Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV, was the first queen of England to bear the name that has so much significance to us today. Before her, there had been several queens styled Isabella and one Isabel (Spanish and Italian variants… Read More ›
History
The Merriest Harlot
Jane Shore is the second person and the first woman we meet in The Protector, as she waits with members of Edwards IV’s Privy Council for an opportunity to speak to the dying king. She has been his favorite mistress,… Read More ›
Remembering the Ladies
While John Adams was in Philadelphia helping to draft the Declaration of Independence in 1776, his wife Abigail admonished him to “remember the ladies,” because “all men would be tyrants if they could.” Her words ring no less true in… Read More ›
Enter the Villain
Who or what is a villain? Shakespeare’s Richard III seems to announce his villainy with a trumpet blast: “And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover . . . I am determined to prove a villain . . .” … Read More ›
A Brief History Lesson
The background for both of my novels is the series of dynastic conflicts between the royal houses of Lancaster and York, now known as “the Wars of the Roses.” The Protector takes place in 1483 near the end of the… Read More ›
Kathleen M. Kelley 