By Kathy Lynn (a.k.a. Kate) Emerson

There aren't too many historical figures who have been presented to modern audiences in quite so many different ways. He's been shown as the obese, obnoxious potentate, swilling ale and gnawing on a turkey leg and as a young, handsome leading man the ladies just can't help falling for. Scholars try to analyze him. Writers of fiction attempt to come up with some logic behind his actions in order to make their novels believable. But the truth is that the mind of the sixteenth-century male, let alone one who was a king, is all but incomprehensible to the modern American female. He was raised for the church until his older brother died, taught that women were second-class citizens, to say the least. Later, according at at least one of his biographers, Philip the Fair of Burgundy became his role model. Philip is the one who probably turned his wife, Juana of Castile, into Joanna the Mad.

Still, poor Henry gets an undeservedly bad reputation in some ways. Compared to his fellow monarch, Francis I of France, he was a reasonably faithful husband, even with all those wives. I've been writing about various of his alleged mistresses for some time now. The latest novel, AT THE KING'S PLEASURE, will be available in stores and as an ebook on January 3, 2012. The protagonist is Lady Anne Stafford, sister of the 3rd duke of Buckingham and wife of George, Lord Hastings (later created earl of Huntingdon). In 1510, accused of an affair with the king, or with his boon companion Sir William Compton, or perhaps both, Lady Anne was spirited away from court by her brother and her husband and incarcerated in a nunnery. I seriously doubt that she was ever King Henry's mistress. Compton is another story, and the love triangle of Will, George, and Anne is at the heart of my novel. The subplot, though, has to do with Anne's brother the duke and his eventual execution by King Henry for treason.

Was he really plotting to take the throne himself? That's something else I have doubts about, although it is true that he didn't think much of the way Henry Tudor was running things. The real question is this: why did the king think it necessary to behead Buckingham? There is no simple answer. Yes, Buckingham had a distant claim to the throne and yes, the Tudors did tend to kill off kinfolk who got too uppity. But was Henry VIII really a serial killer, committing judicial murder to rid himself of potential threats to the succession (and the occasional wife)? That was certainly the end result. And in a couple of instances, he didn't even bother with the mockery of a trial before he signed the death warrant. But Henry himself would not have thought of himself as a murderer. To his mind, he was just protecting the realm.

One of the things that makes the Tudors so fascinating to write about, and to read about, too, is that they were bigger than life, colorful characters who weren't afraid to let their passions show. Their flaws were big, too, and at a distance of several centuries, those flaws make them even more interesting.

By Jaycie Cash

Should old acquaintance be forgot? Well . . . sometimes. It all depends on why you went your separate ways in the first place. Whatever the reason for your split, however, the beginning of a new year seems the perfect time to contemplate renewing relationships with one-time friends.

First, of course, you have to consider why you originally stopped being pals. If you can’t remember—or explain—what came between you, I’d recommend giving that old friendship another chance. Depending on how long it’s been since the two of you last saw each other, chances are good you’re both relatively different people today than you were when you stopped hanging out together. You might very well find you enjoy each other’s company once again, and have the added bonus of sharing memories from back in the day.

If instead, however, you stopped being close chums due to a traumatic event that involved one of you betraying the other, I probably wouldn’t recommend jumping back into a friendship with that individual. You’d probably be smarter to wish that person all the best and to continue along the highways and byways of your life unaccompanied by him or her and all the baggage you share with each other.

Recently, a one-time friend re-entered my life. Neither of us had done anything truly rotten to the other. She was my first college roommate and we simply hadn’t gotten along as well as we would have liked. Small situations became blown out of proportion and we got bitchy with each other. My communication skills weren’t too hot back then (they’re not always that much better today) and I didn’t know how to stand up for myself in a positive way.

So, we went our separate ways for years. When we ran into each other recently, my ex-roomie apologized profusely and told me how deeply she regretted our falling out. I assured her there’s no doubt in my mind that we share equal responsibility for things not working out between us. Since then we’ve emailed several times. Once the hectic madness of the holidays is behind us, I look forward to our getting together and becoming reacquainted.

In this situation my old acquaintance is not forgotten. I’m looking forward to seeing more of her in 2012.

HOW ABOUT YOU? HAVE YOU EVER RENEWED A FRIENDSHIP OR HAVE YOU EVER WANTED OR REFUSED TO DO SO? LEAVE A COMMENT ABOUT THAT OR ANYTHING ELSE. A FREE COPY OF MY DEBUT NOVEL, MRS. GOODFELLER, WILL BE RANDOMLY AWARDED TO ONE PERSON WHO LEAVES A COMMENT BELOW BEFORE THE NEXT WRITERSPACE BLOG IS POSTED.

Jaycie Cash blogs on a regular basis for Writerspace.com. Her debut novel, MRS. GOODFELLER, is available through most major eBook outlets, including Amazon and Barnes and Noble. She’d love for you to like her Facebook Author page.

Hi, readers!

I've got a great treat for you…homemade cocoa mix. I make it every December and keep a big jar handy. Drink this while you're reading your favorite romance novel on a cold winter's night! It's also a great treat to give to the neighbors and teachers at the holidays--this recipe makes ten gift bags! I've made this with the children since they were very small. It's so fun to dump the ingredients into a large bowl, stir with a wooden spoon, and then scoop the custom-made cocoa into cellophane treat bags, complete with homemade labels and a tag with the instructions.

1 package (25.6 oz) nonfat dry milk powder

6 cups miniature marshmallows

1 container (16 oz.) instant cocoa mix for milk (such as Ghirardelli's Premium Hot Cocoa Mix "Double Chocolate"--or Archer Farms brand at Target, which is only 12 oz, so buy more than one canister)

1 jar malted milk powder--if you've never seen it before, it's white/yellow powder in a glass jar found right next to the Nestle's Quick chocolate milk powder on your grocery store shelf

1 16 oz. jar powder non-dairy creamer (such as Coffee-Mate)

1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

In an enormous bowl (I actually use my roasting pan), combine dry milk, marshmallows, cocoa mix, malted milk powder, confectioners sugar, creamer, and salt; stir until well blended. Store in airtight container in a cool place. Give with serving instructions.

Yield: about 20 cups mix (10 gifts)

To serve: Pour 6 ounces hot water over 1/3 cup cocoa mix; stir until well-blended.

-Kieran Kramer