Another Gold Award for LADY OF LINCOLN

The Medieval Historical Novel about Nicola de la Haye Wins Gold Again

I have some exciting news to share—Lady of Lincoln, the first book in The Nicola de la Haye Series, has been awarded the Literary Titan Gold Award!

When I first started writing Nicola de la Haye's story, I knew I was taking on a challenge. Here was a woman who commanded a castle during a siege, holding off a French invasion, served as England’s first female sheriff, and held her own in a world dominated by men—yet most people have never heard of her. How do you bring someone like that back to life? How do you make readers care about events that happened 800 years ago?

The answer, I discovered, was simple: you make her human.

Nicola wasn't just a medieval curiosity or a footnote in history books. She was a woman who loved, lost, strategised, and survived. She made difficult choices. She challenged expectations. She was complex, flawed, and utterly fascinating.

The Literary Titan Gold Award recognizes books that demonstrate "remarkable storytelling, strong character development, and exceptional writing quality." To receive this recognition for Nicola's story feels incredibly validating—not just for me as an author, but for her as a historical figure who deserves to be remembered.

This award tells me that readers are hungry for stories about forgotten women. That medieval history doesn't have to feel dusty or distant. That we can bridge the gap between rigorous historical research and page-turning fiction.

If you've already read Lady of Lincoln, thank you. Your support means everything. If you haven't yet discovered Nicola's story, there's never been a better time to meet the woman who commanded Lincoln Castle and changed the course of English history.

She's been waiting 800 years to tell her story. I'm honoured to be the one who finally gets to share it.

Lady of Lincoln is available now on Amazon in paperback, ebook pre-orders (audio coming soon). You can buy your copy here: https://books2read.com/u/4980nW

Rachel Elwiss Joyce

Rachel Elwiss Joyce, Author of Historical Fiction.

Exploring power, loyalty, and love in turbulent medieval England.

Rachel came to novel writing later in life, but she has always been passionate about history, storytelling, and the forgotten voices of women. She writes meticulously researched, immersive historical fiction that brings overlooked heroines into the light.

She started inventing tales about medieval women living in castles when she was just six years old—and never stopped. But when she discovered the extraordinary story of Nicola de la Haye, the first female sheriff, who defended Lincoln Castle from a French invasion and became known as ‘the woman who saved England’, Rachel knew she had found a heroine worth telling the world about.

Lady of Lincoln is her debut novel, the first book in her Nicola de la Haye Series, with sequels to follow.

https://rachelelwissjoyce.com
Next
Next

The Witch of Godstow Abbey by Lady Harriet and Dr Peter Stephenson