"In 1483, Edward and Richard of York—Edward, by law, already King of England—were placed, for their protection before Edward's coronation, in the Tower of London by their uncle Richard. Within months the boys disappeared without a trace, and for the next five hundred years the despised Richard III was suspected of their heartless murders.
In To the Tower Born, Robin Maxwell ingeniously imagines what might have happened to the missing princes. The great and terrible events that shaped a kingdom are viewed through the eyes of quick-witted Nell Caxton, only daughter of the first English printer, and her dearest friend, 'Bessie,' sister to the lost boys and ultimate founder of the Tudor dynasty. It is a thrilling story brimming with mystery, color, and historical lore. With great bravery and heart, two friends navigate a dark and treacherous medieval landscape rendered more perilous by the era's scheming, ambitious, even murderous men and women who will stop at nothing to possess the throne."
"Two female titans—perfectly matched in guts, guile, and political genius.
Elizabeth, queen of England, has taken on the mighty Spanish Armada and, in a stunning sea battle, vanquished it. But her troubles are far from over. Just across the western channel, her colony Ireland is embroiled in seething rebellion, with the island's fierce, untamed clan chieftains and their 'wild Irish' followers refusing to bow to their English oppressors.
Grace O'Malley—notorious pirate, gunrunner, and 'Mother of the Irish Rebellion'—is at the heart of the conflict. For years, she has fought against the English stranglehold on her beloved country. At the height of the uprising Grace takes an outrageous risk, sailing up the Thames to London for a face-to-face showdown with her nemesis, the queen of England.
In this 'enthralling historical fiction' (Publishers Weekly), Robin Maxwell masterfully brings to life these strong and pugnacious women in order to tell the little-known but crucial saga of Elizabeth's Irish war."
"From the author of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn comes a riveting portrait of Anne Boleyn's youth and her unconventional education in the court of the King of France.
When her father is assigned the task of spying on the French Court, the charming and sweetly innocent Anne Boleyn is delighted by the thought of a new adventure. And she is not to be disappointed, for her beautiful sister, Mary, has been handed a mission: to let herself be seduced by the King of France in order to uncover his secrets.
Mesmerized by the thrilling passion, intrigue, and betrayal that unfolds, Anne discovers the power of being a woman who catches the eye of a powerful king. And, as she grows into a beautiful young woman, she undergoes her own sexual awakening, each daring exploit taking her one step closer to the life that is her destiny."
"The only female student in Cambridge University’s medical program, Jane Porter is far more comfortable in a lab coat dissecting corpses than she is in a corset and gown sipping afternoon tea. A budding paleoanthropologist, Jane dreams of traveling the globe in search of fossils that will prove the evolutionary theories of her scientific hero, Charles Darwin.When dashing American explorer Ral Conrath invites Jane and her father to join an expedition deep into West Africa, she can hardly believe her luck. Africa is every bit as exotic and fascinating as she has always imagined, but Jane quickly learns that the lush jungle is full of secrets—and so is Ral Conrath. When danger strikes, Jane finds her hero, the key to humanity’s past, and an all-consuming love in one extraordinary man: Tarzan of the Apes.Jane is the first version of the Tarzan story written by a woman and authorized by the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate. Its publication marks the centennial of the original Tarzan of the Apes.“This stunning sequel to Tarzan is outstanding in its scope and pageantry.… Suzan Crowley is magnificent with her portrayals of the narrator and the protagonist. Her voice develops the Tarzan personality as she teaches him to speak English, and we hear him progress from tentative childish pronunciations to mastering entire sentences and concepts.… For anyone who grew up with the original Tarzan and for all the new legions of fantasy and sci-fi lovers.” —AudioFile"
"Robin Maxwell’s debut novel introduces Anne Boleyn and her daughter, Elizabeth: one was queen for a thousand days, the other for more than forty years. Both were passionate, headstrong women, loved and hated by Henry VIII.
At the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign, her mother’s private diary is given to her by a mysterious lady. In reading it, the young ruler — herself embroiled in a dangerous love affair — discovers a great deal about her much maligned mother.
Through Anne’s writing, Elizabeth finds an echo of her own dramatic life as a powerful young woman at the center of England’s male establishment and, with the knowledge gained from it, makes a resolution that will change the course of history.
“A wonderfully juicy historical novel so convincing that it’s difficult to believe it is the author’s first. . . . Maxwell brings . . . all of bloody Tudor England vividly to life.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“An historical fiction classic. Beware: this is truly addictive reading.” — Michelle Moran, author of Madame Tussaud
“Dazzling. Historical fiction at its finest.” - C. W. Gortner, author of The Confessions of Catherine de’ Medici"
"Caterina was fifteen years old when she fell in love with a man much above her station. The daughter of a humble village apothecary, she was considered unmarriageable by her lover's wealthy and ambitious family. She had no recourse when they took her child away from her, leaving her bereft and rejected by society as a "fallen woman."
But Caterina had always hidden a part of herself from society. Unlike most women of that time, she had been educated since childhood-not only in her father's medicinal arts, but in Greek philosophy and pagan mysticism, considered heretical by the church.
Now, to be close to her son, she would carry that deceit further than she had ever imagined, taking up a new life under a dangerous new identity. In Florence at the height of Italy's cultural Renaissance, Caterina would discover undreamed-of opportunities and freedoms-and her gifted son, Leonardo, would change the world forever."
