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Jane the Quene

Listed as “One of the Best Books of 2016” by Open Letters Monthly; Finalist, 2016 Novel of the Year – Underground Book Reviews; Semi-Finalist, M.M. Bennetts 2017 Award for Historical Fiction; Readers’ Award, Chill With a Book; Honoree, BRAG Medallion.

“This enticing, historically accurate story lends immediacy to the events.” – Publishers Weekly 

“A touching and insightful reading experience.” – Historical Novel Society

“In her remarkable debut novel, Janet Wertman comes as close to capturing this elusive figure as any novelist has yet done.” – Open Letters Monthly, an Arts and Literature Review
 
“Janet Wertman meets the challenge of writing a story with a predetermined end, yet maintaining a hold on her audience until the last page is turned” – The Review
 
“Janet Wertman delivers pages of beautiful prose in a well-researched first book…Freaking amazing.” – Underground Book Reviews
 
“This is an author who is fiercely passionate about her subject matter and respects that even the smallest details merit her attention.” – Historical Fiction Reader

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All Jane Seymour wants is a husband; but when she catches the eye of a volatile king, she is pulled deep into the Tudor court’s realm of plot and intrigue….

England. 1535. Jane Seymour is 27 years old and increasingly desperate to marry and secure her place in the world. When the court visits Wolf Hall, the Seymour ancestral manor, Jane has the perfect opportunity to shine: her diligence, efficiency, and newfound poise are sure to finally attract a suitor.

Meanwhile, King Henry VIII is 45 and increasingly desperate for an heir. He changed his country’s religion to leave his first wife, a princess of Spain, for Anne Boleyn — but she too has failed to provide a son. As Henry begins to fear he is cursed, Jane Seymour’s honesty and innocence conjure in him the hope of redemption.

Thomas Cromwell, an ambitious clerk whose political prowess keeps the King’s changing desires satisfied, sees in Jane Seymour the perfect answer to the unrest threatening England: he engineers the plot that ends with Jane becoming the King’s third wife. For Jane, who believes herself virtuous and her actions justified, miscarriages early in her marriage shake her confidence. How can a woman who has done nothing wrong bear the guilt of how she unseated her predecessor?

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Are you thinking about reading Jane the Quene with your Book Group? Click here for a suggested Discussion Guide. Also, Janet can join you all via Zoom, Skype, or Facebook Live (or even speaker phone!). Just head over to the Connect page to contact her with your preferred date.

12 Comments

  1. Amanda Amanda

    Can’t wait to read your book, I recently found your blog and you seem like a fantastic writer!

  2. Charlotte Graham Charlotte Graham

    I am half way through and I have to tell you, as someone who has read everything related to the Tudor court, including tons of historical fiction… this is the BEST novel I have ever laid my eyes on. I’m not exaggerating. I love Jane Seymour and she has never come alive so much as she does in this book. I can’t praise you enough for what a wonderful job you’ve done! Please continue to write, and I would LOVE if there were more to come about Jane Seymour! But please do all of the wives! You are very talented and I can’t wait for more of your books!

    • Thank you so much for saying so!! And given the timing I suspect you are the MES who left me a five-star review on Amazon. THANK YOU all around.

  3. Candace Jacobs Candace Jacobs

    Dear Ms Wertman,
    I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed reading “Jane the Quene” – it was well written and you did a great job bringing the Tudor era to life. I always know I have enjoyed a book when I find I am still thinking about it days after finishing it! I am now eager for the next instalment – when is it coming out?
    Thanks so much!!

    • Thank you so much for your message! I am so glad to hear you loved Jane the Quene, I hope you will love The Path to Somerset as much. I’m hoping to have it out early in 2018. I hope you’ll follow me here (or Facebook or Goodreads or somewhere) – I’ll be talking about it as we get closer!

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