The Queen's Exiles (37 page)
Read The Queen's Exiles Online
Authors: Barbara Kyle
The team I work with at Kensington Publishing is truly a dream team. Foremost among these dedicated experts is my editor, Esi Sogah.
The Queen’s Exiles
is my sixth book with Kensington and my first with Esi. Her keen talent and solid professionalism are deeply appreciated. I could not ask for a more enthusiastic advocate or a happier working relationship.
Production Editor Paula Reedy guides my books through the production process with skill and grace. Copy Editor Sandra Ogle brought her eagle eye to the manuscript. Kensington’s fine Sales and Marketing teams are a collective powerhouse, and Alexandra Nicolajsen brings her special flair to digital marketing. The savvy and indefatigable Vida Engstrand expertly manages my books’ publicity. I sincerely appreciate the work of all these dedicated professionals. In addition, I’ll be forever grateful to Audrey LaFehr, who first championed my books, and I wish her joy in her new home in a new state. To Martin Biro, kudos and thanks.
A huge thank-you to John Rosenberg, whose tremendous book-business expertise has made my books such a success in Canada, and to the lovely, ever helpful Jeannine Rosenberg.
In Al Zuckerman of Writers House I’m blessed with a literary agent whose achievements are celebrated. To me, Al is a valued friend and long-time mentor. I’m also indebted to Al’s assistant, the hardworking and unflappable Mickey Novak, and to Writers House’s able foreign rights specialists Maja Nikolic and Caitlin Ellis.
A happy nod to my fellow authors in the Historical Novel Society, who are a fount of support and knowledge and fun.
My husband, Stephen Best, is my creative partner in art and in life. My gratitude to him knows no bounds.
THE QUEEN’S EXILES
Barbara Kyle
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
The suggested questions are included to
enhance your group’s reading of Barbara Kyle’s
The Queen’s Exiles.
- Fenella’s troubles all spring from her moment of fury when she rashly shoots the Spanish don who years ago massacred the people of her village. Did you think she was justified in killing him? Can murder ever be right?
- Adam sails to Spanish-occupied Antwerp to hunt down his wife, Frances, and take back his young son and daughter. But there’s a price on his head in Antwerp. Did you feel Adam was right to risk everything, even his life, to get his children away from Frances? What other options might he have explored?
- Carlos and Isabel argue heatedly about staying in Antwerp. He says he must remain loyal to the governor to secure a needed reward for his family. She says they must get out before Alba’s regime leads to bloodshed that endangers them and their children. How did you respond to their fiercely opposing views?
- Frances is so frightened of Adam coming for her she hires a gunman to kill him. Were you disgusted by her act, or do you think she had to do it to save herself and the children?
- Fenella makes a hard decision to give up future happiness with Adam in order to stay with her husband and help his work with the rebels. How did you feel about Fenella’s personal sacrifice?
- Fenella, held captive by the Duke of Alba, won’t betray Adam by telling Alba where Adam is, though she knows her silence may cost her her life. Do you think you could muster that kind of courage to protect someone you love?
- Carlos risks everything by rescuing Fenella and Claes from hanging by the Duke of Alba. Do you think this makes up for Carlos’s previous allegiance to the brutal duke?
- Adam casts his lot with the rebel Sea Beggars despite the edict of his own queen, Elizabeth, expelling them from England. Was Adam foolish or justified in joining the rebels’ desperate fight?
- The Queen’s Exiles
explores three marriages in crisis: of Adam and Frances, Fenella and Claes, and Carlos and Isabel. All three couples face life-and-death challenges. Which person in each marriage do you sympathize with most? Do you agree with the choices they make?
Copyright © 2011 Stephen Best
B
ARBARA
K
YLE
, a classically trained actor, enjoyed a successful career in Canadian television and theater before turning her hand to writing fiction. She and her husband live in Ontario, where she teaches popular writing workshops and gives lectures on Tudor history, most recently for the University of Toronto Lecture Series and the world-renowned Stratford Festival. She welcomes visitors at her Web site:
www.barbarakyle.com
.
Abducted as a child heiress, Honor Larke escapes to London seeking justice from the only lawyer whose name she knows: the brilliant Sir Thomas More. As his ward, Honor grows to womanhood, and the glitter of the royal court lures her to attend Her Majesty, Queen Catherine of Aragon. But life at Henry VIII’s court holds more than artifice for an intelligent observer, and Honor knows how to watch—and when to act....
Angered by the humiliation heaped upon her mistress as Henry cavorts with Anne Boleyn and presses Rome for a divorce, Honor volunteers to carry letters to the Queen’s allies. It’s a risky game, but Honor is sure she’s playing it well—until she’s proved wrong. Richard Thornleigh may cut a dashing figure at court, but Honor isn’t taken in by his reckless charm. Only later does Honor realize that Richard has awakened something within her—and that he, too, has something to hide....
For the King’s actions are merely one knot in a twisted web that stretches across Europe, ensnaring everyone from the lowliest of peasants to the most powerful of nobles. Swept away in a tide of intrigue and danger, the Queen’s lady is about to learn everything: about pride, passion, greed—and the conscience of the King....
Upon the death of her father, Henry VIII, and her brother, Queen Mary assumes the throne after a long and bitter wait. Her first order of business is to wed the devout Prince Philip of Spain, creating a powerful alliance that will transform Mary’s fanatical dream of ridding England of Protestantism into terrifying reality. And so begins the reign of Bloody Mary. . . .
Even as she plans for her own nuptials, Isabel Thornleigh is helping to lay the groundwork to overthrow Mary and bring Princess Elizabeth to power. But none of the secrets Isabel has discovered compares to the truths hidden in her own family. With her beloved father imprisoned by Queen Mary, only Carlos Valverde—a Spanish soldier of fortune—can help Isabel. Now with England’s future at stake, Isabel risks all to change the course of history. . . . Filled with lavish period detail and fascinating characters,
The King’s Daughter
mesmerizes readers as it takes them into a riveting world of riches, pageantry, passion, and danger....
England, 1554. In the wake of the failed Wyatt Rebellion, a vengeful Queen Mary has ordered all conspirators captured and executed. Among the imprisoned is her own half sister, twenty-one-year-old Princess Elizabeth. Though she protests her innocence, Elizabeth’s brave stand only angers Mary more.
Elizabeth longs to gain her liberty—and her sister’s crown. In Honor and Richard Thornleigh and their seafaring son, Adam, the young princess has loyal allies. Disgusted by Queen Mary’s proclaimed intent to burn heretics, Honor visits Elizabeth in the Tower, and they quickly become friends. And when Adam foils a would-be assassin, Elizabeth’s gratitude swells into a powerful—and mutual—attraction. But while Honor is willing to risk her own safety for her future queen, aiding in a new rebellion against the wrathful Mary will soon lead her to an impossible choice....
Riveting, masterfully written, and rich in intricate details,
The Queen’s Captive
brings one of history’s most fascinating and treacherous periods to vibrant, passionate life.
Young Queen Elizabeth I’s path to the throne has been a perilous one, and already she faces a dangerous crisis. French troops have landed in Scotland to quell a rebel Protestant army, and Elizabeth fears once they are entrenched on the border they will invade England.
Isabel Thornleigh had returned to London from the New World with her Spanish husband, Carlos Valverde, and their young son. Ever the queen’s loyal servant, Isabel is recruited to smuggle money to the Scottish rebels. Yet Elizabeth’s trust only goes so far—Isabel’s son will be the Queen’s hostage until she completes her mission. Matters grow worse when Isabel’s husband is engaged as military adviser to the French, putting the couple on opposite sides in a deadly cold war. . . .
