Margaret and jasper tudor romance how to#
Margaret and jasper tudor romance series#

Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England looks into the relationships of the various noble families of the 13th century, and how they were affected by the Barons’ Wars, Magna Carta and its aftermath the bonds that were formed and those that were broken. For more information about Tony’s books please visit his website and his blog, The Writing Desk and find him on Facebook and Twitter UK: He lives in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the history of the Tudors. Tony Riches is a full-time UK author of best-selling historical fiction.

You have written about several fascinating people, from Eleanor Cobham to Francis Drake, who was your favourite subject and why? There are so many fascinating characters in the Elizabethan court I decided not to limit myself to a trilogy and to make it a series. How do you decide whose story to write next?Īlthough it’s important for each book to stand alone, there is a thread which connects them all, and some readers have noticed how there is some mention of the next subject, in each book. I decided to write Drake in the first person, and can imagine him as a unreliable narrator, keen to impress his queen with his stories of stolen gold, dangerous islanders and long-necked sheep (llamas). I spend about a year researching each book, making notes, looking for important details, and thinking about my approach. What comes first, the research or the story? I’ve also learnt that most of what I thought I knew about Drake was wrong, so I’m hoping my new book will help to set the record straight. I’ve enjoyed tracking down primary sources to uncover the truth of Drake’s story – and discovering the complex man behind the myths. He had a special relationship with Queen Elizabeth, and they spent long hours in private meetings, yet he was looked down on by the nobility – even after he was knighted. He intrigued me because he was a self-made man, who built his fortune by discovering the routes used by the Spanish to transport vast quantities of gold and silver. Francis Drake’s story is one of the great adventures of Tudor history. I decided to show the fascinating world of the Elizabethan court through the eyes of the queen’s favourite courtiers. Many of your stories are set in the Tudor era, what attracted you to setting your stories in the Tudor, what attracted you to writing about this time? Write something every day, until writing becomes a habit – and remember that a page a day us a book a year! I try to write at least five-hundred words a day, even when I’m away on research visits.

Margaret and jasper tudor romance how to#

I’m still trying to work out how to make effective use of Instagram… What advice would you give to someone starting on their writing career? I never really took to Facebook, but I try to post to my author page once a day, and I’ve recently been participating in some useful and interesting groups, so it has its place. I was an early adopter of Twitter (in July 2009) and over the years have built up a great following, so I use it most days. Social media – do you love it or hate it?

When I was researching my book about Katherine Willoughby, I was able to visit the actual rooms at Grimsthorpe Castle where she spent her last years, as well as her amazing tomb at Spilsby. I also look forward to visiting the actual locations used in my books, to have a sense of the local area. (Francis Drake found his fashionable ruffs uncomfortable, and couldn’t wait to take them off.) In my new Elizabethan series, I had to understand what it was like to wear a ruff. Writing historical fiction is like travelling in time, as I enjoy immersing myself in every detail of the period, from the food they eat to the clothes they wear. I read widely across all genres, and have a huge collection of non-fiction books. Sansom are my favourite historical fiction authors, and I’ve just finished reading Alison Weir’s Kathryn Howard – The Tainted Queen, which I highly recommend. Since then, I’ve written at least one book a year, and have been able to write full-time. I wrote my first historical fiction novel ten years ago. I used to write regularly for a range of magazines, and was amazed when my first book (on project management) became a best seller in the US.

So, first question, have you always wanted to be a writer? Hi Tony, thanks so much for agreeing to do an interview, and congratulations on the release of Drake – Tudor Corsair. I last interviewed Tony in 2016, so we had some catching up to do! Tony’s latest book, Drake – Tudor Corsair has just hit the shops.

Margaret and jasper tudor romance series#

Carrying on with my series of author interviews, today it is a great pleasure, at History … the Interesting Bits, to welcome author Tony Riches, best-selling author of many historical novels, including The Tudor Trilogy and The Brandon Trilogy.