Upcoming Release: The Autumn Throne: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Elizabeth Chadwick

The Autumn Throne: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Elizabeth Chadwick
Release date: October 4, 2016
Series: Eleanor of Aquitaine
Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN-10: 1402296843


"The Son She Loved. The Betrayal She Faced. The Legend She Became.

The stunning conclusion to the Eleanor of Aquitaine trilogy

Imprisoned by her husband. Separated from her children. If King Henry II thought these things would push his queen into submission, he was wrong. Eleanor of Aquitaine refused to give into his tyranny. Freed by his death, she became dowager Queen of England. But the competition for land and power that Henry bred among his sons had grown into a dangerous rivalry that Eleanor must skillfully control. Eleanor would need every ounce of courage and fortitude as she crossed the Alps in winter to bring her son Richard his bride, ransom him from imprisonment and deal with his brother John's treachery. Her indomitable spirit would be tested to its limits as she attempted to keep the peace between her warring sons, fend off enemies, and negotiate a magnificent future for a chosen granddaughter".

Amazon
Book one: The Summer Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine
Book two: The Winter Crown: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine
Book three: The Autumn Throne: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine
~Lizzie~ 

Author Christy English on Eleanor of Aquitaine and The Court of Love

HFRT is featuring author Christy English this month and for more on the event you can check out the group page or the calender of events. I can not wait to post my review of Christy's latest release "To Be Queen: A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine" but that will have to wait a little bit more but in the mean time if you want to you can check out my review of Christy's previous release "The Queen's Pawn". Now it is time to give a warm welcome to author Christy English who has graciously written a guest post on the lady we are all dying to learn more about Eleanor of Aquitaine. You can also click on the "To Be Queen" cover art on the side bar and follow the link to the now running giveaway for your chance to win a copy of Christy's wonderful novel.
 

Eleanor of Aquitaine and The Court of Love

Guest Post by Christy English, Author of

To Be Queen: A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine

The Court of Love was begun in Aquitaine by Eleanor’s grandfather, William IX, the troubadour duke. A great lover of ladies, he had three wives and countless mistresses, and to seduce them all, he wrote love poetry and set that poetry to music. A few of his poems and songs survive, some written to muse on God, others a rapture to Love. Though the language of troubadour poetry is flowery, no doubt the good duke’s goal was the same as that of many men: to seduce a woman, or women, into his bed.

William IX, Duke of Aquitaine

Eleanor’s Grandfather

William IX was a notorious or a romantic figure, depending on who you asked at the time. He kidnapped his third wife, Eleanor’s grandmother, away from her rightful husband so that she might leave all behind and marry him. It was a happy marriage from all accounts, and both William X and Raymond, later Prince of Antioch, were products of that union. The rounded tower, the Maubergeon Tower, shown in this photograph of the Palace at Poitiers, was built by William IX for his new bride, Dangerousa.

The Palace at Poitiers

View of the Tower Built by William IX for His Third Wife, Dangeousa

Eleanor’s Grandmother

Though her grandfather was very successful in establishing the Court of Love in Aquitaine and Poitiers, it was Eleanor and later her favorite son, Richard the Lionheart, who kept the tradition alive. Eleanor transformed the court of love to suit her needs as duchess. She rose to rule her barons and fighting men at the very young age of fifteen, and as she was unable to lead them into battle herself, she had to compel them to fight for her for other reasons. Love is one of the best.

Of course, courtly love is not romantic love as we understand it today. The men who vied for and pined after the love of their lady never expected this love to be fulfilled. Unlike the Court of Love under Duke William IX, who did indeed expect women to fall to his songs and to his charms, Eleanor lived her life untouched and untouchable, the Lady for whom all men were dying of love, but who no man could approach. Eleanor changed the Art of Courtly Love to mean that all men loved her from afar, all men might sing for her, write poetry to her, and most importantly, fight her wars for her. For a woman ruling in a time when men would simply bash another’s head in to take what they wanted, she had to use every advantage she had to keep her fighting men in line. The Court of Love was simply one tool in Eleanor of Aquitaine’s arsenal, but it served her well all her life.

The Great Hall in Eleanor’s Palace at Poitiers

Where Eleanor’s Troubadours Sang of Her Beauty

Eleanor’s first daughter by Louis VII of France, Marie of Champagne, continued the Court of Love in her husband’s domains. She sponsored many famous troubadours, among them Chretien de Troyes and Andreus Capellanus, who wrote The Art of Courtly Love.

Eleanor’s influence on the Court of Love is far reaching. Even today the chivalric notion of a knight fighting for his lady fair is a common theme. The idea of courtly love is just one more way Eleanor’s influence still lives on.

 

Lizzy, thank you so much for hosting me today. TO BE QUEEN: A NOVEL OF THE EARLY LIFE OF ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE is available for pre-order and will be in bookstores on April 5. 

Amazon. For those who want to know more about Eleanor’s adventures, please find me on my blog at http://www.ChristyEnglish.com , on Twitter and on Facebook

 

Thank you Christy for the enticing post on Eleanor and her court of love. I especially enjoyed the pictures since it visually gives me an idea of where she lived. I can just see her now in her hall listening to the swoony songs of love.

HFRT event Christy English and giveaway

Announcing a grand HFRT event! This time around the group is featuring the fabulous Christy English and her latest release "To Be Queen: A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine". For more on the event: check out the groups main site and schedule for the down low on what will be going on in the next week or so. I can not wait to feature this one because I know the ladies have some wonderful posts up their sleeves just waiting for us all to ooh and ahh over.

"The author of The Queen's Pawn delves into the early life of the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine in her new historical novel.
After her father's sudden death, fifteen-year-old Eleanor is quickly crowned Duchess of Aquitaine and betrothed to King Louis VII. When her new husband cannot pronounce her given name, Alienor becomes Eleanor, Queen of France.
Although Louis is enamored of his bride, the newly crowned king is easily manipulated by the church and a God that Eleanor doesn't believe in. Now, if she can find the strength to fight for what she wants, Eleanor may finally find the passion she has longed for, and the means to fulfill her legacy as Queen".

Amazon

To Be Queen: A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine
The Queen's Pawn

To celebrate the event kick off Historically Obsessed is having a Giveaway!

Open to EVERYONE this one is INTERNATIONAL

Up for grabs is one finished autographed copy of To Be Queen by Christy English

The ONLY rule is you MUST fill out the form below.

Sundays Art: Pre-Raphaelites, Fair Rosamund and Queen Eleanor

As I had mentioned before it is time to get into some of the darker Pre-Raphaelites. I figured that starting with this one that has my new favorite leading lady Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine would be perfect. Since I just finished reading "The Queen's Pawn" by Christy English, this is the best starting point to explore some of the darker, more sinister Pre-Raphaelites. Fair Rosamund is not a leading character in "The Queen's Pawn" but is briefly mentioned in Eleanor's thoughts. I would eventually love to read a book on Rosamund but at this moment nothing has peeked my interest.

"Fair Rosamund and Queen Eleanor" 1862

Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones 1822-98

Pen and ink, watercolour, gouache and gum on paper

"Burn-Jones manages to convey Rosamund's very real terror as she realizes she is unable to escape. Her face, swollen as though with tears, demands sympathy from the viewer; Eleanor's face, determined and cold, only serves to create in the viewer  a dislike for he queen. The artist required the viewer to feel sympathy for the mistress, not the wife; this is in  direct opposition to the prevalent Victorian attitude. Similarly contrary is the artist's decision to clothe the king's mistress in a virginal pale gown, and his wife in witch-like black".

"Burne-Jones treated the story of Fair Rosamund several times in the early 1860s. According to legend, King Henry II created a hidden chamber for his mistress, Rosamund, at the centre of an elaborate maze. There she was discovered and murdered by her rival, Queen Eleanor. While he was a student at Oxford, Burne-Jones visited Godstowe, the presumed site of Rosamund's grave. But a fresh impetus for his group of pictures came from Swinburne's verse drama of 1860, which enacts the confrontation of Rosamund and the Queen". The Tate Gallery

I am unsure if the one below is a Pre-Raphaelite but it is by my favorite Pre-Raphaelite artist and I just could not leave it out of this post. 

"Fair Rosamund" 1917
John William Waterhouse 1849–1917(1849)(1917)

Oil on canvas

Stay tuned next Sunday for more Pre-Raphaelites and I hope you all enjoyed this one. 

Book Review: THE QUEEN'S PAWN by Christy English

I have been waiting what feels like an eternity to read this book. I have had the ARC since the beginning of the year but because of my tight reading schedule I was not able to get to it sooner. Finally I have done it I have read it and I really enjoyed it. Christy English is by far one of the nicest authors I have ever come into contact with and I am so glad that she found me and offered me "The Queens Pawn" for review. Since I am new to this whole medieval time period of the 11th century I genuinely can say that this is a period that I am falling in love with. It started first with Elizabeth Chadwick and now continues on with Christy English.

Alais, Princess of France was the daughter of Louis VII. Louis was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine but as many know that did not work out and Eleanor left him for the King of England Henry II. Alias’s father married her mother after Eleanor left and sadly her mother died when she was a baby. It is hard for me to think of any child growing up with out a mother but for girls it is so much harder. They need that extra maternal devotion and when Alais was sent to England to marry Eleanor and Henry’s son Prince Richard she was immediately taken under Eleanor’s wing as a true daughter. The two women shared a deep kinship more like kindred spirits of a special kind. Eleanor saw in Alais some of her own defining qualities and took on an instant unconditional love for Alais.

It was a mess what Alais walked into in England, Eleanor and Henry’s relationship had already turned sour and the whole family were on the verge of war. It was a good thing for Alais that at one point she spent some time in a nunnery when Eleanor was being shady to the king. The whole book took a drastic turn when Alais went to court at Whitehall to be with Eleanor and Richard. I believe Alais deeply loved Richard and that since she had been so sheltered in her life at France she had no idea that when Richard swore his oath to her that it might not all be true. She wanted real love and would not accept anything less.

As we all know revenge is a dish that is best served cold but Alais made her revenge a steaming hot plate of deceit. An unexplainable force drew her to the king and she reacted out brashness and made the biggest mistake of her life. Turning her back on Eleanor and Richard she destroyed all that was in her path. Alais rejected Richard and Eleanor’s love and only accepted the Kings. Hum lets see bad idea or good idea? To love a man that locked his wife up for over 20 years, and who easily turned on his own children. It just made me wonder what she saw in him.

4/5 I really enjoyed this read but I have this little nagging feeling that other avid lovers of this period might not enjoy it as much as me. For the only reason that maybe since I am new to this period that I might just not have enough of the whole history to really understand if things were left out or events changed. I would highly recommend this book to newbies of this time period. All in all it was a easy read that was not complicated and flowed very nicely. No confusion here which is very important to me. Plus I love this beautiful cover the ladies are just too pretty in those dresses.

Thank you Christy for sending me this wonderful book I really enjoyed it. I can not wait for the next one on your ladies!

Today In History, Lent and Eleanor of Aquintane

I felt it was just the perfect time to cover this for all the avid historical fiction fans. Just like the Eve of Saint Agnes, Lent is also another part of historical novels. To truly grasp a character you have to experience as a reader all aspects of this person. One thing that tends to be glossed over sometimes in reading is that the person might just be a spiritual person. Lent has always been the dreaded event in some reads and in others it is merely a brief mention of fish for dinner. For this particular issue I went straight to the source and got some real awnsers courtesy of my local Paster "Karl" from Emanuel Lutheran church. He was kind enough in walking me through the explanation of Lent. Lets all just get this off the table and settle it down once and for all and clear up any misconceptions. 

Q: What is Lent? 

A: It's the 40-day period of repentance and renewal preceding easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with the Easter service. Holy Week commemorates Christ's last week of life on earth. It's the final, most important part of Lent. 

Q: Why is it important? 

A: The Lenten period allows us time to recall the easter story and absorb its meaning.  Christ lived and died to redeem the world from sin. Because of Christ's death and resurrection, our lives can be renewed: we can renounce sin and begin to live for god.

"Lent During the middle ages: Strict 40-day fasts (abstinence from meat and other foods), not attending festivities, etc., were obligatory for Christians. Gradually these practices became less rigid". 

"Todays Lent: The emphasis has shifted from long periods of fasting to prayer, meditation and reflection on the meaning of Easter. Lent remains important as a time of preparation for and renewal of baptism". 

"Fontevraud Abbey, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France. Nave of the abbey church of St. Mary. In the foreground, the effigies of Richard I of England, Isabella of Angoulême, Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine (from right to left, front to back)".

Besides being Easter Sunday today it is also the day that Eleanor of Aquitaine passed away in the year 1204. I am just starting to cultivate my love for Eleanor but it has been a long time coming. I really can not wait to read "The Queen's Pawn" by  Christy English to go further with her. "The Greatest Knight" by Elizabeth Chadwick was a great way to sprout the little obsession I had inside me. Plus I am officially in love with William Marshal and he was her greatest champion ever, ... sigh.

"Eleanor died in 1204 and was entombed in Fontevraud Abbey next to her husband Henry and her son Richard. Her tomb effigy shows her reading a Bible and is decorated with magnificent jewelry. By the time of her death she had outlived all of her children except for King John and Queen Eleanor".

Upcoming Release: The Queen's Pawn by Christy English

Due to hit bookstores April 6th 2010

I am really hyped about this one it will be my first read set within Eleanore of Aquitaine times. I really have to hold back I am getting myself all worked up. I love the cover on it, I am fickle when it comes to the cover and matching the time period of the book. Christy nailed it and I love it.

" A historical novel of the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine and the one person she loved more than power-her rival for the throne.

At only nine, Princess Alais of France is sent to live in England until she is of age to wed Prince Richard, son of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Alais is an innocent pawn on the chessboard of dynastic marriage, her betrothal intended to broker an uneasy truce between the nations.

Estranged from her husband, Eleanor sees a kindred spirit in this determined young girl. She embraces Alais as a daughter, teaching the princess what it takes to be a woman of power in a world of men. But as Alais grows to maturity and develops ambitions of her own, Eleanor begins to see her as a threat-and their love for each other becomes overshadowed by their bitter rivalry, dark betrayals, conflicting passions, and a battle for revenge over the throne of England itself."