Recent Posts

Cromwell’s Court – The Royal Shakespeare Company

Today's post is a guest article by Danielle Alesi, who first contributed to On the Tudor Trail in November 2013. Welcome back Danielle! Cromwell's Court by Danielle Alesi On Sunday, March 23, The Royal Shakespeare Company at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, presented a very special symposium:  “Cromwell’s Court,” inspired by historical fiction novelist, Hilary Mantel’s best sellers, “Wolf Hall” and “Bring Up The Bodies.” These are the first two installments in a trilogy centered on … [Read More...]

What Inspired Suzannah Dunn to write The May Bride?

Today's post is a fascinating guest article from historical novelist Suzannah Dunn, whose latest novel, The May Bride, is narrated by Henry VIII's third wife, Jane Seymour. Be sure to leave a comment after Suzannah's guest post for your chance to win 1 of 5 copies of Suzannah's novel! This giveaway has now ended! Conditions of Entry For your chance to win one of five copies of The May Bride, you must be subscribed to On the Tudor Trail’s newsletter (if you are not already, sign up on our … [Read More...]

Inside the Tudor Court – Extract & Giveaway!

Delighted to be hosting day four of Lauren Mackay's virtual book tour for Inside the Tudor Court: Henry VIII and his Six Wives Through the Writings of the Spanish Ambassador Eustace Chapuys. Lauren has kindly shared with us an extract from her book and Amberley Publishing have generously donated a copy of Inside the Tudor Court to giveaway to one lucky commenter. Giveaway now closed! Conditions of Entry For your chance to win a copy of Inside the Tudor Court, you must be subscribed to On … [Read More...]

Remembering Anne Boleyn

On the Tudor Trail recently reached 50,000 ‘likes’ on Facebook! To celebrate this achievement and thank you all for your continued support and encouragement,  I will be giving away an Anne Boleyn book pack, which includes one copy of each of the following titles: In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn by Sarah Morris and Natalie Grueninger (me!), Le Temps Viendra: A Novel of Anne Boleyn Volume II by Sarah Morris and The Creation of Anne Boleyn by Susan Bordo. This pack is sure to delight any Anne … [Read More...]

Interview with Lauren Mackay

Welcome to On the Tudor Trail Lauren! Could you share with us a little about yourself and your background? Thank you for having me! I am an historian based in Sydney, Australia and am currently completing my PhD on the Boleyn men with the University of Newcastle, Australia. I originally focused on ancient Egypt, but during my Masters of History I wanted to further my research on the Tudor period. Tell us about your debut book, ‘Inside the Tudor Court: Henry VIII and his Six Wives through … [Read More...]

Sir John Scudamore by Anne Clinard Barnhill

Today's post is a guest article from author Anne Clinard Banrhill, whose latest novel, Queen Elizabeth's Daughter: A Novel of Elizabeth I, will be released in the US on March 18, 2014. Enjoy! Sir John Scudamore Sir John Scudamore does not, at first glance, seem to have the dashing qualities of a romantic hero: he was born in 1542 in Herefordshire.  At the death of his father, he became a ward of Sir James Croft.  Croft craftily arranged a marriage between his daughter, Eleanor and young … [Read More...]

20 Questions with Jessie Childs

1. When did you realise that you wanted to write about Tudor history? Not at school – though I had brilliant teachers. Not at university – too many distractions. It was after uni, when I was working for a TV production company that made historical documentaries. I was a researcher and I read a lot of ‘popular history’ books and I thought – with all the confidence of youth – I can do this! 2. What sparked your interest in sixteenth century England? I can’t pinpoint any one thing. … [Read More...]

Review of ‘In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn’

Absolutely delighted to receive Joanna Ferris' review of my book, In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn, co-authored with Sarah Morris. Jo has worked at Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London and performed many first-hand interpretations of Anne Boleyn, so she definitely knows her history. Here's what Jo had to say... This is a beautiful piece of work, thoroughly researched and easy to use. Having spent many years reading historical pieces and guides, it's refreshing to feel that you … [Read More...]

In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn – The Tower of London

Sarah Morris and I are delighted to share with you an excerpt from our book, In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn. It is a detailed guide to the Tower of London, as known to Anne Boleyn. We do hope you enjoy walking in Anne's footsteps! Reproduced here by kind permission of Amberley Publishing. Natalie The Tower of London "It comes to a thousand days – out of the years. Strangely just a thousand. And of that thousand – one – when we were both in love. Only one when our loves met, and … [Read More...]

The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau

Paperback Publication Date: February 13, 2014 Orion Publishing Paperback; 432p ISBN-13: 978-1409135807 Series: Joanna Stafford, Book Two Genre: Historical Mystery Read my review here. Book Blurb: A curse to kill a king, a fight to save a nation. Follow young Joanna Stafford right into the dark heart of King Henry VIII's court in this stunning Tudor thriller. England, 1538. The nation is reeling after the ruthless dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry … [Read More...]

The Monumental Brasses of Sir Thomas Boleyn & Margaret Cheyne

Artist William B. Streett recently sent me these two beautiful silk screen prints of the monumental brasses of Sir Thomas Boleyn and Margaret Cheyne, found in St Peter's Church, Hever. William sells the silk screen prints of Thomas Boleyn's brass for US $100, plus shipping (about US$10 for shipments within the US and US$20 for shipments outside the US). They really are very lovely and of very high quality. For a detailed description of the process William uses to make the prints please click … [Read More...]

Interview with Brandy Purdy

I am delighted to welcome back Brandy Purdy to On the Tudor Trail. Brandy is the author of several historical novels, including The Boleyn Wife, The Tudor Throne, The Queen’s Pleasure and The Queen’s Rivals. She lives in Beaumont, Texas.  Readers can connect with Brandy at www.brandypurdy.com. First off, give us a tease about The Boleyn Bride, which will be available starting February 25th, 2014. Elizabeth Boleyn is not your typical historical fiction heroine.  The Boleyn Bride is the … [Read More...]