Mailbox Monday


Another Monday, Another Mailbox!! This is a feature where we all share with each other the yummy books that showed up at our doors! WARNING: Mailbox Mondays can lead to extreme envy and GINORMOUS wishlists!!

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page, but for the month of December MM is on tour and hosted by Rose City Reader.  Yours truly will be the MM host for April!

Hey all!  I hope you are all doing fabulously!  I only have one addition to my TBR mountain to report, but it's a good one!  I won a copy of Stephanie Dray's Lily of the Nile from my girl Liz at Historically Obsessed and I received it this weekend and it was sweetly signed by the author!  Thanks Liz and Stephanie, I'm really looking forward to reading it!

Lily of the Nile
by Stephanie Dray

Publication Date:  January 4, 2011

SYNOPSIS

With her parents dead, the daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony is left at the mercy of her Roman captors. Heir to one empire and prisoner of another, Princess Selene must save her brothers and reclaim what is rightfully hers...

In the aftermath of Alexandria's tragic fall, Princess Selene is taken from Egypt, the only home she's ever known. Along with her two surviving brothers, she's put on display as a war trophy in Rome. Selene's captors mock her royalty and drag her through the streets in chains, but on the brink of death, the children are spared as a favor to the emperor's sister, who takes them to live as hostages in the so-called 
lamentable embassy of royal orphans...

Trapped in a Roman court of intrigue that reviles her heritage and suspects her faith, Selene can't hide the hieroglyphics that carve themselves into her flesh. Nor can she stop the emperor from using her for his own political ends. Faced with a new and ruthless Caesar who is obsessed with having a Cleopatra of his very own, Selene is determined to honor her mother's lost legacy. The magic of Egypt and Isis remain within her. Can she succeed where her mother failed? And what will it cost her in a political game where the only rule is
win or die? 

That's my mailbox!  What goodies came your way?


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Review: To Serve a King by Donna Russo Morin

by Donna Russo Morin

Publication Date:  January 25, 2011
Kensington Publishing
384p


SYNOPSIS

From her earliest days, Genevieve Gravois has known one fact above all: Francis I, king of France, is her enemy. Raised by her embittered aunt after her parents' deaths, Genevieve has been schooled in things no woman should know: how to decipher codes, how to use a dagger and a bow, and how to kill. For Henry VIII has a destiny in mind for the young girl--as his most powerful and dangerous spy.

When the time is ripe, Genevieve enters the magnificent world of the French court. With grace to match her ambition, she becomes maid of honor to Anne de Pisseleau, King Francis's mistress. Yet neither the court--which teems with artistry and enlightenment as well as intrigue--nor Francis himself are at all what Genevieve expected. And with her mission, her life, and the fate of two kingdoms at stake, she will be forced to make deadly decisions about where her heart and her ultimate loyalties lie.

MY REVIEW

Author Donna Russo Morin brings intrigue to the court of King Francois I of France in her third historical novel, To Serve a King.

Young Genevieve’s life changes when her parents are killed in a fire at the Field of the Cloth of Gold and King Henry VIII decides she is to be reborn as a spy, his own “beautiful weapon”. Raised in seclusion, by a cold and callous woman she knows as her aunt, Genevieve is taught how to decipher messages, weaponry and languages. Also brainwashed into believing King Francois I killed her parents and that King Henry VIII is an all-powerful supreme being, she would do anything to avenge her family and please her benefactor, which means infiltrating the court of Francois I as a lady in waiting to Anne d’Heilly, the king’s mistress.

But Francois I is not the monster she had been expecting. A learned man and patron of the arts, Francois is a true Renaissance king and the fact that he is also charming, generous and sincere is unarming to Genevieve. She had been bred to believe the worst of this man and here he was slowly becoming a father figure to her, causing Genevieve to question her mission and torn between the two biggest forces in her life.

To Serve a King is a thoroughly enjoyable and engrossing read! I loved the quotes that began every chapter, the characters were well developed and the descriptions of Francois’ opulent court were breathtaking. I loved reading about Francois I and now want to know more about him. A fast paced read with a clever and tenacious protagonist, I found it hard to put down! Any fan of historical mysteries will love this exciting read by Donna Russo Morin!

For more information, please visit Donna Russo Morin's WEBSITE.

If you'd like to win a copy of To Serve a King, I have one up for grabs!  Click HERE to enter the giveaway plus read an interview with Donna Russo Morin.  Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY and ends on February 5th.

BOOKS BY DONNA RUSSO MORIN




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February Releases in Historical Fiction & History/Non-Fiction

And the awesome releases just keep coming!!  Take a peek at what you can look forward to in February!


HISTORICAL FICTION

Pale Rose of England by Sandra Worth (2.1.11)
The Tudor Secret (Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles) by C.W. Gortner (2.1.11)
The Irish Princess by Karen Harper (2.1.11)
Heresy (Paperback) by S.J. Parris (2.1.11)
The Creation of Eve (Paperback) by Lynn Cullen (2.1.11)
The Postmistress (Paperback) by Sarah Blake (2.1.11)
The Matchmaker of Kenmare by Frank Delaney (2.8.11)
Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran (2.15.11)
The Raven Queen by Jules Watson (2.22.11)


HISTORY / NON-FICTION

She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by Helen Castor (2.22.11)


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Follower Appreciation Giveaway: The Loves of Charles II by Jean Plaidy

Hello all of my fabulous followers!  Welcome to the first Follower Appreciation Giveaway!!  I have some of the most amazing followers and I wanted to find a way to show you my appreciation and what better way to do than with a free book!

For those of you who don't know, Passages to the Past has an Amazon store and whenever a book is purchased through one of the links on PTTP, I get a percentage which I will be using towards giveaways. 

The first book up for grabs is The Loves of Charles II by Jean Plaidy!  This was my first Jean Plaidy read and the book where my love of Charles II and his infamous mistresses was born and I think it's one every lover of historical fiction should read!

SYNOPSIS

From princesses to country girls to actresses…the loves of Charles II come to life.

Ten years after Charles I was deposed and executed, his son, Charles II, regains the throne after many years in exile. Charles is determined not only to restore the monarchy but also to revive a society that has suffered under many years of Puritan rule, when everything from theater to Christmas festivals was illegal. As king, Charles II throws himself into the gaiety of court life, becoming a patron of the arts and a consummate lover of women. He first secures a strong dynastic alliance by marrying Catherine of Braganza, a shy, plain Portuguese princess who falls in love with her handsome husband and brings him great wealth, but can never give him the son he longs for. For many years, his “untitled queen” is a bold and sensual older woman—Barbara, Countess of Castlemaine—whose husband is routinely paid to look the other way. But when the politically ambitious Lady Castlemaine becomes too powerful, she is replaced by Louise de Kéroualle, a baby-faced French noblewoman who may have been sent to Charles’s court as a spy. His other great love, and Louise’s rival, is Nell Gwyn, a stage actress who rises from the streets of London to become the king’s favorite and a hero of the working class.

Court intrigue and affairs of the heart weave together in this unforgettable page-turner.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:

- To enter, please leave a comment below and include your email address.
- Giveaway is open to US and Canada entries ONLY.
- For +1 additional entry each, please help spread the word by blogging, posting on sidebar, tweeting or posting on Facebook.  You can use the SHARE buttons below and please include the info in the comment section below.
- Giveaway ends on February 9th.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

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Win a copy of The Tudor Secret (Book One, Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles) by C.W. Gortner

Hey everyone!  I've got another yummy giveaway for you all!  Up for grabs for one of you lucky readers is C.W. Gortner's new release, The Tudor Secret (Book One, Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles)!

SYNOPSIS

The era of the Tudors was one of danger, intrigue, conspiracy, and, above all, spies.
Summer 1553: A time of danger and deceit. Brendan Prescott, an orphan, is reared in the household of the powerful Dudley family. Brought to court, Prescott finds himself sent on an illicit mission to the king’s brilliant but enigmatic sister, Princess Elizabeth. But Brendan is soon compelled to work as a double agent by Elizabeth’s protector, William Cecil, who promises in exchange to help him unravel the secret of his own mysterious past. 

A dark plot swirls around Elizabeth’s quest to unravel the truth about the ominous disappearance of her seriously ill brother, King Edward VI. With only a bold stable boy and an audacious lady-in-waiting at his side, Brendan plunges into a ruthless gambit of half-truths, lies, and murder. Filled with the intrigue and pageantry of Tudor England, The Tudor Secret is the first book in The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:

- To enter, please leave a comment below and include your email address.
- Giveaway is open to US and Canada entries ONLY.
- For +1 additional entry each, please help spread the word by blogging, posting on sidebar, tweeting or posting on Facebook.  You can use the SHARE buttons below and please include the info in the comment section below.
- Giveaway ends on February 5th.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!
 

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Author Interview with Donna Russo Morin + International GIVEAWAY!!!

Passages to the Past is pleased to bring you an interview with the loverly Donna Russo Morin, author of The Courtier's Secret, The Secret of the Glass and her newest book, To Serve a King, which will be released tomorrow!!!

Donna has also graciously offered up a copy of To Serve a King to one of my lucky readers world-wide!  Be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of this post!

And now, to the interview....

How did the idea for To Serve a King come about?

I had always wanted to do a female espionage tale, had, in fact, developed a basic plot for one set during the American Revolution. But as happens, neither the market nor my editor (quite rightly so) supported the setting. Historical fiction set during the American Revolution is not only overdone, it’s not overly popular at the moment. Finding a truly unique take or plot for the period is very difficult. But I didn’t want to abandon the woman spy idea all together.

Fast forward a few years, and a mammoth amount of research into European history, and I find François I, the king of France during almost exactly the same years as Henry VIII reigned in England. I thought of what he and I had in common…in historical fiction, the Tudor stories tend to be a bit more popular than those set in other European countries, like mine. And while François was not only more powerful and contributed more to the world, he has always taken a back seat to Henry in terms of the history of the period. These two kings, along with Charles V of Spain, were constantly trying to outdo and overthrow the other. In that, I found the context for my story.

In this book, as in my first two books (The Courtier’s Secret 2/2009 and The Secret of the Glass 3/2010), there is always a subliminal theme which mirrors events or emotions taking place in my own life. To Serve a King is no different. I was going through one of the most challenging phases of my life while I was writing this book, so challenging in fact, I wasn’t sure I would get it written. And as happens for many people in such circumstances, overcoming the emotions of such challenges—anger and hate—is the true test. And so it is for my main character, Geneviève Gravois. To Serve a King is a story of intrigue, murder, passion and betrayal. But at its heart, it is a story of redemption.

What drew you to set a book in the court of Francois I?

King Francois I of France
As I mentioned above, I found him to be a very sympathetic character. In most everything I read of him, he was portrayed as a selfish, power-hungry, lustful soul. All of which was true. But when I read further, past the years of glory and indulgence, I found a man who had suffered great loses, who—in his study of Humanism—could only have seen his own behavior for what it truly was and made his own condemnations of it. I hoped to show through his evolution that self enlightenment could bring one to remorse and ultimately to redemption.

Add to that the women of his court…astounding, aggressive, antagonist, and avaricious women. I was in heaven. Two mistresses controlled much of this court…that of the King—Anne de Pisseleu d’Heilly—and that of his son Henri—Diane de Poitiers—and their machinations were fertile ground indeed for a writer of historical adventure.

One of the things that struck me the most while reading To Serve A King was the mutual love and affection that Francois I and his mistress, Anne d'Heilly had for one another. Could you talk a little bit about their unique and lengthy relationship?

Francois I's mistress Anne d'Heilly
This relationship was fascinating to me and another aspect of the period that enveloped me. I found it remarkably comparative to that of a couple in our own time…Charles and Camilla. Because of a military loss to the Charles V, François was forced to marry Charles’s sister, Eleanor. But before he met her, he had fallen madly in love with Anne de Pisseleu d’Heilly. There was no hope whatsoever for Eleanor with Anne on the scene, as she would be until the King’s death. She was beautiful, brilliant, and bossy. Theirs was a tumultuous relationship to be sure, full of passions of all kinds. But the very fact that it endured through ‘good times and bad,’ revealed that theirs was indeed a true and abiding love. They were both unfaithful to each other, and she could be quite the harridan, but through it all they could not deny their need and desire for the other.

You've written books that span several genres, why did you turn to Historical Fiction?

I feel my writing took the same precarious, zigzagging course that life itself can take. I knew from childhood that I wanted to be a writer, but finding my way and my voice were not as easy. I enjoyed some success with my short horror fiction, and was published in some critically acclaimed if little read anthologies. And the first manuscript I penned is a mix of horror and medieval fantasy, but it was never published nor was it good enough to get me an agent.

Now I have a confession to make here…as I began my writer’s journey, I was very untrained in the craft and ignorant of the business. My parents were children of Italian immigrants and my father’s father was a musician who came to this country to play the violin with the Rhode Island Philharmonic. He also made violins and violas by hand, one of which is the Smithsonian Institute. But my father new nothing but poverty as a result of his father’s artistry and he felt justified into urging his children to train for and strive for good ‘real’ jobs. So my creative writing took a back seat to my college education in advertising and marketing. It wasn’t until I learned to ‘hear my voice’ and realize that it was the sound of the books I most liked to read, historical fiction, that I found success.

Who has been your greatest writing inspiration?

In terms of writing style, I would have to acknowledge Stephen King. I was obsessed with his work for a long while. His ability to tell a complex story simply, as if you’re sitting beside him before a fire, is a gift and a talent one can only dream about. In terms of genre, it has to be Diana Gabaldon. Reading her Outlander series, discovering the blend of adventure and history, was a changing point for me and my writing.

Where will the next Donna Russo Morin novel take us readers?

I am having a wonderful time working on my next book, which will come out either Feb or March of 2012. The King’s Agent is an art history mystery, crossing the landscape of 16th century Italy to the homes of its greatest royalty, gathering clues from the work of the land’s greatest artists, including Michelangelo. It is an adventurous romp with undercurrents of the supernatural that could change the balance of power throughout Europe. The Renaissance kings were obsessed with the acquisition of art, hiring men to procure said art by any means, legal or otherwise. Some call Battista della Palla an art dealer, others denounce him as a thief. François I of France calls him his agent, the king’s agent.

Monna (Lady) Aurelia is a member of the Marquess of Mantua’s household, but whether he is her guardian or her warden, is a matter of heated debate. When Battista’s work takes him into the heavily guarded Mantua palazzo, his stealthy swagger is not enough to make a safe escape and it looks as if he will lose—both the prize and his life. Aurelia helps him flee the fatal situation and for his gratitude, convinces him that he must take her on his search. Together Battista and Aurelia search for a triptych that reveals the location of an object King François craves. Together Battista and Aurelia must survive and triumph over three challenges that mirror the worlds in Dante’s Divine Comedy. But Aurelia is not who Battista thinks she is, and the object is more than anyone can imagine.

If you could have 3 historical figures over for dinner, who would it be and why?

This is such a difficult yet intriguing question; I could ruminate on its possibilities for hours. There are so many periods in history that fascinate me and so many people within them who intrigue me. I know for a certainty that Galileo would be one of them. I found such empathy with his life and his beliefs when I studied him for my second book, that I would relish real time with him. Another that jumps quickly to mind is Benjamin Franklin. Like him, I am an ardent patriot and the revolution is a time in which I am greatly enamored, in which there lived so many people I would love to meet. But if you’re going to party with any one from that time, it has to be Ben. The man doled out his wisdom with the same liberal hand as his Madeira. And for the last, I would have to choose Mary, the mother of Jesus. To hear her truths would be an astounding event; to share her pain as a mother of sons would be heart wrenching but profound.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Give your craft the respect it deserves. Not only must you believe in yourself, you must support it. Always strive to improve, attend classes, workshops, and conferences whenever you can afford. Give your writing time; make it a part of your day to day life and give it the time to succeed. Be prepared to take any constructive criticism that comes your way, ESPECIALLY from agent/publisher rejections, and learn from it. Give up the ego and do what needs to get done to make the sale. The ego can come when you’ve made the bestseller’s list.

Now that's some great advice!!  Thanks again to Donna for a fascinating interview and now here's the giveaway information!

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:

- To enter, please leave a comment below and include your email address.
- Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY!
- For +1 additional entry each, please help spread the word by blogging, posting on sidebar, tweeting or posting on Facebook.  You can use the SHARE buttons below and please include the info in the comment section below.
- Giveaway ends on February 5th.

SYNOPSIS

From her earliest days, Genevieve Gravois has known one fact above all: Francis I, king of France, is her enemy. Raised by her embittered aunt after her parents' deaths, Genevieve has been schooled in things no woman should know: how to decipher codes, how to use a dagger and a bow, and how to kill. For Henry VIII has a destiny in mind for the young girl--as his most powerful and dangerous spy.

When the time is ripe, Genevieve enters the magnificent world of the French court. With grace to match her ambition, she becomes maid of honor to Anne de Pisseleau, King Francis's mistress. Yet neither the court--which teems with artistry and enlightenment as well as intrigue--nor Francis himself are at all what Genevieve expected. And with her mission, her life, and the fate of two kingdoms at stake, she will be forced to make deadly decisions about where her heart and her ultimate loyalties lie.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!!


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Mailbox Monday


Another Monday, Another Mailbox!! This is a feature where we all share with each other the yummy books that showed up at our doors! WARNING: Mailbox Mondays can lead to extreme envy and GINORMOUS wishlists!!

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page, but for the month of December MM is on tour and hosted by Rose City Reader.  Yours truly will be the MM host for April!

Happy Monday everyone!  This past week was a pretty good one especially because Atlanta has finally thawed and the mail was running again!  I was sent a few for review and picked up a used Jean Plaidy book from Amazon.

by C.W. Gortner

Release Date:  February 1, 2011

SYNOPSIS

Summer 1553: A time of danger and deceit. Brendan Prescott, an orphan, is reared in the household of the powerful Dudley family. Brought to court, he finds himself sent on an illicit mission to the King's brilliant but enigmatic sister, Princess Elizabeth. But Brendan is soon compelled to work as a double agent by Elizabeth's protector, William Cecil--who promises in exchange to help him unravel the secret of his own mysterious past. A dark plot swirls around Elizabeth's quest to unravel the truth about the ominous disappearance of her seriously ill brother, King Edward VI. With Elizabeth's lady-in-waiting at his side, Brendan plunges into a ruthless gambit of half-truths, lies, and murder. Filled with the intrigue and pageantry of Tudor England, THE TUDOR SECRET is the first book in the Elizabeth's Spymaster series.

by Kate Pullinger

Publication Date:  January 4, 2011

SYNOPSIS

The American debut of an award-winning novel about a lady’s maid’s awakening as she journeys from the confines of Victorian England to the uncharted far reaches of Egypt’s Nile Valley.
 
When Lady Duff Gordon, paragon of London society, departs for the hot, dry climate of Egypt to seek relief from her debilitating tuberculosis, her lady’s maid, Sally, doesn’t hesitate to leave the only world she has known in order to remain at her mistress’s side. As Sally gets farther and farther from home, she experiences freedoms she has never known—forgoing corsets and wearing native dress, learning Arabic, and having her first taste of romance. 

But freedom is a luxury that a lady’s maid can ill afford, and when Sally’s newfound passion for life causes her to forget what she is entitled to, she is brutally reminded she is mistress of nothing. Ultimately she must choose her master and a way back home—or a way to an unknown future. 

Based on the real lives of Lady Duff Gordon and her maid, The Mistress of Nothing is a lush, erotic, and compelling story about the power of race, class, and love. 

by Chris Skidmore

Publication Date:  January 18, 2011

SYNOPSIS

On the morning of September 8, 1560, at the isolated manor of Cunmor place, the body of a young woman was found at the bottom of a staircase, her neck broken. But this was no ordinary death. Amy Robsart was the wife of Elizabeth I’s great favorite, Robert Dudley, the man who many believed she would marry, were he free. Immediately people suspected foul play and Elizabeth’s own reputation was in danger of serious damage. Many felt she might even lose her throne. An inquest was begun, witnesses called, and ultimately a verdict of death by accident was reached. But the mystery refused to die and cast a long shadow over Elizabeth’s reign. 

Using recently discovered forensic evidence from the original investigation, Skidmore is able to put an end to centuries of speculation as to the true causes of Robsart’s death. This is the story of a treacherous period in Elizabeth’s life: a tale of love, death, and tragedy, exploring the dramatic early life of England’s Virgin Queen.
 

The Queen of Diamonds
by Jean Plaidy

Original Publication Date:  1958

SYNOPSIS

The affair of the Diamond Necklace shook the throne of France and, some say, precipitated the French Revolution and so helped to bring Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to the guillotine. But why did these fantastic and ultimately sensational events fail so neatly into place? Why should a prince of the Royal House of France become so credulous and without question play the almost incredible part prepared for him? Why was an ambitious and predatory woman allowed to steal that famous piece of jewellery that represented a fortune? Who were the secret instigators of the plot? 

In this novel Jean Plaidy offers one solution to an historical mystery, the motives behind which have long puzzled students and amateur detectives of history.

So, that's my mailbox...what goodies came your way?


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