Queen of Martyrs Blog Tour

Have you missed any of the great articles, interviews, and excerpts that have been a part of the Queen of Martyrs blog tour? Get caught up right here!

We begin with a spot at The Writing Desk of fellow author Tony Riches, where I address reader expectations of 'Bloody Mary'.

"Why 'Bloody Mary'?" at The Writing Desk

Next, some surprising similarities between the much loved Katherine of Aragon and her daughter at EHFA.

"Mary I: Her Mother's Daughter" at English Historical Fiction Authors

This one includes an excerpt! And a look at the complicated relationship between Mary and her cousin, Lady Jane Grey

"Mary and Jane: Reluctant Rivals" at Lady Jane Grey Reference Guide

Ever wondered about the person behind the books? Suzy Henderson interviewed me for her blog.

"Interview with Author Samantha Wilcoxson" at  Blog of Suzy Henderson

Just for fun! What if Mary had chosen someone else to be her husband?

"Mary and Reginald: What Could Have Been?" at Tudors Dynasty

Another fun stop - I got to 'interview' one of my favorite secondary characters from Queen of Martyrs: Frances Waldegrave.

"An Interview with Frances Waldegrave" at History Imagined

Readers might be surprised by this look at the relationship and similarities of character between Mary and her more favored sister, Elizabeth.

"What Elizabeth Learned from Mary" at Blog of Judith Arnopp

Finally, I was a guest of book blogger Poppy Coburn with a post regarding what Queen of Martyrs is truly about - exposing the real Queen Mary behind the myths and misconceptions.

"Exposing the Real 'Bloody Mary'" at Blog of Poppy Coburn

Now for the BOOK REVIEWS! 

Two blogs have also featured beautiful reviews of Queen of Martyrs:

Troy Rodgers at Knight of Angels
He's the one who convinced me to write it! Talk about pressure!

Sharon Connolly at History- The Interesting Bits
Sharon has her own book coming out soon: Heroines of the Medieval World - I can't wait to get my hands on it and find more wonderful women to write about!

You can also find several brilliant reviews for my Mary at Goodreads, Amazon, & Amazon UK.

Have you written a review? Please link it in the comments below!!

Don't want to miss anything? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, or Instagram.

One more thing....if you ever want to find articles I have written for other websites/blogs, you can find them here.

Whew! It's been a busy month! Thank you for your support!

From the Scriptorium: March 2017

March 2017 Edition

Queen of Martyrs is available for pre-order on Kindle!

I am thrilled with the feedback that I have received so far from beta readers and am eager to release Mary's story to the world. If you order today, it will be delivered to your Kindle bright and early on April 12!

'God save the Queen! God save our good Queen Mary!'

When these words rang out over England, Mary Tudor thought her troubles were over. She could put her painful past - the loss of her mother and mistreatment at the hands of her father - behind her.

With her accession to the throne, Mary set out to restore Catholicism in England and find the love of a husband that she had long desired. But the tragedies in Mary's life were far from over. How did a gentle, pious woman become known as 'Bloody Mary'?

Featured Reviews

Read the first Goodreads review of Queen of Martyrs!

Plantagenet Princess, Tudor Queen on Knight of Angels

Faithful Traitor on Themis-Athena's Garden of Books

Over the Deep on Amazon

Upcoming Event

Join me for An Evening with An Author at the Michigan Library Association Spring Institute in Frankenmuth, MI. Proceeds from this event will support local children's literacy efforts. 

Tickets are on sale now.  I look forward to seeing you there!

In the News

This month I was excited to be invited to History Rocks! Check out my post discussing some strong women who may have been bastardized princess but went on to become queens.

The Fine Line Between Bastard and Princess

I also celebrated the birthday of Queen Mary I with a post at English Historical Fiction Authors that challenges readers to rethink their assumptions about 'Bloody Mary'. 

The Unpopular Tudor

Did you miss it?

Historical fiction author Suzy Henderson wrote a wonderful post for my blog this month on the sacrificial work of Sir Archibald McIndoe during World War II. Check out this amazing story that served as her inspiration for her novel, The Beauty Shop.

Hope in the Midst of War

My post on Reginald Pole receiving news of his mother's execution has skyrocketed to the top of my most viewed articles. I am happy to discover that I am not the only one intrigued by the tragic Pole family.

Reginald Pole Learns of his Mother's Execution


You can also catch up with my Historic Places blog series and take a virtual tour of some amazing destinations!

I have some wonderful guests and posts planned for March, so stay tuned! Subscribe to my blog using the form at the right to make sure you don't miss a thing. You can also follow me on Facebook or Twitter.

From the Scriptorium: February 2017

February 2017 Edition

Most of my time over the past month has been dedicated to getting Queen of Martyrs ready for beta readers. I am so thankful for these wonderful people who take the time to help me make each book ready for the world! Proofs will be in their hands by the end of February so that dear Mary will be ready for her April release.

Work is ongoing on In Bed with the British as well. It is fun to work on nonfiction, and it makes me wish that I lived in the UK so that I could dedicate more time to this type of work. This anthology will be available summer 2017.

Featured Reviews

Historical fiction author Tony Riches knows his Tudors and has written his own series on the lives of Owen, Jasper, and Henry, so I am especially thrilled to receive a review from him for Plantagenet Princess, Tudor Queen.

One of those priceless beta readers has the blog of a true modern renaissance man. His review of Faithful Traitor was the very first I received and I am still thankful for it.

Post a link to your review below to see it featured in a future newsletter!

Upcoming Events

In March, I will be participating in a special event as part of the Michigan Library Association Spring Institute. Join me in Frankenmuth for great food, more Christmas decor than can be found anywhere else, and bookish conversation.

Did you miss it?

This month, I was honored to be a guest at the blog of author Annie Whitehead. She has kindly reviewed Plantagenet Princess, Tudor Queen and had some follow-up questions.

The most popular article here on my blog this month was a fun look at how Thomas Becket managed to cause some trouble for another King Henry centuries after his death.

We also took a virtual trip to Boston, Massachusetts for a look at some US history.

Important historical dates in January included the death of Catherine Valois, the woman who made the Tudor dynasty possible, and the death of Henry Pole, the unjustly executed son of Margaret Pole.

You want it? You got it!

I have several guests and historic topics planned for the coming months, but let me know if I'm missing something. What would you like to see here? All you have to do is leave it in the comments below. Happy reading!