WELCOME TO RACHEL’S FICTION WRITING AND REVIEWS BLOG
This is where Rachel keeps you up to date with her novels and stories and also shares reviews, highlights and extracts from other authors.
Lady of Lincoln Wins Gold in the 2026 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards
’m delighted to share some wonderful news: Lady of Lincolnhas won the Gold Medal in Fiction – Historical – Personage in the 2026 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest!
It’s a particularly lovely award to receive because Lady of Lincoln began with a real woman whose story had, for centuries, been pushed to the margins of history. I’m honoured that my writing is bringing her to the fore.
A prestigious award
Readers’ Favorite is one of the world’s largest book-review and award organisations. Its annual competition attracts thousands of entries from around the world, from independent authors to major bestsellers, with books judged within more than 140 individual categories.
And this year, Lady of Lincoln took Gold in Historical – Personage! (One of only two historical categories).
I’m really very, very thrilled!
Blue Ink Review Celebrates Lady of Lincoln
This month, Blue Ink Review named Lady of Lincoln one of their February Book Recommendations, and I'm still processing what that means.
Blue Ink Review doesn't hand out accolades lightly. They're known for their rigorous standards and honest assessments, which makes their recognition of Lady of Lincoln feel especially meaningful. In their recommendation, they highlighted exactly what I'd hoped readers would discover: that Nicola de la Haye's story deserved to be told with the complexity and historical precision it demands, that medieval women's lives were far more nuanced than we've been led to believe, and that fiction grounded in meticulous research can transport readers to another time without sacrificing authenticity.