Have you ever wondered what it might be like for a historical fiction writer during their writing process? How do they balance both their own lives and the lives of their characters? While we can read author interviews to find out what goes on in an author’s mind, why not take a fun twist of a historical fiction author writing about a historical fiction writer writing her first historical fiction novel? Meet Lucy Ellis, a new writer who is writing her first novel about the death of Amy Robsart while recovering from cancer and going through a divorce. Can Lucy finish her novel about Amy Robsart before her life and her health come crashing down? Wendy J. Dunn tells the tale of two women betrayed in her latest novel, “Shades of Yellow.”
I would like to thank Wendy J. Dunn and The Coffee Pot Book Club for sending me a copy of this novel. I am a fan of Dunn’s writing style, especially when it comes to her novels, so when I heard she was writing a new novel, I knew I wanted to read it before I knew the premise. The idea of a novel about writing a historical fiction novel was very intriguing, and to throw in the story of Amy Robsart in the mix adds to the complexity of this idea, which I love.
We begin with Lucy Ellis about to leave Australia for a research trip to England. Her mother does not want her to go because Lucy’s doctor found something concerning. Lucy is a survivor of breast cancer and is on the verge of a divorce from her husband, Ben, and she is nearing her 30th birthday. Life is hitting her hard, but along the way, she found a historical figure that she resonates with: Amy Robsart. She wants to tell the story of what really happened to Amy in her first novel, so she has to do research in England to make it more authentic.
Once in England, Lucy meets up with her aunt Jo, her cousin Max, and her grandpa, who is a blind author. We get to see her novel-writing process and bits of the novel while Lucy deals with a whole host of family drama. While the main focus of this book is Lucy’s story, sprinkled within are flashes of Amy’s life, how she felt about her husband Robert Dudley, and her rival in love, Elizabeth I. It is by studying Amy’s life that Lucy learns how to embrace life’s challenges and realize that she has people around her who love her.
It takes a lot of skill to write not just one novel, but a novel within a novel, but Dunn nails it perfectly. I would love to read the finished novel about Amy Robsart one day. This novel takes the aspects of a dual timeline novel and flips it on its head in such an innovative way. If you want a contemporary novel about healing between two women centuries apart and their strengths to keep fighting when life throws so many obstacles their way, I highly recommend you read “Shades of Yellow” by Wendy J. Dunn.
Blurb:
During her battle with illness, Lucy Ellis found solace in writing a novel about the mysterious death of Amy Robsart, the first wife of Robert Dudley, the man who came close to marrying Elizabeth I. As Lucy delves into Amy’s story, she also navigates the aftermath of her own experience that brought her close to death and the collapse of her marriage.
After taking leave from her teaching job to complete her novel, Lucy falls ill again. Fearing she will die before she finishes her book, she flees to England to solve the mystery of Amy Robsart’s death.
Can she find the strength to confront her past, forgive the man who broke her heart, and take control of her own destiny?
Who better to write about a betrayed woman than a woman betrayed
Buy Link:
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mqPGgd
This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Author Bio:
WENDY J. DUNN is a multi-award-winning Australian writer fascinated by Tudor history – so much so she was not surprised to discover a family connection to the Tudors, not long after the publication of Dear Heart, How Like You This, her first Anne Boleyn novel, which narrated the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder.
Her family tree reveals the intriguing fact that one of her ancestral families – possibly over three generations – had purchased land from both the Boleyn and Wyatt families to build up their holdings. It seems very likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally.
Wendy gained her PhD in 2014 and tutors in writing at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. She loves walking in the footsteps of the historical people she gives voice to in her books.
Author Links:
Website: http://www.wendyjdunn.com/
Newsletter: https://wendyjdunn.substack.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorwendyjdunn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyjdunnauthor/
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@wendyjdunnauthor
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/wendyjdunn.bsky.social
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/wendy-j-dunn
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wendyjdunn
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Wendy-J.-Dunn/author/B004FRTZFA
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/197156.Wendy_J_Dunn
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-wendy-dunn-6358181a
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:
Have you ever had an incident that was so impactful that it defined your entire life from that moment on? For Anne Howard, Countess of Arundel, it was the death of her younger brother, George. She vows vengeance against those who were behind his untimely demise. In the present day, Sarah must return to her godmother’s home, which holds a lot of memories, mostly painful. It is in the halls of this ancient house that Sarah meets Anne through a book of poetry. Can these two women find peace or will the truths bring even more disasters? Clare Marchant tells the stories of these two women, the tragedies and the poetry that unite them, in her latest novel, “The Shadow on the Bridge.”
I am pleased to welcome Heidi Eljarbo to my blog today to share a spotlight on her latest novel, “Trouble in Assisi.” I would like to thank The Coffee Pot Book Club and Heidi Eljarbo for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.
Blurb
Author Bio:
Adventures of a Tudor Nerd 