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Geraldine Hartnett
Historical Fiction
Biography
 The
youngest of four London-born siblings, Geraldine left school at
sixteen. She discovered her love of history, not from formal history
lessons with their dreary sagas of Corn Laws and Factory Acts, but
after reading several of the novels by that Queen of Historicals,
Jean Plaidy. Fascinated by the social side of history which was
rarely touched on during her education, Geraldine went on to read
widely in historical non-fiction. Some of her favourite non-fiction
writers are Antonia Fraser, Jasper Ridley and David Starkey.
Geraldine Hartnett's first historical novel, Reluctant Queen, which
tells the story of Henry VIII's little sister, blonde, beautiful and
defiant, Mary Tudor, was published by Robert Hale in 2004. After
finding out the barest of bones about Mary, Geraldine was intrigued
enough to learn more. And after a lengthy period of research, she
began to write the fictionalised version of Mary Tudor's life, which
included the usual distasteful forced state marriage, and a second,
secret marriage, unauthorised by the formidable Henry VIII, to the
man she adored, handsome, muscular Charles Brandon whose record on
the marital front was almost as colourful as that which Henry
himself was to go on to experience. She soon hopes to find time,
between her other commitments, to begin another historical and has a
couple of possible candidates warming up on the back burner.
As well as the Tudors, Geraldine enjoys the Wars of the Roses
period, when England's crown was swapped between Yorkist and
Lancastrian contenders.
On the day job front, Geraldine has worked variously in a library, a
psychiatric hospital, as an au pair, as a partner in her own
business and as a temp, amongst other things. She is currently
writing full time and enjoying the freedom from wage-slavery for the
first time in her life.
She began her writing life with romantic novels, but after six years
of rejections and only one published novel (Land of Dreams, Robert
Hale, 1991), she wrote Reluctant Queen. This, too, received a number
of rejections, but was finally published after Geraldine found a new
literary agent.
Geraldine also writes crime novels. Under the name Geraldine Evans.
She has two series on the go, the humorous Rafferty & Llewellyn and
Casey & Catt.
Geraldine
has also had a variety of articles published under her Evans name,
mostly on historical, biographical, writing and New Age subjects.
She is married to George and now lives in North Norfolk.
For more information about Geraldine, her historical novel and her
other works, please visit her website:
www.geraldineevans.com
Also writes as:
Links
Author's Website
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