Inspiration to write Cavalier's Masque

I am often asked where does the inspiration for a novel come from.  With Cavalier's Masque it combined my passion for history of the English Civil War and one of my favourite stories during that period which was the young King Charles II attempt to regain his father's throne.  This centred upon the battle of Worcester where the Royalist army faced Cromwell's troops.  They lost the battle and the King was forced to flee for his life.  He spent six weeks in hiding in England and finally escaped in a ship sailing from Sussex.

I live in Sussex just a couple of miles from the creek where he took ship.  On his journey to the coast the King's party encountered a troop of Cromwell's soldiers drinking at an inn by Houghton Bridge which is on the edge of the South Downs on the River Adur (again only a few miles from my home).  Fortunately the disguised King and the royalists avoided detection.  And in my novel CAVALIER'S MASQUE they avoided discovery by a diversion created by my heroine.

The novel is set on a fictious estate, Saxfield Manor, near Bramber on the South Downs and during the period of Cromwell's Protectorate many royalist spies working for the exiled King in France returned to England to raise an army.  They were hunted by Cromwell's officers and so in my novel Saxfield Manor was a safe house for Royalist spies which placed by heroine in danger and presented plenty of scope for action and adventure. 

There is also a scene set in the grounds of the ruins of Bramber castle near to Shoreham, and Broadwater Church is mentioned which was where my son was christened.


With so much local history involved this was a novel I was born to write.  Also readers of my Angel Players Series will know that many scenes in Chichester and Arundel have been included, especially in the third book Traitors and Players which included the civil war sieges of Chichester and Arundel Castle.

Inspiration grows from what you love and know and where better than writing about where you live.

Women of Chivalry 2 new titles

Two new titles of historical romance for you to enjoy in the Women of Chivalry series available on kindle and ebook format. 

Cavalier's Masque is England 1651. Charles II fights for his throne at Worcester and then flees for his life across England.  Who is Cromwell's spy?

The Song of Wychaven. England in the last year of the reign of Henry II and his Queen Eleanour is his prisoner and plans rebellion amongst his sons. 

Hope you like the revamped covers.

Medieval life-Pilgrimage

This is a picture of the site where Thomas A Becket's shrine was in Canterbury Cathedral.  Pilgrimage was an important part of life in medieval times and Becket's shrine was the most important in England. Thomas A Becket once a great friend of King Henry II was made Archbishop of Canterbury by the King and their relationship changed with the archbishop soon at odds with the the King on many matters of state and religion.  In a fit of rage Henry declared he wanted rid of Becket.  Four over zealous knights rode to Canterbury and murdered Becket in his cathedral.  Soon the tomb was said to produce miracles and it became a religious shrine.  Henry regretting his outburst  did penance at his old friend's tomb.
Geoffrey Chaucer brought medieval pilgrimage alive in his Canterbury Tales which are still famous today.  Becket's tomb was destroyed in Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries.

My fascination with Chaucers Canterbury Tales and many visits to Canterbury Cathedral to visit the tombs of many of our monarchs inspired me to write my historical romance LURE OF TREVOWAN.

New ebook LURE OF TREVOWAN

Available from this weekend new kindle ebook in the Women of Chivalry historical romance series. LURE OF TREVOWAN.

A HAUNTING MEDIEVAL ROMANCE IN THE TIME OF HENRY V. INTRIGUE, PASSION, SUSPENSE AND RICH IN ATMOSPHERIC TENSION DURING A PILGRIMAGE TO BECKET''S SHRINE AT CANTERBURY.
Following the death of her father, Lady Alynna is cast out of her family home. Stripped of rank, fortune and identity she resolves to discover the truth of the mystery surrounding her birth.
Championed by Richard Dreux, a handsome enigmatic pilgrim she journeys to Becket's shrine in Canterbury. A jester and a scarred cripple are her companions - the pilgrim her self appointed protector. But what dark secrets haunt him?
Alynna also has her secrets and her past cannot be escaped and shadows her future happiness. Only the Earl of Trevowan can save her, but having lost her heart to the humble pilgrim can she surrender to the powerful Lord Trevowan's will?

New book - New series in ebook

This is the first book available in THE WOMEN OF CHIVALRY SERIES an exciting action packed historical romantic suspense series of novels set within a major conflict, rebellion or event of social history.

SHADOW OF PENGARRON is set in an England ruled by Richard II, an unpopular, weak and despotic monarch and his cousin Henry Bolingbroke wages war to usurp his throne. This conflict of 1399 resulted in the start of the Wars of the Roses which raged between two rival Plantagnet royal houses of York and Lancaster until 1487 when Henry Tudor defeated the last Plantagnet king Richard III.

Ralph Warrender, Earl of Pengarron, returns from exile with Bolingbroke's army to reclaim his own birthright that was taken by King Richard and he vows vengeance upon his enemies.

Lady Morganna Bartlett, once Pengarron's betrothed, he regards as part of that birthright but to Morganna he is now her family's sworn enemy.  Abducted by Pengarron, how could she trust him - especially when she suspects that the Earl was involved with the Druids who still performed their sinister rites on his land.

'Beware Pengarron' an old woman phrophesied - would her life be ruined by Pengarron's shadow?

An intense passionate and emotional novel rich in atmospheric detail and an unusual background true to the period of the time.

London Life series on all ebook formats

POWERFUL EMOTIONAL ROMANTIC THRILLER OF SECRETS, PASSION AND SACRIFICE,


"We can't all be saints, Casey. Besides, sinners have more fun."

Casey Strong laughed at her cousin's outrageous words. It was so like Eva to say what was most provocative.



Casey adores her older, beautiful cousin and offers her a home in their pub, The Britannia, when Eva's father and stepmother are killed by a gas explosion. Everyone falls for Eva's vivacious charm even Casey's surly, widowed father Joe, who had resented providing a home for her. But Joe 'Strongarm' Strong is a man with a dark secret and Eva is not the innocent victim she at first appears.



When Joe dies in mysterious circumstances, the shadows of the past cast a sinister veil over the future of the two cousins, and Casey gradually realises that Eva's possessiveness threatens the lives of those she holds most dear...



Fateful Shadows is a compelling novel of dark secrets, passion and loyalty overcoming persecution and social prejudice - and an obsessive love which leads to tragedy.

Coming soon

This is the cover of my new historical romance SHADOW OF PENGARRON published as an ebook next week

 

BAREFOOT ANGEL is the first of my ebooks to be launched with Smashwords which makes it available to Kobo, Sony, Barnes & Noble etc.

 

My other titles will follow on Smashwords shortly and within a couple of weeks the first of my historical romance ebooks in The Women of Chivalry series, SHADOW OF PENGARROW will be published on kindle.

Bestselling Saga

I'm thrilled to write today that my London Life saga ebook BAREFOOT ANGEL is in the kindle bestselling list for sagas.

For those of you who have read LOYALTY AND LIES the theme of loyalty is a recurring one in many of my novels.  It is something I believe very firmly in and as a theme throws up many dilemmas for characters to face with integrity and makes for compelling drama.

The loyalty of my readers always deeply affects me and I love hearing from you and thank you for your continued interest in my novels and for your loyalty and support that has made the London Life and Angel Players series so popular. 

For those who have come to my novels through the wonderful media of ebooks I hope you will also enjoy my LOVEDAY series of novels also available.

Very shortly a new series of my backlist historical romance novels will be available on ebook.  These will be the WOMEN OF CHIVALRY series and the first three available will excite all of you who are already experiencing withdrawal pains from the ending of The White Queen on tv.  They focus on the medieval lives of women caught up during the Plantagenet wars and conflicts of our history.

A POWERFUL ROMANTIC THRILLER OF COURAGE, LOYALTY AND DEVOTION OVERCOMING THE DARK MENACE OF REVENGE.

1906 Tanya Summerfield is desperate to break away from the strict regime of her Aunt Stella and her autocratic father, a retired Brigadier. Despite the respectable façade of the family it is not without its sinister secrets…

Their house is decaying and the Summerfield wealth has gone but the Brigadier refuses to allow Tanya to continue teaching in the East End. He also disapproves of Archie Tilbury who Aunt Stella is determined that Tanya marry. Torn between family loyalty and the need to rebel, Tanya starts her own business venture. But soon she suspects that her enigmatic suitor is not all that he seems. When dark undercurrents of passion and revenge emerge to trap Tanya, she is forced to fight – not only for the man she loves, but also for her life…

Recreating the past

The London Life series carried many echoes from my own life and family.  My grandparents and parents were born in London and during my childhood London was only an hours journey by train and was a regular place for trips to explore the sights.

In Fateful Shadows Casey was the daughter of a publican.  In the Loveday books readers will remember that Meriel was also an innkeepers daughter and the Dolphin inn features in all the novels.

We tend to write what we know and several members of my family have been publicans.  For a time My great-grandmother ran an inn in St Albans.  My father was the sports and social secretary on the workers estate of the Bata Shoe Factory in East Tilbury and he ran the social club and bar.  A cousin of my father's ran a bar and hotel on the Isle of Sheppey, another cousin and my stepsister had bars in Kent and more recently a niece ran a popular tourist bar in Devon.  Some of the pub names you may recognise from my novels. The Dolphin and The Britannia.  Also the current novel I am writing has that is set on Dartmoor has an innkeeper's daughter as the heroine. 

Writing Fateful Shadows brought back many happy childhood memory's of the camaraderie surrounding pub life.  I was however very young as my father died when I was a child so I suppose I keep a link with him alive through the lives of my heroines.

Fateful Shadows

Fateful Shadows

‘We can’t all be saints, Casey. Besides, sinners have more fun.’

Casey Strong laughed at her cousin’s outrageous words. It was so like Eva to say what was most provocative. Casey adores her older, beautiful cousin and offers her a home in their pub, The Britannia, when Eva’s father and stepmother are killed by a gas explosion. Everyone falls for Eva’s vivacious charm even Casey’s surly, widowed father Joe, who had resented providing a home for her. But Joe ‘Strongarm’ Strong is a man with a dark secret and Eva is not the innocent victim she at first appears.

When Joe dies in mysterious circumstances, the shadows of the past cast a sinister veil over the future of the two cousins, and Casey gradually realises that Eva’s possessiveness is stifling her…

Fateful Shadows is a compelling novel of dark secrets, passion and loyalty overcoming persecution and social prejudice – and an obsessive love which leads to tragedy.

A Victorian novel of romance and suspense

My passion for writing history has always been about diverse characterisation and memorable, atmospheric settings.  When beginning my London Life series during the Victorian era there was no greater master of that period than Dickens.  The images of those lives and times are carved in his readers' minds.  As a writer we cannot be true to characters unless with each of them the writer makes themself walk a mile in their shoes. 

In this series I notonly had to get the research of each setting right but to build the conflict and suspense I had to get the pyschology and motivation right. 

I loved writing this series and have always been intrigued by how secrets from the past can never be forever locked in their closets.  When they escape the potential for the dramas they unleash is unlimited.

INNOCENCE BETRAYED is the story of two sisters separated as children and raised in very different lifestyles - one of privilege, the other of squalor.  Can they learn to trust and overcome past grievances and be reunited as a family, or will jealousy and resentment destroy them both?  For innocense once betrayed can never be regained.

Kara Wyse, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is shocked when her father is arrested for debt and commits suicide.  Her life changes drastically. Gacing poverty she also learns that the mother she had believed dead is still alive and that she was cast out of the family home by her father. Kara also learns that she has a younger sister, Beatrice, whose childhood has been very different from her own.

Kara is determined that her family will be reunited and that she will survive the scandal of her father's suicide and succeed as a businesswoman.

Beatrice has been brought up in poverty and squalor and to survive has become a pickpocket and the mistress of Fancy Gilbert a dangerous gangleader of the London Underworld. When Kara unwittingly marries the man that Beatrice loves, the younger woman vows that her sister will pay for all the wrongs that she has suffered by her poverty.

A captivating story of survival over adverstity, the righting of past wrongs and the redemptive power of love.  INNOCENCE BETRAYED is a fast moving and compulsive suspense novel of the diverse lifestyles existing in Edwardian London.  It tells of the darker side of kinship, revenge and retribution - and the redemptive power of love.

Innocence Betrayed - 'a very good read. Exciting and full of emotion.'  Harry Bowling

Places that inspired my writing 3

When writing THE LOVEDAY SERIES obviously most of my inspiration came from places in Cornwall but the place outside of that wonderful county that gave me the most information and inspiration for the Loveday shipyard Trevowan Hard was based on my many visits to the New Forest and the fabulous museum at Bucklers Hard near Beaulieu.  If you amalgamate the picture of the model of ships being built and the picture below of the shipwrights cottages spreading down to the river iy would be very much the image I used for the Loveday shipyard on the inlet of the River Fowey. 

When creating the village of Penruan it became a mixture of the fishing villages of Polperro, Mevagissy and Port Isaac. The picture below is of Polperro and I love the museum of smuggling here that also gave me so much information about life in 18th century Cornwall.

As the estate of Trevowan and the Loveday shipyard were near to Fowey many of the scenes in the novels were set in Fowey (picture above) and it is another beautiful place that conveys the atmosphere and history of Cornwall. It is on the estuary of the River Fowey.

Truro is the County Town of Cornwall and again was a place that the Lovedays would have often visited and features in the novels.
 

          And doesn't this picture make you feel that you have stepped back in time. It is of Charlestown and on every visit I was lucky enough to see one of the tall ships moored at its quay.  Again it is a place full of historical interest and atmosphere and a great favourite of mine.  As its location near to St Austell - and also close to where my fictional setting of Penruan - it features in at least two of the Loveday books.            

    For me this picture of Bodmin moor is th emost evocative of  all the untamed wildness and mystery of Cornwall.  And I used Bodmin Moor to dramatic effect in several of scenes in the Loveday series.     I hope these last three blogs on the inspiration behind some of my novels have helped to bring them alive to my readers - especially to those living abroad.  They are all worthy of a great day out if you are looking for your own inspiration or  just seeking a day out full of atmosphere and nostalgia.

Places that inspired my writing 2

These are some of the places that inspired me when I was researching TRAITORS AND PLAYERS and PRINCES AND PLAYERS which are books 3 and 4 of the Angel Players series and set during the years of the English Civil war through to the restoration of Charles II, the plague and great fire of London.

This is a picture of the oldest part of Arundel Castle and a regular haunt of mine as it is only a few miles from my home home.  The castle is the home of Duke of Norfolk and is rich centuries of history.  Living so close to it I had to include Arundel in the Angel series as the main home of Maressa Angel and I had to write about the seige of Arundel in Traitors and Players during the English civil war and how it would have affected the lives of the Angel family.

A few miles away from Arundel is Chichester.  Chichester featured as the main home of Thomas Angel and is in many of the scenes.  This is a picture of the unusual market cross and the seige of Chichester is related in Traitors and Players involving more members of the Angel family. 

York and Oxford were important garrison towns for the Royalists and both are two of my favourites places to visit and absorb the historical atmosphere.

The third picture is of The Commandery at Worcester - a must see museum for those interested in the civil war.  And Worcester is another wonderful historic city and often the Sealed Knot stage events and battles about the English Civil War in Worcester.

Again London features strongly in Princes and Players and with so many museums to chose from one of my favourites and not quite so well known as the British Museum is the museum of London on London Wall.

These places mentioned really bring history alive for me and make my research entertaining and fun and also importantly give the family a great day out with lots for them to find of interest.

Places that inspired my writing 1

Writing historical novels obviously involves a great deal of research but I have not done all of it shut away in record offices or reference libraries.  I love getting out to experience the places where real people lived or explore museums where I can combine filling my notebooks with historical data and have a great day out. 

With the summer and holidays spreading ahead here is a list of my favourite places that inspired me when writing ROGUES AND PLAYERS and KNAVES AND PLAYERS the two Elizabethan novels in the ANGEL PLAYERS SERIES.

1. The Weald and Downland Museum Chichester Sussex.  Living in Sussex I regularly visit here as the houses on display cover 600 years of British history and their rural life exhibitions are great fun.  Above is a picture of Bayleaf  a type of house that would have been lived in during the 15th/16th century.  You can walk all round the houses and really experience how everyday life would have been lived by the Elizabethans on a rural level.  Below is another setting to be explored and enjoyed.  These are all original huse than have been rescued and rebuilt by the Museum. The city of Chichester itself was a setting for Rogues and Players.

 2. Straford on Avon the birthplace of Shakespeare is a great place and full of atmosphere with many Tudor attractions.

3.  The Globe theatre London.  A fantastic reconstruction of an Elizabethan playhouse and a fascinating museum.  Not far for them their in Southwark is the Clink Museum about prison life in olden times.

4. Mary Rose at Portsmouth.  I have not yet been to the new exhibition here but it is next on my list to visit. I visited the original exhibition several times. The Mary Rose was Henry VIII's flagship that sank near   Portsmouth and to see the preserved timbers and artefacts from the wreck is a real insight into naval life in Tudor times.  Nelson's flagship The Victory is also closeby so it is a great day out with lots to see.

5. Hever Castle Kent.  The birthplace of Anne Boleyn and combine it with a medieval jousting day and you have another atmospheric and fun day.

6. Hampton Court outskirts of London.  The great Tudor Palace filled with history. An inspiration to all historical writers and lovers of history.

7. Knole in Kent and Hardwick Hall in the Midlands. Two more Elizabethan houses that made a great day out.

8.  A less well know manor is Parham House, Nr Storrington, Sussex.  This is one of my favourites as it not  a grand stately home and gives you a feel of how the lesser nobility would have lived.  Again this is close to where I live and is a great favourite of mine. Picture below.  Beautiful setting on the South Downs and it has been the inspiration as the manor house for several of my novels.

9. Victoria and Albert Museum.  Whenever I am in London I try to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum.  It has a Tudor and Stuart gallery, rooms recreating varying periods in history and a must see costume gallery for historical fashion.  And of course The British Museum is another must visit.

10.  To round up a Top 10 I would add The National Portrait Gallery also in London at Trafalgar Square.  This has portraits of the Kings and Queens of England eight back to the earliest portraits of Richard II and of course London intself has so many inspiring places to visit. The Tower, The Cutty Sark, just walking through the parks or a trip along the river can take you back in time in your imagination.

There are many more historical sites and I will include some of these in later articles that inspired some of my other novels. 

Introducing the London Life series

I have never lived further than an hour and a quarter train journey to London and as a child it has always been a place to raise my heartbeat.  At 16 my first job was in London and for 8 years before I left work to raise a family I worked in the city both near the Tower of London and St Pauls and loved visiting the ancient monuments.  Working in the City fired my love of history and when I married our first flat and house was in the East End.  This was where where my parents had been raised and also my husband's family.  So my childhood was filled with stories of London through the war and even back to Victoria's reign.  It's history from medieval times to the present day fascinated me.

The historian in me was drawn to the diversity of characters that London created.  I had loved writing the historical background of London when working on The Angel Players series set in Tudor and Stuart times and when it was time to start a new project I wanted to base it in London and bring the lives of Londoners forward to less distant days.

INNOCENCE BETRAYED and FATEFUL SHADOWS were set in the Victorian era. LOYALTY AND LIES is Edwardian, SIN NO MORE. COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS and BAREFOOT ANGEL cover the 1920's through to the 50's.  Each is a story of a family split by secrets and past skeletons from the past that threaten the loved ones, happiness and lives of the main characters.  Lovers of thrillers will enjoy the complexity of the physical and psychology of the dramas to be overcome, and  throughout the page-turning conflict of good against evil, the more romantic will be uplifted by the courage and triumph of loyalty and love. 

These six novels were written after the historical drama of The Angel Players Series, and the psychological twist of the romantic suspense in The London Life novels made it a natural progression on their completion for me to write the Loveday novels. 

Writing is about mastering a genre and evolving to bring your readers something fresh and exciting with each project.  I am a passionate reader and my goal as a writer was to be an entertainer and bring alive a world of drama and adventure in an exciting setting with memorable and empathic characters. I write from my heart about stories I would love to read myself. 

The popularity of the Tudors

The tudor age is one of the most exciting dynasties that ruled England.  The first Tudor Henry VII had a negligible claim to the throne when he returned from years of exile to raise an army against the last Plantagenet King Richard III at Bosworth.  To protect his throne he destroyed the reputation of Richard III who died at Bosworth and what of the lives of the young princes in the Tower !!! - Henry would have us believe they were murdered by Richard their uncle but which of them had the most to lose if their claim to the throne was greater than his.  Henry VII was not popular and the brilliant documentary last night on TV showed him as a man  who if he could noy rule by popularity he would rule by terror. Yet this ascethic, mean spirited and miserly King fathered the bombastic, charismatic Henry VIII and a more dramatic reign that changed not only our religion but the way of life of the people of England would be difficult to contest. 

Henry VIII was famous for his six wives and their untimely ends. The rhyme for remembering their fate being - divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived - but their fate also brought down great statesmen and their families.  And no wonder it is the background for many great novels, films and tv dramas. The heir to Henry was the sickly and short lived Edward VI and then an even more turbulent age began. Lady Jane Grey, a young girl was used by her family and declared Queen.  She ruled for 9 days before being overthrown by Henry's eldest daughter Mary. Jane Grey was beheaded and Mary ruled, with a single-mindedness of returning England to a Catholic state at the expenses of the lives of hundreds of heretics burned at the stake for supporting her father's religious changes.  And waiting in the wings and surviving plots against her life was the most powerful of all the Tudors, Elizabeth I.

This weekend tv gives us a documentary about English life under the Tudors, the replaying of The Tudors series and The Other Boleyn Girl which provides another slant on the enigmatic reign of Henry VIII.

The most well known actors for playing Henry VIII are Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Keith Michell (top of last two photos).

I am rewatching the latest Tudors with Jonathan Rhys Meyers because the story is irrestistible but it is not my favourite portrayal.  It makes good viewing but the inaccuracies of some of the historical facts and the lack of authenticity of the costumes to make the actors more pretty or sexy has led to many a rant at the tv screen.  For me the BBC Henry VIII's six wives series was far superior. Keith Michell played Henry as the aging despot with chilling accuracy and made the manipulation by their families of his later sacrifical wives all the more shocking.

The BBC followed this great series with Glenda Jackson in Elizabeth and for all lovers of tudor history it is a box set worth investing in as her portrayal of the young Elizabeth through to her death remains vivid in my mind today from seeing it in the  1970's.

Other interesting films about the Tudors was Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth and Shakespeare in Love where the wonderful Judy Dench played Elizabeth.

I am sure that you have your own favourites. The two BBC series about Henry and Elizabeth inspired my own love of the drama and times of the Tudors and why I had to write about this period in ROGUES AND PLAYERS and KNAVES AND PLAYERS.  I hope that those readers who have read them will feel that I accurately portrayed the great queen and the turbulent times that the Elizabethan people lived in.

Elizabethan Heroes

Just calling to mind the Elizabethan age we think of the swashbuckling adventures of Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh.  The scheming of Court favourites Robert Dudley the Earl of Leicester and the Earl of Essex who having lost the aging Queen's favour plots to overthrown her.  There was the brilliance and turbulent world of our playwrigths Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare.  The triumph of our sea captains over the Spanish Armada.  The Protestant and Catholic conflict that brought to a head the drama and tragedy of Mary Queen of Scots being beheaded.  It was certainly an age of high drama.

When facing the challenge of creating fictional characters for The Angel Players series of novels my greatest inspiration was Elizabeth I herself. With such a strong woman as inspiration, who was one of our greatest monarchs,  the resilience of Queen Elizabeth was very much behind the creation of my heroine Gabriellen Angel. From an early age Elizabeth needed cunning and sharp wits to survive the plots against her life. She triumphed over the powerful Catholic Kings of Europe to keep her throne and controlled the power hungry nobles of England who sought to further the glory of their own families by deposing her.


With such a queen who daily proved that a woman could overcome the mastery of men, Gabriellen Angel took on the world of the male dominated Elizabethan theatre where women were not even permitted to act to manage her father's troupe of players and her plays were performed at court. ROGUES AND PLAYERS and KNAVES AND PLAYERS is her story and woven through it are many of the historical events of that time.  Gabriellen also features in TRAITORS AND PLAYERS which starts with the conflict between Charles I and Parliament and she pays the ultimate price for her bravery and loyalty.  Gabriellen leaves a legacy of courage and love of the theatre to her granddaughters who brave the dangers of the continued civil war, exile, and return to England to triumph in the restoration theatre and overcome the horrors of plague and fire in London.

My most inspiring historical hero.

Prince Rupert of the Rhine has to be my all time favourite and most inspiring historical figure. In his early twenties he was the commander of his uncle's Charles I's army.  I first read about him when I was 16 in Margaret Irwin's novel The Stranger Prince and I was hooked.  He was the epitome of how I envisaged all that an historical hero should be - handsome, dashing, courageous and enimatic.
Rupert was a younger son of the Frederick V, Elector Palantine and his mother was Elizabeth the daughter of James 1 of England.  His sister the Electress Sophia was the mother of George 1.

Prince Rupert had a varied career. He became a soldier at a young age, fighting against Spain in the Nederlands and against the Holy Roman Emperor in Germany.  Before he came to England to fight for his uncle he had spent 2 years as a prisoner of war in Linz. When Charles I was defeated Rupert left England and during the years of the Commonwealth he served Louise XIV of France and later was a Royalist privateer in the Caribbean. After the Restoration Rupert returned to England serving as a naval commander.

Prince Rupert appears as a central character in Books 3 and 4 of The Angel Players series.  TRAITORS AND PLAYERS includes many of his battles during the English Civil War and his involvement with the Angel family at this time.  We meet Prince Rupert again in  PRINCES AND PLAYERS after the restoration of his cousin Charles II and how the Angel players are involved with the intrigue at court and the restoration theatre in London.

Many of Rupert's dashing qualities have coloured the personalities of my fictional characters and he very much influenced the bold adventurer which was so much a part of both Adam and Japhet Loveday, and Jack Stoneham in Rogues and Players. 

Kate Tremayne is now also on facebook.

A family at war and the restoration

TRAITORS AND PLAYERS book 3 of THE ANGEL PLAYERS SERIES

Book 3 moves the family forward a generation and covers one of our most dramatic periods of history the English Civil War. 

family notorious for the wild blood of their kinsmen now faces the greatest conflict of their age when England is torn apart by a war between King and Parliament. The grandchildren of Gabriellen Angel are determined to triumph over their enemies and avenge the deaths of their loved ones.
Angel Rowan disguises herself as a man and is caught up in the intrigue and fighting involving King Charles, the commander of his army Prince Rupert of the Rhine, and those who would oppose their sovereign. A mistress of disguise she plays a unique role in the service of Prince. When she later escapes England and goes to Paris, she takes up the legacy of her kinsmen Gabriellen and Esmond Angel to become a playwright and actress and is befriended by Moliere. But loyalty to her family and country draw her back to England where new dangers threaten the lives of herself and everyone she holds dear.

Maressa Rowan chooses a different path to her sister - she craves respectability and learns after her marriage to Sir Henry Mortimer that he is a libertine and supporter of Parliament. In London she is forced to flee for her life when her husband is prepared to sacrifice her honour to pay his debts. Her ally is her disreputable cousin, Thomas Angel, infamous for his clandestine existence as a rogue and leader amongst the criminal underworld of the City - and now for her the life of an adventuress beckons ...

Traitors and Players brings alive the tumultuous period of the English Civil War, the courage, heartache and persecution faced by a diverse and memorable family determined to conquer prejudice and adversity and emerge triumphant over their enemies.

 

 

PRINCES AND PLAYERS book 4 of THE ANGEL PLAYERS is set  during the exile of the young King Charles 11 and his restoration and the colourful world of his court, London and the beginnings of the restoration theatre.

Loyal, courageous and born adventurers, the Rowan family have sacrificed their lives, estates and homeland in the cause of Charles I. They are determined to restore their fortunes, rise above the prejudice and persecution of an England now ruled by Parliament, and bring to justice the enemies who sought to bring them down.

Angel Rowan continues to pursue her dream of achieving success as a playwright and in France her adventures also take her to the French Court and the intrigue surrounding the young Prince of Wales. Yet she has never forgotten her one true love even though fate conspires against their reunion.

In London Maressa Rowan is fighting her own battle for survival and has fled to the protection of her cousin Thomas Angel, a notorious rogue involved with the dangerous criminal underworld. Her pursuit of happiness and love places her in jeopardy that threatens to overcome even her indomitable spirit...

Princes and Players is rich in atmospheric detail that brings alive the vast tapestry of historical events in England and France during the tumultuous years from the time of the English Civil War to the early years of the Restoration.

Introducing The Angel Players Series

ROGUES AND PLAYERS book 1 of The Angel Players Series -  Special Introuctory Price of £2.02 from Amazon

Esmond Angel popular playwright and manager of Lord Barpham’s company of strolling players. A man adored by his strong willed daughter Gabriellen. But for years as a struggling playwright in London, he has lived a hidden life. He gained fame and notoriety amongst the rogues and vagabonds that haunt the innards where his troupe performs before the first Elizabethan playhouses were built.


When Gabriellen Angel as a young woman joins her father in his travels, the actors and the plays they perform captivate her. The survival of the company depends upon her father’s skill in producing new work. Esmond’s eyesight is failing and he relies upon Gabriellen as a scribe and her emerging talent as a writer. Despite her success her involvement must remain secret in the male-dominated world of the playhouse, or she would be reviled and persecuted.

Gabriellen is determined to keep the troupe together but Esmond’s links with the criminal Underworld draw her into danger. She falls in love with the bold and dashing buccaneer Captain Jack Stoneham but his ambitions at court are his reason for refusing to marry her. She also befriends a horse breeder, Mark Rowan, who travels the country with his stallion as cover for his work as Queen Elizabeth’s spy for plots against her life.

Set against the background of court intrigue, the emergence of the early playhouses, and rich in atmospheric detail of the social structure of England as it faces the threat of the Spanish Armada, Rogues and Players is a rich tapestry of conflict and drama that brings the Elizabethan era alive with diverse and memorable characters.

Review

Rogues and Players, is a lively, atmospheric, well written book. This is a fascinating story which swings along at a good pace. The characters are well portrayed, real and believable, and the period truly comes to life.

West Sussex County Times


Rogues and Players – a band of travelling players, the London underworld and court intrigue in the era of Elizabeth 1. Makes today’s social and political scene seem tame.

Bradford Star

KNAVES AND PLAYERS book 2 of The Angel Players Series

England is rejoicing in the defeat of the Spanish Armada but for Gabriellen Angel it has left her heartbroken as it has taken the life of her lover, the dashing privateer Captain Jack Stoneham. It is not the only tragedy she has to face. Her father, the renowned playwright Esmond Angel is in debt to an unscrupulous moneylender Victor Prew. To save Esmond from debtor’s prison and his troupe of players from disbandment, Gabriellen marries Prew. Immediately her life is thrown into danger from her sadistic husband, who is a Catholic plotting to kill Queen Elizabeth.


But the feisty Gabriellen outwits Prew and has a powerful ally in her friend Mark Rowan – a spy for Her Majesty. Prew flees England to save his life but has vowed vengeance upon Esmond, Gabreillen and Mark Rowan.

And her bond with Mark Rowan becomes something far more special than mere friendship and she begins to wonder if she has found a unique happiness…

But when Jack Stoneham reappears having been tortured as a prisoner of the Spanish, her heart is torn between her new and old love.

Set against the background of the early playhouses, the London Underworld - desire, betrayal, vengeance interweave this passionate and atmospheric portrayal of life in Elizabethan England – climaxing in the disastrous rebellion of the Earl of Essex.

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KATE TREMAYNE IS NOW ON FACEBOOK  and looks forward to your visits and comments about her articles about her novels, interests and research,

What's new from Kate Tremayne

WHAT'S NEW FROM KATE TREMAYNE a winter of revising my backlist for publication as ebooks

If you enjoyed the Loveday Series I am sure you will love my ANGEL PLAYERS SERIES.  A set of 4 novels about two generations of the Angel family and their adventures, lives from strolling players in the reign of Elizabeth 1 and the intrigue of plots against the Queen's life, the pre Shakespearean stage, life at Court and in the country, privateering through to the Earl of Essex Rebellion.  The story continues on to the grandchildren, the battles and conflicts of the English Civil War, exile in France and the intrigue surrounding the Young King Charles, and Moliere, the restoration and restoration theatre through to the perils of the plague and great fire of London. 

The order of the series is ROGUES AND PLAYERS, KNAVES AND PLAYERS, TRAITORS AND PLAYERS and PRINCES AND PLAYERS.  These books were originally published in 1991 and 1992 under a pen name of Kate Tremayne and are now available from amazon kindle and shortly on other ebook formats.

LONDON LIFE SERIES

This series of historical romantic thrillers are all individual novels . INNOCENCE BETRAYED, FATEFUL SHADOWS and LOYALTY AND LIES are set in the Victorian or Edwardian eras.  SIN NO MORE, COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS and BAREFOOT ANGEL are set in the 1920's, 1930's and 1950's.

These novels were previously published between 1994 and 1997 under a pen name of Kate Tremayne and are now available at Amazon for kindle and shortly in other ebook formats.

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I am also in the process of update my website and apologise for the long neglect.  It should be on line soon.

Also I am currently working on an exciting new project which will be set on Dartmoor.

I love receiving your emails and comments .