W.H. Doyle
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Publisher: Month9Books
Date of Publication: April 9th, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-946700-67-4
ASIN: 1946700673
Number of pages: 257
Cover Artist: AM Design Studios
Book Description:
In 16th-century England, two teenage best friends find themselves on an exciting journey from the country to the Queen’s court in the hope of being named ladies-in-waiting. But Sybille and Rose soon discover they aren’t the only girls who have their sights set on attending Her Majesty. The girls must compete against worldly and cunning opponents, among them mean-girl Avis and her entourage of back-stabbing co-horts, tipping the balance in their already-tenuous friendship.
Soon, the grand hall is more like the hallway of a prestigious finishing school, with girls fighting for the attention of a dashing, young earl, amid parties fueled by drinking and indiscriminate dalliances. As the tension between Sybille and Avis heats up, the focus on Rose wanes, allowing her to turn her attention to more important matters – like getting close enough to the Queen to learn her secrets.
But being close to the Queen is not without its challenges. And when rumors of Rose’s influence make their way around the castle, no one, not even the Queen, will be safe.
Excerpt:
They were
gorgeous, even as they sneered and giggled and pointed at Rose and Sybille.
Unblemished faces, perfectly coiffed hair, and the most fashionable clothes.
The men had trimmed goatees, starched linen ruffs, and wide shoulders that
tapered sexily to narrow hips. The women’s painted eyes and lips were framed by
long hair banded by strips of jewels. Their gowns—so different than the
old-fashioned ones of Gordonsrod—had low, square-cut necklines and a framework
that pushed out the dress around the buttocks, emphasizing their figures.
gorgeous, even as they sneered and giggled and pointed at Rose and Sybille.
Unblemished faces, perfectly coiffed hair, and the most fashionable clothes.
The men had trimmed goatees, starched linen ruffs, and wide shoulders that
tapered sexily to narrow hips. The women’s painted eyes and lips were framed by
long hair banded by strips of jewels. Their gowns—so different than the
old-fashioned ones of Gordonsrod—had low, square-cut necklines and a framework
that pushed out the dress around the buttocks, emphasizing their figures.
It was
everything that Sybille had always wanted. But not like this. Humiliation drove
into her like a punch as the stuff of her dreams reconfigured into her worst
nightmare.
everything that Sybille had always wanted. But not like this. Humiliation drove
into her like a punch as the stuff of her dreams reconfigured into her worst
nightmare.
About the Author:
Growing up in Michigan, W. H. Doyle raced past the usual chapter books and went straight to reading YA. His writing career, however, took the opposite path. For over two decades, Doyle’s been writing best-selling books for younger readers with major publishers under the name Bill Doyle. Now, with over two million books in print, he’s making his YA debut as W. H. Doyle with the intrigue-filled Tudor Rose.
While working toward his MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Doyle was taught by the likes of Arthur Miller and David Mamet. He’s written for Rolling Stone, edited several magazines, created interactive experiences for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and developed critically-acclaimed digital storybooks. He lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
https://www.whdoylebooks.com/
Interview with W.H. Doyle
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
I like a combo of the two: I think good characters should be like strong-willed children…every once in a while they’ll surprise you with some kind of outlandish action or totally bonkers utterance. It keeps life—and writing—much more interesting if there’s a happy balance of control and surprise.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
Wow. That’s quite an ask! I’ll tell you this…you won’t be bored. I strive to put as much drama, action, intrigue and suspense as I can into each and every page.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
Of course! I have one drawer in a file cabinet filled with unpublished manuscripts and screenplays. I got my MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and while I was there I was cranking out hundreds of pages a semester…so I definitely have a lot of material I can go back to and repurpose someday!
Pen or type writer or computer?
I’ve gone through the evolution of all three. While one of my first toys was a plastic typewriter, I started out only being able to really write on large yellow legal pads in pencil. Then I moved onto this weird kind of portable word processor that should only one line of copy at a time. But once I started working a computer about twenty-five years ago, I’ve never gone back!
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I’d love to know what you think of Tudor Rose! While I’ve sold millions of books, this is first step into the world of YA. Please get in touch. And thank you for reading my book!
I am enjoying these tours and finding all the terrific books my family is enjoying reading. Thanks for bringing them to us and keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteHi Teresa, thank you for posting my book on your site. I love seeing it here!
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