I’m so excited to bring something special to my blog today; as well as a new guest post, I also have a cover reveal!
Welcome Beverley to my blog, and thank you for joining me! Let’s get into the questions!
Tell us a little about yourself.
Hello! My name is Beverley Adams, I am from Preston in Lancashire and I am a writer and historian. I predominantly work within the Tudor and Stuart period but have dabbled in other eras. I am also a qualified proofreader and editor which I love as it means I get to read some fabulous books before they’re printed! In my spare time I enjoy reading, spending time with friends, watching cricket and supporting PNEFC.
How did you get into writing?
I had just finished studying for my Masters degree in English and found that I really enjoyed the research and writing of my dissertation, which was on the Bronte sisters, and wanted to pursue that kind of work. I was working in Life Insurance at the time and I had read about a local lady called Edith Rigby who was a suffragette, I was discussing her with a colleague and she suggested I wrote a book about her, which I did and I have not looked back since.
What era do you write about and what drew you to that time period?
I am predominantly a Tudor/Stuart historian but in all honesty I am fascinated by pretty much any period from early medieval through to the Victorian times and I mainly focus on British and European history. I get my love of history from my grandmother and mum who both read historical fiction extensively. One summer holiday I read through my gran’s collection of Jean Plaidy books, that is when I fell in love with Mary, Queen of Scots who is probably my all-time historical heroine.
Can you tell us a little bit about your most recent book?
Oh, where to start!! I am currently editing two books. The first to be released is The Tragic Life of Lady Jane Grey, which as the title suggests takes a look at Jane’s life and how she came to the throne but it also questions if our perceptions of her are right. Was she coerced? Was she bullied into taking a crown she didn’t really want? The second one I am currently editing is Elizabeth of York and the Birth of the Tudor Dynasty. Again, I put the spotlight on another woman from history that I feel deserves her own platform for her own story. This book takes a look at the life of Henry VIII’s mother and hopes to educate people into realising Elizabeth was so much more than that. Both of these books will be available later in 2024.
You’ll have to keep scrolling for the cover reveal!
Where can people order your book(s)?
All my books are available via my publisher Pen & Sword and all good online bool retailers. If you’re lucky you might spot some out in the wild in Waterstones etc.
Are you working on something at the moment? If so, can you spill the beans a little?
I am, I am currently researching my next book which is entitled The Race for Elizabeth’s Throne. In this book I am taking a look at all those who at some point in the life of Elizabeth I were considered to be her heir. So for example I look at the claim of Katherine Grey and her sister Mary, both died before Elizabeth so would never have inherited but at the time they were considered very important ladies. I follow that with the Scottish claim of Queen Mary and even her husband Lord Darnley who had a claim through his mother Margaret Douglas and so on and so on until we finally get to James. There will also be an announcement about a new project coming soon!
How do you go about your research?
I first of all pull together what I call my ‘info sheet’ and on there I have the basics, name, date of birth, death, marriage, children etc etc. I then look at compiling a reading list whether that be physical books that need a trip to a library or online. I will then consider if there are any locations that I might want to visit to maybe speak to people there and take a look at any necessary artefacts. I then plow my way through, I make all my notes by hand so I have vast numbers of notebooks full of scraps of notes here and there! When I feel like I have everything I need I start typing and see where I end up!
Do you have a favourite historical source?
The National Archives and the Royal Collection Trust have both been invaluable to me over the course of my writing. But it does depend on what you are researching, when I wrote my book on Edith Rigby then local sources were much more valuable to me.
If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring authors, what would it be?
Do it, and keep going until you succeed. Believe in yourself and your talent because if you love the topic you’re writing about then that will come through in your writing. Write about things you are passionate about because if you love it, your readers will too.
Can you tell us your favourite fiction and favourite non-fiction book?
Oh crikey, that is tricky! My favourite fiction book is a Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel. It is about the French Revolution and follows the lives of Robespierre, Danton and Desmoulin as they navigate their way through the tumultuous streets of Paris, and dodge the guillotine! It is so beautifully written and it makes you feel like you are on the streets of Paril with them. As for non-fiction, that is much more difficult. I am a huge fan of Alison Weir and I especially enjoyed her book The Lost Tudor Princess, that inspired me to delve further in to the life of Margaret Douglas and to write about her myself. I also really enjoyed a book by Anna Keay called The Last Royal Rebel which is about the life of the Duke of Monmouth, it is such an engaging read I think I read it cover to cover without putting it down!
So there you have it! Some wonderful answers from Beverley, I’m very much looking forward to the new books this year and more news on the new project!
Beverley’s fourth book, The Tragic Life of Lady Jane Grey, is due to be published in the UK in August 2024.
So, without further ado, let’s see this lovely cover!
Congratulations to Beverley on such a lovely cover!
Beverley’s currently published works are:
- The Rebel Suffragette, The Life of Edith Rigby (2021)
- Ada Lovelace, The World’s First Computer Programmer (2023)
- The Forgotten Tudor Royal: Margaret Douglas, Grandmother to King James VI & I (2023)
If you’d like to find out more about Beverley and her work, you can find her on the following links:
Amy McElroy 