Why I Love....Quilts: Guest Post by Leah Zieber, Author of Libby Morgan: Reunion

Quilts – I love quilts. The cozy feeling I get when snuggled beneath my quilt is like getting a hug from someone I love. They are one of the staples in my home that my family has grown to appreciate and love almost as much as I do. But what I feel for quilts is more than just an affinity for the actual, tangible thing that I wrap myself in each night; I love quilts for their mystery and the history they hold in their stitches and for all the memories they pass on for future generations to uncover, treasure and in my case – write about.

To understand just how a quilt can hold memories, it is important to understand what goes into making a quilt. It is a lengthy process that entails design consideration, fabric selection, gathering, cutting, sewing, sewing, and more sewing, block layout, more sewing, then layering, more design consideration for the quilting, more sewing and finally, the finishing process of binding up the unfinished edges. Hopefully, the quilt is given a label, too – but not usually, otherwise it wouldn’t be such a mystery.

Throughout the quilt making process, knowledge about the maker and a record of the times are often stitched into the folds of the object. The mystery comes in trying to decipher this knowledge. When designing a quilt, the maker considers the news of the day and the interests, desires and life altering events of the quilt’s recipient, as well as her own interests, desires and life events. For example, use of the heart design may indicate a marriage or death quilt, trees or the house design may reflect one’s love of family or home, and signature blocks with endearing sayings of remembrances may be used for someone leaving a community or for someone being left behind. (See figure 1 and 2 for signed quilt blocks from an 1850’s quilt.) Even religious, political and organizational affiliations can be represented in the designs of some quilts, both in the selected design (e.g., Temperance Block for the prohibitionists) and the fabrics chosen for the quilt (e.g., political ribbons or fabrics depicting government figures like presidents or war generals for the patriots).  Having a basic understanding of history, some knowledge about a person’s life events - as can be found on Ancestry.com - and a bit of background regarding the symbolism found in a community can often lead to a greater understanding of why a quilt was made.  I love to find a quilt with little or no history and try to unravel some of the mysteries held within.

Signature Block from 1853 Quilt



Close Up of Signature



The fabrics in quilts are usually quite beautiful. Every image conceivable can be found in both old and modern textiles. I love the variety of design and color, but my real love for the fabrics comes from a different perspective. Taking a closer look at the materials used to make the quilt can convey insight into the quilt’s secrets. A family legacy can be found in the fabrics that were selected to make a quilt. Sometimes, makers’ dresses gone out of fashion were used in quilts; old, quilted petticoats have also been found. Relatives and friends would share bits of fabrics and close examination of quilts from the same community will often reveal many of the same prints – this is often found in signature quilts from the Quaker communities. Makers would use feed sacks from the family farm; even salesman sample card fabric swatches from Papa’s mercantile store can be found in some quilts. A maker’s frugality can often be seen in fabrics they used; recycling was being done long before it was hip. But not just a maker’s economy, the family’s prosperity can also be seen in the costly yards of a French chintz fabric that was used to make up a quilt’s backing or in the finely made binding of store-bought, woven tape. The materials used to make a quilt imparts wisdom that bring me closer to understanding the circumstances of the maker, the owner and history of the textiles of the time, and for this reason I love the fabrics.

Mother Morgan’s Framed Angel Quilt – Made by Leah Zieber 2014 (a quilt from the novel.) This quilt is full of fabric that I love!

Quilt makers often remained anonymous, but many left pseudo-signatures hidden for only the most discerning eye to find. Looking closely at the quilting can reveal a lot about the maker or makers. Hidden in the multitude of stitches that hold the quilt layers together I find many clues to the quilt’s mystery of whom, why, where and when. Differences in the quality of quilting stitches can reveal a group project such as a quilting bee or perhaps a teacher and student (i.e., mother and child). Symbols stitched into the quilting can help define a particular region from which the quilt may have come or an association with a group. (e.g., The Order of Odd Fellows were often represented by the three interlocking chain links or circles. See Figure 4. ). The type of thread used for the quilting (two-ply or three) can reveal when a quilt was quilted. Occasionally, just the tiniest of initials cross-stitched in a corner can confirm or reject a names associated with the quilt. And sometimes, but not often, a quilt has a goldmine of information stitched into the designs – names, dates, locations, even the occasion for the quilt have all have been found in the quilt stitches.  There is a secret held in the stitches that brings me closer to the legacy waiting to be revealed.

Interlocking Rings in the quilting could symbolize an Order of the Odd Fellows affiliation

It takes patience to thoroughly examine a quilt, but my patience is usually rewarded with fragments of information about a person or people, about an unknown place and about the events of a time in history that, without the quilt, may have remained forever lost to posterity. I love the mystery, I love the history, I love quilts.



Thank you so much, Leah, for this thought-provoking guest post! I never would have guessed the mysteries hidden within a quilt...I need to go back and look closely at some my grandmother made!

Readers, please be sure to continue below for more about Leah's book, Libby Morgan: Reunion, and check out the rest of the blog tour!

Publication Date: September 7, 2014
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 283
ASIN: B00O35L1MO

Series: American Heritage Quilt Series
Genre: YA/Historical Fiction

Coming from a long line of seamstresses, Libby has yet to sew anything more than the rudimentary button or hem, but on a visit to Connecticut she learns more than just how to sew patchwork. Set in 1855 New England and London, this tender story, Libby Morgan: Reunion, follows tenacious Elizabeth (Libby) Jane Morgan through her thirteenth summer of new adventures at home and abroad. She is given a birthday gift of sewing tools and fabric, as well as old family letters to use as templates for making her first quilt. Her decision to first read the letters results in questions that only her Grandmother Morgan’s stories can answer—stories of true love, horrible loss and family connections to London nobles. Her keen eye and inquisitive nature draws her family into a mysterious investigation that tests their faith, challenges their ability to forgive, and results in a resurrection and reunion of lost hearts.







Buy the Book

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Leah A. Zieber is a quilt historian and quilt maker from Temecula, California, specializing in
American quilt history and reproduction quilts from the nineteenth century. Her quilts have been exhibited across the country in quilt shows, museums and historical societies and were most recently published in Stars: A Study of 19th Century Star Quilts. Leah has worked closely with Southern California collectors, cataloging, managing, and independently researching their textile collections. Her own collection of antique quilts and related textile items spans one hundred and eighty five years, and she shares her knowledge of American quilt history using her collection in lectures and workshops. Libby Morgan: Reunion is her debut novel and the first in her American Heritage Quilt Series.

For more information please visit Leah Zieber’s website and blog. You can also connect with her on Facebook and LinkedIn.



Libby Morgan: Reunion Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, December 1

Review at WV Stitcher

Tuesday, December 2

Spotlight at I’d Rather Be Reading

Thursday, December 4

Interview & Giveaway at Reading Lark

Friday, December 5

Review at Book Nerd

Saturday, December 6

Review at Mel’s Shelves

Monday, December 8

Review at Forever Ashley

Tuesday, December 9

Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book
Spotlight at Boom Baby Reviews

Wednesday, December 10

Review at Luxury Reading
Spotlight & Giveaway at Mina’s Bookshelf

Friday, December 12

Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More

Monday, December 15

Spotlight at Just One More Chapter

Tuesday, December 16
Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews

Wednesday, December 17
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Thursday, December 18
Guest Post at Historical Tapestry

Friday, December 19
Guest Post at Book Babe





Past Encounters Blog Tour: Why I Love...the Film "Brief Encounter"

 

A classic film inspires a novel: Past Encounters by Davina Blake

 

 

In England the film Brief Encounter is rated as the best romantic film of all time. I am pretty sure that in any other country in the world this wouldn’t be so, and because of that the film gives audiences a rare insight into our Englishness.

 

It is a film that I watched with my mother on a TV repeat, and I was astonished to see it bring her to tears, and she was a woman who rarely cried.

 

In my novel Past Encounters, Rhoda falls for Matthew, a location assistant for the film Brief Encounter, even though she is already engaged to army officer Peter. Peter is a long-term intern in a prisoner of war camp. This is a parallel to the film where middle class housewife Laura, and respectable doctor Alec, contemplate an affair. In the film, for the sake of their existing spouses, Laura and Alec sacrifice their love for each other in favour of returning to lives of conformity.

 

How many people must have been faced with exactly this dilemma? The pain and intensity of illicit love have an enduring fascination. In the US, the best-selling book (and film) ‘The Bridges of Madison County’ expresses exactly this idea.

 

This repression of passions and stiff upper-lip approach is what made English people so stoic during WWII, and why the film touched a nerve with the audiences of the time. The showing of emotion in this period was viewed as a weakness, and too much affection as sentimentality. Partly it was to do with wartime morale; that no matter what came, you would just grit your teeth and carry on. The theme of Brief Encounter was made more poignant at the time by the fact that the film came out when many men were away fighting and feared their wives would not wait for them to come home from war. In modern times the film has come to highlight the difference in attitudes to adultery between the pre and post-sexual revolution in the 1960’s.

 

One of the things I loved about the film was how understated the performances were, and this was an effect I wanted to build in the novel, to make the emotion deep but not showy, to build the relationships slowly and to make my couple real. When interviewing people for the novel I was struck by how matter-of-fact people were when talking about quite horrific wartime events. This did not make the stories less moving, but rather more powerful. It also put me in touch with the sensibility of the times, something I wanted to recreate in Past Encounters. For example class distinction was still an obvious part of English life (and still is, if we’re honest, though we Brits try our best to pretend it’s not there). I was also taken by the visual starkness of the film, and by Laura’s (Celia Johnson’s) first person narration, which was a highly unusual device back then, that you could actually hear the thoughts of the character in voice-over.

 

As for the outcome of Past Encounters you will have to read Past Encounters to read what happens in the love triangle of Rhoda, Peter and Matthew! And of course there is also Helen …

 

 

 

Thank you so much, Davina, for this wonderfully insightful guest post! What a fascinating concept to use a movie like Brief Encounter as a backdrop for a story that deals with much of the same emotions and suppression of desires. Now I want to see the movie!

 

 

Readers, come back on 12/6 for my review of Past Encounters and be sure to continue below for more information on the book, the author and the blog tour!

 

 





Publication Date: November 22, 2014
CreateSpace
Paperback; 442p

 

Genre: Historical Fiction/Literary Fiction

 

 

 

England 1955.

 

The day Rhoda Middleton opens a letter from another woman, she becomes convinced her husband, Peter, is having an affair. But when Rhoda tracks the mysterious woman down, she discovers she is not Peter’s lover after all, but the wife of his best friend, Archie Foster. There is only one problem – Rhoda has never even heard of Archie Foster.

 

Devastated by this betrayal of trust, Rhoda tries to find out why Peter has kept this friendship a secret for so long. Her search leads her back to 1945, but as she gradually uncovers Peter’s wartime experiences she must wrestle with painful memories of her own. For Rhoda too cannot escape the ghosts of the past.

 

Taking us on a journey from the atmospheric filming of Brief Encounter, to the extraordinary Great March of prisoners of war through snow-bound Germany, PAST ENCOUNTERS explores themes of friendship, hope, and how in the end, it is the small things that enable love to survive.

 

Includes bonus material for reading groups.

 

 

Praise for Past Encounters

 

 

“Her characters are so real that they linger in the mind long after the book is back on the shelf. Highly Recommended!” – The Historical Novels Review

 

 

About the Author

 

Davina Blake used to be a set and costume designer for theatre and TV, during which time she developed a love of research which fueled her passion for the past. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from Lancaster University and also writes successful seventeenth century historicals under the pen name Deborah Swift. ‘Her characters are so real that they linger in the mind long after the book is back on the shelf. Highly recommended.’ The Historical Novels Review From Davina: ‘I was inspired to write ‘Past Encounters’ because I live close to the railway station where the iconic ‘Brief Encounter’ was filmed in 1945. I have often used the refreshment room that featured in the film when waiting for a train. I love a good cup of tea, preferably accompanied by a chocolate brownie!’

For more information visit Davina Blake’s website and blog. You can also find her on Twitter.

 



Praise For Deborah Swift

 

“stellar historical fiction” -Orange Prize Nominee Ann Weisgarber

“compelling'” -Westmorland Gazette

“The past comes alive through impeccable research…and the sheer power of descriptive prose” -Lancashire Evening Post

Buy the Book

Amazon US
Amazon UK

Past Encounters Blog Tour Schedule

Saturday, November 15

Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Sunday, November 16

Review at Library Educated

Monday, November 17

Review at Dianne Ascroft Blog
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, November 18

Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, November 19

Review at Just One More Chapter

Thursday, November 20

Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Friday, November 21

Review & Interview at Bookish

Saturday, November 22

Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Monday, November 24

Review at A Bookish Affair
 Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, November 25

Guest Post at A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, November 26
Review at Book Nerd

Thursday, November 27
Interview at The Maiden’s Court

Saturday, November 29
Spotlight at What Is That Book About

Monday, December 1
Review at Layered Pages
Review & Interview at Casual Readers

Tuesday, December 2
Review at My Reader’s Block
Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews

Wednesday, December 3
Review at The Worm Hole
Review at Diary of an Eccentric

Thursday, December 4
Review at Beth’s Book Reviews
Guest Post at Historical Tapestry

Friday, December 5
Review at Bibliophilia, Please

Saturday, December 6
Review at Unshelfish
Review at Historical Tapestry

 







The Sharp Hook of Love Blog Tour: Why I Love...the 12th Century by Sherry Jones

If you are a follower of Historical Tapestry then you probably saw my book release post for the Sharp Hook of Love (see HERE) as well as my review of the book  (see HERE). Hint: I loved it! Well now I am honored to have the author of The Sharp Hook of Love, Sherry Jones, on the blog with a wonderful guest post about why she loves the 12th Century. So please enjoy the post and continue below for more information about this wonderful book, its author and the rest of the book blog tour!

 



The First Renaissance, Abelard, and Heloise: Why I Love the 12^th Century

 

 

 

 

 

Love, not gravity, makes the world go ‘round, goes the song. What if that were true? If the dawning of day and the fall of night, if the changing of the seasons, if the planet’s very spinning depended on love, we’d all be performing acts of kindness for one another all the time. We’d be loving it up.

 

I love love. At its best, it ennobles us, inspires us to be our very best selves, to give of ourselves to others. At its worst, it blinds us to others’ failings—but that only harms us if we’ve forgotten that, to love another well, we must love ourselves first.

 

Love is patient, as the Scriptures say; love is kind. Yes. But love is also messy, bewildering, frustrating, exalting, exciting, frightening, and capricious. Love holds a mirror to those in its thrall, showing us not only the other but our naked selves. And the best writing about love holds a mirror up to this complex emotion, revealing it to us in all its multi-faceted glory and inspiring us to think about love, to feel it, and, perhaps most important, to enact it in our lives.

 

Self-love wasn’t something they talked about in the early-to-high Middle Ages, or, if they did, they called it “vanity,” or “pride”: one of the Church’s so-called deadly sins. That’s the world in which the 12^th-century Parisian scholar Heloise lived, one which cherished community over individuality, sacrifice over personal gain, giving over receiving.

 

Fortunately, for Heloise and for me, the author telling her tale in my book THE SHARP HOOK OF LOVE, another dynamic had begun to shape the culture, as well: the awakening of an awareness of the self, making this era one of the most exciting times to be alive in western Europe.

 

 

 

 

The dawn of a new era

 

The 12^th century heralded the true beginning of the Renaissance Era, or at least as a prelude that set the stage for the rebirth of arts, culture and knowledge so prevalent before the fall of the Roman Empire. A new awareness of the individual as opposed to the collective began to emerge, as well, including questioning of Church doctrines at the highest level.

 

A number of events, beginning around 1070, led to this reawakening. The marriage of the Frankish King Philip to Bertrade de Montfort, both already married to others, captured the public’s imagination. Their passionate love for each other caused them to defy the Church’s condemnations and excommunications—and transformed marriage from a mere business arrangement, easily broken, to an everlasting affair of the heart.

 

This scandalous, exciting union—Philip’s repudiated queen, Bertha, left in shame for the convent—stimulated at least one copycat marriage. Around 1115, the already-married Count William of Poitiers, also the Duke of Aquitaine, “abducted” the wife of one of his vassals, a viscountess named Dangerose, and brought her to Poitou to live in the luxury tower he’d built there. They, too, suffered the censure of the Church, but neither seemed to care.

 

William, a famously seductive ladies’ man of great intellect and wit, wrote bawdy romantic songs, as well, starting the troubadour era from which springs the long tradition of courtly love.

 

 

 

 

Forbidden love: Heloise and Abelard

 

From this heady ferment of scholarly debate, rebellion, and passion sprang the love affair of the 21-year-old Heloise with her teacher, Pierre Abelard, the famously brilliant, and arrogant, philosopher and poet whose beautiful love songs made women swoon.

 

Their society forbade their love. Abelard, as headmaster of the Notre Dame Cloister school and a Church canon, was supposed to be chaste, and Heloise was a single young woman living under the protection of her uncle, a Notre Dame subdeacon. Yet the couple defied these strictures, risking everything to be together, and ultimately losing all except the love itself.

 

Caught by Heloise’s uncle and torn asunder by his cruel act of revenge, these lovers live on today in our books, movies, art, poems, plays, and songs. We love the story not only because of the shocking nature of Uncle Fulbert’s revenge, but also because their courage and daring for the sake of love inspire us all. In today’s throwaway society, it’s important to be reminded that love, even when beset by so many obstacles and sorrows, can indeed last a lifetime.

 

Which tale to tell?

 

In writing about the 12^th century, I felt excited and privileged to portray this exciting era. My next book will be much more contemporary, but I know I will return again and again to the 12^th Century Renaissance, a time as thrilling as our own.

 

William of Aquitaine, his granddaughter, Eleanor; Philip and Bertrade; the troubadours; Blanche de Castille; the Crusades: If only time travel had been invented, I’d go to 12^th-century France in a heartbeat. Instead, I get to write about it, which may be even better. The question for me is, which story should I tell next?

 

 

Publication Date: October 7, 2014
Gallery Books
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 352

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

 

The first retelling of the passionate, twelfth-century love story since the discovery of 113 lost love letters between Heloise d’Argenteuil and Pierre Abelard—the original Romeo and Juliet.

“While I sleep you never leave me, and after I wake I see you, as soon as I open my eyes, even before the light of day itself.” —Abelard to Heloise

Among the young women of twelfth-century Paris, Heloise d’Argenteuil stands apart. Extraordinarily educated and quick-witted, she is being groomed by her uncle to become an abbess in the service of God.

But with one encounter, her destiny changes forever. Pierre Abelard, headmaster at the Notre-Dame Cloister School, is acclaimed as one of the greatest philosophers in France. His controversial reputation only adds to his allure, yet despite the legions of women swooning over his poetry and dashing looks, he is captivated by the brilliant Heloise alone. As their relationship blossoms from a meeting of the minds to a forbidden love affair, both Heloise and Abelard must choose between love, duty, and ambition.

Sherry Jones weaves the lovers’ own words into an evocative account of desire and sacrifice. As intimate as it is erotic, as devastating as it is beautiful, The Sharp Hook of Love is a poignant, tender tribute to one of history’s greatest romances, and to love’s power to transform and endure.

 

 

Praise for The Sharp Hook of Love

 

“Heloise is the sort of heroine you cannot help rooting for: brilliant and naïve, vulnerable and tough. The Sharp Hook of Love will have you up all night holding your breath as you turn each page.” (Rebecca Kanner author of Sinners and the Sea)

“Jones weaves history and passion in a tale full of emotional heft that questions what it means to truly love someone…” (Kirkus Reviews)

“A sensual journey into twelfth century Paris. With a sharp eye for historical detail, Jones weaves an unforgettable, compelling tale about enduring love.” (Lynn Cullen nationally bestselling author of Mrs. Poe)

“Passion and treachery mingle in Sherry Jones’s explosive novel The Sharp Hook of Love. Wrenching and erotic, this is a grand romance in every sense of the word.” (Mary Sharratt author of Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen)

 

 

Buy the Book

 

Amazon (Kindle)
Amazon (Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Nook)
Barnes & Noble (Paperback)
Books-a-Million
iBooks
IndieBound
Simon & Schuster

 

 

About the Author

 

Sherry Jones is the author of five biographical fiction books: The Sharp Hook of Love, about the famed 12th-century lovers Abelard and Heloise; The Jewel of Medina and The Sword of Medina, international — and controversial — best sellers about the life of A’isha, who married the Muslim prophet Muhammad at age nine and went on to become the most famous and influential woman in Islam; Four Sisters, All Queens, a tale of four sisters in 13th century Provence who became queens of France, England, Germany, and Italy, and White Heart, an e-novella about the famous French “White Queen” Blanche de Castille.

For more information please visit Sherry Jones’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Goodreads.

 

The Sharp Hook of Love Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, November 24

Review at Bibliophilia, Please

Tuesday, November 25

Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Wednesday, November 26

Review at Book Babe
Guest Post at Historical Fiction Connection

Friday, November 28

Guest Post at Historical Tapestry

Sunday, November 29

Spotlight & Excerpt at The Lusty Literate

Monday, December 1

Review at Book Lovers Paradise
Interview at Mina’s Bookshelf

Wednesday, December 3

Guest Post at Let Them Read Books
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Thursday, December 4

Review at The Lit Bitch

Friday, December 5

Review at Historical Fiction Obsession
Feature at Romantic Historical Lovers
Interview at To Read or Not to Read

 

 







Why I Love The 17th Century: Guest Post by Andrea Zuvich, Author of The Stuart Vampire

Please join me in welcoming Andrea Zuvich, author of The Stuart Vampire, to Historical Tapestry! Below you will find not only her wonderful guest post on why she loves the 17th century (and why you should as well!) but more information about her wonderful book. So without further ado...

 

Why I Love the 17th Century, Warts and All

By Andrea Zuvich

People often ask me why I love the 17th-century. It’s hard to reply in a succinct manner. So, I’ll go about it in a slightly different manner, if I may…

What do you think of when someone mentions the 17th-century? Does an image of a bunch of moody men in black clothes and funny hats pop into your head? Do you think “that’s that boring period in time after the Tudors”? Well, let’s stop that right now!

The 17th-century has absolutely everything any history lover could want.

Are you a food lover? A chocoholic? A coffee addict? Tea person? What about pineapples? Orange juice? Well, all these things were introduced into parts of Europe or made fashionable during the 17th-century. Are you fond of salads? Well, John Evelyn, an English diarist and author, even wrote a book on salads (Acetaria). Although candy bar chocolate hadn’t been invented yet, they had hot chocolate - which totally rocks.

Are you more interested in warfare and action? Good grief! There were people colonising far away lands, trading with foreign countries - that’s quite exciting already. There were massive wars, such as the bloody, horrific, English Civil Wars; the Anglo-Dutch Wars, meaning a war between England and Holland (Dutch Republic/United Provinces); The Nine Years' War.

If fashion is more your thing, the styles are as varied as you could wish for. In the early 17th-century, clothes were still very much like the Tudor era (Queen Elizabeth I died in 1603), and while there was a time when black and sombre attire was fashionable, that later changed and the well-dressed often wore sumptuous, colourful gowns. Ruffs, lace, stays, high heels for both sexes, periwigs, and ribbons - have a look at the different fashions and you’ll see how interesting the clothing was then. The Baroque was an aesthetic which approves of flamboyant splendour.

Are you well into art? Well, the 17th-century had some of the biggest names in art history. Van Dyck, Rubens, Velazquez, El Greco, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Kneller, Caravaggio, Gentileschi, Van de Velde, are just a few of the great artists who thrived during the 17th-century. They produced truly stunning works of art, the like of which has never been equalled (in my opinion).

Music? Great Baroque composers such as Henry Purcell, Alessandro Stradella, Marin Marais, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Charpentier, Rameau, Albinoni, Allegri, Vivaldi, Blow, Handel, and more gave us such amazing music that continues to be popular to this day. All of us can recognise Pachelbel’s Canon in D, surely? That’s because Baroque music is timeless.

Still not enough for you? Well, perhaps literature and theatre appeal more to you? Perhaps the fact that some of the greatest playwrights in history lived in the 17th-century? In England, we had William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, John Vanbrugh, John Fletcher, John Dryden. In Spain, we had Lope de Vega, Miguel de Cervantes, Pedro Calderón de la Barca, Juan Vélez de Guevara. In France, there was Molière, Racine, and Corneille.

If philosophy and science floats your boat, try 17th-century philosophers & scientists: Descartes, Hooke, Newton, Leibniz, Cassini, Galileo. Seriously, just a small search on the NASA website will show you that many moons, astroids, and other things in space are named after 17th-century scientists. Go on, have a look.

So there you have it. All of the above are just the tip of the very large iceberg of reasons why I love the 17th-century. It’s filled with everything: good, bad, smelly, beautiful, and just plain old fascinating stuff. I’ve been researching this period in time for many years now. Am I bored? Never!

Thank you.

 

Thank you so much, Andrea, for taking the time to share your thoughts on the 17th century! I don't think anyone could call it boring!

 

Readers, continue on below for more information on Andrea's book, The Stuart Vampire!

 

 



 

Publication Date: October 31, 2013
Self-Published
eBook; 215p

Genre: Historical Fiction/Horror/Paranormal


Henry Stuart, Duke of Gloucester, the youngest brother of King Charles II is a handsome man with sound principles. When the twenty-year-old prince contracts smallpox in 1660, however, his life takes a decidedly sinister turn. Obsessed with Henry from afar, Contessa Griselda di Cuorenero – one of the Devil’s concubines – turns him into a vampire and plunges him into the world of night. But Henry soon discovers that not all horrors are of the paranormal kind…

In the unnaturally close village of Coffin’s Bishop, Henry encounters a severely abused young woman – a woman who has suffered under humans who are more monstrous than vampires. Could love save them from the evil they have known? And at what cost?

Henry must choose between his humanity and his monstrous, insatiable desire for human blood.

From the author of “His Last Mistress,” The Stuart Vampire is a dark gothic tale in the vein of The Monk.

Praise for The Stuart Vampire

“An intriguing historical with a darkly gothic twist, I enjoyed The Stuart Vampire and would recommend it to anyone with a taste for period horror.” – Erin Davies.

“Once again Ms. Zuvich brings the setting to life, she paints a vivid picture of the Restoration period – intertwined with drama & romance.” – (Amazon Review)

“A great mix of historical fiction and vampires -what’s not to love?! I really enjoyed this book,I liked the unique blend of fact and fiction!
A fascinating time period anyway,with the added bonus of introducing vampires into the Stuart line it kept me hooked until the end! The author obviously knows her Stuart and 17th Century history and facts were woven in amongst the drama of a secret darker world of evil,all happening during the time of the plague in London.The book was full of great descriptions of this time,I could almost smell it!! Would definitely recommend this book.” – (Amazon Review)

Buy the Book

Amazon US
Amazon UK

 

About the Author

Andrea (aka The Seventeenth Century Lady) is a 17th-century historian, historical consultant, and historical fiction authoress. His Last Mistress – a biographical fiction novella about the Duke of Monmouth and Lady Henrietta Wentworth was published by Endeavour Press, London in 2013. She received double BA degrees in History and Anthropology from the University of Central Florida, and continued her History studies with the University of Oxford and Princeton University. Zuvich has been filmed for NTR television in The Netherlands, talking about William III, and was recently on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour discussing Queen Anne. She was one of the original developers and leaders on The Garden History Tours at Kensington Palace, London. Zuvich lives in Windsor, England.

For more information please visit Andrea’s website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

The Stuart Vampire Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, October 13

Review at A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, October 14
The Stuart Vampire Launch Party @ 12:00pm-2:00pm EST

Wednesday, October 15

Review at Kinx’s Book Nook
Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Thursday, October 16

Review & Guest Post at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book

Friday, October 17

Guest Post at Historical Fiction Connection

Monday, October 20

Guest Post at Historical Tapestry

Tuesday, October 21
Review at The True Book Addict

Wednesday, October 22
Interview & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Friday, October 24
Spotlight & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages