Facebook memories are a mixed blessing, aren’t they? Sometimes they’re poignant, sometimes they’re funny, sometimes they’re downright depressing, and sometimes they make you pause and think about how far you’ve come.
Today, my Facebook memory was a post I’d written here on the Anne Boleyn Files on 13th March 2012 and shared on Facebook, its title was “The Anne Boleyn Collection – Number 1 Bestseller!”. My very first book had hit number one on an Amazon bestseller list and I was so excited. It was a book that went on to sell tens of thousands of copies worldwide and its publication made a huge impact on my life.
Now, The Anne Boleyn Collection is a weird beast. It’s not really a book, it’s a collection of blog posts from this very site. It was published in February 2012 after my good friend Linda Saether said that I should collate some of the most popular blog posts into a book to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of the Anne Boleyn Files. I thought that this was a great idea, and I’ve learned to listen to my gut feelings. I chose the articles by looking at their popularity – number of comments on them, “likes” on social media”, the debate they’d caused etc. It was the perfect book for those who enjoyed the Anne Boleyn Files and I’m truly thankful to those who encouraged its publication and to those who bought it and reviewed it. Of course, there were those who didn’t like it, mainly because it was a collection of blog articles, and “popular” style articles by an armchair Tudor history lover. Hey ho! It was never meant to be anything other than that. You learn as a writer that it is impossible to please everyone and that you have to focus on your target reader.
While The Anne Boleyn Collection, or “The ABC” as I call it, is not going to change the Tudor history world, I’m still proud of it and pleased that I published it. It enabled me to go on and publish my other, slightly more serious books, and it also led me on quite a journey. I’m not a serious academic historian, and I bow down to those who are, but I will always do my best to put meticulous research into what I write, to make history accessible, to share my sources by referencing what I write, and to allow feedback on my work. I love engaging with people online, I love debating, and I’ve learnt so much from getting feedback on my articles – thank you.
This is rather rambling, but what this post boils down to really is a thank you to those who have taken me seriously, who have encouraged me on my journey, who have provided feedback, who have bought my books, who have left reviews, who have joined me on my journey, who have given me advice, who have given me ideas, who have listened to my mad ideas, who have trusted me, who have made me a better researcher and writer, and who have forgiven me for the mistakes I’ve made… Thank you.
I’m still on my journey. I learn something new every day about history, writing, publishing, living! Thank you for being a part of it all. And I mean that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
If you want to read my books, they’re listed on my Amazon author pages at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, the other Amazon stores and on other online retailers. The Anne Boleyn Collection is just $0.99 or 99p on kindle.
Congratulations and happy anniversary. Thank you for your dedication and providing us with accurately researched articles and books.
Hi Claire, congratulations on another brilliant achievement. Enjoy reading your articles over and over and always finding more via the links I haven’t seen before. Keep up the good work.
Can I ask you and anyone here if they have ever been to Chepstow priory?
We are going to the Wye Valley in June and will be visiting Chepstow castle and Monmouth nearby so I did a dig around and found a priory close to Chepstow castle containing some burials of counts and countesses of Worcester and Pembroke after Tinten Abbey. I found a famous Countess, Elizabeth ….the very Countess traditionally accused of being involved in naming Anne Boleyn on false rumours of adultery when her brother accused her of not being faithful to her husband. Now, I know it’s a negative connection to Anne Boleyn, but any connection is unexpected and interesting. I know that many of the castles are also connected to Jasper Tudor, Monmouth to Henry V through his mother and the de Bohen family, but if there are any more connections to Anne, that would be a bonus. Thanks and congratulations once more.
Hi BanditQueen,
Thank you and thank you for being a part of the journey. I love reading your comments and your points of view.
No, I’ve never been to Chepstow Priory, it sounds like one to add to the list! I keep telling myself that the next time I visit my parents in Wales that I need to add a week or so on to the holiday to visit some castles and other historic places. I’ll get round to it sometime.
Thank you for all your support.
Thanks for your response. I love Wales. Really looking forward to this visit. You never know where you may find an interesting connection. Love your site. Always very well presented and detailed.
Cheers
LynMarie
Where have those 5 years gone! And look how much you have achieved since then, your dedication and hard work to history is unsurpassable. So Very Well Done you.
I have all your books, except for the Tudor Places of Great Britain, that’s still on my To Get list. I have enjoyed, reread and referred to them, and they are displayed at eye level on my bookcase for passing visitors to notice as they go by, just in case they may spark an interest in someone ha!
But!! It has to be said, I do have my favourite, and that is ‘On This Day in Tudor History’ Its like having someone from the past diary, a very full one too! That isn’t on a shelf. That can be found anywhere and everywhere around the house, depends where l was at the time, always ‘in’ it’s pages. Its been in hospitals, on our caravan holidays, waiting rooms etc, its very well traveled lol. Compiling that must have been a mammoth task. So Thank You Claire for re-educating me on what l thought l knew about this era.
Oh!! and one last thing…DON’T STOP!! ☺