Today I welcome author Mercedes Rochelle in celebration of her two fascinating novels featuring England’s King Henry IV, The Usurper King and The Accursed King.
From Outlaw to Usurper, Henry Bolingbroke fought one rebellion after another.
First, he led his own uprising. Then he captured a forsaken king. Henry had no intention of taking the crown for himself; it was given to him by popular acclaim. Alas, it didn’t take long to realize that that having the kingship was much less rewarding than striving for it. Only three months after his coronation, Henry IV had to face a rebellion led by Richard’s disgruntled favorites. Repressive measures led to more discontent. His own supporters turned against him, demanding more than he could give. The haughty Percies precipitated the Battle of Shrewsbury which nearly cost him the throne—and his life.
To make matters worse, even after Richard II’s funeral, the deposed monarch was rumored to be in Scotland, planning his return. The king just wouldn’t stay down and malcontents wanted him back.
What happens when a king loses his prowess?
The day Henry IV could finally declare he had vanquished his enemies, he threw it all away with an infamous deed. No English king had executed an archbishop before. And divine judgment was quick to follow. Many thought he was struck with leprosy—God’s greatest punishment for sinners. From that point on, Henry’s health was cursed and he fought doggedly on as his body continued to betray him—reducing this once great warrior to an invalid.
Fortunately for England, his heir was ready and eager to take over. But Henry wasn’t willing to relinquish what he had worked so hard to preserve. No one was going to take away his royal prerogative—not even Prince Hal. But Henry didn’t count on Hal’s dauntless nature, which threatened to tear the royal family apart.
What’s the tagline or ‘elevator pitch’ for your book?
Henry IV learns that having the kingship was much less rewarding than striving for it.
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
After finishing my books about Richard II, I had no choice but to go on! I found Henry’s story compelling. I think he really meant well, but everything seemed to go wrong after he took the crown.
What inspired you to write about that particular era or character?
In a nutshell, Shakespeare. I watched his play Richard II when I was in college, the late ‘70s. I knew nothing about this era, but I carried Richard around with me for 30 years before writing about him. It seems that most of my books relate to Shakespeare’s plays, which touch upon my characters and need a lot of filling in.
What surprised you in the course of your research?
I wasn’t expecting all the stress between Henry IV and Hal. I think a lot had to do with the fact that the second son, Thomas, accompanied his father into exile and Hal went with Richard II as a hostage. I don’t think Henry really liked his eldest son. Hal did his best to do his duty, but it’s possible that his father saw him as a rival, which I suppose he was.
Do your research findings guide the plot, or do you plan out the plot first and flesh it out with research? (Or perhaps both?)
I’m pretty much of a panster. I know basically what happens (it’s history, after all), and how it has to end. But my research is usually full of fine details that do make a difference. For instance, the nuances between Henry IV and the Percies really came out during my research. The Percies ended up playing a much bigger role than I anticipated.
Caption: BnF MS Franc 81 fol. 283R Henry IV and Thomas Percy at Shrewsbury from Jean de Wavrin- Creative commons license
Name three historical facts or events that helped bring your main character to life.
As historical novelists, we are often left wondering about tantalizing mysteries that can’t quite be solved with our research. If you could invite your main character(s) to dinner, what questions would you ask them, and what lingering mysteries would you hope to solve?
I really wonder, if he could have a chance to do it all over again, would Henry have gone for the crown? Was it really worth all the pain and effort?
Do you completely plan out your cast of characters before writing, or do you sometimes add new characters as you go along? What are some of the reason you’ve added new characters to a story?
I rarely add a character that didn’t exist. So I’d say no, I don’t add new ones.
Do you have any tips for other writers about keeping track of your historical fiction research?
My biggest problem is keeping track of the sequence of events—what happened when. I keep a little “cheat sheet” of dates when each event happens. That’s all! No outline for me.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with background music? If music, what kind and why?
I need total silence. In fact, I like to shut myself into my bedroom and write on my bed with my books scattered around me. I let the cat in!
What do you have planned for your next writing project?
It seems that I’m going to continue with my current series, THE PLANTAGENET LEGACY. I was originally only going to write about Richard II, but the story didn’t want to end at the usurpation. Now it looks like I’m going to take it all the way to the end of the Lancastrians, but really, it should go all the way to Richard III. That’s a lot of books!
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?
I love my gardening. That’s why I do most of my writing in the winter.
Universal Buy Links:
The Usurper King: https://books2read.com/u/3nkRJ9
The Accursed King: https://books2read.com/u/b5KpnG
The Plantagenet Legacy Series Links:
All titles in the series are available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Mercedes Rochelle is an ardent lover of medieval history, and has channeled this interest into fiction writing. She believes that good Historical Fiction, or Faction as it’s coming to be known, is an excellent way to introduce the subject to curious readers.
Her first four books cover eleventh-century Britain and events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Her new project is called “The Plantagenet Legacy” taking us through the reigns of the last true Plantagenet King, Richard II and his successors, Henry IV, Henry V and Henry VI. She also writes a blog: HistoricalBritainBlog.com to explore the history behind the story.
Born in St. Louis, MO, she received by BA in Literature at the University of Missouri St.Louis in 1979 then moved to New York in 1982 while in her mid-20s to “see the world”. The search hasn’t ended!
Today she lives in Sergeantsville, NJ with her husband in a log home they had built themselves.
Author Links:
Website: https://mercedesrochelle.com/
Twitter: https://x.com/authorrochelle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mercedesrochelle.net
Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mercedes-rochelle
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mercedes-Rochelle/author/B001KMG5P6
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1696491.Mercedes_Rochelle
Thank you so much for hosting Mercedes Rochelle today, with such an insightful interview.
Take care,
Cathie xo
The Coffee Pot Book Club