History and Mystery - by Helen Hollick

Today I'm delighted to turn the blog over to author Helen Hollick, whose new book in her Cosy Murder Mystery series has just been published. Over to Helen:

History and Mystery

By Helen Hollick

Apart from the fact that those two words rhyme nicely, both are very popular subjects in their own write where fiction is concerned. (See what I did there? Write/right!) Readers love an intriguing mystery to solve, and if the sleuthing is set in the past, all the better. (Think Cadfael by Ellis Peters for instance, probably the most well known of the genre.) In a way the reader is getting two for the price of one: a historical novel and a murder mystery.

The ‘cosy mystery’ (coZy in the USA) is increasing in popularity. ‘Cosy’ meaning a light, easy read, usually with an amateur female sleuth, who has a romantic interest and gets mixed up in a murder or a mystery to solve. Some of these mysteries are village, countryside or seaside based while many of the popular ones are also set in the past, from Rome to Regency, from Saxon to Victorian Saxe-Coburg. I decided to base my Jan Christopher Mysteries in the 1970s, far enough back to be classed as ‘historical’ near enough to remember those years.

Jan is a young North London suburb library assistant – as I was back then in the 1970s, hence my choice of era and setting. Orphaned as a child her Aunt Madge and uncle, DCI Tobias Christopher, adopt her, and when she meets the DCI’s new Detective Constable, Lawrence (Laurie) Walker it is a case of love at first sight. But is their blossoming romance to be hindered by the discovery of a brutal murder?

I admit here that I thought I could remember a lot about the ‘70s, but I soon discovered that I needed to do as much research for these books as I did for my ‘serious’ historical fiction. It’s getting the little details right that matter, the correct price of a bus ticket or a chocolate bar. Loose leaf tea, not teabags. Blue police telephone boxes (as in Dr Who’s TARDIS), no mobile phones in the 1970s. No computers, no Internet – no DNA! (Ah, but there were fingerprints!)

In some ways, I initially thought that this lack of ‘modern techniques’ would be a hindrance for a mystery series, but I soon discovered an advantage because I know very little about police procedures, and even less about murders. These bits I glean from TV shows such as Morse, Lewis, and Foyle’s War – the rest I either use what I remember, research, or make up.

And making things up when writing an entertaining cosy mystery series can be a lot of fun!

*

Jan Christopher #1 A Mirror Murder

Jan Christopher #2 A Mystery of Murder

Jan Christopher #3 A Mistake of Murder 

Recently released: A MISTAKE OF MURDER by Helen Hollick

The third Jan Christopher Cosy Mystery

Was murder deliberate - or a tragic mistake?

A series of burglaries and an elderly person is murdered. Can library assistant Jan Christopher help discover whether murder was a deliberate deed – or a tragic mistake?

January 1972. The Christmas and New Year holiday is over and it is time to go back to work. Newly engaged to Detective Sergeant Lawrence Walker, library assistant Jan Christopher is eager to show everyone her diamond ring, and goes off on her scheduled round to deliver library books to the housebound – some of whom she likes; some, she doesn’t.

She encounters a cat in a cupboard, drinks several cups of tea... and loses her ring.

When two murders are committed, can Jan help her policeman uncle, DCI Toby Christopher and her fiancé, Laurie, discover whether murder was a deliberate deed – or a tragic mistake?

About Helen:

First accepted for traditional publication in 1993, Helen became a USA Today Bestseller with her historical novel, The Forever Queen (titled A Hollow Crown in the UK) with the sequel, Harold the King (US: I Am The Chosen King) being novels that explore the events that led to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Her Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy is a fifth-century version of the Arthurian legend, and she writes a nautical adventure/fantasy series, The Sea Witch Voyages. She has also branched out into the quick read novella, 'Cozy Mystery' genre with her Jan Christopher Murder Mysteries, set in the 1970s, with the first in the series, A Mirror Murder incorporating her, often hilarious, memories of working as a library assistant.

Her non-fiction books are Pirates: Truth and Tales and Life of A Smuggler. She lives with her family in an eighteenth-century farmhouse in North Devon and occasionally gets time to write...

Links:

A Mistake of Murder  by Helen Hollick available from an Amazon near you, or order from any bookstore. Paperback and e-book available.

https://mybook.to/MISTAKEofMURDER

Helen’s Amazon author page: 

https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

Helen’s Website: https://helenhollick.net/

Subscribe to Helen’s Newsletter: https://tinyletter.com/HelenHollick

Review: Common and Uncommon Scents by Susan Stewart

One of the perks of being published by Amberley Publishing is that they occasionally send me review copies of new books on their list.

So it was that I recently came to be reading Common and uncommon Scents: A Social History of Perfume by Susan Stewart.

Everything about this book is sumptuous, not least the cover. It has clearly been well researched but is so easy to read; more, it's a joy to read.

The author takes us from the ancient world right through to the 21st century, and leaves out no aspect of perfume and scent history. There is evidence from a cuneiform tablet from 1239BC, of a perfume maker. What is remarkable is that not only are we told the name of this perfume maker, we know that she was female. In a temple dedicated to the Egyptian god, Horus, there is a perfume formula written on the wall, and it gives the exact quantities for the the ingredients required to make the perfume.  We are told that Ovid was an admirer of perfume and cosmetics, but that Cicero considered perfume an unnecessary extravagance.

Moving into the medieval period, we discover that Zoe, who ruled the Byzantine Empire in the 11th century converted part of her palace into a perfume workshop. Not much surprise, I suppose, that her interest in lotions and potions led to accusations of poison...

There is a great deal of information about distillation techniques, aromatics generally, and Hildegard of Bingen advocated the use of aromatic vapour baths. There is information too about scenting the home, including the floor rushes, and fragrancing food and drink. We also learn how the pomander became popular as a fad.

During the Renaissance, the famous glass blowers of Murano made brightly coloured bottles for the perfume made by the master perfume makers of Venice.

Come the 17th century, perfume played a part in the treatment and prevention of plague. This, like so many sections of the book, contains many original recipes for scents. Apparently Louis XIV's court was known as The Perfumed Court, such was his love of scent - he even had scented fountains - and by the 18th century perfume sales increased through the power of advertising. Of course the elaborate wigs of this era were perfumed and this was the era of the first perfume houses.

It had not occurred to me but it was, apparently, only in the 19th century that perfumes began to be known by devised names, rather than 'lavender water' etc. One of the earliest was called 'Stolen Kisses'!

The book ends with look at how perfume brands really took off in the 20th century and reminds us of some of the famous 'taglines' and there's a brief mention of the 21st century where, of course, scent is really all around, from perfumes to aromatherapy roll-ons to room diffusers.

That's a brief round-up of some of the highlights for me, but I said at the beginning of this review that the book is a joy to read and one of the joys was that every aspect of scent - its manufacture and its uses - is explored: beliefs about health benefits, societal connotations, fragrance in clothing - gloves, wigs, dresses - and around the home. Also covered in great detail is the history of the growing of the plants which went (and still go) into perfume manufacture, and how these were traded.

For all that, this is a very light and accessible read. The author has clearly researched every aspect of perfume and scent, but the result of that research is a book which is fascinating for the general reader. Highly recommended.

Available in hardback from all good bookshops and from Amazon

Helen Hollick's Pirate Character Sails in for a Chat

Today I am delighted to turn the blog over to international best-selling author Helen Hollick, whose brilliant and very fertile imagination has produced a conversation between her 18th-century pirate, Jesamiah Acorne (star of the Sea Witch Voyages) and my 10th-century Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, the main character in To Be A Queen.

Take it away Helen...

A TURN OF TIME?

By Helen Hollick

A fanciful tale of a meeting between two people of the 10th and 18th centuries... 

“Hello lass, you all right sitting there on y’tod?”

The young woman looks up from where she’s sitting on a damp rock beside the river . She squints into the glare of the low, autumn sunshine. She looks at the stranger, but can only see his outline, not his face, as the sun is behind him. The sun casts a glowing aura around him, making him seem quite ethereal.

“Yes I’m fine, thank you sir. Just sitting here thinking.”

The man moves, sits down on another rock. The illusion of other-worldliness has vanished now. He sniffs, tips his hat back. She thinks that he is dressed rather strangely, a long coat, long leather boots and close-fitting trousers that are of a material she has never seen before. His hat is strange too, it is leather, triangular. He has a froth of lace at his neck and wrists. Even the sword he is wearing is most odd, it is long and slightly curved. He has another thing tucked through his belt, it looks like some sort of club with a bent handle.

“What is that?” she asks, curious, pointing to it.

“My pistol. Very dangerous.”

She shrugs. She has never heard the word before. “Are you a foreigner?” she asks, suspiciously. “A Viking from Denmark or Norway? You are certainly not a Mercian.”

The man shakes his head, smiles. “I was born in Devonshire, but I come from Virginia.”

“Devonshire is part of my father’s Wessex. I have never heard of Virginia. Is it across the sea?”

“It is. And I suppose I’m a Viking of sorts. I used to be a pirate but I took the King’s amnesty.”

“Amnesty? My father, King Alfred, does not give our enemies amnesty.”

“Alfred? No this was King George.”

The girl frowns. She has never heard of this ‘George’. “My husband is the Lord of Mercia. His name is Æthelred.”

“Ah, The Unready? I’ve heard of him!”

The girl’s frown deepens. “Unready? My husband is never unready. He is a very capable lord.”

The man also frowns but lets the matter go. “Forgive me for saying, but you look far too young to be a married woman. What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“I am Æthelflæd, Lady of Mercia and it is impertinent for someone who is not my close kindred to call me by such an endearment.”

“I know a ship called the Lady Of Mercia. A fine brig. Her captain’s a good man. Brought my wife to England from Spain. Ended up in a bit of trouble, but we sorted it out in the end.”

The young woman stares at her hands, gazing at the jewelled rings she wears, twiddling one that was a little loose, around and around. “I am in trouble too. We need to hold the Viking sea wolves back. They are at anchor in the estuary. If they sail up this river, they will overrun us, and we would not be able to hold them.” She points at the calm, lazy flow drifting beneath the overhanging trees, the low sun sparkles on the little waves and eddies being stirred by a come-and-gone flurry of wind.

The man also stares at the river. “Good sailors are they, these Vikings? Know how to handle a ship?”

She laughs, ironically. “Oh yes, they have ships with shallow draughts, and they handle them with great skill. They are, I am reluctant to say it, but they are brave, capable men who fight well. If they land here, we will stand no chance of survival against them.”

The man sniffs again, stands and walks to the water’s edge where he squats down and dabbles his right hand into the cool, clear water. He can see the bottom quite clearly. “I’d not get my ship up here. It’s too shallow.”

“You have a ship?” 

“Aye. She’s called Sea Witch.”

“But she is not a Viking, dragon ship?”

He stands, turns, smiles at her. “No. She’s neither of those. Could you defeat these Vikings if you stopped them from coming up river?”

Her turn to smile. “Oh yes, we have warriors every bit as brave and formidable as the invaders. But we do not have ships, and we will not be able to stop them from sailing up river if they decide to do so.”

The man walks a pace or two towards her. “You only need to think a little differently. Use what you have on land. Those trees – slice the branches so that they form spikes then cut them down so that they form a barrier across the water. Set thick, strong ropes from bank to bank – ropes that are submerged so that they will not see them, and their steering boards, that are lower in the water, get snarled. Use flame arrows dipped in tar. No sailor will confront the prospect of fire. Sink something else beneath the water; a broken cart with its shafts or wheel spokes sharpened. These Viking ships will not get far if you sink them, neither will the men aboard live long if you are ready for them. They will either drown, or try to come ashore. Either way, they will be dead men.”

Æthelflæd rises, walks to the edge of the water and stares into the gentle current, much as he had done. He was right. 

She swivels on her haunches, intending to ask his name and then thank him, but he is not there. The air shimmers where he had stood, and a faint, thin shadow hovers over the grass...

[Æthelflæd, known to her family in my novel as Teasel (the reason for which is misunderstood by her future husband!) was the daughter of Alfred the Great. Sent to Mercia to an arranged marriage, she quickly found herself trying to persuade those in her new homeland to accept her, then ruling a kingdom in all but name, trying to save Mercia from the 'Vikings' and, ultimately, her own brother.

"A vibrant telling of an extraordinary life." Praise for To Be A Queen from Terri Nixon, award-winning historical novelist]

THE VOYAGES

SEA WITCH   Voyage one

PIRATE CODE  Voyage two

BRING IT CLOSE  Voyage three

RIPPLES IN THE SAND  Voyage four

ON THE ACCOUNT  Voyage five

WHEN THE MERMAID SINGS  A prequel to the series

(short-read novella) 

And just published...

GALLOWS WAKE

The Sixth Voyage of Captain Jesamiah Acorne

By Helen Hollick

Where the Past haunts the future... 

Damage to her mast means Sea Witch has to be repaired, but the nearest shipyard is at Gibraltar. Unfortunately for Captain Jesamiah Acorne, several men he does not want to meet are also there, among them, Captain Edward Vernon of the Royal Navy, who would rather see Jesamiah hang.

Then there is the spy, Richie Tearle, and manipulative Ascham Doone who has dubious plans of his own. Plans that involve Jesamiah, who, beyond unravelling the puzzle of a dead person who may not be dead, has a priority concern regarding the wellbeing of his pregnant wife, the white witch, Tiola.

Forced to sail to England without Jesamiah, Tiola must keep herself and others close to her safe, but memories of the past, and the shadow of the gallows haunt her. Dreams disturb her, like a discordant lament at a wake. 

But is this the past calling, or the future?

From the first review of Gallows Wake:

“Hollick’s writing is crisp and clear, and her ear for dialogue and ability to reveal character in a few brief sentences is enviable. While several of the characters in Gallows Wake have returned from previous books, I felt no need to have read those books to understand them. The paranormal side of the story—Tiola is a white witch, with powers of precognition and more, and one of the characters is not quite human—blends with the story beautifully, handled so matter-of-factly. This is simply Jesamiah’s reality, and he accepts it, as does the reader.” 

Author Marian L. Thorpe.

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon Author Page (Universal link) https://viewauthor.at/HelenHollick

Where you will find the entire series waiting at anchor in your nearest Amazon harbour – do come aboard and share Jesamiah’s derring-do nautical adventures!

(available Kindle, Kindle Unlimited and in paperback) 

Or order a paperback copy from your local bookstore!

ABOUT HELEN HOLLICK

First accepted for traditional publication in 1993, Helen became a USA Today Bestseller with her historical novel, The Forever Queen (titled A Hollow Crown in the UK) with the sequel, Harold the King (US: I Am The Chosen King) being novels that explore the events that led to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Her Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy is a fifth-century version of the Arthurian legend, and she writes a nautical adventure/fantasy series, The Sea Witch Voyages. She is now also branching out into the quick read novella, 'Cosy Mystery' genre with her Jan Christopher Murder Mysteries, set in the 1970s, with the first in the series, A Mirror Murder incorporating her, often hilarious, memories of working as a library assistant.

Her non-fiction books are Pirates: Truth and Tales and Life of A Smuggler. She lives with her family in an eighteenth-century farmhouse in North Devon and occasionally gets time to write...

Website: www.helenhollick.net

Newsletter Subscription: http://tinyletter.com/HelenHollick 

Blog: www.ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/HelenHollick 

Twitter: @HelenHollick https://twitter.com/HelenHollick

Guest Post: Elizabeth St John

Today I am delighted to hand the blog over to Elizabeth St John, whose new historical novel, The Godmother's Secret, is published today. Over to you Elizabeth:

***

In a complete moment of serendipity, I discovered that a 15th century ancestress, Elysabeth St.John, was the godmother to Edward V, the eldest brother of the missing Princes in the Tower. When I was looking for inspiration for my new book, The Godmother’s Secret, I literally entered my own name into our digitised family tree to see who else was recorded. Several “Elizabeths” popped up – Victorian, Georgian, Tudor women; and then I was so excited to find an Elysabeth St.John who lived during the late 1400s – and over the moon when I discovered she was the godmother to Edward V. Surely Elysabeth, above anyone else, would know what happened to those poor boys?

Elysabeth Scrope's Appointment to Attend Elizabeth Woodville

According to a manuscript in the National Archives, Henry VI paid ten pounds to ‘our wellbeloved Ladie Elizabeth Scroop for attendance by our commandment on Elizabeth, late calling her[self] Queen’ during her confinement; upon the birth of Edward V, Elizabeth was appointed his godmother. In medieval times, a godmother was considered a blood relative, and was responsible for the spiritual wellbeing and security of their godchild. Where the history gets interesting is Elysabeth St.John was also the half-sister to Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. Elysabeth’s husband, Lord John Scrope, was a close ally and relative of Richard III. Margaret was married to Thomas Stanley, a powerful northern lord and ally of Edward IV and Richard III. So not only was Elysabeth (a Lancastrian) godmother to the York heir, and married to a fervent York supporter, she was also aunt to the Tudor claimant. For anyone familiar with the Wars of the Roses, and the ultimate battle at Bosworth Field, you’ll know how that worked out. Talk about family feuds! 

My novel’s plot revolves around Elysabeth’s vow as godmother and her desperate efforts to protect her 12-year-old godson, Edward V, from the intrigue and betrayal that surrounds him after she delivers him to the Tower of London for his coronation.  He was automatically king upon the death of his Edward IV (“the king never dies”).  Throughout The Godmother’s Secret, Elysabeth is navigating her own conflict, upholding her loyalty to both her husband and her sister as competing factions battle for the throne. More than anything, Elysabeth defies the bounds of blood and loyalty to make her own decisions for her godson’s survival in a hostile medieval world where women had little authority.

This excerpt is the opening chapter of The Godmother’s Secret, as Elysabeth arrives to join Elizabeth Woodville in sanctuary at Westminster Abbey. 

Bolton Castle, Elysabeth's Home

Chapter One

November 1470 | Westminster Abbey

A secret has been conceived . . .

“Entry, in the name of God and King Henry!” My guard clouts the iron-clad door of Cheyneygates, challenging the sanctuary of Westminster Abbey. “The Lady Elysabeth Scrope demands entry!”

A murther of crows startles from the gables, cawing and whirling around my head and circling up into the clouded heavens. I join three fingers in the holy trinity and cross myself; head, chest, sinister and dexter. These ancient purveyors of death do not disturb me, for I have not survived this war to be hindered by a superstition. If there were a crow for every dead soldier, England would be a huge raucous rookery. But it never hurts to invoke God’s protection. The crows swoop and squabble and alight singly among the gargoyles on the parapets of the soot-stained Abbey. Like the granite tors of my Yorkshire home, these walls are impenetrable and inaccessible. And just as hostile. God offers protection to all who claim sanctuary. And men erect walls to keep them safe.

No stirring from within. I sigh. Not unexpected. “Knock again,” I command the guard. “Let them know their visitors will not leave.”

Abbot's House, Westminster

The waning October afternoon trickles shadows into the well of the courtyard. I pull my cloak closer, thankful I had chosen my finest weave to keep the warmth in and the damp out. The sun had shone golden when we rode out from London, but upon reaching Westminster we collided with the rain clouds streaming in from the west. 

Fallen mulberry leaves clog the stone steps rising before me, rotting unswept in the hollows. Someone isn’t taking care of the abbot’s house. It is clear that no one has left nor entered for a while. The guard’s hammering is unanswered, and yet to the right of the door a candle flame glimmers through a browed window and a shadow flits elusively. 

I push back my hood, and a spatter of rain needles my face. Here, gatekeeper. Here's reassurance I bear your fugitive no threat. I am of middling age, graceful, fair of face, my countenance pleasing, I’ve heard say. Hardly a threat.

The rain unfurls in sheets. I raise my voice. “I am not asking the queen to break sanctuary.” God knows the wretched woman would make it easier on all of us if she did. I motion the guard aside and edge up the slippery steps to the door. “I am here to join her.” My voice competes with a dripping gutter and gets lost under the pitter-patter.

At the foot of the steps, my stepdaughter, Meg Zouche, hums with a redhead’s restless energy; her curly hair springs wildly from her hood, laced with jeweled droplets of Thames mist. “The queen thinks to defy fate with a barred door.” Meg scowls at the blank and blackened oak. 

“She will admit us. Eventually. Even one such as she cannot birth her child alone,” I reply. “I may not be her choice for an attendant, but a captive has no say in their guard.” Temper’s blood warms my cheeks. I stand resolute at the door, ignoring the invisible eyes taking my measure. If this time in sanctuary is to be the battle of wills I anticipate, then I must win the first foray. I plant my feet in the composting leaves, ignore the damp seeping from the stone into the soles of my boots, and wait. 

Bolts grate top and bottom, and the door creaks open. I swallow a last breath of rain-washed air, hoarding the fresh scent for the stifling weeks to come, for the queen’s confinement shapes my own prison sentence. Reaching for Meg’s warm hand, I cross the threshold into the abbot’s house. The splashing steps of our guard fades, his duty done, mine just beginning. And if I fail and the child dies, I will be shown no mercy from Henry, the king that rules, nor Edward, the king in exile. 

We are herded like moorland sheep into the cramped entry corridor, and the steward squints down his drip-tipped nose and sniffs. Meg glares back at him until he drops his gaze. She may be only nineteen, but she has been mine since she was two years of age, and I have trained her to run a great household. She will brook no truck with an insolent servant. Let Meg practice her learnings on the poor man; he is, after all, the enemy.

“Escort my mother to the queen,” Meg commands, “and then show me our lodgings.”

He grudgingly dips his head. “Wait here, Dame Zouche.” 

So the household expects our arrival. They just don’t choose to welcome us. Of course, there is little that will escape the queen, for certainly she has her spies and informers even as she invokes sanctuary to protect her unborn child. 

“This way, Lady Scrope.” 

I kiss Meg's warm cheek. “Make friends with him, Meg,” I whisper. “We’re going to need all the help we can muster. I'll return shortly.”

She grins and winks. “Bon chance, Belle-maman.” 

The steward sets off at a brisk trot through a passage that runs alongside the entry courtyard. He does not look back to see if I keep up nor to extend me the courtesy of a deferential bow nor even a head tilt that my rank demands. So. This is how we will engage. 

He leaves me at the open door to a dim chamber, and I pause to let my eyes adjust to the shadows and to reclaim my dignity. I am aware that whoever is in the room sees me before I see them. 

The lofty wood panelling is underlit by half-burned candles struggling in the damp air. At the end of the chamber is a diamond-paned window, beyond which the Abbey lurks, blocking the waning light. Resting in a high-backed chair before the hearth, her pure profile dark against the blue flames of a meagre fire, is Queen Elizabeth—I still think of her as Elizabeth Woodville—her belly swollen under a beaver-fur mantle. Three little girls huddle on red velvet prayer cushions at her feet, the youngest child perhaps eighteen months.

So this is the commoner queen and her brace of healthy children. Yet still no male heir to claim the throne. What are the odds this next child is a boy? High, I reckon. Especially given the wellspring of prayers God must be receiving daily from the queen and her followers.

***

If you knew the fate of the Princes in the Tower, would you tell? Or forever keep the secret?

May 1483: The Tower of London. When King Edward IV dies and Lady Elysabeth Scrope delivers her young godson, Edward V, 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 Elysabeth’s sister Margaret Beaufort conspires with her son 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 Yorkist husband and her Lancastrian sister under her godmother’s sacred oath to keep Prince Edward safe. Bound by blood and rent by honour, Elysabeth is torn between King Richard and Margaret Beaufort, knowing that if her loyalty is questioned, she is in peril of losing everything—including her life.

Were the princes murdered by their uncle, Richard III? Did Margaret Beaufort mastermind their disappearance to usher in the Tudor dynasty? Or did the young boys vanish for their own safety? 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 blends her family history with known facts and centuries of speculation to create an intriguing story about what happened to the Princes in the Tower.

Buy Links:

Available on Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link: https://geni.us/GodmothersSecret

Amazon UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B9YM4JF5

Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9YM4JF5

Amazon CA:  https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0B9YM4JF5

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0B9YM4JF5

Author Bio:

Elizabeth St.John’s critically acclaimed novels tell the true stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose kinship and friendship with historical figures such as Margaret Beaufort, Henry VII, and the Stuart kings and queens bring a unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor and Stuart England.

Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.

Social Media Links:

Website:  http://www.elizabethjstjohn.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ElizStJohn

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethJStJohn

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethjstjohn/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabethjstjohn/

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/elizabeth-st-john

Amazon Author Page: https://geni.us/AmazonElizabethStJohn

Goodreads: https://geni.us/GoodreadsElizStJohn

Guest Post: Linda Bennett Pennell

Today I'm delighted to turn the blog over to Linda Bennett Pennell, whose new book,  The Last Dollar Princess, was released as a paperback yesterday. Over to you, Linda...

***

The Real Dollar Princesses or Does Mrs. Astor Know Your Momma & Daddy? 

Caroline Astor

Does Mrs. Astor know you? In the latter half of 19th century New York City if the answer was no, the most coveted invitations would have been beyond your grasp. You had a 5th Avenue address? You were first to wear the latest Worth gowns? Your husband could buy half of Manhattan with plenty of money left over to build your Newport cottage? You hobnobbed with European nobility and royalty? If you were – gasp – New Money, none of your family’s accomplishments, regardless of how well earned, mattered. 

Washington Square House

19th century New York’s well-to-do were basically divided into two groups: Nobs and Swells. Nobs were old New York, often referred to as Knickerbockers. They lived quietly. Their homes surrounded Washington Square Park and lined the best locations along lower 5th Ave. The husbands earned their livings as bankers and from real estate. A girl’s debut meant a white dress with a few friends to tea at home. When she found the right young man, their engagement party or dinner and the wedding all took place at home witnessed by the young couple’s most intimate friends. Life among the Nobs was calm, quiet, subdued, and above all else, eschewed ostentation.

Swells were polar opposites. The husbands were captains of industry. Ostentation appeared to be the guiding principle in all they did. Whether it was building a new mansion farther north on 5th, importing the grandest artwork and furniture from Europe, or buying the best Worth gowns, the bigger and louder the display, the better. Nobs naturally viewed Swells as social climbing arrivistes who were crude, uncouth, and tacky. The Nob husbands might do business with the robber barons, but the wives would have nothing to do with the new money people, and as everyone knows, women are generally the arbiters of society.

For Swells with daughters of marriageable age, the situation was dire indeed. Their beautiful, well-educated, accomplished girls had little-to-no chance of being introduced to, much less marrying, New York’s most desirable, socially prominent young men. What was an ambitious mother to do? Enter the Buccaneers, whose mamas cast their gazes east toward much greater prizes than even Mrs. Astor could command.

Edith Wharton, the novelist and chronicler of Gilded Age manners, grew up among the elite of old New York and knew them well. She also knew the daughters of those déclassé new money arrivistes, fictional versions of which she incorporated in her last, unfinished novel, The Buccaneers. She dubbed these girls with rich papas and socially ambitious mamas, but who lacked pedigree, thus. One must suppose she chose the nickname due to the effect they created among the targets of their parents' social-climbing efforts, the English aristocracy. 

It has been said that these American heiresses presented a significant, alluring contrast to their English counterparts and it was not just their papas' money. The daughters of wealthy Americans were well-educated and reared to be confident in themselves, their abilities, and their opinions. Their mothers, reared in the spirit of the pioneers, set examples of strong-willed, accomplished wives to whom their husbands bowed in all things domestic. The daughters were cossetted and adored by their fathers; their English counterparts were basically treated as lesser members of the household and something of a liability until they married. The daughters of America's robber barons tended to be vivacious and outgoing. In other words, they were often the life of the party in an otherwise stuffy, rigid society. In the eyes of some Englishmen, including the Prince of Wales, they were a refreshing breeze blown in on the Atlantic Drift.

Between 1870 and 1902, no fewer than 102 American girls married into the English peerage. While American heiresses had been marrying abroad for many years, none had reached the epitome of the English social order until 1876 when Consuelo Yznaga married George, Viscount Mandeville, the future 8th Duke of Manchester.

Consuelo

Consuelo was born in 1853 in New York City to Antonio Yzanga del Valle, a Cuban diplomat and of the landed Cuban gentry, and Ellen Maria Clement of Ravenswood Plantation, Concordia Parish, Louisiana. The Yzanga family owned plantations and sugar mills in Cuba, a home in New York, and a large home in New Port while the Clement family was originally from stalwart New England stock. Between them, Consuelo's parents were rich, owned large tracts of land in the US and Cuba, and were connected to the Spanish aristocracy, but this was not enough to gain their beautiful, accomplished daughter invitations to the best balls and dinners. Mrs. Astor did not "know" them; therefore, they were beyond the pale. To make matters worse, Mrs. Yzanaga was considered "fast" by the people who counted.

Shunned by New York society, in the 1860's Mama Ellen decamped for the much brighter and more accepting society of Paris where her three daughters made quite a splash. They became favorites at the court of Napolean III's Empress Eugénie. The empress had no illusions when it came to maintaining a glittering court. Social standing was far less important than sparkling personalities, charm, wit, and plenty of money. Her court was peopled by those who could afford new dresses for every occasion and lots of diamonds. The Yzanaga girls suited very nicely and were seen often at the Tuileries attending State Balls and musicales. Only thirteen, Consuelo knew the empress well and became friends with Alva Smith, the future Mrs. Vanderbilt.

Empress Eugenie

In 1875, the Yzanaga women joined the social whirl in Saratoga Springs, NY, where life had much more to do with seeing and being seen than any health concerns the mineral waters might address. Suitable young men came for the horse races and to observe the young ladies promenading along the United States Hotel piazza and attending the weekly balls all under the strict eyes of mothers and chaperones. The now 22 year-old Consuelo drew the notice of many of the young men, but one young man in particular drew that of Mama Ellen. 

At 23, George Drogo "Kim" Montagu, Lord Mandeville, had already seen something of life beyond the walls of his family's country seat, Kimbolton Castle. He had served as ADC to Sir Garnet Wolseley in the Zulu War. While in Saratoga, he suffered an attack of a recurring malady thought to be a fever picked up in Africa and Mama Ellen saw an opportunity. She invited him to recuperate at the Yzanaga family cottage in Orange, New Jersey. Consuelo and her mother acted as his nurses, giving them exclusive access the most eligible bachelor. His positive qualities included being charming, being friends with the Prince of Wales, being the future 8th Duke of Manchester, and having developed an attraction to Consuelo. On the down side, he gambled on games of chances and the horses and was in need of cash. That last negative became a positive when Papa Yzanaga offered a £200,000 (approximately $6 million today) dowry. Consuelo accepted his proposal and a wedding date was set. The 7th Duke and Duchess of Manchester were furious, but the couple were wed in New York's Grace Church in 1876.

The wedding party was greeted by newspapers and a cheering public as the event of the season. New Yorkers were excited by and proud of the hometown girl who was now a duchess. London was equally as charmed by Consuelo. The Duke of Portland described her entry into the London season as a success, saying, "[she] took society completely by storm by her beauty, wit, and vivacity and it was soon at her very pretty feet."

The Prince of Wales

Consuelo blazed the trail for the American heiresses that would come after her. These “dollar princesses,” as they became known, would bring millions to their aristocratic husbands, saving many noble English estates from ruin and allowing their parents back home in the States a step up on the Nobs and Mrs. Astor who shunned them. After all, “have you met my daughter, the countess…marchioness…duchess” definitely has a certain cachet, does it not? 

Sources

De Courcy, Anne. The Husband hunters: Social Climbing in London and New York. London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 2017.

MacColl, Gail and Wallace, Carol MCD. To Marry an English Lord: Tales of Wealth and Marriage, Sex and Snobbery. New York: Workman Publishing, 1989.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/43512827

https://www.tatler.com/article/manchester-tiara-consuelo-dowager-duchess-of-manchester

https://www.history.com/news/american-heiress-marry-british-aristocrat

https://prabook.com/web/maria.consuelo_montagu/2518466

I have been in love with the past for as long as I can remember. Anything with a history, whether shabby or majestic, recent or ancient, instantly draws me in. I suppose it comes from being part of a large extended family that spanned several generations. Long summer afternoons on my grandmother's porch or winter evenings gathered around her fireplace were filled with stories both entertaining and poignant. Of course, being set in  the American South, those stories were also peopled by some very interesting characters, some of whom have found their way into my work.

As for my venture in writing, it has allowed me to reinvent myself. We humans are truly multifaceted creatures, but we tend to sort and categorize each other into neat, easily understood packages that rarely reveal the whole person. Perhaps you, too, want to step out of the box in which you find yourself. I encourage you to look at the possibilities and imagine. Be filled with childlike wonder in your mental wanderings. Envision what might be, not simply what is. Let us never forget, all good fiction begins when someone says to herself or himself, "Let's pretend." 

I reside in the Houston area with one sweet husband and one adorable, sweet Labradoodle who is quite certain she’s a little girl.

"History is filled with the sound of silken slippers going downstairs and wooden shoes coming up." Voltaire  

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Blog: History Imagined: For Readers, Writers, and Lovers of Historical Fiction https://historyimagined.wordpress.com/

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It must be said. Scandal follows her family like a faithful hound. No matter how hard they kick it away, it comes slinking around to insinuate itself into their lives again. Although her family is obsessed with social position, one thing is certain. Heiress India Elisabeth Petra De Vries Ledbetter is an outlier among her kin. She is determined to set her own course, family expectations and society's demands be damned.

Reared away from the social whirl of Gilded Age New York, India would prefer a life of philanthropy in her native Appalachia, but Mother and Grandmama have far grander plans. They believe Mrs. Astor’s old 400 are ready to overlook the past and that an advantageous marriage will cement their place in society once more. In fact, they have already selected the prospective bridegroom. The only problem? No one consulted India.

With captivating insights into the human spirit and heart, The Last Dollar Princess leads us on a riveting quest for self-determination through the most elegant and glamorous settings of the early 20th century. Perfect for fans of Marie Benedict, Daisy Goodwin, and Julian Fellows, this sweeping work of historical fiction will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

Buy Link

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Dollar-Princess-Independence-Coronation-ebook/dp/B0B2X9ZG4Q

Review: Rogues, Rebels and Mavericks by John Brunton

The lovely people at Amberley books sent me a review copy of John Brunton's Rogues, Rebels and Mavericks of the Middle Ages.

As the author says in the introduction, this is a collection of pen-portraits of some less frequently written about characters of the medieval period.

The chapters move chronologically, and include stories from around the world, but start and finish in England, beginning with Earl Waltheof, the English rebel who opposed William of Normandy and ending with Margaret Countess of Salisbury, executed by Henry VIII.

Some of these characters were familiar to me, some less so, but consistently the author paints a vivid picture and sets the scene for every chapter. John Brunton is a master story-teller, giving the reader enough background information that the tale of the individual sits nicely in its historical context without slowing the narrative with unnecessary detail. Almost as much as the stories of the individuals, one comes away with a real sense of the customs and societal mores and expectations of each period and region under examination.

Inevitably with a collection like this, some chapters work better than others. Whilst fully understanding their inclusion, I found myself less interested in those who, by the author's own admission, were compelled by self-interest and were not sympathetic characters. I still, however, learned a lot from these stories. 

A few stood out though as especially captivating: it was satisfying to learn more about the man behind the idea of 'Ockham's Razor' and to read Christine de Pisan's story, truly a standout woman in the world of men. The life and times of Prince Henry the Navigator gave a lively discussion of the age of exploration and why Spain lost out so much to Portugal, which was a fascinating read.

A couple of the inclusions didn't quite work for me, such as the afore-mentioned Margaret, Countess of Salisbury. A tragic and brutal tale, but I felt that she was a victim and we didn't hear about her actions, only what happened to her - so was she a rogue, a rebel or a maverick? I'm not sure.

However, what a delight John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, turned out to be! I've no particular leanings towards either the Yorkists or the Lancastrians so I was able to cheer him on with complete impartiality (especially with his daring escapes from incarceration). He stood out in this collection for me because it appears that his actions, though he was clearly loyal to the cause, were driven not by self-interest, or self-preservation, but an impassioned sense of injustice and a desire for revenge on behalf of his family. 

Obviously the appeal of some characters over others is a personal choice and the author has provided an excellent blend and mix with his stories. As is often the way, and is ably demonstrated here, we can learn so much about history if we take the spotlight off the kings and queens and look at the lives of those around them, and indeed away from the court completely.

A wonderfully clever and novel idea, brilliantly delivered. A definite 'must read' if you are at all interested in the medieval world generally, and the standout characters specifically.

Rogues, Rebels and Mavericks is available in all good books shops, direct from Amberley and from AmazonUK

Guest Post: Tony Riches Researching and writing Raleigh – Tudor Adventurer

 Today I'm delighted to hand over the blog to author Tony Riches, whose new release Raleigh -Tudor Adventurer, is out now. Over to you, Tony:

Tudor adventurer, courtier, explorer, and poet, Sir Walter Raleigh
has been called the last true Elizabethan

My Elizabethan series began when I was researching for an historical novel about Henry Tudor, who like me was born in the town of Pembroke, Wales. I eventually uncovered enough original material to write three books, with Henry being born in the first, coming of age in the second and becoming King of England in the third.

The result was my best-selling Tudor Trilogy, and I decided to continue the stories of the Tudors in a continuous line. I also made a conscious decision to tell the stories through those surrounding King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I, so we see different facets of these complex rulers through the eyes of others.

For my Elizabethan series I chose three very different favourites of the queen, who each saw different sides of her personality. Sir Francis Drake showered her with gold and jewels, stolen from the Spanish, in return for the status he longed for. The Earl of Essex was like the errant son she never had, but Raleigh became her protector, Captain of the Guard, and lived to see the last days of the Tudor dynasty.

I’ve developed a system of researching during the summer months, writing through the autumn and winter, then editing in the spring.  For my research, I like visiting the actual locations used in my books, and tracking down primary sources. In the case of Walter Raleigh, I also studied his surviving letters and papers. 

Raleigh’s personal archive was scattered widely, with many of his papers thought to be lost. Fortunately for me, the late Professor of English at Bedford College, Agnes Latham, spent her life discovering and transcribing over two hundred of Raleigh’s letters, assisted by the work of the late Devon historian Joyce Youings, who was Emeritus Professor of English Social History at the University of Exeter. Agnes Latham also collected all surviving examples of Raleigh’s poetry, adding her invaluable commentary.

As well as offering me an authentic sense of Raleigh’s ‘voice’ and how he addressed others of the Elizabethan Court, these letters were a great help in sorting out the often confusing timeline of events. I was of aware of Raleigh’s tendency to exaggerate, flatter and posture in his writing, but there is no better way to develop an understanding of his motives.

Many of the things I thought I knew about Walter Raleigh proved to be wrong. Raleigh is credited with introducing the potato and tobacco to Britain, but I’ve seen no evidence for either, or for the popular tale of a servant throwing water over him when he mistook the smoke from Raleigh’s pipe for a fire!

Sir Walter Raleigh being doused!

I followed Raleigh across the Irish Sea to the sleepy harbour at Youghal, where he had a house and became Mayor, as well as to the bustling city of Cork, where he served in the English Army of occupation. I also visited Raleigh’s house at Sherborne in Dorset, which still has many original features.

Sherborne Castle

Raleigh’s letters, which cover fascinating details of daily life, as well as his great adventures and disasters, are some of the best examples of the Elizabethan period. They reveal his strengths and weaknesses, as a courtier and failed politician, soldier and poet, a man ready to speak up for the poor and to honour his debts. My hope is that my new book, Raleigh – Tudor Adventurer, will help readers see beyond the myths and half-truths, and have a better understanding of the man who has been called the last true Elizabethan.

Tony Riches

Book Links: 

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon CA

Amazon AU

Author Bio

Tony Riches is a full-time UK author of Tudor historical fiction. He lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the lives of the early Tudors. As well as his new Elizabethan series, Tony’s historical fiction novels include the best-selling Tudor trilogy and his Brandon trilogy, (about Charles Brandon and his wives). For more information about Tony’s books please visit his website tonyriches.com and his blog, The Writing Desk and find him on Facebook and Twitter @tonyriches