Diana talks to Christine Hartweg

Hi Christine. Thank you for coming on *Diana Talks To...*

Let us get started. I am sure there is a question that you have always longed to be asked. Now is the chance. Ask your own question and answer it!

 Do you really like Queen Elizabeth I? 
– Not sure, really. The circles I grew up in considered her an overdressed, bewigged old hag who presided over an unprecedented cultural flowering. It took me years to understand that she was a real human being (seeing her as a 12-year-old in a red silk dress was a healthy shock in this respect); my respect for her grows daily.

What is the genre you are best known for?

– That would be historical non-fiction; I hope if people know me at all, they know me for my research into John & Robert Dudley of Tudor England (the Duke of Northumberland and the Earl of Leicester, respectively). (Christine's excellent books are available from Amazon: John Dudley, Amy Rosbart )

What made you choose this genre?

– Clearly my fascination with said people. It started in the late 1990s and was rekindled in about 2007 after reading a book on the Earl of Essex, Robert Dudley's stepson (I also like Essex).    

Favourite picture or work of art?

– That's so hard, as I love so many, literally thousands. But if I have to choose one, the Wedding at Cana by Paolo Veronese in the Louvre.

Was becoming a writer a conscious decision or something that you drifted into (or even something so compelling that it could not be denied?) How old were you when you first started to write seriously.

– I sort of drifted into writing about the Dudleys due to my interest in them, and at some point I started a blog and some friends said I should write a book. I don't think that I ever wanted to be a writer, although I've always loved writing and there were moments when I thought it would be great to be able to write a biography on this or that person. As a teenager, I wanted to make films.

Marmite? Love it or hate it?

– Never tried it. ((What??? Shocked face!! Diana))

Do you have any rituals and routines when writing? Your favourite cup for example or ‘that’ piece of music...??

– I don't hear music while writing, nor do I have any rituals except to open the file and actually get started. But I need the writing space I am used to. For most of the year this is me sitting on my bed with my laptop; in summer, the weather allowing, this is a small table on the terrace (also with my laptop).  

Other than writing full time, what would be your dream job?

– I've always wanted to be a pharmacist.

Coffee or tea? Red or white?

– I don't drink any of those, actually, my favourite beverage is Coke.

How much of your work is planned before you start? Do you have a full draft or let it find its way?

– Writing non-fiction, I think working hard on a chapter plan is essential. Still, there always come up important new aspects or facts while writing, so you never know at the start what exactly the book will be like in the end. You never know what you'll find, that's exiting.  

If you had free choice over the font your book is printed in, what font/fonts would you choose?

– I'm happy with Times Roman (and Georgia for some elements).

Are you prepared to go away from the known facts for the sake of the story and if so how do you get around this?

– No, I am certainly not prepared to do this, ahem; but I know that moment when something you believe did happen would fit very nicely into the story and then, upon checking the sources again, you notice it didn't happen at all. I guess cutting the whole passage is best, although it may be hard and entail some rewriting.

Have you ever totally hated or fallen in love with one of your characters?

– I think writing about people automatically makes them more likeable. On the other hand, of course I needed to “fall in love” with my main characters in order to keep up the research on them.

What do you enjoy reading for pleasure?

– I try to read all I read for pleasure, I have serious trouble reading things I can't get into. My favourite stuff is historical non-fiction, not necessarily about the Tudors, and also art books.  ((Same here!))

What drink would you recommend drinking whilst reading your latest book?

– Coke, of course.

Last but not least... favourite author?

– Let's say Robert Louis Stevenson and William Shakespeare.

© Diana Milne January 2017 
© Christine Hartweg November 2017



Christine Hartweg lives in Berlin and was born in South America in 1972. She has researched the Dudley family of Tudor England since 2008 and has advised the BBC and other TV channels. She wrote "John Dudley: The Life of Lady Jane Grey's Father-in-Law", and her new book is "Amy Robsart: A Life and Its End". Christine runs the specialist blog www.allthingsrobertdudley.wordpress.com

Sharon Reviews: The Woman in the Shadows by Carol McGrath

Today Sharon Bennett Connolly has the unique opportunity to review a book that has only come out this week. The Woman in the Shadows by Carol McGrath is a fascinating historical novel set in Tudor England. The author has kindly offered a paperback copy as a giveaway. To be in with a chance of winning this fabulous story, simply leave a comment below of on our Facebook Page.

The winner will be drawn on 9th August 2017. Good luck! 

A powerful, evocative new novel by the critically acclaimed author of The Handfasted Wife, The Woman in the Shadows tells the rise of Thomas Cromwell, Tudor England's most powerful statesman, through the eyes of his wife Elizabeth.

When beautiful cloth merchant’s daughter Elizabeth Williams is widowed at the age of twenty-two, she is determined to make herself a success in the business she has learned from her father. But there are those who oppose a woman making her own way in the world, and soon Elizabeth realises she may have some powerful enemies – enemies who also know the truth about her late husband.

Security – and happiness – comes when Elizabeth is introduced to kindly, ambitious merchant turned lawyer, Thomas Cromwell. Their marriage is one based on mutual love and respect…but it isn’t always easy being the wife of an influential, headstrong man in Henry VIII’s London.

The city is filled with ruthless people and strange delights – and Elizabeth realises she must adjust to the life she has chosen…or risk losing everything.

What a treat! 

Carol McGrath's latest book, The Woman in the Shadows is a fabulous fictional account of the life and times of Elizabeth Cromwell, wife of Henry VIII's famous - some would say notorious - adviser.  It is an enjoyable, thoughtful story which gives the reader an insight into life in Tudor London, in general, and in a Tudor household in particular. Following Elizabeth from the funeral of her first husband, through her widowhood and new love and marriage with Thomas Cromwell, this is not the story of Henry VIII and the Tudor court, but of the 'ordinary' people without whom the Tudors would not have been able to sustain their glamorous court.

Written in colourful, vivid language that draws you in from the first page, The Woman in the Shadows is a wonderful novel, full of life and imagery. And, of course, the fact I could find no picture of Elizabeth Cromwell - only ones of Thomas - serves to highlight how little information we have about the ordinary Tudor woman. Carol McGrath's novel gives us a rarely seen insight into everyday life of the non-aristocratic family in Tudor London. However, if you were expecting melodrama, this book is not it; adventure and mystery are given equal billing, with murder, arson and secrets, ambushes in dark corners and some strange, scary personalities making this an exciting story which is not to be missed.

Cromwell's rise to power at the Tudor court runs parallel with his family concerns, with the arrival of children and Elizabeth's own business adventures. His mysterious past - as a soldier and adventurer in Italy - is alluded to and even comes in useful. Carol McGrath does an excellent job of portraying the enigma that is Thomas Cromwell; the courtier, soldier and statesman who is also merchant, husband and father. The characters are brought to life in vivid, vibrant detail, creating a tableau that is hard to forget even once the last page has been read.

For several hours, I spoke little and ate sparingly. Father went about the hall speaking with merchants. I wondered how I would manage but knew I must and would. A chair scraped beside me, jolting me out of my thoughts. I felt a light touch on my elbow and glanced up. The feast was ending. My merchant had left his place. Gone to the privy, no doubt. Instead, Father stood by my chair, with Master Cromwell by his side.

'Lizzy, Master Cromwell is my new cloth middle-man. He would like you to show him your bombazine cloth. He has admired your mourning gown.'

I started. This was nothing new. Father always employed different cloth middlemen to sell his fabrics to Flanders, thinking each one better than the last but today, at my husband's funeral it was not seemly. Master Cromwell was watching me through eyes of an unusual shade, not quite blue or grey.

He bowed and said, 'Forgive me for staring, Mistress Williams, but you see I knew you as a child. Your father used our fulling mill in Putney.' He smiled at Father.

That was why he was familiar. I stared back, and in a moment or two I had recollected a tough, wicked little boy, some years older than I, who taught me to fish in the river with a string and a hook with a wriggling worm at the end of it.

'I do recollect you, Master Cromwell. We played together as children,' I said, feeling my mouth widen into a smile. 'Father sent your father our cloth to be washed, beaten, prepared and softened for sale. I remember climbing trees and stealing apples. You led me astray.'

Elizabeth Cromwell herself is a wonderful, strong character, facing the prejudices of the merchant class and her own family in order to take some control over her life. And The Woman in the Shadows will make you want to know more Although a history buff would know what is to become of Cromwell and Elizabeth, the author cleverly manages to avoid inserting any hindsight into the story. If you don't know what becomes of the characters, you will soon be scouring the history books for the true story.

Carol McGrath's wonderful novel transports you through time and space to the streets of London and Northampton at the height of Henry VIII's magnificent reign. With colourful, vivid imagery she recreates a world and its people which has been otherwise lost through the centuries. The city, the characters and the lifestyle have been brought back to life, recreating the vibrant world in which Thomas Cromwell would eventually rise to be the king's chief statesman. The story follows Elizabeth's life; her family, her business and her husband, cleverly demonstrating how these are affected and changed by her husband's inexorable rise to power.

The attention to detail is phenomenal, showing many of the social conventions of the time, while not detracting from the story, nor making the reader feel like they're in a lecture on social history. It paints a fascinating tableau of merchant life in Tudor London, portraying the struggles and successes facing a widow trying to keep her business going in a man's world. Rich in detail in every aspect, Carol McGrath's meticulous research has produced a novel which plunges the reader into the middle of Elizabeth's household in Tudor London. From funeral and marriage arrangements, births and christenings, to the contents of a Tudor garden and the conduct of the cloth trade, The Woman in the Shadows acts as a window into Tudor merchant society.

If you liked Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall you will love The Woman in the Shadows by Carol McGrath.. It shows the human side of the Cromwell family and is a treat for any lover of historical fiction, and especially for a fan of Tudor history. It is a novel not to be missed, and which must be devoured for both the meticulous detail and the wonderful story - especially the story.






About the author: Carol McGrath has an MA in Creative Writing from The Seamus Heaney Centre, Queens University Belfast, followed by an MPhil in Creative Writing from University of London. The Handfasted Wife, first in a trilogy about the royal women of 1066 was shortlisted for the RoNAs in 2014. The Swan-Daughter and The Betrothed Sister complete this best-selling trilogy. The Woman in the Shadows, a novel that considers Henry VIII’s statesman, Thomas Cromwell, through the eyes of Elizabeth his wife, will be published on August 4^th, 2017. Carol is working on a new medieval Trilogy, The Rose Trilogy, set in the High Middle Ages.  It subject matter is three linked medieval queens, sometimes considered ‘She Wolves’. She speaks at events and conferences on the subject of medieval women, writing Historical Fiction, The Bayeux Tapestry, and Fabrics, Tapestry and Embroidery as incorporated into fiction. Carol was the co-ordinator of the Historical Novels Association Conference, Oxford in September 2016 and reviews for the HNS.  Find Carol on her website: www.carolcmcgrath.co.uk. The Woman in the Shadows is available to purchase at http://tinyurl.com/yd3ylc2b  

About the The Reviewer: Sharon Bennett Connolly has been fascinated by history for over 30 years.

She has studied history at university and worked as a tour guide at several historic sites. She has lived in Paris and London before settling down back in a little village in her native Yorkshire, with husband James and their soon-to-be-teenage son.

Sharon has been writing a blog entitled 'History...the Interesting Bits' for a little over 2 years and has just finished her first non-fiction work, 'Heroines of the Medieval World'. The book looks at the lives of the women – some well known and some almost forgotten to history – who broke the mould; those who defied social norms and made their own future, consequently changing lives, society and even the course of history. It is due to be published by Amberley on 15th September 2017. It is now available for pre-order from Amberley, Book Depository and  Amazon.

Sharon can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Anna Reviews: The Light in the Labyrinth

The Light in the Labyrinth
by Wendy J Dunn

If there is one period in English history that has been depicted, over and over again, it is Tudor England. There seems to be something utterly irresistible about Henry VIII and his glorious daughter Elizabeth I, some sort of fascination that attracts readers like flies to a honeypot. Personally, I am not a Tudor fan – I feel a certain fatigue when yet another book detailing the intrigues at the royal court makes an appearance. Don’t get me wrong; I enjoy books set in the period – but I’ve had my fill, I think, of Henry and his hapless wives.

This is not to say that the sad end to the passionate affair between Henry and Anne Boleyn leaves me cold – beyond a doubt, this is one of the more scorching love stories in history – but it is a story where fiery passion turns to bitter ash, a spiteful, ageing king wreaking his revenge on his proud and wilful wife. Still: it is a tale all of us have heard, in one way or the other, so is it at all possible to set these sad events to a new, entrancing tune?

When The Light in the Labyrinth landed on my desk, I was therefore somewhat hesitant. Yet another book about Anne Boleyn, this enigmatic lady who so enthralled the king that he broke with the Holy Church for her sake – what new insights could possibly be offered? One chapter into the book, I no longer cared about new insights. I cared about prickly, confused Kate, Anne Boleyn’s fourteen-year-old niece.

Katherine Carey is a resentful, angry young girl. She considers her mother a fool for marrying beneath her, she is jealous of her new half siblings, condescending of her commoner stepfather and the only thing little Kate wants is to go to court and serve her adored aunt, Queen Anne. In Kate’s book, Anne is everything her own mother is not: fashionable, witty, powerful – and of course, extraordinarily happy, now that she has achieved her ambitions and become queen.

Kate’s mother, Mary, does not want her to go to court, but at long last she relents, even if her demeanour clearly shows Kate just how much her mother hates letting her go – or is it fear that causes her mother’s face to pale? Kate doesn’t care. She is going to London to live with the queen and to finally see her brother, Harry, who for the last few years has lived at court, despite being younger than Kate. She vaguely recalls her mother’s distress when Harry was taken from her – several years ago – to be brought up elsewhere, and she doesn’t quite understand why her brother was so brutally separated from his family, but conveniently blames her mother for it. In Kate’s opinion, everything is her mother’s fault – a typical adolescent reaction.

It is rather fitting that Kate enters London via London Bridge, having to ride below the garish display of the rotting heads of the king’s executed enemies. She is entering a dark world, a labyrinth of conspiracies and undercurrents, and very soon Kate’s entire universe will be severely rocked as she uncovers secrets about herself – and about the court. Even worse, it does not take Kate long to understand that her beloved aunt is far from happy. In fact, Queen Anne is distraught, living her days on a knife-edge of fear and hope – hope that she might yet give the king a son, fear of what he’ll do if she doesn’t.

While it is Anne Boleyn’s subsequent fall from grace that is the main theme of the book, this is really the story of how Kate grows from a truculent difficult child to a very young woman of integrity and courage – brave enough to confront the king, mature enough to see in him a confused and angry man who no longer knows who to trust.

In Kate, Ms. Dunn gives us a complex and credible character, one it is easy to love and care for, despite her initial despicable behaviour towards her mother and stepfather. Forced by circumstances to take on far more responsibility than she is ready for, Kate more than rises to the challenge, even in those moments when all she experiences is suffocating fear. The story is told in third person, consistently from Kate’s perspective, but here and there the author has inserted Kate’s own thoughts, taken from her secret journal, and these first-person passages add depth to Kate’s personality.

Had The Light in the Labyrinth only dealt with Queen Anne’s unhappy end, it would have made for quite the dreary read, no matter how much life Ms. Dunn blows into her cast of characters. Fortunately, she has added a sweet and innocent romance between Kate and her future husband Francis. All that teenager angst that goes in hand in hand with first love is excellently depicted – and quite, quite timeless, causing this reader to smile in recognition.

Ms. Dunn has obviously expended a lot of effort on her research. It shines through every casual description of rooms and gardens, clothes and pastimes. A myriad of characters populate these pages, but Ms. Dunn does a good job of only properly introducing the truly important, while the rest blend into the colourful background of scheming courtiers and invisible servants. Even more important – and especially in a book aimed at a young adult audience – all this information is expertly woven into the fabric of the tale, thereby avoiding any heavy-handed “info-dumps”.

All in all, The Light in the Labyrinth is quite the read – no matter the age of the reader. And yes, thanks to Kate, a new voice has been added to the well-known haunting melody – a voice that mellows and matures as the story evolves and yet retains a touch of bittersweet innocence right to the bloody, inevitable end. It is with regret I close the covers on Kate’s story, and I can but doff my cap and applaud Ms. Dunn for a work most well done!

About the author 
Wendy J. Dunn is an Australian author quite obsessed with all things Tudor, as evidenced by her previous novel Dear Heart, How Like You This, which is about Sir Thomas Wyatt, a close confidante to Anne Boleyn. Recently, she has uncovered facts that give an indirect explanation to her fascination with the Wyatt and Boleyn families – it seems Ms. Dunn’s ancestors had business dealings with these two families and may well have known both Anne and Thomas. Somewhat creepy, but quite intriguing…

Ms. Dunn can be found on her website, and The Light of the Labyrinth is available both on Amazon and Amazon UK.

Anna Belfrage is the author of six published books, all part of The Graham Saga. Set in the 17th century, the books tell the story of Matthew Graham and his time-travelling wife, Alex Lind. Anna can be found on Amazon, Twitter, Facebook and her website. If you would like Anna to review your book, please see our submissions tab above.