Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

In the tradition of the Greek tragedy, many cultures have their own “Helen of Troy”. For the Welsh, theirs is the Princess Nesta of Deheubarth, daughter of the king of south Wales. In this hard to find book from 1966, Eleanor Fairburn tells the story of the woman whose sons and grandsons would later go on to conquer Ireland.


When her father is killed by William Rufus, eleven year old Nesta is taken to an abbey to be raised with the king’s other royal wards – the daughters of the Scottish King Malcolm and his wife Margaret (one of the daughters – Maud (also known as Edith or Matilda)– would later become Queen of England). Her grace and beauty attract the attention of the king’s younger brother, Henry, and the two begin an affair. But the king has other plans for Nesta and he marries her off to Gerald de Windsor, a half-Welsh nobleman and they settle into Pembroke.

Even marriage can’t come between a king and the woman he loves, and with Gerald in exile for backing his brother (Robert Curthose) against him, Henry sets Nesta up as his mistress. Despite her knowledge of his other mistresses, Nesta loves Henry deeply and takes a particular interest in one of his illegitimate sons – Robert of Caen (later Robert of Glouchester). As Henry struggles to stabilize his realm, Nesta provides a means of escape, comfort and friendship and a bond forms that seems to always bring them back together.

As if being the king’s long time mistress is not enough, Nesta’s life was full of other drama. After reconciling with her husband, their home is burned to the ground and Nesta is abducted by the Welsh Prince Owain ap Cadogan which sparks a small scale war. Nesta later has a relationship with the man who rescues her from Owain and following Gerald’s death, with one of his long time retainers.   She has children by all of them, including a son by Henry.

I thought The Golden Hive was interesting and engaging and for the last third in particular had a hard time putting it down. Nesta shoulders the role of the royal mistress well – often envied, scorned and blamed, she is sometimes selfish and other times, selfless, accepting what must be with a grace that confirms her own royal lineage. Although the relationship between Henry and Nesta is probably overly romantic, it was heartbreaking to see that love finally shattered by an act of cruelty that she never would have thought possible – and for the pair to realize that there are some things that even love can not overcome.

The book includes a partial bibliography, a map and a family tree which was quite helpful in reading about this rather unfamiliar period of history.

The way to impress a woman: “Women’s minds worked like that: show them something better and they would never again be satisfied with less.” Rufus figuring he can turn Nesta into a Welshwoman impressed by Normanism when she compared her own countrymen to the Norman nobility.


The difference between a king and an ass: “A king without letters is but an ass with a crown.” Henry referencing the importance of the development of a king’s mind.

Rating: Very Good (4 stars)


In case the FTC asks: I was fortunate to find a copy of this on ebay for $10 (it was my lucky day!).

A few paperback covers of previously released hardcover books:

Marie Antoinette by Stefan Zweig. Non-fiction (reissue). UK release July 26, 2010; released in the US in March 2010. Stefan Zweig based his biography of Marie Antoinette, who became the Queen of France at the age of fifteen, on the correspondence between her and her mother, and her great love the Count Axel von Fersen. Zweig analyzes the chemistry of a woman's soul from her intimate pleasures to her public suffering as a Queen under the weight of misfortune and history. Zweig describes Marie Antoinette in the King's bedroom, in the enchanted and extravagant world of the Trianon, and with her children. And in his account of 'The Revolution', he describes her resolve during the failed escape to varennes, her imprisonment in the Conciergerie and her final tragic destiny under the guillotine. Zweig's account has been the definitive biography of Marie Antoinette since its publication, inspiring Antonia Fraser and the recent film adaptation. Stefan Zweig was born in Vienna in 1881.





Killer of Men by Christian Cameron. UK release August 5, 2010. Arimnestos is a farm boy when war breaks out between the citizens of his native Plataea and and their overbearing neighbours, Thebes. Standing in the battle line - the wall of bronze - for the first time, alongside his father and brother, he shares in a famous and unlikely victory. But after being knocked unconscious in the melee, he awakes not a hero, but a slave. Betrayed by his jealous and cowardly cousin, the freedom he fought for has now vanished, and he becomes the property of a rich citizen of Ephesus. So begins an epic journey from slavery that takes the young Arimnestos through a world poised on the brink of an epic confrontation, as the emerging civilization of the Greeks starts to flex its muscles against the established empire of the Persians. As he tries to make his fortune and revenge himself on the man who disinherited him, Arimnestos discovers that he has a talent that pays well in this new, violent world, for like his hero, Achilles, he is 'a killer of men'.




The Life and Afterlife of Isabeau of Bavaria by Tracy Adams. Non-fiction. US and UK release August 26, 2010. The fascinating history of Isabeau of Bavaria is a tale of two queens. During her lifetime, Isabeau, the long-suffering wife of mad King Charles VI of France, was respected and revered. After her death she was reviled as an incompetent regent, depraved adulteress, and betrayer of the throne. Asserting that there is no historical support for this posthumous reputation, Tracy Adams returns Isabeau to her rightful place in history. Adulteress and traitor. Adams begins her study of the beleaguered French queen by considering why these two charges have so long endured. Scholars have concluded that the myths of Isabeau's scandalous past are just that: rumors that evolved after her death in the context of a political power struggle. Unfortunately, this has not prevented the lies from finding their way into respected studies on the period. Adams' own work serves as a corrective, rehabilitating the reputation of the good queen and exploring the larger topic of memory and the creation of myth. Adams next challenges the general perception that the queen lacked political acumen. With her husband incapacitated by insanity, Isabeau was forced to rule a country ripped apart by feuding, power-hungry factions. Adams argues that Isabeau handled her role astutely in such a contentious environment, preserving the monarchy from the incursions of the king's powerful male relatives. Taking issue with history's harsh treatment of a woman who ruled under difficult circumstances, Adams convincingly recasts Isabeau as a respected and competent queen.



Henry V by Marcus Cowper. Non-fiction. UK release September 10, 2010; US release September 21, 2010. Immortalised in the plays of Shakespeare, Henry V is the most famous and celebrated of all England's medieval monarchs. Although his most famous battles and conquests took place in France, Henry, as was common amongst medieval aristocracy, was introduced to battle at an early age when he fought with his father, Henry IV, at the battle of Shrewsbury in 1403. On his accession to the throne, Henry turned his attention towards foreign affairs and the English position in France. This title will examine Henry's key battles and sieges, how he systematically extended English control throughout northern France and how he was perceived by his contemporaries as a military leader. It will also deal with his controversial military decisions, such as the slaughter of the French prisoners at Agincourt.






Mary Stuart by Stefan Zweig. Non-fiction (reissue). UK release November 2010. Mary Stuart Queen of Scots, Queen of France and a claimant to the throne of England, was condemned for treason and executed at the age of forty-four. A potential threat to the stability of the English Crown, she was held captive for twenty years by her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England. From the moment of her birth until her execution, her life was spent embroiled in the power struggles that shook the foundations of Renaissance Europe. It has taken the free spirit and the immense talent of Stefan Zweig to justly reconstruct events in the life of a woman who was so cruelly united with destiny. With all the rigor of a scientist and the passion of an artist, Zweig has skillfully reconstituted the character of Mary Stuart and the turmoil that was her fate. Stefan Zweig was born in Vienna in 1881.







The Fifth Servant by Kenneth Wishnia. US paperback release February 8, 2011. In 1592 Prague, Emperor Rudolph II sits on the throne; the Papal Inquisitor has arrived to persecute witches and heretics poisoning the word of Christ; and the city’s Jews live behind the walls of the ghetto. When the body of a young Christian girl is found in a Jewish shop on the eve of Passover, a blood libel charge is brought against the shopkeeper, imperiling the relative peace and tolerance enjoyed by the entire Jewish community. With only three days to identify the real culprit, a rabbinic student just arrived from Poland must use his wits, his intelligence, and his knowledge of Jewish law to save the Jews of Prague.










Eagle by Jack Hight. UK release March 17, 2011. The Holy Land is purged with blood: the Crusades have begun. The young Saladin, chivalrous and kind, holds a heroic future entwined with the bloody battles while John, an English crusader, whose past is shrouded with mystery, cites his purpose in the Holy Land solely as ‘redemption’. They must set out on a journey that will see them learn the way of the world and meet their lords, and their demons. They must, with the bravery and guile of an eagle, descend upon the hare and toil with the trials of betrayal, freedom and love, as a warrior is born. But do not fear the wrath of God for He is on the side of the strong...











The Grace Mysteries: Assassin and Betrayal – Lady Grace Cavendish (YA/middle school). US reissue April 5, 2011.
Assassin:   One suitor dead with a knife in his back and another under suspicion. . . Can Lady Grace, Queen Elizabeth's favorite Maid of Honor, solve the mystery and bring order back to the Queen's court?

Betrayal:  Life as a stowaway on board an Elizabethan galleon—it's no place for a lady! But when her fellow Maid of Honor disappears with a dashing sea captain, Lady Grace knows she just has to investigate.
About the Author
LADY GRACE CAVENDISH was a Maid of Honour at the court of Queen Elizabeth. She became a ward of the court after both her parents were tragically killed in the service of the Queen. This daybooke marks her debut in the world of writing.







The Lady of the English by Elizabeth Chadwick. UK release June 2, 2011. No summary yet, but it is about Empress Matilda.  All Tanzanite and I have to say is, “is it June yet??”!

The story of a 17th century French adventurer isn’t something that I would normally read, but when the book concerns one of the most beautiful and famous diamonds in the world, well, how can a girl resist? Several years ago during a trip to DC I told the mister that we had to make sure to see the gem exhibit at the Smithsonian. The mister was less than impressed, but my eyes (and those of my pre-teen aged daughter) glazed over with envy. At the center of it all was the Hope Diamond. I had never seen anything like it before and its size alone had me almost convinced that it must be fake.


The French Blue tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, the man who gave the world the original blue diamond that would be known as The French Blue and later as the Hope. It is a fascinating tale of strange and exotic lands where those who rule keep a tight reign over their country’s most valuable treasures and compete for the privilege of owning the biggest and rarest of jewels. Bribery, deception, subtlety and diplomacy are all part of the game and Jean-Baptiste becomes a master at it earning him the respect of not only his countrymen but of gem dealers and collectors everywhere

A gemologist by trade, Richard Wise weaves his knowledge into a story based on Jean-Baptiste’s memoirs written after his last voyage in the 1760s. From diving for pearls to the mining of turquoise, rubies and diamonds, the work was back breaking and the rewards often seemingly small for those who actually did the work. In between his six voyages to Persia and India, the adventurer returns home to France and we are given some insight into the political and domestic situation. The diamond that would be Tavernier’s legacy is not actually the focus of the book; rather it is on the journey that brought him to it.

Most of the book is very interesting and entertaining and I particularly liked the many illustrations that are scattered throughout, several of which were drawn by Jean-Baptiste during his travels. The one notable exception is when Jean-Baptiste is called into service by Cardinal Richelieu as a spy of sorts for a political assassination. In the “Afterword”, the author indicates that the involvement of Tavernier was fictional; as such, I could have done without it. As an editing note, there were several instances of missing quotation marks during a section of dialogue which sometimes made the conversation confusing.

What makes a brave man:  “Some say that a truly brave man does not know fear. I believed that then, but now I know that it is untrue. Only fools are immune to fear. It is how a man handles the fear that is important.” Jean-Baptiste on deciding against a military career.

Women verses jewels:  “A pearl is more beautiful than the most beautiful woman…because a pearl cannot speak!”. A pearl dealer to Jean-Baptiste.

Tell it like it is, sister:  “I am a woman and because of that I am allowed to have no dreams other than those that men think proper. Excuse me but spending my days in a squalid shack surrounded by bawling babes with shitty bottoms is not my idea of paradise!”  Madeline to Jean-Baptiste in explaining why she can not marry him one of the first times he asks.

What is a diamond really worth?  “A gem has no practical use. It is worth everything and nothing. Rare and beautiful, yes, but it will not feed you when you are hungry nor clothe you, nor keep off the rain. Its value is totally dependent upon what someone will pay for it. It has been said that the Great Mogul’s diamond is worth all the gold in the world. Yet a starving man whould trade it for a crust of bread.” Jean-Baptiste musing on what value to place on the great blue diamond he has acquired.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend:  “[His majesty] should have been a baker. He wishes to slather frosting on every one of his tarts.” A cousin and partner of Jean-Baptiste’s on the king’s taste (or lack thereof) in jewels.

Rating: Very Good (4 stars)

In case the FTC asks: The author kindly sent me a copy of the book to review. It was on my wishlist anyway…

On this date in 1545, the ship Mary Rose sank off the coast of the Isle of Wright during a battle with the French.  The Vice-Admiral of the fleet was George Carew who went down with the ship.  Born around the turn of the century (1500 plus or minus a few years), Carew was rather wild as a young man but would later become a trusted military officer.  The exact cause of the ship's sinking is unknown, but a large portion of the hull was discovered in the 1970s and salvaged in 1982.  It contained thousands of artifacts from the period which are on display at the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth.  The mister and I are thinking of making another trip to England in the fall - if we do, I think we'll try to check the museum out.

Not much is known about Jane Seymour – a fact that is painfully apparent in this sparsely written “biography” of Henry VIII’s third wife. The eldest daughter of a member of the “country gentry” and his “thin-stream-of-royal-blood” wife, Jane’s early years were spent in obscurity. In the late 1520’s, a family connection with Sir Francis Bryan got her a place at court with Henry’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon and the rest, as they say, is history.


Norton examines Jane’s life pretty much in chronological fashion and goes quickly through the required explanations of Henry’s disposal of wives number one (Catherine of Aragon) and two (Anne Boleyn). But when it comes to relating the events of Jane’s life, the lack of documentation as to those facts leads to a number of sentences with the words “might have been”, “possibly”, “probably”, “could have”, “may have” and “likely”. Although some of the inferences as to Jane’s whereabouts and actions may make sense, the truth of the matter is that for much of it, no one knows for sure and the amount of speculation the author is forced to take leads me to suspect that she was simply trying to cash in on the current interest in all things Tudor.

Given the above, I was rather puzzled when the author began describing how Jane felt about certain things. True, there are some “must have felts”, but in many instances the “must have” is dropped and we are told how Jane felt. Hmmm. Compounding the problem is the lazy method of documenting sources. Rather than attributing a specific fact, sentence or quotation to a particular source (by using standard footnotes/endnotes), a list of sources for each chapter are simply noted in the back with some narrative attempt to link the source to a certain passage.   I found the whole thing - at 158 pages - to be less than impressive.

Three things kept me from giving this book a lower rating:

1. A decent explanation of Jane’s claim of royal blood through her mother (although a family tree would have been a nice addition);

2. A decent summary explanation of the Pilgrimage of Grace; and

3. A good number of pictures and other illustrations

Rating: Disappointing (2 stars)

In case the FTC asks: I ordered this book from the UK shortly after it was published last year. I only paid $10 for it; otherwise, I would not have considered it money well spent.

On a spring day four children each make a wish on a site reputed to be the burial place of Merlin. Little do three of them know that their wishes will come true and that they will have a major impact on not only their lives, but those of their family and their country.


Pour the Dark Wine was published in 1989 and is one of the few novels about Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife. It also covers the lives of her two brothers, Edward and Thomas, following Jane’s death and employs a couple of fictional characters to help tell the story - Zachary, an illegitimate son of the Duke of Norfolk and Cloverella/Elizabeth Wentworth, a cousin of the Seymours. Zachary and Cloverella both have Romany blood and the gift of sight.

A plain girl without much of a dowry, Jane’s marriage prospects are pretty slim so she is thrilled when a relative is able to secure her a place at court as one of Queen Katherine’s ladies. Jane forms an instant liking and admiration for her mistress and before long she is appalled by what are obviously attempts by the king to rid himself of his barren wife and marry Anne Boleyn. Meanwhile, Edward and Thomas are making names for themselves at court as minor players.

As Henry rids himself of one wife only to find disappointment with the next, competing factions at court jockey for position and hope a girl of their choosing will catch the attention of the king. It is the Seymours who win the to-be-queen-and-provide-the-king-with-a-son lottery but their family fortune is short lived as the three siblings are all dead within 15 years – Jane in childbirth and Thomas and Edward for treason.

Lampitt’s writing is often beautifully descriptive especially when setting a scene and I enjoyed her take on the Seymours. Jane is not a helpless pawn used in her family’s schemes to get ahead – once the idea that she could be queen is put into her head, she embraces the idea and goes after it with all that she has. Until she becomes pregnant, her relationship with Henry is fragile as Jane quickly discovers Henry’s volatile mood swings and she lives in fear that one day it will be her turn to be discarded. The addition of Zachary and Cloverella provide a slightly different perspective to the story and also a way of highlighting the Duke of Norfolk as he often finds himself on differing sides of the king’s favor.  Through the storyline of Thomas Seymour's fascination with Princess Elizabeth, Lampitt offers a possible explanation as to the origins of the "Virgin Queen" persona.  A short, but interesting historical note is also included which provides some explanations for a few plot decisions.

Pour the Dark Wine is currently out of print but several used copies can be found online.  I have one of her other books - All the King's Women - and look forward to reading it.  The character of Zachary can also be found in her Sutton Place trilogy.


Who's in control here:  “What a crazy thing it is that the human race will sacrifice everything that is of true importance and merit to that irresistible urge which consistently rises between their loins.” Nicholas Carew musing on Jane’s position with Henry.

Some people are beyond saving:  “A fool is a fool and can never be helped.” Zachary discussing Catherine Howard’s fate with his father.


Rating: Very Good (4 stars)

In case the FTC asks: I bought this book used a few years ago.

“A real triumph….A vivid imagining of the restoration London of Charles II with Nell Gwynn as a powerful and engaging heroine set in the busy world of the theater. This debut novel captures the glamorous world of the amoral court and the struggle of the city. Priya Parmar is a writer to watch.”

—Philippa Gregory Author of The Other Boleyn Girl

“Nell is irrepressible, spunky, delightful: who wouldn’t fall in love with her? Her story unfolds through diary entries, letters, news announcements, recipes. It¹s a tasty and often amusing confection, sure to please. I absolutely adored it.”

—Sandra Gulland, author of the Josephine B. Trilogy and Mistress of the Sun

I'm currently reading something a little different for me - The French Blue, a novel about the French adventurer and gem dealer Jean-Baptiste Tavernier.  He traveled extensively in the 1630's, making trips to Persia and India and is credited with finding the large blue diamond that would ultimately be known as the "French Blue" and later, the Hope Diamond.  Currently housed in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the diamond will be getting a new setting later this year.  I saw the diamond several years ago during a visit to Washington DC - it was so beautiful I thought there was no way it could be real!  This portrait of Tavernier was done a few years after his death by Nicholas de Largilliere.

Here are a few more upcoming releases for 2011:



The Darling Strumpet by Gillian Bagwell. US and UK release January 4, 2011. 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.






Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn. US and UK release April 5, 2011. A.D. 69. The Roman Empire is up for the taking. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything—especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome. Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. She lives to one day see her loyal husband as Emperor. Her sister Marcella is more aloof, content to witness history rather than make it. But when a bloody coup turns their world upside-down, both women must maneuver carefully just to stay alive. As Cornelia tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams, Marcella discovers a hidden talent for influencing the most powerful men in Rome. In the end, though, there can only be one Emperor…and one Empress.








India Black by Carol Carr. US release January 4, 2011. First in a new series. When Sir Archibald Latham of the War Office dies from a heart attack while visiting her brothel,  Madam India Black is unexpectedly thrust into a deadly game between Russian and British agents who are seeking the military secrets Latham carried.  Blackmailed into recovering the missing documents by the British spy known as French, India finds herself dodging Russian agents—and the attraction she starts to feel for the handsome conspirator.

 Ran across a few updated covers this morning:

Bianca Capello is a beautiful, independent, and headstrong young Venetian woman with a mind of her own – and her mind does not intend to marry the old man her father has picked for her. With the audacity of youth and not caring about what tomorrow might bring, Bianca runs off with a young Florentine clerk named Pietro and marries him – shocking Venice and her family. Well, maybe not everyone is shocked.

Marco Capello is Bianca’s cousin and has entertained thoughts of perhaps marrying his beautiful relative himself. He knows Bianca well and is not really surprised by her impetuous actions. A sailor by trade, he soon finds himself in the middle of a war with the Turks where he brings glory to his family and his city.

Robert Elegant’s story of Renaissance Italy largely alternates between Bianca and Marco’s stories. Bianca finds the life of a poor nobleman in Florence not nearly as glamorous or easy as she thought it would be and it is made worse when she discovers her husband is nothing but a con man. When Pietro suggests that she find a wealthy man to share her favors with in order to finance his latest scheme, Bianca is initially disgusted. But upon further consideration she decides there is some merit in Pietro’s idea (although she will be the primary beneficiary of the arrangement) and she sets her sights on none other than Francesco de Medici, son of the current duke. It is an easy conquest and soon Bianca is at the center of another scandal as Francesco’s mistress.

As Bianca lives the good life with Francesco (but hated by the people of Florence), Marco has gone on with his own life and found himself a wife and the four of them will ultimately come together in a way and for a purpose none of them could have expected. Although Bianca and Marco’s paths cross during several points in the book, I found Marco’s story pretty boring and really didn’t see what his adventures on the high seas had to do with anything. I suppose it provided some political context of the times and it helps set up the storyline where Marco will help Bianca solve her greatest challenge. I found myself sometimes skimming through it though.

Bianca is a character that is hard to like – she is vain and often quite selfish - but I enjoyed her story a great deal. Once Francesco was introduced into the story I looked him up on the internet and realized that Bianca was in fact a real person (I had not known that when I started the book) and that much of the basic storyline was true. Overall, it was an entertaining story but many of the sections concerning Marco bogged it down a bit.

Rating: Average (2.5 stars)

One of the sites that I follow, Everything Tudor,  has added a couple of things that I thought others might be interested in.  The Tudor Book Club will kick off this month on July 11th with The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir.  Please click here to join in the discussion. 

If you watched Showtime's The Tudors series, didn't you just fall in love with the jewelry?!!  If so, please check out the Everything Tudor Store for some great replicas that are reasonably priced.  I know I will be!!

Here are some more upcoming releases to make your credit card cry:


Margaret Beaufort: Mother of the Tudor Dynasty by Elizabeth Norton. Non-fiction. UK release September 1, 2010. Divorced at ten, a mother at thirteen & three times a widow. The extraordinary true story of the 'Red Queen', Lady Margaret Beaufort, matriarch of the Tudors. Born in the midst of the Wars of the Roses, Margaret Beaufort became the greatest heiress of her time. She survived a turbulent life, marrying four times and enduring imprisonment before passing her claim to the crown of England to her son, Henry VII, the first of the Tudor monarchs. Margaret's royal blood placed her on the fringes of the Lancastrian royal dynasty. After divorcing her first husband at the age of ten, she married the king's half-brother, Edmund Tudor, becoming a widow and bearing her only child, the future Henry VII, before her fourteenth birthday. Margaret was always passionately devoted to the interests of her son who claimed the throne through her. She embroiled herself in both treason and conspiracy as she sought to promote his claims, allying herself with the Yorkist Queen, Elizabeth Woodville, in an attempt to depose Richard III. She was imprisoned by Richard and her lands confiscated, but she continued to work on her son's behalf, ultimately persuading her fourth husband, the powerful Lord Stanley, to abandon the king in favour of Henry on the eve of the decisive Battle of Bosworth. It was Lord Stanley himself who placed the crown on Henry's head on the battlefield. Henry VII gave his mother unparalleled prominence during his reign. She established herself as an independent woman and ended her life as regent of England, ruling on behalf of her seventeen-year-old grandson, Henry VIII.




A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent. US and UK release December 28, 2010. 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.




Pale Rose of England by Sandra Worth. US and UK release February 1, 2011.
A prince without a kingdom. A king resolved to keep his crown. The princess they both love. Award-winning author Sandra Worth takes a fresh look at the mystery of Prince Richard of England, one of the two little princes who vanished in the Tower of London, and his famous love affair with Lady Catherine Gordon, princess of Scotland.
It is 1497. The news of the survival of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, has thundered across Europe, setting royal houses ablaze with intrigue and rocking the fledgling Tudor dynasty. Stepping finally onto English soil, Catherine arrives at the island of Saint Michael’s Mount, along with her husband and young son Dickon, their second child already on the way. With the keen support of Scotland’s King James IV, Richard—known in England as Perkin Warbeck—has come to reclaim his rightful crown from Henry Tudor. Based on a prophecy given Catherine by a seer that she would be loved by a king, she has no doubt Richard will succeed in his quest. But rather than assuming the throne she believed was their destiny, Catherine would soon be prisoner of King Henry VII, and her beloved husband would, unimaginably, be stamped as an imposter.
Nothing could shake Catherine’s belief in Richard and her loyalty to the man she loved. She became a favored lady-in-waiting to the queen, Elizabeth of York, but her dazzling beauty only brought her unwanted affections from a jealous king and enmeshed her in a terrifying royal love triangle. With her husband facing execution for treason, Catherine, alone in the glittering but deadly Tudor Court, found the courage to spurn a cruel monarch and shape her own destiny, winning the admiration of a nation.




To Serve a King by Donna Russo Morin. US release February 2011.
Genevieve Gravois has always known one fact above all: Francis I, King of France, is her enemy. Since her parents’ deaths, Genevieve has been schooled in things no woman should know: how to decipher codes, how to use a dagger, and how to kill. For Henry VIII has a destiny in mind for Genevieve—as his most dangerous spy. When the time is ripe, Genevieve enters the French court, where she becomes maid of honor to Anne de Pisseleau, Francis’s mistress. Yet neither the court—which teems with artistry and enlightenment as well as intrigue—nor Francis himself are what Genevieve expected.
And with the fate of two kingdoms at stake, she must make deadly decisions about where her ultimate loyalties lie.




Scandalous Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon. Non-fiction. US release March 1, 2011.
From the ancient world to present day, women have defied the rules, flouted convention, beaten the odds, caused wars, and have been the stuff of lust, betrayal, temptation, intrigue, and endless fascination. This book takes a look at the tumultuous lives of some of the most scandalous women of all—from queens and criminals to actresses and activists, from women who helped build empires to those who burned them to the ground. Examples include:
• Emilie du Chatelet (1706-1748), a mathematician,
physicist, and author who fell in love with Voltaire,
and whose work energized the school of theoretical
physics in France
• Margaret Tobin Brown (1867-1932), who outraged
Denver society with her outspoken opinions before
becoming a legend as the “Unsinkable Molly Brown”
due to her heroics on the Titanic
• Gertrude Bell (1868-1926), the “female Lawrence
of Arabia,” who was one of the architects of the
modern nation of Iraq



Where Shadows Dance by C.S. Harris.  US release March 1, 2011. 
The 6th in a series set in 1812 London. Sebastian St. Cyr finds himself in the realm of international intrigue when he investigates the murder of a foreign office diplomat—a murder his reluctant bride-to-be, Hero Jarvis, knows something about. And when a second body is found, Sebastian must race to unmask a ruthless killer who is now threatening Hero’s life—and the life of their unborn child.













England’s Queens: The Biography by Elizabeth Norton. Non-fiction. UK release September 1, 2010. Her story not his, the English monarchy through the private and public lives of the queens of England. Nearly eighty women have sat on the throne of England, either as queen regnant or queen consort and the voices of all of them survive through their own writings and those of their contemporaries. The primary role of the queen over the ages was to provide an heir. Catherine of Aragon found this to her cost, divorced by Henry VIII for failing to produce a healthy son. Anne Boleyn was executed shortly afterwards for the same reason. The birth of an heir was also a route to power for a queen and Eleanor of Aquitaine became the most powerful woman in Europe during the reigns of her sons. Emma of Normandy was so desperate to be queen mother that she manipulated her three sons in an attempt to ensure that one would be king. One was murdered when he attempted to reach his mother but her remaining two sons became kings in turn with their mother as a leading advisor. Strong relationships could also develop between the queens and their husbands. Richard II and Anne of Bohemia made an arranged marriage but quickly fell deeply in love and, on Anne's death at Sheen Palace, Richard's grief was so intense that he ordered the palace to be destroyed. Edward VIII even abandoned his throne when forced to choose between the crown and his lover, Wallis Simpson. Not all marriages were happy and queens such as Isabella of France and Catherine Howard took lovers to escape their marriages. The unhappy Sophia Dorothea of Celle was imprisoned for over thirty years by her husband George I when her affair was discovered. Her lover, Count von Konigsmarck was murdered. Most queens made arranged marriages and were used by their families to build alliances. Some queens were able to break away from this control. Queen Victoria spent her childhood secluded with her overprotective mother, even sharing the same bedroom until the day when she was proclaimed queen and finally freed herself from her mother's control. For the first time, the voice of each individual queen can be heard together, charting the course of English queenship through nearly two thousand years of history. Each queen played her own part in shaping what the role of queen would become and it developed through the lives and actions of each of the women in turn.


The Tudor Secret by CW Gortner. UK release January 6, 2011. (Reissue of The Secret Lion)
Summer 1553: A time of danger and deceit. Brendan Prescott, an orphan, is reared in the household of the powerful Dudley family. Brought to court, Brendan finds himself sent on an illicit mission to the King’s brilliant but enigmatic sister, Princess Elizabeth. But Brendan is soon compelled to work as a double agent by Elizabeth’s protector, William Cecil—who promises in exchange to help him unravel the secret of his own mysterious past. A dark plot swirls around Elizabeth's quest to unravel the truth about the ominous disappearance of her seriously ill brother, King Edward VI. With only a bold stable boy and audacious lady-in-waiting at his side, Brendan plunges into a ruthless gambit of half-truths, lies, and murder. Filled with the intrigue and pageantry of Tudor England, THE TUDOR SECRET is the first book in the Elizabeth's Spymaster series.