Tudor Rose
W.H. Doyle
Published by: Month9Books
Publication date: April 9, 2019
Genres: Historical, Young Adult
In 16th-century England, two teenage best friends find themselves on an exciting journey from the country to the Queen’s court in the hope of being named ladies-in-waiting. But Sybille and Rose soon discover they aren’t the only girls who have their sights set on attending Her Majesty. The girls must compete against worldly and cunning opponents, among them mean-girl Avis and her entourage of back-stabbing co-horts, tipping the balance in their already-tenuous friendship.
Soon, the grand hall is more like the hallway of a prestigious finishing school, with girls fighting for the attention of a dashing, young earl, amid parties fueled by drinking and indiscriminate relations. As the tension between Sybille and Avis heats up, the focus on Rose wanes, allowing her to turn her attention to more important matters – like getting close enough to the Queen to learn her secrets.
But being close to the Queen is not without its challenges. And when rumors of Rose’s influence make their way around the castle, no one, not even the Queen, will be safe.
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SNEAK PEEK:
They were gorgeous, even as they sneered and giggled and pointed at Rose and Sybille. Unblemished faces, perfectly coiffed hair, and the most fashionable clothes. The men had trimmed goatees, starched linen ruffs, and wide shoulders that tapered sexily to narrow hips. The women’s painted eyes and lips were framed by long hair banded by strips of jewels. Their gowns—so different than the old-fashioned ones of Gordonsrod—had low, square-cut necklines and a framework that pushed out the dress around the buttocks, emphasizing their figures.
It was everything that Sybille had always wanted. But not like this. Humiliation drove into her like a punch as the stuff of her dreams reconfigured into her worst nightmare.
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Excerpt:
Sybille nodded, not really listening. She wasn’t feeling well herself. The trip, the cold, the wine—everything was catching up to her. Avis must have noticed it and tutted sympathetically. “We’ll get you right into your beds.”
“Thank you, dear,” Sybille said, mimicking Avis’s clipped aristocratic accent. “I just don’t want your sister—or your brother Valentyne, most especially—to see me like this.”
“Of course, child.”
They reached a closed door at the end of the passage. Avis stepped back politely, opened the door, and pushed Sybille and Rose gently forward. “Just through here.”
Sybille blinked as they stumbled ahead several feet. There was sudden blinding candlelight. And music. “What … ?” Sybille stammered.
The music came to a halt, replaced by shocked gasps. And then laughter.
“Oh goodness,” Avis announced in a flat, stage voice. “I guess I made a wrong turn.”
Sybille’s eyes were adjusting to the light from hundreds of candles and three blazing fires—the flames reflected off thousands of mirrored surfaces. She could see they were at one end of a great hall. By far the largest room she’d ever been in—it was forty-feet wide and stretched for a hundred feet.
Leaving Sybille and Rose on their own, Avis swept off her scarlet cloak, tossed it to a maid, and strode over to a crowd of fifty or so young people who stood waiting in a semi-circle.
They were gorgeous, even as they sneered and giggled and pointed at Rose and Sybille. Unblemished faces, perfectly coiffed hair, and the most fashionable clothes. The men had trimmed goatees, starched linen ruffs, and wide shoulders that tapered sexily to narrow hips. The women’s painted eyes and lips were framed by long hair banded by strips of jewels. Their gowns—so different than the old-fashioned ones of Gordonsrod—had low, square-cut necklines and a framework that pushed out the dress around the buttocks, emphasizing their figures.
It was everything that Sybille had always wanted. But not like this. Humiliation drove into her like a punch as the stuff of her dreams reconfigured into her worst nightmare.
Author Bill Doyle was born in Michigan, and wrote his first mystery at the age of eight. He has gone on to write critically acclaimed and bestselling children’s books, including stories of real-life war heroes in “Behind Enemy Lines: True Stories of Amazing Courage”; the pick-your-own-adventure “Worst Case Scenario Ultimate Adventure: Everest”; the historical fiction mystery series Crime Through Time; the Henry & Keats series including “Attack of the Shark-Headed Zombie”; the Scream Team series about Bad News Bears-type monsters playing sports; and soon-to-be released series “The Prizewinners of Piedmont Place.”
Additionally, Bill has served as editor at Sesame Workshop, TIME for Kids and SI Kids. He’s written for LeapFrog, Weekly Reader, Rolling Stone, Comedy Central, National Geographic Kids, and the American Museum of Natural History. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from the film school at New York University where he was taught by the likes of Arthur Miller and David Mamet.
Bill lives with two dachshund-headed canines in New York City, and you can visit him online at http://www.BillDoyleBooks.com.
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