Thursday, August 23, 2012

ebook promotion! Midnight on Julia Street by Ciji Ware

Today Barnes and Noble is offering Midnight on Julia Street by Ciji Ware as their "nook daily find" promotion! You can purchase this ebook for $1.99 on their website: www.barnesandnoble.com. This title will be available at this tantalizing price for today only (August 24th).



Synopsis (From the Publisher):
"Scandal transcends time in the Big Easy 
Feisty reporter Corlis McCullough isn't afraid to push boundaries in the name of journalistic integrity. When passion for the truth lands her in New Orleans in need of a job, an assignment at a TV station pits her against her old college nemesis, King Duvallon. 
The sultry streets of the French Quarter, the glamorous Garden District, derelict riverfront cotton warehouses, and gritty back alleys come alive as the reporter's story inexplicably slips between the nineteenth century and today. A long-forgotten drama of blackmail, swindles, and a love affair that is still changing lives leaves Corlis and King wondering if their burgeoning, unholy attraction will render them pawns in a matrix of mystery and deceit."

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Copyright © 2012 Svea Love. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Upcoming 2012 Historical Fiction Release! A Dangerous Inheritanc by Alison Weir

A Dangerous Inheritance by Alison Weir
Publication Date: October 2nd 2012
Format: Hardcover 544pp



Synopsis (From the Publisher):
" In this engrossing novel of historical suspense, New York Times bestselling author Alison Weir tells the dramatic intertwined stories of two women—Katherine Grey and Kate Plantagenet—separated by time but linked by twin destinies . . . . involving the mysterious tragic fate of the young Princes in the Tower. 
When her older sister, Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Days’ Queen, is executed in 1554 for unlawfully accepting the English crown, Lady Katherine Grey’s world falls apart. Barely recovered from this tragic loss she risks all for love, only to incur the wrath of her formidable cousin Queen Elizabeth I, who sees Katherine as a rival for her insecure throne.
Interlaced with Katherine’s story is that of her distant kinswoman Kate Plantagenet, the bastard daughter of Richard III, the last Plantagenet king. In 1483, Kate travels to London for Richard’s coronation, and her world changes forever. 
Kate loves her father, but before long she hears terrible rumors about him that threaten all she holds dear. Like Katherine Grey, she falls in love with a man who is forbidden to her. Then Kate embarks on what will become a perilous quest, covertly seeking the truth about what befell her cousins the Princes in the Tower, who may have been victims of Richard III’s lust for power. But time is not on Kate’s side, or on Katherine’s. 
Katherine finds herself a prisoner in the Tower of London, the sinister fortress that overshadowed the lives of so many royal figures, including the boy princes. Will Elizabeth demand the full penalty for treason? And what secrets will Katherine find hidden within the Tower walls? 
Alison Weir’s new novel is a page-turning story set within a framework of fascinating historical authenticity. In this rich and layered tapestry, Katherine and Kate discover that possessing royal blood can prove to be a dangerous inheritance. "

Pre-Order:


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Copyright © 2012 Svea Love. All Rights Reserved.

Review: The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau

Publication Date: January 2012
Format: Hardcover 409pp


Synopsis (From the Publisher):
"JOANNA STAFFORD, a Dominican nun, learns that her favorite cousin has been condemned by Henry VIII to be burned at the stake. Defying the rule of enclosure, Joanna leaves the priory to stand at her cousin’s side. Arrested for interfering with the king’s justice, Joanna, along with her father, is sent to the Tower of London. 
While Joanna is in the Tower, the ruthless Bishop of Winchester forces her to spy for him: to save her father’s life she must find an ancient relic—a crown so powerful, it may possess the ability to end the Reformation. 
With Cromwell’s troops threatening to shutter her priory, bright and bold Joanna must decide who she can trust so that she may save herself, her family, and her sacred way of life. This provocative story melds heart-stopping suspense with historical detail and brings to life the poignant dramas of women and men at a fascinating and critical moment in England’s past."


My Review:

If the talent shown by Nancy Bilyeau in her debut novel, The Crown, is merely a glimpse of what's to come, we are all in for some exceptional reading adventures!

When I first began reading The Crown I thought I knew what the book was all about-- find the crown, save her family-- but I couldn't have been more wrong. Halfway through the novel a sudden plot twist occurs and sets the rest of the book up for a complex and satisfying mystery. While the layers to this new found mystery are peeled back at a tantalizing pace, the characters are adding on devious layers to their own personas, and it all leads to a shocking conclusion. 

Nancy did a fantastic job of creating an enveloping and well structured plot that was perfectly paced throughout the whole novel. The attention to historical detail was apparent, and  it was refreshing to read about the dissolution of the monasteries from the nuns point of view instead of it being merely spoken about in a conversation between courtiers. It's not often a nunnery is the setting of a novel, so the vivid descriptions of their way of life was definitely a highlight. If you are looking for a historical mystery, or a new author to pursue, I would definitely recommend The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau. I, for one, can't wait for her next book, The Chalice, to be released next March!



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Copyright © 2012 Svea Love. All Rights Reserved.

What's New Wednesday: A Look at Next Week's New Releases (Aug 12th - 18th)


Every Wednesday I will be posting the upcoming historical fiction and non-fiction releases for the coming week.
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The Second Empress by Michelle Moran
Publication Date: August 14th, 2012
Format: Hardcover 448 pp


Synopsis (From the Publisher):
"National bestselling author Michelle Moran returns to Paris, this time under the rule of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte as he casts aside his beautiful wife to marry a Hapsburg princess he hopes will bear him a royal heir.
After the bloody French Revolution, Emperor Napoleon’s power is absolute. When Marie-Louise, the eighteen year old daughter of the King of Austria, is told that the Emperor has demanded her hand in marriage, her father presents her with a terrible choice: marry the cruel, capricious Napoleon, leaving the man she loves and her home forever, or say no, and plunge her country into war.

Marie-Louise knows what she must do, and she travels to France, determined to be a good wife despite Napoleon’s reputation. But lavish parties greet her in Paris, and at the extravagant French court, she finds many rivals for her husband’s affection, including Napoleon’s first wife, Joséphine, and his sister Pauline, the only woman as ambitious as the emperor himself. Beloved by some and infamous to many, Pauline is fiercely loyal to her brother. She is also convinced that Napoleon is destined to become the modern Pharaoh of Egypt. Indeed, her greatest hope is to rule alongside him as his queen—a brother-sister marriage just as the ancient Egyptian royals practiced. Determined to see this dream come to pass, Pauline embarks on a campaign to undermine the new empress and convince Napoleon to divorce Marie-Louise.

As Pauline’s insightful Haitian servant, Paul, watches these two women clash, he is torn between his love for Pauline and his sympathy for Marie-Louise. But there are greater concerns than Pauline’s jealousy plaguing the court of France. While Napoleon becomes increasingly desperate for an heir, the empire’s peace looks increasingly unstable. When war once again sweeps the continent and bloodshed threatens Marie-Louise’s family in Austria, the second Empress is forced to make choices that will determine her place in history—and change the course of her life.

Based on primary resources from the time, The Second Empress takes readers back to Napoleon’s empire, where royals and servants alike live at the whim of one man, and two women vie to change their destinies."




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Copyright © 2012 Svea Love. All Rights Reserved.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Upcoming 2012 Historical Fiction Release! I, Jane: In the Court of Henry VIII by Diane Haeger

I, Jane: In the Court of Henry VIII by Diane Haeger
Publication date: September 4th 2012
Format: Paperback 416pp


Synopsis (From the Publisher):
"Though her path to the throne was long and paved with treachery, Jane Seymour would win the heart of her king—and heal her own. 
Jane Seymour of Wiltshire is not meant to go to Court. Not a child like her, with her lack of beauty and no title. But family connections are enough to have her named to the bridal retinue of Mary Tudor. At the French Court, the plain and docile Jane meets the girl who will grow into her rival in years to come: the already charismatic and conniving Anne Boleyn. 
Soon back home in the English countryside, Jane wants nothing more than peace and quiet—and the devotion of her childhood protector, William Dormer. But his family vows to keep them apart, and Jane is called back to Court to serve Katherine of Aragon, who is fighting for her life as Queen in the face of Anne Boleyn’s open seduction of King Henry VIII. 
In those turbulent years, Jane will learn the value of loyalty and honesty, while holding fast to her convictions. And it is her unblemished soul that will slowly rise above the chaos—and turn a king’s head."

Pre-Order:


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Copyright © 2012 Svea Love. All Rights Reserved.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the exciting books that came into their house last week via post. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists!

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia at The Printed Page, now Hooked by a Book, and is currently being hosted by Jennifer D at 5 Minutes for Books for the month of August. 





For Review I Received:


The Kingmaker's Daughter by Phillipa Gregory
Publish Date: August 14th 2012
Format: Hardcover 400 pp





The King's Damsel by Kate Emerson
Publication Date: Aug 8th 2012
Format: Paperback 368pp




From Barnes and Noble I Received:

The King's Concubine: A Novel of Alice Perrers
by Anne O'Brien
Publication Date: June 5th 2012
Format: Paperback 464pp



The Once and Future King by T. H. White
Publication Date: July 1987 
Format: Mass Market Paperback 640pp 



What delights arrived at your door?


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Copyright © 2012 Svea Love. All Rights Reserved.

Upcoming 2013 Historical Fiction Release! The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston


Pre-Order:

The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston
Publication Date: January 29th 2013
Format: Hardcover 368pp



Synopsis (From the Publisher):
"Fledgling witch Morgana must defend her love, her home, and her life in this enthralling tale perfect for fans of Discovery of Witches 
In her small Welsh town, there is no one quite like Morgana. She has never spoken, and her silence as well as the magic she can't quite control make her a mystery. Concerned for her safety, her mother quickly arranges a marriage with Cai Bevan, the widower from the far hills who knows nothing of the rumours that swirl around her. After their wedding, Morgana is heartbroken at leaving, but she soon falls in love with Cai’s farm and the rugged mountains that surround it, while slowly Cai himself begins to win her heart. It’s not long, however, before her strangeness begins to be remarked upon in her new village. A dark force is at work there—a person who will stop at nothing to turn the townspeople against Morgana, even at the expense of those closest to her. Forced to defend her home, her love, and herself from all comers, Morgana must learn to harness her power, or she will lose everything. 
Paula Brackston's debut novel, The Witch's Daughter, was the little book that could—with a captivating story, remarkable heroine, and eye-catching package, it has now netted over 40,000 copies in all formats. Now Paula returns with The Winter Witch, another enchanting tale of love and magic, featuring her signature blend of gorgeous writing, a fabulous and intriguing historical backdrop, and a headstrong and relatable heroine readers will cheer for."



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Copyright © 2012 Svea Love. All Rights Reserved.