Mailbox Mondays and Giveaway Winners Galore

A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent, signed and I could not help myself I am already into it 100 pages or so.

"As heiress to the famous Laurent Fashion Dolls business, Marguerite Ashby's future seems secure. But France still seethes with violence in the wake of the Revolution. And when Marguerite's husband is killed during a riot, the young widow travels to Edinburgh and becomes apprentice to her old friend, Marie Tussaud, who has established a wax exhibition. When Prime Minister William Pitt commissions a wax figure of Admiral Nelson, Marguerite becomes immersed in a dangerous adventure - and earns the admiration of two very different men. And as Britain battles to overthrow Napoleon, Marguerite will find her loyalties under fire from all sides. With a masterful eye for details, Christine Trent brings one of history's most fascinating eras to life in of a story of desire, ambition, treachery, and courage".

The Darling Strumpet: A Novel of Nell Gwynn, Who Captured the Heart of England and King Charles II by Gillian Bagwell

A thrilling debut novel starring one of history's most famous and beloved courtesans.

"From London's slums to its bawdy playhouses, The Darling Strumpet transports the reader to the tumultuous world of seventeenth-century England, charting the meteoric rise of the dazzling Nell Gwynn, who captivates the heart of King Charles II-and becomes one of the century's most famous courtesans.

Witty and beautiful, Nell was born into poverty but is drawn into the enthralling world of the theater, where her saucy humor and sensuous charm earn her a place in the King's Company. As one of the first actresses in the newly-opened playhouses, she catapults to fame, winning the affection of legions of fans-and the heart of the most powerful man in all of England, the King himself. Surrendering herself to Charles, Nell will be forced to maneuver the ruthless and shifting allegiances of the royal court-and discover a world of decadence and passion she never imagined possible".
 

The Tapestry Shop by Joyce Elson Moore

"The Tapestry Shop, by Joyce Elson Moore, is an historical novel based on the life of Adam de la Halle, a poet/musician who left behind a vast collection of secular compositions. While researching Adam's music, Moore discovered a little-known fact; the earliest version of the Robin Hood legend may have been Adam's play, Le Jeu de Robin et Marion. Because Adam was patronized by royalty, his play was probably performed in English courts, and would have changed, as legends do. In the retelling, Robin became an English hero, and Robin's companions became the Merry Men.

The book draws the reader into the Middle Ages, where women joined the crusades and students held discourse on the Street of Straw, but the overriding appeal of The Tapestry Shop may be Adam's connection to the popular legend of Robin Hood, the celebrated outlaw who was immortalized in later ballads, and who continues to draw fans around the world to films that center on this elusive hero".

Prisoners in the Palace: How Princess Victoria became Queen with the Help of Her Maid, a Reporter, and a Scoundrel by Michaela MacColl

"Prisoners in the Palace -- London, 1838. Sixteen-year-old Liza's dreams of her society debut are dashed when her parents are killed in an accident. Penniless, she accepts the position of lady's maid to young Princess Victoria and steps unwittingly into the gossipy intrigue of the servant's world below-stairs as well as the trickery above. Is it possible that her changing circumstances may offer Liza the chance to determine her own fate, find true love, and secure the throne for her future queen?

Meticulously based on newly discovered information, this riveting novel is as rich in historical detail as Catherine, Called Birdy, and as sizzling with intrigue as The Luxe".

Giveaway Winners!

Autographed Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross 

kaiminani

 

Blood and Silk by Carol McKay

lcbrower40
rlphilbr13
Check out Roberta's rocking I won post.
librarypat

Patty
lizzdmc

 

Penelope's Daughter by Laurel Corona

bitsyblingbooks

   

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation

kmkuka

Congratulations to all the winners I hope you all enjoy the books!

Book Review: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE PINK CARNATION by Lauren Willig

I have heard this before about this series, you either love it or hate it and I LOVED it! I cam e to a realization while reading this, my problem with Jane Austen stylized books is the dialect. I dislike it because it just makes me go blank for some reason and not retain a single word of it. Lauren Willig is about as close to Austen style as I can get besides Georgette Heyer.

Lauren’s leading lady this round is the half French half English beauty Amy Balcourt. When Amy was a child her mother and she went to visit her mother side of the family in England. The women left behind her father and her older brother. Sadly Amy would never see her father alive again and her mother would pass not too far after her father from a broken heart. Amy spent her childhood dreaming up spy stories because it all started with her hearing the daring tales of the English spy the “Scarlet Pimpernel”. The scarlet pimpernel’s specialty was infiltrating the French prisons and spiriting away the tragically imprisoned nobility of France during the revolution.

As Amy grew up in her the English countryside with her family she became more elaborate in her plotting and already had determined her sole objective in life was revenge on the new French government for sending her father to Madame Guillotine. Since Amy’s brother had survived the worst of the revolution and as she grew things in France had kind of calmed down. Amy with the help of her loyal cousin Jane Wooliston had finessed themselves a way to visit France but that entailed a chaperon in the form of the parasol heat packing neighbor Miss Gwendolyn Meadows. It was hilarious that Miss Gwendolyn used her parasol as a weapon against all kinds of follies especially out spoken men in her pathway. With chaperon in tow and permission to leave for abroad the girls were off and in France the girls had a few ideas’ on what they were going to do there. The end goal was to find the newest masked spy “The Purple Gentian” and get in league with him to over throw the new government. That was the plan... but like Amy, Eloise who was reading Amy’s journal in present times, nothing ever went as planned.

One aspect of this novel that made me hold back from the beginning was that it is two stories in one. Present day with Eloise Kelly is in England and is absolutely determined to finish her dissertation for school. After sending a barrage of letters to well know families in the area it was Selwick hall that invited her to come and peek at their documents. What secret history lay in the 18Th century chest in Selwick hall?

5/5 I loved this one and I am kind of sad that I did not read this sooner. I want them all now and must have them ASAP. For me it was a hot, action packed austenesque read. My goodness that purple gentian was about as sexy as it gets besides William Marshal. I must recommend this one to all who love the quirky twists that Jane Austen specializes in. I really loved Amy she was so stubborn it really made me laugh. A sexy classy must read for sure.

FTC-this book was sent to me by the publisher.
R-Rating Sexual references done in humor and good taste.

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The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
The Masque of the Black Tulip 
The Deception of the Emerald Ring
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose
The Temptation of the Night Jasmine
The Betrayal of the Blood Lily
The Mischief of the Mistletoe: A Pink Carnation Christmas 
The Orchid Affair

Best Ever Holiday Lauren Willig Giveaway, Mischief of the Mistletoe

Hitting bookstore nation wide on October 28th 2010 "The Mischief of the Mistletoe" by Lauren Willig is the latest installment her fabulous series "The Pink Carnation". Just in time for the holidays this one can be read as part of the series or as a stand alone novel. I already have my copy and you know I will will be reviewing it asap. I am really looking forward to the read.

"Arabella Dempsey’s dear friend Jane Austen warned her against teaching. But Miss Climpson’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies seems the perfect place for Arabella to claim her independence while keeping an eye on her younger sisters nearby. Just before Christmas, she accepts a position at the quiet girls’ school in Bath, expecting to face nothing more exciting than conducting the annual Christmas recital. She hardly imagines coming face to face with French aristocrats and international spies…

Reginald “Turnip” Fitzhugh—often mistaken for the elusive spy known as the Pink Carnation—has blundered into danger before. But when he blunders into Miss Arabella Dempsey, it never occurs to him that she might be trouble. When Turnip and Arabella stumble upon a beautifully wrapped Christmas pudding with a cryptic message written in French, “Meet me at Farley Castle”, the unlikely vehicle for intrigue launches the pair on a Yuletide adventure that ranges from the Austens’ modest drawing room to the awe-inspiring estate of the Dukes of Dovedale, where the Dowager Duchess is hosting the most anticipated event of the year: an elaborate 12-day Christmas celebration. Will they find poinsettias or peril, dancing or danger? And is it possible that the fate of the British Empire rests in Arabella and Turnip’s hands, in the form of a festive Christmas pudding"?

Open to US only sorry, up for grabs two winners will get one book and one x-mas ornament.

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 will end on October 28th at midnight, good luck to all!

More on Lauren
http://www.laurenwillig.com/

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