Elizabeth St.John

Finding Meg Catesby at home | Inspiration for my new book

My recent trip to GB felt like the Whacky Races – I drove 2848 miles (thanks Avis!) in 17 days as I zig-zagged across the island, hugging every family member, enjoying late night chats and long country walks with dear friends, and meeting a couple of fifteenth-century relatives who appear in my new book, The Godmother’s Secret. In the coming weeks I’ll be sharing more, but here’s a glimpse of one day spent in the hallowed quiet of a country church, and an exploration of the adjacent manor house. Home to the Catesby family for centuries, at Ashby Manor I found Margaret de la Zouche – Meg in my new novel – along with her husband William Catesby, Richard III’s loyal Chancellor. Both Meg and Will were part of the unfolding drama of the succession of Edward V to the throne in the summer of 1483, and the subsequent disappearance of Edward and his younger brother Richard – the “Princes in the Tower.” Meg’s stepmother, Elysabeth St.John, is my ancestress and, as the godmother to Edward V, brings her own story to the mystery…

The Godmother’s Secret is a medieval historical fiction about the lost Princes in the Tower. Were they murdered by Richard III? Did Margaret Beaufort play a role in their disappearance? Elysabeth St.John is the godmother to Edward, the oldest prince, and Margaret’s sister. Of anyone at the Royal Court, Elysabeth has the most to lose, and the most to gain, by keeping secret the fate of the Princes in the Tower.

The Girl from Oto | A Brilliant Audio Book by Amy Maroney | Narrated by Meg Price

I literally just got back from driving around the UK earlier this week – and my company was Amy Maroney’s audio book, The Girl from Oto. What great entertainment! Here’s my review, and more details. The Girl from Oto AUDIBLE Review

The Girl from Oto
(The Miramonde Series, Book 1)
By Amy Maroney
Narrated by Meg Price
A Renaissance-era woman artist and an American scholar. Linked by a 500-year-old mystery…
The secrets of the past are irresistible—and treacherous.
1500: Born during a time wracked by war and plague, Renaissance-era artist Mira grows up in a Pyrenees convent believing she is an orphan. When tragedy strikes, Mira learns the devastating truth about her own origins. But does she have the strength to face those who would destroy her?
2015: Centuries later, art scholar Zari unearths traces of a mysterious young woman named Mira in two 16th-century portraits. Obsessed, Zari tracks Mira through the great cities of Europe to the pilgrim’s route of Camino de Santiago—and is stunned by what she finds. Will her discovery be enough to bring Mira’s story to life?
A powerful story and an intriguing mystery, The Girl from Oto is an unforgettable novel of obsession, passion, and human resilience.
The Girl from Oto: https://mybook.to/girlfromoto
Mira’s Way: https://mybook.to/MirasWay
A Place in the World: https://mybook.to/aPlaceInTheWorld

Amy Maroney lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family, and spent many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction before turning her hand to historical fiction. When she’s not diving down research rabbit holes, she enjoys hiking, dancing, traveling, and reading. Amy is the author of the Miramonde Series, a trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Amy’s new series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, features ordinary people seeking their fortunes under the rule of the medieval Knights Hospitaller in Rhodes, Greece. To receive a free prequel novella to the Miramonde Series, join Amy Maroney’s readers’ group at www.amymaroney.com.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.amymaroney.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/wilaroney
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amymaroneyauthor
Instagram: www.instagram.com/amymaroneywrites/
Pinterest: pinterest.com/amyloveshistory/
BookBub: www.bookbub.com/profile/amy-maroney
Amazon Author Page: author.to/AmyMaroneyAmazonPage
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/15831603.Amy_Maroney

Lucy Hutchinson’s Life and Family | Talk in Nottingham June 27th

Find out more about the extraordinary woman behind the memoirs. I’m so excited to be speaking in Nottingham on June 27th at the
Lucy Hutchinson Conference
Family Ties: How Lucy Hutchinson’s Royalist Family Impacted her Puritan Reality
Lucy Hutchinson was born into a life of power and privilege at the Queen’s House in the Tower of London. In her formative years she lived the highly advantaged life of a young girl whose father, Sir Allen Apsley, was a trusted advisor to King Charles I. Her station came as result of her mother’s aristocratic connections – Lucy St.John was born into an ancient English family proud of its royal ancestors, and Hutchinson’s aunt, Barbara St.John Villiers, leveraged the patronage of her brother-in-law, the Duke of Buckingham, to facilitate Apsley’s purchase of the office of Lieutenant of the Tower. By the time Lucy married Colonel John Hutchinson, civil war was imminent. But, despite Lucy embracing Colonel Hutchinson’s parliamentary views, and ultimately his role as a regicide, she maintained loving ties with her Royalist brother Allen, and favourite cousin Anne Wilmot, Countess of Rochester. And, throughout the interregnum and the subsequent restoration of the monarchy, Lucy Hutchinson accepted assistance from her influential Royalist relatives to secure a death sentence pardon for her husband, the king-killer. In this presentation, Elizabeth St.John explores Lucy Hutchinson’s powerful Royalist family connections, and how the St.John, Wilmot and Villiers families impacted Lucy’s life—ultimately securing the fate of the Memoirs.