The Tudor Secret - C. W. Gortner [125]
The most obvious, of course, is that history makes no mention of Elizabeth Tudor visiting the court during the days leading up to Edward VI’s demise. There is also no definitive proof that the young king was poisoned to extend his life. Nevertheless, the historical events I describe surrounding the nine-day reign of Jane Grey and Northumberland’s fall are true. The duke did in fact seek to supplant Mary Tudor with his new daughter-in-law, and his army did desert him in favor of Mary. Likewise, Robert Dudley was sent after the embattled Mary to capture her; had he succeeded, there is little doubt that Elizabeth’s arrest would have followed.
Kate Stafford, Peregrine, Archie Shelton, and Mistress Alice are fictional characters based on servants from the Tudor era.
Mary of Suffolk, Henry VIII’s younger sister, did in fact oppose her brother’s break with Rome and his marriage to Anne Boleyn. Mary refused to acknowledge Anne as queen and stayed far from court in the months before her death. Nevertheless, the supposition that Mary hid a pregnancy is fictional, as is Brendan Prescott—though the idea of a secret Tudor does fascinate.
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Because writing by its nature is a solitary obsession and by profession a creative collaboration, I owe a debt of immense gratitude to my agent, Jennifer Weltz, who has championed my work with boundless enthusiasm. She and her colleagues at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency are my touchstones in an often unpredictable business. My editor, Charles Spicer, has been a longtime supporter of my writing, and I’m privileged to be working with him and his assistant editor, Allison Caplin, as well as my copy editor, Kate Davis. Everyone on the publishing team at St. Martin’s Press, from publicity to marketing to creative, are phenomenal, and I thank them for giving this book their all.
On a personal level, my partner has stood by me with humor and sagacity as I struggled to make the transition from unpublished writer to author. I must also thank our beloved corgi, Paris, for showing me every day how to live with joy. My brother and his wife provided early feedback. My friend Linda read the manuscript several times. Fellow aficionado Paula jammed with me for inspiration. The two Jeans—Billy and LuAnn—and Jack of the Sunset Writers Group gave me laughter and encouragement. Sarah Johnson of the Historical Novel Society is a special friend, indeed, both for her tireless support of the genre and support of this book in its previous incarnations. My dog-walking friends in McLaren Park kept me humble, and my late friend Marie H., with whom I took long walks while this book was written, provided me with tea and wisdom. I miss her and remember her often.
I also must thank all the bookstores, sales reps, fellow writers, and the many bloggers who continue to champion the importance of books in our increasingly frenetic culture.
I wish to thank my mother, who gave me my first historical novel and ignited a spark in me that has never faded, and my father, who encouraged me to write. Though he did not live long enough to see my books published, he would have been proud.
Last, but never least, I thank you, my reader, because without you, books only exist as pages between covers. Your eyes bring my words to life. I am humbled to be one of your storytellers and sincerely hope to entertain you for many years to come.
For more information about my work, including scheduling book-group chats and features on my upcoming novels, please visit me at www.cwgortner.com.
THE TUDOR SECRET
by C. W. Gortner
About the Author
• A Conversation with C. W. Gortner
Behind the Novel
• Historical Timeline
• “Elizabeth I: An Endless Fascination”
An Original Essay by the Author
Keep on Reading
• Recommended Reading
• Reading Group Questions
For more reading group suggestions,
visit www.readinggroupgold.com