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Edward Charles Novels in History |
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The Big Picture— ‘A Tudor Life’ |
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While I was writing In the Shadow of Lady Jane, I discovered from my reference sources that Dr Thomas Marwood accompanied the Earl of Devon, Edward Courtenay, on a six month visit to Venice, which finally resulted in the Earl dying in the university hospital in Padua (where Thomas Marwood had graduated in medicine years before).
Like many people, I had long held a fascination with Venice and this seemed too good an opportunity to miss, so towards the end of ISOLJ, I had Richard act as the earl’s riding instructor, creating some linkage between them.
Daughters of the Doge explores that journey from Richard’s point of view, as he becomes embroiled with three different Venetian women, discovers love, and finds out more about himself in the process.
In the process of exploring Venice, Richard discovers the art world, and in particular, Jacopo Tintoretto and his arch rival, Titian. Both painted Veronica Franco, perhaps the leading courtesan in Venice at the time, and she marched into the story and established herself at its centre.
After that, I could not tear myself away from the Venetian art world and I began to plot Richard’s long term career. I thought of this bigger picture as ‘A Tudor Life’ and I liked the idea of trying to follow the pattern of life of an Englishman through the Tudor and late Renaissance period.
To date five books are planned in total, but by the end of book 5 Richard is still only twenty seven, so perhaps more will be needed?
Much depends on whether my enthusiasm for his life is matched by that of the reading public. |
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