Roses Have Thorns: A Novel of Elizabeth I

ENHANCE YOUR BOOK CLUB

1. Buy a lavender sachet or herbal candle for each member of your club to hand out at the end of the meeting.

2. Serve a feast using recipes in the International Cooking section on Epicurious.com in honor of Helena’s adopted country, along with Swedish fare in a nod to her heritage (www.epicurious.com/recipesmenus/global/scandinavian/recipes).

3. Elizabeth was well known to have loved sweets, especially marchpane, which we now call marzipan. Pitted fruits, such as plums, were also popular at court. Prepare this recipe, and serve it at your meeting for dessert: www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Plum-Tart-with-Marzipan-Crumble-103654.

4. Have a look at Queen Elizabeth’s locket ring, the model for the one Helena gives her in the novel. Typically kept tucked away at the British prime minister’s country residence, it can be seen here: www.thetudorswiki.com/page/ARTIFACTS+of+the+Tudors.

5. Pair your reading of Roses Have Thorns with one or both of Sandra Byrd’s other novels centered on royal ladies in waiting—To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn, which features Queen Anne Boleyn, mother of Elizabeth I, and The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr, which features Queen Kateryn Parr, stepmother of Elizabeth I.

6. Visit www.SandraByrd.com to learn more about the author, her books, and Tudor tidbits like a royal timeline.