Cathie Dunn writes...

Today, I’m thrilled to welcome author Tony Riches to my blog. He’s sharing his Brandon Trilogy with us. Ever since I took a Tudor Studies module (online) at Exeter University 17 years ago, I've been keeping an eye on fiction involving the Tudors. Of course, there was the lavish TV series, where Henry VIII did not seem to age or grow bigger. But there are also many gripping, well-researched novels dealing not only with Henry, but also with those around him. I'll have to catch up on Tony’s series, as it looks intriguing. Meet three characters today:  ~~~ Would you dare defy King Henry VIII? Mary Tudor watches her elder brother become King of England and wonders what the future holds for her. Henry plans to use her marriage to build a powerful alliance against his enemies...  The Brandon Trilogy by Tony Riches Mary – Tudor Princess From the author of the best-selling Tudor Trilogy, the true stories of the Tudor dynasty continue with Mary Tudor, daughter of King ...

Today, I'm returning to one of my favourite places, courtesy of historical fiction author, Samantha Wilcoxson: the Tower of London! I can't see it often enough, and I try to visit whenever I'm in London. Yet, I also find it interesting to read other writers’ experiences of their visits.  So, over to Samantha without much further ado... ~~~ My Place: The Tower of London By Samantha Wilcoxson for Cathie Dunn I was blessed with the opportunity to visit the Tower of London in November 2015. So much history has been witnessed by these stone walls that I wish I could hear them whisper their story. The Tower is a significant setting, for both good times and bad, in my Plantagenet Embers series due to its varied history as royal palace, fortress, and prison. If you have not visited the Tower or other castles, you may not realize that the setting is much more like an enclosed village than a single structure. Our romanticized vision of a castle more closely rese...