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Historical Novelist
The Schoolmaster
A scholarly plan to mold a Protestant king unravels when a seductive Catholic arrives at court.
In 1570, Catholic followers of the exiled Mary Queen of Scots wage war against those of her four-year-old son, King James VI. Enter Master Peter Young, a Geneva-educated merchant’s son. Eager to make his way in the world, Peter is appointed to serve as the king’s tutor alongside the formidable George Buchanan. Their objective? To shape Scotland’s young monarch into a perfect, Protestant ruler—a difficult task in a world filled with religious violence, power-hungry lords, and the petty squabbles of both boys and men.
Peter sees success with his pupils, proves an invaluable friend to the king’s caretaker, the Countess of Mar, and her troubled son, Johnny Erskine, and gains status at court. But when the king’s French-raised cousin Esmé Stewart, Seigneur d’Aubigny, arrives in Scotland, Peter and his friends must discover whether this seductive stranger is an agent of Catholic Rome or another greedy relation hoping for preferment.
The Schoolmaster is a coming-of-age story, as King James rejects lessons of the schoolroom for love, and Peter navigates treacherous political waters to ensure the nation's security. Through Peter's eyes, readers are transported to a pivotal moment in Scottish history: the arrival of the first of King James’s many controversial lover-favorites.
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ABOUT
Jessica Tvordi, an Associate Professor of English at Southern Utah University, channels her passion for Shakespeare and early English women writers in the classroom.
Her debut novel, The Schoolmaster, transports readers to the court of King James VI of Scotland, delving into the political intrigues of his early reign after the arrival of his first lover-favorite at court. Her novel offers a glimpse into a fascinating although neglected period of history.
Jessica's upcoming project promises to captivate audiences further with a female-centered espionage series set on the eve of the English Restoration. Prepare to be swept away into a world of cloak-and-dagger intrigue intertwined with real-life characters from the literary landscape of the era.
When she's not teaching, crafting stories, or reading, Jessica can be found outdoors mountain biking, camping, and gardening.
Her debut novel, The Schoolmaster, transports readers to the court of King James VI of Scotland, delving into the political intrigues of his early reign after the arrival of his first lover-favorite at court. Her novel offers a glimpse into a fascinating although neglected period of history.
Jessica's upcoming project promises to captivate audiences further with a female-centered espionage series set on the eve of the English Restoration. Prepare to be swept away into a world of cloak-and-dagger intrigue intertwined with real-life characters from the literary landscape of the era.
When she's not teaching, crafting stories, or reading, Jessica can be found outdoors mountain biking, camping, and gardening.