THE BOAR KING’S HONOR TRILOGY
A wizard’s misplaced trust
A king wrongly blamed for murder
A bloodline cursed until they clear the king’s name
BOOK 2: THE STEEL ROSE
Amelia Mainwaring, a magically Gifted seer, is desperate to rescue the souls of her dead father and brother, who are trapped in a shadowy, wraith-filled land between life and death as the latest victims of their family curse. Lifting the curse requires clearing the name of King Richard III, who was wrongly accused of his nephews’ murder because of a mistake made by Amelia’s ancestor.
In London to seek help from a wizard scholar, Julian Winfield, Amelia has disturbing visions that warn of Napoleon Bonaparte’s escape from Elba and renewed war in Europe. A magical artifact fuels growing French support for Bonaparte. Can Amelia and Julian recover the artifact and deprive him of its power in time to avert the coming battles?
Their quest takes them from the crowded ballrooms of the London Season to the bloody field of Waterloo, demanding all of their courage, guile, and magical skill. Can they recover the artifact and stop Bonaparte? Or will all their hopes, along with Amanda’s father and brother, be doomed as a battle-weary Europe is once again engulfed in the flames of war?
The Steel Rose is the second book in the time-traveling, history-spanning fantasy series The Boar King’s Honor, from Nancy Northcott (Outcast Station, The Herald of Day).
What inspired you to start writing?
Hi, Jamie, and thanks for having me!
I like to play “what if,” and I eventually started writing down those ideas—in crayon at first! I stopped writing while I was in school but started with the “what if” game again as an adult. My first stories after that were fan fiction. People who read it seemed to like it, so I decided to try creating my own worlds.
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
The research into the social customs of Regency England was challenging. I’ve read many Regency-set books, but that’s not the same as writing about it. I looked at several books about the customs and manners, which were not always consistent. I was fortunate to have help from two writers who’ve each written numerous Regency novels.
As far as difficulty, the customs of Regency society tie with the events of the Battle of Waterloo. There are enough books written about just that battle to fill a library, possibly with double or even triple shelving, and there are some disputes about what was key to the battle at the end. I chose the versions that worked best for my story. Writing about the battle also involves describing soldiers, who wear uniforms, carry weapons and equipment, and engage in tactics maneuvers. The research was challenging but also fun.
Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
Each of my main characters has a special place in my heart for different reasons. The hero of The Steel Rose, Julian, has my geeky love of books and of solving puzzles. The heroine, Amelia, has my tendency to question myself, though I like to think she’s worse about it than I am!
If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
For Julian, I would choose Luke Thompson of Bridgerton. He’s a handsome man but also can blend into a crowd, as Julian’s work for the Home Office has often required him to do.
For Amelia, I would go with Elizabeth Olsen. Her character’s arc in Avengers: Age of Ultron, learning to step up when it’s needed and to believe in herself, is a bit like Amelia’s. It’s not the same, as Amelia always steps up, but she doesn’t have the self-assurance in the beginning of The Steel Rose that she develops by the end.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
I want them to escape for a while and enjoy the story. When they close the book, I want them to feel satisfied.
Thanks again for having me today, Jamie!
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Nancy Northcott
She has written freelance articles and taught at the college level. Her most popular course was on science fiction, fantasy, and society. She has also given presentations on the Wars of the Roses and Richard III to university classes studying Shakespeare’s play about Richard III. Reviewers have described her books as melding fantasy, romance, and suspense. Library Journal gave her debut novel, Renegade, a starred review, calling it “genre fiction at its best.”
In addition to the historical fantasy Boar King’s Honor trilogy, Nancy writes the Light Mage Wars paranormal romances, the Arachnid Files romantic suspense novellas, and the Lethal Webs romantic spy adventures. With Jeanne Adams, she cowrites the Outcast Station science fiction mysteries.
Married since 1987, Nancy and her husband have one son, a bossy dog, and a house full of books.
Social Media Links:
Website • Facebook • Twitter • BookBub • Amazon Author Page • Goodreads
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