My Dark Lady: Shakespeare's Lost play

by Dan Walker, Lee Noel Jr. (Illustrator)

The year: 1580. The scene: Queen Elizabeth's glittering Court. Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, has just lost his heart to the Queen's newest maid of honor. Their forbidden love inspires the greatest writer ever born to compose numerous sonnets and a riveting 5-hour play, “My Dark Lady.”

Astonishingly, this drama’s tempestuous love story is then ripped from history's pages, creating literature's greatest mystery. The Dark Lady’s stunning narrative culminates in a surprisingly satisfying solution to the authorship riddle.

“My Dark Lady: Shakespeare's Lost Play”: A gloriously intoxicating blend of intellectual thriller, literary fireworks and compelling storytelling.

Oscar-winning director, Lynne Littman, describes this powerful, fast-paced novel as “Shakespeare in Love” meets “Braveheart” with a generous sprinkling of “Amadeus” and “Anonymous.”


http://www.mydarklady.com

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 22, 2011

About the author

Dan Walker is a longtime member of the Shakespeare Authorship Roundtable in Beverly Hills. Since graduating from Oxford University with a Masters degree, he has worked as a writer, producer, book editor and ghostwriter.

All these roles have supported Dan’s passion for Shakespeare. He has, for instance, produced videos for the Roundtable featuring such experts as film critic, Charles Champlin and Charles Beauclerk, a descendant of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, debating the authorship question.

Just like William Shakespeare, Dan Walker, the book’s author, was educated at a grammar school in Warwickshire. This gave him an early and very personal perspective on the authorship issue. Surveying the vast wealth of learning and wisdom contained in these peerless plays, he concluded: "If I wasn’t taught more than a fraction of this information in 1974, it’s unlikely that Shakespeare was taught any of it in 1574."

Dan recently attended a screening of "Anonymous" at Sony Studios. Here, he had an opportunity to congratulate director Roland Emmerich on his highly entertaining contribution to the authorship debate - a stirring movie that will inspire audiences to delve into the fascinating question: Who wrote these wonderful plays?

Dan's own answer, which avoids the extremes of Roland's discredited “Prince Tudor” double incest plot line, is detailed in his new novel, "My Dark Lady: Shakespeare’s Lost Play." Dan’s inspiration for this extremely persuasive novel began with a simple question: Who knew more about the man who was Shakespeare than the woman he loved?

This richly detailed intellectual thriller takes readers on an unforgettable journey through Renaissance England. By focusing on the forbidden romance between Edward de Vere and Queen Elizabeth's most beautiful maid of honor, Dan has produced a completely riveting and surprisingly satisfying solution to the authorship riddle.

Reviews

[Maer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novel! Of course, I'm one who is already fascinated by the Shakespeare Authorship Debate, so this story played right into an existing area of interest.

Walker's writing is elegant and crisp as he paints a sixteenth century landscape in beautifully modern terms. The characters are believable and he captures the feel of the time wonderfully. He weaves a complex story into a fast and fun read.

Part history, part romance, MY DARK LADY is a must read for those who enjoy either genre or just love Shakespeare.

Highly recommend!