HT News

The Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction has been awarded, and the winner is Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. This award 'is given for a distinguished work of historical fiction for young people, published by a U. S. publisher; the setting must be South, Central, or North America, and the author must be a U.S. citizen.' Chains tells the story of a young woman who lives in New York during the Civil War.

The Tome Traveller is giving away an audiobook of Drood by Dan Simmons. Click here for all the details.

Interview with Jules Watson

Ever since I read the first book in the Dalriada trilogy by Jules Watson, I have been hooked on her writing! I have been anxiously anticipating the release of The Swan Maiden. I was therefore very pleased to get the opportunity to interview Jules on behalf of all of us here at Historical Tapestry. I think I might have been a little bit excited on the Australian connection on the day I wrote the questions, but I hope that I can be forgiven for that!


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How does an Aussie girl end up living in Scotland, writing books about Ancient Celts?

I had "this thing" about the Celts even as a child - for no reason whatsoever. My parents were English immigrants. I'm not Irish or Scots by blood, and no one in my family knew about such things. It just came up from within! It made me start reading all the Celtic-inspired fantasy authors for kids, such as Susan Cooper, Alan Garner and LLoyd Alexander. I was obsessed with ancient peoples, and when I got to university I did a degree in archaeology to feed the maw of the history beast. That sealed my love of the Celts. I then fell in love with The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, set in Dark Age Britain, which had Celtic undertones. I kept waiting for another Mists of Avalon, with the same mixture of adventure, romance and Celtic spirituality, but no one was writing such a book. When I decided to write, I knew that's what I had to do. My husband is a Scot transplanted to Australia as a child, but I did not get my connection to Scotland from him. I just knew I had to go there, I was drawn there, and the moment I saw the wild mountains I knew instinctively it was my home. I've been trying to get my husband to move back there ever since, and finally I succeeded! The Celts came first, the history second, Scotland third, and writing fourth. And last is that I married all of it together and ended up married to a Scot, in Scotland, writing Scottish history.

Looking about your About Me page on your lovely new website, you have had some pretty interesting jobs. What was the strangest, or most interesting job that you have had?

I would have to say driving huge trucks on a gold mine in Western Australia. One minute I was a bookish city-dweller, the next I was standing in 60 C heat in a red desert, surrounded by gigantic machinery digging rocks out of a kilometre-long hole in the ground. It was like a Wild West camp, with only kangaroos and tattooed bikers for company! I had an absolute blast. My memorable moment was when I was driving an enormous house-sized truck, piled with rock, out of the pit. The track was wet when I got to the dump, and I lost control. This behemoth started to slide beneath me, and then did a complete spin in what felt like slow motion. When I stopped I just sat there, wondering if I was alive. So yes, that was interesting!

One of the things that I often hear from authors is that they don't get time to read very much anymore, or that they have to read outside their genre. Do you still find time to read, and if so what are a couple of your favourite recent reads? What are your favourite books and/or authors?

I am guilty of that. The problem is that when you become an author, you tend to write the kinds of things you liked reading before. But now you can't read them, in case you accidentally cross-pollinate. So all of a sudden your reading slows. Also, after looking at words all day I need a break from that. I have stopped reading, and it's awful, so I am trying to start up again. My favorite books are The Mists of Avalon and Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, plus Lord of the Rings. I also really liked Joan Wolf's series about the Saxons and Britons. I obviously have to read outside my genre, but have not been very good at it of late.








When I read the Dalriada trilogy, I was particularly impressed with the detail that you were able to provide of life in the tribes. Reading the authors notes, it seemed that there is very little known, so how much freedom does that give you as a writer? Is the same true for your new book, The Swan Maiden?

One reason I wrote about the first century AD in Scotland is because not much is known. I wanted to write a great adventure romance, and I didn't want to be too restricted by historical records. I have stuck to the bits we know - mainly from Roman records about their invasions into Scotland - but I personally loved setting my imagination free to do the rest. I thread aspects of Celtic spirituality all through my books, in the sense of dreams and visions, and I think that sits better in a little-known time. It's a cliche, but the Scottish landscape IS mysterious, and if you set any story here, the edges naturally start dissolving into the mists. I like hovering at the fringes between known and the great unknown, between civilisation and wilderness, and that translates into my books. This is even stronger in The Swan Maiden, since it is based on an Irish myth. My previous trilogy used scraps of Roman history, and archaeology of the first century AD. But scholars don't even know when the Irish epics were set, so even that certainty is taken away. I chose to set The Swan Maiden in the first century BC, so the lifestyles of the characters are roughly the same as in the Dalriada trilogy, and I draw on the same archaeology and snippets of Roman writings about the Celts from across the "Celtic" world.

Tell us a bit more about The Swan Maiden? What inspired you to tell this particular story? What are you hoping the reader takes away from the book?

It is based on the tale of Deirdre and the Sons of Usnech, which though it was not written down until the 12th century, probably dates to earlier than the 6th century. I love the heroic Irish myths for all their drama and nobility, and the Deirdre tale is one of the most beautiful and tragic. I always found it inspiring: the tale of a girl betrothed from birth to an old king, who finally takes her fate into her own hands. She defies her king and her people and runs away, claiming her own love and a life of freedom. It's incredibly romantic in the same vein as Romeo and Juliet, Paris and Helen of Troy, and Tristan and Isolde: lovers defying society to be together. There's also a feminist element, I suppose, of a woman rejecting the shackles put around her by a male world of warriors and power-hungry kings. I hope her courage is inspiring, but most of all, I like the way she breaks away to discover who she really is in her deepest self. She claims her right to stand as herself alone, not existing only in relation to a man. I think that's inspiring for everyone, male or female - to somehow be your own unique self in this crazy world. Of course, she also risks all for love, and I think love is a vital thing to cling to the crazier the world gets. I'm also interested in the spiritual elements of the Celts: the ability of souls to move between different forms; the existence of an Otherworld close to our own. So I hope readers go away feeling uplifted, that we can transcend violence and tragedy and still triumph.

Your current agent represents some really big names in historical fiction. How important is this in terms of getting your books out, particularly into the US market? Does the same agent represent you in all regions?

Yes, it is important. Over thirty years, he has built up a reputation for spotting bestsellers, and signing leading authors in the historical fiction / fantasy genre. He knows all the US editors buying work like mine, and they respect his judgement. So when he's putting me forward, they are least going to listen to what he says. They may still pass, of course, because they don't like it even if he does, or it's not their thing. But having a great agent puts you way ahead of the pack. He represents me worldwide.

What's next for Jules Watson?

I'm currently working on the second book based on ancient Irish myths. It's not strictly a sequel to The Swan Maiden, and both books can stand alone. It is called The Raven Queen, and it's a reimagination of the life of Queen Medb or Maeve, and her part in the famous Irish epic The Tain. She is a juicy character, since the monks that wrote down the oral tales about her in a later period portray her as a sex-crazed war-mongerer. I wanted to imagine what sort of woman she "could" have been to inspire such hatred. My previous heroines have all had a spiritual dimension, often being seers or priestesses, but in this case Maeve is a warrior and ruthless ruler in her own right. Though there is an intriguing druid lurking about in the background...

Last question. Having lived overseas myself, every now and again there were things that I missed from Australia. Is there anything that you miss from Australia and why?

I don't like the blazing heat, but I miss the feel of the air in Perth on a summer's eve when the burning sun had just dropped below the horizon. Then there was a magical hour of dusk where you could sit on the beach and smell the salt air, and enjoy the balminess. I miss balmy. I also miss Australians! They are so easy-going and up for anything, and I like how they are free of class consciousness. I didn't realise there was an "Australian-ness" of character until after I left. Oh, and good Thai food...and swimming... It was hard to write misty Scottish epics in such a climate, however. I get very inspired hiking up Scottish hillsides, despite the rain!

Jules Watson
Author of Celtic historical fiction

NEW BOOK: THE SWAN MAIDEN -
the ancient myth of Deirdre,
the Irish "Helen of Troy"

http://www.juleswatson.com



Thank you so much Jules for taking the time to answer our questions. You can read reviews of all of Jules' previous books by clicking on the following links:

The White Mare
The Dawn Stag
The Boar Stone

Please note that The Boar Stone is published in the US under the title, Song of the North.

HT News

There is a very short interview with Conn Iggulden on USA Today.

Arleigh from historical-fiction.com is giving away a copy of The Scroll of Seduction:A Novel of Power, Madness and Royalty by Gioconda Belli. The subject of this novel is Juana the Mad, the same focus of C W Gortner's The Last Queen.

This one caught my attention because I have just finished reading one of her Falco mysteries. Lindsey Davis has given Guardian.co.uk a list of her Top 10 Roman books. It includes some research books but also a couple of novels.

HT News

Amy from Passages to the Past is giving away a copy of Mary, Queen of France by Jean Plaidy on her blog. The giveaway closes on April 5, and is open to everyone, which us international readers love!

There is a giveaway of Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin over at avidbookreader.com, again open to everyone.

Edited to add:

Just found another good giveaway, this time at Stacy's Bookblog. Stacy is giving a lucky reader their choice of any of the novels written by Mary Doria Russell. She has also interviewed the author as well! Stacy's is a new blog to me, but I will deifnitely be going back to visit again!

The ever generous Teddy Rose is hosting a giveaway of the audiobook of Drood by Dan Simmons. Having seen how big the book is, I can't imagine how many CDs the audiobook is!

Hunting Midnight - Richard Zimler

At the dawn of the nineteenth century in Portugal, John Zarco Stewart is an impish child of hotheaded emotions and playful inquisitiveness, the unwitting inheritor of a faith shrouded in three hundred years of secrecy--for the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula have been in hiding since the Inquisition. But a season of loss and bitter discovery brings his innocence to an abrupt end. It is only the ministrations of a magical stranger, brought to Porto by his seafaring father, that restore his safety: Midnight, an African healer and freed slave, the man who will become John's greatest friend and determine the course of his destiny.When Napoleon's armies invade Portugal, violence again intrudes on John's fragile peace, and seals his passage into adulthood with another devastating loss. But from the wreckage comes revelation as he uncovers truths and lies hidden by the people he loved and trusted most, and discovers the act of unspeakable betrayal that destroyed his family--and his faith. And so his shattering quest begins as he travels to America, to hunt for hope in a land shackled by unforgivable sin.

This was my first book by Richard Zimler and I must say he does approach interesting and original subjects.

Hunting Midnight tells the story of John Zarco Stewart, a Portuguese boy of Scottish and Portuguese descent and of Jewish heritage who was born in Porto where he grew up before travelling to England and America. Set in the 18th and 19th centuries it deals with such different subjects as the French invasions and slavery.

In the beginning, John meets Daniel and the two boys will soon become fast friends. Zimler is very good at describing evocative imagery and one can almost see the preacher, who John call necromancer, that scares him by calling him a Jew, and later the market where exotic birds are sold in miserable conditions and where the two make a rescue attempt replacing the real birds by wooden substitutes. In the aftermath of this event, they meet Violeta, who will become the third part in their friendship and while telling of their adventures Zimler tackles very different subjects like the hidden Jewish faith, the inquisition, Violeta’s abuse at the hands of her family and the difficult life conditions shared by many told.

John’s life changes drastically when Daniel dies and he falls ill believing himself guilty. To restore his health his father brings home Midnight, a black man knowledgeable in healing herbs but also with a very special life’s philosophy. He soon becomes John’s best friend and mentor.

When Midnight disappears after travelling with John’s father to England and John later finds out he has been sold as a slave, he starts a voyage that will take him from Porto to London and then to New York and the American south. The second half of the book introduces a second main character as it is partially narrated by Midnight’s daughter Morri. Morri tells of her life as a slave in a plantation in Charleston and of her father’s life there and disappearance and writes her observations on the differences between the black and the white man.

This is the story of John and his growth but also a story of love and tolerance. There is the love between friends, between family members, husband and wife and between fellow men. There is the respect and tolerance for different religions and beliefs and a reflexion on the status of women in society.

I did have some trouble getting into the story as it is a bit slow paced in the beginning but the second half was a page turner. Considering all the interesting themes and details included, the richness and the importance of themes focused I don’t hesitate to recommend this novel.

Grade: 4/5

HT News

Rosina Lippi, who writes the Wilderness series under the name of Sara Donati, has posted an excerpt from the sixth and final book in the series, The Endless Forest. This is one of my most anticipated upcoming releases!

Donna Lea Simpson, author of the new novel Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark, is guest blogging over at Medieval Bookworm.

HT News

Sharon Kay Penman is hosting a book giveaway. You have to work a little bit to gain entry into the drawing but by doing so you could potentially help shape the Reader's Guide for the upcoming rerelease of The Reckoning. Full details can be found here, along with some upcoming release information as well!

Emma Series by Kaoru Mori

Completion Date: March, 2009

Reason for Reading: Manga Challenge, New Author Challenge.

In Victorian-era England, a young girl, Emma, who is rescued from a life of destitution and raised to become a proper British maid, falls in love with William, the eldest son of a wealthy family, but the strict rules of their society force them to keep their romance a secret.

It seems like forever ago that I read this series! When you hear the title, I am sure that most people automatically think of Jane Austen's Emma, but that is not the case at all! The series is a romance-type manga set in Victorian England. I have read manga off and on throughout the years, and I do enjoy it, but this was actually more my type of read than some of my other attempts with the genre. I was not entirely sure about the romance angle of the story, but the history side of it worked really well at catching my attention. I have to say that I am very glad that I gave the series a try because it was a good story, it had accurate history (complete with historical notes), and the artwork was fantastic!

I really liked the characters in this story. We have Emma, the title character, who has a rather difficult life. By a stroke of good fortune, though, she finds herself in the employ of Lady Kelly. Lady Kelly is a widow who sees something in Emma that she can use, so she takes her on from a young age as her maid. Lady Kelly has been basically alone since she was 20 and her husband died. She made her living as a governess. Even though she is retired, the young people from her past still come to visit her. It is one such visit that is the basis of the romance story in this series.

Enter William. William is the heir to a substantial fortune. He comes from a very good family who wants him to marry a woman from an equal, or better, family. He has spent some time with Emma, though, and he has found that he is in love with her. Emma has had offers from many men, but turned them down. William is different. The problem is that he is from a good family while she is just a maid. His family will never allow it. This means that they have to keep everything a secret, which leads to a bit of drama down the road. For manga, though, this was very quiet. Usually the female characters in this series are loud and vibrant. Emma is very quiet, and even though her relationship with William is scandalous for the times, it is a rather quiet series as a whole.

One thing about manga series are they are so long! Many look really good, but it gets costly if you have to buy them all. This series has seven books right now, but will be completed when there are ten. For a manga series that is a very manageble number. This is also a good series for people that like Jane Austen, romance novels, Victorian England, etc. It is a chance to try the manga world without going too far out of your comfort zone. The characters come alive on the page. Emma may be a bit of a quiet character, but we really get to know her as the series progresses. I really enjoyed learning about all of the characters in the book and look forward to further character development when the last three books are released.

Nymeth has also reviewed the seven volumes. Her review was soon after she read them all, too, so it is a lot better review! She also has tanabata reading them, so you can read her review of the first one here. It really is a great series! I hope other people will take a chance on them.

HT News

This week's theme for Weekly Geeks is one close to our hearts - Historical Fiction! Here are the details:

Let's take a magical history tour this week, with a focus on Historical Fiction. That is, contemporary novels with a historical setting. I like to give choices, so here they are, pick the question(s) that appeal to you:

Is there a particular era that you love reading about? Tell us about it--give us a book list, if you'd like. Include pictures or some fun facts from that time period, maybe link to a website that focuses on that time. Educate us.

Do you have a favorite book that really pulled you back in time, or perhaps gave you a special interest in that period? Include a link to a review of it on another book blog if you can find one (doesn't have to be a Weekly Geek participant).

A member of your book group, Ashley, mentions that she almost never reads Historical Fiction because it can be so boring. It's your turn to pick the book for next month and you feel it's your duty to prove her wrong. What book do you pick?

If you're in agreement with Ashley on this one (or even if you're not): Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to browse through this week's WG posts, and by the end of the week, pick a book from one of the posts to read. Report on which book you picked, linking to the Weekly Geeks post where you found it.

If you do decide to participate, then please let us know in the comments as well as signing up in the actual post at Weekly Geeks which you can find here.

The Egyptian Coffin - Jane Jakeman

When Lilian Westmorland, spirited heiress to a West Country estate, has a riding accident, her guardian insists that she visits Egypt to recover. When Lord Ambrose Malfine hears of the death of a young girl, he is concerned. Racing to Egypt to rescue Lilian, he uncovers evil of the worst kind.

After having enjoyed the first book in this series so much I decided to grab book nº2.
Malfine and Elizabeth decide she must go and spend some time with her parents but he doesn’t have much time to dwell on her absence. One of his young neighbors, Lilian Westmorland, suffers a riding accident and Malfine , who was a friend of her late father and feels a bit responsible for his death, decides to pay her a visit.

While meeting Lilian Malfine makes the acquaintance of her uncle and guardian Micah Overbury whom he doesn’t much like, and of a Mr Casterman whom he feels to be rather a shady character. When Lilian is suddenly packed to Egypt by her uncle and a dead girl is found in the Westmorland estate Malfine decides to follow Lilian to Egypt and see what is really going on.

The action is alternately written from Malfine and Lilian's point of view and, near the end from Elizabeth's in letter format. Through both their accounts it's easy to see that something strange is in fact going on but there's no clue to the real mystery till it’s finally unveiled for the reader. It was also odd how Malfine got to be in the right place at the right moment when there had been no word of warning.

I found this story to be less compelling than the first book and also found Malfine to be a bit less interesting. The feelings he relates when closed up with Lilian on the Pyramid where decidedly at odds with what I had known of him previously. I do realize that these sort of books relies on a lot of introspection on the part of the character and I usually like that but this time I wasn’t totally convinced. The story and setting are original as are some of the plot elements. I got curious about Malfine's sister and was sorry not to have more information about her and her husband.

I liked the descriptions of life in England and in Egypt and the historical aspects of the story but as a whole I liked it a bit less than book 1. I’m still curious about what is going to happen in book 3 and hope to add it to my TBR pile soon.

Grade: 3.5/5

HT News

Jeri Westerson has announced the release date of her next Crispin Guest mystery, Serpent in the Thorns on her blog. Release date is 29 September, and the first chapter is available on her website. Our review of the first Crispin Guest novel, Veil of Lies, can be found here.

Teddy Rose from So Many Precious Books, So Little Time (and from here at Historical Tapestry) is giving away a copy of Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly. I know that Serena from Savvy Verse and Wit is also giving away a couple of copies away, including one to international readers. There are some other giveaways as well, all associated with the St Patrick's Day blog tour which the author embarked on. I for one really enjoyed the one day tour!

HT News

C J Sansom, author of Winter of Madrid and the Matthew Shardlake series of books is interviewed at News and Random Musings About Historical Novels

Galway Bay by Mary Pat Kelly

Survival Against the Odds

Honora Kelly of Galway Bay had her life worked out. She was to become a nun. Her parents wanted this for her and she was quite willing. She was just about to start her days in the convent when she saw a mysterious man and his horse rising out of the sea. This man, Michael was to change her destiny forever.

It was love at first site, Honora wasn't going to be a nun after all. Yes, her parents were disappointed as they wanted a better life for her. Yes, in Ireland, the convent was a better life. However, her parents really liked Michael and eventually agreed to giving their daughter's hand in marriage.

Michael and Honora Kelly made a life for themselves farming. They raised horses and a variety of crops. Most of the crops went toward paying rent to the brutal English landlords but the potato crop was for the family. They had an abundant supply of delicious, life sustaining" pratties". Enough to sustain their growing family.

Then the potatoes blight happened. It was the beginning of the potatoes famine for the entire country. The first year, they we able to selvage a few pratties. They found a way to survive. However, the second year there was nothing to selvage. Michael had to walk miles to work breaking up rocks for the government for pennies a day. The family lined up for soup every night, and every once in a while Honora's father, a fisherman, had fish to sell.

The third year it was announced that there would be no more government jobs or soup lines. The land lords wanted the Irish families to leave and if that meant dying, that was fine with them.

Michael and Honora made the gut wrenching decision to leave their beloved country and head for "Amerikey".

This book has something for everyone. It is Irish historical fiction, a family saga, a story of the American immigrant experience, and even a romance. It started off a bit slow for me however, there was quite a bit of Irish mythology at the beginning that wasn't to my taste. I'm sure that there are other reader who would enjoy this part.

Within about 75 pages, I really warmed up to the story. So much so that I became a part of the Kelly family every time I picked up the book. I experience their joy's, sorrow's and triumphs along with them. I even felt that pangs of hunger that the family suffered. Mary Pat Kelly has a poetic writing style that sweeps the reader in. Her strong characters are well drawn out and is the landscape and back drop. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by Mary Past Kelly.

4/5

Challenge: The Alphabet in Historical Fiction

Are you interested in joining in on our first ever challenge?

You can find all the details here.

Challenge letters already completed:

- A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P

Let There be Blood - Jane Jakeman

A debut novel featuring the brooding recluse Lord Ambrose of Malfine and his faithful manservant Belos. When a nearby farmer and his son are shot dead and a gypsy is accused of their murder, Ambrose intervenes to ensure justice is done. Set in the West Country of 1830.

I love historical mysteries and I’m constantly on the lookout for new authors to read. Last year this series by Jane Jakeman was brought to my attention and I’m really happy that I decided to read it.

Written in the first person this is the story of Lord Malfine, a man who has fought in the wars of the Greek independence against the Turks only to return home full of scars and any lack of desire of socializing with his neighbors. He is the son of an English gentleman and a Greek lady who died when his sister was born.

He stays closed up in his home till he finds a group of men, some of his tenants, planning to kill a gypsy believing him guilty of the murder of two farmers. Decided to give the man a fair trial he starts he own investigation about what really happened at the farm questioning all people involved including the farm’s mistress and her son’s governess. It seems there were hidden depths to most of the people involved and the author manages to throw us on quite a few twists and turns with decidedly unexpected information. Some of its resolution is provided by facts unknown to the reader as not all that Lord Ambrose discovers is made available to us.

It makes for quite a mysterious and atmospheric read, a gothic hero with a crumbling house and two mysterious women as suspects, one of them addicted to laudanum and the other that strangely appeals to him.

I did like the author’s voice and I am quite curious about the next books in the series but I wish we had been given more information about some of the characters. The author provides a lot of historical detail like the treatment of gypsies, the fight of the workers against the machines that replace them in the factories, the disinterest shown by the upper classes in the justice system they are supposed to uphold. Nothing that overwhelms the story, just little tidbits of information that enrich it.

Grade: 4/5

An Accomplished Woman - Jude Morgan

As a young woman, clever, self-reliant Lydia Templeton scandalised society by rejecting Lewis Durrant, the county's most eligible bachelor. Ten years later, Lydia has no regrets and, having concluded that matters of the heart need no longer trouble her, she is quite happy to remain unwed. But others still seek Lydia's advice on their love lives, and when her godmother implores her to take her young ward Phoebe's search for a suitor in hand, it's hard to refuse. In truth, the prospect fills Lydia with horror (especially as she must go to Bath of all places to do it), but poor Phoebe, having managed to promise herself to two men at once, rather needs her help. However, finding a solution to Phoebe's dilemma proves far trickier than anyone imagined. As affairs become increasingly tangled, Phoebe more muddled and Lydia's exasperation grows, the confirmed spinster finds that her own heart is not quite the closed book she thought it was!

I’ve heard Morgan being compared to Heyer and Austen and while his characters seemed to me to have a more modern voice there’s no doubt that I found it a pleasantly enjoyable read.

Lydia Templeton is a single woman and very independent. A few years ago she refused her neighbor’s, Lewis Durrant, offer of marriage. But they have remained on friendly terms and while finding him a bit stuffy and boring she does in fact enjoy their conversations. Lydia has no regrets about refusing him, she much prefers her independent, intellectually enriching life and since she is now 30 years old she feels that matters of the heart are now behind her.

But while she may feel that, she is still called upon to solve other people’s love problems. When her Godmother asks her to help her young friend Phoebe solving her problems Lydia is unhappy but unable to refuse at the same time.

Phoebe’s problem is that she fell in love with two suitors and eventually promised her hand to both of them. While staying in Bath they meet the two gentlemen and Lydia is relied on to advice Phoebe to which one she should choose. It’s not easy for Lydia who hates Bath, dislikes having to meddle in other people’s affairs and to top it all finds herself meeting Durrant everywhere they go. In fact while Lydia and Phoebe are making the rounds visiting people and attending functions it soon becomes apparent that Durrant is looking for a wife.

Soon Lydia realizes that not only she must help Phoebe but that she may have to sort out her heart as well. Interesting secondary characters provide the perfect counterpart for witty dialogue and interesting banter. Phoebe also proves to have more depth that it seemed as she eventually manages to take the reins of her own life and surprise everyone.

My one complaint about the book is the end comes about very abruptly, after spending such a nice time with these characters I wanted to savor it a bit during a few more scenes.


Grade: 4/5

Friends award

Thanks to Alyce from At Home with Books for giving us the Friends award


These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers.

HT News - Bruce Alexander Historical awards

Danielle from A Work in Progress has a guest post from Laurie R King, author of the Mary Russell mystery series which is set in the years just after the end of WWI. Her books sound very interesting and one of her books was nominated for the following award!

Jeri Westerson, author of Veil of Lies, has been keeping everyone updated on the events at the Left Coast Crime festival for readers of crime fiction for the last few days. In today's post she advised that this year's winner of the Bruce Alexander Historical book awards was Kelli Stanley for her book Nox Dormienda, A Long Night For Sleeping. I don't remember hearing much about this book before, but it is a mystery set in Roman times.

The nominees for the award were:

• Tasha Alexander: A Fatal Waltz (HarperCollins)
• Rhys Bowen: A Royal Pain (Berkley Prime Crime)
• Rhys Bowen: Tell Me Pretty Maiden (St. Martin's)
• Laurie R. King: Touchstone (Bantam)
• Kelli Stanley: Nox Dormienda, A Long Night For Sleeping (Five Star)

Kerry from Mysteries in Paradise has recently reviewed A Royal Pain and the follow up book, Her Royal Spyness, and I have to say they sound quite good too.

The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick

Ancient Legend Comes to Life

In 450 AD. the British are under the rule of Vortigern. He is a mean and cruel king. Uthr Pendragon was king before that but Vortigern took his kingdom from him and Urthr dies. It is believed that Urthr didn't have an legitimate male heir, but he did. When Arthur was born he was switched to protect t his real identity, the rightful heir the Pendragon thrown.

As a child, Arthur meets Gwenhwyfar and know that she is the one he will marry but as adults, there are obstacles in the way of their union.

When Arthur is old enough to become a warrior he gets his training in Vortigern's army. By then Vortigern knows his true identity be wants to keep his enemy close. Arthur brought some loyal friends with him who also served in the evil army. They learn the art or war together and vow to overthrow Vortigern eventually and make Arthur the rightful king.

Helen Hollick leaves out all the usual mystery and magic. There is no mention of Merlin and Lancelot, which in my opinion, makes her version more plausible than other versions of the story.

This book is over 550 pages but reads very fast. I had some late nights because I had trouble putting this book down and when I did, I couldn't stop thinking of it! Hollick's writing is smooth and beautiful. She seamlessly transports her readers back to the Dark Ages.

This is book one of a trilogy. I don't usually finish trilogies due to the time commitment. There are so many books out there that I want to read and not enough time. However, I plan to read this complete trilogy. I can hardly wait to read what happens next!

4.5/5

HT News

Lots of interesting links today!

Anne Easter Smith is interviewed by Michelle Moran over at Historical Fiction Author Interviews. Anne Easter Smith talks about her new release, The King's Grace, as well as her next book, which I have to say I am excited at the prospect of already!

Over at Passages to the Past there is an interview with R Scot Johns, author of The Sage of Beowulf. I don't think I have ever read anything about Beowulf so this might be a book to look out for.

Sarah from Reading the Past has posted her visual preview of the Spring/Summer UK releases! If you do wander over there, prepare to have more than a couple of books added to your wishlist!

You can listen to Elizabeth Chadwick chat to BBC Nottingham here. I am not sure how long that link will work for, so if you are interested give it a listen. The bookclub section start at around 14.30 minutes.

Amy B from Passages to the Past is giving away a copy of Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland, and the giveaway is open to international entrants as well, which is always appreciated.

HT News

It seems to be quite a regular thing for author C W Gortner to have interesting interviews and guest posts on his blog. Today is no exception. Guest posting on his blog is Sarah Bower, author of Needle in the Blood and The Book of Love. The Book of Love is about to be released in the US. I have owned it for ages, but not yet read it.

In good news for Diana Gabaldon fans, there is now an official release date. Mark September 22 in your diaries as that is the date that An Echo in the Bone will hit the bookstores.

David Blixt has been interviewed over at News and Random Musings About Historical Fiction. David is the author of Master of Verona, one of my top 3 novels of 2008.

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

Ever since she was a child, Rebecca has been enchanted by her grandmother Gemma’s stories about Briar Rose. But a promise Rebecca makes to her dying grandmother will lead her on a remarkable journey to uncover the truth of Gemma’s astonishing claim: I am Briar Rose. A journey that will lead her to unspeakable brutality and horror. But also to redemption and hope.

I added this book to the my TBR list when it was reviewed by Rhinoa last year. I am pretty sure that I have also seen it around the place, and talked to a few other people about it as well. This is a Young Adult book, a story about trying to find your identity as well as a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale but instead of the Disney version that we are so familiar with these days, this tale is set in the context of the Holocaust. It was originally published as part of Terry Windling's Fairy Tale series and I have to say that if this is an example of how good that particular series is then I will be reading more of them.

The main character is Rebecca, a young journalist who has always loved listening to her grandmother Gemma's telling of the story of Briar Rose - a version of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. Shortly before her death, Gemma askes Becca to never forget her story and this plea is reiterated when Gemma repeats over and over "I am Briar Rose" on her deathbed. The difficult thing about never forgetting Gemma's story is that no one really knows exactly who Gemma is, what her real name is, or how it was that she came to be in America.

Not long after her grandmother's death, the family finds a wooden box that they have never seen before, and inside there are a few photos and some newspaper clippings that seem to provide some clues as to those unanswered questions. Rebecca is determined to put the pieces together and so she embarks on a journey much more haunting than she could ever have imagined, and meeting new people who can provide some kind of background to her grandmothers life. She is aided in her research by her boss. If there is one weakness with this book it is in this relationship, particularly with the ending. Perhaps this was an effort to echo a fairy tale type relationship but this is one aspect that didn't work for me.

Despite the fact that it is a relatively short book, and there is a sparsity to the writing, there is depth, there is historical detail. In short, there is a really fascinating story that is well worth reading.

It was interesting that Yolen chose to use the Chelmno extermination camp as her main prison camp setting, especially seeing as there were so few people who made it out of that camp, but perhaps that is part of the reason for doing so - the pure horror of the camp cannot be avoided when you read anything about it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in WWII fiction.

Rating 4.5/5

Grave Goods: A Mistress of the Art of Death Novel by Ariana Franklin (Book 3)

Two years after the events of The Serpent's Tale, the Celts continue to fight Henry's rule, believing that King Arthur will return to repel the invading Saxons. When two bodies are discovered, Henry calls on Adelia to prove they are those of Arthur and Guinevere. If she does, the Celts should fall into line. In her third mystery featuring King Henry II's mistress of the art of death, Ariana Franklin delivers another perfect mix of history, legend, mystery, and thriller.

I love this series! It is a must-buy when a new book comes out. Unfortunately, I now have to wait a year for the next book to be released! If there is a next book. I am not even entirely sure how many books there are supposed to be in the end. One of the things about these being must-buys is that I often have no idea what the book is about. I was reading the back of the book when I bought it and discovered for the first time that this book had a connection to Arthur and Guinevere. Considering Arthurian literature is one of my favourite types, I was very curious to see how Franklin was going to pull things off because Arthur (if he really existed) would have been dead for quite some time before the events in the novel took place.

As the description says, this series is a mix of 'history, legend, mystery, and thriller'. I think that is why I like it so much. Adelia is the mistress of the art of death. Her parents let her lead a very unconventional life for the times, so she is in essence ahead of her time. She has a good grasp of anatomy and this is how she figures out the secrets of those that are deceased. For our times, it is nothing quite so revolutionary, but for Adelia's time it was something that she had to keep almost entirely a secret. King Henry II knows the secret, though, and he calls on her to solve his mysteries for him. This time it has been revealed that it is entirely possible that Arthur and Guinevere were buried in Glastonbury. Henry has been fighting a war with the Saxons who believe that Arthur is in hiding and will come back and help them win. Henry very much wants these bodies to be the famous couple so that he can put an end to this disasterous war. As a result, Adelia is sent to Glastonbury to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Glastonbury has just recently suffered a great fire which destroyed most of the buildings and the town. Part of the mystery is figuring out just how the fire was set. In the midst of the fire and the bones, though, there is a lot more going on. Things are never straight forward for Adelia. The person that is believed to have set the fire is now deceased, but he had his followers. The followers believe that he was in fact innocent and want the Mistress to prove it. Then, there are the dark things that are happening in the woods that line the king's road. That aspect of the book is a little creepy. I read so much fantasy, though, that I think I was reading a bit too much into things. And, that is just the beginning of all the things that Adelia finds herself swept up in. Franklin never has just one story that she follows from beginning to end, there is always a lot going on amongst the pages. I think that is one of the reasons why her series is popular.

While I didn't like this book as much as the first book in the series, I am still a big fan of the series and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Adelia is a great main character, but I am also very fond of many of the secondary characters. I strongly recommend this series!

HT News

Normally I try to only post one HT News each day, but when it is about one of our own, well, I just had to post again today!

As part of Helen Hollick's blog tour to promote the release of her book, The Kingmaking, that is being rereleased through Sourcebooks, Helen has been interviewed by our very own Teddy Rose at her blog, So Many Precious Books, So Little Time.

Click here to read the interview, and also to enter the giveaway of the book that is happening as well!

HT News - Giveaways

There are loads of giveaways around at the moment! Latest one that I thought some of you might be interested in is for People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. Chainreader has a copy to give away as part of the Book Giveaway Carnival.

Arleigh from Historical-Fiction.com has not one but six books to give away. The books you can chose from are:

1. Mademoiselle Boleyn by Robin Maxwell
2. The Shoe Queen by Anna Davis
3. The River Wife by Jonis Agee
4. Jane Eyre’s Daughter by Elizabeth Newark
5. Mary Modern by Camille DeAngelis
6. The Venetian Mask by Rosalind Laker

For all the details, please check out the giveaway post here.

HT News

Lots of news today!

Author of The Heretic's Daughter, Kathleen Kent, is interviewed on the Book Depository blog. While you are visiting the Book Depository, spend five minutes watching the Book Depository Live. It's completely mesmerising! Basically you get to see a map of what people in different countries around the world have recently bought from the website.

Jenclair from A Garden in the Pocket has a copy of Margaret Campbell Barnes' Tudor novel My Lady of Cleves to giveaway.

Colleen Gleason is celebrating the official release of the final book in the Gardella Vampire Chronicles, As Shadows Fade. She is being interviewed at Romance Bandits about reaching the end of this series. We have reviewed three of the books in the series here at Historical Tapestry.

Speaking of Colleen Gleason, Carl from Stainless Steel Droppings is once again hosting his photo contest for the release of As Shadows Fade. Read the full details of the contest here.

We mentioned not too long ago that there was a new blog on the block about Jean Plaidy. Arleigh and Lucy have been busy, and have now announced the Plaidy Challenge 2009, where the idea is to read as much Plaidy as possible. For full details check out the challenge page.

Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher

With her mother ill, it’s up to fifteen-year-old Ruby Jacinski to support her family. But in the 1940s, the only opportunities open to a Polish-American girl from Chicago’s poor Yards is a job in one of the meat packing plants. Through a chance meeting with a local tough, Ruby lands a job as a taxi dancer and soon becomes an expert in the art of “fishing”: working her patrons for meals, cash, clothes, even jewelry. Drawn ever deeper into the world of dance halls, jazz, and the mob, Ruby gradually realizes that the only one who can save her is herself. A mesmerizing look into a little known world and era.

I am very happy that this was a quick read because I hadn't got around to reading it, and it was due back at the library the next day. I tried to renew it and couldn't! That meant that I had to either read it in a day or hope that I could get it again soon. I managed to read it right away because it was a good read. The early to mid part of the twentieth century is something that I find interesting to read about, but this looks at an aspect of the history that I had never really explored before.

The main character in this book is Ruby. Her mother had been working in a meat packing plant, but arthritis was making it so that her hands were useless. The plant managers discovered this and let her go. Ruby's father had died year ago, so it was only her mother keeping the family alive. Now that she couldn't work, it was up to Ruby to quit school and get a job in that same plant. She hated it, though. She dreamed of doing more with her life than working in a plant that shortened its workers life-spans. At a dance club one night she catches the attention of a young man who causes trouble in his wake. He takes a shinning to Ruby and suggests that instead of working in a plant she try out taxi dancing. She was a really good dancer and this job would make her a lot more money. Her mother would never go for it, though. It was not a respectable job for a young lady growing up in 1940's Chicago, but Ruby had to do something. Telling her mother that she was a telephone operator, she launched herself in a career that would wind up being both a good and a bad thing.

I had never really heard of taxi dancing before, so it was interesting to delve deeper into that little-known aspect of history. When the novel starts, the U.S. hadn't joined the war, but Pearl Harbor would occur and things would change for Chicago. This meant that instead of men they normally had showing up at the dance club, they would also have men in uniform. Ruby was really good at her job. She learned very quickly how to get what she wanted out of the men that she entertained, but she has found herself in a very disasterous situation. Things are not always what they seem, and the boy that she thinks she is in love with is more trouble than he is worth. When her mother makes changes in her life so that Ruby can stop working, though, everything comes to a head. Ruby doesn't want to give up her life that easily, but her mother is not taking no for an answer. It's when her unsatisfactory lifestyle creeps into her home-life that she knows she has to make some serious changes to her life.

This book was short-listed for the Cybil Award. I think it is deserving; but then I haven't read all the other books available. It was a really interesting novel, though. Ruby was an interesting character and I enjoyed the secondary characters. Fletcher gives a good taste about what life was like for a Polish-American in the 1940's and how you had to do what you could to survive. I recommend this book!

HT News - Giveaways

Deanna Raybourn is having a great giveaway to celebrate the release of her new book, Silent on the Moor. If you live in the US, you can win a Kindle 2. For all the details check out the contest page on Deanna's new website.

If you haven't yet managed to read Michelle Moran's excellent books Nefertiti and The Heretic Queen, there's another chance to win a copy of each book along with an author interview over at Bloggin 'bout Books.

Another giveaway that I would love to be eligible for but unfortunately I live in the wrong country...sigh. Jo-Jo from Jo-Jo loves to Read is giving away a copy of Lisa See's upcoming new release Shanghai Girls.

Still I Rise by Roland Laird with Tanesha Nash Laird, Illustrated by Elihu "Adofo" Bey

A Graphic History

'Still I rise' is a graphic history book about the struggles, heroic, and triumphant history of African Americans. It mentions all of the largely known history but it also tells of more little known facts and of important people who helped shape how America is today.

Something I certainly didn't learn in my school history books was that of indentured servitude which lead to slavery. I didn't enjoy my history classes back in grammar school or high school because the text books were dry.

This book would make students want to learn the history of African Americans! It is a short book but the details of the history included are rich in detail. It is well researched, well written, and beautifully illustrated.

This is my first time reading a graphic book. There have been some that sound good but I have been hesitant. I visualize a comic strip, like the Sunday funnies in the newspaper. I just couldn't believe that they could be taken seriously. Still I Rise has changes my view point! If you haven't read a graphic book, this would be a good place to start!

Highly recommended!

5/5

HT News

Over at Devourer of Books there is a guest post by Robin Maxwell, author of Signora da Vinci, as well as a giveaway.

Michelle Moran is guest posting over at Diary of an Eccentric, and there is a giveaway of 2 hardcover copies of The Heretic Queen.

Drey has a giveaway of Drood by Dan Simmons for all you lucky people who live in the US and Canada.

One of the thing I love about reading author Susan Higginbotham's blog is that her sense of humour really shines through in her posts! As an example of this, Susan gives to us a brief history of Richard III through the medium of LOLcats pictures!

Cover Story: The Julia Grey Mystery series

Mira Books, Hardcover, 2007, US cover

Having just read the first two books of this series made me aware of the different covers out there. When I bought these books I completely fell in love with the covers but I had the problem that I couldn't find a matching set. Either I bought one Mass Market Paperback (or hardcover) and one Trade Paperback or I would have to resort to a cover that I liked less.

I ended up buying one MMP and one TP but now I can't find a matching cover for the third book as the publisher decided to change their style. I really don't think they changed it for the better. Instead of covers that stood out (imo) on the shelves, we now have covers that look like just any other romance novel out there.

With the third book in the series, Silent on the Moor, due to be released on 1 March it seemed like a good time to do a Cover Story post! Above and below I've posted the several covers that can be found for these books. Do you have any favourites? Are you collecting this series? If so which covers do you have?

Mira, Mass Market Paperback, 2009, US cover

Mira, paperbak, 2009, US cover

Harlequin Mills & Boon, Paperback, 2007

Mira, Paperback Editions, 2008, UK covers

Mira, Trade Paperback, 2008, US cover

Mira, Mass Market Paperback, 2007, US Cover

Harlequin Australia, Paperback, 2007

Harlequin Australia, Papaerback 2008

Harlequin Australia, Paperback, 2009