A new queen must prove she deserves the throne God gave her, while the path everyone insists will secure it might cost her everything.
Against all odds, Elizabeth Tudor has become Queen of England. Determined to fulfill what she sees as a divine responsibility, she sets out to heal a country ravaged by religious discord, war, and debt – and vindicate the legacy of Anne Boleyn, the mother who did not deserve her fate.
But Elizabeth’s crown is not fully secure: to the Catholic world, her cousin Mary Stuart is the rightful Queen of England and there are rumblings to put her there. Shoring up defenses requires that Elizabeth challenge France’s control of Scotland and Spain’s dominance on the seas, as well as calm internal strife. Above the din of menace, one question dominates all others: who will she marry?
William Cecil, her trusted Secretary of State, urges her to secure an alliance through a strategic match. Robert Dudley, the love of her life, pressures her to choose him. And Mary herself presents a cautionary tale. In the end, Elizabeth chooses not as a woman but as a queen, and learns the sobering truth of sovereignty: to rule is to stand alone.
What Love E’er Meant, the searing second volume in the Regina Trilogy, captures a young queen’s struggle to balance love and power, duty and desire…and the profound cost of choosing crown over heart.
Writing Interview Questions.
Why did you choose to write your book in this era?
I have always been obsessed with the Tudors, so I never really considered anything else! Indeed, I named my YouTube channel “Too Much Tudor” - and this is my fifth novel set in the era…so it’s not much of a stretch! 😉
Did you find researching this era particularly difficult? What was the hardest thing to find out, and did you come across anything particularly surprising?
I have been researching the Tudors for decades so I have wide background knowledge. And I have to give credit to England: they have put so much of their history online, which makes researching incredibly easy. With one huge exception of course: aspects of daily life (especially women’s daily life) that were so common that no one ever bothered recording them!
Can you share something about the book that isn’t covered in the blurb?
So many details are missing – the blurb explains things from a perspective of thirty thousand feet high. It mentions Mary Stuart, but only from the perspective of her claim to the throne. It does not delve into how Mary’s experiences and choices – her marriages to Darnley and then Bosworth, her deposal and imprisonment - brought to life Elizabeth’s greatest fears, and vindicated her caution.
If you had to describe your protagonist(s), in three words, what would those three words be and why?
Smart. Careful yet bold. Confident. Oops, that was four…
What was the most challenging part about writing your book?
The challenge for biographical fiction is to find the true emotional arc that is buried within a life. To figure out what to cut to keep the story flowing while still including enough of the actual history for accuracy. And because it’s the most challenging aspect, it’s also the most rewarding.
Was there anything that you edited out of this book that would have drastically affected the story, should it be left in?
The thing about Elizabeth is that she was remarkably persistent in her inconsistency. She mulled over a problem from all sides until a solution presented itself, often covering the same ground over and over again. I left out a lot of this will-she-or-won’t-she…and while it would not have drastically affected the story, it would have bogged it down until it was almost unrecognizable.
What are you currently working on?
Book three! The second half of Elizabeth’s reign, when her greatest weapon (a strategic marriage) was no longer available to her. The whole world saw her as suddenly weak, and came after her. She faced conflicts in the Netherlands, Ireland, and France. Spain sent the Armada. Essex tried to incite rebellion. Parliament fought her on monopolies. Overcoming all these situations is where she earned the name Gloriana.
What would you tell an aspiring author who had some doubts about their writing abilities?
Keep going! Do not take your first draft as evidence of the quality of your writing: your early versions are *supposed* to be terrible. Keep going, study the craft, find a critique group, and don’t ever stop.
Personal Interview Questions.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I volunteer at my local library’s used bookstore. Nothing gives me more joy than to talk books all day long, to recommend them to others and even grab some for myself and friends. Nothing except for my other volunteer gig, supporting young readers who have fallen behind.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
After four-year-old me got over the desperate desire to be a supermarket cashier (anything to push all those buttons), lawyer for some reason came to mind. Less for the arguing part (though there was that!) than for the specificity you needed in writing contracts. Playing with words has always been a passion of mine.
What’s for dinner tonight? What would you rather be eating?
When my youngest went off to college, I stopped cooking. My husband has since picked up the slack so dinner will be whatever he has planned! (Though there is a local restaurant that serves a bone marrow achiote that I scream for whenever given the chance).
What would be a perfect day?
A volunteer shift in the morning, story breakthroughs in the afternoon, and all my kids over for dinner at night. Oh, and good weather for a long dog walk!
What is the best part of your day?
The first half-hour after I wake up: snuggled in bed with my book and a pot of coffee (yes, the whole pot).
Either or!
Tea or coffee: Coffee. Lots of it!
Hot or cold: Hot
Movie or book: Book
Morning person or Night owl: Morning
City or country: City
Social Media or book: Book (I see a trend here!)
Paperback or ebook: Depends. Paperbacks at home, but ebooks while traveling
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