Guest Post by C.W. Gortner + GIVEAWAY: The Confessions of Catherine de Medici Virtual Book Tour

As a stop on the virtual book tour for C.W. Gortner's paperback release of The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, I have for you a guest post on Catherine de Medici written by C.W. and a chance to win your own copy!


Poison and Power: Uncovering the Woman Behind The Legend

“There is an Arabic myth that the day and manner of our death is preordained and nothing we do can change it. I have never placed much belief in infidel credos nor even in my own Church’s promise of an everlasting life. I’ve witnessed too much treachery in the name of religion.

Nonetheless, I’ve had ample opportunity to reflect on this unseen entity who uides our path and to ponder why He has seen fit to test me so. Have I not struggled as much as any other for my blood? Others live fewer years; accomplish a mere fraction of what I have; and yet they sit enthroned with halos about their brows, while I sink like a villain in my own calumny.

As I await the inevitable, I see my sometime enemies and accomplices, each a martyr to their cause. Important as they were in life, through death they have become legend.

And I ask myself: What legend will history inscribe for me?”

—Excerpt from The Confessions of Catherine de Medici © C.W. Gortner 2010.

Catherine de Medici
Anyone with an interest in famous women of history will have heard of Catherine de Medici: she’s that evil queen who allegedly poisoned her enemies and orchestrated a massacre. Or so the legend says.

Initially, I was attracted to Catherine because of her legend. I figure, when someone has such a bad reputation there must be more to their story. But as I began to research my book, I realized just how little I truly knew about this extraordinary woman who dominated France in the latter half of the 16th century, a contemporary of Elizabeth I and mother-in-law to Mary, Queen of Scots. Catherine has been the target of a smear campaign that began in her lifetime and culminated with Alexander Dumas’s highly entertaining yet implausible 19th century depiction of her in La Reine Margot. In Dumas’s work, which like so many of his novels was serialized in Parisian papers, the legendary Catherine is on full display—rapaciously reptilian, a woman without a conscience, weaving a web of deception and violence in order to place her most beloved son Henri on the throne, orchestrating a massacre of innocents and poisoning a hunting book that mistakenly falls into her son King Charles’s hands. Dumas exalted the Catherine de Medici that everyone loved to hate and she became enshrined in popular imagination as the black widow of history.

However, I wanted to discover who Catherine de Medici truly was, to delve beyond the lurid accusations and hyperbole for the flesh-and-blood person she may have been. Of Italian birth, Catherine was the last scion of her legitimate Medici blood; she came to France as a teenager to wed a stranger, a prince named Henri who later became king. He loved another woman and humiliated Catherine throughout their marriage because of it; upon his tragic death, she was left a widow with children, confronted by one of the most savage conflicts of the time. She could have chosen any number of paths, including the one of least resistance; she was in her forties and had shored up the Valois succession with four surviving sons. She could have retired from court to one of her many country châteaux and leaving the ambitious noble families at court to tear each other apart over the right to rule in her son’s name. It is to her credit that she did not. Instead, she fought to save France and her bloodline from destruction. During my research, I realized that as with most dark legends, there was far more to her than popular history tells us. And I thought how interesting it would be if Catherine herself could tell the story of her life. If she had the chance to explain herself, what would she say? All stories have two sides; and Catherine’s is no exception. Thus, was The Confessions of Catherine de Medici born.

It took about two years to write my novel and the research itself began several years before that. My interest in Catherine de Medici first began while I was still in college. I wrote a thesis about maligned women of power in the Renaissance and naturally she was top on my list. For the novel itself, I took several trips to France, including one in which I visited the beautiful Loire Valley châteaux where Catherine resided and followed in her footsteps on the long progress she undertook to visit her eldest daughter at the border with Spain (though of course I did my trip by rail and car!) A friend of mine in Paris guided me on marvelous evening walks through the City, showing me specific sites associated with Catherine, including a lone tower near the Pompidou Center, which she built as an observatory. I also read her letters, which were published in the 18th century in several volumes but are very rare to find, as well as many contemporary accounts of her and her court and memoirs written by her intimates, including the fanciful memoirs of her own daughter, Marguerite, known to history as Queen Margot.

Catherine’s surviving letters constitute one of those rare treasure troves for a novelist. Letters offer an invaluable glimpse into the person’s thoughts and personality; and I found some of Catherine’s letters to be particularly poignant. Her unassailable love for her children, her despair over the chaos wrought by war, her pragmatism and discomfort with fanaticism, as well as her lifelong compassion for animals—unusual for her time—all point to a woman who was very different from the archetypal Medici queen with her arsenal of poisons. Her letters helped me to envision the woman behind the legend and understand the challenges she faced both as a person and a queen.

Catherine de Medici and children
One of the greatest misconceptions about Catherine de Medici is without a doubt the accusation that she nurtured a “passion for power.” Catherine was not raised to rule yet she became regent for two of her sons until they came of age; naturally, she was overzealous at times in her protectiveness and had a tendency to seek compromise when a hard decision might have served her better. But it is unfair to accuse her of some innate ruthless drive to retain her power at any cost. Catherine faced a unique set of circumstances that would have challenged the most skilled of monarchs: she had under-age children and a kingdom being savaged, quite literally, by the nobility. The clash between Protestants and Catholics during the Reformation grew particularly brutal in France; it was Catherine’s great misfortune to be caught up in it. Her alleged passion for power was in truth an attempt to retain control over the destiny of her adopted realm and safeguard her sons’ throne—both of which may have suffered far more, had she not been there. I find it quite sad that to this day, Catherine remains tainted by actions that in essence she did not take of her own volition. She made serious errors in judgment, without a doubt, but she was more motivated by the urgent need to stave off or salvage a crisis than to indulge a cold-blooded urge to eliminate all those who stood in her way.

In the end she is perhaps best summed up by her own words, penned in despair to a confidante at the height of the Religious Wars: “It is a great suffering to be always fearful.”

Thank you so much for spending this time with me. To find out more about The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, as well as special features about me and my work, please visit: www.cwgortner.com

I'd like to thank C.W. Gortner for a fascinating guest post on Catherine de Medici! 

ABOUT THE BOOK

SYNOPSIS

The truth is, none of us are innocent. We all have sins to confess.

So reveals Catherine de Medici in this brilliantly imagined novel about one of history’s most powerful and controversial women. To some she was the ruthless queen who led France into an era of savage violence. To others she was the passionate savior of the French monarchy. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner brings Catherine to life in her own voice, allowing us to enter into the intimate world of a woman whose determination to protect her family’s throne and realm plunged her into a lethal struggle for power.
 
The last legitimate descendant of the illustrious Medici line, Catherine suffers the expulsion of her family from her native Florence and narrowly escapes death at the hands of an enraged mob. While still a teenager, she is betrothed to Henri, son of François I of France, and sent from Italy to an unfamiliar realm where she is overshadowed and humiliated by her husband’s lifelong mistress. Ever resilient, Catherine strives to create a role for herself through her patronage of the famous clairvoyant Nostradamus and her own innate gift as a seer. But in her fortieth year, Catherine is widowed, left alone with six young children as regent of a kingdom torn apart by religious discord and the ambitions of a treacherous nobility.

Relying on her tenacity, wit, and uncanny gift for compromise, Catherine seizes power, intent on securing the throne for her sons. She allies herself with the enigmatic Protestant leader Coligny, with whom she shares an intimate secret, and implacably carves a path toward peace, unaware that her own dark fate looms before her—a fate that, if she is to save France, will demand the sacrifice of her ideals, her reputation, and the passion of her embattled heart.

From the fairy-tale châteaux of the Loire Valley to the battlefields of the wars of religion to the mob-filled streets of Paris, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici is the extraordinary untold journey of one of the most maligned and misunderstood women ever to be queen.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION:

- To enter, please leave a comment below and include your email address.
- Giveaway is open to US 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.
- Giveaway ends on June 4th.

GOOD LUCK!


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58 comments:

  1. Never before did I felt so compelled to see Catherine as a vulnerable woman and loving mother as I saw her through Christopher's novel. It is a beautiful story that you will not want to put down. At the end of her journey you may feel her old age and the struggles and grief would have become yours.

    ~Bella
    Nunezbella at hotmail dotcom

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  2. Can`t wait to read this interesting story!!

    ctymice at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. posted on blog (http:crftyldy.blogspot.com)http://crftyldy.blogspot.com/2011/05/passages-to-past-guest-post-by-cw.html

    ctymice at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  4. posted on facebook(https://www.facebook.com/CrftyDuchess/posts/149009125168163)

    ctymice at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tweeted(https://twitter.com/#!/CrftyDuchess/status/73244683786125312)

    ctymice at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for this great giveaway. I can't wait to read this book.
    valleauatsuddenlinkdotnet

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  7. I am sure that the author is right when he says that there are 2 sides to every story! And this one sounds very promising.

    Thank you for this wonderful new look at the evil queen :)

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  8. fabulous review & article (as always Amy!) I've already got this book on my "to read" shelf. _SO_ frustrating not having time to read at the moment because of my own work pressure .... this is on the top of the pile though!
    Enjoy your Blog Tour Chris!
    x

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  9. This sounds so good. I admit, I don't know as much about her as I should. I would love to read this book.
    twoofakind12@yahoo.com

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  10. Interesting post, I loved the pictures, especially the one of Catherine and her children. Thanks for the giveaway.
    lcbrower40(at)gmail(dot)com

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  11. Oooh, gosh, I've been eying this book up for a while, since Catherine de Medici is one of the historical figures I have been most fascinated with. I will enter, if you please!

    beth-martin AT live DOT com

    +1 I tweeted here:

    http://twitter.com/#!/taekwondobabe/status/73361953204084736

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm intrigued! Please enter me in the giveaway.
    chipotlecraving@gmail.com

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  13. I'd love to win this one!

    LIS859@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for the guest post and giveaway!

    tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/SusieBookworm/status/73372363126874113

    susanna DOT pyatt AT student DOT rcsnc DOT org

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  15. I can't wait to read this book! I don't know very much about Catherine but I am always excited to learn more about strong historical women who were not afraid to seek power and stand up for what they believed to be right.
    Thanks Amy and C.W.!
    candc320@gmail.com

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  16. I shared this on Facebook (Colleen Turner).
    candc320@gmail.com

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  17. I never realized what an amazing woman with such a diverse personality Catherine de Medici was. I lived in France for many years and have always been enthralled with its history. This book is now at the top of my to be read list. Thank you for sharing!

    Connie Fischer
    conniecape@aol.com

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  18. I love reading about history. Please enter me in contest. I am a follower and email subscriber. Tore923@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. I would love to read this book - she sounds amazing!

    teabird17 at yahoo dot com

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  20. I have been wanting to read your book for a long time. Thank you so much for the guest post. It must have been a wonderful surprise to find out what Catherine de Medici was really like. I would love to read about this very strong woman.'

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  21. My Twitter name is Carolee888 and I twitted:


    http://www.passagestothepast.com/2011/05/guest-post-by-cw-gortner-giveaway.html? Giveaway of 'Confessions of Catherine de Medici'

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

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  22. Loved the photo's of the 'real' Catherine, makes her all the more intriquing!
    Melanieinoh2003@yahoo.com

    Melanie

    ReplyDelete
  23. I posted the giveaway on Facebook.

    http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=1802916392


    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

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  24. I do not know much about her, but I do dislike her for the silly reason that I read a book about Diane Poitiers and really liked her :)

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  25. Thank you for hosting me on my tour and thank you to everyone who commented, tweeted, and face booked this post :) I'm honored by your interest and I wish you all the best of luck with the giveaway!

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  26. Pretty much every book by Dumas makes me fangirl, but I loved The Reine Margot and yes he did wrote a very mean Catherine. I also remember reading a ~memoir of sorts from Diane de Poitiers and it also didn't do Catherine any favors. Now I'm very curious about this book, and reading Catherine's side of the story.

    bookpurring(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/bookpurring/status/73423582251851776

    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=176778885708506&id=100002032626921

    ReplyDelete
  27. I am very interested to read a new perspective on Catherine. I appreciate C.W. Gortner's idea that there are two sides to every story and it would be no different for Catherine either. No matter how much we want to believe that history is objective and factual, there is always bias. I would love a chance to win this novel.

    ashley.l.mikowski@gmail.com

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  28. Oh boy...what I wouldn't do right now to run out back and lay in my hammock and read a good book right now! I am so over this blog conversion/techy stuff....grrr So in the meantime I live through your book reviews and dream of my summer vacation and reading all I want ;) Great guest post and so much fun learning about another great(wicked) family in history.

    ReplyDelete
  29. I've added this giveaway on my sidebar:
    http://con-tain-it.typepad.com/love_shack_nonsense/

    ReplyDelete
  30. Just shared this giveaway on facebook. rlphilbr13@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  31. Just tweeted this giveaway!
    rlphilbr13@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. I think it's fascinating that almost everything we read about Catherine de Medici is based on source material from her enemies or those with a grudge (some of those valid!) against her. As with so many strong, powerful women in history, little thought is given to her own motivations and the expectations placed on her. Go, Christopher! Thanks for the giveaway.
    pamela_berkman@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. Sounds good, I'll be sure to look it up. Thanks for the giveaway

    vanessanicole21 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  34. This book looks wonderful. I posted about the giveaway at my blog: http://susancoventry.blogspot.com/2011/05/historical-fiction-fans-check-out.html
    Thanks for the chance to win a copy!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Oops. I forgot to leave my email. It's susan(at)susancoventry(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  36. I don't really know anything about the Medici's but this sounds like a good a place as any to start.
    teawench at gmail dot com
    thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Oh, I would love to win this book. I always post reviews, as well. Looks so good! -Melanie

    melaniehope66@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  38. Great article on an interesting subject. Or should I say Monarch?;-)From, Victoractor@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  39. I loved the review and I can't wait to read this book! Tahnks for the giveaway.
    mamabunny13

    ReplyDelete
  40. Oops! It must be catching...I for got to leave my email addy too! also here is my tweet.
    http://twitter.com/#!/mamabunny13/status/73609452409978880

    mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  41. I am thrilled at an account that will help illustrate a notorious woman of history as a real person. Men have written much of history and ascribed only the most venal motives to any woman who dared show her intelligence and political acumen. I very much look forward to reading this book. My email is wlpaluch@gmail.com.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Thanks for the giveaway.

    I did tweet :)

    Charlie
    bitsyblingbooks (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  43. Thanks for a great interview and giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  44. I can't wait to read this book.

    ReplyDelete
  45. I'd love to read this! Thank you!
    mittens0831 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  46. tweet
    http://twitter.com/CarolAnnM/status/74228217074024448
    mittens0831 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  47. This looks like a very interesting read. Thanks for the giveaway.
    Love & Hugs,
    Pam
    pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  48. I would love to read this!

    Thanks for hosting!

    -Beth

    Beth's Book-Nook Blog

    drbethnolan@Hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  49. I love books like this.

    jcmontgomery@thebibliobrat.net

    ReplyDelete
  50. This sounds fascinating! I love stories like this, that peel back the rumor-mongering and slander to reveal the person behind the scandal. Thanks, Amy, for the chance to win this book!

    P.S. I really enjoyed _The Last Queen_ and this post! My thanks to C.W. as well! :~)

    talia_09(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  51. Love the Cover and the Book looks just as intriguing. I have always wondered what Catherine was really like....please enter me and I am posting on FB Marilyn
    ewatvess@yahoo.com

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  52. I love reading about the monarchy and this was a great article. Thanks for the blog it was great.melaniedot@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  53. I would be absolutely thrilled to be a winner of this novel! Catherine of Medici was such a fascinating person in history and so look forward to reading about her.

    Connie Fischer
    conniecape@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  54. I have always thought that Catherine de Medici is a very misunderstood historical figure. I am looking forward to reading this book.

    dmlkunze@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  55. I would love to read this book!

    robindpdx (at) yahoo (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  56. This book sounds great!

    teralynpilgrim at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  57. I'm hooked on historical fiction! Would love to read this.

    chipotlecraving(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  58. Hope I'm not too late to enter! I am fascinated by the Medici's as well and I'd love to read this. Seems like she was much maligned.

    I shared on Facebook and tweeted @vegasbookgirl

    Thanks!

    AManda
    libraryofmyown at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete

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