For The Revenant, the initial idea of that a nefarious innkeeper might be behind a series of murders came after a visit in 2016 to the Ostrich Inn of Colnbrook near London. According to local legend, the landlord, Jarman, and his wife were responsible for at least 60 deaths during the 14th century. They would ply unsuspecting wealthy travelers with alcohol until they grew sleepy and were ready to retire. The traveler would be directed to the "blue room," which had a specially-prepared bed. When the traveler was asleep, Jarman would pull a lever that caused the victim to fall headfirst ...
From the October 2016 episode of Chivalry Today podcast: "Conversation #15 with author Lonnie Colson, author of The Second Great Mortality, a zombie apocalypse novel set in 15th century England. If zombie tales force us to confront the thin veneer of civility and humanity we live with in the modern world, what can a medieval zombie uprising teach us about the ideals of chivalry in 15th century culture (as well as today)? The Second Great Mortality is the perfect read for any medieval history enthusiast this Halloween season."
WELLINGTON — Lonnie Colson never set out to become an author let alone a writer of fantasy horror. His first love has always been medieval history, and no period captivates him more than fifteenth-century England. As a kid growing up in Wellington, his only outlet was dueling friends with trashcan lids and cane poles in his back yard and watching Arthurian movies such as Knights of the Round Table, Sword of the Valiant, and Excalibur. One day while leafing through newspapers in search of a debate topic for English class ...
It is impossible to tell a good story without dialogue, and believable dialogue requires a liberal dose of exclamations and interjections. Everyone from a pious priest to a salty sailor uses them to some degree—even your dear old grandmother. Stub your toe, mash your finger, or get cut off in traffic and there is a good chance you are going to shout something. The more colorful the exclamation, the more objectionable it will be considered in polite company. It was not until I became a father that I began to recognize the degree to ...
For The Second Great Mortality, the parish church at Colleville needed to be small and unimportant. I wanted it to bear the name of a local saint, so I chose the relatively little-known Wigstan and opted for the older spelling of Wystan. While doing research for another historical fiction project a couple years ago, I stumbled across an article about caretakers of a small Welsh village's church discovered stunning 15th-century wall paintings under 20 layers of limewash. Saint Cadoc's in Llancarfan, Vale of Glamorgan ...
The priory at Stony Heath was largely inspired by the remains of Timoleague Friary, a thirteenth-century Fransiscan monastery located in Timoleague, County Cork, Ireland. It was founded by the Fransiscans in 1240 on the site of a settlement founded by Saint Molaga in the 6th century. For The Second Great Mortality, I wanted to model the priory after a monastery from the correct period in order to provide a sense of historical accuracy. Although Timoleague was started in 1240, most of its surviving structures were completed by the 1400s. ...