Joanna Hickson
I am always happy to talk about my new book, The Tudor Bride, so thank you for inviting me to do so.
As some readers may know, last year I published a historical novel called The Agincourt Bride and The Tudor Bride is the sequel. Like most sequels it does stand-alone but as together they recount the whole life of Catherine de Valois, the French Princess who married England's hero king Henry V and thus became a very young and glamorous Queen of England, it is probably helpful to follow her story from the beginning. I promise you it is well worth doing, with lots of romance and intrigue and plenty of gorgeous frocks! It may also bring a tear to your eye.
The title of this second book gives a clue to the fact that Catherine was, in a very important way, involved in the Tudor dynasty, the sequence of extraordinary kings and queens which began with Henry the Seventh and ended with Elizabeth the First. She was, in fact, Henry the Eighth's great-grandmother and to find out how and why she married a commoner and changed from Queen Catherine to Mistress Tudor, I urge you to read the book. It is narrated by Catherine's loyal companion and servant, Mette and life has its ups and downs for both of them, taking the reader into numerous castles, palaces and abbeys as well as through the mucky streets of London and Paris. I hope the fifteenth century backdrop works its way into your imagination the way it has invaded mine.
Your books have been compared to Philippa Gregory and Suzannah Dunn, so how does this make you feel?
Pretty good actually! When I see on Amazon the section which says 'People who bought this book also bought ....' and it is followed by a book by Philippa Gregory or Suzannah Dunn or Elizabeth Chadwick or Sharon Kay Penman I feel a little thrill of pleasure. These authors have spent years building up a loyal and enthusiastic readership and if I can do the same I shall be more than happy. But I would not be happy to have a label that said 'better than' any of them because I think (cliché alert!) variety is the spice of life
You have also written for children, so do you have a preference between the two readers?
These days there are plenty of Young Adult books that are read by any age over ten. Looking back, I was reading James Bond novels from the age of twelve, so I shouldn't have been surprised when one of my young relatives, aged 11, said she had read The Agincourt Bride and really loved it. I'd told her Mum to read it first in case she thought some of it was too 'adult' but in the end they both started it together and of course the 11 year old streaked ahead, and so her Mum wasn't able to vet the content at all. I don't write gratuitous sex or violence but I do write about love and fear and the search for happiness, with a lot of history thrown in. I think I just like to write for intelligent people who want to read a cracking story with fascinating characters.
Two of your books have been set in Scotland. Why did this setting appeal to you?
I lived and worked in Scotland for many years and so in the 90s, when historical fiction simply wasn't selling, I wrote contemporary stories set in glorious Scottish locations like Skye and Edinburgh because these were the places I knew and loved. But I have always preferred historical fiction and now I can write in a period I love for people who share my fascination. And anyway I've moved to England!
Please tell us about Catherine.
Now there's an irresistible suggestion. I have been friends with Catherine de Valois for decades now and I feel I know her almost better than anyone living. I first encountered her in Laurence Olivier's famous film of Shakespeare's Henry V but I thought he made her a bit of a simpering ninny and I wanted to dig out the real character of Catherine from the small mentions I could find of her in primary historical sources. I found a girl who lived through a traumatic childhood and became a strong and determined woman who sought happiness and fulfilment against the odds. I wish I could sit down with her and have a cup of tea – or maybe a glass of wine - and a long chat.
What is your writing process?
Historical fiction falls into two categories, one that is set in an authentic period and place in history but uses fictional characters and one which lifts a real person from history and brings him or her back to life. I prefer the latter. But first I have to find my character. Catherine came to me over a long period of research and The Agincourt Bride and The Tudor Bride are the end result of a lot of trial and error. Over the years I have written her story in a variety of ways under several different titles which have not been accepted by publishers so it is wonderful to see it out now in such a gorgeous package. I write on a lap-top in a windowless corner of a room so that I don't get distracted by things going on outside. Twitter is distraction enough! Coincidentally the new house we moved to last year has its origins in the fifteenth century and my room is in the oldest part so now when I close the door I really am in the fifteenth century.
What is next for you?
At the moment I am in the process of writing about another woman who had a leading role in the events that shaped the history of the fifteenth century – Cicely Neville. She was the mother of kings Edward IV and Richard III and was depicted in the television series The White Queen as a rather terrifying mother-in-law to Edward's queen, Elizabeth Woodville. But my novel follows Cicely's early life during the build-up to the Wars of the Roses, when the feud between the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York was developing and beginning to tear families apart. She was born into a staunch Lancastrian family and married Richard, Duke of York, so she lived in the midst of the brewing storm with her family scattered between the two sides, busy quarrelling and fighting each other constantly. That is why it is called Red Rose White Rose and finding a happy ending is not going to be easy! Perhaps FemaleFirst might invite me to write more about it next year, when it is due to be published?
……We would be honoured Joanna!