LOCAL author Anne O’Brien celebrated the publication last week of her new novel Virgin Widow, the story of ‘England’s forgotten queen’.

Anne Neville was betrothed at the age of 14 to the Prince of Wales, heir to Henry VI, and later married to Richard III.

Virgin Widow is the former history teacher’s first mainstream historical novel, and follows eight historical romances published by Mills & Boon. But she has already written a second, about Eleanor of Aquitaine, and has recently decided that the third will be about Matilda of Flanders, the wife of William the Conqueror.

“She played quite a role in William’s reign as well as being interesting in her own right,” says Anne. “But there’s not much left of her, and the further you go back, the scrappier it becomes, which allows you to take a bit of novelist’s licence.”

Anne, who moved with her husband George from Beverley in Yorkshire’s East Riding to Pembridge nine years ago, is currently researching her next novel and “taking a bit of a sabbatical”. In fact, having joined a writing for the stage group at The Courtyard, it’s perhaps more of a busman’s holiday than a sabbatical.

“I’ve written some small parts of plays,” she explains. “It’s given me something else to write that’s benefiting my mainstream fiction, by drawing scenes and characters purely through what’s being said rather than through description. It’s given me quite a bit to think about.”

Anne O’Brien will be signing copies of Virgin Widow at Waterstone’s, Hereford, on Saturday from noon to 2pm and she will be talking about her writing and signing copies at Ross Library on June 11 and at Leominster Library on June 18, both from 7pm to 8pm.