Читать книгу The Taming of the Rogue - Amanda McCabe - Страница 5

In so many ways, writing historical romance is the perfect job for a ‘nerd’ like me! I can bring in many of my history obsessions and apply them to my characters, spend hours reading history books, and watch Shakespeare in Love over and over and call it ‘Important Research.’ What could be better?

Anna and Rob’s story was inspired by a wonderful evening at the new Globe Theatre in London, watching a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I had long been obsessed with the Elizabethan theatre, and this trip was a dream come true—the closest I could come to experiencing a play the way sixteenth century audiences did. I knew I had to write a story set in the thrilling, dangerous environs of the Elizabethan underworld, and Robert, the writer/spy—inspired in part by the brilliant Christopher Marlowe, and by the famous actor Edward Alleyn, who married the daughter of theatre impresario Philip Henslowe—jumped into my mind right away. He was so dashing, and I fell a bit in love with him myself. Sadly, I had to relinquish him to Anna …

I was able to research several aspects of Elizabethan life for Rob and Anna’s story—theatre, Sir Francis Walsingham and his espionage work, life in Southwark and other suburban—and lawless!—neighbourhoods, and the relations between the different classes of Elizabethan London. A backstage tour of the Globe and some books purchased in their shop gave me a very good start.

I also loved looking more deeply into the life of Spymaster Walsingham—one of the many fascinating characters of the Elizabethan era. He spent his life corralling information in a time when such an endeavour seemed impossible, managing a vast network of informants and agents in an effort to keep the Queen safe. He liked to use actors—such as the ill-fated Marlowe—due to their literacy, their powers of observation, their fluid movements, both geographically and socially, and the fact they always needed money.

Walsingham died in 1590, soon after the action of this story, but I enjoyed giving him a role in this tale, as well as his daughter Frances, Lady Essex—who, despite reputedly being rather plain, married first the famous poet Sir Philip Sidney and then the Court heartthrob the Earl of Essex.

And I also loved seeing what happened to Edward and Elizabeth, whom I first met in my Undone short story, To Court, Capture, and Conquer! They set me on this journey in the first place, and I’m glad to see they are still happily in love and having adventures.

Please visit my website—http://ammandamccabe.com—for more behind-the-book history!