I am delighted today to be sharing news of the latest publication from WENDY J DUNN, Shades of Yellow, a dual timeline novel set in the Tudor period and the present day.
Find out more about the book below and read an interesting article from Wendy about the background to the location for her novel.
What is the book about?
During her battle with illness, Lucy Ellis found solace in writing a novel about the mysterious death of Amy Robsart, the first wife of Robert Dudley, the man who came close to marrying Elizabeth I. As Lucy delves into Amy’s story, she also navigates the aftermath of her own experience that brought her close to death and the collapse of her marriage.
After taking leave from her teaching job to complete her novel, Lucy falls ill again. Fearing she will die before she finishes her book, she flees to England to solve the mystery of Amy Robsart’s death.
Can she find the strength to confront her past, forgive the man who broke her heart, and take control of her own destiny?
Who better to write about a betrayed woman than a woman betrayed?
Walking in the footsteps of Lucy and Amy
By Wendy J. Dunn
Last year, I journeyed to England to spend treasured time with a very dear friend. My time in England also gave me the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Lucy, the main character of Shades of Yellow, as she walked in the footsteps of Amy Robsart, the woman she gave voice to in her first novel.
There were two separate times I visited the Tower of London. My first visit marked the anniversary of Anne Boleyn’s execution on May 19th. That Sunday was perfect weather-wise, although that also meant loads of tourists at the Tower. But not when my friend Danny and I arrived because we attended the 9:15am service at St John’s Chapel, in the eleventh century White Tower. It was so special to worship in this atmospheric chapel, which had witnessed many centuries of worship. It was also a place Lucy spent time in my novel. That meant it was an important place to visit and soak in for my storytelling.
The next day, Danny and I visited the beautiful All Saints Church at Wytham in Oxfordshire and the equally beautiful St Michael’s at Cumnor, in the wonderful company of Sarah Hodder. Sarah is not only the author of five nonfiction books, but also edited Henry VIII’s True Daughter: Catherine Carey, A Tudor Life, my Pen & Sword Book. Meeting Sarah face to face was lovely, as well as spending the day together.
Sarah picked up Danny and me from a station near Oxford, and we journeyed first to All Saints — a church rebuilt in the 19th century. Going there was important for my research because my Lucy studied the recycled pieces from Cumnor Place that were used for the revamped church.
Next, we had lunch at the Bear and Ragged Staff — the same pub I imagined Lucy and her cousin Max dining at, and where they stayed that dark and stormy night. After lunch, we headed to St Michael’s at Cumnor. Danny and I both sensed spirits at St Michael’s. Did they linger there because this ancient church had never been torn down? All Saints at Wytham was a different story.
It was another great research day. To my relief, I discovered I had got many things right in Shades of Yellow, but also many things I needed to tweak before its publication. The most exciting find was in the churchyard of St Michael’s, a fireplace from Cumnor Place, where Amy Robsart fell to her death in 1560. It is also possible the wall of the house is now a wall of the churchyard.
Another important place for my research was Wymondham and its beautiful abbey, in Norfolk.
Wymondham was close to where Amy Robsart, the wife of Robert Dudley, was born and raised. It is very possible she would have stayed in this area if a very handsome young man hadn’t entered her life in 1549. History points to Amy’s marriage to Robert Dudley as a love match. While writing my new novel, Shades of Yellow, a novel about a woman writing a novel about Amy Dudley, I wondered if all the tragedies that followed the Dudleys after John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland, overplayed his hand in his attempt to place the tragic Lady Jane Grey on the throne, resulted in destroying this love match.
During my second visit to the Tower with friends, we were treated to a private tour of the Bell Tower. I thought a lot about Robert Dudley and Elizabeth Tudor during my time there – wondering if they ever stood on the ramparts, like I did on that day.
According to the archives of the Tower, this is likely. Both Elizabeth and Robert gained permission to exercise in the gardens of the Tower and on the ramparts. We also viewed the prison cell of Cardinal John Fisher, a prison cell where legend claims Elizabeth also stayed.
As a princess of the blood, that is extremely doubtful. She was more likely housed in apartments at the Tower.
This private tour of the Bell Tower was another ‘pinch me’ moment of my time in England. Not only did I meet again Poppy, the raven who stole my lunch on my first visit, but I felt blessed by the generosity of so many who gave up their time to take us around and share their knowledge of these places rich with so much history.
(c) Wendy J. Dunn
Book details
Shades of Yellow was published by Other Terrain Press on 7th February 2025. It is available as an eBook from Amazon and in both paperback and hardback from various sources.
It is available to read on Kindle Unlimited.
Universal buy link
https://books2read.com/u/bax5n6
About the author
Wendy J. Dunn
WENDY J. DUNN is a multi-award-winning Australian writer fascinated by Tudor history – so much so she was not surprised to discover a family connection to the Tudors, not long after the publication of Dear Heart, How Like You This, her first Anne Boleyn novel, which narrated the Anne Boleyn story through the eyes of Sir Thomas Wyatt, the elder.
Her family tree reveals the intriguing fact that one of her ancestral families – possibly over three generations – had purchased land from both the Boleyn and Wyatt families to build up their holdings. It seems very likely Wendy’s ancestors knew the Wyatts and Boleyns personally.
Wendy gained her PhD in 2014 and tutors in writing at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. She loves walking in the footsteps of the historical people she gives voice to in her books.
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Thank you so much for hosting Wendy J. Dunn today, with such a fascinating, insightful article linked to her new novel, Shades of Yellow.
Take care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club