Hands up who knows what day it is today!
4th February 2023?
Believe it or not, it’s ten years since *that* press conference! You know – the one that announced that ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ the grave of King Richard III had been found under a Leicester car park.
A whole ten years? It really doesn’t seem possible! But it is. It really is the tenth anniversary of that incredible day. The day when King Richard was a top news story worldwide. When he became almost a household name. The day when #RichardIII trended on Twitter.
And so, it’s also a whole ten years since Matthew Wansford and the Order of the White Boar were born.
Yes, that was the day when I realized I had to seize the opportunity of that momentous occasion to do something to help restore King Richard’s reputation. And being a children’s author, there was really only one sensible way to do that.
Ten years later, I’ve published four books with that aim – to bring the story of the real man to children (and also many adults, as it’s turned out) before they encounter the lies that were told about him in the decades and centuries after his death. And along the way, I’ve introduced readers to the adventures and travails of Matt, Alys, Roger and their friends, fictional and historical, from their very beginning in the summer of 1482 at Middleham Castle to … well, if you’ve not yet read Sons of York, I’ll not give anything away.
Also along the way, I’ve met readers and potential readers in schools and libraries, at medieval and literary festivals, in bookshops and cafes, in the Merchant Venturers’ Hall and any number of other venues of various kinds. And in the course of our conversations, very often they trace their own interest in King Richard back to that day.
To cut a long story short, to celebrate the great reveal of the culmination of Philippa Langley and the Looking for Richard team’s search for the grave of ‘The Lost King’, I’ll be offering all of my books for just 99p/99c* for one week from this Saturday.
That’s right. The ebooks of all the White Boar books – The Order of the White Boar, The King’s Man, King in Waiting and Sons of York – will all be only 99p/99c – ready to be downloaded by you or your friends and family, onto whichever device you prefer to read them on. And of course, if you have Kindle Unlimited, they’re all free to read all the time.
And I’m happy to repeat my December offer to send you, or any family, friends or schools/libraries of your choosing, paperbacks at only £7 each (plus P&P) – signed if you wish.
Why not tell everyone you know! Or, indeed, why not buy copies for anyone you think may enjoy them – or who needs to be introduced to the real Richard III?
As always, I’ll repeat my oft-spoken plea for reviews on Amazon, GoodReads or elsewhere – they’re vital for helping sales and for spreading the word about King Richard and the Order.
I should mention that the offer also includes my standalone timeslip/environmental adventure Time out of Time – described in a recent review as ‘A wonderful book! You have to read!!!’ Why not take the chance of this offer to check it out? You may even find, as one reviewer did, that ‘I think this might be my favourite novel by this author yet!’
So why not grab some bargain books any time next week? And why not also spread the love? Please share the offer as widely as you can. And make sure you let me know in the comments below – your name will be popped in a hat for a little prize draw if you do! Thank you
*Except the two-book volume comprising The Order of the White Boar and The King’s Man, which will be at £1.99/$1.99 for the week – which, let’s be honest, works out at exactly the same bargain price!
Alex Marchant is author of two books telling the story of the real King Richard III for children aged 10+, The Order of the White Boar and The King’s Man, and a third in the sequence, King in Waiting, which continues the adventures of the young members of the Order in the following years. A fourth book, Sons of York, was published in June 2022 and offers a ‘plausible theory’ for the fate of the ‘Princes in the Tower’.
Alex is also editor of Grant Me the Carving of My Name and Right Trusty and Well Beloved…, two anthologies of short fiction inspired by King Richard, sold in support of Scoliosis Association UK (SAUK).
Alex has also published a standalone timeslip novel for readers aged 10+, Time out of Time, relating the adventures of Allie Turner through a doorway into history found under layers of old wallpaper at ancient Priory Farm.
Alex’s books can be found on Amazon at:
My Twitter handle and Matthew Wansford’s
Instagram: AlexMarchantAuthor
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17175168.Alex_Marchant
The Order of the White Boar 