The Chosen Queen (46 page)

I have so many people to thank for getting me this far. Writing a book is a crazy thing to do and whilst for me it’s been largely a joy, I can’t say it’s made
me a joy to be around for the other poor souls in my life and I cannot thank them enough for being there for me.

Firstly I need to thank Stuart and our children for their patience, love and tolerance of my endless interest in Anglo-Saxon facts. In particular Hannah for telling everyone I ‘only write
about the Battle of Hastings’, Alec for keeping my feet on the ground by reminding me ‘football is so much more important than books’, Rory for being an example of endless
studiousness, and Emily for being my fellow history-lover and Welsh reader-in-residence. They’re so proud of having a ‘writer’ for a mum and I very much hope this book will live
up to their loving and trusting expectations.

Then there’s my brother, Sandy, and my sister, Lindsay, for being so damned successful in their own spheres that I’ve had to fight and fight to try and keep up! And of course, along
with their lovely families, for being my confidants, supporters and drinking buddies. My dad for reading my work, providing honest and valuable feedback, and, particularly, for always picking up
accidentally rude or foolish words (never will anyone in my books ‘stoke’ someone’s thigh again). My stepmum for vital childcare in the early years when I was trying to become
‘a writer’, and my mum for chocolate, emotional support and the lovely message recently left on my whiteboard stating: ‘Keep going – I sense a breakthrough coming’.
How right you were, Mum!

Then there are my friends. Maggie and Jacky and all the Cambridge girlies who have insisted with impressive consistency that I am not totally mad for trying to be a writer. My Supper Club ladies
for boosting my confidence with my waistline and for keeping me sane (well, almost sane) through the perils of working as a self-employed mum. Brenda and Jamie for editorial wisdom and vital hot
tubbage, Tracey for no-nonsense encouragement and quality snacks, and my writerly mates Tracy Bloom and Julie Houston, both of whom I met through the RNA, and with whom I have been privileged to
share some of the trials and joys of becoming published.

And finally the pros. A big thanks to all my editors at the women’s magazines for their backing and advice over the last fifteen years. To the Open University for employing me as a
Creative Writing tutor – work that I love and that has brought me the income that enabled me to continue writing as a ‘proper job’. Emily’s Welsh friend, Aled, for verifying
my clumsy use of his beautiful language; the fantastic Anglo-Saxon House; the British Museum; and the lovely ladies at Mickleover Library for their endless help and patience.

And then of course I have to say a huge thank you to Kate Shaw, my fantastic agent, who first showed belief in me as a writer way back in 2004 and who has stubbornly persisted in that belief and
finally persuaded somebody else to agree with her. And finally to that somebody – Natasha Harding at Pan Macmillan – for being the one who loved my novel enough to take it on and bring
it to the world, as well as for her enthusiasm and astute editing.

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I sat up in my cot and read picture books to myself. I thank every person listed above and no doubt a thousand more besides for all they’ve done to
help me get this far and I look forward to sharing the next part of the journey with them too.

I am indebted to the creators of many, many books, websites, museums and exhibits for bringing this murky period of history to life for me. Here is a list of just a few sources
that readers might enjoy if, having read this work of fiction, they wish to dig for more facts.

1. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Yes, ever since I can remember. My mum says that as a toddler I used to be happy in my cot for hours, as long as I had plenty of books in there with me, and I’ve always
been a voracious reader. I loved Enid Blyton and was writing my own boarding-school books by the time I was about ten. English was always my favourite subject, with History close behind.

I did Creative Writing as part of my Duke of Edinburgh Award and always kept writing privately: both long, angsty diaries and short stories. I studied English Literature at Cambridge University
and then, when I was working in a wonderful Lancashire mill town and had loads of time on my hands, I started writing again. I discovered that short-story writing really helped me refine my ability
to create a narrative. I’ve had over two hundred stories published in women’s magazines and I still love writing them, but bit by bit I’ve crept back to longer fiction –
first serials for the magazines and, increasingly, novels.

My children are now thirteen and ten, which has helped me find time to devote to my writing, but I still can’t quite believe that it’s actually happening. All my life I’ve
dreamed of having a book on the shelves of a bookshop and now that I’m there, it’s wonderful.

2. Why do you write historical fiction?

I’ve always been fascinated by the past. I remember, as a child, visiting Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh and standing over the (presumably re-touched) bloodstain where
David Rizzio was murdered by Lord Darnley, and being forcibly struck by the reality of standing on the same spot – the very same boards – where the killing had taken place.

That sense of the layers of human experience through time has remained with me always, and as I moved on in my study of English Literature, I found myself gravitating towards Medieval and
Arthurian Studies because I was fascinated by the idea of context – of the cultural lives that surrounded these stories. A story told out-loud to a post-feast crowd of Vikings would have been
aimed at creating drama and mood to rouse a live audience, who might well have been about to try and emulate their heroes in battle so needed courage as well as entertainment. In comparison, a
nineteenth-century novel, designed to be read in private, would seek to provoke quieter emotion and thoughts for serious discussion later. I wanted to understand more about those differences and
inevitably, I guess, that led me into learning more about the way lives were lived in the past. The more I learned, the more I was gripped and I wanted to explore the people who might have lived in
those past times in my fiction.

3. How long did it take you to write The Chosen Queen?

That’s a hard question to answer because I think all the years of writing, both as a child and as a short-story writer, have gone into making me the person that could
craft this book. Writing the actual novel probably only took a few months, but so much else goes into it – not the least, my research.

Before
The Chosen Queen
was accepted by Pan Macmillan I wrote another novel set in 1045–52 about Aldyth Godwinson, wife of King Edward. Much of the research for that I used for
The Chosen Queen
, but all the Welsh history was new to me and had to be carefully studied.

Then of course there’s the editing – I reckon it takes almost twice as long to edit a novel as it does to write the first draft so, in total, a solid year went into creating this
particular book.

4. Can you tell us about your book deal moment?

I vividly remember my agent, Kate, sending me through an email from my current editor Natasha, saying how much she loved the book. It was full of the most lovely praise for
The Chosen Queen
and I printed it off to keep with me as it was so close to my heart. We were going on holiday with good friends the following week, and I remember my friend Brenda reading
it aloud on a blowy beach in Wales for all the world to hear. Even hearing it out loud (very loud), it was still hard to believe, but it was true and the contract followed shortly afterwards.

5. How did you come up with the title of the book?

I didn’t. I find titles really difficult – they either come first time or they’re almost impossible to hunt down. The book was initially called
The Half
Year Queen
, which I rather liked because it sounded so poignant, but it didn’t really reflect all the amazing time Edyth spends as Queen of Wales so it wasn’t quite right.

In the end, the lovely team at Pan Macmilllan came up with
The Chosen Queen
and when we then thought of the titles of the other two books in the trilogy (
The Constant Queen
and
The Conqueror’s Queen
) – it all seemed to fit beautifully.

6. Are you writing a new novel at the moment?

I’ve just finished editing Book Two of the trilogy –
The Constant Queen
– and am now researching the Normans for Book Three –
The
Conqueror’s Queen
. I’m really enjoying the research and it’s going to be a fascinating challenge to turn Duke William ‘the Bastard’ into a romantic hero.

Christmas 1051: King Edward’s royal court has gathered to welcome William of Normandy to England. But as the ambitious Norman duke takes his place amongst the English
lords, rumour and speculation are rife. It appears that William has an ulterior motive for making his timely visit to his childless royal cousin . . .