What's Next?
So, what's my next book? I knew you'd ask!
But the pictures in the slide show above aren't for my next book. No. Another one has that honor. More about that later. What's that, you ask? Okay, okay. So, more about that NOW, NOW, NOW!
The next book series is called Once Upon A Duke and the first book in the series is titled The Lost Prince. And like all good tales, it begins with "Once upon a time . . .."
Here's the cover: (look to your left).
~*~*~
Not to worry. There will be more about this tale as we get closer to publication. But here's a bit of description for you. This book is where The Dreams of Oakhurst begins. In fact, the book series will also change to Once Upon A Duke, though the titles will remain. Stand by, though. The book covers soon be quite different! I'm excited by the covers my cover artist provides.
Take a look:
Edmund of Winchester loves his father, the stern, unyielding King Edward I of England. But an accident of fate allowed his younger brother to assume the title of heir to the throne, leaving Edmund's circle of trust . . . tiny . . . leaving only the king, his childhood friend, and his tutor, confessor, and priest. If not for them, he would have nobody — that is until he meets the young Scottish princess he’s betrothed to marry. Otherwise, he was hated by those who feared he would attempt to usurp the royal title.
A princess in her own right, Alys MacDonald has no designs on a throne. Her new golden Turkoman horse holds greater interest than her father’s plans to strengthen ties with King Edward and the English throne. Determined to thwart the betrothal, she’s unexpectedly charmed by the king’s soft-spoken son.
Their marriage was a fairy-tale come true, but lies and court intrigue soon threaten their world. Who seeks the destruction of their hopes and dreams? Can Edmund and Alys discover the truth before their nightmare puts an end to their future together?
A prince lost to history gains a second chance at life in this reimagined tale of historical romance. History records Edmund’s death shortly after his birth, but he was a prince who stood in the way of his step-mother’s plot to put her own son on the throne. Could Edmund have actually survived?
~*~
The Lost Prince is a deeply researched fiction, a reimagined history with plots that could have changed England's history. This is a tale of love, promise, and betrayal that puts a new king on England’s throne, and is one you shouldn’t miss.
~Author Cathy MacRae
~*~*~
The book that will follow The Lost Prince is called A King's Promise. This story is set in 1830. So . . . why then?
Well, I'll tell you. Do you happen to recall meeting the future George IV in Dreams Within Dreams? The meeting occurred during the first birthday party held for Alexandra’s and Richard’s toddling son, Edward Berkeley. His great-grandmother, The Duchess of Wessex, hosted it at her London home in Kensington Palace. Yes — George was a very small boy at that time.
Do you know that none of the Georgian kings particularly liked their sons? It's true. George II even had his eldest son banished. No joke! But Frederick died anyway, before he could be crowned king. Ergo, the monarchy and people of England were saddled with dear old George III, George II's grandson by Frederick. In true Georgian form, George IV was not beloved of his father, either. The boy eventually grew into a man — with vast appetites — for art, architecture, food, fashion, liquor . . .. In fact, the only person or object he loathed was his wife. Anyway, you get the picture. Needless to say, George IV wasn't beloved by just about anybody. As it happened, he died in late June of 1830. And the succession to the British throne was none too secure.
So, what if a man who had known George all his life decided to change the foreseeable future . . . so to speak? Young Edward Berkeley, who eventually became the next Duke of Wessex. When you'd last met him, in Dreams within Dreams, Edward was just an eight year old boy who'd been given the title of Marquess of Trowbridge, a courtesy title given him by his great-grandfather, the Thirteenth Duke of Wessex? Young Edward eventually grew up to become a man to be reckoned with — and the results will surprise you.
Christiana should be ready to roll off the presses, so to speak, not long after The Lost Prince releases -- so don't forget to stay tuned.
~*~
Now . . . on to the last book in the series. Cool!
I'm also planning a prequel to the Once Upon A Duke series, called Pale Dawn, a tale set a very, very long time ago—fifty generations before Alex Campbell, to be exact. The heroine is named Gwenlliant. She was Alex Campbell's ancestress. Gwenlliant was the only surviving child of a once great king whose name was . . . yes, Arthur.
Gwenlliant was a Brittonic princess, born at the great castle of Ehangwen, from the part of the British Isles we now know as Wales. She meets a man whose name is Cynric (pronounced Ken-rick). He, too, is a Briton, the son of Cerdic — the first king of the West Saxons. So-o . . . how did that come about?
Before the worst king of all, the monstrous Maelgwyn, could reach Ehangwen . . . to kidnap Gwenlliant and burn the castle and raze it to the ground, erasing any evidence that Arthur had ever lived, Cynric and his men saved her and salvaged a few of her belongings, including a book — a very precious one. It had belonged to her father — and now it belongs to her. The monk, Gildas had handed the De Excidio et Conquestu Brittaniae to Arthur as an indictment for his supposed crimes. The book contained a foreword page naming Arthur the third king — the one he'd called Vortipor — the Protector — the man he accused of rape and murder, and of failing to protect his people and kingdom — the bad son of a good king. As if there had ever been anything good about Uther Pendragon. Yes . . . the book had belonged to Arthur . . . but he, and his great dream for Britain, now lay dead on the beachhead of Camlann, his blood soaking the terrible battlefield.
And now the book belongs to Gwenlliant. What will become of her . . . much less of her father's book? It is all that remains of him . . . and she has vowed to protect it with her life.
There's much more to come about this couple and the ones preceeding it. Yes, they all experience difficult tribulations, and each couple has a happily ever after--or at least, a happily for now. But not before a lot of trials beseige them., Of course.
But the pictures in the slide show above aren't for my next book. No. Another one has that honor. More about that later. What's that, you ask? Okay, okay. So, more about that NOW, NOW, NOW!
The next book series is called Once Upon A Duke and the first book in the series is titled The Lost Prince. And like all good tales, it begins with "Once upon a time . . .."
Here's the cover: (look to your left).
~*~*~
Not to worry. There will be more about this tale as we get closer to publication. But here's a bit of description for you. This book is where The Dreams of Oakhurst begins. In fact, the book series will also change to Once Upon A Duke, though the titles will remain. Stand by, though. The book covers soon be quite different! I'm excited by the covers my cover artist provides.
Take a look:
Edmund of Winchester loves his father, the stern, unyielding King Edward I of England. But an accident of fate allowed his younger brother to assume the title of heir to the throne, leaving Edmund's circle of trust . . . tiny . . . leaving only the king, his childhood friend, and his tutor, confessor, and priest. If not for them, he would have nobody — that is until he meets the young Scottish princess he’s betrothed to marry. Otherwise, he was hated by those who feared he would attempt to usurp the royal title.
A princess in her own right, Alys MacDonald has no designs on a throne. Her new golden Turkoman horse holds greater interest than her father’s plans to strengthen ties with King Edward and the English throne. Determined to thwart the betrothal, she’s unexpectedly charmed by the king’s soft-spoken son.
Their marriage was a fairy-tale come true, but lies and court intrigue soon threaten their world. Who seeks the destruction of their hopes and dreams? Can Edmund and Alys discover the truth before their nightmare puts an end to their future together?
A prince lost to history gains a second chance at life in this reimagined tale of historical romance. History records Edmund’s death shortly after his birth, but he was a prince who stood in the way of his step-mother’s plot to put her own son on the throne. Could Edmund have actually survived?
~*~
The Lost Prince is a deeply researched fiction, a reimagined history with plots that could have changed England's history. This is a tale of love, promise, and betrayal that puts a new king on England’s throne, and is one you shouldn’t miss.
~Author Cathy MacRae
~*~*~
The book that will follow The Lost Prince is called A King's Promise. This story is set in 1830. So . . . why then?
Well, I'll tell you. Do you happen to recall meeting the future George IV in Dreams Within Dreams? The meeting occurred during the first birthday party held for Alexandra’s and Richard’s toddling son, Edward Berkeley. His great-grandmother, The Duchess of Wessex, hosted it at her London home in Kensington Palace. Yes — George was a very small boy at that time.
Do you know that none of the Georgian kings particularly liked their sons? It's true. George II even had his eldest son banished. No joke! But Frederick died anyway, before he could be crowned king. Ergo, the monarchy and people of England were saddled with dear old George III, George II's grandson by Frederick. In true Georgian form, George IV was not beloved of his father, either. The boy eventually grew into a man — with vast appetites — for art, architecture, food, fashion, liquor . . .. In fact, the only person or object he loathed was his wife. Anyway, you get the picture. Needless to say, George IV wasn't beloved by just about anybody. As it happened, he died in late June of 1830. And the succession to the British throne was none too secure.
So, what if a man who had known George all his life decided to change the foreseeable future . . . so to speak? Young Edward Berkeley, who eventually became the next Duke of Wessex. When you'd last met him, in Dreams within Dreams, Edward was just an eight year old boy who'd been given the title of Marquess of Trowbridge, a courtesy title given him by his great-grandfather, the Thirteenth Duke of Wessex? Young Edward eventually grew up to become a man to be reckoned with — and the results will surprise you.
Christiana should be ready to roll off the presses, so to speak, not long after The Lost Prince releases -- so don't forget to stay tuned.
~*~
Now . . . on to the last book in the series. Cool!
I'm also planning a prequel to the Once Upon A Duke series, called Pale Dawn, a tale set a very, very long time ago—fifty generations before Alex Campbell, to be exact. The heroine is named Gwenlliant. She was Alex Campbell's ancestress. Gwenlliant was the only surviving child of a once great king whose name was . . . yes, Arthur.
Gwenlliant was a Brittonic princess, born at the great castle of Ehangwen, from the part of the British Isles we now know as Wales. She meets a man whose name is Cynric (pronounced Ken-rick). He, too, is a Briton, the son of Cerdic — the first king of the West Saxons. So-o . . . how did that come about?
Before the worst king of all, the monstrous Maelgwyn, could reach Ehangwen . . . to kidnap Gwenlliant and burn the castle and raze it to the ground, erasing any evidence that Arthur had ever lived, Cynric and his men saved her and salvaged a few of her belongings, including a book — a very precious one. It had belonged to her father — and now it belongs to her. The monk, Gildas had handed the De Excidio et Conquestu Brittaniae to Arthur as an indictment for his supposed crimes. The book contained a foreword page naming Arthur the third king — the one he'd called Vortipor — the Protector — the man he accused of rape and murder, and of failing to protect his people and kingdom — the bad son of a good king. As if there had ever been anything good about Uther Pendragon. Yes . . . the book had belonged to Arthur . . . but he, and his great dream for Britain, now lay dead on the beachhead of Camlann, his blood soaking the terrible battlefield.
And now the book belongs to Gwenlliant. What will become of her . . . much less of her father's book? It is all that remains of him . . . and she has vowed to protect it with her life.
There's much more to come about this couple and the ones preceeding it. Yes, they all experience difficult tribulations, and each couple has a happily ever after--or at least, a happily for now. But not before a lot of trials beseige them., Of course.