Character Sketch
What makes a great historical fiction book unforgettable? Characters who feel alive—heroes you can root for and villains to fear. This collection of pages is for my character sketches that spotlight the people at the heart of my stories and related research. Each profile is a fast, vivid read designed to help you get to know the character behind the scenes.
Here you’ll find portraits like Francis Drake, whom I paint in the book Sic Parvis Magna, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, the poet-warrior whom I called “the last knight of a dead age”; Gregory Trelawney, a loyal yet conflicted minor gentry son drawn into Henry VIII’s final war; James Reynard, a bitter orphan whose hunger for power curdles into violence, and others. These sketches blend period detail, moral tension, and clear stakes—material that historical-fiction readers prize when choosing great books to read.
Enjoy!
Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey: The Last Knight of a Dead Age
My upcoming historical fiction short story, A Fool's Errand, is set in the summer of 1544. As the English cannons thundered against the walls of Montreuil-sur-Mer, the drama and death of the external conflict masked the head-on collision of two visions of duty and honor---between the romantic chivalry and the harsh realities of a Tudor war. The principal tragic antagonist of the story is the brilliant and volatile Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, whose virtues, twisted by pride and circumstance, nearly destroyed him and catalyzed another man's awakening.
A Tudor Character Sketch: Gregory Trelawney
Gregory Trelawney, a fictional younger son of a Tudor gentry family, takes center stage in an historical fiction short story set during the 1544 Siege of Montreuil. The story explores themes of honor, mortality, and loyalty in the brutal reality of Henry VIII's last campaign. Alongside historical figures like the Duke of Norfolk and the Earl of Surrey, Trelawney confronts both the folly of command and the cost of survival. His journey becomes not just a tale of battle, but of how war strips away illusion and forces a reckoning with purpose.
Who Was Francis Drake? The Legend Behind Sic Parvis Magna
Discover the real Francis Drake behind the legend — a man of daring voyages, ruthless ambition, and moral complexity. This in-depth historical fiction profile explores Drake's rise from humble beginnings to privateer, circumnavigator, and Spanish nemesis. His life inspires the adventures in my historical fiction novel Sic Parvis Magna, where Tudor politics, personal ambition, and the harsh realities of the Age of Discovery collide. Dive into Drake's world of high-seas adventure, betrayal, and shifting loyalties that helped shape England's naval empire.
Villain Sketch: Pirate Captain Guy Alfonse Guichenot
Discover the historical fiction villain Captain Guichenot from Sic Parvis Magna. This behind-the-scenes character sketch reveals how the ruthless 16th-century privateer was originally crafted to challenge Francis Drake, embodying the brutal world of early modern piracy. Explore the creative process, historical details, and psychology that shaped this dark figure from the novel.
Historical Fiction Villain Sketch of James Reynard
Historical fiction thrives on complex characters shaped by real events. In this exclusive character sketch from Sic Parvis Magna, explore the troubled past of James Reynard—a fictional villain born amid the brutal upheavals of Tudor England. Inspired by history, Reynard's personal tragedy, betrayal, and violent path offer a gripping portrait of survival, ambition, and revenge in a world torn by religious and political turmoil.
Young Francis Drake: From Tavistock Farm Boy to Pirate
This is not a full biography of Francis Drake. It is a historical fiction character study of young Francis Drake: the boy from Tavistock, shaped by rebellion, exile, Protestant conviction, maritime ambition, and the example of the Hawkins family.