The Crimson Castle: What the REAL Castle looks like

I'm going to try and share with you each week some of the places that feature in my books. I though I'd start with the eponymous castle from The Crimson Castle.

Those of you that have read The Crimson Castle will have seen in my byword that the nefarious Lord Tibald's Etone Castle was loosely based on Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire. I thought it would be fun to share a few images of the castle with you and explain a little of its history so you can get a feel for what it was like when The Crimson Castle was set.

The Norman Keep at Kenilworth

So you can see why I named it The Crimson Castle! Kenilworth Castle is made of local red stone and is quite a distinctive colour. Here in Warwickshire you often see old churches and buildings made out of this brightly coloured stone.

Kenilworth Castle is most well known for being the home of Robert Dudley, Elizabeth 1's great love, and he created a grand castle here to impress her.

However, at the time The Crimson Castle was set (late 1100's) it would have been a square Norman keep,  having been converted from a motte and bailey castle a few decades before.

The lake, which also features quite heavily in the book, was artificially created and provided a daunting obstable for potential invaders, stretching up to a mile wide and surrounding the outer wall to create a moat. This artists impression shows what it would have looked like in the early 1200's and is very much how I pictured it.

Kenilworth was actually a very small settlement, unlike Lord Tibald's demesne, and it's not really understood why such a grand castle was built there.

During the civil war, the lake was drained and one side of the Norman keep was destroyed. However, as you can see from this picture, you can still get a real sense for what the castle must have been like at the time.

If you'd like to learn a little more about the history of the castle then take a look at the English Heritage website.

*Photos courtesy of Kenilworth Castle, by Derek Benn

What inspires me?

"What inspires you and how do you keep that inspiration going?" - Julie, Berkshire, UK.

I just received a lovely email from Julie via my website and in it she asked me this question. I thought I'd share with you what inspires me to keep writing.

Firstly, I must admit I'm not much of a planner. Occasionally I have a beginning, middle and an end but it's rare. Also, sometimes I write the ending before I've even written the beginning!

Because my books are fairly far removed from reality (fantasy and sci-fi authors, I take my hat off to you), I can't say that I take any inspiration from real life. Usually they start from a single word or idea. Perhaps a concept that I want to explore. 'The Crimson Castle' for example started from my desire to write an anti-hero. 'A Summer Siege' stemmed from wanting to write a strong, brave woman but I knew I had to craft a reason for her bravery and strength so it also hooked onto the idea of lost hope and how she could regain that hope through fighting for it.

But what really keeps me going is music. Music and lyrics inspire me every moment and I NEVER write without music. My music choices might surprise you. I'm a lover of rock and heavy metal in spite of my romantic sensibilities.

One song that has inspired my recently was 'Overburdened' by Disturbed. Anyone familiar with Disturbed will know that they fairly heavy but the lyrics related perfectly to how a character in my latest novel 'The Angel's Assassin' felt. (The Angel's Assassin' release date will be announced very soon!)

My 'One Knight' series, in which couples meet and come together in the space of one night was more obviously inspired by The Goo Goo dolls and their song 'One Night.' It's a beautiful song and never fails to inspire me.

What songs inspire you? I'm always on the look out for new songs to inspire me and fill me with ideas so let me know if you have any that might trigger my next book and I'll be sure to credit you!