Special Guest Interview with Dr Mickey Mayhew, Author of Imprisoning Mary Queen of Scots: The Men Who Kept the Stuart Queen

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Imprisoning Mary Queen of Scots covers the lives and careers of the men and women who ‘kept’ Mary Queen of Scots when she was a political prisoner in England, circa 1568/9-1587. Mary’s troubled claim to the English throne - much to the consternation of her ‘dear cousin’ Elizabeth I - made her a mortal enemy of the aforementioned Virgin Queen and set them on a collision course from which only one would walk away. Mary’s calamitous personal life, encompassing assassinations, kidnaps and abdications, sent her careering into England and right into the lap of Henry VIII’s

shrewd but insecure daughter.

I'm pleased to welcome author Dr Mickey Mayhew back to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book 

My latest book (Published by Pen & Sword Books) covers the English captivity of Mary Queen of Scots - The plots, the perpetrators, the castles and the comfortable manor houses, and even the secret messages secreted in the beer kegs. It's the first book to focus on her captors rather than Mary herself, but obviously her dramas - both domestic and dynastic - had a tendency to explode all over their own lives and that forms the narrative, rather than the standard perspective...

What is your preferred writing routine?

I write from 9am through until 2.30 (very precise); after that I'm just too burnt out.

What advice do you have for new writers?

The old cliches are the best; you can achieve at any point in your life, so never give up - I got this six-book deal not far from my fiftieth birthday, so there you go

What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?

Twitter and Instagram are priceless, but word-of-mouth isn't to be underestimated either. Now that I've got a few books under my belt I've started to build up a following, and to find that people enjoy my somewhat sardonic, tongue-in-cheek approach to the Tudors 

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research

That Mary Queen of Scots was on friendlier terms with her last jailer, Paulet, than previous research has led us to believe; amusingly, 'Most Haunted' psychic Derek Acorah has something to say about that, as readers will soon learn...

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

I don't find it hard as such, but obviously - despite the aforementioned sardonic slant - I'm always keeping an eye on the facts even when I'm doing my best to be wry and amusing. 

What are you planning to write next? 

My book on Rasputin and Alexandra is out in March; beyond that, something very special and unique regarding Anne Boleyn...

Mickey Mayhew

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About the Author

Mickey Mayhew is an author from London, working mainly on Mary Queen of Scots and the Tudor reign; he has a PhD focusing on the online 'cult' surrounding the 'tragic queens' Anne Boleyn and Mary Queen of Scots. He wrote The Little Book of Mary Queen of Scots (published by The History Press) in 2014 and then I love the Tudors (published by Pitkin Publishing) in 2016. House of Tudor - A grisly history is due to be released by Pen & Sword Books in 2022, to be followed by his new book concerning Mary Queen of Scots; these form part of a six-book deal, with four more titles to follow. Find our more at Mickey's website http://www.mickeymayhew.com and follow him on Twitter @Mickey_Mayhew