Mailbox Mondays

From authors and publishers,

The Rose of York: Fall from Grace by Sandra Worth, signed copy

"Defying Shakespeare'ss portrayal of Richard III, this prize-winning, well-researched novel concludes the ROSE OF YORK series -- winners of a notable ten awards. Set in Malory's England, it traces Richard's remarkable reign, his passion for justice, and his undying devotion to Anne, and delves into the still-unresolved mystery of his nephews' disappearance. A stirring saga of courage, sacrifice, and love".


Penelope's Daughter by Laurel Corona


The award-winning author of The Four Seasons retells The Odyssey from the point of view of Odysseus and Penelope's daughter.

":With her father Odysseus gone for twenty years, Xanthe barricades herself in her royal chambers to escape the rapacious suitors who would abduct her to gain the throne. Xanthe turns to her loom to weave the adventures of her life, from her upbringing among servants and slaves, to the years spent in hiding with her mother's cousin, Helen of Troy, to the passion of her sexual awakening in the arms of the man she loves.

And when a stranger dressed as a beggar appears at the palace, Xanthe wonders who will be the one to decide her future-a suitor she loathes, a brother she cannot respect, or a father who doesn't know she exists.."

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig

"Nothing ever goes right for Eloise. The day she wears her new suede boots, it rains. When the subway stops short, she's the one thrown into some stranger's lap. And she's had her share of misfortune in the way of love. So, after deciding that romantic heroes must be a thing of the past, Eloise is ready for a fresh start.

Setting off for England, Eloise is determined to finish her dissertation on two spies, the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian. But what she discovers is something historians have missed: the secret history of the Pink Carnation-the most elusive spy of all time. As she works to unmask this obscure spy, Eloise has more and more questions. Like, how did the Pink Carnation save England from Napoleon? What became of the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Purple Gentian? And will Eloise Kelly escape her bad luck and find a living, breathing hero of her own"?

Book Review: BEAUTY'S PUNISHMENT BY A. N. Roquelaure

I know what you are thinking, why go to onto the second book in the series? Well I am going to break it down like this; the first book “The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty” was wild but it left me with an irresistible urge to continue. I just have to know what happens with Beauty and her time of punishment in the village.

The punishment in the village for Beauty really in my mind was not as bad as it possibly could have been. I think the worst part was when she was auctioned off. She was showed to the village like she was some sex depraved mule. Luckily she was purchased by a wealthy woman inn keeper but in reality Beauty was not so lucky when it came to the punishment the woman would inflict on her.

Personally if I was Beauty I would have rather been in the village with the inn keeper than at the castle with the not so charming prince. In this one once again I will not going to too much detail for the protection of the innocence out there but if you are looking for a really off the wall S and M slash erotica read this one might be just your cup of tea. Please keep in mind though it is very graphic with sex, violence, and is not the straight laced type of erotica you would commonly think of. In case you are wondering yes I am reading the last book in the series right now called “Beauty’s Release” and will be reviewing that one also.

3/5 much better than the first for me that one was just so degrading but looking back I think that was meant to break Beauty so she could be the perfect slave. She had to experience the degradation to do her service and there just was no way around that. I enjoyed that the awful prince was not present in this book instead the romantic aspect is replaced by the hunky stallion Tristan ooh he even has a hot name. Tristan was a pleasant shift from the castles prince. I am glad I have started this because I need a bit of variety in my life and this is for me gong from one extreme to the other. Change is good when you’re in the mood for it.

X-Rating for straight and gay sex, bestiality, and violence.

FTC- Borrowed from the library.

Amazon 

Beauty's Punishment (Sleeping Beauty)

The Sleeping Beauty Novels: The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty / Beauty's Release / Beauty's Punishment

Book Review: FOR THE KINGS FAVOR by Elizabeth Chadwick

Elizabeth Chadwick once again delivers the goods and I have to place her right up there with Jean Plaidy.  Just like a fine wine Chadwick is to be savored all the way down to the last drop. I have noticed that Elizabeth has a few defining qualities similar to Jean Plaidy; steadiness, unquestionable historical accuracy, and a gift for conveying intricate human psychology. What more could a reader ask for; because it really does not get much better than that. In other words you can not go wrong with any book by Chadwick because you will find nothing short of a world the envelopes you completely.

The youthful and exquisite Ida de Tosney was a ward of King Henry II, one would think she would be under his protection. The predicament was there was no one that could shield her from the king and when he took a fancy to her there was no escape. In my mind the king wrongfully took from Ida what he was not entitled to have. He preyed upon her and left her with no other choice but to be his royal mistress. It was an abuse of power that eventually led to Ida to becoming pregnant. She was not exactly happy with her life when she gave birth to a bouncing baby boy. I do not see how it was possible for her to be happy with King Henry constantly after her.  Sadly Ida’s only escape at the time was her child and she put everything she had into him. Being a forced royal mistress continued while Ida waited for the right time to make a move to get away from the king and Rodger Bigod was just the man she needed to accomplish the task at hand.

Ridger Bigod came from a diverse family home. His father led a rebellion against the king and failed miserably at it. Thank goodness Rodger even as a young man had enough sense to know that what his father asked him to do in the rebellion would lead to no good. He turned on his wolfish father and headed to his mother. This is where it gets interesting. His father had his marriage annulled to his mother when he was a boy and he was forced to stay with his father while his mother left. A bitter rivalry later ensued between his stepmother and way younger half bothers. His father was an evil man but he got his just desserts from the king and the crown seized his title of Earl of Norfolk. When Rodger’s father passed away a short time later it was then that the bitter battle against his surviving relatives for the title of Earl began. Thus leading Rodger to court the king’s favor. To gain a kings favor is a feat in itself but to hold it is a extraordinary feat especially when Ida was making her own plans for the future.  Sadly Ida has to make the hardest choice a mother could ever have to make. One that even I cannot even comprehend having to do and all for the favor of a king.

5/5 This is the third Chadwick read down this year and I just started reading her this past spring. My new bucket list goal is to make sure I read all of Elizabeth Chadwick’s books. She is brilliant with human psychology and it is a real treat when a 500+ page book flies by in what feels like an instant. One very cool feature of these books is they can be read in a row or as stand-alone novels. I loved that this book ties into “The Greatest Knight” and “The Scarlet Lion” but I would say if you have not read any of them then I would do it “For The King’s Favor”, “The Greatest Knight”, then “The Scarlet Lion”. Just in case you were wondering William Marshal is Rodger Bigod’s BFF and YES they both are very sexy husbands.

R-rating for detailed sexual moments.

FTC-this book was sent to me by the publisher for review.

This book is also published under the title "The Time of Singing". "For The Kings Favor' will be available in bookstores everywhere September 1st 2010.

Amazon:

For the King's Favor 

The Greatest Knight: The Unsung Story of the Queen's Champion

The Scarlet Lion

To Defy a King

The Champion

HFBRT Susan Holloway Scott Giveaway "THE COUNTESS AND THE KING"

HFBRT event giveaway time yay! Historically Obsessed is proud to announce that up for grabs is one finished copy of Susan Holloway Scott's upcoming release "The Countess and the King". 

The Down Low

Open to US and Canada only

Paperback finished copy

Giveaway will run until September 14th at midnight

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.

Good luck to everyone I know one lucky reader is going to be very happy with this one.

Be sure to check out the HFBRT group site for a interview with Susan and much more. 

For more about Susan and her books, please visit her website & blog: www.susanhollowayscott.com

http://susanhollowayscott.blogspot.com

Be sure, too, to check out her blog with fellow-author Loretta Chase:

www.twonerdyhistorygirls.com

Amazon:

The Countess and the King: A Novel of the Countess of Dorchester and King James IIThe French Mistress: A Novel of the Duchess of Portsmouth and King Charles II

Royal Harlot: A Novel of the Countess Castlemaine and King Charles II

The King's Favorite: A Novel of Nell Gwyn and King Charles II

Duchess: A Novel of Sarah Churchill

Mailbox Mondays and the new Austen Blog

From Publisher

The Princess of Nowhere: A Novel by Lorenzo Borghese

"Love is never perfect and certainly the relationship between Princess Pauline Bonaparte Borghese—the sister of Napoleon Bonaparte—and Prince Camillo Borghese is no different. Seen through the eyes of the young woman who served as Pauline’s lady-in-waiting and surrogate daughter, the princess was both complicated and straightforward.

Pauline knows that her purpose is to make advantageous marriages to further her ambitious brothers’ goals. But her joie de vivre cannot be stifled—much to the dismay of her new husband Camillo. Constantly seeking the attention of other men, Camillo and Pauline’s relationship is tempestuous at best, especially after a heartbreaking loss. But the love that brought them together can never truly be stifled. Devastated by tragedy, desperate for attention, and searching for answers, Pauline’s life is a study in the excesses of the time and the power of a woman strong enough to defy expectations".

Won From Librarything.com

 The Pindar Diamond: A Novel by Katie Hickman
"In Hickman's coincidence-heavy latest (after The Aviary Gate), Paul Pindar, a 17th-century English merchant working in Venice, is obsessed with the Sultan's Blue, a 322-carat diamond coveted by every collector in the plague-ravaged city. Pindar, broke from drinking and gambling, needs the diamond to ransom his captive love from a sultan's harem. Intertwined with his story are those of Sister Annetta, a convent novitiate who alone knows how the Sultan's Blue came to Venice, and Maryam, an acrobat charged with escorting a crippled mute and her deformed newborn (who might be a mermaid) to Venice. When Pindar learns that the Sultan's Blue will be the prize in a high-stakes card game, he desperately tries to scheme his way to the table, going against warnings from fellow traders Ambrose Smith, a covert intelligencer, and John Carew, a friend with his own secret. Though the narrative moves from Pindar to Annetta to Maryam in a frustratingly helter-skelter fashion, Hickman provides a convincing portrait of a troubled Venice that will tide readers over until the story elements click into place just in time for a series of satisfying resolutions".

Austen News

From the lovely Danielle at Sourcebooks

"September 6, marks the official launch of AustenAuthors.com, a labor of love started by two Sourcebooks Landmark authors, Sharon Lathan and Abigail Reynolds. Noticing the success of group author blogs in the romance genre, they decided to gather up some of their fellow Jane Austen Fiction comrades and start a group blog. After putting together some initial plans in August, Sharon and Abigial began to contact Austen authors from all publishers and the final list of 20 contributors is very impressive:

Susan Adriani, Marsha Altman, Marilyn Brant, Skylar Burris, Jack Caldwell, Carolyn Eberhart, Monica Fairview, Regina Jeffers, Cindy Jones, Sharon Lathan, Kara Louise, Kathryn Nelson, Jane Odiwe, C. Allyn Pierson, Abigail Reynolds, Mary Lydon Simonsen, Heather Lynn Rigaud,Victoria Connelly, J. Marie Croft, Lynn Shepherd.

Staring on September 6, daily blogs posts will be put up, celebrations of new books going into stores will be had, and for the launch month of the blog, many giveaways and contests will be held". Check it out here http://www.austenauthors.com/

Book Review: THE COUNTESS AND THE KING by Susan Holloway Scott

Yay my first Susan Holloway Scott read is finally finished. It is not hard for me to say that I have a new favorite author to add to the pool. I have heard nothing but praise for her previous novels, all of them have been highly recommended to me. Surprisingly I own every single one of her books and regret to say that I have been unable to get to them. Reading Susan’s new release “The Countess and the King” has ignited a fire under my booty to push harder so that I can finally read all of her other novels.

Talk about a wonderful read, I love that Scott focuses on Restoration England. Some of England’s most unique characters lived during this period and that is one of the reasons I love reading about it. The relaxed morals of King Charles II’s court enabled this magical period of bawdiness that encouraged people to be more creative with verse, song, dance and anything else they could think of. Charles’ French influence had such an effect on the court that he enacted many of the French practices. I think Charles' most favorite French practice he applied was his head mistress ruled the court more than his queen did. I love anything related to Charles II because he was extremely charming but I have always been curious about his brother’s story. I always wondered what the duke of York was like and what led up to him loosing the crown. Scott painted the perfect image of Restoration England; she is now in my mind the fore front leading author of this period.

Katherine Sedley, daughter of a notorious Libertine found trauma at a young age when her mother was placed in a convent because of mental illness. Since mama was sick and not in the picture dad was Katherine’s everything. Since dad was a notorious Libertine you can only imagine what she was exposed to at a tender age. She was like her dads mini me, where ever he went she went too, her childhood was far from conventional because her father decided not to pack her off to a governess and instead kept her close to him. Some of her father’s closest friends were two of my all time favorites Nell Gwyn and Jon Wilmot Earl of Rochester. You can just imagine the bawdy jests between them. In the midst’s of all of the exploits of a known Libertine Katherine grew up to possesses a wickedly honest gift of speaking the truth and developed a heart of daring gold that was not held back by anything. Though she was no the prettiest she was the wittiest of all the court ladies. I loved Katherine because she was the under dog who was on a legitimate mission in life to find a true love that was on her level. She was very intelligent and quick as a whip but possessed one thing that doomed King James II’s rein. Katherine had street smarts and for her they were a survival instinct she daringly exposed out of necessity. It was that special spark in her that first drew the attention of the kings’ brother James. The one problem the lovers faced was not that he was already married but what did the future hold for Katherine and the Duke after Charles was gone, could England accept a proclaimed Catholic king? Or were they doomed from the beginning?

5/5 I see why Scott is the best now and she has proclaimed Restoration England as her muse. I loved this one but I am a sucker for anything that rightly portrays the Earl of Rochester. I can not give enough praise the story was the best and let me tell you it has been awhile since I have had a real good Restoration read. If you are in the market for a juicy royal mistress read this one will not be a disappointment.

R-rating, sexual references

FTC, book was sent to me by the publisher.

Be sure to check out the HFBRT group site for a interview with Susan and much more. 

For more about Susan and her books, please visit her website & blog: www.susanhollowayscott.com
http://susanhollowayscott.blogspot.com
Be sure, too, to check out her blog with fellow-author Loretta Chase:
www.twonerdyhistorygirls.com

Amazon:

The Countess and the King: A Novel of the Countess of Dorchester and King James IIThe French Mistress: A Novel of the Duchess of Portsmouth and King Charles II

Royal Harlot: A Novel of the Countess Castlemaine and King Charles II

The King's Favorite: A Novel of Nell Gwyn and King Charles II

Duchess: A Novel of Sarah Churchill 

 

HFBRT Guest Post by Susan Holloway Scott "THE COUNTESS AND THE KING"

Announcing the Historical Fiction Bloggers Round Table event for September, please give a warm welcome to the wonderfully exciting Susan Holloway Scott to Historically Obsessed.  Susan has graciously written an amazing guest post on the new leading lady of her upcoming release "The Countess and the King" which will be available everywhere September 7th. "The Countess and the King" is this months feature for the Historical Fiction Bloggers Round Table so be sure to check out the group site and other members sites also for other cool posts, giveaways, and much more. Thank you Susan for paying a visit and enlightening us on Katherine Sedley, we are all in high anticipation of the release. With out further adieu please take it away Susan.

Introducing Katherine Sedley, 
Countess of Dorchester

By Susan Holloway Scott

At first glance, Katherine Sedley (1657-1717) doesn’t seem like heroine material. In most English history books, she’s not mentioned at all, and even in histories that concentrate on the Restoration (1660-1685), she’ll merit just a footnote if she’s lucky. She didn’t come from a stellar royal family, or one with notable talent or power. She wasn’t a great beauty, or a queen or princess who changed the course of history.  

Yet still I made Katherine Sedley the heroine of my new historical novel, The Countess & the King, and in the perverse ways of writing, all those reasons why Katherine shouldn’t merit a book turned out to be exactly the same reasons why she made for such a wonderfully contradictory heroine.  Katherine was always unpredictable, and always determined to go her own way – not something most 17^th c. English ladies would dare to do. 

Katherine was born the only child of privelged teenaged parents who weren’t much more than children themselves. In another time period, their families would have likely exerted a steadying influence, and seen that the young family followed a responsible path through life. But Katherine was born just before the grim Puritan ways of Oliver Cromwell’s Protectorate were replaced by the much merrier ones of Charles II, restored at last to his throne. With the king’s return, wealthy young aristocrats like the Sedleys flocked to join the free-wheeling court. 

Respectability was out of fashion; exuberant excess was the new style, and young Sir Charles became a well-known libertine, famous for drunken debauchery. His young wife, however, remained at home, sinking deep into madness. Against such a background, Katherine’s upbringing reads like something from a modern tabloid. Her father treated her more like an amusing pet than a daughter, taking her with him to playhouses and taverns and introducing her to his notorious friends. She was both adored and spoiled, and learned how to drink, swear, and tell off-color jokes, and was equally comfortable with actresses like Nell Gwyn and with the king himself.  With such connections, and as the heiress to her father’s large fortune, Katherine should have been primed for a splendid dynastic marriage. 

 Except, however, for a few sizable stumbling-blocks. First, Katherine was considered shamefully plain. In a court that prized languid, voluptuous beauties, she was pale, thin, and angular, with heavy brows and a wide mouth.  She was also intelligent, her wit quick and sharp. (Her first portrait, by Sir Peter Lely, shows how she didn’t fit the fashionable ideal, yet still captures the sense that she was a lot of fun.) Most of all, she had no wish to wed and give control of her life to a husband. From her own mother to the queen herself, the court was full of neglected, lonely wives, and Katherine was far too independent for that. She had her own fortune, and was determined to choose her own loves.  The first two men she gave her heart to very nearly broke it, choosing prettier women to wed instead, and another who she rejected proved to be a fearsome enemy at court. 

But finally Katherine found a man who appreciated her: James Stuart, Duke of York, and heir to the throne of England. Katherine didn’t care that James was married, or that he was much older, or that the rest of the court regarded him as a poor second in comparison to his brother the king. James found her witty and outrageously amusing and beautiful, and Katherine gleefully gave herself over to the role of a royal mistress. Her portrait by Godfrey Kneller from this time shows her unadorned elegance, her expression seemingly bemused by her good fortune. 

Even as a prince’s mistress, Katherine couldn’t be conventional. She delighted in the scandal she caused, enjoying every moment of it. But the carefree days were short-lived. James had always been a polarizing figure at court, and before long his religious beliefs made him a politically dangerous one as well. Katherine was thrust into the intrigue, torn between her royal lover and England itself, and her cleverness was valuable not for amusement, but for survival. When Charles suddenly died and James became king, Katherine’s position at court grew all the more perilous. The last portrait, by the studio of Godrey Kneller, shows her soon after James has been crowned, and after he has made her Countess of Dorchester. Formally posed on the edge of a gilded bed, lifting aside the bed curtain in a royal mistress’s welcome, her earlier merriment has vanished. Instead she appears reserved and self-contained, as if she already knows the difficult choice before her, a choice that will determine both her fate, and that of The Countess and the King.   

Here’s a link to an excerpt from The Countess and the King on my website. I hope you’ll also stop by my blog with fellow author Loretta Chase, where we discuss history, writing, and yes, even the occasional pair of great shoes: Two Nerdy History Girls

Many thanks to Lizzy for having me here today!

Thank you Susan it has been a pleasure and I look forward to seeing what the event holds in store for "The Countess and the King".

HFBRT September Feature

HFBRT Schedule

Amazon Links
The Countess and the King: A Novel of the Countess of Dorchester and King James II
The French Mistress: A Novel of the Duchess of Portsmouth and King Charles II
Royal Harlot: A Novel of the Countess Castlemaine and King Charles II
The King's Favorite: A Novel of Nell Gwyn and King Charles II
Duchess: A Novel of Sarah Churchill