A King Uncaged

That is the working title of my next historical novel. Which would be my next was a TOUGH decision to make.

There are a number of novels I want to write. I want to write about Second War of Independence and the part that Archibald the Grim, the third earl of Douglas, and William Douglas, the Knight of Liddesdale, played through deeds both brave and horrific. But the research was taking much longer than I expected and some of the material I needed was difficult to access.

So... the novel I plan on Thomas Muir, one of the Martyrs of Scotland, is a multi-year project involving as it does research on the events of 18th century Scotland, Australia, California, Cuba, Spain and France. And I am not ready to even consider tackling the Great Montrose. So that left (drum roll)

James I of Scotland who had at the very least a fascinating life. After his older brother, the heir to the throne of Scotland, was murdered by their uncle, the extraordinarily weak Scottish King Robert III sent his remaining son, then twelve years old, to France to join the French court for safety and to receive an education suitable to a king. Unfortunately, word had been slipped to the English who captured his ship on the way. He was taken to imprisonment in the Tower of London. His father died of grief when he heard the horrible news.

James's uncle, now in possession of James's kingdom, was in no hurry to act to free him from English captivity, if the English would have freed him which is doubtful. So imprisoned in England James remained. Of course, he was treated like a royal captive, educated to become a poet and athlete, and at times even a part of the English court (with guards at his back). How he survived eighteen years of captivity to return to his homeland along with the English noblewoman he had grown to love, to rule Scotland, to take his vengeance upon those who had despoiled his kingdom while he was gone, and unite a severely divided land while fighting the traitors who threatened his rule...

Not a bad story or so it seems to me. So that's what I'm writing. About a king first caged and then uncaged.

Hopefully, it will be out before Christmas.