Thursday, June 8, 2017

Popular Historical Writing Periods Plus Giveaway!

I've had many people read Sword of Forgiveness as their first medieval romance and say they expected something different from a medieval book and were pleasantly surprised. I found it interesting that many people think all medieval is the dark ages. That got me to thinking about the different historical eras that we often see in fiction print and I thought I'd briefly go over each time period and mention some of the highlights of each one.

So often the word medieval congers up an image in our minds of barbaric people. But truly, medieval times covers a vast amount of years. The medieval time period started in the 5th century and went until the 15th century! That is 1000 year span when one uses the vague term medieval times. There was such great change from the 5th century to the 15th century that one can't hardly compare them. The last several hundred years had made great strides in laws, protection, rights, and much more. So as a writer of the medieval time period, I'd like to clarify this a little more.

So with good reason we need to break down the medieval time period into 3 eras-- Early Middle Ages, High Middle Ages, and Late Middle Ages.

The Early Middle Ages start in the 5th century and continue on into the 10th century. This time was called the 'Dark Ages' with lack of literary and cultural output. Up until about half way through this period population and trade in Europe declined while immigration increased. 

                                              Repaired walls of Constantinople                                              By en:User:Bigdaddy1204 - Photograph taken in June 2006 in Istanbul by en:User:Bigdaddy1204. All credits go to him., CC BY-SA 3.0,

The High Middle Ages pick up from the 11th to the 13th century. One of the huge changes was the swiftly increasing population. Such an increase like that would not be seen at such great numbers for another 600 years. Later in the era this population growth helped contribute to the economy picking up. They also saw political and social changes during this time period. 

Gothic Architecture- Fan Vaulting and Glass windows at Bath Abbey

The Late Middle Ages which I write in are usually considered the 14th and 15th century. This time period saw so much hardship. They were a part of The Great famine as well as the black plague. The combination of the famines and the plagues that hit Europe reduced the population almost in half. There was much social unrest within the country. Peasant uprisings leading to revolts, senseless warfare, and The Hundred Year War kept this era in constant turmoil.

Peasants preparing the field. Background the Louvre.

The Renaissance Period which started in the 14th century in Italy, reaching its peak in the 15th century and then spreading through out Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. What most know about the Renaissance period is its art and architectural contributions. But the Renaissance Period also saw a scientific revolution of its kind turning to observation. It also saw its share of social and political unrest.

The School of Athens by Raphael

The Georgian Years ranged from 1714 to 1837 including the short reign of William the IV. This period began the industrial revolution and great social changes. The industrial revolution strengthened the class divisions as well as help them to see the appearance of Tory and Whig parties.

The Circus in Bath (meaning circle or ring in Latin)

The Regency Period is a sub-period of the Georgian Era, when the King was deemed unfit to rule and the Prince Regent ruled the country. Those years ranged from 1811 to 1837. The Regency period is known for its elegance but it too was a time of great change socially, politically, and even economically. 


The Victorian Age ran from 1837 when Queen Victoria took the throne to 1901 when she died. This period for the most part was peaceful. The economics continued to increase and people gained more confidence in their queen and country. It was also a time that was considered refined sensibilities. (That made me think of the Regency period and Jane Austin's Sense and sensibility).

The Epson Derby- 1840

The Edwardian Period was a short time from 1901 to 1910. Sandwiched in between the great achievements of the Victorian Age and the first World War this period is many times romanticize as the Golden Age. One thing this time period did accomplish was the growing awareness of the working class. It saw an increase of labor unions, labor movements, and a push for better working conditions.

King Edward VII

The American Colonial Period ranged from 1607 to 1776. This was a time of great change. Many came to America for religious purposes, while some came to get away from the reaching arm of England or to make money. There were lost colonies, starvation, growth, unrest, and finally a fight for freedom.

Castillo de San Marcos construction began in 1672 in St. Augustine, Florida

19th Century 1800 to 1899. Its a time when much of the world prospered. America settled the west. The century saw wars, political growth, a fight for equality, medical break throughs, inventions, and so much more. 

The first ships sail through the Suez Canal

So to break this down:

Medieval Era  5th century to the 15th century              1000 years
(Medieval breakdown)
Early Middle Ages 5th century to the 10th century         500 years
High Middle Ages 11th century to the 13th century        300 years
Late Middle Ages 14th century and the 15th century      200 years
Renaissance Period 14th century to the 17th century     300 years
Georgian Period 1714 to 1837                                      123 years
Regency Period (sub period of Georgian) 1811 to 1837   26 years
Victorian Period 1837 to 1901                                       64 years
Edwardian Period 1901 to 1910                                     9 years
Colonial Period 1607 to 1776                                        169 years
19th Century 1800-1899                                              100 years

Interestingly enough when you look at the years of each era and think about when most books are set, the majority of books are set in the minority of eras.  

How about you? Do you have a favorite time period or periods that you like to read? Let me know for a chance to win my new release, Sword of the Matchmaker in choice of format ends June 12th.
Giving away a copy of my new release, Sword of the Matchmaker so be sure to leave a comment to enter for just my book AND don't forget to enter in the rafflecopter! Your comment can count toward my book giveaway and the rafflecopter give away. Be sure to share on FB and twitter for Rafflecopter entries!





  1. For some morbid reason, I like the Civil War era. The history of that time period is amazing and Lincoln is one of my favorite presidents. princessdebbie1_2000(at)yahoo(dot)com

    1. Thanks for sharing, Debbie! My crit partner is so knowledgeable about the CW period. She really brings it to life!

  2. I am also a Civil War Era enthusiast and the WWII era is also very interested to me. I don't enjoy the deaths Assoc with both of them but I never want to forget the sacrifices!

    1. Amen, Connie! I agree. We never want to forget what these men gave up for our freedoms.

  3. What an interesting and helpful breakdown, Debbie! I find the changes and differences among all these Western historical periods fascinating. I wonder how different historical periods in the Eastern and Southern hemispheres compare? And Sword of the Matchmaker sounds wonderful!

    1. Thank you, Kiersti. That's a great question about the Eastern and Southern Hemispheres. Sounds like another good blog post!

  4. I also enjoy the Civil War era with President Lincoln (after all from Illinois). I've been branching out with other eras and enjoy reading historical fiction, including Shattered Memories by you. Any news on the sequel to Shattered Memories? Sword of the Matchmaker sounds intriguing and I've read some great reviews.

    1. Hey Marilyn! I'm so glad you enjoyed shattered Memories! Right now I'm working on the sequel to Sword of Trust.

    2. Debbie, g;ad to hear the news about the sequel. I was so caught up in the lives of Olivia and Drew I want to know what is happening. My mind can write it's own conclusion-right? : )

    3. Marilyn, the sequel I'm working on now is for my medieval. The plan was to work on the sequel to my 19th century after I get Sword of Trust finished. :) Sorry for the confusion! But I am half way through the medieval.

  5. Thanks for this info, Debbie Lynne. I've never seen it posted so clearly and had wondered about the times before the 19th century--not enough to research them though. :) I'm copying the list of time periods and saving it.

  6. LOL! I know what you mean, Vickie. Life is so busy these days we tend to do things that are a must rather than things a want as in want to know. Glad it is helpful!

  7. Woo Hoo Marilyn R. you are my winner! You didn't leave your email so please email me or comment with your email addy. Congratulations!

    1. Hello Debbie, Sorry I forgot to leave my email address. I sent you an email. I'm thrilled to be the winner of Sword of the Matchmaker.

  8. Interesting. It seems some historians no longer like to use the term 'Dark Ages' to refer to the Early Middle Ages, because they're coming to apprciate intellectual and cultural achievements even then. Beowulf, King Alfred's Law Codes and literary reforms, and the such all came from that time, and Charlemagne established schools in France.
    There's also some incredible art and metalwork from the period. Personally, I blame the Vikings for holding back a lot of progress when they burned all those monastaries, course it might just be because I love all thing Anglo-Saxon and I'm biased towards them.