Today I am delighted to welcome author Jennifer C Wilson to the blog to talk about her novel, Kindred Spirits: Regal Retribution which is the sixth book in her Kindred Spirits series. It was published on August 8th and is written in the paranormal historical fiction genre. Before we hear from Jennifer, here's a little about the book:
A visit to London’s West End sends an already angry ghost
into a fury, vowing revenge on those he believes have wronged him in life (and
in death).
Soon, the attacks begin – across the city and beyond –
revealing that rarest of beings: haunted ghosts!
When a pattern starts to emerge, a council is established to
formulate a plan, but can they work out who is behind the hauntings? As the
severity escalates, can the combined force stop the avenging spirit, before the
worst happens?
Bringing together the ghostly communities of the Tower of
London, Westminster Abbey and other places, discover friendships and feuding in
the race to retaliation…
Welcome to Books, Life and Everything Jennifer! Do tell us more about your latest in the Kindred Spirits series!
Expanding the Kindred Spirits world
Kindred Spirits: Regal Retribution is the sixth book in the
Kindred Spirits series, along with short stories here and there in anthologies,
and it was released just shy of seven years after the first book, Kindred Spirits:
Tower of London, was released, back in October 2015. The Tower, and that first
story, still holds a special place in my writer’s heart, and so it was great
fun to return to some of my favourite ghosts in this story. Richard III and
Anne Boleyn are back, as are their brothers, the two Georges, my fabulous
trouble-makers, and young Katherine Howard. As soppy as it sounds, it really
was like reuniting with old friends.
But as much as I loved getting to know the ghosts of the
Tower of London, back in 2013 when I first wrote about them, I couldn’t stay
with them, and just them, forever.
Because once I’d written about the ghosts ‘living’ in one
historical setting, other settings, and groups, just kept jumping out at me
(much like some of the ghosts themselves!). I’ve always enjoyed visiting
historical buildings and sites, pottering around, wondering about the lives of
the people who were there before me. With the Kindred Spirits world gradually
cementing itself into my mind, that started to shift slightly: who might be
about, and what might they be up to? Who would get on? Who really wouldn’t?
(Let’s face it, feuds can be far more fun than friendships, as long as you’re
not the one actually in the feud!)
Westminster Abbey seemed an obvious choice, but I’ll admit I
was anxious, and instead, headed, in my mind at least, in entirely the opposite
direction, to Edinburgh and the Royal Mile. After all, that’s one of the spots
where my ghostly version of Mary, Queen of Scots would be residing. I’d been
trying to write about her for years, but never quite managed to find the best
way to approach her. Suddenly, having her as a ghost seemed the perfect
solution.
And so the pattern continued. I finally mustered the courage
to head back to London, and the Abbey, for the third book in the series, before
York, and finally, a collection of short stories, pulling together several
places that I was drawn to, but where I didn’t feel there was quite enough
story for a full book. As part of that, I took the opportunity to return to the
Tower of London, as well as Windsor Castle, which formed the inspiration for
the current tale, again set in a number of places throughout London and beyond,
and following the largest cast of main characters I’ve written about so far.
The only trouble with the whole concept is that I keep
discovering ghosts who could have, or should have, been in earlier stories, or
having new ideas of new pairings I’d love to throw together. The most recent of
these has had me pondering how the spirits of Anne Boleyn and her daughter,
Elizabeth I, would get along in the afterlife. They had so little time together
when alive, and opinions of Anne Boleyn changed so repeatedly in the years
following her death, that it would surely be a fascinatingly complex
relationship to explore.
At the other end of the scale, as a huge fan of Eric and
Ernie, I’d love to somehow (respectfully) bring their spirits into things. I’ve
written a few snippets here and there which have never seen the light of day,
but again, it’s about getting the context right. Still, never say never! And
that’s the best thing, for me, about writing the Kindred Spirits series – I’m
never going to run out of ghosts… As long as people keep enjoying them, and as
long as every so often, I can bring Richard III back into things!
Wow! That sounds fascinating and anyone who loves the Tudor period is going to love this! Thanks so much for stopping by.
About the Author
Jennifer has been
stalking dead monarchs since she was a child. It started with Mary, Queen of
Scots, then moved onto Richard III. At least now it results in a story!
She won North Tyneside Libraries' Story Tyne short story
competition in 2014 (no dead monarchs, but still not a cheerful read), and has
been filling notebooks and hard-drives ever since. Her Kindred Spirits series,
following the 'lives' of some very interesting ghostly communities, is
published by Darkstroke, and her historical romances by Ocelot Press.
Jennifer is currently exploring some new ideas for
historical romance, and hoping to visit Kindred Spirit friends old and new,
north of the border...
You can read my review of The Last Plantagenet? here and The Raider's Heart here.
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