My guest today is Rosemary Morris, author of the historical romance novel, Tangled Love. It takes place during a fascinating period of British history, when issues of politics and religion were making the monarchy a very complicated institution indeed. Rosemary is here to explain it to us!
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While reading about the Stuart kings and queens I became interested in James II.
As I wrote in my Author’s Notes at the beginning of Tangled Love: - “When the outwardly Protestant Charles II died in 1685, he left a country torn by religious controversy but no legitimate children. The throne passed to his Catholic brother James.
“It was an anxious time for the people, whose fears increased when Roman Catholic James II became so unpopular that he was forced into exile. In 1688 James Protestant daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange, became the new king and queen of England.
“Some English Protestants, who had sworn allegiance to James II, refused to take a new oath of allegiance to William and Mary and joined him in France.
“When James’ younger daughter, Anne, inherited the throne in 1702, many Protestant exiles returned to England. Others declared themselves Jacobites, supporters of James II’s son, James III, by his second wife, Mary of Modena, and stayed abroad. They believed James III should be king.”
Having assembled these facts I wondered what would happen to children whose parents supported James II. I imagined a little girl left in England with her mother when her Protestant father’s honour demanded he did not swear allegiance to William and Mary during James II’s lifetime. I also imagined a boy who accompanied his father to France for the same reason, and decided to set most of my novel in 1706 in Queen Anne’s reign by which time the children were adults.
Queen Anne reigned from 1702 to 1714. During her reign the Duke of Marlborough won the war of Spanish Succession. If he had not a French prince would have ascended the Spanish throne and France, in the reign of the Sun King, Louis IV, would have been the most powerful country in the world.
The more I read the more interested I became in Queen Anne’s reign, a period in which international trade increased, which is not often the setting for historical novels.
For many years the Duke of Marlborough’s wife, Sarah Churchill, was Princess Anne’s favourite before and after she became Queen. However, this was the period when political parties began to evolve; political conflict coupled with Sarah’s arrogance ruined her relationship with the queen.
After studying the political and economic background to the era I studied the social history. Amongst other things I wanted to know about the architecture, furniture, coffee houses, what people ate, what they wore, and how they behaved.
The more I researched the more fascinated I became. The result is Tangled Love, and another novel Tangled Lives, which I am revising.
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So excited that there's going to be a sequel, Rosemary!
You can purchase Tangled Love here or on Amazon, BN, Smashwords, and elsewhere.
Great post, Rosemary - as you say, it's an interesting period of our history and one not often covered.
ReplyDeleteHey Rosemary,
ReplyDeleteI think I've read all of the historical books available out there. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. But I do love historical books. I always say this on my blogs. I write contemp, but reads historical. LOL Anway, I am looking for a new author to add on my growing list. Your book caught my attention. I will definitely check your books out.
Good luck and congrats!
Tierney O'Malley
Thanks for sorting this history out. So interesting. Best wishes on Tangled Love and keep those stories coming.
ReplyDeleteTangled indeed, Rosemary. You're very brave to tackle all these historical plots and subplots. I love historicals, and I look forward to seeing how you've presented this fascinating era. Best to you!
ReplyDeleteInteresting that the time period birthed the idea for the book. Thanks, Anne, for introducing us to Rosemary and her book.
ReplyDeleteEvery moment you have spent researching the era pays off in your novel Rosemary. I remember being captivated and almost time travelling into the world of Tangled Love. The cover is terrific but your story and ability to create a moment in history is exceptional.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anne for hosting Rosemary and showcasing her novel.
Looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteI carry a semi-deep fascination for historical fiction. I love knowing how people spoke and behaved, and how their interior looked or their coffee tasted. Religious and political upheavals can really 'tangle' so it might be a tad confusing for me. Nevertheless, this sounds like a great story. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI give a lot of credit to people who write historical anything. The research involved is intense. Best of luck to Rosemary. This sounds great.
ReplyDeleteSounds fascinating, Rosemary. Thanks for letting us know about it (and thanks, Anne, for having her)! Rosemary, do you see the series going further than the two books, or will you write more books in this era?
ReplyDeleteAnne, I've tagged you to answer questions as a reader. Check them out at http://ellenwrin.blogspot.com/2012/02/ive-been-tagged.html