The river was as calm as I had ever seen it. Ordinarily, the tide would have been wild by this time of year, and woe unto any man unfortunate enough to fall into the fierce currents of the Thames. Tonight the tides were still, and the surface of the water appeared glassy. When I peered down into the dark depths, I saw my tired, drawn face wavering in the reflection. I quickly turned away as I fought back a wave of nausea, frightened by the anguish I saw etched there.

“Only a few moments more my lady, the Tower is just ahead.”

Jane Parker never dreamed that her marriage into the Boleyn family would raise her star to such dizzying heights. Before long, she finds herself as trusted servant and confidante to her sister-in-law, Anne Boleyn; King Henry VIII’s second queen. On a gorgeous spring day, that golden era is cut short by the swing of a sword. Jane is unmoored by the tragic death of her husband, George, and her loss sets her on a reckless path that leads to her own imprisonment in the Tower of London. Surrounded by the remnants of her former life, Jane must come to terms with her actions. In the Tower, she will face up to who she really is and how everything went so wrong.

"Jane Boleyn is finally given the thoughtful and poignant story she has long been denied" - Olga Hughes, Nerdalicious.com.au

"An absorbing story that draws you into a vividly created world" - Amy Licence, Best-Selling Author and Historian

Author Interview

What makes The Raven's Widow: A Novel of Jane Boleyn special?

The Raven’s Widow is special because it is a well-known story told from a completely new perspective. This is the first time we’ve seen Jane Boleyn as she truly is – a sympathetic woman sacrificed as collateral damage to the whims of a mercurial king, King Henry VIII.

Who was Jane Boleyn?

Jane Boleyn was the daughter of Baron Morley, one of Lady Margaret Beaufort’s most favoured courtiers. She married George Boleyn shortly after joining the household of Catherine of Aragon and then went on to serve his sister, Anne Boleyn. After the execution of her husband and sister-in-law, Jane Boleyn returned to court to serve Henry VIII’s next two wives. It is for her service to his fifth wife, Katherine Howard, that she is most known. Jane was caught up Katherine’s indiscretions and found herself joining her mistress on the scaffold. Jane was executed on 13^th February 1542, alongside her queen.

Is your Jane Boleyn different from other fictional portrayals?

My Jane Boleyn is quite different than anything readers have ever seen before. Unlike Philippa Gregory or Hilary Mantel’s versions, my Jane truly is a victim of circumstance. You won’t see her selling out her husband and sister-in-law to Thomas Cromwell or the Duke of Norfolk. You’ll also see her in a loving relationship - a romance - with her husband, George Boleyn, one based on factual evidence, not like the marriage shown in the movies or on shows like “The Tudors”.

Why should readers give your historical fiction novels a try?

Historical accuracy in fiction has always been important to me. That’s why I spend years researching everything that goes into my novels. I work hard to vividly recreate the people and places of Tudor England while keeping my story grounded in the historical record. The goal of each novel is to shine a light on the hidden or maligned figures of the royal court.

The Raven's Widow ebook categories

• Historical fiction
• Historical romance
• Tudor fiction
• Historical fiction bestsellers
• Historical novel