Author Interview and Giveaway: D.L. Bogdan (The Forgotten Queen)

  
Today I welcome D.L. Bogdan, author of The Forgotten Queen, which while I am formatting this post currently reading and enjoying.  I will be posting my review tomorrow as part of the tour, but for today, please grab your favorite cuppa and sit and learn a little more about D.L. Bogdan and then enter the giveaway to win a copy of The Forgotten Queen.  

What three things do you need in order to write?
Music is an absolute must. I also prefer quiet, as far as background noise goes (which is why my husband made one of our rooms into an office just for me—it makes such a big difference to have my own little space to retreat to). I also like to have something to drink next to me—water, coffee, or tea depending on the time of day and level of alertness I need.

What's your favorite season?
Summer! It’s so fleeting here in Wisconsin, but it’s great while it lasts. I do love the fall as well; the colors are fantastic.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Traveling is one of my favorite things and there’s no shortage of dream destinations. I would go anywhere and everywhere, but in particular I would like to see Japan, India, Australia, and more of Eastern Europe.

What is one of your favorite books that you read last year?
I’ve been so bogged down in research I haven’t been able to read many books for pleasure this last year unfortunately, but I have read some interesting ones. I was introduced to some “new old” works and read Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood, which was unusual but compelling. I also read The Scarlet Letter, which I hadn’t read since junior high. It was like a new book for me and I derived so much more out of it this time. I can actually say I loved it!

How much and what type of research did you have to do during the writing of The Forgotten Queen?
I tried to read as many books that included Margaret Tudor in them as I could get my hands on. There were not many works that just dealt with her alone—she was often coupled with her sister, which could be frustrating at times. I also tried to read about the courts of James IV and V, and study Scottish history during that time period to get a better feel for what I was addressing. Also delving through Scottish archives, letters, and records proved helpful.

What's the first sentence of The Forgotten Queen?

It began with smoke.

How would you describe The Forgotten Queen?
It’s the story of a woman who was quite human, with her own very exposed flaws and vulnerabilities. It’s no fairytale. Margaret made bad choices; she had troubled relationships, with losses and challenges most modern women have never contended with. But she did the best she could with who and where she was; she was strong, vibrant, and one of the most determined women of her time.

Dish, who’s your favorite character?
I have to say Margaret. There were times I couldn’t understand her at all, times I was frustrated with her beyond measure, but she never failed to intrigue me and I felt a connection with her. Her flaws made her more relatable to me and the things that frustrated me were also the things that proved most compelling.

What can we expect next from you?
I must go with being irritatingly vague on this one and say expect the unexpected!

Thanks D.L.!
Thank you so much for having me!

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About the book:
From her earliest days, Margaret Tudor knows she will not have the luxury of choosing a husband. Her duty is to gain alliances for England. Barely out of girlhood, Margaret is married by proxy to James IV and travels to Edinburgh to become Queen of Scotland.
Despite her doubts, Margaret falls under the spell of her adopted home. But while Jamie is an affectionate husband, he is not a faithful one. And nothing can guarantee Margaret’s safety when Jamie leads an army against her own brother, Henry VIII. In the wake of loss she falls prey to an ambitious earl and brings Scotland to the brink of anarchy. Beset by betrayal and secret alliances, Margaret has one aim—to preserve the crown of Scotland for her son, no matter what the cost…




About the Author:
D.L. Bogdan is an ongoing student of history, musician, and avid reader who enjoys travel, the outdoors, and time with her family and friends. She is a proud wife and mother who makes her home in central Wisconsin. She is the author of Secrets of the Tudor Court, Rivals in the Tudor Court and The Sumerton Women.
For more information on D.L. Bogdan and her novels, please visit her WEBSITE.  You can also find her on FACEBOOK and TWITTER.


Giveaway:
I have one copy of  The Forgotten Queen by D.L. Bogdan to giveaway to one lucky winner, courtesy of the tour and the author.  Giveaway is open international and ends 1/31.  I will be sending the winner's mailing address to the tour coordinator, not mailing the book myself. Good luck!


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