Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Good Queen Bess

HANK: You all have had this experience, I bet. When someone tells you their book idea–and you swoon. You think, in all caps in your mind: THAT IS SUCH A BRILLIANT IDEA!

Followed quickly by: why didn't I think of that?

Followed quickly by: I never would have thought of that.


And that is exactly how I felt when I heard about Queen Bess–a time-travel tale where Queen Elizabeth I is time-traveled to the present, and, as Elizabeth Rex, runs for the highest office in the land. So what if Queen Elizabeth I has never heard of electricity, Netflix, or Uber?

I know. Genius. 

And here is the author to tell us more. (And! A copy of QUEEN BESS to one lucky commenter!)



My Heart Belongs to Elizabeth Tudor

By Maria Vetrano


I have to confess. I’m a Tudor geek, particularly when it comes to Elizabeth Tudor, the English queen who managed to hold onto her crown despite the multitude of threats leveled against her.

Born the Heir Presumptive to the throne of England in 1533, Elizabeth Tudor proved she was a woman of strength, stamina, and sway. From the start, her life was precarious and dangerous, but also filled with signs of promise and predestination.

Reared in a cauldron of fear and suspicion, Elizabeth spent the years of her childhood and early adulthood at the mercy of those in power—her father, King Henry VIII, and her sister, Mary Tudor. Elizabeth’s father had her mother, Anne Boleyn, beheaded on trumped-up charges of adultery. And her own sister, Queen Mary, imprisoned her in the Tower of London on suspicion of treason when Elizabeth was just twenty-one.

Although it looked like Elizabeth was a doomed princess slated to be executed for her place in the succession, or for her religious beliefs, instead, she overcame all the odds and became the Queen of England.


Elizabeth’s reign lasted for forty-five years, from 1558-1603. Under her governance, England became a European power, the arts thrived, literacy improved, and the country was seldom at war. She was a capable leader who not only survived the dangers of her childhood, but multiple assassination attempts, including a papal edict authorizing her execution.

Having loved Elizabeth Tudor since I was seven years’ old—when I first watched the late Glenda Jackson portray her in Masterpiece Theatre’s wonderful miniseries, Elizabeth R—I think of Elizabeth often as I watch today’s political campaigns. 


Even modern politicians could take a few pointers from Elizabeth’s playbook:

·  Connect with your constituents—Each spring or summer Elizabeth would travel on “royal progress,” a type of official procession that would take her from one of her royal places in the London area to the countryside estate of a favored courtier. Though Elizabeth hardly traveled alone—she was joined by an entourage of advisors, courtiers, and servants—she made a point of meeting with her subjects. Instead of keeping them at a distance, she might take refreshment with them or stop to admire pageants staged for her enjoyment. During a period when most European monarchs kept their distance from the commonfolk, Elizabeth embraced them.

·  Patronize the art of drag—As someone who was already familiar with boys playing the female roles in plays, Elizabeth would have no issue with men dressing as women. And as a queen who had 2,000 resplendent gowns in her collection, she would appreciate the ornate attire of the performers themselves. A longtime patron of the arts, Elizabeth would celebrate this unique art form.

·  Oppose price gouging—It infuriated Elizabeth to learn of merchants who hoarded grain to inflate prices. To counter such malefactors, Elizabeth instructed her government to control the price of grain. She also opened government-monitored grain stores to her subjects in times of poor harvest in order to prevent famine.

Elizabeth ruled over four centuries ago. Can you believe it? And, remarkably, some of the tactics she employed during the sixteenth century are still applicable to good governance today.  

HANK: SO great!

And people love swag, too, no matter when, right, Maria? And you have some great swag. Tell us in the comments!

And Reds and Readers, you know how much I love time travel stories. So-- say time travel works.  What real life character would you like to go back and visit? 

 




About QUEEN BESS: A Tudor Comes to Save America

Self-made billionaire Dakota Wynfred will stop at nothing to prevent the reelection of a fictional US president who’s (among other things) targeting her cybersecurity company. And that includes finding a champion who can defeat him.

But it won't be easy because Dakota's champion of choice—though brilliant, politically savvy, charming, and tough enough to survive multiple assassination attempts—happens to have been dead for over 400 years.

So what if Queen Elizabeth I has never heard of electricity, Netflix, or Uber?

Dakota's team of experts travel back in time to convince Elizabeth to leap more than four centuries into the future to embark on a quest to become the greatest woman ruler in history...again.

Learn more about QUEEN BESS: https://www.queen-bess.com/



Maria Vetrano is the author of the new novel, QUEEN BESS: A Tudor Comes to Save America (Regalo Press, publisher; Simon & Schuster, distributor).

Maria lives with her family in Massachusetts. When she’s not writing, Maria is principal of Vetrano Communications, the technology-focused PR and marketing firm that she founded in 2004. She is a graduate of Colgate University with a B.A. in English Literature.


101 comments:

  1. What a clever premise, Maria! Congratulations on your book . . . I'm looking forward to reading it.
    What real-life character would I like to go back and visit? Oh, it's so hard to pick just one, but I'll go with Galileo . . . .

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    1. Oh, brilliant idea..fascinating! And the son of a dear pals just had a baby--and named him Galileo!

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    2. Thanks, Joan! I finally figured out to login under my own profile so I can thank you for your lovely comment.:) Maria

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    1. And thank you, Hank Phillippi Ryan, for this amazing opportunity to meet your friends and mystery-sisters! If people are interested in swag, they can visit: https://www.queen-bess.com/merch . We're going to add a smaller ER (Tudor rose) logo to some tees and the Champion sweatshirt by this Friday, as that will be more subtle. Embroidered baseball hats also possible. I only wrote the book because I love merch so much.:) Okay, that's not the only reason!

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  3. I would probably pick Elizabeth I, too, despite all the dangers of her life. As a teenager, she fascinated me, and I read everything I could about her.

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    1. It would be completely fascinating...just make sure we can get back here...:-)

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    2. I think Elizabeth I is the perfect choice for the story.

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    3. More Elizabeth Tudor fans! Welcome to my world.:)

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  4. Albert Schweitzer: what a problem-solver he would be!

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  5. What a fabulous premise, Maria! I want to read this book - so curious about how you handled the time travel details.

    I would love to go back and visit my grandmothers when they were girls in the very early 1900s. One lived on the frontier in the west, the other in elite educated circles in Indianapolis.

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    1. I also meant to wave as a fellow resident of the Commonwealth!

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    2. To pick a relative--that's very sweet. And so touching..

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    3. Hi @Edith Maxwell. Not sure if I need the "@" but I will figure it out in time, I guess. Yes. I love living in Massachusetts. Time travel was tricky, given that I'm not a theoretical physicist, nor have I ever studied physics.:) But I did try to come up with something that I felt was feasible, if you can suspend disbelief in time travel as a concept. And I've always loved time travel as well. The Plague Tales by Ann Benson and People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks are two of my favorites. Have you read them?

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    4. Geraldine Brooks is one of my top favorite authors! And your book sounds intriguing- great concept! (Heather S)

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  6. I was a great admirer of Albert Schweitzer, too. You are right: He would be a problem solver.

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  7. Wonderful premise for this book. I am looking forward to it! For my time travel I am imagining getting a room with the Brontes, who, in their constant need for money are running an AirBNB. To bring someone forward to our time, it has to be Shakespeare time-stolen by an impecunious Broadway producer to write the greatest hit of the 2020's.

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    1. Another great concept!

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    2. That's fabulous, Maren. It would make a fantastic book!

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    3. What's the play that's idea-adjacent to that? With the incredibly hilarious song "It's Hard to be The Bard"?

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  8. Wow. What a concept! I am intrigued. If I were to time travel backwards, I might choose to land in with Emmeline Pankhurst and her sister suffragettes in London in the very early 1900s; it would be intriguing to sit in on their organizing meetings and to hear them strategizing how to gain the vote for women.

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    1. ANd would you already know that they eventually succeeded?

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    2. Amanda, have you read Evie Dunmore's A League of Extraordinary Women novels? They are romance (and quite racy) but are also a fascinating look at the suffragettes of the period.

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    3. Did you see the film, Suffragette - https://www.focusfeatures.com/suffragette? Excellent. Brutal at times. Felt important to watch it, though.

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  9. me too on Albert Schweitzer--we share the same birthday too:)

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  10. Wonderful story Maria! Like Hank, I never in a million years would have come up with such a plot...

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    1. I know! It's kinda thought-provoking, what is and isn't in our brains...

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  11. I have always loved reading time travel books; going back into the past is something we have probably always wanted to do at some time or other. I have played around with an idea of time travel into the future, and I'm still considering it. As for who in the past I would like to visit, I think I'd like to go back and visit with an ancestor of mine from the early 1600s, right after they arrived on this continent. Or wait, maybe a couple years after they arrived and were settled.

    Such a great idea, Maria! I can't wait to read the book and see how the queen takes to 21st century life.

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    1. The early 1600s would be fascinating to visit, even in New England. I'd want to see how the native Americans lived, too. Visited Plimoth Plantation with my daughter's class when she was in third grade. Found it fascinating to "meet" the English colonials and the descendants of the Wampanoag. The Wampanoag's food looked more appealing - have to admit.

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  12. Congratulations, Maria. What a clever premise.

    As another English major, I'd have to go with Shakespeare.

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    1. A whole group of us would arrive, right?

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    2. It would be amazing to see a Shakespeare play at one of the original theaters. I'd want to be high up in the fancy section, not with the groundlings, though, as it sounds like it could be something of a mosh pit, given the right circumstances.

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  13. Great idea, Queen Bess might be good for this country! So many times I would like to visit--since I'm more of a Yorkist than a Tudor fan, I might visit Richard III's beloved Yorkshire estate (before he became king) or spend a week with the Bloomsbury Group in early 20th century London.

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    1. Hi Gillian B, Richard III sounds much misunderstood. Did you see the film -- based on a true story -- about a woman who became totally focused on finding his grave? I loved it! https://www.thelostking.movie/

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    2. I have not seen it yet, but I’d like to! I’ve heard about it.

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  14. Such a good idea… so who?… Fanny Brice? Marie Curie? Jane Austen??

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    1. Would love to see Fanny Brice perform. I wonder if Bette Midler is like a modern-day Fanny Brice.

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  15. MARIA: Intriguing premise for a book!
    I would pick Leonardo da Vinci. He was such a Renaissance man: engineer, inventor, painter, sculptor.

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    1. Nah, Just visiting da Vinci in his workshop would be fine. And I would have Google Translate on my smartphone.

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    2. da Vinci was certainly a man way ahead of his time. Saw one of his sketches at a London museum once, and even that was mind-blowing.

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  16. This is fascinating and interests me greatly! Time travel has always been something special to explore and think about. I would want to meet and spend time with Sir Winston Churchill.

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    1. Traveler i agree about Churchill. I just read a book "Letters For The Ages" by Churchill (edited by Drake and Packwood). It is a collection of Churchill letters starting when he was quite young to his mother. It is a look into his thoughts on fellow politicians, the war, etc.

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    2. Thank goodness for the English and Winston Churchill during WWII.

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  17. I am thinking about this way more than I should. Could we choose to be invisible? That might be fun. Can we just choose a time? Say, gilded age New York, and just hang around and watch and listen?

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    1. We'd have to borrow Harry Potter's invisibility cloak.

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    2. (Susan D here) I think if you can time travel, you can definitely be invisible.

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    3. 100% like the idea of being invisible. I'd like to visit ancient Pompeii before Mount Vesuvius or Medieval London. I'd want to wear a mask in London, though, in case of plague.

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    4. Yes, I think it makes a lot of sense that if you can time travel, you can be invisible. Agreed.

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    5. Pompeii before--but KNOWING? What would you do? Another good book idea.. Saving Pompeii. Oh, hey, I'm taking that, you all. Mine.

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    6. I'd feel sick at heart seeing the residents before the eruption -- especially the children. I hadn't thought of that. Better to go to ancient Rome, perhaps, while being invisible. I might go to medieval Palermo instead as my father was Sicilian.

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  18. MARIA: Love this premise for your novel. As a child, I knew who Queen Elizabeth I was Before I knew about the Beatles or Linda Ronstadt or the Gibbs or any of the current famous people. My Mom taught English, which included Shakespeare. My parents brought me to the Renaissance Faire and I learned about the Queen and medieval life in England. My Dad loved to wear medieval costume to the Renaissance Faire. I remember seeing a portrait of Anne Boleyn and she looked like the adoptive mother of my classmates.

    Several Questions:

    What would Queen Elizabeth I have thought of her relative Queen Elizabeth II marrying Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh? If I recall my history, the first Queen Elizabeth was at war against the King of Spain named Phillip.

    Can you imagine the conversation between Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Elizabeth II if they met?

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    1. Oh, that is such intriguing thought!

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    2. Hello QEI fan! Sounds like you were immersed in 16th century English culture. How wonderful.:) If I'm channeling QEI, who goes by the name Elizabeth Rex when she arrives in 2027, I would venture that she would counsel young QEII not to marry Prince Phillip because she would fear that QEII would lose her autonomy through marriage.

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    3. And what would Elizabeth Rex have thought of the world wars ? I suspect she would not approve of the marriage though I think she would be surprised by the consort position and a non royal marrying princess margaret.

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    4. Elizabeth Rex would be appalled by the world wars. The fact that people have become so adept at killing each other on a massive scale concerns her deeply. She may think that the 20th and 21st centuries are more brutal than the 16th century in this regard.

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  19. Maria is trying to comment! And more to come soon....

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    1. HANK: Thank you. Maria, I was thinking about time travel. when I was a teenager, I wanted to travel back to the 1920s when Deaf people had almost equal access since Silent Films still existed, especially to the year my grandmother met my grandfather. She was a beauty queen in the local pageant and my grandfather, a World War I veteran, was starting out as an attorney. People often tell me that I look like my grandmother. It would be funny to meet my grandmother at the same age and see if we looked like Twins!

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  20. Oh, I ADORE time travel stories, when they are done right (I mean, none of this nonsense about trying to change history, since you can't. It's done and dusted). I've written a few as well, and think about it a lot.

    Besides fantasizing about some hunky historic guy I'd like to have a fling with (Che Guevera, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Tom Thomson) I'd love to attend a few Broadway and West End musicals in their first run...Mame, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Porgy and Bess.

    Plus (if it's not asking too much) have the chance to visit some legendary English bookshops in, say, the 1930s. All those now out of print books, first editions.

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    1. Love the idea of seeing some of the original performers in Broadway musicals. Or how about seeing Billie Holiday or Janice Joplin in their heyday? Perhaps virtual reality will give us these opportunities one day.
      Would love to know more about your time travel stories, Susan D.
      And spoiler alert: time travel in my book doesn't change history. I didn't want to affect the past, just the future.

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    2. You know my father was the music critic for the Chicago Daily News---he saw West SIde Story and Kismet in previews. Can you imagine??

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  21. He would make the world a better place ... again.

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  22. Maria, what a fabulous premise! We'll give a gold star to your idea fairy!

    Hank, what a great question! So many wonderful literary and politcal suggestions, but I think I'm going to stick with my biology side and pick Charles Darwin--the young Charles, maybe when he was just back from his world travels and trying to piece his ideas together. Such a fascinating period in the history of science.

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    1. So agree. SUCH a brilliant idea! ANd ooh, I want to go with you.....

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  23. Fascinating pick in Charles Darwin. If he lived now, perhaps he would be an ardent preservationist. I wonder...

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  24. Queen Elizabeth II, she met so many interesting people in her lifetime and she was a woman with so much class.

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  25. Just realized that my comment disappeared mysteriously when I replied to diannekc. Oopsie. There was so much to admire about QEII. Would have been interesting to visit Princess Margaret simultaneously.

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  26. Oh, this sounds fabulous! I'm a big fan of Tudor history. I would love to spend time with Winston Churchill - his quick wit, acid tongue, and immense intellect are huge draws, although I don't think I would last too long before we crossed swords on some of his less attractive traits!

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    1. Winston Churchill is very popular! He had a remarkable influence over British politics for a long time, for sure.

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    2. Winston Churchill is my father’s 7th cousin.

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  27. I would love to go back to 1814-15 to the Congress of Vienna and watch von Metternich and Talleyrand work their diplomatic magic.

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    1. That's fascinating! I know so little about the early 19th century in Europe. I am a big fan of Jane Austen, though I realize she lived quite a bit later.

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  28. Hello Jungle Red Writers universe! Thanking @Hank Phillippi Ryan for supporting a debut author.:) And would like to let you all know that I'm happy to participate in book clubs - in-person, if possible, or by Zoom, if not. If you're interested in picking QUEEN BESS for your book club, please let me know. Just go to the contact page on the QB website: https://www.queen-bess.com/contact

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  29. Brilliant! Strong on tactics and diplomacy . . . and theater! An unmatchable choice, but I'll add Susan B. Anthony, defender of our right to vote. I wear white and take her, in doll form, to the polls. <3

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    1. I think I need something now, and not just when I go to the polls. Trying to live in the present until the election is a bit tricky when I read multiple newspapers, etc. Must practice mindfulness.:)

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  30. I would like to meet Richard III to find out what really happened to the Princes in the Tower.

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    1. YES!!! This has always bothered me.

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    2. SO agree. Yes yes yes, let's go en masse.

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    3. Richard III sounds much misunderstood. Needs a publicist, perhaps.:)

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  31. While the book sounds fascinating and is something I want to read, the most interesting thing is that I worked with Maria in a past life! I immediately recognized her name, but thought it was a coincidence until I saw her picture! Way to go, Maria!

    As for traveling back in time, I can’t think of any time I’d want to travel to. Although being very rich during the Gilded Age probably would be fun. I do love time travel stories.

    Maria, do you see this as the start of a series? Either with Elizabeth Rex staying in our present or with different people coming from the past.

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    1. Yes, that's kinda the key. YOU don't want to go back and be a serf. The whole time travel thing is very tricky. :-)

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    2. Hello Pat Timpanaro! Fantastic to hear from you. I'd love to connect. You can email me at: queenbess@vetrano.com . Will be at Whitelam Books in Reading on 10/29 at 7:00 pm if you'd like to come by. It will be an in-conversation event, and the goal is for it to be fun.
      To answer your question, you're right! It is the first in a trilogy of books about Dakota Wynfred, tech billionaire, and Elizabeth Rex.

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  32. As a genealogist I would choose an ancestor for purely selfish purposes. Where in H…in Ireland did you come from? The premise of the book sounds great and I’m going to look for it. As for a significant individual I would pick Thomas Jefferson or James Madison to pick their brains regarding their intent for various sections of the Constitution.

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    1. Wouldn't it be fascinating to talk with the architects of the Constitution to understand their intentions? Then they could explain it to the Supreme Court, perhaps.:)

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  33. I would like to go back in time and meet Amelia Earhart. I’ve read her journals and several books about her. She was an amazing woman. I wonder what she would have accomplished if she had lived. As far as fictional characters go I’d like to meet Scarlet O’Hara (Gone With the Wind). She grew up fast and developed a spine of steel. I’d also give her some advice about Rhett.

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  34. Visiting characters who lived long ago would be a memorable experience. Writers, artists, and actors all interest me greatly. Most of all I would enjoy meeting with Walter Pidgeon.

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