Royal Baby Watch: Author Can Speak to the Historical Significance of the Pressure for Royal Sons

June 24, 2013 - PRLog -- Royal Baby Watch: New novel explores the importance and intrigue of royal heirs just in time for England's newest successor

Seattle, WA - June 2013 - Heirs & Spares, by Seattle author Jennie Spohr, is set amidst the bloody chaos of the Reformation in 1569 AD and follows the story of a king who was never supposed to be king and a queen who doesn’t want to be queen, trying to keep their country from dissolving into civil war. If they produce an heir, the stability of the throne would be firmly established and peace could perhaps be restored. But getting heirs turns out to be the least of their problems. Heirs & Spares is one part history, two parts palace plotting, and a whole lot of juicy romantic intrigue.

Spohr, the producer and host of the popular live show and podcast The Kindlings Muse, turned back to her love of writing while while struggling with insomnia. “I was tossing and turning one night and had an image of a Tudor-era noble woman walking down the aisle,” Spohr explains. “I realized she was scared — didn’t want to be there. Then I saw the groom – a king – and I realized he didn’t want to be there either. And the story was born.”

And just in time. With a due date in mid-July for England’s newest heir, the release of a book exploring the drama, heartbreak and excitement of royal lines of succession hits a cultural high note. “The world is watching the Duchess of Cambridge, and while the new royal baby doesn’t have the fate of the country on his or her shoulders, this baby’s importance – both historically and now – shouldn’t be overlooked.”

While Heirs & Spares is fiction, many of the characters were inspired by actual royals: Henry VIII and his wives, Elizabeth I and her court, and the Medici’s to name a few. “I studied the Renaissance and Reformation in graduate school and have always been drawn to this time period,” Spohr says.    

The author is available for interviews, book club appearances, speaking engagements, and/or guest articles on the subjects of British royalty, America’s obsession with royals, the importance of royal succession today and in history, historical fiction, writing, indie publishing, exploring ideas that matter in pop culture, and juggling creative pursuits and family care.

Plum Street Press is a small, independent press and distributed to retailers via the Ingram Book Company.

For more information, to request a review copy, or to schedule and interview, please contact: Jennie L. Spohr at: contact@jlspohr.com; 206-465-9984; www.jlspohr.com;

ABOUT J. L. SPOHR

Jennie L. Spohr is the author of Heirs & Spares and several short stories. An incurable Anglophile/Europhile who has studied the trials and tribulations of royals since she watched Princess Diana take that long walk to the altar, she turned her attention to historical fiction and fictional monarchies after studying the Reformation in graduate school. When not writing, Spohr produces and hosts a popular podcast called The Kindlings Muse (www.thekindlings.com) about ideas that matter in culture, including books, film, and music. She is an ordained minister and lives with her brood in Seattle.

Interview Questions

1. Why do you think a book about royal intrigue is of interest in today’s culture?

2. Why did you decide to make a spoof tabloid magazine (www.jlspohr.com/folke) to go along with the release of Heirs & Spares?

3. Why are Americans in general so infatuated with royalty, the British royals in particular? We fought a war to get out from under the king, so why our fascination?

4. Does the gender of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s baby really matter? Were sons always the preferred offspring of kings?

5. While your book is fiction, and takes place in a fictional country, some of your characters are drawn from historical figures like Henry VIII – why not make them up completely?

6. With successes of books like Wolf Hall and The Other Boleyn Girl, people seem to be getting their history lessons from fiction. So how much of those histories are accurate?

7. You’re a writer, producer, host and also a mom – any advice on juggling those various roles?

8. What’s next for you as a writer? Any other plans or projects underway? Is insomnia still inspiring you?

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact:

Jennie L. Spohr: press@jlspohr.com; 206-465-9984

Heirs & Spares Copyright © 2013 Published by Plum Street Press

ISBN: 978-0-09892173-0-9 (hardcover) 978-0-9892173-1-6 (paperback) 978-0-09892173-2-3 (E-reader)