Helen Hollick (Author of The Forever Queen)

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Helen Hollick

欧宝娱乐 Author

Born

in Walthamstow, North East London, The United Kingdom

Website

Twitter

Genre

Historical Fiction, Nautical, Mystery

Member Since

December 2008

URL

/helenhollick

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I escaped London in January 2013 to live in North Devon - but was born in Walthamstow, North East London in 1953 I began writing at the age of 13. Desperately wanting a pony of my own, but not being able to afford one, I invented an imaginary pony instead, writing stories about our adventures together at every spare opportunity. In the seventies I turned to science fiction - this was the age of Dr. Who, Star Trek and Star Wars. I still have an unfinished adventure about a bit of a rogue who travelled space with his family, making an honest(ish) living and getting into all sorts of scrapes. Perhaps one day I might finish it.

I had wanted to become a journalist when leaving secondary school, but my careers advice was not helpful. "Don't be sil I escaped London in January 2013 to live in North Devon - but was born in Walthamstow, North East London in 1953 I began writing at the age of 13. Desperately wanting a pony of my own, but not being able to afford one, I invented an imaginary pony instead, writing stories about our adventures together at every spare opportunity. In the seventies I turned to science fiction - this was the age of Dr. Who, Star Trek and Star Wars. I still have an unfinished adventure about a bit of a rogue who travelled space with his family, making an honest(ish) living and getting into all sorts of scrapes. Perhaps one day I might finish it.

I had wanted to become a journalist when leaving secondary school, but my careers advice was not helpful. "Don't be silly," I was told, "you can't type." (I still can't, I use four fingers.) Instead, I worked in a Chingford library where I stayed for 13 years although I was not very happy there - I did not realise it, but I wanted to write. The one advantage of the library, however, was the access to books, and it was there that I came across the Roman historical novels of Rosemary Sutcliff, the Arthurian trilogy by Mary Stewart, and the historian Geoffrey Ashe. I was hooked on Roman Britain - and King Arthur!

Reading everything I could, I eventually became frustrated that novels were not how I personally felt about the matter of Arthur and Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere).

By this time, I was married with a young daughter. I had time on my hands and so I started writing my idea of Arthurian Britain . I deliberately decided not to include Merlin and Lancelot, there was to be no magic or Medieval myth. My book was to be a "what might have really happened" historical novel, not a fantasy, and most certainly not a romance! What I didn't know, when I started, was that my one book was to grow into enough words to make a complete trilogy.

I found an agent who placed me with William Heinemann - I was accepted for publication just after my 40th birthday. The best birthday present I have ever had.

I had previously had a smaller success with a children's personal safety book (stranger danger) called "Come and Tell Me," a little story that I had written for my daughter when she was 3. I wanted to tell her how to keep safe in a clear and simple manner - with a message that could be easily remembered. "Always come and tell me before you go anywhere with anyone" fitted nicely. I was immensely proud when my little story was taken up as an official safety book by the British Home Office to be used nationally by the police and schools. An updated and revised version of "Come and Tell Me" was re-published by Happy Cat Books but is now out of print.

I followed on with two Saxon period novels A Hollow Crown and Harold the King - both are about the people and events that led to the Battle of Hastings in 1066 - from the English point of view.
(these titles are published as The Forever Queen and I Am The Chosen King in the US)

When Heinemann did not re-print my backlist I took my books to a small UK independent publisher with their even smaller mainstream imprint, adding my historical adventure series the Sea Witch Voyages to my list.
Unfortunately Discovered Authors / Callio Press, were not as organised as they should have been and the company closed in the spring of 2011. Not wanting my books to fall out of print in the UK I took them to an indie company - SilverWood Books of Bristol UK - and with their technical assistance "self published"

I am also with Sourcebooks Inc in the US, with Artemis Yayinlari in Turkey, Sadwolf in Germany at Catnip Edizioni in Italy.
I was delighted to make the USA Today bestseller list in 2011 with The Forever Queen (US title of A Hollow Crown)

I have published two non-fiction books: Pirates Truth and Tales with Amberley Press and Smugglers : Fact and Fiction with Pen & Sword.

I also run an historical fiction review blog, Discovering Diamonds, with a dedicated and enthusia ...more

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Combine Editions
Helen Hollick鈥檚 books

Average rating: 3.91 · 9,904 ratings · 1,179 reviews · 56 distinct works 鈥� Similar authors

	The Forever Queen (Saxon #2) 3.73 avg rating — 4,077 ratings — published 2004 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	I Am the Chosen King (Saxon #1) 4.12 avg rating — 2,325 ratings — published 2000 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Kingmaking (Pendragon's Banner Trilogy, #1) 3.89 avg rating — 1,725 ratings — published 1994 — 24 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Shadow of the King (Pendragon's Banner Trilogy, #3) 4.13 avg rating — 577 ratings — published 1997 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sea Witch (Capt. Jesamiah Acorne Book 1) 3.79 avg rating — 284 ratings — published 2006 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pirate Code (Capt.. Jesamiah Acorne Book 2) 4.09 avg rating — 104 ratings — published 2007 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bring It Close (Sea Witch Voyages, #3) 4.22 avg rating — 82 ratings — published 2009 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ripples in the Sand 4.24 avg rating — 54 ratings — published 2012 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Mirror Murder (Jan Christopher Mystery Series #1) 4.25 avg rating — 53 ratings — published 2021 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pirates: Truth and Tales 3.39 avg rating — 41 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Helen Hollick…

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Helen Hollick's Blog

Taking a bit of a break for a short while...

Meanwhile, why not...

Order an e-book online - and read it instantly!
*** **** 听available now

Website:听Amazon Author Page:听

*The Jan Christopher Cosy Mysteriesset in the 1970s
*The SEA WITCH VOYAGESnautical adventures set during the Golden Age of Piracy

*THE SAXON SERIESThe story of the even Read more of this blog post »

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Published on April 23, 2025 18:00

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Series by Helen Hollick

Saxon (2 books)
by

Helen Hollick (欧宝娱乐 Author)

3.87 avg rating — 6,402 ratings

Sea Witch Chronicles (5 books)
by

Helen Hollick (欧宝娱乐 Author)

3.98 avg rating — 548 ratings

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Helen鈥檚 Recent Updates

Helen Hollick wrote a new blog post Taking a bit of a break for a short while... Meanwhile, why not... Order an e-book online - and read it instantly!* * * 听available now from Amazon Website:听 Read more of this blog post »
Apr 25, 2025 12:15AM · like
Helen Hollick and 1 other person liked Lizzie Hayes's review of A MEMORY OF MURDER: A Jan Christopher Mystery - Episode 5 (Jan Christopher Mysteries): "Jan Christopher loves her job as a library assistant in Chingford Library, North London, but in April 1973 she is finding her work very stressful. The library is very busy because people want to stock up with books before the Easter holiday and the l" Read more of this review 禄
May 28, 2024 09:11AM · see review
Helen Hollick liked Loretta's review of A MEMORY OF MURDER: A Jan Christopher Mystery - Episode 5 (Jan Christopher Mysteries): "This story really takes me back to the 1970s. The clothing, the music, the memories. The MC of the story is Jan (short for January, not Janet) who works in a library. Having made an unfortunate but unintended remark to a youngster who has a condition " Read more of this review 禄
May 20, 2024 07:10AM · see review
Helen Hollick and 5 other people liked Marian Thorpe's review of Try the Leopard's Mouth: "Try the Leopard鈥檚 Mouth is the story of a man with two dangerous obsessions: one with a country, and one with a woman. Tom Etheridge is a young man who takes a job in Rhodesia towards the end of Ian Smith鈥檚 government, at first working as a salaried " Read more of this review 禄
Mar 05, 2024 03:36AM · see review
Helen Hollick is now following Carly Rheilan and Twila
Mar 01, 2024 06:17AM

More of Helen's books…

Quotes by Helen Hollick (?)

“Two people can only live as one when each is prepared to give and receive trust and understanding. Above that lies respect. Without respect for how the other feels, no marriage is worthwhile.”
― Helen Hollick, The Kingmaking

tags: love, marriage, respect, trust, understanding

92 likes

“Change has to come for life to struggle forward.”
― Helen Hollick, The Kingmaking

tags: change, life, moving-forward, moving-on

67 likes

“We had so many dreams as children. Where do they go when we grow? Are they swallowed up by the mundane things of everyday life? Or do we lose them, leave them behind us in the dust, for new children to find and take up?”
― Helen Hollick, The Kingmaking

tags: dreams, growing-up, helen-hollick

48 likes

See all Helen Hollick's quotes »

Polls

Which book would you like to read for our October 15 - November 15 European Royalty group read?

Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie

21 votes, 31.3%

The Forever Queen by Helen Hollick

18 votes, 26.9%

Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir

11 votes, 16.4%

Katherine by Anya Seton

10 votes, 14.9%

顿茅蝉颈谤茅别 by Annemarie Selinko

7 votes, 10.4%

67 total votes

6 comments

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