Cor Rotto: A novel of Catherine Carey

The dream was always the same … the scaffold before me. I stared on in horror as the sword sliced my aunt's head from her swan-like neck. The executioner raised her severed head into the air by its long chestnut locks. The last thing I remembered before my world turned black was my own scream.

Fifteen year-old Catherine Carey has been dreaming the same dream for three years, since the bloody execution of her aunt Queen Anne Boleyn. Her only comfort is that she and her family are safe in Calais, away from the intrigues of Henry VIII's court. But now Catherine has been chosen to serve Henry VIII's new wife, Queen Anne of Cleves.

Just before she sets off for England, she learns the family secret: the true identity of her father, a man she considers to be a monster and a man she will shortly meet.

This compelling novel tells the life story of a woman who survived being close to the crown and who became one of Queen Elizabeth I's closest confidantes.

Author Interview

What makes Cor Rotto: A Novel of Catherine Carey special?

Cor Rotto was a novel seven years in the making. When I began researching this enigmatic woman, there were no books about her, fiction or otherwise, which is surprising because Catherine Carey is one of those women who appears in the households of several Tudor queens. She is the epitome of the perfect Tudor woman: fertile, devoted, and loyal. I think she was ignored for many years because she wasn’t your “typical” heroine. As I dug into Catherine’s life, I found an incredible story, from an eyewitness to so many amazing events in Tudor history.

Who was Catherine Carey?

Catherine’s origins are the subject of debate even today. Catherine’s mother, Mary Boleyn, had an affair with King Henry VIII long before sister, Anne, came along…but was he Catherine’s father? We don’t know and historians are still divided. Many years after her aunt and uncle were executed, she was invited to court to serve Henry’s fourth queen, Anne of Cleves. She went on to serve each consecutive queen, all while building a family of 14(!) children with her husband, Francis Knollys. After the death of Edward VI, Catherine and her family fled to the Low Countries to escape the religious persecution of Mary I. They returned to England when Catherine’s cousin (or sister?), Elizabeth I, came to the throne. Catherine loyally served Elizabeth until her early death in 1569. Her many children went on to have very successful careers and families of their own. In fact, the current royal family can trace their ancestry back to Catherine!

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.

Cor Rotto book categories

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