<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Brook Allen, Author]]></title><description><![CDATA[Brook Allen]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2026 08:11:27 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.brookallenauthor.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[BLOG: A Technological Breakthrough!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dear Readers, As promised, this week I'm sharing some of the modern research I've been doing for my upcoming story. There are some phenomenal breakthroughs going on right now in the study of ancient manuscripts, so let's jump right in to the meat of it all. As you know, my current project is a dual-timeline; two plots, two protagonists, and something remarkable that ties them together. Back in 2023, University of Kentucky professor, Dr. Brent Seales garnered support for the VESUVIUS...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/blog-a-technological-breakthrough</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a5112abcb673b1177c950f4</guid><pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:09:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_369630941c8a4408a88ef2e05e628aec~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_500,h_434,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[BLOG: What Brook has been up to . . .]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dear Readers, I haven't posted in a month or more, due to my travels. My current project has also kept me busy, and I am pleased to state that the writing of this book is nearing completion. Today's post should interest you if you are curious as to what I've been up to with this new novel. In late May, I traveled to Rome and Naples with fellow author Eileen Stephenson. There were several sites I was anxious to revisit, as both pertained to my work. We hit the ground running, and our first...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/blog-a-message-to-my-readers</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a47ce01fa58f0a255cee618</guid><pubDate>Fri, 03 Jul 2026 15:12:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_a39c4f7856c74752a3dff7e7c14bc806~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[REVIEW: ACHILLES'S WIFE]]></title><description><![CDATA[Over the past decade there has been a renewed interest in mythology, whether it be Greek, Roman, Egyptian, or Norse. Madeline Miller's CIRCE took the literary world by surprise, becoming a NYT bestseller for months. Even now--in 2026--some critics declare it to be one of the finest fantasy novels of the decade. Whether you venture into some of the lengthy passages of the Egyptian Book of the Dead, read through the Iliad or Odyssey, or sample some of Virgil's Aeneid, you will find gods,...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/review-achilles-s-wife</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a0668829f0dce7b5990e50a</guid><category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 01:04:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_471f99fa47f44361b25eff3ce18298f2~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_750,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[SPOTLIGHT: Infidel]]></title><description><![CDATA[My mantra has become: SO MANY BOOKS, SO LITTLE TIME! I have read nine so far this year, with a goal of at least twenty or more. One particular research book on papyrology has taken me about nine months to read. It has yielded an enormous amount of information for my current project, but it's very dry reading. Reading and comprehending is so important, and sadly, more and more children in our society don't read much outside of school. Many of them don't read enough IN school. I just did some...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/spotlight-infidel</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69fd22c04f7ebdc9f6a7e413</guid><category><![CDATA[Spotlight]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2026 00:27:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_129584c794424f4a92e5a11e5d54186a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[EXCERPT: Another Soul Saved]]></title><description><![CDATA[Since my retirement last year, I've had the marvelous opportunity to teach music part-time in a private school. It has been really refreshing and the students have been fabulous. I feel as though I have entered some sort of educational utopia! Ha! Today, I was teaching about Richard Wagner, and how his music was adopted by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party as part of German national propaganda. Our class exercise was reading about cancel culture, and I divided the class in half. Each side was...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/excerpt-another-soul-saved</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69f27eef829c52805ba9dc71</guid><pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 22:38:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_0c271077d6c24e168584af2c434506f3~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_722,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[BLOG: One Woman's Quest for Legitimacy]]></title><description><![CDATA[I remember very clearly my father telling me about Harry Houdini and his skepticism of life after death. Apparently, Houdini told his wife to attend seances after he died; that if there really was another life after death, he would come and communicate with her. With his fame as an illusionist and ability to outwit people with his many feats of magic and deception, Dad always said that if there really was life after death, Houdini would have found it. Not that I believe Dad was right . . . or...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/blog-one-woman-s-quest-for-legitimacy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69e7aa758b2f11ff8e59af67</guid><category><![CDATA[Blogs]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:11:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_a5e97ed199904660b91a91f8ecd5849e~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_320,h_128,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[EXCERPT: A Taste of Evil]]></title><description><![CDATA[Yesterday, I had the joy of speaking to the Persiflage author group in Salem, Virginia .  It's always a joy to talk books and writing with other people who have a way with words, too. I spoke on "Writing a Historical Fiction Novel," and it was actually cathartic to put this presentation together, because I began to see how I tend to work and I'm rather satisfied with the way my current project is going. So, thank you Persiflage friends for hosting me! That being said, it's been a wild, hectic...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/excerpt-a-taste-of-evil</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cf09a826b8f4da9454d7fa</guid><category><![CDATA[Excerpts]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:11:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_342d5e6d537349e2897e500adcc53198~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_585,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[BLOG: PTSD in Civil War Times]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was raised in an extended family of soldiers. My father served in WWII's Pacific Theater. Though the Veteran's Administration labeled him as a "combat soldier", he worked those years as an airplane mechanic most of the time. That being said, however, he was also given sentry duty at times, and recalled a bullet whizzing past his head and seeing a Japanese soldier bolting into the jungle. I've had numerous cousins serve in the armed forces. My first cousin, with whom I'm very close, was an...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/blog-ptsd-in-civil-war-times</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69bc753506e9acd4d41cce7c</guid><category><![CDATA[Blogs]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 23:20:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_efde9acc312a43f9a82f59b63518f6c9~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_585,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[SNIPPET: Rogues &#38; Kings]]></title><description><![CDATA[When I was growing up, and got turned on to history and reading, I fell in love with the Arthurian Legend. I was ALL about Camelot, attending the musical if it came to town, and even traveling with my parents once to Somerset, England to search for the "historical" Arthur. How's THAT for being a history nerd? Since then, I became more involved in work, housekeeping, friends, family, and now writing. I haven't yet picked up a good Arthurian project, but who knows? Plenty of authors out there...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/snippet-rogues-kings</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b2f803881f20099b2db271</guid><category><![CDATA[Snippet]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:01:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_ac593841eccc4bd18c595c43aede6129~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_585,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[EXCERPT: One Fine Voice]]></title><description><![CDATA[My first foray into singing was when I was five-years old.  I sang in my Church's "Cherub Choir". I even remember the song, the moment we were being led into the sanctuary-- everything . From then on, the musical bug was deeply embedded and as I grew up, I continued my interest in Fine Arts. From performing on-stage in community theater musicals until I was in college, singing on international tours, I fostered my love for music. This past spring,  I retired after teaching music for...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/excerpt-one-fine-voice</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a1b7f04882ec6a3ac2ce36</guid><pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 16:03:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_e21f0dcc3ada48dc87308e2cb630a530~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_585,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[BLOG: Secrets in the Woods]]></title><description><![CDATA[Years ago,  when we first moved to Virginia, my husband and I had been book-shopping. Loaded with several bags of good reads, we exited Books-a-Million , back when they were a brick and mortar store in Roanoke. As we were walking out of the double, sliding-glass doors, we were greeted by chaos. Just across the street,  an apartment building had flames shooting out of the roof.  It was one of those moments that we've all had. Transfixed, we stood by dumbly, hearing sirens wail, people...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/blog-secrets-in-the-woods</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69979e36aab309115cb57105</guid><pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:47:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_26115c3ccb9a49ba9ebc6521362e7c44~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[REVIEW: To Chase the Glowing Hours]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dear Readers, I always try to begin each blog post with a few words of my own, but it has been some time since I have been able to share a post myself. This is the week. As the New Year kicked off, I promised that I would share my favorite historical fiction read of 2025, and I want to squeeze that in before the end of the month. First, plenty of people are asking about my current project.  It's going just great! I am presently just past the half-way mark. One of my timelines is complete and...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/review-to-chase-the-glowing-hours</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697bd0adccf6db790cb10d31</guid><category><![CDATA[Reviews]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:38:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_6b988a7a91c54c4f915ca74ecc780d7a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[EXCERPT: Red Anemones]]></title><description><![CDATA[I remember every detail of when my mother died.  I remember what I was doing, the moment the nurse came to get me, the haunting moment when I appeared in her doorway and she was staring at me with blind eyes ... Whenever a loved one passes  there are always new and defining moments that transpire, affecting you for the rest of your life. For me, it was the change in my father and how he was responding as his dementia pulled him down yet another run in life's ladder. I think he missed her so...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/excerpt-red-anemones</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69739fb8b5920f4029e8c2a0</guid><category><![CDATA[Excerpts]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:52:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_5b356ff6c3ef4cde8875df9c49614bff~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_600,h_900,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[SPOTLIGHT: The Relic Keeper]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have been a really busy author these past months-- not only writing but having a great time doing some in-person events. One of them was this week. A shoutout to all of the lovely residents at The Glebe in Botetourt County, Virginia! It was a pleasure sharing about WEST OF SANTILLANE with you on Monday. One of my favorite stories is Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens.  I also adore the old 1960's muscial that is based upon it--OLIVER! As a young girl, I memorized most of the songs and would...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/spotlight-the-relic-keeper</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69696dce022bfc82f7647003</guid><category><![CDATA[Spotlight]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 00:17:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_c66c22e5f9fc4faf8b2d8c21f629942d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_585,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[EXCERPT: The Poinsettia Girl]]></title><description><![CDATA[Happy New Year, readers! Two days ago,  an author friend shared with me a tradition her family enjoys on New Year's. They each select a word for the year--something that is meaningful to them for the next twelve months. She asked me to join in. I decided on "success". Ever since I began writing seriously, I have always had to place my love of writing on the back-burner whenever something came up. When I became a care-giver to my parents, for instance, I immediately stopped work on my Antonius...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/excerpt-the-poinsettia-girl</link><guid isPermaLink="false">695d59ff98add1bc15813d7b</guid><category><![CDATA[Excerpts]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2026 19:35:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_2e065d8b6e7c4739982aa07d45da8c21~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_585,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[BLOG: A Brief History of Madame Guillotine]]></title><description><![CDATA[While in college, I had a remarkable opportunity to study French in Paris in a summer program at La Sorbonne. Completely immersed and having made a promise among the rest of my team NOT to speak English, I found myself learning another language and at times--toward the end of my stay in France--even dreaming in it! I will ever be thankful to my parents who provided for this incredible experience. It was one of the most valuable summers I can remember. Each afternoon,  after classes, a fellow...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/blog-a-brief-history-of-madame-guillotine</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6942d95bf61440030e70343d</guid><category><![CDATA[Blogs]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2025 17:26:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_203c174f1ece456ba5c9a330b0d5589a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_585,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[BLOG: Richard, Duke of York~ Who was he?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hello, readers! It is so hard to believe it's December with the Holidays all before us. It's a busy time, shopping, Christmas or Hanukkah-themed activities, as well as time spent with friends and family. I have been participating in some craft-fairs this year, selling my titles and I have been delighted in the number of sales I have made so far. This coming Saturday, I'll be at St. Mark's United Methodist Church in Daleville, Virginia from 9am-2pm, signing books. If you are in the area, stop...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/blog-richard-duke-of-york~-who-was-he</link><guid isPermaLink="false">692f8d186b38ed6c8740859f</guid><category><![CDATA[Blogs]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2025 01:44:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_4da70fb9277b49f1a370b7f2993e6398~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_585,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[SPOTLIGHT: Ravenscourt]]></title><description><![CDATA[We are in that part of the year when life takes off at a frenetic pace. I have been so hurried this past week, even though it has been a "good" sort of busy. I mentioned recently how busy book clubs are keeping me. I'd like to give a shout out to the Fincastle Book Club. They welcomed me warmly on a chilly day and shared some delicious cider and cake while I was there. And right outside the venue was the recently repaired grave of John Hancock--brother to my main character, Julia in WEST OF...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/spotlight-ravenscourt</link><guid isPermaLink="false">691737a698ab608cbd16e5e9</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Nov 2025 14:37:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_41fbbd41590c4f39b148a4a8b365b38d~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_585,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[EXCERPT: What Remains]]></title><description><![CDATA[It's probably almost time  for me to share another update on my current project, so I promise to do so soon. Let's just say that it's coming along at a brisk pace and I'm really thrilled about it. And like today's excerpt, it's a dual timeline. Dual timelines, split timelines, call them what you will-- are written in more than one setting. Once, I read a TRIPLE timeline, and for me--that was just too much! However, I find dual timelines fascinating. An author must choose two periods. In the...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/excerpt-what-remains</link><guid isPermaLink="false">690df6b696a2942ab27e39f5</guid><category><![CDATA[Excerpts]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2025 14:40:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_1c4540b72ed4406e854f9f25c5e624ec~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_630,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[BLOG: Why some women turn to crime]]></title><description><![CDATA[1924 . . .  It was the year my parents were born. In today's blog post, it was the year that started with a bang--the bang of hold-up theft in stores and banks. This week, we are learning what makes female criminals criminal ! I'd like to welcome Maryka Biaggio to Brook's Journal.  Maryka is a fellow author in the Historical Novel Society , that I speak about so often. We've shared the joy of historical fiction in quite a few locations now, over the past years. Portland, Maryland, San...]]></description><link>https://www.brookallenauthor.com/post/blog-why-some-women-turn-to-crime</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6906b3ed07f57e48208b0dc1</guid><category><![CDATA[Blogs]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 02 Nov 2025 02:05:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6db60f_b46e375755dc42cbb2197d39d957550e~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_213,h_320,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>1brookallen</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>