My first novel, A Moon Garden, invites readers into a luminous world of war, mystery, love, and quiet revelation—where the past whispers through moonlit gardens and personal histories unfold like hidden paths. Drawing on themes of heritage, heroism, and the enduring pull of loyalty, it sets the stage for deeper explorations of history and human … Continue reading Sparking Liberty; Igniting Truth: The Enduring Friendship of Edmund Burke and John Hayes St. Leger
A Moon Garden
Experiencing York: A Writer’s Journey
As an 18-year-old art student in New York, I began the process of learning to “see.” More than 30 years later, when I landed a contract as a designer with an architectural firm, I learned what it means to “look.” Up until I was hired to be part of the team developing a multi-million-dollar entertainment … Continue reading Experiencing York: A Writer’s Journey
The Unforgotten
After I finished writing the manuscript for my first novel, A Moon Garden, I found myself in the unaccustomed state of having free time. One morning, I sat down at the computer and did a web search, to see if I could find a portrait of an aristocratic British soldier from the 1780’s, who looked … Continue reading The Unforgotten
Wishlists and Woke Roulette
Big Hollywood and Big Beer have taken heat for pushing wokeness over common sense, but the literary world seems to be flying happily under the radar. Since most publishing houses don’t accept submissions directly from fiction writers, it is necessary to go through an agent. For many good reasons, a screening process is required. During … Continue reading Wishlists and Woke Roulette
June 22, 1785: A wedding in Gretna Green
In my novel A Moon Garden, there were two lovers who could not marry legally in England in 1785. This was because of the Marriage Act, passed by Parliament in 1753. For a marriage to be legally binding, the ceremony had to be conducted by a minister in a church or chapel of the Church … Continue reading June 22, 1785: A wedding in Gretna Green
Crying time
London bound One year ago today, on February 27, 2020, I was on a plane bound for London. There were a few more documents I wanted to review at the National Archives and one book I particularly had to see at the British Library. Two weeks after I got home, travel was restricted. As much … Continue reading Crying time
An odd old book
Buying books is one of the pleasures of doing research. Of course I use digital resources, and visit libraries and archives, but sometimes there is a book that I want to hold in my hands and refer to over and over again. As I delved into the history of colonial America and Georgian England for … Continue reading An odd old book
Hulks in Charlestown Harbor
Des Barres, Joseph F. W. (Joseph Frederick Wallet), 1722-1824; Published 1780 (London); LOC# gm71000644 After abandoning Philadelphia to the Americans in 1778, the British shifted their focus to the South. By the middle of May 1780, they had secured a decisive victory in Charlestown, South Carolina, with the surrender of the Continental Army and Patriot … Continue reading Hulks in Charlestown Harbor
The East Webburn River in Widecombe-in-the-Moor
The East Webburn River flows through the ancient, picturesque village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor, past the Rugglestone Inn, and through the vast land holdings of the fictional family of Joseph Buckleigh, the hero of the historical novel A Moon Garden, by Roxane Gilbert. When his tour of duty in the American War for Independence comes to an … Continue reading The East Webburn River in Widecombe-in-the-Moor
The stone walls of Dartmoor
Dartmoor Lane©Roxane Gilbert Widecombe-in-the-Moor in Devon, England, is a village of fewer than 200 households in the middle of Dartmoor, which has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Many of the hedgerows and stone walls that divide the landscape date back hundreds of years. The walls have become natural rock gardens, covered with … Continue reading The stone walls of Dartmoor
Roxane Gilbert 