah-swift
Amazon: https://author.to/DeborahSwift
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What’s Operation Tulip about?
 Holland, 1944: Undercover British agent Nancy Callaghan has been given her toughest case yet. A key member of the Dutch resistance has been captured, and Nancy must play the role of a wealthy Nazi to win over a notorious SS officer, Detlef Keller, and gain crucial information.
England: Coding expert Tom Lockwood is devastated that the Allies have failed to push back the Nazis, leaving Northern Holland completely cut off from the rest of Europe, and him from his beloved Nancy. Desperate to rescue the love of his life, Tom devises Operation Tulip, a plan to bring Nancy home.
But as Nancy infiltrates the Dutch SS, she finds herself catching the eye of an even more senior member of the Party. Is Nancy in too deep, or can Tom reach her before she gets caught?
Inspired by the true events of occupied Holland during WW2, don’t miss this utterly gripping story of love, bravery and sacrifice.
Buy the ebook: https://mybook.to/Tulip
Bookshop links: https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/operation-tulip-ww2-secret-agent-series-deborah-swift
My thoughts…
In the shifting sands of trust and the desperation brought about by hunger and isolation Nancy Callaghan continues her mission of resistance in North Holland in the Hunger winter of 1944/45. She seems to have nine lives, but much of this is down to her competence and instincts honed in shatteringly dangerous situations. She is not an unbelievable Lara Croft, but a well-drawn flesh and blood woman shrinking from the ramifications of her mission, but carrying it out despite her fear – true courage.
Her boyfriend, Tom, an unassuming code expert, but lacking the steel to work as an agent in the field, wangles his way into Holland too ‘rescue’ her, but his unpreparedness in face of the dangers brings its own danger.
Deborah Swift draws these two characters beautifully and in depth. She does throw Nancy into such dangerous places that I almost couldn’t bear to read on, but Nancy is clever and cool in extracting herself and playing on the arrogance and vulnerability of the German authorities she infiltrates.
The author does not flinch from describing the terrible famine in occupied Holland or bombing and fire damage, emphasising the distressing impact on people with but without gratuitous detail.
This is a writer who can write deeply and fluently, showing characters, action, landscape and dilemmas cleverly and in a way to draw the reader into the centre of the story. Recommended!
Follow Deborah’s book tour!
Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers – INCEPTIO, CARINA (novella), PERFIDITAS, SUCCESSIO, AURELIA, NEXUS (novella), INSURRECTIO and RETALIO, and ROMA NOVA EXTRA, a collection of short stories. Audiobooks are available for four of the series. Double Identity, a contemporary conspiracy, starts a new series of thrillers. JULIA PRIMA, Roma Nova story set in the late 4th century, starts the Foundation stories. The sequel, EXSILIUM, is now out.
Find out more about Roma Nova, its origins, stories and heroines and taste world the latest contemporary thriller Double Identity… Download ‘Welcome to Alison Morton’s Thriller Worlds’, a FREE eBook, as a thank you gift when you sign up to Alison’s monthly email update. You’ll also be among the first to know about news and book progress before everybody else, and take part in giveaways.
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 Whether you’re invited or have submitted a pitch to speak at a conference it’s the same on the day. You have a mass of faces in front of you. You re alone in the arena and the lions are pacing back and forth, tongues salivating. The be-tunicked and be-toga-ed are watching, a smile on their lips, ready to be entertained, but their thumbs are ready…
An exaggeration, perhaps, but speakers are expected to perform and to be as nifty as the retarius, secutor or (even) gladiatrix. As Maximus Decimus Meridius alludes in Gladiator (the first one), the crowds wishes to be entertained.
Sometimes people who are expert in their field are not happy to speak to an audience. They’re diffident about their expertise and think what they know is ‘normal’, nothing special. It isn’t, of course. This is a pity as they are the very people we’ve come to see and whose pearls of wisdom we’d like to hear .
Now, I like standing up in front of people and talking my head off, but that’s not enough. I still agonise about whether I’ve got too much or too little material or if I’m pitching it at the right level for the audience. I always ask the organisers what stage people in the audience have reached in their career, but usually get an airy ‘Oh, all levels‘ (which is never true).
 Suited up! During my business career, I gave talks to audiences from six up to a thousand and I’ve spoken over the past dozen years about writing, indie publishing, Romans, historical and alternative history fiction at many different events. Now I’m starting to prepare for chairing a panel on taking the Romans to the public for the Historical Novel Society in a few days’ time. My panel parters are authors Kate Quinn and Ruth Downie, both fabulous historical fiction writers. It’s always fun and you get such interesting questions from the audience!
So here are a few ideas for you when you are asked to speak at an event…
Dare to do it
Nobody is going to eat you (It’s against the law.) and quite a lot of people would like to hear from you. Obviously, you need to know the subject area and that in itself breeds confidence. Say yes. Once booked, you’re unlikely to backslide.
Agree the topic and scope with the organiser
Very important to clarify this with the organisers at the start. I’m amazed by how many talks I’ve been to where the topics differed from the title on the programme. The most notable one was at the 2014 London Book Fair! I chatted to the speaker afterwards and found she’d been given the wrong briefing. I felt so sorry for her. Her talk was really interesting, but not the one in the programme.
Start gathering your ideas early
The longer lead time, the better. You could come across some terrific new research, or meet a new person to consult, or a find new way of presentation if you have a few months. Also it forestalls panic as the date approaches if you’ve got most of the presentation under your belt.
Write it all out
You’re probably not going to read it verbatim – that’s boring for the audience and you’ll lose them within a few minutes. We all need to remember the ‘entertain’ bit. However, composing your talk in your head and tapping it into your computer when preparing means that the thoughts go through your brain and hopefully stick there and possibly mature. When you’re ready, you can transfer the meat of your talk to postcards, tablet or whatever aide-memoire you use.
Speaking at the international Writers’ Festival, Dublin Practice and timing
Your nearest and dearest may be ready to call for the men in white coats when they see and hear you doing this, but I strongly recommend you rehearse your talk out loud, even if you’re only addressing the dog (who will listen) or the cat (who will walk away, its tail in the air). You need to know how long your delivery will take.
I usually allow ten minutes of non-presentation time for fiddling around with tech at the beginning and questions at the end.
Use slides/pictures/objects/maps/charts, but…
I like images, so perhaps I’m biased. Regular readers know I always have illustrations in every blog post; they break up the narrative and give readers a chance to absorb what I’ve written. They may even be amused. So it is with talks. If you have spellbinders like Lindsey Davis or David Nobbs, there is no need. But for us lesser mortals, while we engage, we are not in that class.
And resist the temptation to submit your audience to lines of text. One or two slides of maximum three bullet points interspersed with images can work, if used sparingly.
And here’s the ‘but’…
Do not depend on images and slides or you could be stuck like a cat up a tree with no firefighter to rescue you. If the technology fails, you should still be able to give your talk.
Take a breath
Aim to speak slightly slower than normal – everybody except the complete expert speaks faster out of nervousness. And if you get lost or befogged during your talk, pause, take a breath, glance at your notes to gather yourself together. You’ll soon recover because you’ve practised this damned talk so many times, you know exactly where you are.
And answer questions nicely
You haven’t finished yet. Look and smile at the questioner even if you think they resemble the tough interrogator from the local vigiles cohort in ancient Rome. While there will be some nit-pickers, you may be surprised by how supportive some of the questions are. And lastly, don’t try to fluff an answer. If you don’t know, offer to find out and email them later.
Thank you for reading – I hope you’ve enjoyed it.
Thoughts, anybody? Or any questions?
Revised and republished 2024
Alison Morton is the author of Roma Nova thrillers – INCEPTIO, CARINA (novella), PERFIDITAS, SUCCESSIO, AURELIA, NEXUS (novella), INSURRECTIO and RETALIO, and ROMA NOVA EXTRA, a collection of short stories. Audiobooks are available for four of the series. Double Identity, a contemporary conspiracy, starts a new series of thrillers. JULIA PRIMA, Roma Nova story set in the late 4th century, starts the Foundation stories. The sequel, EXSILIUM, is now out.
Download ‘Welcome to Alison Morton’s Thriller Worlds’, a FREE eBook, as a thank you gift when you sign up to Alison’s monthly email update. You’ll also be among the first to know about news and book progress before everybody else, and take part in giveaways.
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