Describe your book in one sentence for our readers:
Warwick is an epic story of adventure, power and influence at the heart of one of the most dangerous times in the history of England.
What’s a random fact about yourself that would surprise your readers?
I used to ride zebras as a child in Africa.
What do you love about writing?
I still find it amazing to think of people all over the world reading my work – and really like it when they connect with me through social media and reviews.
What’s the hardest part of writing a book?
Editing. It isn’t easy to cut passages when you’ve spent so long researching and crafting them, only to find the book is better without them!
What inspired you to write Warwick?
I was watching The White Queen, the BBC’s TV adaptation of Philippa Gregory’s book, and was intrigued at why Sir Richard Neville, known as the ‘Kingmaker’, risked everything by changing sides during the Wars of the Roses. The apparent reason was his anger at King Edward IV marrying a ‘commoner’, which seemed implausible. When I looked into it I was surprised to find nobody had ever tackled the real story as a novel, despite the amazing life Richard Neville led.
What will readers learn from Warwick?
I’m prepared to bet that most readers know very little about what became known as ‘The Wars of the Roses’. Although WARWICK is historical fiction, I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to ‘immerse’ myself for a year in the culture and attitudes of fifteenth century England. I wanted to make sure that the events depicted in the book, all the historical facts and smallest details are based on careful research. Fortunately, the truth really is stranger than fiction!
About the author:
Tony Riches is a full time writer living by the sea in rural Pembrokeshire, Wales UK. You can find out more about Warwick and Tony’s other books and visit his popular writing blog. Follow Tony on Twitter @tonyriches or check out his author pages on Facebook and Goodreads.
