SPOTLIGHT w/EXCERPT - HISTORICAL FICTION - KATHERINE TUDOR DUCHESS (The Brandon Trilogy, #3) by Tony Riches

Katherine Tudor Duchess 

The Brandon Trilogy, #3

by Tony Riches

Publication Date: October 1st 2019

Preseli Press

eBook & Paperback; 328 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

BLURB
Attractive, wealthy and influential, Katherine Willoughby is one of the most unusual ladies of the Tudor court. A favourite of King Henry VIII, Katherine knows all his six wives, his daughters Mary and Elizabeth, and his son Edward, as well as being related by marriage to Lady Jane Grey.

She marries Tudor knight, Sir Charles Brandon, and becomes Duchess of Suffolk at the age of fourteen. Her Spanish mother, Maria de Salinas, is Queen Catherine of Aragon’s lady in waiting, so it is a challenging time for them all when King Henry marries the enigmatic Anne Boleyn.

Following Anne’s dramatic downfall, the short reign of young Catherine Howard, and the tragic death of Jane Seymour, Katherine’s young sons are tutored with the future king, Prince Edward, and become his friends.

Katherine and Charles Brandon are chosen to welcome Anna of Cleves as she arrives in England. When the royal marriage is annulled, Katherine’s good friend, Catherine Parr becomes the king’s sixth wife, and they work to promote religious reform.

When King Edward dies, his Catholic sister Mary is crowned queen and Katherine’s Protestant faith puts her family in great danger – from which there seems no escape.


Katherine’s remarkable true story continues the epic tale of the rise of the Tudors, which began with the best-selling Tudor trilogy and concludes with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Amazon UK | Amazon US

EXCERPT

The hunting party returned with a handsome stag draped over the back of a horse. Katherine heard young Henry describing each detail in an excited voice to his doting mother. It sounded as if Duke Charles had made it easy for the king, by employing an army of beaters to make sure their quarry didn’t stand a chance.

Later, Katherine mingled with the servants to see the sumptuous banquet served to the king in the great hall. She knew something of how much this short visit had cost them, yet understood how the duke saw it as a good investment if it restored his place at the king’s side.

Course after course of game pies, exotic fishes, sugared fancies and puddings were served with flagons of the duke’s best wine, saved for such an occasion. It looked as if the evening was going well until King Henry cursed the lack of progress in securing a divorce from Queen Catherine.

‘It seems I must visit France myself to secure the support of King Francis,’ Henry gave Duke Charles a critical look, ‘and it’s my wish that my dear sister shall travel with us.’ He took a deep drink from his goblet. ‘I recall that the King of France has a deep affection for you, dear sister, which I intend to turn to my advantage.’

Katherine, watching in the background, saw Lady Mary catch her breath. It would mean being second in importance to Anne Boleyn. Even her recent trip to London had taken a toll on her poor health. She was in no condition to sail across the Channel to France, even if she wished to.

Lady Mary failed to keep her voice from wavering. ‘My physicians advise me against travel, dear brother, although I would ask you to convey my regards to King Francis.’

King Henry stared at her for a moment, his eyes as sharp as a hawk watching a lure. He looked as if he was trying to decide whether Lady Mary was defying him.

‘That is a great shame, sister. We sail in October, so you will reconsider if your health improves. In the meantime, you will lend Lady Anne your French jewels.’

Katherine understood the significance of the king’s demand. Lady Mary thought she’d fooled the king into believing she had no French jewellery left. Several of the precious jewels had been used to help in times of financial hardship, and the rest were promised to her daughters as wedding gifts.

Somehow the king had learned the truth. They all knew that if she had to lend her jewels to Anne Boleyn she would never see them again. King Henry had found a clever way to punish Lady Mary for her criticism of his conduct, and reward his mistress at the same time.

As the evening drew on, Katherine felt tired and was preparing to retire for the night when she heard raised voices coming from the banqueting hall. She had spent the whole of the king’s visit blending into the background, so felt confident that no one, even the king, would notice her. She set off towards the great hall.

On her way she found Alice in the servant’s corridor. Alice turned to her and looked a little shaken. ‘It’s the king, my lady,’ Alice whispered. ‘I fear he is a little the worse for drink.’

‘Did you hear what he said to the duke, Alice?’ Katherine was intrigued and concerned. If the duke fell from favour once more it would affect them all.

‘It seems he is angry with His Holiness the pope. He was shouting that he will not allow the pope to treat him as he has done – and that the pope has no power over him.’

Katherine opened the servant’s door a little wider and peered into the great hall. Duke Charles sat with his back to her, with King Henry opposite him. As she watched, one of the king’s servants refilled his goblet with wine. King Henry leaned forward in his chair and scowled across at the duke.

‘I have resolved to celebrate my marriage to Lady Anne in the most solemn manner possible, Suffolk. The necessary preparations must be made straight away.’

Katherine was about to slip back into the dimly lit passageway when she felt someone’s eyes upon her. She looked across the table to the side of the king and saw Thomas Cromwell studying her with a look of recognition.

With a curt bow to the king, Cromwell excused himself and slipped away, only to appear a moment later at the doorway. Katherine and Alice stepped back into the dimly lit corridor as Thomas Cromwell forced his way in and closed the door behind him. He scowled at Katherine.

‘Katherine Willoughby.’ He made her name sound like an accusation. ‘I wondered where you’d escaped to.’ Cromwell seemed to fill the narrow passageway like some great black-caped bird of prey.

Katherine froze to the spot, intimidated by his stern tone. He thrust his florid face too close to hers and she caught the smell of sweat and stale beer. She’d heard the duke saying how, despite his background, Cromwell took Wolsey’s place as the king’s right-hand man and was now the real power behind the throne. As she stared into his dark eyes, Katherine understood why.

Author Info
Tony Riches is a full-time writer and lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. After several successful non-fiction books, Tony turned to novel writing and wrote ‘Queen Sacrifice’, set in 10th century Wales, followed by ‘The Shell’, a thriller set in present day Kenya. A specialist in the history of the early Tudors, he is best known for his Tudor Trilogy. Tony’s other international best sellers include ‘Warwick ~ The Man Behind the Wars of the Roses’ and ‘The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham’.

For more information please visit Tony’s website and his blog The Writing Desk. He can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away two paperbacks of Katherine-Tudor Duchess by Tony Riches! To enter, please use the Gleam form below. 

 Katherine Tudor Duchess 

Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on December 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Paperback giveaway is open internationally. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, November 18 Excerpt at Short Book and Scribes 

Tuesday, November 19 Guest Post at On the Tudor Trail 

Wednesday, November 20 Review at Gwendalyn's Books 

Thursday, November 21 Review at 100 Pages a Day Feature at View from the Birdhouse 

Friday, November 22 Feature at Cover To Cover Cafe 

Monday, November 25 Review at A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, November 26 Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads 

Wednesday, November 27 Review at Passages to the Past 

Thursday, November 28 Excerpt at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Monday, December 2 Review at book frolic Review at History + Fiction + Spirit 

Tuesday, December 3 Review at Nursebookie 

Wednesday, December 4 Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

 Thursday, December 5 Review at Donna's Book Blog Review at Curling up by the Fire

Friday, December 6 Excerpt at Coffee and Ink Review at A Darn Good Read

SPOTLIGHT w/TRAILER - HISTORICAL TUDOR - Brandon-Tudor Knight by Tony Riches

Brandon - Tudor Knight 

by Tony Riches

Publication Date: December 3rd 2018

Preseli Press

eBook; ASIN: B07L3YGBWJ

Genre: Historical/Tudor/Biographical

From the author of the international bestselling Tudor Trilogy comes a true story of adventure, courtly love and chivalric loyalty. 

BLURB
Handsome, charismatic and a champion jouster, Sir Charles Brandon is the epitome of a Tudor Knight. A favourite of King Henry VIII, Brandon has a secret. He has fallen in love with Henry’s sister, Mary Tudor, the beautiful widowed Queen of France, and risks everything to marry her without the King’s consent. 

Brandon becomes Duke of Suffolk, but his loyalty is tested fighting Henry’s wars in France. Mary’s public support for Queen Catherine of Aragon brings Brandon into dangerous conflict with the ambitious Boleyn family and the king’s new right-hand man, Thomas Cromwell. 

Torn between duty to his family and loyalty to the king, Brandon faces an impossible decision: can he accept Anne Boleyn as his new queen?

Available on Amazon

EXCERPT

Chapter One of Brandon – Tudor Knight, April 1505:

He stood before the Lord Steward, his left eye swollen and bruised, his nose possibly broken. The cuts on his knuckles stung after the physician’s potion, which made them worse. The charges against him were serious and his whole future now hung by the slender thread of his own defence.

Sir George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, sat behind a grand desk in his oak-panelled office, the white staff, warrant of his authority from the king, used as a paperweight. He peered at Brandon with an appraising stare, as if judging him before he’d even had the chance to speak.

A thickset, powerful man with a well-groomed beard, Sir George was a loyal favourite of the king. Presiding over the royal household was only part of his reward. He studied the parchment on the desk before him, raising an eyebrow at the contents.

‘Charles Brandon, I have the duty of administering justice between the domestic servants of the sovereign – and deciding the punishment, where appropriate.’

Brandon groaned inwardly. He’d given no thought to what the punishment might be. Although he’d hoped the escapade would be forgotten, he should have known there would be consequences when he threw the first punch. A heavy fine was likely, and that would increase his mounting debts. He had no money of his own and hadn’t yet made any payments to his uncle. He envied the Lord Steward’s power and braced himself for what was to come.

‘We cannot allow servants of the king to brawl in the street like commoners, Brandon.’ Sir George scowled at the thought. ‘What do you have to say for yourself?’

‘They insulted the memory of my father, my lord.’

Sir George’s chair creaked as he sat back in it, and his expression changed from apparent disinterest to one of curiosity. ‘I knew your father. He was a good man, to the end.’

Brandon struggled to remain silent. Sir George Talbot was present at Bosworth and might have witnessed his father’s death by the sword of King Richard, unable to defend himself while holding the Tudor standard. Brandon’s mother once said it was typical of him. To this day, he regretted not asking her to tell him more. He made a judgement to speak.

‘They said my father forced himself on a gentlewoman – and her daughter.’ He dug his nails into his palms as he battled to control the anger returning to his voice. It pained him to repeat the slur but he had no choice.

‘I’ve heard the story,’ Sir George nodded, ‘although I’ve no idea if it’s true.’ He referred to the papers again and looked up at Brandon. ‘You are charged with affray, yet if I find these men set upon you, I can record it as self-defence.’ His tone had softened a little.

‘I beg your forgiveness, my lord. I do not wish to name those who insulted my father’s name.’

‘Most noble of you, Master Brandon,’ his eyes narrowed, ‘although the report before me shows you defended your father somewhat better than he defended himself.’ Sir George seemed to reach a decision. ‘You hold a position of trust as a servant of the king.’ He frowned. ‘You should be dismissed, without references.’

‘My lord, I confess to acting rashly—’

Sir George Talbot held up a hand to silence him. ‘I’ve decided to reassign you to new duties, in return for your guarantee to show more restraint in the future.’

‘You have my word, my lord.’

‘Good.’ Sir George nodded. ‘I’ve seen your skill at the joust, Brandon. You show much promise. It’s a waste of your talents to have you serving the king’s table. How old are you now?’

‘Twenty-one, my lord.’

‘You’ve served time enough. I could put your name forward for the King’s Spears – but I have to be satisfied you are worthy of the task...’

‘I am, sir.’ He watched Sir George stroke his beard as he made up his mind what to do. ‘I won’t let you down again, my lord. As you know, my uncle, Sir Thomas, is the king’s Master of the Horse. He has taught me well.’

‘Then you are fortunate, Brandon, but mark my words: for your father’s sake, I’m prepared to show leniency this time – but I shall not be forgiving if you appear before me again. Do you understand?’

‘I am grateful to you, my lord,’ Brandon gave a brief bow, ‘and will not forget your kindness.’

* * *

Author Info
Tony Riches is a full-time writer and lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. After several successful non-fiction books, Tony turned to novel writing and wrote ‘Queen Sacrifice’, set in 10th century Wales, followed by ‘The Shell’, a thriller set in present-day Kenya. A specialist in the history of the early Tudors, he is best known for his Tudor Trilogy. Tony’s other international bestsellers include ‘Warwick ~ The Man Behind the Wars of the Roses’ and ‘The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham’.

Website  The Writing Desk  Facebook   Twitter    Goodreads

Giveaway
During the Blog Tour we will be giving away a paperback copy of Brandon-Tudor Knight! To enter, please use the Gleam form below. 

Brandon Tudor Knight

Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 19th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Giveaway is open internationally. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. 

Hosted by

Presented by

Blog Tour Schedule

Thursday, February 28 Review at Passages to the Past 

Friday, March 1 Feature at CelticLady's Reviews Review at Locks, Hooks and Books 

Monday, March 4 Interview at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, March 5 Review at Donna's Book Blog 

Wednesday, March 6 Guest Post at Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen 

Thursday, March 7 Feature at T's Stuff 

Friday, March 8 Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads 

Monday, March 11 Guest Post at On the Tudor Trail 

Tuesday, March 12 Review at Hisdoryan Feature at To Read, Or Not to Read 

Wednesday, March 13 Review at For the Sake of Good Taste 

Thursday, March 14 Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots 

Friday, March 15 Review at Coffee and Ink Review at A Darn Good Read 

Sunday, March 17 Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit 

Monday, March 18 Review at Maiden of the Pages Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views 

Tuesday, March 19 Review at The Tudor Enthusiast Review at Just One More Chapter