WESTERVILLE, Ohio, Oct. 31, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- In an exciting, enchanting tale of royal proportions, author Marilyn Kohinke Washburn takes readers back to medieval England in Swords of the Spirit (now available through AuthorHouse).
A sequel to A Rose Without a Thorn, Washburn's first historical fiction work, Swords of the Spirit begins in the 1540s. It is set at the powerful but contentious Royal Courts of James V and Queen Marie of Scotland, who were Catholic, and Protestant England's infamous King Henry VIII. An aging Henry VIII is James V's royal uncle, but will blood truly prove thicker than water as, with half-drawn swords, Scotland and England stand on the brink of war? Into this provocative mix, Washburn deftly weaves Protestant England's secret plan to make a pact with the Holy Roman Empire and cross swords with Catholic France.
"It is an age where treachery and deceit proved deadlier than the point of a sword," writes Washburn. "Both the Scottish and English Royal Courts are embroiled in dangerous intrigues and betrayals."
In hopes of gaining power over one another, each side hatches deadly plots designed to bring down the other. As the reformation of the church perilously rages on, many innocent lives are at stake not only in Scotland and England, but throughout Christendom. Chief Catholic and Protestant ministers at the English Royal Court scheme to wed a woman of their own choosing to the widower Henry VIII. Yet while England schemes to find a new queen, the infighting between religious sects tears the Scottish Royal Court into two embittered factions. Will James V successfully unite his realm in time before England's army thunders across the border with swords raised?
Swords of the Spirit is a riveting story that brings to life a host of compelling characters new and old. All of them are soon joined together through much courtly intrigue as the exciting saga continues.
Washburn was born and raised in upstate New York. She attended and took creative writing courses at both St. Louis Community College and Ohio State University. A self-described "history buff," she chose the era of The Reformation as the subject for her books because it has held a particular fascination for her since her teenage years. She is currently researching her next book.
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