It is with
the greatest of pleasures that I welcome the International Bestselling author,
Tony Riches, back onto the blog to tell us all about the inspiration behind his
latest book…
Henry
(Book Three of
The Tudor Trilogy)
The final
book in the best-selling historical fiction Tudor Trilogy, this is the story,
based on actual events, of Henry Tudor, who changes the history of England
forever.
Bosworth
1485:
After victory against
King Richard III, Henry Tudor becomes King of England. Rebels and pretenders
plot to seize his throne. The barons resent his plans to curb their power and
he wonders who he can trust. He hopes to unite Lancaster and York through
marriage to the beautiful Elizabeth of York.
With help from his
mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, he learns to keep a fragile peace. He chooses a
Spanish Princess, Catherine of Aragon, as a wife for his son Prince Arthur. His
daughters will marry the King of Scotland and the son of the Emperor of Rome.
It seems his prayers are answered, then disaster strikes and Henry must ensure
the future of the Tudors.
Author’s Inspirations
I
was born in the sleepy Welsh town of Pembroke and have always been fascinated
with the life of King Henry VII, the first Tudor king, who was born in Pembroke
Castle in 1457.
There
were plenty of non-fiction books about Henry but I realised there were no
novels offering a full account of his life – and I began what became over four
years of detailed research.
My
travels took me down the ‘secret’ tunnels deep under the streets of Tenby, from
where Henry escaped the Yorkists. I also followed him to Vannes and found the chateau
deep in the wilds of Brittany where he spent many years in exile.
Château de Largoët |
I
visited the desolate cove of Mill Bay, where Henry landed with his surprisingly
small army to take on the might of King Richard III – and the impressive
re-enactment of the Battle of Bosworth Field.
Bosworth 2016 |
I’d
soon collected far too much material for one book, and decided to write it as a
trilogy, with Henry being born in the first book, ‘coming of age’ I the second
and becoming King of England in the third.
I’m
pleased to say the trilogy has become an international best seller, topping the
Amazon charts in the US and Australia, as well as the UK. I’m now looking
forward to June 10th, when a life-sized bronze statue of Henry is
being unveiled outside Pembroke Castle, to ensure he will never be forgotten.
Although
the Tudor Trilogy is now complete, I’m continuing to write about the next
generation - Henry’s youngest daughter Mary Tudor. Other authors have not
always taken the trouble to ensure accuracy regarding Mary’s life (in the TV
series The Tudors she is called
Margaret and married to the wrong king!) so I’m determined to make this new
book the definitive account.
Tony
Riches
Pembrokeshire
Wales.
Links for
Purchase
Amazon UK
Amazon US
About the author
Tony Riches is a full time author of best-selling historical fiction. He
lives in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the fifteenth
century, with a particular interest in the Wars of the Roses and the lives of
the early Tudors. For more information about Tony’s other books please visit
his website tonyriches.com and his popular blog, The Writing Desk and find him on Facebook and Twitter @tonyriches.
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See you on your next coffee break!
Take Care,
Mary Anne xxx