Book cover
Today I am really delighted to post an exclusive interview with Raven A. Nuckols, author of a historical fiction novel ‘Had the Queen Lived: An Alternative History of Anne Boleyn’. This book has already been released and you can buy on Amazon. I am so excited about this book and I am looking forward to immerse myself into the world of ‘what if…’.
‘Had the Queen Lived: An Alternative History of Anne Boleyn’ is not a novel like any other – author uses her imagination to answer the question what if Anne Boleyn lived? What if she did not die a traitor’s death? I often wondered – had Anne Boleyn became Henry’s true love? Had she been the most celebrated of his wives? Had the history changed if she lived?
I think many of Anne Boleyn’s fans had asked themselves such questions. Now we all have a chance to read an alternative history of Anne Boleyn by Raven A. Nuckols. I am so thrilled about this book!
S : Welcome to Queen Anne Boleyn Website! I am so glad to have this opportunity and ask you few questions about your historical novel ‘Had the Queen Lived: An Alternative History of Anne Boleyn’. Many readers out there in cyber space may not be familiar with your work. Can you tell them a little about yourself and your background?
R: I’m Raven A. Nuckols and this is my first book out of a trilogy revolving around how different English history would be had Anne lived and give birth to a son. Two more works will be coming in this series and I’m already enjoying coming up with the storylines for those. I live with my boyfriend and our two cats in the DC area in the US. I majored in Economics in college and had no idea that professional writing would end up becoming my true passion, but it is.
S : What makes Anne Boleyn such a fascinating subject?
R : She was never meant to be a Queen and yet she ended up catching the love of a King that broke his entire country in two changing the course of English history forever, all just to be with her. The way their very intense and passionate love ended was beyond tragic, yet the legacy she left and its effects still last to this day.
S : Why do you think Anne Boleyn is so popular nowadays? Do you think that the interest in Anne Boleyn is a reflection of our obsession with celebrity culture?
R : I think because of her strength, independence, intellect and ambition most women can identify with one of those characteristics and just find her story fascinating. I don’t believe that Anne reflects our obsession with celebrity culture, but I believe it was her actions being so bold for her time, makes her one of the most incredible women of history.
S : Why do you think Anne Boleyn fell out of grace?
- Raven A. Nuckols
R : I personally believe that you cannot have that much hatred for anyone without having a profoundly deep feeling of love. Those two feelings are polar opposites along the same spectrum. I think Henry was a victim of his own feelings and as a King he was in a unique position not to appear weak and as a result, he fell vulnerable to the majority opinion to think the worst of his wife, especially in light of her multiple miscarriages. I still believe he loved her up until his last breath and regretted his actions, though proof of this has never been found.
S : How much research did you have to do for ‘Had the Queen Lived: An Alternative History of Anne Boleyn’? Is there anything you found when doing research for your novel that surprised you, or which you found particularly intriguing? What was your favorite resource for ‘Had the Queen Lived: An Alternative History of Anne Boleyn’?
R : I researched Anne and the rest of the Tudors for several years before finally deciding to put my thoughts to paper. To be honest, since I already knew Anne’s story fairly well I did not find anything in my research that stood out. However, when researching Thomas Cromwell I was intrigued to know about his background, his training, his days as a mercenary and how all of that made much more sense of how he was able to plot out Anne’s final time on the throne; the puzzle of that minister just came together.
S : What makes this book special to you?
R : This book is special particularly because I have always wondered what Anne might have been able to accomplish had she not been killed before her time. It was such an absolute joy to bring her to life and the rest of the Tudor players contemplating how these people might have ended their days in vastly different ways than how history actually went.
S : If you could visit any historical time and place associated with Anne Boleyn, when and where would it be, and why?
R : I would want to visit 1531 when Henry kicked Katherine of Aragon out of the castle and moved in Anne to the Queen’s chambers. Their courtship of seven long years slowly eased towards marriage with that first step of getting rid of his present wife and I wish I could have been around to talk with Anne about her excitement, trepidation, and overall joy about how her affair was progressing going from the »other woman« to the only woman.
S : What first got you interested in writing historical fiction?
R : I have always been interested in alternative histories and the possibilities that other authors have had when imagining their versions of differences and in a way I guess you could say that it was their fearlessness to put their vision out there is what inspired me to take the plunge and do the same with a woman I felt a real kinship to.
S : Who are your greatest writing inspirations and how do they aid you in your writing today? What recent historical novels have you been particularly impressed with?
R : Eric Ives and Allison Weir are two of my favorite Tudor historians that I enjoy reading and truly value their work. The last one I could say I read that I was enjoyed was Allison Weir’s, »The Lady in the Tower« about Anne’s final days.
S: If ‘Had the Queen Lived: An Alternative History of Anne Boleyn’ gained a movie deal, who would you choose to play the main characters?
R : What a great question! After seeing Natalie Dormer’s portrayal of Anne in the Showtime series »The Tudors« she instantly springs to mind to play her in a movie. Natalie brought Anne to life in such an intense, dramatic and yet wonderfully human way and I’d love to see her reserect that role and play it with an alternate ending. The rest of the casting I’d leave to the professionals.
S : You mention on your website that ‘It was a wonderful experience, so much in so I’m writing a sequel and even a third to complete this series of “Had the Queen Lived”‘. Tell us a little bit more about that.
R : The sequel is about her son and his reign. Since this is all fiction, its all new characters with new storylines.
S : And last but not least, is there anything else you would like your readers to know about you or the books you write?
R : Just that I hope they enjoy them and to have fun with it.
Thank you so much Raven for taking the time out of your day to talk to me 
To find out more about Raven A. Nuckols and her upcoming novels visit her website and Facebook Page.
