Kimberly Eve Musings of a Writer

Anne Rice's The Wolf Gift: A Review

2012-03-03T20:41:00.009-05:00

BOOK SYNOPSIS The time is the present. The place, the rugged coast of Northern California. A bluff high above the Pacific. A grand mansion full of beauty and tantalizing history set against a towering redwood forest. A young reporter on assignment from the San Francisco Observer . . . An older woman welcoming him into her magnificent family home that he has been sent to write about and that she

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova...Dracul...Not Dracula...A Review!

2012-02-27T15:04:00.007-05:00

BOOK DESCRIPTION "To you, perceptive reader, I bequeath my history...." Late one night, exploring her father's library, a young woman finds an ancient book and a cache of yellowing letters. The letters are all addressed to "My dear and unfortunate successor," and they plunge her into a world she never dreamed of—a labyrinth where the secrets of her father's past and her mother's mysterious

My review of Gillespie and I by Jane Harris

2012-02-25T17:47:00.000-05:00

BOOK DESCRIPTION As she sits in her Bloomsbury home, with her two birds for company, elderly Harriet Baxter sets out to relate the story of her acquaintance, nearly four decades previously, with Ned Gillespie, a talented artist who never achieved the fame that she maintains he deserved. It would appear that I am to be the first to write a book on Gillespie. Who, if not me, was dealt

Cornwall Calling Daphne du Maurier

2012-02-22T23:32:00.000-05:00

Mine is the silenceAnd the quiet gloomOf a clock tickingIn an empty room,The scratch of a pen,Ink-pot and paper,And the patter of the rain.Nothing but this as long as I am able,Firelight - and a chair, and a table. Not for me the shadow of a smile,Nor the life that has gone,Nor the love that has fled,But the thread of the spider who spins on the wall,Who is lost, who is dead, who is nothing at

Moments In Time with Virginia Woolf

2012-02-21T14:29:00.000-05:00

“I met your mother, in a gloom happily encircled by the firelight, and peopled with legs and skirts. We drifted together like ships in an immense ocean and she asked me whether black cats had tails. And I answered that they had not, after a pause in which her question seemed to drop echoing down vast abysses, hitherto silent.” Virginia Woolf describing older sister Vanessa Bell A series of

A Review of Marie Antoinette The Journey by Antonia Fraser

2012-02-18T13:12:00.000-05:00

BOOK DESCRIPTION France's iconic queen, Marie Antoinette, wrongly accused of uttering the infamous 'Let them eat cake," was alternately revered and reviled during her lifetime. For centuries since, she has been the object of debate, speculation, and the fascination so often accorded illustrious figures in history. Married in mere girlhood, this essentially lighthearted child was thrust onto the

Ellen Terry: Much Ado About Something

2012-02-15T19:59:00.001-05:00

“I hold very strongly that a child’s earliest impressions mould its character perhaps more than either heredity or education” She was born in Coventry on 27 February, 1848, to actor parents of Irish descent. She had few childhood recollections that stood out and suffered from what she called, ‘A bad memory’! She described one fond memory of falling asleep nightly holding her father’s hand and

Famous Love Letters on Valentines Day

2012-02-14T19:44:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to share a few of my favorite romantic love letters from famous composers and writers on such a romantic day! Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-91) a portion of a letter sent to his wife Constanze Mainz October 17, 1790 PS.--while I was writing the last page, tear after tear fell on the paper. But I must cheer up -- catch! -- An astonishing

My review of Queen Elizabeth in the Garden by Trea Martyn

2012-02-03T13:22:00.000-05:00

In Orlando, Virginia Woolf describes the Elizabethan world as a place where colours were brighter and life was lived more intensely: The age was the Elizabethan; their morals were not ours; not their poets; nor their climate; nor their vegetables even. Everything was different. The weather itself, the heat and cold of summer and winter, was, we may believe, of another temper altogether. The

Julia Margaret Cameron: Victorian Pioneer: 1815-1879

2012-01-28T22:42:00.002-05:00

Julia Margaret Cameron by her son Henry Herschel Hay Cameron, 1870 The portrait above is the last photograph taken by Cameron’ s son. It shows his mother aged fifty nine, a well established professional with grown children of her own, an English matron. She is swathed in Indian shawls, a substantial figure who fills the frame. Her hair is graying and uncurled. Her hands are capable and almost

Ode to a Fellow New Yorker: Edith Wharton January 24, 1862 - August 11, 1937

2012-01-21T18:00:00.001-05:00

Edith Wharton at her writing desk in New York City in the 1930s January is my birthday month that I share with my mother and grandfather. I am a native New Yorker who understands the ‘attitude’ of a New Yorker. Some would say, ‘brash, harsh or unfriendly’. This is not the case at all. You see New Yorkers are city folk who are always in a hurry trying to get to work, out with friends,

Happy Birthday Anne Bronte 17 January 1820 – 28 May 1849

2012-01-17T20:45:00.001-05:00

A sketch of Anne Bronte by her sister Charlotte Bronte, 1845 Anne Bronte was born the youngest member of the Bronte family on 17 January 1820 in Yorkshire, England in the village of Thornton, Bradford. Her father was the parish priest there. Though, in April 1820, the Bronte family moved seven miles away to a remote small town of Haworth. It was in the Haworth Parsonage where the Bronte family

Celebrating the Coronation of Elizabeth Tudor on 15 January 1559

2012-01-13T02:26:00.000-05:00

“My lords, the law of nature moves me to sorrow for my sister; the burden that is fallen upon me makes me amazed, and yet, considering I am God's creature, ordained to obey His appointment, I will thereto yield, desiring from the bottom of my heart that I may have assistance of His grace to be the minister of His heavenly will in this office now committed to me. And as I am but one body

Alfred Tennyson, The Lincolnshire Lad

2012-01-02T14:30:00.000-05:00

Portrait of Alfred Tennyson painted by George Frederic Watts The lone gray fields at night: When from the dry, dark wold the summer airs blow cool On the oat-grass, and the sword-grass, and the bulrush in the pool Alfred Tennyson was born on a summer’s day on the 6th of August in the year 1809. He was born in the home of his father’s rectory in

My Favorite Reads of 2011

2011-12-26T16:29:00.000-05:00

Here are my top favorite reads of this year. As a writer and reader, I have high expectations when it comes to biographies, fiction and non-fiction in general: It must be exceptionally well written It must make me feel emotions i.e. crying or laughter. Always a sign of a great story! The story and subject matter made me want to learn more about the person or era in history Oh, and it was fun to

Merry Christmas To All...And To All A Good Night!

2011-12-18T18:02:00.001-05:00

A Scene From A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens "Again the Ghost sped on, above the black and heaving sea--on, on--until, being far away, as he told Scrooge, from any shore, they lighted on a ship. They stood beside the helmsman at the wheel, the look-out in the bow, the officers who had the watch; dark, ghostly figures in their several stations; but every man among them hummed a Christmas tune

The Life of Lady A (1775-1817)

2011-12-15T21:12:00.000-05:00

"It is very much what someone settling down to write does, getting up, pacing, thinking, returning to the page she is working on" Jane Austen wrote six novels in her lifetime. She passed away in the year 1817; leaving no diaries that we know of. The Austen Family destroyed her letters. Jane's brother Henry asserts, "my dear sister's life was not a life of events"... (We shall see Henry, we

A Review Of The Life of Charlotte Bronte By Elizabeth Gaskell

2011-12-02T13:21:00.000-05:00

Photo of Charlotte Bronte in 1854 a year before her death “As to the Mrs--, who, you say, is like me. I somehow feel no leaning to her at all. I never do to people who are said to be like me, because I have always a notion that they are only like me in the disagreeable, outside, first-acquaintance part of my character; in those points which are obvious to the ordinary run of people, and which I

QUEEN MARY I OF ENGLAND AND IRELAND (18 February 1516-17 November 1558)

2011-11-16T22:15:00.019-05:00

BIRTHMary was the only child born to King Henry VIII of England and his first wife Katherine of Aragon. Through her mother, she was a granddaughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. She was born at the Palace of Greenwich in London, and was baptised three days later at the Church of the Observant Friars where her parents were married. Her godparents included her

Emily Sarah Sellwood Tennyson, Lady Tennyson (9 July 1813 - 10 August 1896) By Kimberly Eve

2011-11-06T22:47:00.000-05:00

“You ask me to tell you something of my life before marriage. It would be hard indeed not to do anything you ask of me if within my power. To say the truth this particular thing you want is somewhat painful” Emily Tennyson, a note from her journals, written in 1869 Emily Sarah

My Review of The Boleyns: The Rise and Fall of a Tudor Family by David Loades

2011-11-02T13:53:00.007-04:00

Product detailsHardcover: 303 pages Publisher: Amberley Publishing (28 Sep 2011) Language English ISBN-10: 1445603047 ISBN-13: 978-1445603049 UK Edition BOOK DESCRIPTIONThe fall of Anne Boleyn and her brother George is the classic drama of the Tudor era. The Boleyns had long been an influential English family. Sir Geoffrey Boleyn had been Lord Mayor of London. His grandson, Sir Thomas, had

My Review of Elizabeth & Leicester: Power, Passion, Politics by Sarah Gristwood

2011-10-15T23:05:00.000-04:00

Book Description Few relationships fire the imagination like that of Elizabeth I and the Earl of Leicester, Robert Dudley-the love affair immortalized in Philippa Gregory's THE VIRGIN'S LOVER-but nearly fifty years have passed since we have seen a dual biography that explores the truth about their lifelong love. This is a gripping, unconventional account of one of history's most fascinating

A Review of The Somnambulist by Essie Fox

2011-09-25T01:21:00.000-04:00

Some secrets are better left buried...' When seventeen-year old Phoebe Turner visits Wilton's Music Hall to watch her Aunt Cissy performing on stage, she risks the wrath of her mother Maud who marches with the Hallelujah Army, campaigning for all London theatres to close. While there, Phoebe is drawn to a stranger, the enigmatic Nathaniel Samuels who heralds dramatic changes in the lives of all

The Secret Marriage of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and Lettice Knollys

2011-09-20T22:30:00.000-04:00

Lettice Knollys, Countess of Essex and Countess of Leicester, was an English noblewoman who was married twice. However, when for her second marriage, she decided to marry her close childhood friend, Elizabeth Tudor's, favorite Robert Dudley, she incurred Elizabeth's hatred. A small price to pay for love, right? Well, sadly it did not end in happily ever after but let's

Happy Birthday to Henry VIII's older brother Arthur, Prince of Wales (1486-1503)

2011-09-19T17:42:00.001-04:00

Three Children of K. Henry VII and Elizabeth his Queen. 1. Prince Henry. II. Prince Arthur. III. Ps. Margaret. From the Royal Collection at Kensington Palace. To his Grtace the most noble Thomas, Duke of Leeds, this is most humbly Inscribed by Geo: Vertue. J.Maubeugius Pinxit cir. MCCCCXCVI. G.Vertue Lond: delin et Sculp. 1748. Engraving. 570 x 485mm, 22½ x 19". Some wear to edges. Uncut sheet.

A Review of Beatrix Potter: A Life in Nature By Linda Lear

2011-09-14T14:04:00.000-04:00

Book Synopsis Beatrix Potter (1866–1943), creator of the immortal Peter Rabbit, is known as an avid writer of comical illustrated letters to friends and as an assertive marketer of her illustrations, and this lively volume also captures her energetic participation in Victorian-era natural history research and conservation. Environmental historian Lear (Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature) relates

A Review of Desperate Romantics: The Private Lives of the Pre-Raphaelites by Franny Moyle

2011-09-13T21:23:00.001-04:00

2009 UK Cover 2011 US Cover BOOK SYNOPSISIn conjunction with a major series for BBC2, this work presents the scandalous saga of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Their Bohemian lifestyle and intertwined love affairs shockingly broke 19th Century class barriers and bent the rules that governed the roles of the sexes. They became defined by love triangles, played out against the austere

A Review of Tennyson's Gift by Lynne Truss

2011-09-03T21:50:00.000-04:00

Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: Harpercollins Pb (May 27, 2010) Language: English ISBN-10: 0007355270 ISBN-13: 978-0007355273 BOOK SYNOPSISFrom the bestselling author of 'Eats Shoots & Leaves', an unexpectedly moving, luminously wise and brilliantly funny novel about a Victorian Poet Laureate. In July 1864, a corner of the Isle of Wight is buzzing with literary and artistic creativity. A

May and Amy: A True Story of Family, Forbidden Love, and the Secret Lives of May Gaskell, Her Daughter Amy, and Sir Edward Burne-Jones

2011-08-26T17:37:00.007-04:00

Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: Three Rivers Press (CA); Reprint edition (28 Mar 2006) Language English ISBN-10: 0307335895 ISBN-13: 978-0307335890 Always intrigued by Edward Burne-Jones’s portrait of her great-aunt, Amy Gaskell, Josceline Dimbleby’s chance meeting with the painting’s current owner encouraged her to explore the mystery of her own family’s past and the life and death of her

A Review of Tudor biography Henry VIII by David Loades

2011-08-16T14:29:00.000-04:00

Hardcover: 448 pages Publisher: Amberley (July 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 1848685327 ISBN-13: 978-1848685321 A major new biography of the most infamous king of England. 'Means to be God, and do as pleases himself', Martin Luther observed. It was a shrewd comment, not merely on the divorce in which the King was then embroiled, but upon his whole career. Henry VIII was self righteous, and

A Review Of Dracula In Love By Karen Essex

2011-08-14T13:42:00.000-04:00

London, 1890. Mina Murray, the rosy-cheeked, quintessentially pure Victorian heroine, becomes Count Dracula’s object of desire. To preserve her chastity, five male “defenders” rush in to rescue her from the vampire’s evil clutches. This is the version of the story we've been told. But now, from Mina’s own pen, we discover a tale more sensual, more devious, and more enthralling than the

Tales of Farringford on The Isle of Wight Home of Alfred Lord Tennyson

2011-08-08T15:40:00.000-04:00

Farringford, Isle of Wight, Home of Alfred Tennyson All three together stroll the short distance along to Farringford, up the graceful curving drive of cedar and willow to the home of the Poet Laureate and where, inside, sherry and wine are already being served – or tea for those of a milder persuasion, for it is hardly afternoon yet – and where everyone eventually gathers in the darkened

Upcoming Release! To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn by Sandra Byrd

2011-07-31T19:02:00.007-04:00

Publish Date: August, 2011Format: Paperback edition, 352 pages Source: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review Book Synopsis What would you sacrifice for your best friend? Would you die for her? Meg Wyatt has been Anne Boleyn's closest friend ever since they grew up together on neighboring manors in Kent. So when twenty-five year old Anne's star begins

Remembering Emily Bronte & Wuthering Heights

2011-07-31T10:53:00.000-04:00

Emily Bronte painted by her brother I have dreamed in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind~ Emily Brontë July 30, 1818 was Emily Bronte's birthday. Although, I am a day late, I wanted to remember her through the one novel she ever wrote, Wuthering Heights! I

Elizabeth Siddal 25 July 1829 – 11 February 1862

2011-07-25T10:32:00.000-04:00

On this day in 1829 was born a girl who would change the lives of four men known as The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. One in particular, would fall madly in love with her bringing him to the point of delirious grief and madness. Who was Elizabeth Siddal 'Lizzie' to most who knew her? Her husband the great Pre-Raphaelite painter and poet knew best. So, for all intent purposes, my tribute to Lizzie

Stirling Castle Refurbishment & Durer to Holbein Exhibit at Holyrood Palace

2011-07-22T10:06:00.001-04:00

The Royal PalaceA Childhood Mary Queen of Scots The Palace at Stirling Castle allows visitors to step into the astonishing richness of royal life in the 1500s. Mary of Guise, James V of Scotland, (Parents of Mary Queen of Scots) James V’s Palace at Stirling is one of the finest and best-preserved Renaissance buildings in Great Britain. Following a major programme of research and

A Review: The Lady and the Poet by Maeve Haran

2011-07-17T17:07:00.003-04:00

Product Details Paperback: 384 pages Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Reprint edition (March 15, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 0312671156 ISBN-13: 978-0312671150 BOOK SYNOPSIS The unlikely yet enduring love between Jacobean poet John Donne and Ann More inspires British writer Maeve Haran to write her first historical novel: Set against the sumptuousness and intrigues of Queen Elizabeth I’s

Effie: The Passionate Lives of Effie Gray, John Ruskin and John Everett Millais By Suzanne Fagence Cooper: A Review

2011-06-29T18:33:00.000-04:00

Author Suzanne Fagence Cooper reads from her novel Effie Gray. U.S. Book Cover Hardcover: 288 pagesPublisher: St. Martin's Press; Reprint edition (June 21, 2011)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 0312581734ISBN-13: 978-0312581732 UK Cover from 2010. I love this cover it's beautiful. SYNOPSIS Effie Gray, a beautiful and intelligent young socialite, rattled the foundations of England's Victorian age.

Lady Margaret Beaufort Countess of Richmond and Derby (31 May 1443 or 1441 – 29 June 1509)

2011-06-29T12:32:00.002-04:00

The above video provides clips from Historian David Starkey narrating the life of Lady Margaret Beaufort. However, Starkey is not a fan of Richard III so Richardians be warned! Lady Margaret Beaufort was the mother of King Henry VII and grandmother of King Henry VIII of England. She was a key figure in the Wars of the Roses, an influential matriarch of the House of Tudor and foundress of two

Legacy: The Acclaimed Novel of Elizabeth, England's Most Passionate Queen -- and the Three Men Who Loved Her by Susan Kay

2011-06-21T16:32:00.001-04:00

We are such stuff as dreams are made on and our little life is rounded with a sleep -- Skakespeare, The Tempest Within the labyrinth she walked slowly down the corridor, knowing it to be the longest and the last. She had conquered and no fear informed her stately progress now, only idle curiousity to see what waited at the end of this journey inwards. When she found the door she was not unduly

The Arrest of Thomas Cromwell: Machiavellian Minister of Henry VIII: 10 June 1540

2011-06-10T14:36:00.000-04:00

Thomas Cromwell being taken to the Tower of Londonafter being sentenced to death. 1540: Thomas Cromwell It was on this date in 1540 that Thomas Cromwell fell by the instrument he had wielded so ably against so many others. While Henry strove to get his end away, Thomas Cromwell made the Reformation, setting his energetic hand to the needfully violent reordering of England. In almost a decade as

Happy Birthday Sir John Everett Millais 8 June 1829 – 13 August 1896

2011-06-08T18:57:00.000-04:00

Sir John Everett Millais Sir John Everett Millais, 1st Baronet, PRA was an English painter and illustrator and one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. His prodigious artistic talent won him a place at the Royal Academy schools at the unprecedented age of eleven. While there, he met William Holman Hunt and Dante Gabriel Rossetti with whom he formed the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (

The Coronation of Anne Boleyn 1 June 1533

2011-06-01T16:44:00.000-04:00

Late 16th Century Portrait of Anne Boleyn by unknown artist This account of Anne Boleyn's coronation was written by the Tudor chronicler Edward Hall. Henry only provided coronations for his first two wives. Katharine of Aragon shared his coronation in 1509; Anne's lavish ceremony took place on 29 May 1533. She would be executed almost exactly three years later. The coronation was not a

Sepulchre By Kate Mosse: A Review

2011-05-31T11:13:00.000-04:00

Author, Kate Mosse introduces herself, tells a bit about writing this novel, and then reads the entire prologue! Leave the lights on... In 1891, young Léonie Vernier and her brother Anatole arrive in the beautiful town of Rennes-les-Bains, in southwest France. They’ve come at the invitation of their widowed aunt, whose mountain estate, Domain de la Cade, is famous in the region. But it soon

A Review of Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal And The White

2011-05-17T17:44:00.000-04:00

2011 BBC Production of The Crimson Petal And The White. It hasn't aired in the US yet. The first episode, opening scene, is taken verbatim from the novel's opening chapter. You've just met Sugar, a prostitute in London, 1874. She's right, "Watch your step, keep your wits about you; you will need them". The Title of Michel Faber's 2002 novel, 'The Crimson Petal And The White' is taken from "Now

Virgin and the Crab: Sketches, Fables and Mysteries from the Early Life of John Dee and Elizabeth Tudor by Robert Parry: A Review

2011-05-16T13:41:00.003-04:00

Sleep descends and night with its dark melodious whispers fills the air. Can you see me? Yes. I was gazing at the Moon, and her watery face - just as you once told me, remember? I do remember. Can you see me still? Yes. I have sent you my thoughts along the river, dancing upon the water where the swans glide among the reeds and willows. Each night, I have sent my wishes to the very doors and

Trial Day For Queen Anne Boleyn

2011-05-15T14:43:00.000-04:00

475 years ago today,on the 15th May 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn was tried in the King’s Hall in the Tower of London. The trial was to be a major public spectacle, attracting, around 2,000 spectators, according to Chapuys. Sir William Kingston had arranged for a “great scaffold” (platform) to be erected in the middle of the hall with benches and seats arranged for the lords, and benches along the

Fallen In Love: the secret heart of Anne Boleyn

2011-05-14T16:07:00.000-04:00

Theatrical trailer for a new UK based play entitled, 'Fallen In Love' the secret heart of Anne Boleyn. The year is 1536. The woman who changed the world forever by capturing the heart of a King, faces trial with her brother George on charges of adultery, incest and treason. Witness a nation irreversibly transformed as the most passionate and decisive events of England’s history unfold in the

Getting To Know Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (1532-1588)

2011-05-12T12:50:00.000-04:00

Exhibition: Lord Leicester’s Warwickshire: The Life and Legacy of Robert Dudley Exhibit runs from: Saturday,25 June 2011 - Sunday,18 September 2011 The central figure in the exhibition will be Robert Dudley (1532 – 1588), Earl of Leicester, the ambitious and flamboyant favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. Feared and envied by contemporaries, it was rumoured that he ordered the murder of his first

Meeting Cecily of York: Queen By Right by Anne Easter Smith

2011-05-10T13:04:00.008-04:00

Paperback: 528 pages Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (May 10, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 141655047X ISBN-13: 978-1416550471 Anne Easter Smith's latest release entitled, 'Queen By Right' tells the story of Cecily of York, mother of two kings and one of English history’s most intelligent and courageous women. Cecily Neville, duchess of York and ancestor of every English monarch to

2 May 1536 ~ Anne Boleyn Arrested and taken to the Tower of London

2011-05-02T09:55:00.000-04:00

The second of May, in the year 1536, started off like any other day for Queen Anne watching a game of tennis at Greenwich Palace when a messenger approached her saying, "by order of the King immediately go and present herself before the Privy Council". At this time, Anne is unaware that her brother, George Boleyn, had been arrested for treason and taken to the tower. Anne Boleyn left the tennis

A Review of Claude and Camille: A Novel of Monet by Stephanie Cowell

2011-04-30T12:27:00.000-04:00

Paperback, 352 pages Published April 5th 2011 by Crown Publishing Group (first published 2010) ISBN 0307463222 (ISBN13: 9780307463227) charactersClaude Monet, Camille Doncieux, Frédéric Bazille, Alice Hoschedé settingGiverny, 1908 (France) BOOK DESCRIPTION Sometimes he dreamt he held her; that he would turn in bed and she would be there. But she was gone and he was old. Nearly seventy. Only

Remembering Queen Elizabeth I On Her Funeral Day

2011-04-28T12:32:00.000-04:00

Funeral of Queen Elizabeth I Queen Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VIII by Anne Boleyn and was born at Greenwich 7 September 1533 and died at Richmond 24 March 1603. She was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 15 January 1559 by Dr Oglethorpe, Bishop of Carlisle. The Archbishop of Canterbury usually performs this ceremony but the See (Bishop's Diocese) was vacant at that time and the

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

2011-04-25T17:20:00.000-04:00

Possible US Book CoverJW Waterhouse, Ophelia, 1864: Does anyone else see similarities to above cover? UK Book Cover Book Details Published15/09/2011 PublisherSimon & Schuster Ltd ISBN9781847374592 Synopsis Jacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and kinswoman to half the royalty of Europe, was married to the great Englishman John, Duke of Bedford, uncle to Henry VI. Widowed at the age of

Knights of the Garter for Robert Dudley and Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk

2011-04-23T08:20:00.000-04:00

"When first this order was ordain'd, my lords, Knights of the garter were of noble birth, Valiant and virtuous, full of haughty courage, Such as were grown to credit by the wars; Not fearing death, nor shrinking for distress, But always resolute in most extremes. He then that is not furnish'd in this sort Doth but usurp the sacred name of knight, Profaning this most honourable order, And should,

Unsealed: The Bess of Hardwick Exhibit

2011-04-18T15:10:00.000-04:00

Unsealed – The Letters of Bess of Hardwick Exhibit at Hardwick Hall,Derbyshire, running currently - April - October 2011: Dukes and spies; queens and servants; friends and lovers all of the Elizabethan world populates the letters of Bess of Hardwick. Bess herself wrote hundreds of letters throughout her life: they were her lifeline to her travelling children and husbands, to the court at London,

A Review: Elizabeth I By Margaret George

2011-04-10T10:03:00.000-04:00

Product Details Pub. Date: April 2011 Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated Format: Hardcover , 671pp Sales Rank: 161 ISBN-13: 9780670022533 ISBN: 0670022535 Synopsis New York Times bestselling author Margaret George captures history's most enthralling queen-as she confronts rivals to her throne and to her heart. One of today's premier historical novelists, Margaret George dazzles here as

Dante Gabriel Rossetti: Painter, Poet, PreRaphaelite 12 May 1828 – 9 April 1882

2011-04-09T11:06:00.000-04:00

Dante Gabriel Rossetti was born on 12 May 1828 and died on 9 April 1882. The son of émigré Italian scholar Gabriele Pasquale Giuseppe Rossetti and his wife Frances Polidori. Rossetti was born in London, England and originally named Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti. His family and friends called him Gabriel, but in publications he put the name Dante first (in honor of Dante Alighieri). He was the

The Life of Charlotte Bronte Remembered: Was She Jane Eyre?

2011-03-31T12:14:00.000-04:00

Who would have ever thought a novel published in 1847 by a woman would be a most treasured novel and still be made into movies! I'm guessing not the authoress herself! The latest 2011 version of Jane Eyre to grace screens worldwide. I have seen it, it is fantastic, much more Gothic but don't worry the romance is still there! Charlotte Bronte was born in Thornton, Yorkshire in 1816, the

Virginia Woolf: A Life Remembered: 25 January 1882 – 28 March 1941

2011-03-28T20:33:00.001-04:00

Virginia Woolf's real name was Adeline Virginia Stephen born in London in 1882. Her mother was a renowned beauty, Julia Prinsep Stephen (1846–1895), was born in India to Dr. John and Maria Pattle Jackson and later moved to England with her mother, where she served as a model for Pre-Raphaelite painter Sir Edward Burne-Jones. Her father, Sir Leslie Stephen, was a notable historian, author, critic

In Remembrance of Elizabeth I (1533-1603)

2011-03-23T18:07:00.000-04:00

On 24 March 1603, Four Hundred and Eight years ago today, Elizabeth I,Queen Regnant of England and Ireland, passed away quietly in her chambers at Richmond Palace between two and three in the morning. Elizabeth's coffin was carried downriver at night to Whitehall Palace, on a barge lit with torches. At her funeral on 28 April, the coffin was taken to Westminster Abbey on a hearse drawn by four

Death of a Chimney Sweep by MC Beaton

2011-03-21T15:03:00.000-04:00

Hardcover: 256 pages Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (February 25, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 9780446547390 ISBN-13: 978-0446547390 ASIN: 0446547395 Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1 x 8.5 inches I am an avid fan of author, MC Beaton. 'Death of a Chimney Sweep' is the twenty-sixth novel in her Hamish Macbeth series. I have read them all. So, with the recent publication of her latest novel,

The Imprisonment of Princess Elizabeth

2011-03-18T19:32:00.001-04:00

Taken from BBC production The Virgin Queen: Princess Elizabeth is interrogated at The Tower of London, scenes with her ladies in waiting, Kat Astley inside The Bell Tower etc. On 18 March 1554 Princess Elizabeth was imprisoned in The Bell Tower at The Tower of London by order of her half sister and ruling Queen of England, Mary I (Tudor) or (Bloody Mary) and as a result of The Wyatt Rebellion.

Lady of Hay 25th Anniversary Edition By Barbara Erskine

2011-03-13T18:24:00.005-04:00

Upon the UK publishing of the 25th Anniversary Edition of my favorite Barbara Erskine novel, Lady of Hay, I ordered it immediately. A week later, I opened my AmazonUK package and just held the large paperback novel in my hot little hands. Having read it previously, several years ago, I was extremely tempted to flip to the end of the book and just read the short synopsis to find out what happened

To Defy A King By Elizabeth Chadwick

2011-03-07T12:39:00.000-05:00

Pub. Date: March 2011 Publisher: Sourcebooks, Incorporated Format: Paperback , 544pp Sales Rank: 39,354 ISBN-13: 9781402250897 ISBN: 1402250894 Synopsis The privileged daughter of one of the most powerful men in England, Mahelt Marshal’s life changes dramatically when her father is suspected by King John. Her brothers become hostages and Mahelt is married to Hugh Bigod, heir to the earldom of

Q&A of The Arrow Chest with Robert Parry

2011-03-03T14:28:00.001-05:00

Thank you Robert for generously taking time out of your schedule to answer my numerous questions. As a writer, I have included questions about 'The Arrow Chest' and Robert's writing process as well! At the end of the Q&A, I have provided two website links for more information on Robert Parry. Please feel free to leave me any questions or comments. I love hearing from you and ENJOY... 1)

The Arrow Chest By Robert Parry

2011-03-01T00:55:00.006-05:00

Title: THE ARROW CHEST Author: Robert Parry Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical literary, Victorian Gothic ISBN-10: 1452801142 ISBN-13: 978-1452801148 342 pages Publication date 4th January 2011 Available in Paperback on Amazon.com for $11.95 and also on Kindle. Synopsis London, 1876. The painter Amos Roselli is in love with his life-long friend and model, the beautiful Daphne – and she with

Royal Weddings & Anna Bolena

2011-02-24T20:12:00.000-05:00

By no means do I follow The Royal Family. However, I have always admired Princess Diana for her courage to stand her ground towards The Queen in regards to how she would raise William and Harry. She made sure her boys would be raised understanding that just because you are born into royalty not everyone has the same privileges and impressed upon them the importance of charity work. She was the

Edward VI 28 January 1547 – 6 July 1553

2011-02-20T15:45:00.000-05:00

Although, today is officially the anniversary of the coronation of King Edward VI, I am honoring the brief but important fifteen year life of the only son of Henry VIII and his third wife Queen Jane Seymour. Jane's pregnancy was made known in February 1537, and in September she officially withdrew to her chamber at Hampton Court to await the birth of her child. After a long labour of two days

The Changing Face of William Shakespeare

2011-02-18T15:24:00.000-05:00

The above video is from The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, birthplace of William Shakespeare. It was recorded in 2009 when the Cobb Portrait (detailed below re: Morgan Exhibit) was discovered. I thought the video would be an interesting tie-in to the current exhibit. More details about this Cobbe Portrait taken from The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust: The Claims

Elizabeth of York 11 February 1466 – 11 February 1503

2011-02-11T14:10:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth of York was Queen consort of England as spouse of King Henry VII from 1486 until 1503, mother of King Henry VIII of England and Grandmother to Elizabeth I (daughter of King Henry VIII & Queen Anne Boleyn) as well as Edward VI of England (son of Henry VIII & Jane Seymour). In addition, Elizabeth of York is the only English queen to have been a daughter, sister, niece, wife and mother of

The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots 8 February 1587

2011-02-08T11:38:00.000-05:00

Today marks the anniversary of the execution of Mary Stuart Queen of Scotland (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587) known as Mary Queen of Scots. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King James V of Scotland. She was 6 days old when her father died and she was crowned nine months later. In 1558, she married Francis, Dauphin of France, who ascended the French throne as Francis II in 1559

Save Anne Boleyn Portrait

2011-02-04T21:40:00.000-05:00

London National Portrait Gallery needs your help! As an avid Anne Boleyn fan and fan of the Tudor dynasty since childhood, I have been very blessed to have met many wonderful writers of historical fiction. One of whom runs On the Tudor Trail She has created a Facebook page to help raise awareness of the desperate plight of this famous portrait of Anne Boleyn. So I thought I would help spread the

The Death of King Henry VIII

2011-01-28T13:38:00.000-05:00

King Henry VIII died on 28 January 1547. Henry VIII was buried in St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, next to his third wife Jane Seymour, the mother of his son and heir Edward VI. He was 56 years of age when he died, not a bad age to reach during the Tudor period. So did he die of old age, was there a specific illness or was the cause of death syphilis? To ascertain the cause of the death

Secret Marriage of Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn

2011-01-25T13:39:00.000-05:00

25 January 1533 is one of the dates of a secret marriage between Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn. There is not much historical record or documentation clarifying the exact date or providing much information at all. Instead of doing a blog post with said information I am doing the following: In honor of the wedding anniversary of Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn, I am sharing a brief historical part of a

Alison Weir & Tracy Borman

2011-01-17T10:47:00.000-05:00

I recently found two book reviews or just my thoughts really on two novels that were published in the UK in 2009 and in the US in 2010 so I'm sharing my ideas with you! I am an avid fan of Alison Weir's historical biographies and being such an admirer of Anne Boleyn, simply could not wait to read Alison Weir's latest novel. I was not disappointed. The first question I asked myself was What

Elizabeth I Coronation 15 January 1559

2011-01-15T12:05:00.000-05:00

Why was the date of 15 January 1559 chosen as the coronation date? One of Elizabeth's first appointments as Queen was to assign the radical Protestant Robert Dudley to be chief organiser of her coronation. Dudley immediately called upon the assistance of astrologer John Dee. Choosing the date of the coronation was extremely important. England could not afford another difficult reign like the

Mary Boleyn: By Alison Weir

2011-01-10T22:03:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite historians and authors is Alison Weir whom I discovered by accident back in the 1990's when I read, 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII' simply for pleasure then later for a college history class. Thus, she started me on my road to historical biographies! When perusing the author's website, I found some information on her upcoming historical biography. However, I found three

My Favorite Novels of 2010

2011-01-02T15:28:00.000-05:00

Here are my top favorite reads of 2010 with a book cover and brief synopsis in no particular order: Having fictionalized Elizabeth Woodville in The White Queen (2009), royal chronicler Gregory now turns to Henry VIII's other indomitable grandmother. The opposite of her alluring Yorkist rival, plain Lancastrian heiress Margaret Beaufort grows up knowing women are useful only for bearing sons, but

Margaret George Novel Elizabeth I

2010-12-30T21:22:00.002-05:00

Margaret George's upcoming novel entitled, 'Elizabeth I' will be released on both continents on the same day: April 5/ 5, April, 2011!! SOUND THE TRUMPETS The publication information is the same via Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk: Hardcover: 688 pages Publisher: Viking Adult (April 5, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 0670022535 ISBN-13: 978-0670022533 Description New York Times best-selling

Merry Christmas Tudor Style

2010-12-22T14:05:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! The above video is something I found perusing youtube and it made me laugh. I wanted to share it with you all and in my way say thank you to all of my fellow lovers of all things Tudor and Historical. Thank You to every single blog follower, friend, and reader who has taken the time to read my posts and ask questions about my writing. I hope you all have a wonderfully fun

Katherine D'Aragon Queen Of England 1485-1536

2010-12-15T11:25:00.000-05:00

In honor of Queen Katharine's birthday, I am focussing on her life with her husband, King of England, Henry VIII instead of the traditional biography life summary. Katherine served as Queen of England from 1509-1533 when on 11 June 1509 she married Henry VIII in a private ceremony at Greenwich Church. She was 23 years of age. The king was just days short of his 18th birthday. Her coronation

My Three Tudor Queen Articles: Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I

2010-11-26T19:35:00.000-05:00

Article 1 Anne BoleynThye Most Happy I firmly believe Anne Boleyn stood out to Henry VIII not only for her rumoured beauty but because she was unlike any British born woman he had ever met. This is partly the reason why she is still being talked about to this day.During her adolescent years, Anne Boleyn was groomed and educated in the Netherlands and France by three very influential women: