Women of the Tower of London: Lauren Johnson talks to Helen Carr in a Hidden Histories Podcast

I finally found time to listen to Lauren Johnson's fascinating talk about the other side of the Tower of London's history, looking at women who worked, lived and were imprisoned in the tower, from Eleanor of Provence to Lady Jane Grey.

This is one of Helen Carr's excellent 'Hidden Histories' Podcast series and well worth a listen:

Click here to listen

Book Launch: Thorns in a Realm of Roses: The Henry Queens, by Thomas Crockett

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

England, 1541. King Henry receives an anonymous letter suggesting that his fifth wife, the young Katherine Howard, whom he had called a rose without a thorn, may have led an unchaste life before they married. In the rose gardens of Hampton Court Palace, Henry feels the illusion of youth and virility slip away; he faces an uncertain future. Must he dispatch yet another wife?

I taught English literature for nearly thirty years and during that time immersed myself in its history as much as its fiction. Among the rich tapestry of Great Britain’s historical events none caught my fancy as much as the first half of the sixteenth century, known famously as the reign of King Henry VIII. Here was a king who married six times; a king who beheaded two wives and exiled two others; a king who executed close advisors, monks, theologians and scholars; a king who, for the sake of procuring a desperate divorce, broke ties with Rome, naming himself the supreme head of the Church of England; a king who dissolved monasteries and abbeys, pillaging their art and gold; a king who waged fickle wars, one day against France, the next against Spain, changing his alliances with regularity, sure as the rise and set of the sun.

Could there be a more intriguing story, replete with complex, moral issues, concerning love and hate, life and death, beauty and destruction? Several years ago, I wrote a comedic, full-length play, A Tyrant for All Seasons, attempting to capture through wit and absurdity the many facets of Tudor mayhem. Though I have written other books, on other subjects, since then, that project did not quell my interest for early sixteenth century England and the men and women who struggled to survive its political and religious turmoil.

I continued to read, research and travel, taking notes, knowing I would return, as if to an old friend, to a familiar subject, one that has always piqued my curiosity. After much study and application, I completed this book, Thorns in a Realm of Roses. I wanted to surpass what I wrote in my play. That work had been based mostly on myth and caricature, passed down through the ages in films, books and souvenir shops: Henry, the overweight, tyrannical monster, the demi-god, the devourer of men and women, justifying his acts and behavior through a special clearance from God. Not to say that’s not true.

It is, in large measure. Still, in this Thorns in a Realm of Roses book, I wanted to move beyond myth. I wanted to write about a man, one with deep insecure and vulnerable feelings, and I wanted to write from many points of view, including those of his wives, in particular his last two, Katherine Howard and Katherine Parr, getting under their skins, probing their complex psychological and emotional states. I wanted also to tell the story from the perspectives of Thomas Cranmer, the lead investigator in the case against Katherine Howard, and Henry’s daughter, Mary, whose misery cannot help but elicit much compassion.

I was aware in writing this book that this story has been told repeatedly in seemingly hundreds, if not thousands, of books and films, and in magazines, in children’s pop-up books and by Beefeaters at the Tower in London and historians on PBS and the BBC. Yes, it’s been told many times. Is that not a testament to its appeal and inexhaustible power to engage? It can’t just be the fascination of the abomination—the cruelty, the beheadings, the destruction of the monasteries—that whets readers’ and viewers’ appetites and makes them seek more and more of the same.

It’s the inherent humanity in the lives of the people who lived and suffered that makes this story so compelling and why its canvas is large and able to accommodate all types of artistic strokes and re-imaginings.

Thomas Crocket

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About the Author

Born and raised in New York, Thomas Crockett spent thirty years as a theater director and writing teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area. On retirement Thomas turned his attention to his writing. He is an avid traveler, and enjoys a love of reading and researching Italian and English history, about which much of his writing is focused. He lives in San Mateo, CA, USA.

Special Guest Post by Sarah Kennedy: Writing—and Revising—The Altarpiece (The Cross and The Crown Book 1)

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

 In the tumultuous years of King Henry VIII’s break from Rome, the religious houses of England are being seized by force. Twenty-year-old Catherine Havens is a foundling and the adopted daughter of the prioress of the Priory of Mount Grace in a small Yorkshire village. 

The Tudor era looms large in the contemporary imagination, from Henry VIII and his six wives, to “Bloody Mary” and Elizabeth I. The Tudor era was a time of massive change in Europe, and Henry VIII’s break from Rome caused an upheaval in his country that rocked the very foundations of everyday life: the Church. It was an era not wholly unlike our own. People struggled with fundamental questions of belief and authority; the right relationship between religion and politics; the moral authority of the ruler; the moral responsibility of that same ruler.

I’ve been fascinated with the Tudors since, as an undergraduate, I first studied Renaissance Literature. Shakespeare, of course, but also Sir Thomas Wyatt, who supposedly had a close—some would say too close!—relationship with Anne Boleyn. As a PhD student, I studied the ways that Renaissance poets wrote about women, because the “woman question” was central to the changing world of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

As a professor of English literature and creative writing, I now teach this literature, but my imagination has always wandered to the “blank spaces” in history. My creative life began in poetry, but in researching the history of the church in England, I came across a curious “hole” in the record: what happened to the nuns in England after the dissolution of the convents. The monks could become priests in the new church or find other professions. But what about the women?

When I began my first novel, The Altarpiece, I chose a real place—Mount Grace in northern Yorkshire—and peopled it with fictional characters. I changed the religious house from a monastery to a convent to focus on women. Catherine Havens, my main character, is a young novice, but she is also strong-willed and educated: a true Renaissance woman.

That was in 2012, and the novel was first published in 2013. Since then, I have changed publishers. I’m now with Penmore Press, and their gracious offer to republish the book allowed me to go back through the story. There is more known these days about the nuns of Tudor England, though still not a great deal, and I have read quite a lot more “convent fiction,” an entire subgenre of its own!, in the years since the book first came out. I’ve also thought more about why I decided on a fictional character in a far-flung region of England.

Most writers of historical fiction have to choose between the famous-person route (Hilary Mantel often does this) or the completely-obscure-person route (I call this the “Walter Scott route” and Nancy Bilyeau has made good use of this). Of course, a writer can (as I do) have her character rub shoulders with or bump into the famous folk, but basically the story centers upon either a well-known historical personage or someone fabricated. I enjoy and admire stories about kings and queens and their families, but I chose to create a character because I now realize that I didn’t want to follow a biography to its necessary end. I wanted more latitude with my character, and I could only do that with someone I had created.

So the Catherine of The Altarpiece does have her moments in the presence of royal glory, but most often she toils away in the company of her friends and family—and her own busy mind. I like to imagine that this is how many of the great changes in the Early Modern period happened: through the efforts and will of ordinary people, thrust into difficult decisions by extraordinary times.

Sarah Kennedy

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About the Author

Sarah Kennedy is the author of the novels The Altarpiece, City of Ladies, and The King’s Sisters, Books One, Two, and Three of The Cross and the Crown series, set in Tudor England, and Self-Portrait, with Ghost.  She has also published seven books of poems.  A professor of English at Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, Virginia, Sarah Kennedy holds a PhD in Renaissance Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing.  She has received grants from both the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.  Find out more at Sarah's website:  http://sarahkennedybooks.com and find her on Facebook and Twitter @KennedyNovels

Book Launch Spotlight; A Conspiracy of Wolves (An Owen Archer mystery) by Candace Robb

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

When a prominent citizen is murdered, former Captain of the Guard Owen Archer is persuaded out of retirement to investigate in this gripping medieval mystery.

1374. When a member of one of York's most prominent families is found dead in the woods, his throat torn out, rumours spread like wildfire that wolves are running loose throughout the city. Persuaded to investigate by the victim's father, Owen Archer is convinced that a human killer is responsible. 

But before he can gather sufficient evidence to prove his case, a second body is discovered, stabbed to death. Is there a connection? What secrets are contained within the victim's household? And what does apprentice healer Alisoun know that she's not telling?

Teaming up with Geoffrey Chaucer, who is in York on a secret mission on behalf of Prince Edward, Owen's enquiries will draw him headlong into a deadly conspiracy.

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About the Author

Candace Robb did her graduate work in medieval literature and history, and has continued to study the period while working first as an editor of scientific publications and now for some years as a freelance writer. Candace has published 13 crime novels set in 14th century England, Wales, and Scotland. Candace was born in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has lived most of her adult life in Seattle, Washington, which she and her husband love for its combination of natural beauty and culture. Candace enjoys walking, hiking, and gardening, and practices yoga and vipassana meditation. She travels frequently to Great Britain. Find out more at her website and follow Candace on Twitter @CandaceMRobb

Exploring Lamphey Palace in Pembrokeshire

One of the great things about living in Pembrokeshire is that I’m surrounded by fascinating history. Pembroke Castle, birthplace of the Tudors, is a twenty-minute drive away, and Lamprey Palace is a few miles to the east.

Originally home to the medieval bishops of St Davids, Lamphey Palace was built by Henry de Gower, bishop of St Davids from 1328 to 1347. Some thirty miles from St David’s Cathedral, the bishops used Lamphey as a country retreat, and within the walls were a grand great hall, fishponds, fruit orchards, gardens and a 144 acre deer park.

The western Old Hall and undercroft date to the early thirteenth century, with other buildings constructed throughout the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century, with later alterations.

In the woods on the western edge of the palace are the earthworks of four fish breeding ponds, and between this and the walled eastern court are the remains of a series of substantial fish holding ponds.

For me, the most interesting residents of Lamphey Palace were the early Tudors. The mysterious Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond and father of King Henry VII, used the palace as his base in Wales.

On 1st November 1455, the 26-year-old Edmund Tudor married 12 year old wealthy heiress Lady Margaret Beaufort at Lamphey Palace. It was said she wore a wedding gown embroidered with seed pearls in the shapes of daisies.

Edmund knew he could only secure his young wife’s vast inheritance once their marriage was consummated, so it is possible that his Palace at Lamphey was where the future King Henry VII was conceived.

I found it easy to imagine the teenage Lady Margaret walking in the shaded palace gardens. A devout Catholic, she would have appreciated the opulence of the bishop's chapel, with it's vivid wall paintings and statues of saints. Even by Tudor standards she was young to be carrying a child, and her slight build meant the delivery would be a dangerous time for her and her baby.

Earl Edmund never saw his son, as he was captured and imprisoned at nearby Carmarthen Castle. After his untimely death (murder?) he was buried in the Greyfriars Priory and his tomb was moved to St David’s Cathedral by his grandson, King Henry VIII, during the dissolution.

Lamphey Palace later became the home of another Tudor noble family, the earls of Essex, including the ill-fated Sir Walter Devereux, Earl of Essex and the first husband of Lettice Knollys. Sir Walter’s son, Sir Robert Devereux, was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, yet was found guilty of treason and, on 25 February 1601, beheaded on Tower Green (the last person to be beheaded in the Tower of London.)

During World War II, Lamphey also served as a barracks for American servicemen as they prepared for the Normandy Landings.

Today the ruins are a scheduled ancient monument which secured  Grade I Listed building status in 1970. Surrounded by countryside, well-tended lawns the site has free parking and admission, with a small visitor centre run by CADW, the Welsh Government's historic environment service.

Tony Riches

Special Guest Post: Silent Water (A Jagiellon Mystery), by P.K. Adams

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

The Tudor era is one of the most popular in historical fiction, and for a good reason. The 1500s were the century of the Renaissance, a time when hundreds of years philosophy and art were turned on their heads. The European worldview shifted from the pursuit of earthy perfection and the focus on the afterlife to celebrating the temporal world and its beauty, as well as the possibilities of the mind and pleasures of the body. 

It was also the century during which the monopoly of the Catholic Church ended in the religious sphere. Henry VIII in England and Martin Luther in Germany both turned their backs on Rome, and millions of people followed their example. In many ways, it was an age of a radical transformation that laid the foundation for the modern world.

No wonder then that the men (and a few women) who made their mark on the 16th century continue to fascinate and excite the imaginations of so many authors of historical fiction. In my new mystery novel Silent Water, I propose to expand the scope of 16th century fiction. The novel, while dealing with the many familiar themes of the era—the dawn of the Renaissance and the rise of religious conflicts, to name a few—is set at the royal court in Cracow. 

While the Tudors and the Borgias are immediately associated with the 1500s, another powerful dynasty ruled over much of Eastern Europe at that time. I am talking about the Jagiellons (pronounced Ya-ghye-lohns), who ruled the union of Poland and Lithuania (as well as, at various times, Hungary, Bohemia, and several minor principalities and territories) for more than two hundred years.

Longer-lasting then the Tudors (founded in 1387 and dissolved in 1596), at its heyday the Jagiellon monarchy presided over a territory stretching from the Baltic in the north to the Black Sea and the Adriatic in the south. The reign of its last two kings– Zygmunt I (the Old) and Zygmunt II (August)—was the period in Polish history known as The Golden Age: never before or after, until the late 20th century, would Poland be so prosperous and peaceful as it was in the first seven decades of the 16th century. 

Interestingly, one of the most powerful and consequential Jagiellon monarchs was not actually Polish. Bona Sforza, who married Zygmunt I in 1518, was an Italian noblewoman who arrived in Cracow as a young royal bride, bringing with her new fashions, customs, and cuisine. But it was her ambition, forceful personality, and political astuteness that made the biggest mark on her adoptive country. She reformed its agricultural sector, patronized artists, founded schools, built roads and bridges, and in the process accumulated a massive fortune. She was by all accounts a fascinating but also a tragic figure. 

With Silent Water (A Jagiellon Mystery Book 1) I aim to bring to the English-speaking audiences a place that was just as dynamic, glamorous, and dangerous as the Tudor court. I also hope that it will help spur interest in Eastern European history and historical fiction. I would love to see more authors who write in English set their stories in Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and many other countries whose pre-modern history was just as complex and multifaced as that of their Western counterparts. 

P.K. Adams 

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About the Author

P.K. Adams is a Boston-based historical fiction author, whose debut novel The Greenest Branch is the first in a two-book series based on the life of Hildegard of Bingen, Germany’s first female physician. She has a bachelor’s degree from Columbia and a master’s degree in European Studies from Yale. When not reading or writing, she can be found hiking, doing yoga, and drinking tea (though usually not at the same time). Find out more at her website https://pkadams-author.com/ and follow her on Twitter @pk_adams

Special Guest Interview with Author Pam Lecky

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

London October 1886: Trapped in a troubled marriage, Lucy Lawrence is ripe for an adventure. But when she meets the enigmatic Phineas Stone, over the body of her husband in the mortuary, 

her world begins to fall apart.

I'm pleased to welcome Irish historical fiction author Pam Lecky to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book

No Stone Unturned is the first book in my new series, The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries, set in Victorian London, and the wilds of Yorkshire in the north of England. The story centres round a suspicious death which has been made to look like an unfortunate accident, some stolen sapphires belonging to a Kashmiri maharajah, and a rather large unclaimed reward.

This story has been bubbling away at the back of my mind for some time. My first book was romantic suspense and although I really enjoyed writing it, I wanted to write something a little darker. The initial idea was the prodigal daughter returning home only to be embroiled in a crime, but I also wished to create a series in which I could develop the characters over time. 

Initially, Phineas Stone was to be the central character as the private investigator who specialises in insurance fraud, but the more I wrote about Lucy Lawrence, the louder her voice became. Eventually, the entire book was rewritten from her point of view and The Lucy Lawrence Mysteries were born!

Life for women in the Victorian age was very restricted and depending on your class, strict rules applied. I wanted to explore how a relatively young woman, with a strong personality and high intellect, would cope within the confines of a troubled marriage. Would she accept her lot or chafe at the bit? But in Lucy’s case, with no money and estranged from her family, she could not walk away. To do so, would mean social ruin. 

However, when circumstances finally release her (her husband’s sudden death), she struggles. Pretty much every man in her life so far has betrayed her on some level for their own ends. As a result, Lucy finds it difficult to trust her fate to any man.

Another theme, which emerged as I explored Lucy’s story, was the strong reliance on female friendship. I suspect this is what sustained many Victorian women, finding themselves in similar circumstances to Lucy. As the story progresses, Lucy comes to rely more and more on her maid Mary, who also begins to shine with talents hitherto unknown, namely a penchant for spying and intrigue. And when trouble does strike, it is her friends, Judith and Sarah, who Lucy turns to.

Lucy’s husband’s secrets continue to spill from the grave and then Lucy’s life is threatened. Somehow, she must rise to the challenges she faces. But who can she really trust? Phineas Stone appears to be working to his own agenda. Then comes a pivotal point in the story when Lucy realises she must take her destiny into her own hands and she sets out on a dangerous adventure in pursuit of the truth about her late husband and his less than legal activities. 

What is your preferred writing routine?

As I work part-time, my writing time is limited and precious. On the days I’m at home I also have to juggle the normal everyday stuff but I try to set aside a few hours to put pen to paper. If I’m not too tired on working days, I usually get a bit of editing done. Most days, I try to do a little marketing and promotion as well.

What advice do you have for new writers?

Whether you are traditionally published or an indie, you need to treat your writing as a business. You’re not just a scribbler of words, you are also an accountant, marketing expert, social media demon, graphic designer (for those wonderful ads and promos for social media), and a publicity expert. Once you launch a book into the world, all these other skills are called on. For me, it is always a relief and a pleasure to return to plain old writing!

 

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

When I started out, I knew absolutely nothing. I just published with little or no planning, no budget and no idea how to get the word out. What I have learned (the hard way), is to start months before a book is released. Having a blog is great―you can publish posts related to the book (for me, these were posts based on my historical research). 

If you do this properly, it can create a bit of a buzz about the book. An author page on Facebook, using Twitter and Instagram, are other great ways to generate interest. I have also found interacting with readers and writers on social media helps. The writing community is very supportive. For my latest release, my author friends really helped create awareness. Another simple but effective marketing tool is to set up your book for pre-order at a discount and advertise it heavily.

Lastly, for me, entering competitions and seeking reviews from reputable groups such as the Historical Novel Society, helped get my debut novel off the ground (it was long-listed for their indie award). In Ireland, we are also very lucky to have the Carousel Aware Prize for Indie Authors: my novel was short-listed for novel of the year.

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research

No Stone Unturned often threw up some interesting questions. For instance, did Victorian households use rubbish bins? What kinds of trains were used in the London Underground in 1886? My collection of research books failed me.

I discovered that contacts online can be a useful source of information. Lee Jackson, a fellow historical fiction author, has written extensively on Victorian life. I contacted him on Twitter and he was able to tell me almost immediately what I needed to know about Victorian rubbish. The train question was a little trickier, as I also wished to know how long a particular journey took. Thankfully, I found the London Transport Museum online, and within 24 hours I had not only answers to my questions but copies of relevant timetables. 

Oh! And just in case you are interested, the Victorians did use domestic rubbish bins which were collected by dustmen in horse-drawn carts twice a day! 

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

In my debut novel, The Bowes Inheritance, one of the main characters succumbs to her illness and dies. That was a tough scene to write. Maybe I became too close to her, being in her head, as it were. I still can’t read that section without blubbing.

What are you planning to write next?

I’m in the developmental stages of a new project for my agent. I can’t give too much away at the moment other than the setting is most likely England and France just after WW1. The Roaring Twenties intrigues me. It must have been an interesting time to be alive. The world was hurting but changing rapidly. For me, this time presents a wealth of writing opportunities.

Then I also have to work on the sequel to No Stone Unturned which is in its second draft and I hope to publish it before year end. The next instalment is entitled Footprints in the Sand, and is set in Egypt. My heroine finds herself embroiled in the machinations and professional jealousies of rival English and French Egyptologists. When a prominent member of the profession is found murdered, she must keep her wits about her to solve the case and avoid meeting a similar fate. As I have ideas for at least another two books in this series, I believe I will be busy for some time to come.

Pam Lecky

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About the Author

Pam Lecky is an Irish historical fiction author, writing crime, mystery, romance and the supernatural. Pam is represented by the Hardman & Swainson Literary Agency in London. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Society of Authors and has a particular love of the late Victorian era/early 20th Century. Her debut novel, The Bowes Inheritance, was awarded the B.R.A.G Medallion; shortlisted for the Carousel Aware Prize 2016; and long-listed for the Historical Novel Society 2016 Indie Award. Her short stories are available in an anthology, entitled Past Imperfect, which was published in April 2018. Find out more at https://pamlecky.com/ and find Pam on Facebook and Twitter @pamlecky