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| About the Book |
THE USURPER KING and THE ACCURSED KING
Series:
The Plantagenet Legacy
Author:
Mercedes Rochelle
Publication Date:
The Usurper King: 4/5/21 The Accursed King: 4/18/22
Publisher:
Sergeant Press
Pages:
The Usurper King : 305 pages The Accursed King: 301 pages
Genre:
Historical Fiction / Medieval Historical Fiction
#1 Book Title and Author Name:
THE USURPER KING by Mercedes Rochelle
Book 4 of The Plantagenet Legacy
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 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.
#2 Book Title and Author Name:
THE ACCURSED KING by Mercedes Rochelle
Book 5 of The Plantagenet Legacy
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.
Buy Links:
Universal Buy Links:
The Usurper King: https://books2read.com/u/3nkRJ9
The Accursed King: https://books2read.com/u/b5KpnG
The Plantagenet Legacy Series Links:
Amazon US Series Link
Amazon UK Series Link
All titles in the series are available to read on #KindleUnlimited.
Author Bio:
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.
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| Read An Excerpt |
EXCERPT FROM THE USURPER KING
HENRY IV DEMANDS HOSTAGES FROM THE PERCIES, WITH UNFORTUNATE RESULTS
It wasn't until later that the king summoned the earl to his council chamber. He confronted Percy in front of a much smaller batch of witnesses, blaming the father for the disobedience of the son. Dispensing with any formalities, Henry went right to the point.
"Why is Harry not here? Where is Archibald Douglas?"
Of course, Percy was expecting a confrontation but his own frustration simmered close to the surface. He didn't know whether he was angrier at the king or his son. At the moment, it didn't matter.
"Sire, you can see they did not come."
"Yes, I can see. I want to know why."
"You'll have to ask my son. He will answer for himself."
"I'm asking you! Douglas has been the instigator of all our border troubles. I want him under lock and key." Henry caught himself clenching his fists.
"He is, I assure you. Harry takes personal responsibility for him."
"I demanded that he bring Douglas to London. He has no license to flout my commands."
Percy was nearing the end of his patience. "Sire, you forget. We are committed to our guardianship, but we have emptied our coffers in your service. The ransom money will help relieve our debt."
"I have paid you £60,000. What more do you want?"
That was too much. Stamping his foot on the ground, Percy let slip his restraint. "That is not true and you know it," he shouted. "You still owe us £20,000 in cash and bad tallies. And you wonder why Harry is upset."
It was Henry's turn to snap. "Haven't you been paying attention? Look what I've had to deal with!" He threw up his hands. "Two rebellions, back and forth from Scotland to Wales, piracy interfering with trade, expenses of the Calais garrison, the defense of Guyenne, protecting the southern coast against the French. My God, no wonder there is no money in the exchequer. I have paid you as much as I can and there is no more!"
Clearly, Percy was not concerned about Henry's problems. His voice lowered to a growl. "When you entered the kingdom you promised to rule according to your council. By now you have received large sums from the country, and yet you say you have nothing. God grant you better counsel!"
Henry was momentarily taken aback. He couldn't admit it, but all his life he had let someone else worry about finances. Money was always there to draw on when he needed it. The day he took the crown he was the wealthiest man in England. How did it disappear so quickly? He knew a large percentage of his expenses went to annuities—and these annuities had been granted without consulting his council. He had to; how else was he going to hold on to his supporters? At the same time, he needed to continue paying annuities to Richard's retainers and for the same reason.
He was about to say something when Percy bowed and backed from the room. Neither of them trusted himself to pursue an argument that would just end up with more bitterness, and Henry let him go. Besides, his real quarrel was with Hotspur.
Once Henry Percy returned to Northumberland, he vented some of his anger on his recalcitrant son. "As soon as I walked in the door, he wanted to know where you were. And where was Douglas."
"What an ungrateful wretch," Harry spat. "It wasn't enough that we won the most significant battle in fifty years. He has to cheat us out of our just desserts."
"I agree with you, son. But it wasn't right that I had to take all the abuse. Things went from bad to worse. I had to leave before I said something I would live to regret."
Harry grunted, looking at the ground. "All right. I see that I must face him, myself. But by God, Douglas stays here!"
In his usual fashion, once Hotspur made up his mind he acted upon it right away. Taking a small retinue, he rode to London.
When Harry was introduced into the king's chamber, he was greeted in much the same manner as his father was. Turning in his chair, Henry said, "Did you bring Archibald Douglas with you?"
Briefly kneeling, Hotspur shook his head. "He cannot travel," he said.
"I wasn't asking about his health," the king retorted. "I commanded you to bring him."
"Sire, as a knight I must observe common decency. He cannot travel."
"That is not the reason. You continue to defy me!"
Pursing his lips, Harry was quickly losing his temper. "You defy the laws of chivalry! It is not your right to demand our prisoners!"
"As your king it is certainly my right! They are firebrands and their retention is good for the country."
"Breaking faith with the Scots will only outrage them further."
"That is not what is at question here."
"That's because you don't understand their customs. They only surrender to the man who has defeated them. No one else! Besides, since you will not reimburse what we are owed, how else am I going to pay my soldiers? I may need the money for Mortimer's ransom seeing that you refuse to pay it."
"I will not have good English gold leaving the country to aid our enemies!"
That was too much for Harry. "Shall a man expose himself to danger for your sake, and you refuse to help him in his captivity? Why is it you beggared the exchequer to ransom that dog Reginald Grey, who started this rebellion in the first place?"
Henry was not about to justify his defence of his Marcher baron. "I'll tell you why I won't ransom Mortimer. He is a traitor! Why else did he allow Glyndwr to capture him so easily? And you! You are a traitor, too! I heard you had Glyndwr in your hands and didn't capture him."
"We were negotiating under a flag of truce! Of course I didn't capture him!"
"And where did your negotiations go?"
"Four times my father and I came to a settlement with the Welsh. And four times you rejected the conditions. Your stubbornness forces them into rebellion."
"I think you negotiated for yourself!" Overcome by resentment and disappointment, Henry struck Hotspur on the cheek. As the other gasped in shock, Henry drew his dagger and Harry slapped his hand onto his own hip, forgetting that he had relinquished his blade at the door.
His face a deep red, Hotspur retreated a step. "Not here, but in the field!" he exclaimed, then turned his back on the king and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him.
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Thank you so much for hosting Mercedes Rochelle today, sharing her intriguing novels about King Henry IV.
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club
my pleasure
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