Anna Rossi, Author
Anna Rossi's Novels
WELCOME
The Traitor's Wife
Some years ago I was writing the book and lyrics of a musical about John Dee, astrologer to Queen Elizabeth the First. During my research, I was reminded that I had long wanted to write the story of Sir Walter Raleigh. It had been done before, like most novels of historical figures, but I wanted to tell it a little differently. After the musical, other projects took me over and it was a while before I got back to my thoughts on Raleigh. When I did, the novel swiftly came to life for me through the eyes of Sir Walter's wife Bess, his friend/enemy Robert Cecil, and a native boy Raleigh brought back from Guiana. I hope it comes alive for my readers, too, and that they enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it
Black Damask
My first novel. Very different from The Traitor's Wife, it has a supernatural theme with a nod towards fantasy. It is also set in the Tudor period and has a strong historical flavour, but all the main characters are fictional. I enjoyed exploring the relationship between two very different sisters, one of whom (Annabelle) is the seventh child of a seventh child and possesses a strange (and murderous) power. I love researching and writing about real historical people and plan more books in the style of The Traitor's Wife. But there is something .very liberating about creating characters out of your own head. At
some point they take over and begin to
shape their own destiny, surprising the author and (hopefully) the reader.
Dark Descent
A long-planned sequel to Black Damask, this is a work in progress.
Again set against an authentic historical background with mostly fictional characters, it takes us from the Tudor England of Queen Elizabeth the First to the Stuart reigns of James the First and Charles the First. Belle, named for her Aunt Annabelle, is also the seventh child of a seventh child and has a corresponding power. A different one from that of the first Annabelle but nevertheless casting a shadow over her life. Especially when her fate becomes entangled with the notorious 'Wizard of Worcester' - a man loved and feared in equal measure. The novel is developing quickly and should be available in the not-too-distant future.
Most recent:
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When young Bess Throckmorton meets Sir Walter Raleigh at the court of Queen Elizabeth, she is a Maid of the Privy Chamber and he the glittering royal favourite. They fall in love, marry in secret and suffer disgrace. But when Walter is forgiven their future seems secure.
So how does he end up in the Tower accused of treason?
Told through the voices of Bess, Sir Robert Cecil and an Indian from Guiana, this is a tale of love, hate, betrayal and intrigue.
And a woman's fight for her family's survival.
First Novel
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At the age of ten, in the turbulent reign of Mary Tudor, Annabelle discovers a frightening ability. In a fit of revenge she prays to the Devil for the death of the Earl of Welton. The Earl dies and Annabelle, terrified, vows never to pray to the Devil again. Sadly, she does. And as the years pass and the fires of religious intolerance sweep across the land, the consequences grow more disastrous- not only for Annabelle, but also for her younger sister, Margaret. When they are forced into marriage and go their separate ways, Jarnel Rohan causes disruption in both their lives. As does his friend, the mysterious and sinister Simon Andras, who involves Annabelle in a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth the First. Will the sisters, against all odds, achieve eventual contentment, or will Annabelle's dark 'gift' destroy them both?
