The main characters are Charles Stuart, the Prince of Wales, who later became King Charles I and lost his head in the great Civil War in England in the 1600s.  The Infanta is the name for the royal princess of Spain.  The Infanta in this story is María Anna von Habsburg, a young woman living at the pinnacle of society, but in a terrible predicament.

What was going on in 1623?

Much like our own times: economic crises, wars fought in the name of religion, international rivalry, and endless political scandals.

The book jacket says that the marriage of Prince Charles and the Infanta María was meant to stop a war.  Can you explain that?

For centuries, millennia, in most parts of the world, royal families led states, and one of the best ways to maintain peace between neighboring kingdoms was to marry the young princes and princesses, in order to unite the leading families.  In this case, Charles’ and María’s marriage was mean to be part of a peace settlement to stop a war, fought mainly between Catholics and Protestants in Germany.  The warring parties there were tied to England and Spain.

What role does the Catholic faith play in your novel?  How is this a work of Catholic historical fiction?

Catholicism is central to the plot and the characters.  It is the main stumbling block to the marriage.  England was wildly anti-Catholic at the time, but Charles’ mother had been Catholic and he had no hatred for the faith.  The Spanish were about as anti-Protestant as the English were anti-Catholic, but leading members of both courts really wanted the marriage to end the war in Germany.  Most did not want an all-out war of religion.  For the Infanta María, the Catholic faith was central to her life, and she knew what that would have meant for her in England.

Many historical novels have Queen Elizabeth as the main character.  Why did you choose these people and this time period?

Poor Elizabeth has been almost a stock character, a heroine by default. Very few of the historical novels about her have anything to do with the queen as she really was.  I chose this time because the people are interesting, complex, and modern, even at 400 years distance.  Also, this period will lead into the great crisis of English history: the civil war and revolution of the 1640s.

How historically accurate is your book?

I was trained at Harvard to be a professional historian.  I’ve published articles in scholarly journals about these people and times.  While researching in archives and libraries, I kept thinking, “These characters and this situation would make a great historical novel, maybe even a movie.”

How do the wars of religion, between Catholics and Protestants, relate to the wars in the Middle East in our time?

Islamic extremists, such as Al-Qaeda, claim that they are waging a holy war against American Christians and Israeli Jews. Of course we deny that we are fighting wars of religion in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the fact of the matter is that our overwhelming Christian armies are there to uphold and protect newly installed regimes that adhere to modern Western values, like the rule of law, democracy, individualism, and feminism.  There are similar tensions with Iran.  The question is, how do we bridge the gap for the sake of peace?

What do you think readers will take away from your book?

The experience of having been transported, thousands of miles and hundreds of years away from where we are now.  I hope they will feel true sympathy with the characters and understand them, deeply.

Do you have a sequel planned?

Yes, a trilogy actually, leading into the English Civil War and Revolution.

Sophia Institute Press is an outstanding publisher of Catholic books, from Catholic classics to contemporary fiction.  Over the last forty years the Press has made a major contribution to what has been called the “John Paul II generation”—people who have returned to the traditional teachings of the Church as the true hope of humanity.  The Press became the publishing arm of Holy Spirit College and Thomas More College as of April 13, 2011.

For the past ten years Catholic Exchange has led the way in the use of new media for evangelization.  Screenwriter Barbara Nicolosi has commented: “Catholic Exchange is just what the Church of the 21st Century needs.  It isn’t just a tool of the New Evangelization called for by John Paul II; it IS the New Evangelization.”  Every weekday CatholicExchange.com features stories from the contemporary press and timely articles, columns, blog posts, and podcasts on how the message of Jesus Christ addresses the crucial problems of everyday life and fulfills the deepest desires of the human heart.

Working together, Sophia Institute Press and Catholic Exchange will bring an enriched menu of traditional and new media content to Catholics looking for practical help and inspiration.

Gareth Genner, President of Holy Spirit College, serves as Chairman of the Board of Sophia Institute Press, while Thomas More College President William Fahey oversees the Press’s day-to-day operations as its President and Publisher.  Sophia’s Board of Directors is comprised of an equal number of representatives from each college.

Gareth Genner commented: “This is the next step in the creation of a multi-platform media company dedicated to the new evangelization.  We expect great things from the synergy of the Press and Catholic Exchange.”

“We have already explored,” William Fahey said, “a few of the many ways in which the two enterprises complement one another.  We look forward, for example, to the use of Sophia’s books as the basis of certificate programs in biblical studies, theology, spiritual formation, canon law and other subjects that will be offered through Catholic Exchange.”

Harold Fickett, who has led Catholic Exchange for the past two years, will continue to oversee new media operations, serving as Editor-in-Chief.  “I am tremendously grateful,” he said, “to Sophia Institute Press for providing a stable platform from which Catholic Exchange can grow.  Those who have supported us can now look forward to their efforts bearing fruit for Christ and his Kingdom in the years to come.”

For more information contact:
Harold Fickett at hfickett@catholicexchange.com