What inspired you to start writing?
My love of history, particularly women’s history, got me started on this Tudor series, and the inspiration behind Queen of Blood, the fourth volume in The Cross and the Crown was the story of Mary Tudor, also known as “Bloody Mary.” She has always interested me, because she was the first real queen regnant in England and did much to pave the way for her younger half-sister Elizabeth. The focus of my novels, however, is not really on the royals but on the ordinary people whose lives they influenced. So, of course, my Catherine has to encounter Mary as she takes and tries to keep the throne of England.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
Blending the story of the Wyatt Rebellion with Catherine’s own family tensions was the most difficult part in the writing of Queen of Blood. Catherine would never have joined such a force, but, as it turns out, her son Robbie does. Robbie doesn’t really understand what he’s signed up for, and his notion of Protestantism is youthful and uninformed. He’s a young hotshot and he’s just excited to be among a bunch of young men who want to take on the new Catholic queen. That creates even further tension in the family. The second most difficult aspect of the book was humanizing that Catholic queen: Mary Tudor. She’s gotten a pretty bad rap for her actions against Protestants during her reign. She did many horrible things, to be honest, but much of her character was rooted in the suffering she endured as a young woman, and I wanted that to be part of her character.
Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
Ann Smith is the character who holds the dearest place in my heart. She’s not the main character—Catherine is—but Ann is her best and oldest friend. Ann doesn’t suffer fools gladly, and while she can be rather bad-tempered and sharp with her tongue, she’s got a good heart and she’s as loyal as the day is long. Catherine is the focal point of the series, and I love her, but Ann is the person I’ve created because I wish I had someone like her to keep me on the straight and narrow and to tell me when I’m being foolish. Ann will do that, and she’ll do it with deep affection. She’s Catherine’s truest friend and best guide. I love her like crazy.
If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
That is a hard question! Let’s see. I would love to see Catherine played by someone like Catherine Zeta-Jones. Even the name matches! For Ann Smith, I think Ann Dowd would be perfect (also the name match!). For Benjamin, I would choose the Welsh actor Richard Harrington. I’m stumped about who I would pick to play Mary Tudor, though Miranda Richardson could do a very good job of it. I can definitely see Freddie Highmore as Robbie.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
I hope that readers take away a more complex idea of the struggles Mary Tudor faced when she became queen. I think her role in creating a place for queens in England is overlooked, and I doubt that Elizabeth could have done what she did without the example of Mary. I also hope that readers gain sympathy for how complicated and difficult life for women of all social strata was in this period and how class differences often trumped gender solidarity.
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Sarah Kennedy
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