Shakespeare's Conspirator - Book Tour and Giveaway

 Did a shunned Jewish woman of color write many of Shakespeare’s plays?

A young woman seals a secret pact with Shakespeare bringing her plays into the world but the acclaim to him, yet she embeds subtle clues pointing to her authorship and imperiling her life.

Shakespeare’s Conspirator
The Woman, The Writer, The Clues
by Steve Weitzenkorn
Genre: Historical Fiction  

 Brimming with intrigue, SHAKESPEARE'S CONSPIRATOR shatters beliefs about the world's greatest playwright. Did he really write the thirty-seven plays credited to him?

It's 1587. Shakespeare is struggling to launch his career. Finally he persuades James Burbage, a theater owner, to stage Henry VI. He's the same proprietor who refused to look at Amelia Bassano's comedic script. Infuriated after being blocked at every turn, she reluctantly seals a secret pact with Shakespeare.
So begins a fiery relationship that triggers suspicions, plots to expose them, and grave dangers.Craving recognition and ways to break through, Amelia pursues illicit relationships with Elizabethan luminaries while becoming a controversial advocate for women.
Scandals and complications follow as her life takes dreadful turns. When Shakespeare pressures her to write a soul-tormenting script, she fears being exposed as a hidden Jew, a felony in Elizabethan England. Undeterred, she embeds hints to her authorship and true identity in Shakespeare's plays. But not everyone is deceived.
In this captivating story, the web of secrets and trail of clues reveals a perilous and cloaked Shakespearean world.


REVIEWERS HAVE CALLED SHAKESPEARE’S CONSPIRATOR: 
“A STUNNING ACHIEVEMENT.”
“A MUST READ ON THE TRUE AUTHORSHIP OF SOME OF SHAKESPEARE’S GREATEST WORK.”
“AN HISTORICAL WHO-WROTE-IT,” “ENTHRALLING,” “LOVINGLY RESEARCHED.“
“A TRIBUTE TO A STRONG AND CREATIVE JEWISH WOMAN.”


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​ EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 9

Will settled back down and nodded his goblet toward her. “How is your play about the two sets of twins?”
Emilia believed he already knew the answer. She cleared her throat. “Using your phrase, I’m calling it A Comedy of Errors, but…” Her lips turned downward as she continued. “I’ve gone to every theater owner, but none will look at it.”
Tears welled in Emilia’s eyes, and she dabbed them with a linen handkerchief.
“Do they say why?” asked Will.
“Some do, some don’t. One claimed a play by a woman wouldn’t attract audiences, which is curious since there’s never been one. But there’s also an unstated reason.”
“Which is?”
Emilia stared through the rain-streaked window and gathered her courage to admit the truth. “I’m not well thought of among theater people. I shan’t go into details but my reputation has been sullied.”
“I won’t inquire, but I’ve heard rumors…about another playwright.”
Emilia swallowed hard, relieved he didn’t mention names. She didn’t wish to talk about Marlowe. An awkward silence filled the space between them. Yet she could tell Will’s mind was working furiously.
“What are you thinking?”
He coughed, making a dismissive wave. “It’s nothing.”
“Will, say it. You can be blunt.”
“I’m searching for the right words so I don’t offend you.”
Emilia took another sip of ale. “I’ll be more offended if you don’t tell me.”
Will still hesitated and spoke as if he chose his words carefully. “There are certain barriers that aren’t coming down. That means if you want your play performed, you’ll need to make a reluctant choice.”
“Will, what are you saying?”
Will shifted in his chair, grimacing as if struggling to broach his idea with her. “Emilia, I’ll be plain. I doubt men’s attitudes toward women will change. They’re deeply implanted. So—and this was the mad thought that occurred to me—why not use a man’s name as the author? Then your script would receive due consideration.”
Emilia recoiled at the artifice. “You’re suggesting I use a male alias like Emil Bassano or some other contrived appellation?”
“It could work.”
“It might, but if every woman did, we’d never be recognized for notable work. Our genders should not matter.”
Will shrunk back in his seat, looking pained. “Everything you say is true, bringing me to the point I wished to make earlier, which would solve those practical problems but create other risks.”
Emilia planted her elbows on the table. “And that is?”
“To get Burbage’s true reaction, what if, with your assent, I showed him your script without any name on it? If he responds favorably, then we’ll discuss our next moves.”
Emilia saw the value of that approach. “That’s an intriguing idea. But if he likes it, then what?”
“It will depend on his reaction,” said Will.
Emilia fidgeted with uncertainty, reluctant to lose control over her work. “I have little to lose, I suppose.”
“Emilia, it’s worth trying. Can you bring the script here tomorrow?”
Emilia paused, assessing Will. She believed him to be sincere and fair-minded. He wasn’t sinister like Marlowe, who would have a concealed motive. I’ll trust him and see. Only then will I know. “I’ll bring it, but I’ll need it back.”
***
Emilia paced the streets near the Horn waiting for Will. Her leather chopines had rubbed her ankles sore. The two-inch wooden soles and heels were caked with crud from stepping off curbs into sloppy, potholed roads. Horses and carriages splattered mud on her black skirt. But Emilia thought only about Will’s meeting with Burbage, paying little attention to where she walked. She passed the Horn again and saw Will approaching from the opposite direction, looking downcast.
“Burbage wants A Comedy of Errors,” he announced matter-of-factly.
Something’s wrong, Emilia sensed. Why isn’t he pleased?
“Let’s talk inside,” suggested Will.
They found a window table that two laborers had vacated. Will ordered ale for them both.
“Will, don’t keep me in suspense.”
“Burbage likes the novel theme and plot. He thinks it will draw sizeable audiences...”
Will’s tone is flat, devoid of emotion. Something’s not right. “Does he know who penned it?”
Will hung his head and put his fist to his mouth.
“What is it, Will?”
“Burbage assumed I wrote it. He said I should be confident enough to say so.”
Oh no! Is Will stealing my work? “What did you say?”
“I didn’t correct him.”
Emilia jumped to her feet, folding her arms across her chest. I didn’t expect treachery! “I trusted you! You didn’t tell the truth?”


Descriptive Paragraphs:
England, 1587: A young William Shakespeare persuades a theater owner to stage Henry VI­––the same one that refuses to look at Emilia Bassano's play because she’s a women. Blocked at every turn, she reluctantly agrees to let Shakespeare submit her scripts under his name, but at what cost? 

Emilia’s plays propel Shakespeare’s success, which sparks envy and suspicion from a fledgling playwright after he detects clues embedded in the scripts that point to her authorship. She faces threats and grave dangers as a biracial, half-Jewish woman believed to be abetting Shakespeare’s deception. In contrast to the belittlement and injustices women face, she portrays their strengths, intelligence, and savvy through her characters, storylines, and poetry.
Emilia Bassano Lanyer is most accomplished writer you’ve never heard of. Until now.

 I write historical fiction that challenges assumptions and provides fresh insights into the events of prior centuries, legendary figures, and people overlooked in the sweep of time. My first novel, Shakespeare’s Conspirator, has been optioned by a celebrity-owned production company in LA. It imagines the life of Emilia Bassano Lanyer, a real woman who may have written several plays attributed to Shakespeare. I’ve also written a prequel and sequel that delves in to the Shakespeare authorship mystery. With any luck, all may be coming to a screen near you.

My writing journey began as I was winding down my career as an organizational behavior consultant and co-authored a book on teamwork and leadership. As an avid reader, I became intrigued by curious fact patterns inconsistent with commonly-held beliefs, that I, like many others, assumed were true. When I realized the logic of those assumptions did not always hold up to close scrutiny, and experts had dug trenches around their own theories, I launched into my own research. Fascinating stories emerged and my imagination took over.

Since most people don’t read academic material, I reasoned that a compelling way to convey the evidence and challenge beliefs was to depict real and fictional characters dropping the bread crumbs, or following them, in reality-based historical fiction. In my novels, characters uncover and discuss clues through intriguing plots that track with historical chronologies—allowing readers to form their own conclusions.

My most recent published novel delves into the Spanish Inquisition, the trauma it created, and the life-changing decisions it triggered. Two other historical novels are in the pipeline. In one, the protagonist discovers her family’s hidden past while alternate chapters track her ancestor’s journey over hundreds of years.
I have also co-authored two non-fiction books: The Catalyst Effect: 12 Skills to Boost Your Impact and Elevate Team Performance and Find-Fulfill-Flourish about discovering one’s purpose.

I have a dry sense of humor along with a Ph.D. in Human Learning and Organizational Behavior. I’ve been honored with the William C. Byham Award for Innovation and Excellence in Training Technology and the Henkel Award for Global HR Excellence. I have served on the boards of nonprofit organizations and as president of two. I enjoy mentoring, teaching, presenting, volunteering, and learning in any way possible.


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​

Top 10 Reasons Shakespeare May Have Been a Fraud
Steve Weitzenkorn

William Shakespeare is the most acclaimed playwright in history. Four hundred years after his death, the plays attributed to him are still performed and studied all over the world. But notice how I phrased that last sentence. I wrote “the plays attributed to him.” Why do I doubt that he wrote them all? Well, there is not a lot of circumstantial evidence suggesting that he did. He may not have written any of them, or if he did, collaborated with others. Yet, no co-authors are ever given credit. Although there is ample speculation.

Here are the top ten reasons I think it’s unlikely he is the true author of many of the plays credited to him.

1. 37 plays bear his name. His writing career lasted 23 years, from 1590 to 1613. Think about that. Could anyone have written 37 intricate five-act plays plus154 sonnets in that amount of time on a part time basis? Don’t forget, he was acting in those plays at the same time. And he wrote with a quill. Even modern-day playwrights and authors would be hard pressed to do that, and they have access to word processing software, personal computers, and the Internet.
 
2. Shakespeare never set foot outside of England but over 60% of his plays are set in foreign lands or at sea. How did he know about those cultures? What interested him in them? He was, after all, a boy who grew up in a rural market town a three-day journey (in those days) from London. In some plays, it’s clear the author had personally witnessed local sites and was familiar with local customs.
 
3. Shakespeare was fourteen when he stopped going to school. How did he get the wherewithal to write so many historical dramas, comedies, tragedies, and a fantasy. How was he able to switch genres so fluidly? Most authors, even very prolific ones, stick to one or two genres and are far more educated.
 
4, While some original manuscripts (and cue scripts) in the handwriting of other famous playwrights of his era still exist, none do for Shakespeare. And he theoretically wrote far more plays than they. Why not? What happened to them?
 
5. In King Lear, Measure for Measure, and Macbeth phrases appear that are strikingly similar to unique lines Dante wrote Italian in his Devine Comedy. The problem is that Shakespeare could not read or write Italian and the Devine Comedy was not translated into English until 150 years after his death. So how did that happen?
 
6. Shakespeare’s signature appears on six documents including on a legal suit, a deed, a mortgage, and on three pages in his will. He spelled his name differently each time. For an esteemed playwright and poet, this seems quite odd. And he sign his name “Shakespeare” anywhere.
 
7. Shakespeare, having grown up in Stratford-upon-Avon, probably has a British Midlands or Warwickshire accent. That regional dialect does not show up in the scripts.
 
8. How did Shakespeare know so much about the inner workings and politics of the English royal court? As a man with a working-class upbringing, he had no known aristocratic contacts other than the Lord Chamberlain—and that was toward the middle of his career after most of the plays about English kings were written. How did he gain access and insights?
 
9. Why would such a great literary figure marry an illiterate woman and never teach his daughters to read and write? It seems incongruous.
 
10.Ten people who had published books, poems, letters, and journals and who knew Shakespeare as a young man and as an adult said they had never seen him write a script and did not associate him with any of the plays attributed to him.

I know there are many scholars and academics who claim that “Shakespeare wrote Shakespeare,” but none of the articles that I have seen dispute the ten facts listed above. And most don’t mention any of them. I leave it to you, dear reader, to form your own conclusions.  

​

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