Historical Fiction Spotlight: The Godmother’s Secret, by Elizabeth St.John

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

What if you knew what happened to the Princes in the Tower. Would you tell? Or would you forever keep the secret?

November, 1470: Westminster Abbey. Lady Elysabeth Scrope faces a perilous royal duty when ordered into sanctuary with Elizabeth Woodville–witness the birth of Edward IV’s Yorkist son. Margaret Beaufort, Elysabeth’s sister, is desperately seeking a pardon for her exiled son Henry Tudor. 

Strategically, she coerces Lancastrian Elysabeth to be appointed godmother to Prince Edward, embedding her in the heart of the Plantagenets and uniting them in a destiny of impossible choices and heartbreaking conflict.

Bound by blood and torn by honour, when the king dies and Elysabeth delivers her young godson into the Tower of London to prepare for his coronation, she is engulfed in political turmoil. Within months, the prince and his brother have disappeared, Richard III is declared king, and Margaret conspires with Henry Tudor to invade England and claim the throne. 

Desperate to protect her godson, Elysabeth battles the intrigue, betrayal and power of the last medieval court, defying her husband and her sister under her godmother’s sacred oath to keep Prince Edward safe.

Were the princes murdered by their uncle, Richard III? Was the rebel Duke of Buckingham to blame? Or did Margaret Beaufort mastermind their disappearance to usher in the Tudor dynasty? Of anyone at the royal court, Elysabeth has the most to lose–and the most to gain–by keeping secret the fate of the Princes in the Tower.

 
Inspired by England’s most enduring historical mystery, Elizabeth St.John, best-selling author of The Lydiard Chronicles, blends her own family history with known facts and centuries of speculation to create an intriguing alternative story illuminating the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower.

The enduring mystery of the princes in the tower just got an exhilarating new twist. An exquisite novel—I couldn't put it down. Amy Maroney, Author of The Miramonde Series and The Sea and Stone Chronicles

 The Godmother's Secret is beautifully written with a careful balance of fiction and fact made possible thanks to Elizabeth St. John's meticulous research. The descriptions are breathtaking and well-placed. The blend of action, introspection, and drama is perfect. I loved that I did not always agree with Elysabeth. It made her character more human with independent decisions and thoughts and not simply the lovable storyteller. The other characters are also carefully fleshed out and masterfully imagined from the past. St. John has carefully added individual characteristics and behavior that breathes life into every person along the road and it made for a marvelous read. St. John's experience as a brilliant novelist shines through in this flawless story that took me on a magical journey into the past. The only complaint I have is that it ended too soon. I can't wait to get my hands on St. John's other work, The Lydiard Chronicles. Five Stars, Readers' Favorite

# # #

About the Author

Elizabeth St.John was brought up in England, lives in California, and spends most of her time in the 17th Century. To inspire her writing, she has tracked down family papers and residences from Nottingham Castle, Lydiard Park, and Castle Fonmon to the Tower of London. Although the family sold a few castles and country homes along the way (it's hard to keep a good castle going these days), Elizabeth's family still occupy them - in the form of portraits, memoirs, and gardens that carry their imprint. And the occasional ghost. But that's a different story... Find out more at Elizabeth's website http://www.elizabethjstjohn.com/ and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @ElizStJohn