Tag: Janet Wertman

Guest Post: “The Challenges Elizabeth I Had to Face” by Janet Wertman

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Today, I am pleased to welcome Janet Wertman back to my blog to share some challenges that Elizabeth I had to face as a young queen as part of  the blog tour for her latest novel, “What Love E’er Meant.” I would like to thank Janet Wertman and The Coffee Pot Book Club for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. 

At the start of her reign, Elizabeth’s main challenge was misogyny; indeed, she encountered it on every level. Despite her razor-sharp intelligence and unique abilities, she still had to constantly overcome men’s belief that a woman was too emotional, too intellectually lacking, too weak – simply too flawed – to rule. Admittedly, England had just endured Mary’s disastrous reign, during which marriage to a foreign prince had led to joining his stupid war and losing Calais. And for nothing: Mary had thought to placate God by burning heretics in His name, but He still withheld the son she craved enough to believe she carried. No, Englishmen did not want a reprise: they wanted Elizabeth to marry. An Englishman. Quickly.  

She bought delay by using their own prejudices and arguments against them. Her Council and Parliament might press, but she had the perfect response: it would be foolish for her to wade into such a serious matter with “so shallow a wit”. Faced with such impeccable logic, they showed her patience. 

Then she bought power by asserting it. She had to claim all of its indicia – or have it taken away from her. She knew long before the Scottish Ambassador would famously articulate it years later that she had to be both king and queen and not only queen. She went right up to the line of what was allowed in her behavior with Robert Dudley, at least in part to remind people that she was entitled to do as she pleased.  

She also bought power by limiting her subjects’ ability to disagree or moralize. As her grandfather had shown, solvency was power: she funded her government and court out of Crown revenues, so that she needed Parliament only for extraordinary items. This allowed her to call very few Parliaments, only 13 over her 44-45 years on the throne, which sharply limited their ability to try to condition her subsidies on some concession (like her agreement to marry or name a successor) or exert other pressure.   

At the same time, she bought loyalty by valuing advice and demonstrations of love (or seeming to). She created opportunities for people to see and interact with her, paying rapt attention in a ritual that was as exhausting for her as it was gratifying to them.  

And she bought magic by acknowledging her femininity and using the advantages it offered. Admittedly, these were not many – but she embraced the courtly rules that required all men to love their queen more than any other woman, and elevated that imperative to an art form. 

In all, this first half of Elizabeth’s reign gave her the practice she would need to truly become Gloriana. Just as her youth forged her for the throne, the throne itself forged her for greatness. While a strategic marriage could get her out of any jam, she could afford to make mistakes: it was all part of learning the lessons that would help her survive the second half of her reign, when the world would come against her. But that’s for the next book…  

Blurb: 

A new queen must prove she deserves the throne God gave her, while the path everyone insists will secure it might cost her everything. 

Against all odds, Elizabeth Tudor has become Queen of England. Determined to fulfill what she sees as a divine responsibility, she sets out to heal a country ravaged by religious discord, war, and debt – and vindicate the legacy of Anne Boleyn, the mother who did not deserve her fate. 

But Elizabeth’s crown is not fully secure: to the Catholic world, her cousin Mary Stuart is the rightful Queen of England, and there are rumblings to put her there. Shoring up defenses requires that Elizabeth challenge France’s control of Scotland and Spain’s dominance on the seas, as well as calm internal strife. Above the din of menace, one question dominates all others: who will she marry? 

William Cecil, her trusted Secretary of State, urges her to secure an alliance through a strategic match. Robert Dudley, the love of her life, pressures her to choose him. And Mary herself presents a cautionary tale. In the end, Elizabeth chooses not as a woman but as a queen, and learns the sobering truth of sovereignty: to rule is to stand alone. 

What Love E’er Meant, the searing second volume in the Regina Trilogy, captures a young queen’s struggle to balance love and power, duty and desire…and the profound cost of choosing crown over heart. 

Buy Links: 

Amazon & Apple Ebook Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/4XqdD7  

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/what-love-e-er-meant?  

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-love-eer-meant-janet-wertman/1151015402  

Author Bio: 

Janet Wertman’s critically acclaimed, character-driven historical novels reflect a passion for the Tudor era she had harbored since she stayed up late at age eight 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 (Nothing Proved and What Love E’er Meant out now, Forever Gloriana to come) explores Elizabeth’s journey from bastard to icon. 

She shares interesting takes on the Tudors at http://www.janetwertman.com  and her YouTube channel @TooMuchTudor. 

Author Links: 

Website: https://janetwertman.com  

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

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

https://www.instagram.com/toomuchtudor

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/janetwertman/  

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

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janetwertman  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TooMuchTudor  

Amazon Author Page:  

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

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

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

 

 

 

 

Book Review: “Nothing Proved” by Janet Wertman

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A princess born to a king and his second wife lost her title and legitimacy when her father decided that her mother, Anne Boleyn, needed to die. Elizabeth Tudor knows the meaning of resilience as she survived her childhood during her father King Henry VIII’s reign. Now that her father is dead  Elizabeth is at the mercy of her half-siblings Edward and Mary, plus any scheming man who wants to marry her and get closer to the crown. Can Elizabeth survive her siblings’ reigns or is she destined to be locked in the Tower to await her ultimate fate like her mother? Janet Wertman explores the life of Elizabeth Tudor in her latest series Regina and the first novel, “Nothing Proved” explores Elizabeth’s turbulent adolescence. 

I would like to thank Janet Wertman for sending me a copy of this novel. I have always been a big fan of novels about Elizabeth I and so when I heard that Wertman was writing another Tudor series all about Elizabeth I, I jumped at the chance to read it.

From an early age, Elizabeth Tudor swore she would never marry, especially after seeing how her mother Anne Boleyn, and her numerous stepmothers were treated by her father. Now her father King Henry VIII is dead, her brother Edward VI is King of England, and she is separated from the stepmother that she loved Katherine Parr after several unwanted incidents with Katherine’s husband Thomas Seymour. Elizabeth never got to see her beloved stepmother again and Thomas has his eyes on marrying Elizabeth or possibly taking control of the king. Bad mistakes on both parts, but it does not mean that Elizabeth is safe from scandal as Edward’s council believes that Elizabeth was involved in the plot against the king.

Elizabeth may have survived Edward’s reign, but her step-sister Mary’s reign is a different case. Mary is a devout Catholic who does not trust Elizabeth. She believes that Elizabeth is part of the plots to overthrow Mary and become the next queen of England. These accusations are dangerous and will place Elizabeth in the Tower. Luckily, Elizabeth is not alone as she has her ladies in waiting as well as friends like Robert Dudley and William Cecil, who is the second protagonist in this novel. It was a nice touch to add William Cecil’s point of view because he rarely gets a starring role in historical fiction novels so it was interesting to see his perspective on matters leading up to the moment Elizabeth becomes queen.

I found this an enjoyable novel that explored Elizabeth’s adolescent years which were some of her most turbulent. We can see her signature resilience and the formation of her close-knit circle of allies and friends that will become so important during her reign. If you are a fan of Elizabethan novels,  I think you will  thoroughly enjoy, “Nothing Proved” book one in the Regina series by Janet Wertman.

Book Review: “The Boy King” by Janet Wertman

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54464902 (1)In 1547, young Prince Edward is having the time of his life studying and hoping to one day take part in a tournament. He has not a care in the world. That is until his beloved father King Henry VIII passes away, and the 9-year-old boy is now Edward VI, King of England. He must navigate family drama between his older half-sister Mary Tudor and his uncles, Edward and Thomas Seymour while maintaining order throughout the kingdom. To top it all off, he is trying to reform the entire country and convert Catholics into the Protestant faith. His short life and reign are portrayed in Janet Wertman’s third book in The Seymour Saga, “The Boy King”.

I would like to thank Janet Wertman for sending a copy of her latest novel. I have read the first two novels in this saga, “Jane the Quene” and “The Path to Somerset,” so I knew that I wanted to read “The Boy King”. I have not read many novels that feature Edward VI as the protagonist, so I was intrigued by the concept.

Wertman divides her novel between two separate narrators, Edward, and his half-sister Mary. At first, I did not understand why she included Mary in a novel about Edward, but as the story progressed, it became crystal clear. At the heart of this novel is the struggle between Protestantism and Catholicism in England during Edward’s reign. Mary and Edward may seem like opposites when it comes to the religious spectrum, making them mortal enemies, but the way Wertman portrays them shows that they were concerned about each other’s well being, even if they did not understand each other. Mary acts in a motherly role when it comes to her criticism of Edward’s religious changes.

It was not just the rivalry with Mary that Edward had to deal with; there was also the rivalry between his uncles and the men on his Regency council. Edward and Thomas Seymour’s rivalry is legendary and has been portrayed in history books and historical fiction in many different ways. However, what puts Wertman’s narrative of the brothers’ battle for power apart from others is the way that she shows how Edward might have felt about his uncles and their falls from grace. Another court rivalry happening is between his uncle Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, and John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland. Each man fights for the right to be the young king’s Lord Protector, which leads to one of them rebelling and being beheaded for treason. It is this execution that will haunt him for the rest of his life. I find it fascinating that throughout this story, Edward is striving to be like his father, yet he mourns for the mother that he never had a chance to meet, Jane Seymour.

The conclusion to The Seymour Saga is a sheer delight. Wertman has described the rise and the fall of the Seymour family in the Tudor dynasty masterfully. Throughout this novel, you witness Edward growing from a timid boy who has to rely on others to a proud and confident king who knows exactly what he wants for his kingdom. I think that what Wertman has created with her Seymour Saga is a magnificent window into the lives of the Seymour family, and “The Boy King” is the piece de resistance of the entire series. If you have enjoyed The Seymour Saga so far or you want a stand-alone novel about Edward VI, “The Boy King” by Janet Wertman is the perfect novel for you to read.

Book Review: “Jane the Quene” by Janet Wertman

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513yHRNsuFLHenry VIII may have had six wives, but only one could give him the desired son that he wanted. She was kind, demure and everything that Henry VIII’s second wife Anne Boleyn was not. Her name was Jane Seymour, Henry’s third wife. Sadly, she is often remembered for the birth of her son and her death. However, there was a lot more to Jane’s story than the ending. What was her relationship with her family like? How did she fall in love with the King? And how was her relationship with her romantic rival, Anne Boleyn? These are just some of the questions that Janet Wertman strives to answer in her first novel of her new Seymour Saga called, “Jane the Quene”.

I would like to thank Janet Wertman for sending me a copy of “Jane the Quene”. This was a delightful read and a fantastic start to the Seymour Saga.

Wertman begins her book with a prologue of Jane Seymour entering the services of Henry’s first wife Catherine of Aragon. In this opening scene, we begin to see a rivalry bloom between Jane and her cousins Anne and Mary Boleyn. After Catherine and Henry divorce, Anne Boleyn becomes Queen and Jane Seymour is in the services of the new queen, hoping to help and serve while looking for a husband. Her brother Edward does not think that having Jane in court is really working to help her find a husband. He wants to send her home so that her younger sister can possibly find a husband, but things change when King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn visit Wolf Hall. Wertman description of how the king and Jane become friends during this visit is rather charming and very natural. Jane tries to ignore the king’s interest in her, but Henry can’t forget the kind and demure nature of Jane and eventually, the two fall in love, even though Henry is still married to Anne.

In the middle of this tangled love mess is Thomas Cromwell, a clerk who wants to please his king in order to make his own career grow. Henry is not happy with his marriage to Anne Boleyn since she has not been able to give him  a son, so he gives Cromwell the task of “getting rid of her”. However, Cromwell needs to find another wife who would be the opposite of Anne Boleyn. That is when he comes up with a plan to make Jane Seymour Henry’s next wife and queen, which does succeed.  

Wertman’s Jane Seymour is a complex character who cares about her family and her husband. She is not just some plain wallflower who merely followed Anne Boleyn as Henry’s wife for a short time. With strong allies, like Cromwell and her brothers Edward and Thomas, Jane rises like a phoenix and survives all of the hate from Anne to become Henry’s beloved wife and queen. Wertman portrays Henry VIII as a man who is intelligent, caring and who struggles with how to reform the church.

Wertman breathes new life into the story of Jane Seymour. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, which is the first book in her Seymour Saga, as it balances the political intrigue of the Tudor court with the romance between Henry and Jane. Their love story is one that is often forgotten in the chaos of Henry’s marriage track record, but one that needs to be told. Jane will not be just the “third wife” or “the mother of Edward VI” after this book. She was a strong woman who truly loved Henry VIII.  If you really want to read a novel about Jane Seymour, I highly recommend you read “Jane the Quene” by Janet Wertman.

Book Review: “The Path to Somerset” by Janet Wertman

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Path-to-Somerset-eBook-Cover-ProofEdward Seymour, the brother of Thomas and Jane Seymour, as well as the uncle of Edward VI. Many people remember him for his role as Lord Protector to his nephew as well as his role in the execution of his brother Thomas. That, however, is only a small snapshot into the life of an interesting man. His life  after his sister Jane died and before he became the 1st Duke of Somerset was one of twists and turns. Nothing was safe for the brother of Henry VIII’s most beloved wife, especially when it came to dealing with his enemy at court, Bishop Stephen Gardiner. This is the time period that Janet Wertman has decided to explore in her latest book, “The Path to Somerset”, the second book in her Seymour saga (The first book of the Seymour saga is called “Jane the Quene”).

I would like to thank Janet Wertman for sending me an advance review copy of “The Path to Somerset”. This is my first time reading a Janet Wertman book and I must say that it was a joy to read. I am familiar with some aspects of the Seymour family, like Jane and Thomas, but Edward Seymour is one of those people who I have wanted to read more about for quite a while. From the books that I have read, Edward seemed like a cruel person when it came to his brother. That is not how he is portrayed in this book. In fact, Edward Seymour is a loving and caring husband who only wants to do what he believes is best for his King, Henry VIII. He tries to navigate the ever changing political scene, the religious dilemma, as well as Henry’s three wives, all while trying to stay alive.

His family and friends were always there to support him, especially his beloved wife Anne Stanhope and his brother Thomas, or “Tom” in this book. Anne has always been one of those women from this period that I never really liked, but in this book, she is very likable. Henry VIII himself is a sick man, full of pain and regrets of his past. He is a loving family man who misses Jane terribly and tries to fill the void in his heart while trying to keep control of his country. Bishop Stephen Gardiner tries to pursue a way to get on the King’s good side using some very underhanded methods.

Janet Wertman is able to bring to life this tumultuous rivalry between Gardiner and Seymour in such a way that you can understand both sides. Two men fighting for the control of  King Henry VIII, and later King Edward VI, but only one man can come out on top. This book was a fantastic read. It was very engaging and intriguing. It gave me a different perspective on Edward Seymour and the people who surrounded him during this time. Janet Wertman does a fantastic job navigating this complex political landscape to show Edward Seymour in a new light. This may be my first time reading a book by Janet Wertman, but this will not be my last. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style and I look forward to reading more books by her. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the Seymour family or the last years of Henry VIII’s life.

If you are interested in this book and want to learn more on how you can get a copy for yourself, you can pre-order a copy of it here.

“The Path of Somerset” by Janet Wertman will be released in August 2018.