Today in History, For the love of Anne

All For the love of Anne Boleyn today in history will always be her day in my heart. I drew her in pen and color pencil then scanned her in, added a few backgrounds and a bunch of pretty butterflies. Before I shrunk her down I took a close up below.

Anne's Memorial, breath taking a glass pillow on a pedestal. On the rim of the pedestal are the seven names of the nobility that were beheaded for treason. Anne's name is right next to Margaret Pole some where on there is Jane Grey, Catherine Howard see list below. 

"Seven nobles (five of them ladies) were beheaded privately on Tower Green, inside the complex, and then buried in the "Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula" (Latin for "in chains," making him an appropriate patron saint for prisoners) next to the Green. Some of the nobles who were executed outside the Tower are also buried in that chapel. The names of the seven beheaded on Tower Green for treason alone are:

• William Hastings, 1st Baron Hastings (1483)
• Anne Boleyn (1536)
• Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury (1541)
• Catherine Howard (1542)
• Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford (1542)
• Lady Jane Grey (1554)  
• Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1601)"

Giveaway and Guest Post on By Fire, By Water by Mitchell James Kaplan

"Luis de Santángel, chancellor to the court and longtime friend of the lusty King Ferdinand, has had enough of the Spanish Inquisition. As the power of Inquisitor GeneralTomás deTorquemada grows, so does the brutality of the Spanish church and the suspicion and paranoia it inspires. When a dear friend’s demise brings the violence close to home, Santángel is enraged and takes retribution into his own hands. But he is from a family of conversos, and his Jewish heritage makes him an easy target. As Santángel witnesses the horrific persecution of his loved ones, he begins slowly to reconnect with the Jewish faith his family left behind. Feeding his curiosity about his past is his growing love for Judith Migdal, a clever and beautiful Jewish woman navigating the mounting tensions in Granada. While he struggles to decide what his reputation is worth and what he can sacrifice, one man offers him a chance he thought he’d lost…the chance to hope for a better world. Christopher Columbus has plans to discover a route to paradise, and only Luis de Santángel can help him.
Within the dramatic story lies a subtle, insightful examination of the crisis of faith at the heart of the Spanish Inquisition. Irresolvable conflict rages within the conversos in By Fire, By Water, torn between the religion they left behind and the conversion meant to ensure their safety. In this story of love, God, faith, and torture, fifteenth-century Spain comes to dazzling, engrossing life". 

Rules

    * For 1 entry leave me a comment with a way to contact you. No Email No Entry.
    * 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 is for a Finished copy of book from the publisher, the book is a paperback original, and we’ll ship to US/Canada only.

Giveaway will run until May 24th at midnight and I will announce the winner on the 25th of May. Good Luck to All and let the giveaway BEGIN! 

I am proud to announce that in addition to the giveaway please welcome Mitchell James Kaplan to Historically Obsessed. He was gracious enough to write a really cool guest post for my readers.  I hope you all enjoy it and thank you Mitchell for paying a visit. 

What Was The Inquisition?

The term “inquisition” comes from the same root as “to inquire.” Its meaning is similar to the modern word “investigation.” Inquisitions were tribunals (or courts) of the church whose purpose was to purify the Christian world of false religion.

To the modern mind, it may seem aberrant that any organization should care about the private beliefs of its members. The idea of thought control horrifies us. Keep in mind, though, that:

–    In a time when religious doctrine was viewed as absolute truth, deviance from that doctrine constituted the greatest possible danger for any individual, let alone for a society.

–    The divine punishment for heresy, it was believed, was eternal damnation. No conceivable punishment in this world could be as terrible as hell.

–    By eliminating the false beliefs of individuals, the church sought not just to rid its body of a pernicious infection, but more importantly to prevent the spread of that infection.

–    During the medieval period, Europe consisted of many small centers of power, with no unifying authority save the Church of Rome. Local rulers competed violently. Forces from outside Christendom threatened total destruction. The power of the church to hold the Christian world together was limited. From Rome’s point of view, if uniformity of belief was not enforced, the unity of the Christian world was at stake. If unity was lost, that world would crumble.

–    Most of the inhabitants of the medieval world were illiterate and uneducated. Leaders knew well that these people were vulnerable to ideologies which they viewed as absurd and destructive. The church considered itself obligated to educate the citizenry in the most basic and important knowledge available to mankind, the knowledge of God.

Beginning with the inquisition against the Cathars in the 12th century, many distinct tribunals were established in many places. Some of these inquisitions were severe in their methods, employing a wide range of torture machines to extract the truth from the accused and subjecting the guilty to cruel punishments. Others were mild, aiming simply to correct the misguided and send them home.

Using the term “inquisition” globally to refer to the common attributes of these tribunals, it’s important to point out what the inquisition was not:

–    It was not a murder machine, any more than a modern American court of law is a murder machine. Just as a modern court investigates crimes, the inquisition investigated sins of heresy. In some cases, the punishment for those sins was death.

Mailbox Mondays

Since I am sporadic at posting mailbox Monday's it is only fair that I state that this is 2-3 weeks worth of books. 

On another Note Congradulations to...

 Little Tesoro

For winning the giveaway for "Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake" by Sarah Maclean. I hope you enjoy the read!

From Publishers/Authors

For the King by Catherine Delors, for HFBRT event

"For her first novel, Mistress of the Revolution, which the Associated Press dubbed one of the "best reads of the year," Catherine Delors earned comparisons to Tracy Chevalier and Philippa Gregory. In For the King, she again demonstrates her matchless ability to illuminate key turning points in history while weaving a gripping story about a man caught between his heart and his integrity.

The Reign of Terror has ended, and Napoléon Bonaparte has seized power, but shifting political loyalties still tear apart families and lovers. On Christmas Eve 1800, a bomb explodes along Bonaparte's route, narrowly missing him but striking dozens of bystanders. Chief Inspector Roch Miquel, a young policeman with a bright future and a beautiful mistress, must arrest the assassins before they attack again. Complicating Miquel's investigation are the maneuverings of his superior, the redoubtable Fouché, the indiscretions of his own father, a former Jacobin, and two intriguing women.

Based on real events and characters and rich with historical detail, For the King takes readers through the dark alleys and glittering salons of post-revolutionary Paris and is a timeless epic of love, betrayal, and redemption".

How To Mellify A Corpse by Vicki Leon

"In How to Mellify a Corpse, Vicki León brings her particular hybrid of history and humor to the entwined subjects of science and superstition in the ancient world, from Athens and Rome to Mesopotamia, the Holy Land, Egypt, and Carthage. León covers subjects as diverse as astronomy and astrology, philosophy and practicalities of life and death (including the titular ancient method of embalming), and ancient mechanical engineering. How to Mellify a Corpse of course invokes legendary thinkers (Pythagoras and his discoveries in math and music, Aristotle's books on politics and philosophy, and Archimedes' "Eureka" moment), but it also delves deeply into the lives of everyday people, their understanding and beliefs.

A feast for the curious mind, How to Mellify a Corpse is not only for those with an interest in the experimental: it's for anyone who's inspired by the imagination and ingenuity humanity uses to understand our world".

Stores Used & New

Alice I have Been by Melanie Benjamin

"Starred Review. Benjamin draws on one of the most enduring relationships in children's literature in her excellent debut, spinning out the heartbreaking story of Alice from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Her research into the lives of Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) and the family of Alice Liddell is apparent as she takes circumstances shrouded in mystery and colors in the spaces to reveal a vibrant and passionate Alice. Born into a Victorian family of privilege, free-spirited Alice catches the attention of family friend Dodgson and serves as the muse for both his photography and writing. Their bond, however, is misunderstood by Alice's family, and though she is forced to sever their friendship, she is forever haunted by their connection as her life becomes something of a chain of heartbreaks. As an adult, Alice tries to escape her past, but it is only when she finally embraces it that she truly finds the happiness that eluded her. Focusing on three eras in Alice's life, Benjamin offers a finely wrought portrait of Alice that seamlessly blends fact with fiction. This is book club gold".

Queen Of This Realm by Jean Plaidy

Athenais by Lisa Hilton

Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin

The Courtesan by Susan Carroll

Uppity Women of Ancient Times by Vicki Leon

Uppity women of Medieval Times by Vicki Leon

"Our age doesn't have a lock on outspoken women, as Vicki Leon proves in this impudent, flippant history of the Middle Ages. In the 1600s, Lady Castlehaven charged her husband with rape and had his connubial rights--and head--removed. Prioress Eglentyne, who appears in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, fell afoul of clerical colleagues by ignoring rules about "dress, dogs, dances" and worse yet, "wandering in the world." And let's not forget Isabel, Queen of Castile, patron of Columbus, and wife to Ferdinand. Her marriage motto was "They rule with equal rights and both excel, Isabel as much as Ferdinand, Ferdinand as much as Isabel."

Library sale

Catherine of Aragon by Jean Plaidy, Hardback Gift for Arleigh

Mozart's women by Jane Glover

The Book of Eleanor by Pamela Kaufman

Friends

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

"A resolute yet naïve Chinese girl confronts poverty and culture shock with equal zeal when she and her mother immigrate to Brooklyn in Kwok's affecting coming-of-age debut. Ah-Kim Chang, or Kimberly as she is known in the U.S., had been a promising student in Hong Kong when her father died. Now she and her mother are indebted to Kimberly's Aunt Paula, who funded their trip from Hong Kong, so they dutifully work for her in a Chinatown clothing factory where they earn barely enough to keep them alive. Despite this, and living in a condemned apartment that is without heat and full of roaches, Kimberly excels at school, perfects her English, and is eventually admitted to an elite, private high school. An obvious outsider, without money for new clothes or undergarments, she deals with added social pressures, only to be comforted by an understanding best friend, Annette, who lends her makeup and hands out American advice. A love interest at the factory leads to a surprising plot line, but it is the portrayal of Kimberly's relationship with her mother that makes this more than just another immigrant story". 

  

Prima Donna by Megan Chance

"At the start of Chance's heady if at times overheated Victorian historical, Sabine Conrad, an ambitious opera singer wounded in a violent encounter whose significance doesn't become clear until later, flees New York City with her jewels. Months later, in February 1878, the by now penniless Sabine reaches Seattle, Washington Territory, where she gets a job as a scrub woman at the Palace, a whore house that provides musical entertainment in the frontier city's red-light district. Sabine, who's adopted the name Margie Olson, helps the Palace's proprietor, Johnny Langford, realize his dream of turning the place into a legitimate theater. Chance (The Spiritualist) deftly explores the hardships the former prima donna endures overseeing Langford's entertainers, even as Sabine yearns to return to the stage herself. Melodramatic excerpts from Sabine's youthful journal chronicling her opera career provide counterpoint in an erotic thriller full of lively period detail".

Six Wives, The Queens of Henry VIII by David Starkey

"No one in history had a more eventful career in matrimony than Henry VIII. His marriages were daring and tumultuous, and made instant legends of six very different women. In this remarkable study, David Starkey argues that the king was not a depraved philanderer but someone seeking happiness -- and a son. Knowingly or not, he elevated a group of women to extraordinary heights and changed the way a nation was governed.

Six Wives is a masterful work of history that intimately examines the rituals of diplomacy, marriage, pregnancy, and religion that were part of daily life for women at the Tudor Court. Weaving new facts and fresh interpretations into a spellbinding account of the emotional drama surrounding Henry's six marriages, David Starkey reveals the central role that the queens played in determining policy. With an equally keen eye for romantic and political intrigue, he brilliantly recaptures the story of Henry's wives and the England they ruled".

Uppity Women of the Renaissance by Vicki Leon

"Introducing some of history's most dangerous, outrageous, and flamboyant women, Uppity Women of the Renaissance introduces readers to ex-nun Catalina de Erauso, who dueled, drank, and cross-dressed her way through Spain and North America; Chiyome, who started a profitable business renting out female ninjas, called "deadly flowers," in 16-century Japan; and Zubayda, an Arab engineer who, when she wasn't busy building aqueducts, roads, or entire cities, found time to throw lavish, Martha Stewart-style parties. Covering wide geographical ground and combining meticulous historical research, period artwork, and a rollicking sense of humor, this latest volume in the Uppity Women series profiles more than 200 heroines, hussies, and harpies of the fourteenth through the 17th centuries".

HFBRT: Sundays Art: The Huguenot, Pre-Raphaelites 1851-2

To coincide with the HFBRT event of "The Confessions of Catherine De Medici" by C.W. Gortner. I have been saving this one for a loooooong time, this post actually is the very first post I ever made on The Pre-Raphaelites. I was waiting to see how I felt about this painting after my read on Catherine De Medici and it was well worth the wait. This is a moving piece that I have to admit is my favorite of them along with the Highlander.

Sir John Everett Millais (1829-1896)

A Huguenot, on St. Bartholomew's Day, Refusing to Shield Himself from Danger by Wearing the Roman Catholic Badge.

"It harks back to Paris of 1572, when many hundreds of French Protestants (Huguenots) were massacred by Catholic hoards. It was decreed that all Catholics should wear a white band on one arm and a cross in their hats to avoid the slaughter.

Millais portrays a Catholic woman's desperate attempt to shield her Huguenot lover, and his determined refusal to deny his religion. The crushed red flower at their feet is symbolic of his certain death."

Pre-Confessions thoughts 
I do not have very much background on the St Bartholomew's massacre which leads me to the point that I have no history I can relate this to. One thing that does strike me is not only the longing in the woman's expression but the smile he gives her like this is the right thing to do, I have to be brave and I have to take my stand even if it means my life.

It is reminiscent of another time when a select group of people were excluded in Europe and forced to wear the mark of their religion.

Post-Confessions thoughts
Wow, that was really interesting I really had no idea how much politics was involved in the massacre. Gortner brought light on a very dark time in France for me. I had no idea it was that brutal or brought about in such a conniving way. This just proves that Gortner is far from the typical boring read.

Also please do not forget to get your entries on for the HFBRT 2 book Giveaway & The Catherine De Medici Necklace Giveaway 


In the group schedule for today:
Friday, May 14th – Re-cap of CW Gortner’s books at the HFBRT, “The Woman Behind the Legend,” A Guest Post by CW Gortner at Passages to the Past, Book Review by Allie at Hist-Fic Chick.

Thursday, May 13th - Round Table Discussion Q&A at the HFBRT,  Catherine de Medici’s Gift + Nostradamus Giveaway at Enchanted by Josephine, Book Review by Heather at The Maiden’s Court.

Wednesday, May 12th – “Two Women, One King,” A Guest Post by CW Gortner at Hist-Fic Chick, Book Review by Amy at Passages to the Past.

Tuesday, May 11th – Giveaway: Win Catherine’s Necklace! at the HFBRT, “Nostradamus – Visionary or the Best Fraud Ever” by Heather at The Maiden’s Court, Book Review by Arleigh at historical-fiction.com.

HFBRT Book Review: THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI by C.W. Gortner

LOVED it! I can finally say I have read something on Catherine De Medici. I gave it a go at “The Devils Queen” but I lost my stomach when it took a really dark and twisted turn. It was the only book in the past two years I was not able to finish. I wanted so desperately to read on Catherine that when I got wind last year of Gortner’s work in progress I figured I would bid my time and patiently wait for the new release. You have to know how hard it was to wait for this read; I really thought about it every other day because it would randomly haunt my thoughts. I am so glad I waited.

The infamous Catherine De Medici has been portrayed as a monstrous character in history.  Referred to as “Madame Serpentine”, during her time she was regularly associated with witchcraft, and scandal. Catherine is one historical fictions leading ladies that should be left to the experts because she did live a very complicated life. C.W. Gortner’s overwhelming craft prove that he is just that expert and he likes to tackle the hard cases. One of Gortner’s premier skills as a writer is that he takes his readers on a 360-degree turn of the whole story, seeing and exploring all the possibilities. I am elated and proud of myself for waiting for my first Catherine read and truly I loved this book. Gortner proves there always are two sides to every story.

Catherine orphaned and hated in Florence Italy by the people because her uncle was the Pope and Florence was fighting his rule when Catherine suffered imprisonment until her uncle could save her. Spiriting her off to Rome her uncle Clement opened up worldwide bids her hand in marriage, but really he was baiting a bigger fish, France. Francis I sought Catherine’s hand for his son the young prince Henri. It was not too long before Catherine was on her way to France to be married to France and Henri.

It was a shame to me that Henri was not so enthused about his marriage to Catherine. His stupid mistress Diane de Ponitiers ruled him long before Catherine arrived and would until the day he died. A bitter rivalry between the two ensued with Catherine always coming out on the loosing end. I HATED Diane the older cougar was twice the young prince’s age and she was his childhood nurse. One aspect of Catherine I respected that Gortner applied to her was the gift of sight, leave it to Gortner to leave in the rumor but add a realist’s version of the truth to the story. Maybe she was what at the times people considered a “witch” but now a days we would not call her a witch but a psychic, in other words not the murdering, blood thirst witch type who brewed a caldron. Okay so maybe there was a little black magic but not her doing one of her minions instead. The visions always related to the core of her whole meaning of her life, her family and France.  I believe completely in the power of a woman’s intuition but throw a mother’s into it and it becomes a strong force in some women that can do extraordinary things.

After completing this read I feel very compassionate towards Catherine and her case. How could you not respect a woman who defied all the odds that were set in her path? A lady so brave in the face adversity that she knew her husband never was really hot on her, lost him early to an older mistress who paraded around in the court as queen herself wearing even the damn crowned jewels. Jezebel in reincarnation! Diane even went as far as to take control of her young children and manipulated them into hating her because she was not the mistress. How could you not respect the fact that she made it through all that with her sanity still intact? I am not sure if I would have faired so well.

Catherine was venerated the day that Henri suddenly died; her day to shine had come. I was shocked when Henry died at about a fourth of the way into the read then I realized that this is just the beginning of Catherine’s rein.  What I expected next I was not sure, all is what I knew was it had to be juicy because there was still three fourths of the book left to read.  I also knew that there was a terrible massacre on St. Bartholomew’s day in France and that many innocent people lost their lives. I am still in shock of what events transpired before and after that dreadful day. I believe I am shocked because it was civil war and religious war; the two strike a person too close to home. Catherine did what Catherine had to do to protect her children, backing a lioness with cubs into a corner is a very dangerous game to play. She never backed down and loved her children even if there was a constant cloud of evil discord that followed the family and her. If I had been in her position I would have been ruthless too if it meant my children’s well being.  When life throws you lemons you make lemonade and Catherine made lemonade.

 5/5 LOVED it, and yes I am so freaking positive not because this is an event but because C.W. Gortner is by far in my selected small pool of favorite authors. I always write my reviews immediately following my reads so that it is fresh in my mind and I stay true to how I really freshly feel after I have finished. This read is unique and a bit dark but it was really a thrilling book to the point when I thought I had it figured out, I was completely wrong, there were so many events I never saw coming. I am shocked by how little knowledge I had on what events were transpiring in France when the lovely Elizabeth was on the throne fighting the Spanish. This book made me love Catherine for her undying love and devotion to her family and country. What today we would call a “ride or die” type of woman who at times took on a super human strength to save her children’s lives and country.

Thank you C.W. for sending me the wonderful Arc I have to say it is very unique for the fact it is the first one I have ever received that is so close to the final copy that the only difference is a seal on the front with the ARC info. It is a beautiful book and I will cherish it forever. Thank you for opening a window to Catherine’s soul.

 HFBRT May Event

Announcement Post

Saturday, May 8th – Two-book Giveaway at the HFBRT.

Sunday, May 9th – Symbols and Emblems of 16th Century French Monarchs by Arleigh at historical-fiction.com, Review by Marie at The Burton Review, Author video at HFBRT.

In today's schedule:

Monday, May 10th – “An Italian in the Court of France,” a Guest Post by CW Gortner at Enchanted by Josephine, “Quoteables: Catherine de Medici and Diane de Poitiers” by Allie at Hist-Fic Chick

Sundays Art: Pre-Raphaelites Mother and Child 1854-57

 Frederic George Stephens 1828-1907

The "Mother and Child" seemed only fitting today to feature for Sundays Art. This piece is abundant in hidden symbolism. The scene of domestic bliss has an underlining commentary on the Crimean War. The war was fought by British soldiers between 1854-1856. The child's toys on the table represent a few things. The lion symbolizes Britain and the solider in the circle is symbolic for Russia. The lion is represented as being far superior in stature. The use of child's toys indicate that Stephens feelings of anger at the conflict and at the way the solders were being used as pawns.

The anguished expression of the mother and the letter in her right hand suggest that her husband has been killed or wounded in the Crimea. The child's futile attempts to offer consolation for something it can't understand and emphasizes the helplessness of the women who were left home alone while their men disappeared to fight a war far away.

Sadly I can relate to this mothers anguish, my younger brother earlier this year returned back home from his seccond tour of duty in Iraq. I had many sleepless nights thinking about his safety. 

On another note today is the two year anniversary of my son's release from the hospital. Upon his release his case was officially labeled misdiagnosis of cancer. Here is to happy year number two and nothing will ever beat my mothers day present two years ago. A healthy happy child that was going to be just fine. When he was sick I was so afraid to leave him that I bought a picture frame that had a voice recorder. I recorded him singing "Twinkle Twinkle little star" so that on the nights that I had (was forced) to go home I remember laying in my bed replaying it over and over until I would fall asleep. A mothers love is a force of nature that makes every fiber of your being cry out to the heavens , thank you for this wonderful chance I have to be a mother. Maybe that is why when in times of distress mothers have been known to have super human powers.

Happy mothers day to all the wonderful mothers out there, I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday with your children.

HFBRT May's Grand Event, The Confessions of Catherine De Medici by C.W. Gortner

Yes finally it is time for the big event, I am so excited about this one I can barely contain myself. The ladies of The Historical Fiction Blogger Round Table are so elated to announce that it is kick off time. C.W. Gortner is one of my favorite authors and I love blogging about him and his wonderful books not just because he is an a prolific author but he is also an amazing person who really is on the ball about everything.

Today on the group website you can enter for your chance to win a finished hardback copy of his new release "The Confessions of Catherine De Medici". There are two copies up for grabs be sure and check it out!

We have planned many wonderful posts from the ladies and not to mentions some killer giveaways that I just know the you readers are going to flip your lid over. But we will have more on that at a later point, for now you can enter to win one of two copies of "The Confessions of Catherine De Medici" by C.W. Gortner.

HFBRT The Charter Members

Hist-Fic Chick

Passages to the Past

Historical-Fiction

The Maiden's Court

Enchanted by Josephine

The Burton Review

All Things Royal

Tomorrow to get things really going is the Book Trailer on the main site, a book review from The Burton Review, and a creative post from Historical-Fiction.

Book Giveaway: Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah Maclean

"A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club.

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing.

But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.

If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love . . ."

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. 

Giveaway is open to us residents only, sorry. It will run until May 11th at 12 pm, on May 12th I will announce winner. This is for a paperback finished copy.

Good Luck all!

Book Review: WATERMARK by Vanitha Sankaran

An unexpected treat this read was, it like nothing I have ever read before mysterious and mystical all in one. I am really beyond help in this new medieval obsession I have going on. This was not my typical read about the trials of my favorite royal figure heads instead “Watermark” focuses on one family that would be what we deem today as the working middle class.

Set during the 14th century in a village in southern France in a town called Narbonne. Auda made a dramatic entrance into the world within the first few pages of the read and that was all it took for me to be hooked in. I could not put this read down. A violent birth, the loss of her mother and Auda was in the hands of the vile healers assistant who stole off with her and cut the poor babe’s tongue out “to protect her from evil”. In reality Auda was not cursed but what today we would deem a medical marvel, she was an albino. Lacking complete pigment in her skin, eyes, and hair but what she lacked in pigment she made up for in heart.

With her mother gone Auda formed a very tight knit family with her older sister and father. Her father was constantly working on his developing trade of making cloth paper; usually it was a trial and error process. It was his thing and Auda loved the paper she was basically his apprentice. Since her father at one time was a scribe he taught the girls to read and write. During the early 14th century that was a phenomenon all in its self most of the women of the time who knew their letters were the highborn nobility. After her older sister Ponca married her father Martin was forced to come to grip with the reality that his special youngest daughter was going to have to have a future in the world. In a flux of events her father starts to fill orders of cloth paper for the Vicomtess. Her father shocked her by including Auda’s services as a scribe in the paper deal telling his beloved daughter “you can not hid forever”. 

During her time with the Vicomtess she managed to seek off and find the hottie artist she had met at her sisters herb stall in the market. Jamie was the first person outside of her family that talked to her not at her. The town’s peace is shattered when the Inquisition starts surrounding the town on all sides and is slowly closing in. No one is safe, gypsies, Jews, and defiantly not the one thought to be “the white witch” of Narbonne. Stunningly this read was really unpredictable and the intrigue aspect of the book had me hooked from the beginning. The Inquisition never touched Narbonne before but this time the town would not be left unscathed.


5/5 Highly recommended, a light read, that was very interesting, I would recommend this to anyone who is looking to stay within their favorite time periods and places but wants something a bit different. Besides this to die for cover it is a very pretty book even on the inside. Scrolls with quotes and medieval font really gave the book a real feel for the times. Since I got an ARC in the mail and it is not the final cover I have to go and buy this one. The cover is just too pretty not to have the final version in my library.

Thank you, Vanitha for sending me your wonderful novel I am so glad you did and I look forward to more from you in the future. 

Amazon-Watermark: A Novel of the Middle Ages 

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. 

Mailbox Mondays

Another lovely Monday, not really but hey what are you going to do you have to start somewhere. For this past week only two books showed up in my mailbox and one of them is for the Plaidy obsession from Amazon and the other just showed up from publisher. I am glad it did show up I have had it on my wish list ever since I had gotten wind of it. 

Loyal In Love by Jean Plaidy 

"The daughter of Henry IV of France, Princess Henrietta Maria, becomes a pawn in a political strategy to stabilize relations between two countries when her father marries her to Charles I of England. Sent abroad, she finds herself living in a Protestant country that views her own faith—Catholicism—with deep suspicion.

Yet her new husband is a man of principle and integrity, and Henrietta and Charles fall deeply in love. Henrietta is passionate about her faith, however, and soon politically powerful people, namely Oliver Cromwell and his Puritans, turn her loyalty to her religion into a focal point for civil war. As the royal couple watch the fall of Thomas Wentworth, first Earl of Strafford, the rise of Puritanism, and Englishmen fight Englishmen, they are undeterred in their dedication to each other and in their belief in the divine rights of king and queen—even as spies lurk in their very own household.

Loyal in Love offers an inside look at an unforgettable time in England’s history and at the life of a queen whose story of devotion and bravery has gone untold for too long". 

Eleanor The Queen by Norah Lofts 

"Eleanor of Aquitaine rules as a modern heroine in the twelfth century, in this beloved classic of royal fiction from renowned author Norah Lofts.

At a time when a woman’s value was measured solely by her wealth and the number of sons she bore, Eleanor was the high-spirited, stubborn, and intelligent heiress to the vast duchy of Aquitaine.

Her leadership inspired the loyalty of her people, but she was continually doubted and silenced by the men who ruled beside her—the less wise but far more powerful men of the church and court who were unwilling to lose power to a woman, regardless of her rank or ability.

Through marriages to two kings, two Crusades, and the births of ten children— including the future King Richard the Lionhearted—Eleanor solidified her place in history. In Eleanor the Queen, Norah Lofts brings to life a brave and complex woman who was centuries ahead of her time".

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!