When Ella March Chase was in school, she informed her teacher she didn't need to learn multiplication tables because she was going to be a famous writer when she grew up. At twenty-five, she combined her passion for researchinghistory and spinning stories. Her daughter Kate claims even the family dogs were discovered while researching King Charles II - Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. When travelling to England she fell under the spell of the Tower of London - the infamous Traitor's Gate, the chapel where beheaded queens lay buried, the story of the two princes allegedly murdered by Richard III.Ella began unearthing the obscure historical details that make larger than life figures painfully human. From that fascination, the concepts for The Virgin Queen's Daughter and The Reluctant Queen emerged.
Chase expertly blends a detailed historical setting, intriguing mix of real and fictional characters, and clever plot lightly sweetened with a dash of romance into a completely captivating novel * Chicago Tribune * Chase's prose is engaging, and her rich, detailed portraits of Renaissance women, particularly those of a kindly but haunted Mary I and a vicious, conceited Elizabeth, are unforgettable * Booklist * An absolutely wonderful read * Michelle Moran * An engaging story, well researched and skillfully written * Boston Globe *