This month’s book club with Sylvia Kent and our guest, the fabulous Olivia Hayfield (Sue Copsey).
WIFE AFTER WIFE
A wickedly entertaining and utterly absorbing modern take on the life and marriages of Henry VIII … if he were a twenty-first-century womanising media mogul rather than the King of England.
Master of the universe Harry Rose is head of the Rose Corporation, number eighteen on the Forbes rich list, and recently married to wife number six. But in 2018, his perfect world is about to come crashing to the ground. His business is in the spotlight – and not in a good way – and his love life is under scrutiny. Because behind a glittering curtain of lavish parties, gorgeous homes, and a media empire is a tale worthy of any tabloid.
And Harry has a lot to account for.
“This will delight both Tudorphiles and readers who love a dishy tellall about rich people behaving badly.”
– Booklist (American Library Association, Book Reviews)
“A near-perfect holiday read – a right royal romp, you might say – but its clever conceit, engaging writing, endearing characters and, ultimately, witty social commentary make it near-perfect for any other time of the year.”
INTERVIEW SUE COPSEY (OLIVIA HAYFIELD)
INTERVIEW SYLVIA KENT
SYLVIA KENT 60 SECOND HISTORY (BUS)
ABOUT OLIVIA
I’m Olivia Hayfield*, author of modern retellings of historical tales.
Thanks for dropping by. I’m hoping this is because you’ve read one of my books and would like to find out a little more about me. Here goes – brace!
I have dual nationality (UK, NZ), three names (Olivia Hayfield, Cassie Copperfield, Sue Copsey), three author personas (contemporary fiction, romcom, children’s) and two jobs (author, editor). This keeps life interesting, but it does tend to confuse people.
Why would I add writing under pseudonyms to ways in which to confuse? Olivia came into being at the request of my publisher. Sue Copsey, they said, wasn’t ‘glamorous’ enough. (Rude! said my family.) So I made up a new name, and while I was at it knocked a few years off my age. As it turns out, I have had a lot of fun as Olivia (and as Cassie, but she’s very new so … more on her soon!).
What else? We can add ‘history nerd’ to that list. Purely amateur, though if, like the characters in my books, we do get a second existence, I’d like to come back as a history academic, whiling away the hours in ancient libraries.
But as far as the current life goes, when I’m not editing (day job) or writing (most other waking minutes), I usually have my nose stuck in a popular history book. I’m a fan of Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir and Antonia Fraser – I read male authors’ takes on history too, but I enjoy the insight of female writers when it comes to historical characters and their relationships. And then I spend many an hour wondering what those characters would be like if they lived today.
Personal stuff: I have two children, a husband, and my other great love is wildlife.
If you’d like news on my books, events, or just chit chat about my writing life, then please do sign up to my newsletter. [Update – I’m so bad at doing newsletters. TIME! I just don’t have any. But I will try to do better.] Or drop me a line on oliviahayfield@gmail.com. Emails from readers are my favourite things.
Olivia Hayfield | Historical retellings