Last Chance for Giveaway of Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

I just thought I would remind everyone that today is the last day to enter to Win Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran. To post your entry follow the link before midnight. Good luck to all!

A Rewind To Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

I know what you are thinking this was Michelle's break out novel but Nefertiti is constantly in my thoughts and I can not wait to read this novel.

"The sweeping story of a powerful Egyptian family, Nefertiti: A Novel tells the tale of two sisters, the first of whom is destined to rule as one of history’s most fascinating queens.

Beautiful Nefertiti and her sister, Mutnodjmet, have been raised far from the court of their aunt, the Queen of Egypt. But when the Pharaoh of Egypt dies, their father’s power play makes Nefertiti wife to the new and impetuous king. It is hoped she will temper King Amunhotep’s desire to overturn Egypt’s religion, but the ambitious Nefertiti encourages Amunhotep’s outrageous plans instead, winning the adoration of the people while making powerful enemies at court. Younger yet more prudent, Mutnodjmet is her sister’s sole confidant, and only she knows to what lengths Nefertiti will go for a child to replace the son of Amunhotep’s first wife.

As King Amunhotep’s commands become more extravagant, he and Nefertiti ostracize the army, clergy, and Egypt’s most powerful allies. Then, when Mutnodjmet begins a dangerous affair with a general, she sees how tenuous her situation is at her own sister’s court. An epic story that resurrects ancient Egypt in vivid detail, Nefertiti: A Novel:

“Brings ancient Egypt to life as two royal sisters struggle to find fulfillment and happiness—one craving ultimate political power, the other desiring only to follow her heart.” India Edghill, author of Wisdom’s Daughter

“There haven’t been two more fascinating or outrageous siblings since the Boleyn sisters burst onto the pages of historical fiction. Nefertiti is totally obsessive reading.” Robin Maxwell, author of The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn"

Booking Through Thursday: Informative

Q:What’s the most informative book you’ve read recently?


A: I would have to tie this to last weeks question of the biggest read because this is the biggest and most informative book I have read in a long time. The best part is that it is funny also. Royal Affairs by Leslie Carroll is my top pick for most informative.

Philippa Gregory Book Tour Locations and Dates

Hi everyone just want to let you know that Philippa is embarking on a book tour next week. Below is more information for her tour. I wish I could make it to Seattle for this.

BOSTON, MA:
Monday, September 14th at 7:00pm

B & N College @ Tsai Performance Center ( Boston University , 685 Commonwealth Avenue , Boston MA 02215 )

**Tickets are $5, with the purchase going towards the book. If you buy book in store, get a ticket.**

PRINCETON, NJ :
Tuesday, September 15th at 7:00pm

Princeton Public Library @ Nassau Presbyterian Church ( Princeton University , 61 Nassau St , Princeton , NJ 08542 )
**Books provided by B & N. Tickets $10 in advance through SmartTixs.com.**

NEW YORK, NY :
Wednesday, September 16^th at 7:00pm
Barnes & Noble ( 150 East 86th Street , NY , NY 10028 )

TORONTO, CANADA :
Thursday, September 17th at 7:00pm
Indigo Books & Music @ Royal St. George’s College ( 120 Howland Avenue )
**Tickets are $5 at www.ticketweb.ca or 1-888-222-6608**

CHICAGO, IL :
Saturday, September 19th at 1:30pm
Anderson ’s Bookshop @ Tivoli Theatre ( 5021 Highland Avenue , Downers Grove , IL 60515 )
**Purchase of The White Queen and a $5 event ticket admits one. Companion tickets are available for $8 (no book) with a $2 coupon good on the purchase of The White Queen.**

ATLANTA, GA :
Monday, September 21st at 7:30pm
GA Ctr. for the Book @ Presser Hall ( Agnes Scott College , 141 E. College Ave , Decatur , GA 30030 )
**Books will be sold by Outwrite Books. This is a free event.**

HOUSTON, TX:
Wednesday, September 23rd at 7:00pm
Blue Willow Books (Univ. of Houston-Sugarland, 14000 University Blvd, Sugarland, TX, 77479)
**Blue Willow Books will partner with the Fort Bend Literary Council and Fort Bend Friends & Neighbors (local arts nonprofit) and the local chapter of the AAUW for an “Evening of History.” Ticket price $30, with a combo ticket-book purchase of $50.**

SEATTLE, WA :
Saturday, September 26th at 4:00pm
West Sound Reads @ Bremerton High School ( 1500 13th Street , Bremerton , WA 98337 )
**The event is free, but will reserve preferential seating with the advance purchase of the book from the participating bookstores. The stores will issue 2 tickets for each book purchase.**

VICTORIA, CANADA :
Monday, September 28th at 7:30pm
Bolens Books @ Alix Goolden Performance Hall ( 907 Pandora Avenue , Victoria , BC )
**Tickets are $10 per person ($5 towards the purchase of the book).**

LOS ANGELES , CA:
Thursday, October 1st at 11:00am
Los Angeles Public Library – Library Foundation Council luncheon (Regency Club, 10900 Wilshire Boulevard , Los Angeles CA , 90024 )
**Books sold by the Los Angeles Public Library. Tickets are $70. The luncheon is hosted by the library’s donor council, made up of 150 of the most prominent and influential women in LA who raise funds for the library.**

Guest Post with Michelle Moran, The Heretic Queen

Q: What inspired you to write on Nefertari?

A: In many ways, The Heretic Queen is a natural progression from my debut novel Nefertiti. The sequel picks up the plot after the brief interceding reign of Tutankhamun. The narrator is orphaned Nefertari, who suffers terribly because of her relationship to the reviled "Heretic Queen". Despite the Heretic Queen's death a generation prior, Nefertari is still tainted by her relationship to her aunt, Queen Nefertiti, and when young Ramesses falls in love and wishes to marry her, it is a struggle not just against an angry court, but against the wishes of a rebellious people.

But perhaps I would never have chosen to write on Nefertari at all if I hadn't taken a trip to Egypt and seen her magnificent tomb. At one time, visiting her tomb was practically free, but today, a trip underground to see one of the most magnificent places on earth can cost upwards of five thousand dollars (yes, you read that right). If you want to share the cost and go with a group, the cost lowers to the bargain-basement price of about three thousand. As a guide told us of the phenomenal price, I looked at my husband, and he looked at me. We had flown more than seven thousand miles, suffered the indignities of having to wear the same clothes for three days because of lost luggage… and really, what were the possibilities of our ever returning to Egypt again? There was only one choice. We paid the outrageous price, and I have never forgotten the experience.

While breathing in some of the most expensive air in the world, I saw a tomb that wasn't just fit for a queen, but a goddess. In fact, Nefertari was only one of two (possibly three) queens ever deified in her lifetime, and as I gazed at the vibrant images on her tomb - jackals and bulls, cobras and gods - I knew that this wasn't just any woman, but a woman who had been loved fiercely when she was alive. Because I am a sucker for romances, particularly if those romances actually happened, I immediately wanted to know more about Nefertari and Ramesses the Great. So my next stop was the Hall of Mummies at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. There, resting beneath a heavy arc of glass, was the great Pharaoh himself. For a ninety-something year old man, he didn't look too bad. His short red hair was combed back neatly and his face seemed strangely peaceful in its three thousand year repose. I tried to imagine him as he'd been when he was young - strong, athletic, frighteningly rash and incredibly romantic. Buildings and poetry remain today as testaments to Ramesses's softer side, and in one of Ramesses's more famous poems he calls Nefertari "the one for whom the sun shines." His poetry to her can be found from Luxor to Abu Simbel, and it was my visit to Abu Simbel (where Ramesses built a temple for Nefertari) where I finally decided that I had to tell their story.

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

September 16, 2008

"In ancient Egypt, a forgotten princess must overcome her family’s past, and remake history.

The winds of change are blowing through Thebes. A devastating palace fire has killed the 18Th dynasty’s royal family—all with the exception of Nefertari, niece of the reviled former queen Nefertiti. The girl’s deceased family has been branded as heretical, and no one in Egypt will speak their names. A relic of a previous reign, Nefertari is pushed aside, an unimportant princess left to run wild in the palace. But all of this changes when she is taken under the wing of pharaoh’s aunt, and brought to the Temple of Hathor where she is educated in a manner befitting a future queen.

Soon Nefertari catches the eye of the crown prince, and despite her family’s history, they fall in love and wish to marry. Yet all of Egypt opposes this union between the rising star of a new dynasty and the fading star of an old, heretical one. While political adversity sets the country on edge, Nefertari becomes the wife of Ramesses the Great. Destined to be the most powerful pharaoh in Egypt, he is also the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history."

New Release, Her Mothers Daughter: A Novel of Queen Mary Tudor by Julianne Lee

New Release Paperback December 1st 2009

It would be hard for me to break how I feel about Mary it would have to be a strong novel. But this has defiantly has caught my eye. Perspectives can change and I am more than willing.

"Her name was Mary Tudor. First of the Tudor queens, she has gone down in history as Bloody Mary. But does she deserve her vicious reputation?

She was the daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, and half-sister to Edward VI and Elizabeth I. Mary Tudor's life began as the sweetly innocent, pampered princess of Wales-until the age of eleven when the father she adored cast aside the mother she worshipped and declared Mary a bastard. Only after years of exile did Mary finally rise to the throne alongside the man who, aside from her father, was her greatest love-and her greatest betrayer.

Told by Mary herself and the people around her, this grand-scale novel takes us back to the glittering court of sixteenth-century England, and tells the tragic story of a fascinating, largely misunderstood woman who withstood the treachery and passion around her only to become one of England's most vilified queens."

Cleopatra's Daughter Excerpt by Michelle Moran

C H A P T E R O N E, ALEXANDRIA, August 12, 30 BC

WHILE WE waited for the news to arrive, we played dice. I
felt the small ivory cubes stick in my palms as I rolled a pair of ones.
“Snake eyes,” I said, fanning myself with my hand. Even the stir of a
sea breeze through the marble halls of our palace did little to relieve
the searing heat that had settled across the city.

“It’s your turn,” Alexander said. When our mother didn’t respond,
he repeated, “Mother, it’s your turn.”

But she wasn’t listening. Her face was turned in the direction of
the sea, where the lighthouse of our ancestors had been built on the
island of Pharos to the east. We were the greatest family in the
world, and could trace our lineage all the way back to Alexander of
Macedon. If our father’s battle against Octavian went well, the
Ptolemies might rule for another three hundred years. But if his
losses continued. . . .

“Selene,” my brother complained to me, as if I could get our
mother to pay attention.

“Ptolemy, take the dice,” I said sharply.

Ptolemy, who was only six, grinned. “It’s my turn?”

“Yes,” I lied, and when he laughed, his voice echoed in the silent
halls. I glanced at Alexander, and perhaps because we were twins, I
knew what he was thinking. “I’m sure they haven’t abandoned us,” I
whispered.

“What would you do if you were a servant and knew that Octavian’s
army was coming?”

“We don’t know that it is!,” I snapped, but when the sound of sandals
slapped through the halls, my mother finally looked in our direction.

“Selene, Alexander, Ptolemy, get back!”

We abandoned our game and huddled on the bed, but it was only
her servants, Iras and Charmion.

“What? What is it?” my mother demanded.

“A group of soldiers!”

“Whose men?”

“Your husband’s,” Charmion cried. She had been with our family
for twenty years, and I had never seen her weep. But as she shut the
door, I saw that her cheeks were wet. “They are coming with news,
Your Highness, and I’m afraid—”

“Don’t say it!” My mother closed her eyes briefly. “Just tell me. Has
the mausoleum been prepared?”

Iras blinked away her tears and nodded. “The last of the palace’s
treasures are being moved inside. And . . . and the pyre has been
built exactly as you wanted.”

I reached for Alexander’s hand. “There’s no reason our father won’t
beat them back. He has everything to fight for.”

Alexander studied the dice in his palms. “So does Octavian.”

Sneak Peek at "Between Two Queens" by Kate Emerson

Releasing on paperback on January 5Th 2010
Kate Emerson was gracious enough to give us all a sneak peek of her upcoming novel book two in the Secrets of the Tudor Court series, "Between Two Queens". Keep in mind this is only the proof not the final version, so it could change.

I also will be interviewing Kate on "Pleasure Palace" and will be posting it soon. Stayed tuned for more on Kate as we get closer to the release date. Thank you Kate for giving us all this juicy tid bit.

"Emerson returns to the Tudor Court in Between Two Queens. Nan Bassett's goal to marry a nobleman is halted when she falls for handsome but poor Ned."

Today In History, Happy Birthday Elizabeth I

Happy birthday Elizabeth I born September 7Th 1533. I felt it only fitting to show this ring that had belonged to Elizabeth. It shows her and her mother Anne Boleyn.

Elizabeth, the virgin Queen never married more than likely because of the history between her father and mother. Never wanting to be controlled by a man she ruled alone. Gloriana which she has been commonly called before. She was a lover of the arts and led her realm into a golden age of thinking. I also had to include her horoscope since it is so fitting.

"The sign Virgo is symbolized by the Virgin. Your sign's element is Earth. Virgo is ruled by the planet Mercury. You enjoy helping others and being of service. Virgo is shy, and prefers working behind the scenes. You are highly discriminating and a bit puritanical. Virgo is intellectual, critical, fussy, shrewd, logical, methodical, practical and has teaching ability. Virgo can lack confidence and needs constant reassurance.
Possible negative aspects of the sign Virgo:
You can be highly critical, cynical, sarcastic, unforgiving, nervous, self centered, and ridden by fear. You may also have a tendency to be unfaithful."
"The Virgo is highly discriminating, but not necessarily as prudish at some might believe. In ancient times, a Virgin was a woman who was not the property of man, and therefore had the legal right to just say "no." Now, in modern times, you Virgos are known for your ability to be highly discriminating -- especially when it comes to matters of personal desire. When Virgo is ready, however, to say yes, the laser-like focus of your passion is anything but prudish.
You Virgos have the uncanny sense to see what's wrong with a person, a situation or your environment. It's why Virgo makes such natural critics. Virgo practical analytical abilities are second to none. Your mental process may not be the most creative, but Virgo's razor-like thinking is highly effective. Like the maiden pictured in the Virgo glyph, you separate the useful wheat from the unneeded chafe, the good from the bad. Virgo might be a "clean freak," but most Virgos have a messy closet somewhere or a disaster under their bed.
The Virgo motto could be "Perfect is almost good enough." On one hand, this trait makes you very employable, for you're not likely to do shabby work. On the other hand, you can be so finicky that you put limitations on your interactions and experiences before they happen. You'll be happier if you can learn to be selectively less critical, both of others and yourself.
Element: Earth
Earth signs are naturally practical. In this lifetime we are bound to Earth. There is no escaping the reality around us The Earth is about as real as it gets; it can be felt, weighed and it has substance. Accordingly, the earth signs base their life on what is real, not what is imagined. Sensation is valued over thoughts or feelings. Earth signs live with their feet on the ground. Others seek their advice because of their basic sensibility. For earth signs, seeing is believing.
The earth of Virgo is a changeable earth, light to the touch. It's about practical analysis -- using mental tools to discern the best use for what is around us.
Sixth House: Work
The Sixth House is about the regular performance of work-related tasks. This isn't necessarily about career. It's about the job you have that buys the bread for the table. This sector is also where we look to find out about health and healing, for it's not only work routine, but also our daily habits of hygiene.
Key Planet: MercuryMercury, the Messenger of the Gods, moves around the Sun faster than any other planet. He symbolizes our thoughts -- not only how we think, but how we communicate. In fact, Mercury is in charge of all language. Mercury is our active and rational mind. It is not only "just the facts" but also what we do with them. As the key planet of Virgo, Mercury is about intellectual discrimination. It's the binary function of the neurons in our brain. They either fire and impulse or they don't. Mercury here is about the basic "yes" or "no" decision that must be made for every piece of information that enters our consciousness.
Virgo Greatest Strength: Your ability to focus your attention, Virgo Possible Weakness: Need for perfection gets in the way of."

Guest Post with Michelle Moran, Cleopatra's Daughter

Thank you Michelle Moran for being gracious enough to give a guest post featuring her upcoming new release Cleopatra's Daughter. Which is due to hit book stores September 15Th 2009. This Q and A struck me so close to my heart because her experience is one of my biggest secret dreams I have ever harbored.

Q: Why Cleopatra’s daughter?

A:"It began with a dive. Not the kind of dive that people take into swimming pools, but the kind where you squeeze yourself into a wetsuit and wonder just how tasty your rump must appear to passing sharks now that it looks exactly like an elephant seal. My husband and I had taken a trip to Egypt, and at the suggestion of a friend, we decided to go to Alexandria and do a dive to see the remains of Cleopatra’s underwater city. Let it be known that I had never done an underwater dive before, so after four days with an instructor (and countless questions like, Will there be sharks? How about jellyfish? If there is an earthquake, what happens underwater?) we were ready for the real thing.

We drove to the Eastern Harbor in Alexandria. Dozens of other divers were already there, waiting to see what sort of magic lay beneath the waves. I wondered if the real thing could possibly live up to all of the guides and brochures selling this underwater city, lost for thousands of years until now. Then we did the dive, and it was every bit as magical as everyone had promised. You can see the rocks which once formed Marc Antony’s summer palace, come face to face with Cleopatra’s towering sphinx, and take your time floating above ten thousand ancient artifacts, including obelisks, statues, and countless amphorae. By the time we had surfaced, I was Cleopatra-obsessed. I wanted to know what had happened to her city once she and Marc Antony had committed suicide. Where did all of its people go? Were they allowed to remain or were they killed by the Romans? What about her four children?

It was this last question which surprised me the most. I had always believed that all of Cleopatra’s children had been murdered. But the Roman conqueror Octavian had actually spared the three she bore to Marc Antony: her six-year-old son, Ptolemy, and her ten-year-old twins, Alexander and Selene. As soon as I learned that Octavian had taken the three of them for his Triumph in Rome, I knew at once I had my next book. This is how all of my novels seem to begin – with a journey, then an adventure, and finally, enormous amounts of research for what I hope is an exciting story"

Book Review: ROYAL AFFAIRS by Leslie Carroll

A witty and humorous nonfiction chronology of "Royal Affairs" throughout the history of British monarchs. What a great read, Leslie had me going from section to section wondering what witty perspective she had on that particular historical figure. My favorite quote was her "use it or loose it" policy on Edward IV, hilarious and oh so fitting. Opening with Henry II and Rosamund de Clifford all the way down to the current prince of wales Charles and Camilla Bowles. I knew that I loved her style and confirmed we are like minded when she refereed to Isabella (Edward II wife) with "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned in bed", so true.

I found really helpful the section on Mary Queen of Scots. I had so many question and all were answered in short and to the point, not being over shadowed by the details. Her husbands murder, and what happened to Bothwell? Well the awnser is he was thrown into a deep dark remote fortress of Dragsholm castle in Denmark. He lived a decade there before dying of madness. She even found out that his remains are mummified and still preserved under glass at Farevejle church, near Dragsholm. My other favorite that I have to mention was the heart wrenching story of Caroline of Brunswick and George IV daughter the princess Charlotte who married prince Leopold. She died after a fifty hour delivery of a still born son. The reference to Charlotte was brief but it built up the whole history in her family and why he loss was so tragic.

5/5 muses, This was the perfect nonfiction set up for an ADD reader like myself. Long enough to fit in the best with out going over board and losing my interest. Falling into the category of special nonfiction that is not dull or lagging. I am really looking forward to her next new release "Notorious Royal Marriages" on January 5Th 2010. If it is anything like this one I know it will be a goodies book and I will love it. Thank you Leslie I loved the book, and you are right "real history is much more sexy".

"Royal unions have always been the stuff of scintillating gossip, from the passionate Plantagenet's to Henry VIII's alarming head count of wives and mistresses, to the Sapphic crushes of Mary and Anne Stuart to the scandal-blighted coupling of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Thrown into loveless, arranged marriages for political and economic gain, many royals were driven to indulge their pleasures outside the marital bed, engaging in delicious flirtations, lurid love letters and rampant sex. On these pages the arousing history comes alive."

Sundays Art: Cleopatra by Hans Makart

Cleopatra by Hans Makart May 28Th 1840 - October 3rd 1884, was a 19Th century Austrian academic history painter, designer, and decorator; most well known for his influence on Gustav Klimt and other Austrian artists, but in his own era considered an important artist himself and was a celebrity figure in the high culture of Vienna, attended with almost cult-liked adulation.

Giveaway Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran

Hello all, I have been waiting for this one for quite some time and it is time! Michelle has honored us in hosting a giveaway of her new release Cleopatra's Daughter which will be released on September 15Th 2009.

Remember I do not want to have to disqualify your comment for not being a follower or not leaving a contact email. It is open to everyone.

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, sidebar, or tweet this giveaway to spread the word. My user name is HObsessed.

I will end the contest at 12pm September 11Th. I will randomly generate one winner who may also receive one signed paperback of The Heretic Queen so long as books remain. I will post the winners on the 12Th and will contact them then through email to obtain shipping information so be on the watch out for me. Good Luck to all and let the giveaway begin!

Today In History, Losing Catherine Parr

On September 5Th 1548 Catherine Parr passed away. Catherine is most well known as being the last wife of Henry VIII. Many had even said that she was more his nurse than his wife. The real story of Catherine's life had begun after Henry had died, when she married Thomas Seymour.

After Henry had died Catherine had taken his daughter Elizabeth into her care. They had become close and in many novels it is stated that Catherine had given Elizabeth stability which she had never known before. The drama with Catherine began with her husband Thomas Seymour. Thomas and Catherine had married not too soon after Henry VIII had died and some had speculated a little too soon. Catherine being madly in love with him had not noticed the tell tell signs of affection between Elizabeth and Thomas. The affection had later gone so far that Thomas had been sneaking into Elizabeth's room at night to "surprise and tickle" her. After she had found out about her husbands late night rendezvous it is rumored that she began to join him. Later on Catherine had caught him with Elizabeth and finally had had enough and sent her away.

Catherine had become pregnant and gave birth to her only child Mary Seymour but she died six days later at Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire. She died from childbed fever. Less than a year after her death Thomas would loose his head for trying to attack his own nephew the king and for ousting his brother as protector. It is rumored that Elizabeth loved Thomas and had made plans to be together but Thomas had been on a blood thirsty rampage for power and lost his head because of his own actions.

Today In History, Losing Robert Dudley

On September 4Th 1588 the favorite of Queen Elizabeth I the famous playboy Robert Dudley passed from his realm to the next. Robert is absolutely one of my favorite historical leading men. It is said that when he suddenly lost his life that Elizabeth had barricaded herself in her chambers and would not admit anyone for days. Her leading councilor William Cecil had to literally break down the door to make sure she was alright.

Upon Elizabeth's passing fifteen years later, they found among her personal affects a letter from Robert. It was labeled his last letter. She had saved it all those years. The letter proved how deeply Elizabeth truly loved Robert. For more information on Robert check out my birthday post for him.

"I most humbly beseech your Majesty to pardon your old servant to be thus bold in sending to know how my gracious lady doth, and what ease of her late pain she finds, being the chiefest thing in the world I do pray for, for her to have good health and long life. For my own poor case, I continue still your medicine, and it amends much better than any other thing that hath been given me..."

Booking Through Thursday: Biggest

Q: What’s the biggest book you’ve read recently? (Feel free to think “big” as size, or as popularity, or in any other way you care to interpret.)

A: I would have to say the book I am reading now is the biggest for one reason, that it is a nonfiction, and it is through the whole span of the British monarchs. It is "Royal Affairs", a lusty romp through the extramarital adventures that rocked the British Monarchy by sweetheart author Leslie Carroll. The reason it is big is it covers almost anything and everything that I ever had questions about. From Henry II and Rosamund de Clifford to present day Prince of Wales Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. I love this book for the fact that it is fact and that it is broken down by sections of royal houses. It is a great read for an ADD reader like myself. Even though I am not finished it is the biggest read because it covers all the dirty affairs through out history.

"Insatiable kings, lecherous queens, kissing cousins, and wanton consorts—history has never been so much fun.
Royal unions have always been the stuff of scintillating gossip, from the passionate Plantagenets to Henry VIII’s alarming head count of wives and mistresses, to the Sapphic crushes of Mary and Anne Stuart right on up through the scandal-blighted coupling of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Thrown into loveless, arranged marriages for political and economic gain, many royals were driven to indulge their pleasures outside the marital bed, engaging in delicious flirtations, lurid love letters, and rampant sex with voluptuous and willing partners."

"This nearly pathological lust made for some of the most titillating scandals in Great Britain’s history. Hardly harmless, these affairs have disrupted dynastic alliances, endangered lives, and most of all, fed the salacious curiosity of the public for centuries. Royal Affairs will satiate that curiosity by bringing this arousing history alive."

Author Spotlight: Michelle Moran

Michelle Moran was born in the San Fernando Valley, CA. She took an interest in writing from an early age, purchasing Writer's Market and submitting her stories and novellas to publishers from the time she was twelve. When she was accepted into Pomona College she took as many classes as possible in British Literature, particularly Milton, Chaucer, and the Bard. Not surprisingly, she majored in English while she was there. Following a summer in Israel where she worked as a volunteer archaeologist, she earned an MA from the Claremont Graduate University.

Michelle has traveled around the world, from Zimbabwe to India, and her experiences at archaeological sites were what inspired her to write historical fiction. A public high school teacher for six years, Michelle Moran is currently a full-time writer living in California with her husband. She is agented by Anna Ghosh of Scovil Chichak Galen Literary Agency. Visit her blog here : website here : Buy here Novels: The Heretic Queen, and Nefertiti

Tutankhamun Exhibit in San Francisco

The Tutankhamun and The Golden Age of The Pharaohs Exhibit is on display now in at the Fine Arts De Young Museum in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. It will be available from June 27Th 2009 through to March 28Th 2010. You can purchase tickets here be sure to click on San Francisco. Also if you are a Borders Book rewards member you can use the Promo Code TUTBB to get 20% off of Tickets. Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibition:
Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. daily; last ticket at 7:30 p.m. (through September 30)
You can visit their website here.

"More than 3,000 years after his reign, and 30 years after the original exhibition opened in San Francisco, Tutankhamun, ancient Egypt’s celebrated “boy king,” returns to the de Young Museum. In the summer of 2009 the de Young presents Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, a glorious exhibition of over 130 outstanding works from the tomb of Tutankhamun, as well as those of his royal predecessors, his family, and court officials.

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs includes many new and exciting elements not seen in previous versions of the exhibition, including a revised version of the catalogue, a new audio tour, and additional artifacts from Tutankhamun’s tomb."

I was lucky enough to be able to see this exhibit when it came to Portland Oregon many, many moons ago. I have always been obsessed with Egypt to the point that now I even have Egyptian tattoo's . Which I find that other people are very curious about. I still vividly can picture that day in the museum because it had such a profound effect on me. It is one thing to read books and look at pictures of Egyptology. To see it in person is moving and I would highly recommend anyone who can go to do so. You would not believe how moving it is to stand before Tutankhamun.

White Queen Contest: A Trip To London!

To celebrate the success of the release of "The White Queen" by Philippa Gregory, LivingSocial and Simon & Schuster are giving away a trip to London and other great prizes. Be sure to follow this link to enter.

Grand prize package [Retailed at about $4,000]:

· Round trip airfare for two to London ; hotel accommodations for 3 nights in the Strand Palace , located in the heart of London ’s Theatreland

· Tickets for a dinner cruise on the Thames

· A day tour of the Tower of London and St. Paul ’s Cathedral

· Day trip to Windsor Castle and Runnymede

· $200 American Express Gift Card

1 first prize winner

· Will receive an e-reader loaded with The White Queen e-book

1 second prize winner

· Will receive a leather-bound edition of The White Queen

http://promo.simonandschuster.com/WhiteQueen/


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao7HZjAKCIY