Sunday, September 19, 2010

Mailbox Mondays and Giveaway Winner

From Publishers
Twilight of Avalon: A Novel of Trystan & Isolde (Twilight of Avalon Trilogy)Twilight of Avalon: A Novel of Trystan & Isolde by Anna Elliott

This pallid, predictable retelling of the Trystan and Isolde myth, taking up the queen's perspective, adds nothing new to the Arthurian canon. Queen Isolde, recently widowed granddaughter of Morgan Le Fay, has inherited Le Fay's second sight but is powerless to control it; horrified and helpless, she watches warriors fight to take her husband's place as head of the Britons' army. The most powerful of them, Marche, takes a shine to Isolde; despite her wishes, even Isolde's closest advisers urge her to marry quickly before she's turned out of her own kingdom. When Isolde makes a connection with a well-informed prisoner, the mercenary Trystan, she discovers that even the castle is no longer safe. After being forced to marry Marche, Isolde flees with Trystan, and they form a cautious bond as mutual enemies of the state. Supernatural elements distract from the political intrigue, and Isolde's clueless naïveté—even while her informants are dying mysteriously around her—makes her largely intolerable (as well as an ill-suited candidate for queen). Trystan, meanwhile, never manages to crawl out from beneath his own mysterious shadow.

Dark Moon of Avalon: A Novel of Trystan & Isolde (Twilight of Avalon Trilogy) Dark Moon of Avalon: A Novel of Trystan & Isolde (Twilight of Avalon Trilogy) by Anna Elliott

The second installment of Elliot's Twilight of Avalon trilogy returns to the tale of former Queen Isolde and her devoted champion, Trystan. Now that Britain is in danger of falling to treacherous Lord Marche and his ruthless Saxon allies, Isolde knows that her only chance to save the kingdom is a desperate alliance with Saxon king Cerdic, whose willingness is uncertain. Trystan escorts Isolde on her quest to find Cerdic and, in the process, she learns more than she'd like about their time apart, during which he endured everything from slavery to torture; their greatest challenge, however, will be to trust their love. Elliot brings the Arthurian world to rich life, creating a Britain both familiar and distinctly alien to fans of medieval romances. Though Tristan and Isolde's romantic hedging, an obvious play to prolong the sexual tension, can frustrate, fans of the first book should be satisfied with this intermediary episode.


Jane and the Damned: A NovelJane and the Damned: A Novel  by Janet Mullany

"Mullany (Improper Relations) pens an impressively compelling Jane Austen mashup full of humor ("You damned Damned!") and poignant irony. At a Basingstoke dance, the Austen sisters encounter some fashionable Londoners with a taste for blood. Jane is drawn to meet one of the Damned, enigmatic William, who turns her into a vampire against her will. Reverend Austen takes the family to Bath to seek a cure, but when the French invade England, Jane joins the other vampires in putting their superhuman strength and speed to the service of their country. Purists might regret Cassandra's relegation to soppy sister, but the bond between Jane and her father, the small scenes that reflect Austen's novels, the sly humor of a vampire Prince Regent, and an abundance of moral dilemmas and vivid action make this a very satisfying page-turner for vamp-lovers and Austen fans alike".

Désirée: The Bestselling Story of Napoleon's First LoveDésirée: The Bestselling Story of Napoleon's First Love by Annemarie Selinko

"The passions and intrigues of Napoleon Bonaparte's court are brought vividly to life through an unusual point of view: that of a merchant's young daughter from Marseilles who became Napoleon's fiancée and rose to become queen of Sweden. A massive international bestseller, the film version starred Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons.

To be young, in France, and in love: fourteen year old Desiree can't believe her good fortune. Her fiance, a dashing and ambitious Napoleon Bonaparte, is poised for battlefield success, and no longer will she be just a French merchant's daughter. She could not have known the twisting path her role in history would take, nearly breaking her vibrant heart but sweeping her to a life rich in passion and desire.
A love story, but so much more, Désirée explores the landscape of a young heart torn in two, giving readers a compelling true story of an ordinary girl whose unlikely brush with history leads to a throne no one would have expected.

An epic bestseller that has earned both critical acclaim and mass adoration, Désirée is at once a novel of the rise and fall of empires, the blush and fade of love, and the heart and soul of a woman".




The Countess and the King: A Novel of the Countess of Dorchester and King James III am proud to announce the winner of the giveaway for The Countess and the King: A Novel of the Countess of Dorchester and King James II by Susan Holloway Scott is...

Kelly .A from Fresh off the Shelf

A big congratulations Kelly I hope you enjoy the as much as I did it is a wonderful book.
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4 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Kelly. You should enjoy this book.

    You got some good books in your mailbox this week.

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  2. Thank you pat, I did make out like a bandit this past week but I am nervous my eyes have been bigger than my reading stomach lately. But I just can not pass up a book I know will be good. Plus I am a sucker for a pretty cover.

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  3. Lizzy, you will *love* Desiree. My mother-in-law gave me that book, and I couldn't put it down. Enjoy!

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  4. Christine, I heard a few other people say the exact same thing I can not wait to get at it but it is going to be a bit before I can.
    I am sure I will love it.

    ReplyDelete

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