Author: hmalagisi

Book Review: “The Daughter of Time” by Josephine Tey

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

Have you ever read about a historical mystery that captivated you so much that you spent your available free time trying to solve the case? Who was the man in the iron mask? Were the casket letters real? Who built Stonehenge and why? And yet, one of the greatest mysteries in all of history revolves around two missing princes who were last seen in the Tower of London. Nearly five hundred years later, an inspector from Scotland Yard named Alan Grant decides to take on the case. Can the inspector solve the ultimate cold case? Josephine Tey tells the tale of the detective and the mystery of the Princes in the Tower in her most famous novel, “The Daughter of Time.”

I have heard of this novel since I started my blog, but I never read it until now. I decided that it was time after it was announced that there was going to be a play adaptation of this novel. All I knew about this book was that it had something to do with the Princes in the Tower and Richard III, but I did not know the extent.

Tey begins with a bored Inspector Alan Grant staring at the ceiling as he lies immobilized in a hospital recovering from a broken leg. He has a stack of books to read, given to him by the nurses nicknamed the Midget and the Amazon, but none of them have caught his interest. One day, his actress friend Marta Hallard comes for a visit and convinces Grant to investigate a historical mystery. She brings copies of historical portraits, and Grant’s attention immediately goes to the one of Richard III. This portrait will propel Grant to investigate the mystery of the Princes in the Tower and prove Richard III’s innocence.

While I do see why this book is so beloved by Ricardians, it took me a while to get used to the dialogue in this novel, as I don’t read books from the 1950s. It was interesting to see the logic of Grant’s arguments for Richard III to be proved innocent, as someone who has no connection to history, but as an inspector. Personally, my favorite character in this novel is Brent Carradine, an American history student who helps Grant with his investigation.

Overall, it was a decent novel that investigates the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower from the perspective of someone who is not a history nerd. It is a well-researched novel for the information that was available at the time, which will appeal to novices and experts alike. If you want a novel with a different approach to the Princes in the Tower, I recommend you read “The Daughter of Time” by Josephine Tey.

Book Review: “Tudor Princes and Princesses: The Early Lives of the Children of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York” by Aimee Fleming

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

The year is 1485, and the last Plantagenet king, Richard III, is dead. The young man whose army defeated the king is Henry Tudor, and he is about to start a dynasty that will reshape world history forever. Henry Tudor, now King Henry VII, married the daughter of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, Elizabeth of York. Their marriage and their children would lay the foundation for the Tudor dynasty, but what was life like for the children who were the first generation of this remarkable dynasty? Aimee Fleming explores the lives of these royal siblings in her latest book, “Tudor Princes and Princesses: The Early Lives of the Children of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and NetGalley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoyed her previous book about Margaret More Roper, so when I heard that she was writing a book about the children of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, I was curious to see what new information Fleming would include in this book.

Fleming begins with the aftermath of Bosworth as King Henry VII begins his new life as a king and husband to Elizabeth of York. As they anticipate the arrival of their firstborn child, we get to see how their childhoods influenced their parenting style. The couple’s firstborn child, Prince Arthur Tudor, would be born in Winchester, the city where the mythical Camelot is supposed to be. As the heir to the dynasty and a boy named after the legendary King Arthur, the young prince was seen as the embodiment of the Tudor rose and the hope of the dynasty’s future. No pressure at all for the young prince.

After the birth of Prince Arthur, Henry and Elizabeth welcomed Margaret, Henry, Elizabeth, Edward/Edmund, and Mary into the family. While Princess Elizabeth and Prince Edward/Edmund died young, we get to see Princesses Margaret and Mary, as well as Prince Henry, grow up in the royal nursery, being educated for their important roles as future monarchs, and the bond they shared as siblings. They had to deal with the ever-changing world of the 16th century and navigate the uncertainty of court life, especially with the pretenders waiting in the wings to snatch the crown. Margaret, Henry, and Mary had to deal with the death of Prince Arthur shortly after he married Catherine of Aragon, and their mother, Elizabeth of York, after she gave birth to her final daughter, who also died. Blood may have connected these siblings, but love and shared experiences made this family tight-knit.

Overall, I thought this book was a nice review book for those who know about the Tudors, and a nice introductory book for those who are not familiar with this family. If either of these descriptions sounds like you, if you are a Tudor nerd, I recommend you read “Tudor Princes and Princesses: The Early Lives of the Children of Henry VIII and Elizabeth of York” by Aimee Fleming.

Guest Post: “Spotlight for ‘The Dutch Muse’ by Heidi Eljarbo”

On By hmalagisiIn guest post1 Comment

I am pleased to welcome Heidi Eljarbo to my blog today to share the blurb for her novel, “The Dutch Muse.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Heidi Eljarbo for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. 

Blurb: 

 A ruthless thief leaves a private Dutch gallery with a coveted seventeenth-century painting. The owner lies unconscious on the floor. Art historian Fabiola Bennett, on vacation in Holland, takes on the case. 

 Amsterdam, 1973.
It’s late summer, and Fabiola and Pippa join their friend, Cary, for a few days of sightseeing, museums, and riding bikes around the beautiful city. 

 For the first time in her life, Fabiola feels a pang of jealousy, and rude comments from a gallerist make her doubt her abilities

Then, unexpectedly, Cary’s Dutch client, Lennard van de Hoek, is brutally struck down, and a baroque portrait by Ferdinand Bol is stolen. Fabiola pushes aside her problems and jumps into danger without hesitation. The list of suspects is long, and with a cold-blooded criminal at large, they must constantly be on the alert. 

Amsterdam, 1641.
Ferdinand Bol has completed his five-year training with Master Rembrandt van Rijn and is ready to set up his own studio. The future looks bright, and Ferdinand sets a goal to become a widely sought-after and, hopefully, prosperous master portraitist. 

 
Just when Ferdinand’s career starts to flourish—and patrons and customers discover his exceptional talent—one of his models confesses she’s in deep trouble, and he drops everything to help her. 

 

This is a fast-paced and captivating who-done-it set in the Netherlands—the fourth installment and a spin-off from the Soli Hansen Mysteries. 

 

Buy Link:  

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/brLY5k  

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

Forfatter Heidi Morell Andersen (61) selger sine norske romaner på amerikanske Amazon.

Author Bio:  

HEIDI ELJARBO grew up in a home full of books, artwork, and happy creativity. She is the author of historical novels filled with courage, hope, mystery, adventure, and sweet romance during challenging times. She’s been named a master of dual timelines and often writes about strong-willed women of past centuries. 

 

After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She lives with her husband on a charming island and enjoys walking in any kind of weather, hugging her grandchildren, and has a passion for art and history.  

 

Her family’s chosen retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summer and ski the vast white terrain during winter. 

 

Heidi’s favorites are her family, God’s beautiful nature, and the word whimsical. 

 

 

Author Links: 

 

Website: https://www.heidieljarbo.com/ 

Twitter: https://x.com/HeidiEljarbo  

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

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

Pinterest: https://no.pinterest.com/heidieljarbo/ 

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/heidi-eljarbo 

Amazon Author Page: https://amazon.com/author/heidieljarbo 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16984270.Heidi_Eljarbo 

Newsletter: https://www.heidieljarbo.com/newsletter 

Book Review: “Raising the Tudors: Motherhood in Sixteenth-Century England” by Stephanie Kline

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

Throughout history, women have had one major job: giving birth and raising future generations. Each new generation had different ways of dealing with childbirth and raising children, and the Tudors were no exception. While the Tudors lived in the 16th century, the joys and fears of being a mother were similar to those of the modern age. However, the way women approached different stages of life in the 16th century is unique compared to the ways of modern women. So, how did Tudor women approach motherhood? Stephanie Kline hopes to answer this question in her latest book, “Raising the Tudors: Motherhood in Sixteenth-Century England.”

I would like to thank Pen and Sword Books and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this book. I enjoy looking at different aspects of Tudor life, so when I saw the title of this book, it was an appealing concept.

Kline begins by explaining how women did not have many options for life other than marriage and a religious life. In the male-dominated world, women were destined to become wives and mothers. Kline’s book examines a Tudor woman’s life, from menstruation to menopause, covering marriage, pregnancy, and raising children. It is quite a lot of information to include in one book, but Kline does it with such care and attention to detail.

What Kline does extremely well is balance the stories she includes of women from all walks of life with what men and women were writing about during this time about women’s health. We get to see how much the Four Humours Theory affected every aspect of a woman’s life and her health, which included what recipes they would use to help their child. The pregnant portraits and the way women dealt with their pregnancies mirror the modern age with pregnancy photo shoots and special diets for both mother and child. While methods like confinement are drastically different than the 21st century, it is the love and care for a family that remains the same over centuries.

Overall, I found this book quite interesting, with stories and facts about the lives of Tudor women, from the time they transitioned from a girl to a woman until they died. I think the only thing I wanted was more stories of women from the middle and lower classes to get a better picture of how the different classes dealt with motherhood in their unique ways. I think if you want a solid book as an introduction to Tudor motherhood, I recommend you read, “Raising the Tudors: Motherhood in Sixteenth-Century England” by Stephanie Kline.

Book Review: “Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century” by Helen Carr

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

The Plantagenets, a dynasty that ruled England for over three hundred years. At least that is if you include the Lancastrian and Yorkist kings. Otherwise, the reign of the Plantagenets ended with Richard II being overthrown. So, how did the Plantagenets fall? How did wars, favoritism, and the plague factor into the fall? Helen Carr examines these questions and the rule of three kings over the fourteenth century in her latest book, “Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century.”

I have really enjoyed Helen Carr’s insight into medieval English history in her book, The Red Prince, so when I heard she was writing a book about the Plantagenets again, with a focus on the fourteenth century, I was excited to read it. The idea in this book that caught my attention was the idea that the Plantagenet dynasty ended when Henry of Bolingbroke overthrew Richard II. As someone who believes that the Plantagenet dynasty ended with the death of Richard III, the concept that it ended almost a century earlier is intriguing.

We begin our adventure with a double reburial of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, the idea of King Edward I and his wife Eleanor of Castile. It was a kind gesture, but the prophecy that was left behind would be almost prophetic. With the death of King Edward I, the Hammer of the Scots, the throne passed to his son Edward II. While Edward I was a strong warrior, Edward II was a handsome prince who only cared about his favorites, Piers Gaveston and Hugh Despenser the Younger. It would cause those around him, including his wife, Isabella of France, and her lover, Roger Mortimer, to take action against him. Isabella and Mortimer placed Edward III on the throne, but they would soon learn that Edward III was not as passive as his father.

Edward III would return to the warrior state of mind like his grandfather Edward I. With his wife Philippa of Hainault, they would have a large family with many sons, including John of Gaunt and Edward the Black Prince. It would be Edward III who would try to take the French throne for England in a conflict known as the Hundred Years’ War (not the quickest war, and it didn’t go the way Edward III envisioned it). And to top it all off, Edward III had to deal with the emergence of the Black Death and how it affected not only his own family but England and Europe as a whole.

Before Edward III died, his heir, the Black Prince, died, which meant that the Black Prince’s son, Richard II, was destined to be the next king. However, youth and favoritism failed the king as chaos reigned ever since the start of his reign, with the Peasants’ Revolt, and ended with Henry of Bolingbroke becoming the first Lancastrian King, Henry IV.

This was another wonderful book by Helen Carr. It demonstrates Carr’s ability to balance extensive research with a narrative format to create an accessible history book that novices and experts will equally enjoy. My only qualm with this book, if you can call it an issue, is that I wanted it a bit longer so we get more analysis of how this one century affected English and European history as a whole. If you want a book that dives into the history of one of England’s most tumultuous centuries, I highly recommend you read “Sceptred Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century” by Helen Carr.

Guest Post: “Spotlight for ‘Bess-Tudor Gentlewoman’ by Tony Riches

On By hmalagisiIn guest post1 Comment

I am pleased to welcome Tony Riches to my blog to share a blurb for his latest novel, “Bess-Tudor Gentlewoman.” I would like to thank Tony Riches and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. 

Blurb: 

Bess Throckmorton defies her notorious background and lack of education to become Queen Elizabeth’s Gentlewoman and trusted confidante. 

Forced to choose between loyalty and love, duty and desire, will she risk her queen’s anger by marrying adventurer Sir Walter Raleigh without permission? 

Entangled in a web of intrigue, from the glittering Palace of Whitehall to the cells of the Tower of London, Bess endures tragedy and injustice, becoming a resilient, determined woman who takes nothing for granted. 

Can she outwit her enemies, protect her family, and claim her destiny in a world where women are pawns and survival is a game of deadly consequences? 

This is the true story of the last of the Elizabethans, which ends the story of the Tudor dynasty – and introduces their successors, the Stuarts. 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/BESS  

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

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 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, and his blog, The Writing Desk, and find him on social media. 

Author Links: 

Website: https://www.tonyriches.com/  

Blog: http://tonyriches.blogspot.co.uk/  

Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/tonyriches  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonyriches.author/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonyriches.author/  

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tonyriches.bsky.social  

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Tony-Riches/author/B006UZWOXA  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5604088.Tony_Riches  

 

 

 

Book Review: “The Shakespeare Ladies Club: The Forgotten Women Who Rescued the Bawdy Bard” by Christine and Jonathan Hainsworth

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

When we think of the greatest writers of all time, we often think about novelists like Jane Austen and Agatha Christie. There is a playwright who we know quite well in our century, but he wrote during the sixteenth century; William Shakespeare, “the Bard.” He may have been a star in his own time and is seen as one of the greats in our era, but it took a while to get him to such a status. In fact, he was forgotten for quite some time, until the 18th century, when an unlikely group of women decided to save the bard from obscurity. The story of the Shakespeare Ladies Club, its members, and the women’s impact is told in Christine and Jonathan Hainsworth’s book, “The Shakespeare Ladies Club: The Forgotten Women Who Rescued the Bawdy Bard.”

I would like to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. I am not someone who usually reads about the 18th century, but the subject intrigued me. I mean a group of women to save the legacy of one of the greatest writers of all time in a time when women did not have much of a voice. It sounded like such a remarkable story that I jumped at the chance to read it.

So, what was the Shakespeare Ladies Club, and how did they save Shakespeare? For centuries, many have believed that David Garrick was the man who saved Shakespeare, as he is the one who staged the famous Shakespeare Jubilee to honor the playwright’s birth. However, the Shakespeare Ladies Club deserves the title of saviors of Shakespeare because not only did they raise the funds needed to create the statue of the Bard in the Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey, but they also advocated for the performance of the original, unedited plays. The four remarkable women were: Susanna Ashley-Cooper, Countess of Shaftesbury, Mary, Duchess of Montagu, Elizabeth Boyd, and Mary Cowper de Grey, Baroness Walsingham.

The Hainsworths take the time to give each woman their dedicated chapter for a mini-biography to show how extraordinary they were and to show how they became a group. Susanna Ashley-Cooper was known as the “Queen of Common Sense” and was the founder of the group. Mary, Duchess of Montagu, was the daughter of Sarah Churchill, one of the favorites of Queen Anne, and a con-artist, and was married to a practical joker. Elizabeth Boyd was not a noble lady, but she wrote like she was running out of time. Finally, we have Mary Cowper de Grey, Baroness Walsingham, a poet with a progressive husband who fought for the rights of women. While we do get a glimpse of the lives of these women, we also see how their reputation differed from another group, the Blue Stocking Society and early Shakespearean actresses. Finally, we see how Shakespeare’s legacy changed over time from the Shakespeare Ladies Club to the modern day.

This was such a fascinating book, full of brand-new stories to me and women that I had never heard of before until I read this book. It was meticulously researched, and it felt like a passion project for the Hainsworths. If you want to learn about how Shakespeare’s legacy survived for centuries and the women who helped fight for his cause, I would highly recommend you read “The Shakespeare Ladies Club: The Forgotten Women Who Rescued the Bawdy Bard” by Christine and Jonathan Hainsworth.

Book Review: “The Shakespeare Secret” by DJ Nix

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

Everyone knows the story of William Shakespeare—the famed poet, actor, and playwright who revolutionized English literature forever. There have been a series of debates about whether or not Shakespeare truly wrote the plays or someone else did. Well, what if a group of women employed William Shakespeare as a sort of spokesperson for their plays? Can this group of women survive to write another day? This is the premise of DJ Nix’s novel. “The Shakespeare Secret.”

I would like to thank Alcove Press and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I have not read a lot of novels about the writing of Shakespeare’s plays, but I have heard the many theories on who actually wrote them. When I saw that this novel would focus on a group of women as the so-called authors of the plays, it was such a fun idea that I decided to give it a go.

So, just who were these three women who were the authors of the plays? We begin with Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, who has just returned to the court of Queen Elizabeth I after a three-year absence. She is not one for court life, but she soon finds herself enjoying the company of others below her station. Take, for example, Emilia Bassano, a court musician and mistress to Lord Chamberlain, Baron Hunsdon. And then we have Jane Daggett, the new Mistress of the Wardrobe for the Queen’s Men, a company that was the starting point for a young Will Shakespeare. One fateful day, these three women met and decided to write a play, which would become known as The Taming of the Shrew. Since this was a group of women writing a play, they needed a man to act as their spokesperson to make sure that their play would be performed. Enter young Will Shakespeare, who wanted to make a name for himself.

It seems like such an innocent prospect, that is, until Robert Cecil and his spy Hardwood catch wind of what they think is a Catholic plot against Queen Elizabeth I. Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. Now, Mary, Emilia, and Jane must escape suspicion while navigating life, love, and playwriting, with Will along for the ride. This was a relatively predictable plot, and I felt a bit bored by the middle of this novel. While the characters are well written, it is hard for me to imagine this group of women together and using the formal Shakespearean dialogue. Other than the few historical characters and locations, it does not feel like Elizabethan England (especially with the mention of tea).

Overall, it’s an okay novel, but it could have been better. The premise had a lot of potential, but it kind of turned into a sappy ending, which is not a bad thing, but I wanted more. If you want a novel about the alternative history of the writing of the early Shakespearean plays, you might enjoy “The Shakespeare Secret” by DJ Nix.

Guest Post: “Snippet from ‘Lady of the Quay’ by Amanda Roberts”

On By hmalagisiIn guest post2 Comments

Eating alone at the vast table, which could seat a dozen people with ease, did nothing to improve my attitude or my mood, and I vowed that unless I was entertaining, I would take my meals in my closet from now on. Yes, I had to try to think of it as my closet now. I retired there after I had eaten, and although I relished the silence, I was not yet comfortable with the void that my father’s absence left in the space. With the shutters closed to deny the outside world, I settled by the fire and tried to cocoon myself in memories of him, but I could no longer trust my own mind. To keep secrets had not been in his nature, and yet that is what he had done. And these were not just any old secrets; they were big, black, ugly ones. How was I supposed to reconcile the man I thought I had known so well with the person I was now discovering? He had been the pivot of my existence for most of my life, my moral and spiritual guide, and a person respected by all who knew him, but who was he really? 

Blurb: 

Knowing she is innocent is easy … proving it is hard. 

1560, Berwick-upon-Tweed, northern England 

Following the unexpected death of her father, a series of startling discoveries about the business she inherits forces Isabella Gillhespy to re-evaluate everything she understands about her past and expects from her future. 

Facing financial ruin, let down by people on whom she thought she could rely, and suspected of crimes that threaten her freedom, Isabella struggles to prove her innocence. 

But the stakes are even higher than she realises. In a town where tension between England and her Scottish neighbours is never far from the surface, it isn’t long before developments attract the interest of the highest authority in the land, Sir William Cecil, and soon Isabella is fighting, not just for her freedom, but her life. She must use her wits and trust her own instincts to survive. 

Lady of the Quay introduces an enticing new heroine who refuses to be beaten, even as it becomes clear that her life will never be the same again. 

From the author of the award-winning ‘The Woman in the Painting’. 

Buy Link: 

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/317rQa  

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

Author Bio: 

Amanda Roberts has worked as an Editor in business-to-business magazines for over 30 years, specialising in out-of-home coffee, vending and foodservice/catering, including Editor of the global gastronomy title: ‘Revue internationale de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs’. 

She currently freelances, editing UK-based healthcare titles – HEFMA Pulse, Hospital Food + Service and Hospital Caterer. She is a member of the Society of Authors, the Historical Novel Society and West Oxfordshire Writers. She also volunteers for Tea Books (part of Age UK) to run a book club/reading group for elderly people in the community. 

 

 

Author Links: 

 

Website: https://amandarobertsauthor.co.uk/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095191090333  

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

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/lady-of-the-quay-isabella-gillhespy-series-book-1-by-amanda-roberts  

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amanda-Roberts/author/B00N0RQBAI   

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/231816264-lady-of-the-quay  

Guest Post: “Elizabeth I as a Femme Sole” by Janet Wertman

On By hmalagisiIn guest post1 Comment

Today, I am pleased to welcome Janet Wertman to my blog as part of the blog tour for her latest novel, Nothing Proved. I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Janet Wertman for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.

In Nothing Proved, I had the opportunity to explore the origin stories of many of Elizabeth Tudor’s attitudes and beliefs. I was especially interested in showing the experiences that made her suspicious of marriage, and there were (of course!) many, some of which she observed and some of which she actually experienced. The specter of a mate for whom she had no attraction (or for whom attraction had passed), the imputation of guilt from a husband’s treason, the shame of infidelity and indifference, these were all giants. But there was another important factor: the inevitable loss of autonomy and personal agency.  

 

It might have been different had she never experienced control herself, but in 1549, she was given the rare opportunity to run her household as a femme sole, an unmarried woman answerable to no one but the monarch. She was able to experience a level of leadership that women could achieve only as widows pursuing their deceased husbands’ business. Unlike widows, Elizabeth had to face the added challenge of building her fief from scratch. And found she excelled. 

 

This gave Elizabeth a bit of a “test run” of her reign. She learned how to arrange business and finances, how to hire and manage the people around her. She learned about different trades, she spoke to a wide variety of people with a full range of stations and religious beliefs. She had the chance to be sole arbiter, and it is hard to give up such power. 

 

This obviously will come up in the second book in the series, What Love E’er Meant, which will focus on her marital choices. And while that will be a standalone story, I jumped at the chance to show in real time the experiences that would influence her later actions. 

Blurb: 

Danger lined her path, but destiny led her to glory…  

 Elizabeth Tudor learned resilience young. Declared illegitimate after the execution of her mother Anne Boleyn, she bore her precarious position with unshakable grace. But upon the death of her father, King Henry VIII, the vulnerable fourteen-year-old must learn to navigate a world of shifting loyalties, power plays, and betrayal.  

 After narrowly escaping entanglement in Thomas Seymour’s treason, Elizabeth rebuilds her reputation as the perfect Protestant princess – which puts her in mortal danger when her half-sister Mary becomes Queen and imposes Catholicism on a reluctant land. Elizabeth escapes execution, clawing her way from a Tower cell to exoneration. But even a semblance of favor comes with attempts to exclude her from the throne or steal her rights to it through a forced marriage.   

Elizabeth must outwit her enemies time and again to prove herself worthy of power. The making of one of history’s most iconic monarchs is a gripping tale of survival, fortune, and triumph. 

Buy Links: 

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bM8Vrk  

Additional Buy Links: 

Barnes & Noble: 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nothing-proved-janet-wertman/1146831389 

Kobo: 

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/nothing-proved 

Apple: 

https://books.apple.com/us/book/nothing-proved/id6740549129 

Author Bio: 

By day, Janet Wertman is a freelance grantwriter for impactful nonprofits. By night, she writes critically acclaimed, character-driven historical fiction – indulging a passion for the Tudor era she had harbored since she was eight years old and her parents let her stay up late to watch The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R.  

Her Seymour Saga trilogy (Jane the Quene, The Path to Somerset, The Boy King) took her deep into one of the era’s central families – and now her follow-up Regina series explores Elizabeth’s journey from bastard to icon. 

Janet also runs a blog (www.janetwertman.com) where she posts interesting takes on the Tudors and what it’s like to write about them. 

Author Links: 

Website:

https://janetwertman.com 

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/janetwertmanauthor/

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janet-ambrosi-wertman-b5531aa/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/janetwertman/

Bluesky:

https://bsky.app/profile/janetwertman.bsky.social

 

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/janetwertman

 

Book Bub:

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/janet-wertman

 

Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Janet-Wertman/author/B01CUSMWFA

 

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2028387.Janet_Ambrosi_Wertman