Elizabeth J St John

Yes, finally was able to sit down and write a Counterpoint for Barbara – a short story from her perspective that complements a chapter from The Lady of the Tower. It’s a quick read – and one that I hope you’ll enjoy. Maybe you’ll even feel sorry for her. Well, that might be going a bit too far.  Goodreads: Elizabeth St.John

Barbara Villiers Palmer is one of the most famous courtesans in history. Mistress to Charles II and mother of five of his children, Lady Castlemaine’s notoriety is legendary. This is the story of her namesake and grandmother, Barbara St.John Villiers. The apple did not fall far from the tree.

Barbara St.John Villiers has always despised her sister Lucy, and when Theo Howard, Earl of Suffolk, fell in love with her, Barbara thought she’d die of jealousy. Instead, she decided to get even by befriending someone even more scandalous than herself, Theo’s sister, Frances Howard, Countess of Somerset. Unfortunately, Frances was then imprisoned in the Tower of London, accused of murder, and Barbara had to find a way to turn this to her advantage – and continue her vendetta against Lucy.

When I was back at the Tower a few weeks ago, imagine my delight when my Beefeater guide informed me that Lucy’s lost garden is going to be restored. The Victorians built housing over part of the land, and so the garden between Lucy’s house and the Bloody Tour is being excavated. Here’s an article I wrote for Mary Anne Yarde’s lovely blog about the garden, and Sir Walter Raleigh’s role in her curatives. The Tower of London’s Physick Garden

Giving away an audio book a week in June, so enter to win simply by checking “interested” on my Facebook Author Page. I’ll announce the winners weekly. Perfect time to relax outdoors and listen to a book! Open to both US and UK Amazon Audible listeners.

Elizabeth St.John Author Facebook

Thrilled to announce that By Love Divided joins my first novel, The Lady of the Tower, as a BRAG Medallion Honoree. Awarded for excellence in independent fiction, a BRAG Medallion lets readers know that the work is worthy, and has been given this honor by readers. Thanks for the great endorsement, and I REALLY appreciate the award! https://www.bragmedallion.com/award-winning-books/historical-fiction/by-love-divided/

Preview:

So excited to say that The Lady of the Tower Audio Book is now on sale on Amazon, Audible and I-Tunes. Thanks to the fantastic Bridget Thomas, a very talented actress who narrated the novel, Lucy’s story is now available for your listening pleasure. And, it’s truly a whole different experience from reading – especially hearing the language and original recipes and letters read aloud. I actually got goose-bumps a few times, even still.

If you are a new subscriber to Audible, the book is FREE if it’s your first choice. I do hope you enjoy!

In final production review of The Lady of the Tower Audio Book. It is a whole new incredible experience to hear their stories, letters and words aloud. I can’t wait to share. Bridget Thomas, an extremely talented narrator, won the audtion based on my readers’ votes (and mine, I was so hoping they’d love her as much as I do). Check out her voice on the clip on her website.

https://www.bridgetsvoice.com

Just a couple of weeks until release date!

Next month I head back to the Tower of London for some behind-the-scenes research on my latest book. When I was last there, I took a few photos from inside the Queen’s House, the home of The Lady of the Tower. Here’s my article on MK Tod’s excellent Historical Fiction blog. 

Memoirs from the Tower of London – Elizabeth St. John

Thrilled with this wonderful review of By Love Divided which appeared today in Reading the Past, one of the best historical fiction blogs around.

“The novels in Elizabeth St. John’s Lydiard Chronicles are standouts in the recent resurgence of historical fiction set in 17th-century England.”

http://readingthepast.blogspot.com/2018/04/by-love-divided-by-elizabeth-st-john.html

Happy to share a free download of Counterpoint, a short story I wrote to explain the “other” side of Theo, Earl of Suffolk. Hoping to write more in the coming weeks – it’s really fun to explore alternative points of views of some of my favorite characters from The Lydiard Chronicles. Please accept this as a “thank you” from me!

Counterpoint Theo Earl of Suffolk