Tag: Tony Riches

Book Giveaway: Owen- Book One of the Tudor Trilogy by Tony Riches

On By hmalagisiIn Uncategorized12 Comments

Hello Everyone!

As a way to start off 2019, I will be doing my first ever book giveaway. The book is a signed paperback copy of Owen- Book One of the Tudor Trilogy by Tony Riches!

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For those who are not familiar with this particular book, here is a short description from Tony Riches’ blog, The Writing Desk:

England 1422: Owen Tudor, a Welsh servant, waits in Windsor Castle to meet his new mistress, the beautiful and lonely Queen Catherine of Valois, widow of the warrior king, Henry V. Her infant son is crowned King of England and France, and while the country simmers on the brink of civil war, Owen becomes her protector.

They fall in love, risking Owen’s life and Queen Catherine’s reputation—but how do they found the dynasty which changes British history – the Tudors?

This is the first historical novel to fully explore the amazing life of Owen Tudor, grandfather of King Henry VII and the great-grandfather of King Henry VIII. Set against a background of the conflict between the Houses of Lancaster and York, which develops into what have become known as the Wars of the Roses, Owen’s story deserves to be told.

If you would like to read my opinions on this book, here is my Book Review: “Owen: Book One of the Tudor Trilogy” by Tony Riches

The Rules:

If you would like to be entered into the contest for this fantastic book, please follow the following steps.

#1- Subscribe to the “Adventures of a Tudor Nerd” blog.  

#2- Like this post and comment your favorite person who lived during the Wars of the Roses and why.

#3- Go to the “Adventures of a Tudor Nerd” Facebook page and comment on this link as to why you want a copy of Owen- Book One of the Tudor Trilogy.

This contest ends on January 31st, 2019.

The winner will be chosen on February 1st.

Best of luck everyone!

Guest Post by Tony Riches – Telling the Stories of the Tudors

On By hmalagisiIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

tudor books

It began with my research for a novel about the life of Henry Tudor, who like me was born in the Welsh town of Pembroke. I decided to write it as an historical fiction novel in the hope of reaching a wider audience, including those who might never read a textbook about the Tudors. I also enjoy the challenge of ‘filling the gaps’ in the historical record and bringing these men and women to life.

I’d collected more than enough material for a book – and discovered that although Henry features (with varying degrees of accuracy) in many works of fiction, there were no novels devoted to telling his amazing story. I believe this was partly because Henry had been labelled as dull and miserly, when in fact he was an extravagant gambler, who spent a fortune on clothes, knew how to broker peace and brought an end to the Wars of the Roses.

I also discovered there were no novels about Henry’s Welsh grandfather, Owen Tudor, or Owen’s son, Jasper Tudor, who helped Henry become king. The Tudor trilogy provided the perfect ‘vehicle’ for Henry to be born in the first book, ‘come of age’ in the second and become King of England in the third.

I’m pleased to say the books of the Tudor trilogy became best sellers in the US, UK, and Australia, with the final book being the only historical fiction novel shortlisted for the Amazon Kindle Storyteller award. (Henry was a runner up but I won a Kindle Oasis and a bottle of good Champagne.)

The challenge I then faced was how to follow a successful trilogy. I’d enjoyed developing the character of Henry’s daughter, Mary Tudor, and realized the story of how she became Queen of France is little known. (In the TV series ‘The Tudors’ Mary was ‘merged’ with her sister Margaret – and some people understandably confuse her with her brother’s daughter, also Mary Tudor.)

I wrote Mary – Tudor Princess, which become my best-selling book last year, then followed up with my latest book, Brandon – Tudor Knight. Readers are probably familiar with Charles Brandon’s story of how he risked everything to marry Mary Tudor against the wishes of her vengeful brother, Henry VIII. What they might not know is how Brandon found himself seriously out of his depth fighting Henry’s wars in France, or that after Mary’s death he married his fourteen-year-old ward, wealthy heiress Lady Katherine Willoughby.

Now I have two ‘sequels’ to the Tudor Trilogy, with the five books forming a series providing a continuous narrative throughout the reign of the two King Henrys. Where to go next?  All the books are now available as audiobooks and are being translated into Spanish and Italian. I’ve also been recording podcasts about the stories of the Tudors each month, (see https://tonyriches.podbean.com/.)  

I’m now enjoying researching and writing the amazing story of what became of Katherine (Willoughby) Brandon after the death of Charles. Her story deserves to be told – and leads right up to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth I and my planned next series, which will explore the fascinating world of the Elizabethan Tudors.

 

Tony Riches
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About the Author

Tony Riches is a full-time UK author of best-selling historical fiction. He lives in image2Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the history of the Wars of the Roses and the lives of the early Tudors. For more information about Tony’s books please visit his website tonyriches.com and his popular blog, The Writing Desk and find him on  Facebook and Twitter @tonyriches

 

 

 

 

 

Brandon – Tudor Knightimage3

By Tony Riches

New on Amazon UK and Amazon US

 

From the author of the international bestselling Tudor Trilogy comes a true story of adventure, courtly love and chivalric loyalty. 

Handsome, charismatic and a champion jouster, Sir Charles Brandon is the epitome of a Tudor Knight. A favourite of King Henry VIII, Brandon has a secret. He has fallen in love with Henry’s sister, Mary Tudor, the beautiful widowed Queen of France, and risks everything to marry her without the King’s consent.

Brandon becomes Duke of Suffolk, but his loyalty is tested fighting Henry’s wars in France. Mary’s public support for Queen Catherine of Aragon brings Brandon into dangerous conflict with the ambitious Boleyn family and the king’s new right-hand man, Thomas Cromwell. 

Torn between duty to his family and loyalty to the king, Brandon faces an impossible decision: can he accept Anne Boleyn as his new queen? 

 

Book Review: “Brandon Tudor Knight” by Tony Riches

On By hmalagisiIn Book ReviewsLeave a comment

51j-cqj8dklA knight rescuing a princess and they lived happily ever after. This tends to be a cliché in every romantic fairy tale, but what if it actually happened? Though we do not have many romantic stories in the time of the Tudors because marrying for love was not the norm, one stands out. It is the story of Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor. Mary was the sister of Henry VIII and the Dowager Queen of France. Charles Brandon was one of Henry VIII’s knights and a champion jouster. They would fall in love and eventually marry, much to the chagrin of Mary’s brother, who wanted her to marry to ensure an alliance with another country for England. Charles Brandon, the knight who stole the heart of a former queen, is the focus of Tony Riches’ latest book, “Brandon Tudor Knight”.

I would like to thank Tony Riches for sending me a copy of “Brandon Tudor Knight”. Like the other book that I have read by Tony Riches, “Owen: Book One of the Tudor Trilogy”, it was easy to read and extremely enjoyable. Charles Brandon is often viewed as an afterthought, merely as the second husband of Mary Tudor. In this book, Charles Brandon is brought into the spotlight and given the attention he so rightfully deserves.

Charles Brandon was the son of the standard-bearer of Henry VII, who died during the Battle of Bosworth Field. His family has always been loyal to the Tudors and Charles wants to continue that legacy. He wants to be a great knight, just like his father was, so he does everything in his power to achieve his dreams. Charles is a hard worker and an accomplished jouster. To read about the joust through his perspective is fascinating and shows how physically demanding the sport was. Brandon becomes friends with the young Henry VIII before he was king. It is this friendship and his loyalty to his country that keeps Brandon going, even when times get really tough. His loyalty is really tested as he is sent time and time again to France to fight for his king and for his country.

When Brandon was a young man, he wanted to marry well so that he could gain money and power. He married Margaret Neville, but the marriage was declared null and void, so Charles then married Anne Browne, who was related to Margaret Neville. Charles and Anne had two daughters, Anne and Mary Brandon. After Anne Browne’s death, Charles went on a mission to France to retrieve Henry’s sister Mary who, after the death of her first husband, became the Dowager Queen of France.

Henry wanted to arrange a new marriage for his sister, but Charles and Mary had other ideas. The two lovebirds risked everything, married in secret, and then chose to tell Henry after the fact. Henry was rightfully upset, but he does accept the marriage. Charles and Mary have a large family, but their son Harry died very young, which was extremely hard for the couple. Mary would die before Charles and Charles did marry again, but Mary was the one who he truly loved.

Charles Brandon’s life was full of family, loyalty, and love. He had to navigate through the politics of the court and deal with men like Cromwell and Wolsey. Brandon had to stay loyal to Henry, even during the Great Matter with Catherine of Aragon and his relationship with Anne Boleyn. Tony Riches is able to portray Brandon’s life in such a way that shows him not just as the second husband of a former queen, but a loyal knight who did anything and everything for his family and his country. If you want a fantastic book about Charles Brandon and his fascinating life, I highly recommend “Brandon Tudor Knight” by Tony Riches.

Book Review: “Owen: Book One of the Tudor Trilogy” by Tony Riches

On By hmalagisiIn Book Reviews3 Comments

Medieval knightOwen Tudor, the second husband of Catherine of Valois and the father of Edmund and Jasper Tudor. His affair with Catherine changed English history forever, yet not much is known about his past before he met Catherine. Was he married before  he met Catherine and after she died? What must have been like for him as the Wars of the Roses began to take hold of England and everything he worked hard for began to fade away. The man who started as a Welsh servant turned step- father to King Henry VI and the grandfather of King Henry VII, the patriarch of the Tudor Dynasty, this is the protagonist in Tony Riches’ book, “Owen: Book One of the Tudor Trilogy”.

Tony Riches explains his fascination with Owen Tudor:

I was born near Pembroke Castle and recently visited the small room where the thirteen- year old Margaret Beaufort gave birth to Henry Tudor. I also stood on the pebble beach at Mill Bay near Milford Haven, imagining how Jasper Tudor would have felt as he approached with Henry and his mercenary army to ride to Bosworth- and  change history. These experiences made me wonder about Owen Tudor, the Welsh servant who began this fascinating dynasty. I felt a responsibility to research his story in as much detail as possible and try to sort out the myths from the facts. There are huge gaps in the historical records, which only historical fiction can help to fill. As well as there being no surviving record of Owen’s marriage, no  reliable image of him exists….I would like to remember Owen , not as a victim of the Wars of the Roses, but as an adventurer, a risk- taker, a man who lived his life to the full and made his mark on the world through his descendants. (Riches, 168).

Tony Riches starts his book with Owen’s entrance into Catherine of Valois’ household as the Keeper of her Wardrobe after the death of her first husband, Henry V. Owen tries to focus on his job, and not on Catherine, but he cannot help it. He loves Catherine and she loves him. They decide to marry in secret and they have 3 boys; Edmund, Jasper, and a third son who joined the church. The happiness that Catherine and Owen had living in the countryside would not last long. Catherine dies shortly after giving birth to a daughter and their secret relationship is revealed. Owen is thrown in jail while his sons Edmund and Jasper are raised to be the step-brothers of King Henry VI.

Eventually, Owen is released and is allowed to live a good life as a commander in France while his sons are given titles and land. Owen helps escort Margaret of Anjou to England to marry Henry VI and he helps walk his daughter in law Margaret Beaufort down the aisle. Unfortunately, the wheel of fortune is always turning and the happiness is soon replaced with tragedy yet again. Edmund Tudor dies shortly before the birth of his son Henry Tudor and the Wars of the Roses tears the country apart. Owen is killed before he could see his family triumph as the new dynasty in England.

This is the story of Owen Tudor. I found Tony Riches’ book “Owen” a thrilling read. I have always been fascinated by the life of Owen Tudor and his sons and Tony Riches was able to write a story that made me want to study more about Owen Tudor and his life. Riches was able to combine the historical facts that we know about Owen with fictitious elements, including two other women that Owen fell in love with and a friend named Nathaniel, into a cohesive and engaging book. I did not want to stop reading this book. This was my first time reading a book by Tony Riches and I loved it. His writing style is engaging and very easy to read. I look forward to reading more books by him in the future.  I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Owen Tudor and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty.