Historical Fiction Spotlight: The Missionary's Wife: based on a true story, by Claire McGregor

Available from Amazon UK, Amazon US

and Amazon AU

Nova Scotia, 1871. Leaving everything and everyone she has ever known, Annetta Stewart boards a ship bound for the exotic islands of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, unaware of the trials and dangers that lie ahead.

Annetta is young, has her new husband by her side, and is going with love in her heart. But will it be enough?

The dangers become real as the actions of slavers in the islands bring consequences that shake the couple to their core. Annetta must decide if she is strong enough to stay. Will the light or dark win out in the hard truths she must face about her faith and purpose in life?

Based on actual events, The Missionary’s Wife is a moving and powerful historical novel about sacrifice, love, acceptance, partnership, and the courage to live life despite the challenges we face.

Join Annetta on her journey and discover the beauty of the islands through her eyes, as she grapples with the ultimate question: how far would you go for what you believe in?

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About the Author

Claire McGregor lives with her husband and two children in the rolling hills northeast of Melbourne, Australia. She is an Accredited Editor and book designer who specialises in editing non-fiction, particularly memoir, family history and biography. The Missionary's Wife is her first work of historical fiction. She helps many independent authors bring their books to life through her business, Kookaburra Hill Publishing Services. Find out more from Claire's website https://clairemcgregor.com.au/ and find her on Facebook and Instagram @clairemcgregor37

Special Guest Post by Deb Stratas, Author of Christmas with the Kingston Girls - A Festive and Uplifting WWII Historical Fiction Novel #HistoryWritersAdvent24

Available for pre-order

from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Can Christmas festivities brighten even the darkest days of war?

Tilly, Maggie, and Katie Kingston’s lives changed when the blitz tore through London, putting a sudden end to a peaceful childhood on Longridge Road. With all three sisters determined to do their part for England in the war, their paths lead them away from each other for the very first time. Tilly to the Royal Ambulance Service, Maggie to the Women’s Army, and Katie to the Navy.

Christmas with the Kingston Girls is a look back at each Christmas during World War II. It begins before the war begins in 1938, and ends in 1946 when the family is into the post-war period and finally back together.

The events of each Christmas season are told through the eyes of one of the main characters: Tillie, Maggie, Katie, and Alice. It is a series of snapshots of where everyone was in their lives, and how they were coping with the war impacts of that year. Some are poignant, many are sad, yet there is also a lot of joy and merriment. 

You can follow the Kingston girls as they mature, serve their country to help the Allies to eventual victory, and deal with love and loss along the way. It completes the original trilogy by wrapping up the stories of these courageous women and their wartime adventures.

What was your inspiration to write a Christmas book?

Christmas with the Kingston Girls is a thank-you to all the readers who have loved the tight-knit Kingston family and wanted to read more about Tillie, Maggie, and Katie. I thought it would be a great way to showcase the entire story of the Kingston Girls through a specific lens, and to share untold tales that helped shaped the characters into who they became. I’ve always loved holiday books – they get you into the Christmas spirit! As I hope this book does for you. 

Was it easy or difficult to write a book spanning nine family wartime Christmases?

It was surprisingly difficult to write Christmas with the Kingston Girls. I originally thought I would be able to take a broad sweep of the nine Christmases based on all the writing and research I’ve done for the first three books. But remembering exactly who was where, and within which individual story arc each short Christmas period was more difficult than I anticipated. I found I had to constantly re-read my own books to ensure I got it right! 

I also found it challenging because I couldn’t change any of the storylines of the first three books. As I was writing Christmas with the Kingston Girls, I wanted to embellish certain events or add more content, but I couldn’t without compromising the integrity of the first three books. 

Lastly, I suffered a minor (major?) emergency when I lost the first 30,000 words of the manuscript in January. I spent a frantic few days trying everything I could to recover the file, to no avail. At that point, I reconsidered even writing the book. I wondered if maybe I wasn’t meant to write it and the story wasn’t supposed to be told.

 But I decided that it was important for me to finish, so I painstakingly re-created the first ten chapters from memory. Luckily, I am a planner so at least I had my outline to guide me. I actually believe the second version is better. Being named a finalist in the Historical Novel Society’s First Chapters Competition reassured me that this book was meant to be written. 

What’s one interesting thing that you found during your research?

One of the most interesting and challenging things was the sheer difficulty in getting weather information for the wartime period. The newspapers stopped printed weather forecasts so that the enemy wouldn’t be forewarned about optimal bombing conditions in England. And none were broadcast on the radio either, so the British people never knew what might be coming weather-wise for six long years. One of the many hardships they had to face.

It was important to accurately portray the weather conditions as a backdrop for what was happening to Tillie, Maggie, and Katie. This part of the research caused me to dig in to many different sources to recreate the real weather conditions as closely as possible. 

Are you sad to leave Tillie, Maggie and Katie behind as the Kingston family saga ends?

Yes, I have fallen in love with each of the girls, and I’m sad to leave them behind in my made-up world of 1946. As each girl has grown into a woman, faced and overcame many personal challenges, bravely conquered dangerous wartime conditions, and searched for love, I have been cheered with their personal resilience and commitment to family. It’s a testament to the real wartime spirit that existed in Britain. At the same time, I feel their stories are complete and I’m content to leave them alive and joyful after six long years of war. 

Watch out for a cameo or two in my next book, as I’ve brought along a Kingston girl into my upcoming series!

What are you working on next?

I’m writing a new series about brave women at Bletchley Park, home of the codebreakers, which is also set in WW2. There is a new set of characters who will be facing their own obstacles and seemingly impossible wartime roles, all the while dreaming of a love that will stretch past victory. The first adventures of Violet, Fern, and Isabelle Grey will be coming in 2025!

Deb Stratas

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About the Author

Deb Stratas tells well-researched and highly readable stories about powerful women in extraordinary circumstances. Readers are transported to other times and places, inspired to be authentic in their own lives. In 2023, Deb signed with ReadMore Press to re-launch her WWII Kingston Twin series: The War Twins of London and A Burning London Sky. As The Kingston Twins, Bravery in the Blitz, the first book was a finalist in the regional fictional category of the 2023 Next Generation Indie Awards.  2023 also saw her enjoy her fourth intensive research trip to London (her happy place!) and complete the Cheshire Novel Prize Summer School and Advanced course. She is based in Oshawa, Ontario, and when not researching or writing, she cherishes spending time with her two amazing adult children, their spouses, and two sweet grandchildren. Find out mor from her website https://www.debstratas.com/ and follow Deb on Facebook and Twitter @deb_stratas

Book Launch: What is Better than a Good Woman?: Alice Chaucer, Commoner and Yorkist Matriarch, by Michèle Schindler

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Alice Chaucer, Countess of Salisbury and Duchess of Suffolk, is one of the very rare people, and the only woman, not born to nobility who became an important political player in the upheaval of fifteenth-century England. 

Widowed, remarkably enough, at the age of 11, that ‘marriage’ nevertheless set her on the road to power and riches. Her second husband, the Earl of Salisbury, would die at the Siege of Orléans during the Hundred Years War. 

Her third husband, William de la Pole, was Henry VI’s Chief Minister ‒ and paid for that allegiance with his life, murdered and thrown into the English Channel. Alice survived all this and more – including a state trial in 1451 – and at the same time was a patron of the arts, commissioning artworks depicting empowered historical female characters, notably St Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary. Alice possessed a large library. 

Tomb of Alice Chaucer, Duchess of Suffolk

Church of St Mary the Virgin, Ewelme. (Wikimedia Commons)

As late as 1472, Alice became custodian of Margaret of Anjou, her former friend and patron. She ruthlessly protected the inheritance of her son John de la Pole, and three of his four sons would pursue the Yorkist claim to the throne against Henry VII: they would all die in the attempt. 

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About the Author

Michèle Schindler studied at Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, reading English Studies and history with a focus on mediaeval studies. At the same time she worked as a language teacher, teaching English and German as a second language. In addition to English and German, she is fluent in French, and reads Latin. You can find Michèle on Facebook and Twitter @FLovellInfo

Book Review ~ Pact of Silence, by Linda Huber

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

A fresh start for a new life. Newly pregnant, Emma is startled when her husband Luke announces they’re swapping homes with his parents, but the rural idyll where Luke grew up is a great place to start their family. Yet Luke’s manner suggests something odd is afoot, something that Emma can’t quite fathom.

Too many secrets, not enough truths

Linda Huber’s Pact of Silence is a gripping exploration of the enduring power of secrets. Darker than some of her books, this has plenty of suspense, betrayal, and redemption, drawing readers into a world where the past casts a long shadow.

The central character, Emma, uncovers a web of lies and deceit, forcing her to confront the painful truth about her husband's past. 

Insightful and thought-provoking, Pact of Silence is a sensitive portrayal of grief, guilt, and forgiveness, and the impact of trauma on individuals and families. which I am happy to recommend.

Tony Riches

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About the Author

Linda Huber grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, but went to work in Switzerland for a year aged twenty-two, and has lived there ever since. Her day jobs have included working as a physiotherapist in hospitals and schools for handicapped children, and teaching English in a medieval castle. Linda’s writing career began in the nineties, when she had over fifty feel-good short stories published in women’s magazines. Her newest project is a series of feel-good novels set in her home area on the banks of Lake Constance in N.E. Switzerland. She really appreciates having the views admired by her characters right on her own doorstep! Find out more at Linda's website https://lindahuber.net/ and find her on Facebook and Twitter @LindaHuber19

Special Guest Interview with Seeley James, Author of Chasm of Exiles

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Haunted by a past riddled with violence, former Army Ranger Jacob Stearne finds himself navigating the treacherous world of corporate espionage for the enigmatic billionaire, Pia Sabel.

I'm pleased to welcome author Seeley James back to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book

Chasm of Exiles is summed up in the book’s tagline: “He’s a haunted hero with a dark past. She’s a stripper-turned-spy learning on the job. Together they face an enemy intending to control the future in a deadly game.” Giving it a bit more detail: it’s a race to retrieve the Chaac Equation, a key to green energy that could make the owner a trillionaire. Petrostates are out to destroy it, and oil-dependent countries are trying to steal it. Our hero, Jacob Stearne has been sent to save it. Along the way, he must face the consequences of his past: is he really a hero—or is he a serial killer?

What is your preferred writing routine?

I tend to be more creative in the evening between 4 and 8 pm, give or take a couple hours. I spend my mornings editing the crap I wrote the day before. I've heard several famous authors note a similar routine and others who have the opposite. Obviously, the latter are heathens who should be burned at the stake. Within my writing window, I kinda-outline what I'm expecting to write, a scene or bit of dialogue, before I start and that helps keep things on track. 

What do I mean by "kinda-outline?" It's not a formal outline, it's three to five (sometimes up to twenty) bullet points about the conflicts and resolutions I want in the passage. I use the kinda-outline as a way to work out whether the conflict or tension is unexpected, revelatory, and twists while remaining credible. When I edit it the next morning, I compare what I wrote to my notes. Sometimes I pump a fist and say, "Pure genius!" While other times, I hit delete on 2,000 words and start over.

What advice do you have for new writers?

Writing is easy. Writing stories that you can con other people into paying money to read is hard. Really hard. Study the craft relentlessly. Read relentlessly. Deconstruct every story you come across from books to movies to podcasts. My book club just read The Haunting of Hill House, which I thought was a horror/ghost story, not my favorite a genre. I was wrong! It's a psychological thriller of highest order and brilliantly written. IMHO, Stephen King's The Shining is a rip-off of this 1959 masterpiece. I'm in the middle of a detailed deconstruction of the book now.

Self-improvement is crucial to life. We are put on Earth to learn. If you read my series from the beginning (God help you) to the end, you'll see a remarkable improvement. My 100-year-old mother calls it "Unbelievable improvement" with extra emphasis on unbelievable. I'm not sure what she means, but I'm taking it as a compliment. It could be.

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

The best is word-of-mouth, but in these days of constant bombardment from so many sources, it's nearly impossible to count on. In the cacophony of modern life, my biggest fans go unheard. If you can win over one of the influencers on TikTok, you can make some headway, but that's a whole different generation for someone like me. That leaves reviews, brilliant blogs like Tony Riches', and advertising.

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research

Research was very different for this book. I'd long wanted to examine the psychology of "heroes." But I write funny adventures along the lines of Slow Horses or Bad Monkey. Just as I started writing Chasm of Exiles my sister was diagnosed with leukemia and died within two months. Several months after that, my wife died unexpectedly. Those two tragedies made for the most painful year of my life, setting my writing back by eighteen months. During that time, I re-evaluated the direction of my novel.

The concept of a dark hero has been brooding in my head since I first witnessed the rise of the comic book heroes in the early 2000s. While watching these movies, my inner-cynic said, “Extrajudicial killings? Skyscrapers leveled? Thousands of cars destroyed? And it's all written off as collateral damage? At what cost are we calling these people ‘Heroes?’” Which developed into: What if they did all this death and destruction based on faulty information? Would that make these superheroes villains? I set out to write about the hero who has regrets, uncertainties, and questions his actions. Jacob Stearne could reflect on what it means to be a hero.

The unexpected research: I found very few studies on the psychology of extraordinary individuals. From war heroes to medical staff in pandemics, there is little known about the effects of heroic acts, whether they're recognized with a medal or unappreciated by the public. What we know anecdotally: many have a distinctly different view of their experience than the adoring public.

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

Before the previously mentioned devastating loss of my wife, my plan was to write a typical hero-based story: good guy goes on a quest, encounters deadly odds stacked against him, overcomes terrifying bad guys, grabs the Golden Fleece, and returns home (with or without a beautiful damsel). My plan was to write a modernized version of Argonautica (aka Jason and the Argonauts).

After the tragic year, I considered a “Dark Jacob” something of a haunted hero. But, since Jacob had always an accidental, even hapless, hero, the change to a brooding and uncertain character filled me with concerns for my fans. So I polled them with a sample chapter. They loved it. After that, it came easily.
Character arcs are difficult over sixteen books, but taking an introspective turn led me to write a passage my fans have been praising in numbers. 

It takes place after a secondary character, an eighteen-year-old stripper-turned-spy, asks Jacob Stearne to teach her how to kill her enemies. He replies:
“Hate is an all-consuming fire, Symone.” I took a deep breath. “In order to kill, you have to hate. Hate binds your victims to you for life. My world’s populated with ghosts. Phantoms follow my every step. The dead, the defeated, their survivors—they’re specters trudging three feet behind me. Forgotten gods speak to me. Hatred might feel good and just and righteous. It leads to the opposite.
“People we call leaders will use that hate for their purposes. They’ll feed on your hate and throw gasoline on the fire. They’ll use it to manipulate you. You’ll join them, pumping your fist with righteous indignation and spitting on your enemies. And next, those leaders will slaughter enemies you never knew existed, and then they’ll butcher your neighbors claiming they have been enemies all along. And then they’ll come for you. In the end, hate destroys everything. Take the other path, Symone. Go the way I left behind. Love the world around you while you still can. Love your neighbor. Love your enemy. Turn the other cheek. Let go of your hatred. That’s what real heroes do.”

What are you planning to write next?

When I was ten, I read Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. The mystery in that one blew me away: how can they all be dead with no one else on the island? Ever since then, I've found Ms. Christie's work great fun. Not the deepest characters, or social commentary, but great brain teasers with terrific twists. Plain old fun to read. I'm planning to write a mystery in the spirit of her manor mysteries, famous for Hercule Poirot's insightful (and often magical) solutions.

Mine will be set in an exclusive resort high in the Alps where a gathering of American billionaires plot to turn the USA into an Oligarchy they control. An avalanche cuts them off from their sycophants and assistants, forcing the herd of narcissistic megalomaniacs to solve a murder among them.

Seeley James

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About the Author

Seeley James says his near-death experiences range from talking a jealous husband into putting the gun down to spinning out on an icy freeway in heavy traffic without touching anything. His resume ranges from washing dishes to global technology management. His personal life ranges from homeless at 17, adopting a 3-year-old at 19, getting married at 37, fathering his last child at 43, hiking the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim at 59, and taking the occasional nap. His writing career ranges from humble beginnings with short stories in The Battered Suitcase, to being awarded a Medallion from the Book Readers Appreciation Group. Seeley is best known for his Sabel Security series of thrillers featuring athlete and heiress Pia Sabel and her bodyguard, veteran Jacob Stearne. One of them kicks ass and the other talks to the wrong god. His love of creativity began at an early age, growing up at Frank Lloyd Wright’s School of Architecture in Arizona and Wisconsin. He carried his imagination first into a successful career in sales and marketing, and then to his real love: fiction. Find out more at his website https://seeleyjames.com/ and find him on Facebook and Twitter @SeeleyJamesAuth

Special Guest Post: The Herbalist's Daughters: A dual timeline historical fantasy (Book 2 in The Wise Women series) by Cheryl Burman

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

Can the past be truly redeemed? In 1997, Mara Ash discovers among her mother’s possessions the beautifully illustrated 19thC journals of the flora of the Forest of Dean by one Aaron Appleby. Tucked among the pages are two cryptic letters from Aaron to a woman called Hester.

Thank you so much, Tony, for having me here and giving me the chance to talk about my latest book, The Herbalist’s Daughters.

I’ve been writing now for about ten years, and have two short story collections (including one of historical tales) and ten novels under my belt. One of these is what I thought would be a standalone inspired by historical events which took place in the Forest of Dean, UK, where I live, in 1906. A local ‘wise woman’ (herbal healer plus a little more), was charged with witchcraft (yes, in 1906). 

The case was even discussed in Parliament, where the local MP was roundly teased about his backward constituents, poor man. The woman was acquitted, but when I came across her story I loved the idea of a witchy vibes book set here, using other local tales and legends to create an historical fantasy. That book became River Witch, and was warmly welcomed by readers – to the extent some people asked for a sequel. Which is a long-winded way of explaining how The Herbalist’s Daughters came about.

Never one to do things easily, I decided this book should be a dual timeline. I love reading dual timeline historical novels, which are immensely popular these days – a fact that didn’t escape the marketing bit of my author brain. Learning this new approach was fun, and challenging.

The ‘modern’ tale is set in 1997. My protagonist Mara Ash goes searching for her forebears, and I didn’t want to make things too easy for her with our current online access to this kind of information. The historic tale spans 1897 to 1917, and follows Hester and Aaron, the key characters in River Witch. One River Witch reviewer had made the comment that there were ‘no guarantees’ in the ending of the book when these characters are re-united. I took her at her word and spun the story from there. Hope she approves!

Researching for the novel led me all over the place, from gas street lighting, the 19th century postal service, how far a horse can travel in a day and turn of the century train journeys, through to the 1996 Good Pubs Guide. Plus quite a bit about VADs in World War 1. 

However, the sub-plot involving the VAD would have complicated things and made the book overly long, so I have set referred to it and set it aside for the next book, which I hope to publish in late spring 2025.

Cheryl Burman

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About the Author

Cheryl Burman lives in the Forest of Dean, UK with her husband. She is a multi-genre author with several books to her name including middle grade fantasy, women’s fiction and historical fantasy. Her flash fiction, short stories, and whole or parts of her novels have won various prizes. Find out more at Cheryl's website https://cherylburman.com/ and find her on Facebook and Twitter @cr_burman.

Special Guest Post: The Dartington Bride, by Rosemary Griggs

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

1571, and the beautiful, headstrong daughter of a French Count marries the son of the Vice Admiral of the Fleet of the West in Queen Elizabeth’s chapel at Greenwich. It sounds like a marriage made in heaven…

In 1559, on a hot summer’s day in Paris, the course of French history took a dramatic turn. The unexpected events that unfolded on that fateful day would also transform the life of a young girl, Lady Gabrielle Roberda Montgomery. Her story inspired the latest novel in my ‘Daughters of Devon’ series, The Dartington Bride, due for release on March 28, 2024.

Everything was going well for King Henri II of France. The succession was guaranteed, as he had four sons with Queen Catherine de Medici. The French army had reclaimed Calais from the English. The 60-year-long Italian wars had finally come to an end. Through successful negotiations with the Hapsburghs and Queen Elizabeth of England, he had achieved The Peace of Cateau Cambresis.

King Henri II of France (1519-1559) after Francis Clouet

(Wikimedia Commons) 

In June 1559 lavish festivities were held to celebrate the peace agreements and two royal marriages. The festivities reached their peak with a magnificent tournament, held near the Place des Vosges, and set to last for 5 days. On the third day, June 30, forty-year-old King Henri himself would take on challengers.

King Henri had been training hard to excel in the joust. But Queen Catherine was troubled by the alarming predictions of her astrologers, Nostradamus, and Luca Gaurico. They foretold that Henri’s reign would end with an eye injury he would sustain in a duel. Gaurico, the astrologer of the Medici family in Italy, went as far as writing a letter to the king, advising him to:

‘… avoid all single combat in an enclosed field, especially around his forty-first year… for in that period of his life he was threatened by a wound in the head which could bring about blindness, or death.’

Under the scorching sun, a crowd gathered on Paris’ widest street, the rue Saint-Antoine. Colourful banners fluttered from the surrounding buildings, adding to the festive atmosphere as the spectators vied for positions in the stands. Queen Catherine begged Henri to let others take the field in his place. But he was having none of it. The anxious queen looked on as, proudly wearing the colours of his mistress, Diane de Poitiers, Henri rode out.

Despite winning the first contest, he faced a formidable challenge from his second opponent, who nearly knocked him off his horse. The Duke of Savoy and Queen Catherine both urged him not to ride again. But Henri was stubborn. He insisted on another contest and commanded Gabriel de Lorges, the Captain of his Scots Guards, to ride against him.

Gabriel de Lorges, Count of Montgomery, (5 May 1530 – 26 June 1574)

(Wikimedia Commons) 

From the fifteenth century, the King’s Scots guards served as an elite personal bodyguard to French monarchs. A few years before the tournament, Gabriel took over from his father as their captain. A handsome and fit soldier, he was at least ten years younger than King Henri. At first he resisted, but he dared not disobey his king.

The two horses thundered towards each other. Gabriel’s lance struck the king in the right shoulder and, in a move that was not the usual practice in the sport, held onto his lance. The impact caused the lance to splinter, sending wooden shards into Henri’s forehead. In his haste to prove a point, the king may have let down the visor on his helmet without fastening the buckle, making him especially vulnerable. The visor failed to protect his right eye, and a shard of wood from the lance pierced it, reaching into his brain.

At first, Henri stayed in the saddle. But when his attendants saw how serious his injury was, they lifted him from his horse. They carried him into the nearby Hôtel des Tournelles, where, according to an eyewitness, Bishop Antoine Caraccioli, Gabriel begged for forgiveness at the king’s bedside. He even asked that the king cut off his head and hand. Henri refused, saying that Gabriel had merely followed his orders.

Ambroise Paré, the renowned barber-surgeon and French court physician, hoped to operate and save the king. According to some sources, he may have even practiced eye surgery on prisoners in the Bastille to refine his technique. Additionally, Philip of Spain sent his physician, the equally renowned anatomist Andreas Vesalius, all the way from Brussels. They tried everything. Despite the combined efforts of the two learned men, King Henri died on 10 July 1559. After his death, jousting declined as a sport, particularly in France.

On his deathbed, King Henri again declared Gabriel blameless. However, Queen Catherine would never forgive him. From that day, she took the broken lance as her emblem. Gabriel de Lorges had become the French regicide.

Gabriel, who became Count of Montgomery after his father’s death in 1562, came from a noble family of Scottish descent. His father, Jacques, had forged a successful career as a soldier under King Francois II. In 1545, during the Anglo/Scottish wars, known as Henry VIII’s ‘Rough Wooing,’ he led a French force to support the Scots. Jaques married his third wife, Charlotte de Maille, in 1550. 

It was a double wedding as Gabriel married Charlotte’s daughter, Isabeau de la Touche, on the same day. Gabriel and Isabeau would go on to have had four sons and four daughters. Gabrielle, affectionately known as Roberda in the family, was about five years old at the time of the tournament.

After the accident, Gabriel spent a few days in the ‘Montgomery Tower’ within the wall of Philippe Auguste in Paris. Then, still in fear of his life, he fled. He went first to the family home at Ducey in Normandy. By mid-July, he had travelled to Jersey. In December, diplomatic papers mentioned him being in Venice.

In the spring of 1560, Gabriel arrived in England. He met many influential people, including Lord Robert Dudley. He also made, or renewed, his acquaintance with Sir Arthur Champernowne of Dartington Hall. The two men may have first met some years earlier, in1554. Once the investigation into his supposed participation in the Wyatt rebellion had concluded, Queen Mary released Arthur from the Tower of London and permitted him to travel to France. During Queen Elizabeth’s reign, Sir Arthur, a staunch Protestant, held the important position of Vice Admiral of the Fleet of the West.

While her husband was in England, Isabeau embraced the teachings of John Calvin, joining his followers, the Huguenots. By the time Gabriel returned to Ducey in December 1561, he too had converted to the Protestant faith.

Religious tensions had been simmering in France for some time. They came to a boiling point on 1 March 1562 when the troops of the powerful Catholic leader, the Duke de Guise, murdered a group of Protestants in a barn at Vassy. The massacre marked the start of the bitter wars of religion that would engulf France for the next 30 years. As France spiralled towards war, Gabriel joined forces with Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, and emerged as a Huguenot military leader.

Isabeau was, by all accounts, a formidable woman who gave her unwavering support to her husband. When she followed Gabriel on the battle trail, she took all of her children with her. In October 1562, the entire family was at the heart of the fighting in the besieged city of Rouen. The sights Roberda and her siblings witnessed there must have had a profound effect on them.

In 1565, Gabriel granted Isabeau full power of attorney to act on his behalf in all matters concerning his estate and finances. She began negotiating marriages for their children, seeking alliances that would strengthen Gabriel’s position as a war leader.

Isabeau is probably the French lady Sir Arthur Champernowne entertained in Plymouth in 1568. Katherine Astley, one of Sir Arthur’s sisters, had been Queen Elizabeth’s childhood governess. Until her death in 1565, Mrs Astley was Chief Lady of the Privy chamber and a trusted confidante of the Queen. No doubt Gabriel hoped that an alliance with the well-connected Sir Arthur would strengthen his position when seeking support from Queen Elizabeth for the Huguenot cause.

After a good deal of discussion, Roberda left her family in France and started a new life in England. Researching and crafting Roberda’s story has been both challenging and fascinating. The Dartington Bride explores themes that resonate with us today; the devastating impact of war on innocent populations and societal attitudes towards refugees. It also reveals startling insights into women’s lives, and attitudes to marriage amongst wealthy families in sixteenth century England.

The Dartington Bride is available to pre-order as an ebook and as a paperback. An audiobook version follows soon.

Rosemary Griggs

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About the Author

Rosemary Griggs is a retired Whitehall Senior Civil Servant with a lifelong passion for history. An avid researcher, she is now a speaker on Devon’s history and leads heritage tours at Dartington Hall.  She also creates and wears sixteenth century clothing which she often uses to bring history to life for local museums and community groups.  Rosemary lives in Devon with husband David, and her first novel, a Woman of Noble Wit features many of the county’s well loved places.  Find out more on Rosemary’s website https://rosemarygriggs.co.uk/ and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @RAGriggsauthor