Mailbox Mondays and Claude and Camille Giveaway Winner

Another lovely mailbox Monday. This one has been a long time coming, forever I have been waiting to get these books and since I had the money this time I just did it and I do not regret it. The Plaidy's are the food for one obsession and the others have been recommended by readers like yourselves. So here we go with the biggest mailbox Monday ever mind you they came through out the last week, really it is all books I have received since April 7th.

I have been working on my Plaidy collection for almost 2 years now and I love the older modern reprints that have the paintings. I want to be like the Jean Plaidy button last year and line them all up and have all the queens! My problem is now I have 2 sets going one of the older reprints and now I have a few of the brand new reprints. 

This is what I am working on now,

Mary Stuart Series
The Royal Road to Fotheringay Vol. 1 Older reprint
The Captive Queen of Scots Vol. 2 Older reprint


James I
The Murder in the Tower

Charles II Trilogy
The Wandering Prince Vol. 1Older reprint
Health Unto His Majesty Vol. 2Older reprint
Here Lies our Sovereign Lord Vol. 3Older reprint
Charles II Vol. 1,2,3 Older reprint

Combined as the loves of Charles IIP

Queens of England Series
Myself My Enemy Vol. 1
Queen of this Realm Vol. 2
Victoria Victorious Vol. 3
The Lady in the Tower Vol. 4
The Courts of Love Vol. 5
In the Shadow of the Crown Vol. 6
The Queen's Secret Vol. 7
The Reluctant Queen Vol. 8
The Pleasures of Love Vol. 9
William's Wife Vol. 10
The Rose Without a Thorn Vol. 11

Newer Reprints

 
These lovelies up above were bought from various places mainly Amazon but "The Captive Queen of Scots" I had to buy at Barnes and Noble because Amazon does not have this cover. I happened to get "The Kings Confidante" at Target in the tiny HF section of books. Yes Target has  a tiny shelf dedicated to only HF.  Pope Joan I had to buy because once again I made the  mistake of  lending it out and it has disappeared.  Marrying Mozart I got because I loved Claude and Camille and just know I would love Mozart too. I also got the Target version of Nefertiti and The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran. 

 
These ones showed up from Powell's Bookstore and man I am so glad I went in there. 

"Katharine of Aragon's marriage to her beloved King Henry VIII is threatened by powerful people in her husband's court who spin webs of intrigue regarding whether or not she can bear the king a son".


From PBS wish list
Rivals for the Crown by Kathleen Givens


"1290: Turmoil erupts when the seven-year-old queen of Scotland perishes en route to claim the crown. Two bitter foes -- John Balliol and Robert Bruce -- emerge as possible successors, but England's Edward I has his own designs on Scotland.

In London, Edward has expelled all Jews from his kingdom. Rachel de Anjou is heartbroken to leave behind her best friend, Isabel de Burke, and travel with her family to the Scottish border town of Berwick. Danger is everywhere, but the tall, dark Highlander Kieran MacDonald presents a risk of a different sort.

Isabel, appointed as lady-in-waiting to Edward's queen, Eleanor, is soon immersed in a world of privilege and peril where she attracts the notice of two men -- Henry de Boyer, an English knight, and Rory MacGannon, a Highland warrior and outlaw. Isabel and Rachel are soon reunited in Berwick, but as the enmity between Scotland and England reaches its violent peak, each woman must decide where her loyalty -- and her destiny -- lies".

From Publishers:

Congrats also to Angie for being the winner of the Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell Giveaway! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! It is a wonderful book that I think many readers will fall in love with.
  

Lost Books, Love by Shelia Pickles and Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations to Marci and DolleyGurl they are the offical winners of the Mistress of Rome giveaway! I hope you enjoy the read I really want to read this one and will get it, I hope sometime soon.

In the mean time there still is time to enter for you chance to win a copy of Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell. One of the group members has seen the final book and it is to die for beautiful.

Lost Books "Love" by Shelia Pickles

This lovely book I just happened to pick up at Goodwill for 2.99$ and I must say it is by far one of the most unique books I have ever held in my hands. One of the reasons it is unique is that it is a “scented” book. Kind of like "scratch and sniff" stickers but no scratching necessary here. First time I opened it in the store I was bombarded by the fragrance of roses. Pleasurable as it was I was kind of surprised that a book that was printed in 1988 would still smell so strongly of roses. Another unique aspect of this book is that an editor named Shelia Pickles who cross the boundaries of editorial duties into the author field writes it. Bravo Shelia your work is very pleasing and has become a treasured addition to my library.

I just had to scan this page of the book for the readers to see with their own eyes how beautiful this book genuinely is. Classical verse and prose at its best combined with the finest art works of history. With excerpts from Dickens, Shakespeare, Tennyson, Marlowe, Browning, Dante, Jane Austen, John Donne, Emily Dickenson, Cristina Georgina Rossetti, Louise May Alcott, Emily Bronte, Edgar Allen Poe, Jane Eyre, and there are so many more I did not mention. It is the heavy hitters of literature.

All of the classical works of art are well known works that are dynamic and awh inspiring. I even spotted quite a few Pre-Raphaelites. I knew I found a real treasure when the first work in the book is by far one of my favorites, John William Waterhouse, The Soul of the Rose, 1908. Oil on canvas. London, Pre-Raphaelite. I think that there are many of you out there that would really enjoy this book and I added the Amazon link below because you can get a used one for a penny. I got lucky in that my copy is the collectible one with a book jacket.

Love: Penhaligon's Scented Treasury of Verse and Prose on Amazon

Book Review: CLAUDE AND CAMILLE by Stephanie Cowell

What an interesting read, Claude being none other than the famous Claude Monet. Since I love art I can really get into this one and feel it. After all maybe it was a strong woman I needed to bring me out of my William Marshall funk. 

This read made me realize that I knew only half of Claude Monet. The half I knew was the half that belonged to the water lilies. This read was about an extraordinary life, and a even more remarkable man, and a deep complex love that defied the odds. Love between Claude and Camille was powerful, they became a love story similar to Romeo and Juliet, magnetic and lovely all at once. Camille was the good girl from the to do family that fell in love with the poor artist who paid her to model for him. Leaving it all behind it was only Claude’s love that mattered.

Camille I never knew even existed and now that I have read Clause and Camille I could never forget her. Tragedy after tragedy, never really standing on solid footing was the life of an artist and that included his wife. The phrase “poor starving artist” was brought to dramatic light because they came very close a few times. A passion and a dream was sometimes all they had but it did not matter because they had each other.

5/5 Highly recommended, I really enjoyed this read it was powerful and moving. Lately I have not had the time to research my reads; I was compelled to do so this time. It was thrilling to see the painting after finishing the read. Lets just say it gave me goose bumps. I feel like I really know Claude now and I will never see his peaceful water lilies in the same light again. It is unique how compelling this read was. Painful as it was to read Claude and Camille’s struggle on the road to fame, a dream is always worth it and true talent always speaks for itself.  

Thank you to Stephanie Cowell for sending me this wonderful book, I really did love it.

April 12 – Author Guest Post at All Things Royal, Arleigh’s Creative Post at Historical-Fiction.com

Searching Paris and Giverny for Claude Monet by Stephanie Cowell Giveaway! Claude and Camille

In honor of the Historical Fiction Bloggers Round Table Event, please welcome guest author Stephanie Cowell of the hot new release Claude and Camille.

Japanese bridge

Searching Paris and Giverny for Claude Monet

I went to Paris and Giverny in 2006 with a friend in search of Claude Monet. I wanted to write a novel about him and to walk where he had walked, which is one of the best things a novelist can do.

The first place I went to was the rue de Furstenberg where a small museum is dedicated to the artist Delacroix, one of the greatest painters a generation or two before Claude. Claude and his best friend Frédéric rented a studio in one of the surrounding buildings in 1865, but when I asked the museum attendant if he knew exactly where, he shook his head. Je ne sais pas, madame! I think he really shook his head at my appalling French!

Claude lived and worked where he could in the city and often left quickly because he could not pay his rent. He lived in the Batignolles district and Pigalle, both on the right bank. He took the train from Gare St. Lazare when he went home to Le Havre to ask his father for more money. He took it also to Argenteuil where he lived for a while later. I did not see that house, long part of the Paris suburbs. I did see one of his letters for sale on the rue Napoleon, likely now worth as much as he made in his early years as an artist. And at the Musée Marmottan, I saw the small original of his portrait by a fellow student when Claude was 25; he looks like a gypsy.

Claude at 25

Then of course my friend and I took the train to Giverny which he first rented at the age of forty-three but could not afford to buy until he was fifty. Then he began his upper gardens, conscripting his often unwilling kids and step kids to help him.

You take the train from Paris and then a bus and then you walk down a country road past a church where the artist and his family are buried. As the back of the house faces the road, we did not even notice it but continued on and had to turn back. It was mid-April and we walked at first through the house, which is not large, and then out into the gardens which were in wonderful bloom. I was amazed by the size of them. Far more was to come when we walked down to the water gardens. The lilies were not in bloom yet but it was a soft, lovely day. I kept expecting to see the old artist come out and inquire who all these people were.

I wondered which of the eager young artists painting in the streets of Paris or selling their work from little open shacks in Giverny would be the next Claude Monet. There was unfortunately no time to discover them. We bought calvados from a roadside stand and returned to Paris, with me scribbling notes for the novel on a pad in my illegible handwriting, much inspired.

Thank you Stephanie and .... 

Now the giveaway! Rules
Giveaway ends 4.18.2010 at midnight. 

    * For 1 entry leave me a comment with a way to contact you.
    * For 2 entries follow my blog. If you already do, thanks, and please let me know in the comments. You're eligible for the extra entry as well.
    * For 3 entries blog or tweet this giveaway to spread the word.

Sorry Us and Canada Only

Good Luck all and be sure and check out the HFBRT site for other cool Claude and Camille posts and giveaways on member sites.  

April 11 – Lucy’s Book Review at Enchanted By Josephine, Author Guest Post at Historically Obsessed, “Frederic Bazille – Medical Student by Day, Impressionist Painter by Night” at The Maiden’s Court.

Book Review Journal Update

Finally I got it together and here is my Book  Review Journal's cover. I made it with scrap booking paper and some decals I have collected over the years. I find that I like the new cover I gave it so much that I want to leave it laying around more so I can see it. That way it acts like a reminder saying "hey over here...what was it you though when reading that last book"?

My latest addition to the Book Review Challange which is hosted by Roberta and she is hosting an ART JOURNAL for reading and reviews challange!! She calls it: THE BOOK REVIEW JOURNAL, To read more on this- and if you’re interested in joining, please visit Roberta at Con-tain-it. Art Reviewing Journal Challenge 

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Eleanor was made with water color pencils and ink pens. I did the first version of her in the Review Journal and then repeated it on watercolor paper.

You can guess which novel this one came from hum...."The Greatest Knight", what a shock. That was such a good read.

Book Review: WITH IN THE HOLLOW CROWN by Margaret Campbell Barnes

Honestly this was not a new favorite. I believe William Marshall has spoiled me, never could another compare so far. This is not the happy feel good type of read for me. I found I struggled with this one because it was slow in the beginning and I was constantly finding myself lost and confused. It can also be taken into account that I have no background in this time period. I have slowly been making my way towards this period and this is my first read on Richard II of England. I felt that a shadow of "The Greatest Knight" brought to light and emphasized Richard’s shortcomings. It made me feel less sympathetic for a child king who was hard to become attached to. Dang William he ruined me, go go away!

Richard II was the son of the Black Prince and Joan of Kent. His father never lived to become king, which meant that his dying grandfather bequeathed young tender Richard his crown, "nervously" too. Grandpa had good reasons to be nervous too, considering I had a hard time keeping a mental tally of Richards uncles and who did what to who. Richard was lovable at times and other times I despised his cold calculating way. Revenge is a dish that is best served cold. Richard finally redeemed himself in my eyes after the peasants revolt and when he married Anne of Bohemia. Anne was the light of his life and when the light was snuffed out suddenly it was enough to push Richard over the edge.

A part of Richard died with Anne and his life with out her was like living a life with no color, no meaning, and no love ever again. In a depressing downward spiral Richard begins loosing everything to his power hungry uncles but what did it matter with out her? How could it matter that his many uncles held the real power of the crown when food lost its taste?

On a very positive note I found Richards plotting to marry the child Isabelle of France just to gain peace was a genius move. Since she was a child it would be many years before she reached child bearing years, yet Richard had no clue what he would do with her if they did make it to those years. His heart belonged to Anne and she took it with her when she died. It was like Richard always deep in his soul knew how it was all really going to end a kind of foreboding knowledge that comes from with in ones own soul.

3.5/5 Good but need further reading to follow up on. I liked it and defiantly enjoyed it but I felt at times key pieces of information were missing such as character thought processing. As far as historical accuracy Barnes keeps very close to actual events and that is very respectable in a read. I think my issue with this read was Richard; I could not get into him sometimes. I need to read more on this time period to be able to fully grasp the whole situation. I also enjoyed the link from Isabelle. Her story was interesting and I have read The Queens Secret by Jean Plaidy that covers her marriage in England too but from a little sister point of view.  I am going to read more by Barnes I think this time it was just me.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for sending me a copy of the book. 

Kate Emerson, It Just Gets Better and Better and The Boleyn Wife Winner

Kate Emerson is a unique author and I am highly anticipating her upcoming release "By Royal Decree". Kate was kind enough to give some follow up information on some questions on the PDF release of Tudor Women.

"As for Susan Higginbotham's question; will there be a hard copy version"?


The short answer is no, there won't be a print edition. Just as the 1984 book gradually became outdated over 25 years, so this new version is doomed to need updating as newer or more accurate (or sometimes just different) information comes my way. Scholars often disagree on the "facts" so I try to include conflicting interpretations when I find them, or refer readers to the books or articles in question so they can see for themselves. I'll be adding new entries and listing corrections to old ones on the Kate Emerson web pages. In fact, I've already added, some new entries there---women I came across just this month in my research for the next SECRETS OF THE TUDOR COURT book (the one after BY ROYAL DECREE). 

At some point, depending on how many women I add and how many updates I make to the 622 entries in the e-book, I may have to consider either a revised e-book edition or and e-appendix containing the new information. I'm still undecided about how best to do that, but it won't be an issue for at least a year and in the meantime people who buy the e-book of A WHO'S WHO OF TUDOR WOMEN can easily find the new information at http://www.kateemersonhistoricals.com/TudorWomenAdditionsList.htm. 

The thing is, I never know when I'm going to stumble across a new tidbit on one of my ladies---sometimes just a footnote in a book on some completely different topic. And every once in a while I find an entire article or a chapter in a book with information I hadn't come across before. There is no "end" on this project. I consider it my ongoing hobby".

Here is what Kate had to say on Her upcoming release "By Royal Decree"; 

"BY ROYAL DECREE has elements of romance and political intrigue but is primarily a fictionalized biography of a real person. At least that's how I look at it. I invent what I think might have happened to fill in the gaps, but I don't change anything that is known to be true about my heroines. And there's an amazing amount that is know, once you start digging".

 

Amazon also happened to update the info on it too;

"Emerson returns to the Tudor Court in By Royal Decree, where engaged lady-in-waiting Bess must resist  handsome and similarly unavailable Will Parr". 

Giveaway Winner! 

Also today Congratulations to Pricilla who won the draw for a copy of "The Boleyn Wife" by Brandy Purdy. I hope you enjoy the read.  

Kate Quinn Guest Post: Historically Obsessed with Fashion and Giveaway for Mistress of Rome

I know what your thinking another author during HFBRT event WTH. I had this lined up for quite some time and I just could not pass it up for your benefit. Kate Quinn is author of "Mistress of Rome" which was just released on April 6th. Please welcome guest author Kate Quinn to Historically Obsessed with a very exciting post on Fashion and her new book is up for giveaway!

Historically Obsessed with Fashion 

Any woman who has ever read Gone With The Wind remembers the same scene:  the scene where Scarlett O’Hara primps for the barbecue party where she plans to seal her romantic fate, and culls through her wardrobe in an effort to find The Dress.  Those of us who adore Gone With the Wind know that scene by heart, and every dress in it – the lavender dress (too wishy-washy), the black dress (too sedate), the plaid dress (stained), and the green muslin, which Scarlett ultimately chooses.  That scene is a marvelous piece of character development, but that isn’t why we all know it by heart.  We know it by heart because historical fashion is fun.  Women might read historical fiction for the politics, for the prose, for the men with swords, but one reason we all like it is for the clothes.  Why else does almost every historical fiction novel out there feature a woman in a stunning dress on the cover? 

Of course, the attractiveness of the clothes depends on the era.  Civil War fashion as in Gone With The Wind is fun because of those huge billowing skirts and enormous hats.  I’ve always had a weakness for 18^th century fashion – gowns fluffed out to the side with towering hair.  Everybody likes those high-waisted Regency dresses.  And the Roaring Twenties are always picturesque, even though no one but a supermodel can carry off those hip-slung slips.  But that’s part of the fun of historical fashion – we can all be as slim and picturesque as we like in the clothes of eras past, at least in our imagination. 

There are so many good dress moments in great historical fiction novels, and believe me, I can list them all.  The green halter dress where Ian McEwan’s Cecilia met Robbie in the library in Atonement.  The crested black silk kimono where Arthur Golden’s Sayuri pledges her love to the Chairman in Memoirs of a Geisha.  The pink lawn gown in which Laura Ingalls Wilder of the Little House series is courted by her future husband.  The green surcote in which Anya Seton’s Katherine attends her first tournament.  The golden-brown dress with puffed sleeves that fulfills all the childhood dreams of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables.  Good dress moments, in historical fiction, are like icing on the cake for me – not an integral part of the book, perhaps, but deeply satisfying nonetheless. 

Ancient Rome had excellent fashion – draped silks look good on everybody – and this is probably one reason why I wrote a book set in first century Rome .  What’s the use of having historical fiction heroines if they can’t wear good clothes?  My villainess Lepida might be an evil shrew, but at least she has impeccable dress sense: silks in nile green and sapphire blue, pearl cuffs, ruby hairnets, gold sandals.  My heroine Thea is a slave girl for much of the book, but midway through she’s purchased by the Emperor – I can’t say this is a huge step up for her, since he’s an utter psychopath, but at least she can get out of those dreary wool tunics and into something chic.  (She’s a tall olive-skinned brunette, so we’re looking at smoky blue and purple dresses, amethyst chokers, gold circlets and topaz earrings.) 

            

Of course, there are some historical eras where the fashion is fairly unfortunate.  1830s England , for example – many significant political and historical things happened during that era, but I cannot and will not set a novel there because I can’t face putting any heroine of mine in an 1830s dress.  I may not always be kind to my heroines – they get sold to psychopathic Emperors and tormented by bitchy villainousness's – but even I am not cruel enough to put a girl of mine in huge puffed sleeves and bunchy curls.  Enough is enough. 

Thank you Kate for the insight on "Mistress of Rome" and... 

Now The Giveaway! 

RULES

    * For 1 entry leave me a comment with a way to contact you.
    * For 2 entries follow my blog. If you already do, thanks, and please let me know in the comments. You're eligible for the extra entry as well.
    * For 3 entries blog or tweet this giveaway to spread the word.  

This contest will run for one week and it us for US residents only. The winner will be drawn using Random.org and posted on the 15th, which means contest ends on April 14th at MIDNIGHT.  

Good Luck to all!

Update Kate has graciously offered up 2 copies for the giveaway 4.11.2010 11:15 PM

From Publishers Weekly

"Quinn convincingly conjures the terrifying reign of Emperor Domitian in her solid debut that follows the travails of Thea, a slave girl and mistress to the emperor. While she is tormented by Domitian, she holds her secrets—a gladiator lover, a young son—close. When these facts are brought to Domitian's attention by Thea's jealous rival, Thea takes drastic actions to secure her family. Quinn's command of first-century Rome is matched only by her involvement with her characters; all of them, historical and invented, are compelling and realistic, and she explores their dark sides without crossing into gratuitousness. Readers will finish eager for a sequel, which is a good thing because Quinn has left the door wide open for a follow-up. This should make a splash among devotees of ancient Rome".

The Burton Review: Tudor Reading Challange and HFBRT April Event Claude and Camille by Stephanie Cowell

This is so cool Marie from The Burton Review is stepping up her game and is hosting a Tudor Reading Challenge. Here is what Marie had to say about it:

 "With April just around the corner, you may have some books in your piles that you need to read for the month, which is why I am telling you in advance of the challenge as you prepare your summer reading schedules.

Do you have any Tudor-themed reads in your pile? If so, then join the Tudor Mania Challenge at The Burton Review. I would love to have you there!

Those who are lucky enough to not have piles of books can get started on the challenge and prep their reviews right away. The trick is that reviews need to be posted in the months of May, June and July.

Mark your calendars!

Spread the word to your follow readers, bloggers and Tudor lovers! We have a month to help spread the word, and tweet about it using this shortened link http://bit.ly/TudorMania

Prizes WILL be AWARDED at the end of the Tudor Mania Challenge!

There is no limit to the amount that you read! You will be linking to your reviews on my blog and this will help promote your reviews in the process, it's a win-win"!

I am all in for this one if I can get past the other on my desk. I am sure I will be itching for  a Tudor one at least by the time these are done.  Especially some new Jean Plaidy's I ordered hum.... "The Queen's Favorite".

http://www.theburtonreview.com/p/tudor-mania-challenge.html

Cool Marie Thank you and I am off to post my link to the challenge. This is perfect for so many of you out there you just have to go and check it out.

Also this week opens April's Historical Fiction Bloggers Round Table Feature which is "Claude and Camille" by Stephanie Cowell.

 “Sometimes he dreamt he held her; that he would turn in bed and she would be there. But she was gone and he was old. Nearly seventy. Only cool paint met his fingers. “Ma très chère . . .” Darkness started to fall, dimming the paintings. He felt the crumpled letter in his pocket. “I loved you so,” he said. “I never would have had it turn out as it did. You were with all of us when we began, you gave us courage. These gardens at Giverny are for you but I’m old and you’re forever young and will never see them. . . "

Mailbox Mondays and Thank You Kristin From Always With a Book

From Paperbackswap:

To The Tower Born by Robin Maxwell

"In 1483, Edward and Richard of York—Edward, by law, already King of England—were placed, for their protection before Edward's coronation, in the Tower of London by their uncle Richard. Within months the boys disappeared without a trace, and for the next five hundred years the despised Richard III was suspected of their heartless murders.

In To the Tower Born, Robin Maxwell ingeniously imagines what might have happened to the missing princes. The great and terrible events that shaped a kingdom are viewed through the eyes of quick-witted Nell Caxton, only daughter of the first English printer, and her dearest friend, "Bessie," sister to the lost boys and ultimate founder of the Tudor dynasty. It is a thrilling story brimming with mystery, color, and historical lore. With great bravery and heart, two friends navigate a dark and treacherous medieval landscape rendered more perilous by the era's scheming, ambitious, even murderous men and women who will stop at nothing to possess the throne".

This by far the best take of The Lost Princes I have read to date. It is the last one I needed to complete my Robin Maxwell collection. Now it is on to hardback copies, I have one hardback (To The Tower Born)  and the rest in paperback. I hope to have both styles in my collection someday. 

Cotillion by Georgette Heyer

A sham betrothal isn’t the only thing that gets Kitty and Freddy into trouble, but it’s definitely the beginning ..

A most unusual hero, Freddy is immensely rich, of course, and not bad-looking, but he’s mild-mannered, a bit hapless—not anything like his virile, handsome, rakish cousin Jack ...

A heroine in a difficult situation, Young Kitty Charing stands to inherit a vast fortune from her irascible and eccentric guardian—provided she marries one of his great-nephews ...

A sham betrothal, No sooner does Kitty arrive in London then the race for her hand begins, but between confirmed rakes and bumbling affections, Kitty needs a daring scheme ...
 

Thus begins Cotillion, arguably the funniest, most charming of Georgette Heyer’s many delightful Regency romances".
Amazon.co.uk

I also happened to get this lovely The Beautiful Blogger award. It was passed on to me by Kristin from Always with a Book

Thank you Kristin it is very pretty!

I am supposed to tell you 7 things about me. Here goes:

1. I love my family and they always come first

2. I love starwars

3. I have a 55 gallon saltwater reef fish tank with 2 clown fish and an anemone

4. I grew up ridding horses

5. I love my Mac G4 

6. I am a book "Sniffer"

7. I have a part time job where I work Saturdays 

Amazon 
To the Tower Born
Cotillion 

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".

Book Review: ROCHESTER THE MAD EARL by Kathleen Kellow aka Jean Plaidy

This is the story of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester-Restoration poet, wit and rake. As a boy he was eager to take his place among the immortals. Two passions prevented him; women and wine. He was the lover of many women, but there were two who had his life-long devotion.

He sought an heiress in marriage and, when she refused, abducted her under her grandfather's eyes. He realized the genius of a serving girl and made her a great actress.

He set up as a quack doctor, roamed London in disguise, and mocked the King to his face. Nothing was too daring or too fantastic for 'The Mad Earl '; and madly he squandered his life and his gifts, until, with life scarcely begun, he found that it was over.

This is the story of the most brilliant, the most gay, and the most tragic of men". 

Thank you to Arleigh from Historical Fiction.com and Jean Plaidy's Royal Intrigue for setting me on this search for the mythical unicorn of historical fiction. Since there is probably not a single HF lover out there that has not heard of Jean Plaidy, for those of you who do not know Kathleen Kellow is one of Jean Plaidy's earlier pen names. What is it that makes this book so special? Kathleen Kellow is one of Plaidy's more uncommon pen names. For more on this rare book that I was lucky to get from the library check out my other post on it.

"Rochester: The Mad Earl" was briefly mentioned in "The Loves of Charles II" which I read not to long ago. I noted the brief mentions that the Earl wrote funny, and outrageous notes to or about fellow nobility or to anyone he deemed fit. In "The Loves of Charles II" he seemed more "mad" for voicing his true opinion whether it was right or wrong. I bring up my prior read because Rochester is a wonderful companion to Charles. This is Rochester’s story, the good, the bad, and even the mad. He was one of the first original "ballers" and leader of Charles II band of merry men.

As a young child Rochester was not Rochester, his father was given the title of Earl of Rochester for his exemplary service to the exiled King Charles II. His father was the man who his with him in the great oak tree and who with his own hands cut the king beautiful curls off to be disguise him from Cromwell's pursuing men. While his father was in the king’s service his mother conformed easily to the Puritan England giving that she had previous ties to it, leaving her household unscathed. Rochester had an older half brother from his mother previous marriage but Rochester was the distinct opposite of him. He was a well-learned young child, wise beyond his years. His father snuck into home for a visit just so he could check in on the boy and tell his son of his escapades with the exiled king. When he left Rochester would dream for the day of his return but that day would never come. Someone else would return home in his stead and change the face of England forever.

On Charles II return to England Rochester had been still a young teen-age boy going to college at Oxford. The king’s men came to Oxford to bestow degrees and award merits the Chancellor also brought a very special message from Charles for Rochester. Good thing it came when it did because Rochester was so gifted he had already used up all Oxford had to offer educationally and socially. He was to go on a world tour courtesy of Charles. The funny part of is that the person who was put in charge of him was his cousin’s husband. His cousin was the notorious Barbara Palmer. That Charles was so sneaky sending his mistresses husband off to baby-sit her younger cousin so he could have a grand old time with her all to himself.

After his tour was completed he was invited to court and what better way to make a grand entrance then to hand deliver a letter from Charles sister Henrietta in France. In life Rochester lived by "his muses" who were really just plain old wine and women. He came across as a genius, he had the type of mind that was an egocentric genius verging on insanity. It is quite possible that he was extremely intelligent with a hint of manic behavior; it was like his mind never slept. He loved a good ruse. This is my favorite encounter with Barbra Palmer:

"He bowed mockingly. He could not resist mocking Barbra although he knew she disliked mockery, and that Barbara offend could be a formidable enemy".

"In the streets, at the play, in the park, there were always people to gape at Barbara; Rochester was extremely handsome, extremely elegant, and she would not be adverse, he knew, to entering into a love affair with him. But then Barbara was prepared to make love with anyone who could interest her for a brief hour or so".

"He took her hand as she alighted, and then some spirit of mischief prompted him. If Barbara wanted a display for the spectators, let her have one. He kissed her passionately on the lips".

"Up came Barbara's hand, and Barbara was a strong woman. Rochester felt a stinging slap on his right ear, and then Barbara's fist struck him such an unexpected blow on the chest that he fell sprawling on the grass".

"There was a roar of laughter from the crowd on seeing the elegant courtier sprawling there, his wide breeches, with their frills of lace and bunches of ribbons, stained by the wet grass, his plumed hat awry".

I laughed so hard at this brief excerpt that I had tears in the corners of my eyes. This was one of his earlier exploits at court. Rochester was a lovable man and I found his antics somewhat insane but this man had his logic and even to me it made logical sense. A true genius with melancholy whose quest it was in life was to experience what life has to offer, the pleasures of life especially. If you ask me he was too smart for his own good and that type of intelligence leads to bigger questions. He really struggled with faith in religion and the after life's existence. He wanted proof it was really there and when none was forth coming he chose to live under his own gods rules.

Rochester's crazy ways continued to lead to him to frequently being banished from court at the king’s pleasure. From abducting an heiress, openly mocking the king, wars with other poets, raising serving girls to actresses, stealing the kings purse, cross dressing, and posing as a quack doctor, nothing was ever too far fetched for Rochester.

5/5 In typical Plaidy fashion this book really is spectacular. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on this rare beauty do not let it pass you by, there is a reason it is the HF unicorn. I did notice in comparison to some of my other Plaidy reads that this one has a thicker dialect yet even with its sometimes thickness it was fabulous and down right hilarious. It is going to have to take every ounce of restraint I have not to keep it and tell the library I lost it. Historical fiction at its BEST even if it released in 1957. If anyone ever sees a copy of this for sale please email me.

Amazon: Rochester: The mad Earl