Tell us about your latest book
My latest book is entitled ‘La Reine Blanche Mary Tudor a Life in Letters’. I’m very excited about this book on Mary Tudor, younger sister of King Henry VIII. I have spent years researching Mary’s life, particularly studying the personal letters she wrote as well as documents and dispatches which mention her. I really feel these personal letters are a wonderful insight into the strong and incredibly smart woman that Mary was. I hope that my book helps to shed a brighter light upon Mary who has so often been overlooked throughout history.
What is your preferred writing routine?
I don’t actually have a preferred writing routine. I tend to write whenever I have time and I feel inspired. I work full time and I am also a full time wife and mother so writing tends to be done around other daily activities. I do prefer to write on a desk top computer for some reason! I spread all my books and documents out around me so I can pore through them as I write.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Send e-mails, ask questions, seek help and most of all write, write, write. It seems incredibly hard and sometimes may seem impossible but please, please never give up. Keep on writing.
What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?
I post a lot on social media - for me that’s Facebook and Twitter. I try to give people little snippets of information and facts about Mary’s life to hopefully gain their interest as well as to promote my book.
Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research
I think what I found most inspiring about Mary was her ability to manoeuvre herself within a male dominated time. As a woman she was subject to her husband and her brother and yet she managed to marry a man of her own choosing without her brother’s permission while still retaining his love and affection. There’s a common misconception that Mary and her new husband Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk had to repay a huge fine, and yes there was a fine, but the amount they actually ended up repaying was very small. Mary brilliantly convinced her brother that the whole marriage was her idea and avoided both his anger and blame. She was an incredibly smart woman!
What was the hardest scene you remember writing?
For me the hardest part to write was Mary’s time in France in 1514/1515. Although only covering a short period of time it was the most highlighted period of Mary’s life and there was so much information that I wanted to cover. I wanted to be true to Mary and include everything so it took me a great deal of time to research and write this six month period of Mary’s life.
What are you planning to write next?
I can’t give to many details away, however I will say that I am researching a fascinating family of 15th and 16th century England.
Sarah Bryson
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About the Author
Sarah Bryson is a researcher, writer and educator who has a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education with Honours. She currently works with children with disabilities. She is passionate about Tudor history and has a deep interest in Mary Boleyn, Charles Brandon, the reign of Henry VIII and the people of his court. She is the author of Mary Boleyn in a Nutshell and Charles Brandon: The King’s Man. Sarah lives in Australia, enjoys reading, writing and Tudor costume enactment, and wishes to return to England one day. Find out more at Sarah's website sarah-bryson.com and follow her on Twitter @SarahBryson44.
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