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Pamela Jean Horter-Moore
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Brief Candles Hardcover – January 1, 1930

by Pamela Horter (Author)
5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 3 ratings
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In 1483, twelve year old Edward V ascended the throne as King of England, following the sudden death of his father. Edward IV had reigned for twenty years, bringing England the stability and prosperity that had eluded it during the early years of those tumultuous times popularly known as the Wars of the Roses.   Although there were more periods of peace than the popular name would suggest, the Wars were the final dispute over succession by the colorful and dynamic Plantagenet dynasty, which had ruled England for three hundred years and whose history was marked by family conflict. The Wars of the Roses themselves were a struggle between the families of Lancaster and York, cousins descended from Edward III.

Under the leadership of Edward IV, York was victorious, but the legacy of the Plantagenets would not die. Edward had made a love match with Elizabeth Woodville, the daughter of English gentry, an ambitious woman with many relatives. This and other efforts by Edward to rule as a King on his own did not please his cousin and mentor, Richard Neville, nor his younger brothers, the treacherous George, Duke of Clarence and Richard, Duke of Gloucester. In time, Edward was forced to destroy his Neville cousin and to execute his brother George, who never ceased to conspire against him. For the remainder of Edward's reign, Richard of Gloucester bided his time, eager for revenge against Edward's queen and her family.

This was the history that young Edward V inherited in 1483, as the old wounds within the Yorkist family were reopened. He himself was too young to have experienced or participated in these conflicts, but it was he who suffered for them, ultimately losing his crown and his life in the power struggle between him and his Woodville kin and his uncle Richard of Gloucester.

My book centers upon Edward V as he is locked in bitter contest with his uncle to defend his friends and himself from the avalanche of events that will eventually end in death for him and his younger brother, the legendary "Princes in the Tower." Responsible for their safety, if not for their murders, Richard assumes the crown as Richard III, loses the confidence of the Yorkist loyalists and likewise loses his life on Bosworth field. Thus, the Plantagenet dynasty is destroyed and, from it, the Tudor dynasty is born.

The struggle between Edward and Richard is a recounting of themes that occur time after time in literature and history. The royal youth is disinherited by an usurping uncle and must either regain his crown or lose his life. The Wheel of Fortune relentlessly turns, lifting some up and dashing others down, disregarding youth and innocence in its turning. In a world of men, power brings about corruption and destruction, and no one who seeks it is safe.
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  1. Print length
    219 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Vantage Pr
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1930
  5. ISBN-10
    0533055407
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0533055401
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Editorial Reviews

From the Author

For nearly forty years, I have studied Yorkist history. I wrote the novel nearly twenty years ago, when I had considerably more sympathy for Richard III than I have now.

About the Author

I was born and raised in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and am a graduate of Rochester High School. I graduated from Slippery Rock University with a degree in English and Fine Arts and attended graduate school at the State University of New York at Binghamton and at Penn State University. 

Since 6 years old, I have had a passion for writing, so I naturally pursued a career in journalism and communications. During my work-life, I wrote advertising copy and feature stories for newspapers, and served as media, public relations and employee communications coordinator for non-profit organizations and corporations. As a technical communications specialist in the IT industry, I wrote manuals, specifications, and requirements.

I still found time to write creatively, although not as much as I liked. I authored a book, published a short story, and managed an online discussion group, but, most of my creative writing remained in various stages of completion. When I retired, I returned to those drafts as if they were buried treasure. 

LoveQuest was the most complete of all my drafts. Written in the late 1980s, it was a summation of all of my most romantic notions. I am glad to say that I have updated LoveQuest, and it is now a published work.

I plan to devote the rest of my life to creative writing, and to the stories of people, real and fictional, who touch our imagination and excite our sympathy

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vantage Pr; Stated First Edition (January 1, 1930)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 219 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0533055407
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0533055401
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
  • Customer Reviews:
    5.0 5.0 out of 5 stars 3 ratings

About the author

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Pamela Jean Horter-Moore

Pamela Jean Horter-Moore

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I was born and raised thirty miles northwest of Pittsburgh. Learning to read gave me the incentive to want to write. I was six years old. After college graduation, it only seemed natural to me that I seek occupations where I could do what I loved.

Spending my career writing for corporations gave me little time to explore my creative side. I hope to make up for it now that I am retired.

Currently, I have a Amazon Kindle Vella series, "Silence of the Centuries," a sci-fi political dystopia, that is published and available from the Kindle library.

My other books are "LoveQuest," a modern retelling of the myth of Eros and Psyche, and "Brief Candles," a historical novel based in the time of the Wars of the Roses.

I plan to devote the rest of my life to creative writing, and to the stories of people, real and fictional, who touch our imagination and excite our sympathy

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Elizabeth Almstrom
    5.0 out of 5 stars Why is this out of print?
    Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I can't understand why this book is out of print. It is well written, and is the ONLY novel I've found so far that actually relates events from the princes' point of view. I might've taken one star off for who the author portrayed as the culprit for the murder, but that is only my personal opinion, not a literary assessment.
    The book is about the Princes in the Tower (Edward V and Richard, Duke of York) who disappeared in the summer of 1483 after their uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, seized the English throne as Richard III.The novel covers events from the Christmas of 1482 up to Richard III's defeat at Bosworth Field in 1485, and young Edward is the primary narrator, with a few pieces told from the points of view of Richard III, the Duke of Buckingham, and one or two others. You really get the feeling of what England lost in this work: Edward is portrayed as a bright, thoughtful boy, who is aware to at least some extent of the power struggles going on, and tries to do the right thing. Given the recent surge of re-interest in the events surrounding Richard III and the Princes in the Tower, with the discovery of Richard III's body in Leicester, I think this book definitely deserves a reprint!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Sharon CassanoLochman
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for every library
    Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Pamela Horter is a dedicated and talented author. I couldn't put the book down!
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