Welcome – Elizabeth Ashworth – new debut romantic novelist
June 21, 2010
Forget the football, Wimbledon begins today (I’m a huge fan) and what’s more, I’ve got two fascinating new ‘romantic’ novels from writer friends to celebrate.
Tomorrow I’m off to Cambridge to the launch of Rosy Thornton’s new novel, Tapestry of Love – but I’ll leave her to tell you about that later as today, I’ve got a guest blogger.
Elizabeth Ashworth is a historical novelist and also a friend from C19, the Richard Armitage inspired fan site which has become so much more – including an ‘incubator’ for new writers of romance and women’s fiction. Elizabeth’s debut novel was accepted by Myrmidon in 2009. Here she is to tell you about it.
Someone said to me the other day that it was daring to have a leper as the ‘hero’ of my novel The de Lacy Inheritance. So what made me decide to write about a man with leprosy?
I’ve always been interested in the local history of Lancashire, where I live, and when I discovered the story of Richard FitzEustace who had contracted leprosy whilst on Crusade with Richard the Lionheart and who lost everything – home, family, fortune, his standing in society as a nobleman and any chance of a normal life – I felt compelled to tell his story.
When life deals a rotten hand people have to make the best of it, and that’s what Richard did. Although he had to leave his home and family and was considered ‘dead’ by society he knew that he could still make a difference – and in my book, which interweaves known facts with my own fiction, he makes a difference by ensuring that his family can claim their rightful inheritance and that his sister, Johanna – that’s her on the book cover – finds the happiness that she deserves.
Much of the book is set in and around Clitheroe Castle which belonged to the de Lacy family. They were the Norman overlords of much of the north of England and as I spring from peasant stock I often feel the urge to curtsey when I hear their name mentioned. Although the family rose to be one of the most influential at court in the 14th century, the deaths of two male heirs and the execution of Thomas of Lancaster who was the husband of Alicia de Lacy meant that the family more or less disappeared. And that’s another fascinating story that I’m working on at the moment.
I also wanted to explore the attitudes of people towards disease. In medieval times illness was often viewed as a punishment for sin and I began to wonder what sins Richard had committed, or thought that he had committed, to deserve such a fate, and what he believed he could do to redeem himself.
I hope that readers won’t be put off by the leprosy. There’s plenty of romance as well. Loves are lost and found and I hope readers will enjoy the story of Richard FitzEustace and his sister Johanna.
You can read the first chapter on my website: www.elizabethashworth.com and there’s a growing archive about the de Lacy family and a slide show of some of the settings for the novel on my blog: www.elizabethashworth.wordpress.com
Finally, thanks to Phillipa for letting me come and chat on her blog. It’s good to have such generous support.
Posted by Phillipa @ 6:11 am | Leave a Comment
Rosy Thornton Says:
Can’t wait to receive my copy from Amazon, Libs! It sounds a fascinating read – not a period I know anything about – and I already read the first chapter on your website, so it has whetted my appetite…
Rosy xx
liz Says:
Sounds really intriguing and a period I know little of…
lx
Nell Dixon Says:
Beautiful cover and sounds a great read.
Debs Says:
What an unusual and intriguing novel. I love the sound of it and will definitely have to order a copy. Good luck to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth Ashworth Says:
Thank you all for your good wishes.
Lizzy Says:
Years and years ago I read the six volume Thomas Covenant Chronicles (Stephen Donaldson) in which the hero is a leper. That certainly didn’t lose readers for Donaldson because those books were enormously popular.
I’ve ordered your book and am looking forward to reading it!
Elizabeth Ashworth Says:
Thank you Lizzy!