A new chapter (and a move to Substack)

Hello everyone,

I hope this email finds you well. I have some big news to share.

To simplify my life, balance my day job, and focus more on writing, I’m moving my website blog and newsletter over to Substack. Managing separate spaces for website writing, emailing, and blogging was proving to be too much of a bottleneck.

Just like my old blog, everything I write here will remain completely free. Because you are a valued reader, your email has been automatically moved over—no action is required on your part.

You might notice a slight shift in the focus of what I share. My posts going forward will center heavily on research, new discoveries, and the journeys (both real and imaginary) that take me to the places that inform my stories. In other words, it will be a dedicated space combining my passions for writing, history, and a little travel. I’ll keep including the special offers for my books, but they might not be front and center.

Some posts will be polished historical stories. Others will be rougher behind-the-scenes notes packed with pictures and raw thoughts from my desk. Though I’ve written mainly about Vikings for the last 30 years, I’m deeply curious about other eras and places, too. So look out for stories that venture farther afield into new ancient and medieval times and locations.

Many of you have requested limited-edition, signed copies of my books. Others have asked for access to advanced reader copies (ARCs) and merchandise like custom bookmarks and digital art.

Because these items are more complicated and expensive to produce, I’m contemplating a future paid tier on Substack specifically to make those tangible perks available to you.

I should have more details on that down the road. In the meantime, please let me know if that is something you’d support by participating in the quick poll below:

I hope you enjoy this new chapter in my writing journey. I recently returned from a research trip to Europe for my next book, so keep an eye on your inbox for my first dispatches coming very soon!

If you have any specific ideas for historical topics and content you’d like to see me cover, please drop them in the comments below.

Thanks and happy reading!

Eric

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this historical tidbit, please consider sharing, commenting, or subscribing to History in Fiction. All new subscribers will get my ebook Forged by Iron for free.

P.S. If you like reading about travel and history, I highly recommend this book: Blue Highways: A Journey into America. It’s not ancient history (unless you think the 1970s in America is ancient), but it does a great job of wrapping historical context with travelogue in fluid (and sometime deep-minded) prose.