Two friends are celebrating after co-authoring their first book together.
Carrie Ingram-Gettins and Emily Bush, both aged 36 from Lynn, have released the non-fiction ‘Strange Ways To Die In The Tudor Ages’.
Their debut “uncovers real accounts of the odd, unsettling (and sometimes darkly funny) ways people met their end across Europe, Asia, and the New World,” says publisher Pen and Sword Books.
The book is based on an element of their podcast, called A Nice Cup of Histortea, which caught the attention of best-selling author Sarah Beth-Watkins.
Carrie, who works as a research and data analyst, said the duo’s dream came very close to being a nightmare before it had even got started.
“On the podcast, we talk about historical people, events, places and folklore, etcetera,” she said. “At the end, we do this bit called Ridiculous Death, which is when we find an absurd way that people have died in a fashion that really wouldn’t happen nowadays.
“Well, it turns out that Sarah-Beth was listening in to our podcast and really enjoyed that element of it. So, she sent us an email, which basically said ‘I really like it – would you consider pitching this as a book’?
“The email went into our junk folder and went unread for months. So, we panicked a bit when we saw it and feared that we’d missed out on an opportunity. Fortunately, we went back to Sarah with our apologies and she was still keen.”
That exchange led to Carrie and Emily pitching to the publisher, who suggested the pair turn their idea into series of books, rather than just one.
They signed off on an initial run of two releases, with a second, based on the Dark Ages, set to be released in February.
“We settled on the Tudor Ages for the first one as that is a specialist time period for Emily,” added Carrie. “We wrote a few chapters each, so it was a real joint effort.
“It has been very surreal to actually hold a published book that we’ve co-authored, to see it on the shelves, or be available to order online.
“For me, writing it felt like a bit of an out-of-body experience. When I look at the pages, I remember writing the words, but not that it was actually me – if that makes sense?
“It’s obviously something of a side hustle at the moment, but I’m manifesting positivity and really hoping they take off.
“We have another one due in February and have also pitched for three more and an audio book. To be honest, there are so many eras we could look at.”
Strange Was To Die In The Tudor Ages is available from multiple outlets and can be ordered at www.pen-and-sword.co.uk for £20.
Carrie and Emily’s podcast is also available on multiple streaming platforms.
