Writers are dangerous...

..but is this sign outside my front door, really necessary?




And another response on the Shieldwall proofs from Manda Scott of Boudica fame, which is very kind.


'With Shieldwall, Justin Hill joins the ranks of thoughtful, intelligent writers who know their period, but know also how to weave strong, striking characters and a driving narrative that sweep the reader through the havoc of battles and personal tragedy to the calmer waters at the end. This is an extraordinary account of an extraordinary time, heart-strong and heart-ful and utterly engaging. Don't miss it!'

How I start my day

The World Tonight: as they say themselves, in depth reporting and intelligent analysis of the world's news.

Intelligent analysis: isn't it sad that they have to make this clarification about their style of news.

But that's another blog entirely.

The good news is that now it's available as a podcast, meaning I can listen to it as I take the kids to school, and sweat off at the gym, which means I'll be able to concentrate more when I sit down to work.

Which, for you dear reader, means that I'll be able to write the next book even faster...! ;-)

On the publishing industry, which after music and film is the next in line for revolution with the internet, here's some thoughts from the Today programme.

Although, like so many 'news' items they manage to waffle on without saying anything practical or useful.

Proofs out, first responses in

The proofs have been out for a week or so hot off the press from Little, Brown:

London, one thousand years ago: look out of your window. There are 5,000 Vikings camped in the Tate Modern , and they are not there for the Matisse exhibition. They are grimful (hostile) and geheare (hairy) , and have been stoking their courage in the meadohalle (Mead-Hall i.e. pub) . If you put your head above the wall that surrounds the City from the Tower to Ludgate you are liable to be hit by an arwe (arrow ). You are starving. There is no Pret. You are in a City under siege…




The noble warriors at Andribb, Brúnede have spoken…



‘Shieldwall definitely fits into the better section of Historical fiction (don’t be put off by the Anglo-Saxon terminology for place names – there’s a Glossary in the front in any case) – Justin has crafted a wonderful tale based around an unsettled time on these shores. Great characterisation, detail and historical information takes the reader back to days gone by – move over Bernard Cornwell, there’s a new author hitting the bookshelves. Can’t wait for the next book’

Andrew Edwards



‘I loved this book and couldn’t put it down once I had started it. Can’t wait for the next one’

Carol Donnelly



‘Shieldwall was a great story – I loved the father and son dynamic of Wulfnoth and Godwin and Godwin’s story of survival without his father. Godwin was one of those characters that keeps you reading because you really care about what happens to him.’

Rachel Hum



‘I love this story-telling like The Pillars of the Earth where the adventure is epic and sweeping and like CJ Sansom the historical detail is so alive that you can almost smell the world that you are reading.’

Frances Doyle



‘Shieldwall is a battle epic as vast, bulging, and ferocious as its hero. I would rate it as highly as our Sphere historical adventures, except then I might get in trouble.’

Dan Mallory