Giveaway: This Body of Death by Elizabeth George

I'm always very excited to get my hands on a new installment in one of my favorite mystery series, the Thomas Lynley series by Elizabeth George. This is a writer that looks into the minds and motivations of nearly all of her characters, not just the principal ones, and it gives the entire series a depth that you will be hard pressed to find elsewhere. Here's a synopsis of the latest, from the publisher:

On compassionate leave after the murder of his wife, Thomas Lynley is called back to Scotland Yard when the body of a woman is found stabbed and abandoned in an isolated London cemetery. His former team doesn't trust the leadership of their new department chief, Isabelle Ardery, whose management style seems to rub everyone the wrong way. In fact, Lynley may be the sole person who can see beneath his superior officer's hard-as-nails exterior to a hidden—and possibly attractive—vulnerability.

While Lynley works in London, his former colleagues Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata follow the murder trail south to the New Forest. There they discover a beautiful and strange place where animals roam free, the long-lost art of thatching is very much alive, and outsiders are not entirely welcome. What they don't know is that more than one dark secret lurks among the trees, and that their investigation will lead them to an outcome that is both tragic and shocking.

A multilayered jigsaw puzzle of a story skillfully structured to keep readers guessing until the very end, This Body of Death is a magnificent achievement from a writer at the peak of her powers.

Thanks to Kyle at Harper Collins, I have one copy to give away. For one entry, just leave me a comment here. If you would like extra entries there are instructions below. Giveaway open through midnight eastern time on May 5th. The winner will be drawn at random and must have a US mailing address, no PO Boxes.

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Giveaway: The Queen's Pawn by Christy English

This is turning out to be quite a year for new historical fiction authors! The Queen's Pawn is Christy English's first book (her second will be out in April of 2011...check out her website). Would you like to win a copy? I thought you might!

A historical novel of the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine and the one person she loved more than power—her rival for the throne.

At only nine, Princess Alais of France is sent to live in England until she is of age to wed Prince Richard, son of King Henry II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. Alais is an innocent pawn on the chessboard of dynastic marriage, her betrothal intended to broker an uneasy truce between the nations.

Estranged from her husband, Eleanor sees a kindred spirit in this determined young girl. She embraces Alais as a daughter, teaching the princess what it takes to be a woman of power in a world of men. But as Alais grows to maturity and develops ambitions of her own, Eleanor begins to see her as a threat—and their love for each other becomes overshadowed by their bitter rivalry, dark betrayals, conflicting passions, and a battle for revenge over the throne of England itself.

-Synopsis courtesy of the publisher

I have one copy of The Queen's Pawn to give away. For one entry, just leave me a comment here. If you would like extra entries there are instructions below. Giveaway open through midnight eastern time on April 22nd. The winner will be drawn at random and must have a US mailing address. Many thanks to Kaitlyn at Penguin for sponsoring this giveaway!

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Good luck everyone, thank you for visiting and entering!

Giveaway: Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn

I'm so excited to have a copy of Mistress of Rome, Kate Quinn's debut novel, to give away! Here is the synopsis from the publisher:

Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress's rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome's newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.

As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome's aristocrats. Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But Domitian's games have a darker side, and Thea finds herself fighting for both soul and sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of the brilliant and paranoid Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor's mistress.

Doesn't it sound fantastic? Can't wait to read it myself! For one entry, just leave me a comment here. If you would like extra entries there are instructions below. Giveaway open through midnight eastern time on April 21st. The winner will be drawn at random and must have a US mailing address. Many thanks to Kaitlyn at Penguin for sponsoring this giveaway!

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Good luck everyone, thank you for visiting and entering!

Review & Blog Tour: The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees

"One cannot judge things by the way they end."

Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott was, in many ways, a woman way ahead of her time. Her formative years were spent in physical labor and poverty, yet her mind was nurtured by conversations between her philosophical father and some of America's most literate men...the likes of Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Don't you wonder what she saw with those dark eyes and what she is thinking of behind them?

I do, too. And so did author Kelly O'Connor McNees. In fact, that is one of the things that drove her to create this debut novel. With imagination, insight and tons of research, she tells the story of twenty two year old Louisa, caught between duty to her family and her intense desire to support herself with what she felt was her God given talent...writing.

Love and marriage were not part of her plans. A woman's place in the home in 1855 was a harsh one, filled with the never ending tasks of cleaning, cooking and child rearing. Louisa realizes that marriage to anyone will inevitably drop these tasks onto her shoulders and, while she is no stranger to hard work, she knows such work will sap her ability to write. If she marries she will never live her dream of being a published author.

Her faith in herself and her strength of will is tested when she meets Joseph Singer, a young man who is able to touch her mind and tempt her away from her long awaited goal. Through the author's weaving of this fictional relationship, we come a little closer to understanding the Louisa of the photograph, a woman whose abilities cut through the gender and class restraints of her time and made her one of the most beloved authors in literature.

This is a lovely novel, well written, smart and most of all true to the spirit of Louisa May Alcott and her books. I devoured this one, loved every minute of it and will be eagerly anticipating the author's next book!!

Kelly O'Connor McNees

Kelly has a fantastic website with info about the book, Louisa May Alcott and more (click here). She is going to be at the River Run Bookstore in Portsmouth, NH on April 27th at 7 pm...I can't wait! I'll be there with my galley clutched in my hand. For a complete list of Kelly's appearances, click here.

The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott is published by Amy Einhorn Books, ISBN 978-0-399-15652-6. Click here for a complete list of blog tour stops, hosted by TLC Book Tours.

Review: Shadow of the King by Helen Hollick (Pendragon's Banner Trilogy, Book Three)

Though it has been a struggle, Arthur and Gwenhwyfar have somehow managed to put their lives back together after the deaths of all three of their sons. Their small daughter and sole surviving child, Archfedd, is their joy and the kingdom of Britain their solace and responsibility. But they never can seem to agree when it comes to Arthur's decisions about the ruling of it.

An urgent summons for assistance from across the sea in Gaul arrives and Arthur, against Gwenhwyfar's pleading, cannot resist the promise of action. Despite the fact that his absence will leave Britain without a leader, he is restless and drawn to the excitement that battle brings.

The summons is a trap. After prolonged delays the battle is finally fought and Arthur is killed, as was intended by the plotters all along. Chaos and despair reign across Britain, there will never be another King like Arthur. As the fate of an entire nation hangs in the balance, those who loved him must try to pull together to save the island nation from being torn to pieces by those hungry for wealth and power.

As I've said before, this series is one of my very favorites. I read it years ago, in the 1990s, it played a large part in the development of my love for historical fiction. It doesn't get done any better than this! If you like historical fiction that comes alive, is thoroughly researched, smart and intricate, this is the series for you. Helen Hollick is, in a word, excellent. I can't recommend her or her novels any higher, they are simply the best. If you haven't read them yet, you are MISSING OUT!!!

Check out my reviews for the first book, The Kingmaking and the second, Pendragon's Banner. And click here for a wonderful guest post that Helen wrote for me during the blog tour for The Kingmaking.

You can find Helen's website here. Many thanks to Sourcebooks for providing my review copy (and for re-releasing this fantastic series!).

Shadow of the King is published by Sourcebooks, ISBN 978-1-4022-1890-3.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!!

Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers—
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours—
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!

Review & Blog Tour: The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen

"Will I ever understand the workings of the human heart? Will I ever know why we so often love those whom we cannot possess, and why we do not cherish those whose love we do possess? We are as thistledown twitching and turning in the current, captives to feelings we cannot control. How are we to understand those persons who mean the most to us when we cannot truly understand our own blind and hapless selves?"

Sofonisba Anguissola

Lynn Cullen's novel, The Creation of Eve, tells the story of Sofonisba Anguissola, the first gifted female painter of the Renaissance. She studied with Michelangelo and her work was noted in her own time in The Lives of the Artists by Giorgio Vasari, but she has largely been forgotten by the modern world.

Early in her life, Sofi displayed a talent for drawing. Her father, a printer and bookseller, defied convention and encouraged her to develop her gift. Painting, at the time, was a pastime for men, like most other activities. So his support was crucial for her success. She was invited by renowned artist Michelangelo to study with him after he saw one of her sketches. While in Rome, she meets Tiberio Calcogni, another student of Michelangelo's. She falls in love with him but their single assignation is discovered. She flees for her home in Cremona, fearing the consequences.

She hopes to hear an offer of marriage from Tiberio, but none is made. In order to save her own reputation and that of her family, Sofi accepts a position as lady-in-waiting to King Philip of Spain's third wife, Elisabeth of Valois. Doing so requires her to give up her dream of becoming a master painter. (Employees of the king are not allowed to sign their work. Sofi's portraits done after her arrival in Spain are unsigned, resulting in confusion and mis-attribution of her work to contemporary male artists.)

King Philip had been married twice before (most notably to Mary Tudor of England) and widowed twice. His ambition to marry Elizabeth I of England after the death of her sister has come to nothing. So, he is in his early thirties when he marries Elisabeth of Valois, daughter of Catherine de Medici of France. She is just fourteen years old.

Elisabeth of Valois

Sofi grows to love the young, impetuous Queen. But she is increasingly troubled by Elisabeth's developing interest in the King's half brother, Don Juan. The relationship between the King and Queen is often strained. He is saddled with the enormous task of running an empire that spreads over most of Europe. He does not have the youth or glamour of Don Juan and can't take the time to try to truly win the heart of his wife. The result is a love triangle that can never result in a happy ending. Sofi can only be there for the Queen and do her best to lessen the friction that exists between the three.

King Philip II of Spain

When Sofi eventually hears the fate of Michelangelo and her beloved Tiberio, she is devastated. But she cannot afford to show her pain and grief, the inquisition is in full swing. And though she is only a lady-in-waiting, she has developed enemies. She will have to tread carefully to emerge successfully from the embroiled court of Philip II.

Lynn Cullen

This is historical fiction at its best! Fascinating real life characters with life breathed into them by a talented writer with a gift for imagining the possibilities so well that the story feels not only possible, but probable. I loved Sofi and her story and appreciated a look at Philip of Spain that was not through the eyes of any of the Tudors. A lovely book, vividly imagined, full of rich history. I loved it and highly recommend it!

All of the paintings displayed on this page were painted by Sofonisba Anguissola.

For more information about the author and her books, please visit her website. You can also see more of Sofi's paintings at Lynn's website, click here.

The Creation of Eve is published by G.P. Putnam's Sons, ISBN 978-0-399-15510-6.

Many thanks to TLC Book Tours for providing my review copy! You can see all the other stops on the blog tour here.

Review & Giveaway: Raven Stole the Moon by Garth Stein

For the past two years, Jenna Rosen's life has been in a tailspin. A terrible accident while on a family vacation to Alaska resulted in the drowning of Jenna's only child, six year old Bobby. Though Jenna's husband, Robert, seems to have gotten past the grief and pain, she has not been able to do the same. Therapy, medication, alcohol...she has tried them all and is still in a fog.

Enduring another boring party business party of Robert's is the last straw, Jenna has to get away. She takes the car and leaves, driving north from Seattle, and finds herself unable to stop. When she reaches Bellingham she finds herself at the Alaska ferry station. Impulsively, she buys a ticket, deciding to visit Wrangell, the town where her Native American grandmother lived and died. She pushes from her mind the fact that Wrangell is only a few miles from where Bobby drowned.

From the moment she arrives in Wrangell, strange things start to happen to Jenna. As she teases out the meaning of her strange dreams and odd happenings, an unbelievable story starts to emerge. The Kushtaka, spirits of the local Native American tribe, the Tlingit, are legendary for their collection of human souls, usually those who have drowned. The soul is then trapped with the Kushtaka and cannot rest. The more Jenna hears about this story, the more convinced she is that Bobby has been taken and must be helped to escape the Kushtaka so that he can be at peace. For help she turns to Eddie, a wounded fisherman who takes Jenna into his home and David, a Shaman who has had previous experience with the Kushtaka. They are all skeptical, it is a leap of faith for all concerned.

This is a story with a familiar theme, the loss of a child and the path of the parent to survival afterward. But the mystical quality of Garth Stein's tale makes it unique and special, bringing centuries old myth into the modern world. At times chilling, haunting and touching, Raven Stole the Moon is an emotional journey readers won't want to miss.

Garth Stein is also the author of the widely acclaimed novel,The Art of Racing in the Rain. For more information about all of his books, please visit his website.

Raven Stole the Moon is published by Harper Collins, ISBN 978-0-06-180638-4

I really enjoyed this unconventional novel, would you like to win a copy? Just leave me a comment here with your email address. You must enter by midnight eastern time on March 20 and you must have a US or Canada mailing address. Winner will be drawn at random and notified via email. Many thanks to Sarah at Terra Communications for providing my review copy and the one for the giveaway!!