TEASER TUESDAYS is hosted by ShouldBeReading and asks you to:
♠Grab your current read.
♠Let the book fall open to a random page.
♠Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
♠You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
♠Please avoid spoilers!

The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming

"Abrupty she imagines a landscape of bridges melting away underfoot and buildings changing shape, whole cities unmaking themselves as their past is rewritten. The vision of a destroyed world, populated with orphans like herself, each tormented by doubt and struggling to find a home in the alien present." ~ page 202

Happiness is... bags of books to read, but no review requirements..

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week. And I am adding what I purchased, swapped, etc.

This week I went shopping at Half Price Books, courtesy of my $100 gift card for my anniversary. I love my husband!! I left $11 on the card so I have an excuse to go back again.

I purchased TWO BAGS of books: ((squueeee!!!)) All of the books in the photo above are from me to me. There is one last book listed at the bottom that I received through the Shelf Awareness program for review.

Court Lady and Country Wife: Two Noble Sisters in Seventeenth-Century England by Lita-Rose Betcherman (10/2005)

"Born during the prominence at the court of Charles I. Lucy, the Countess of Carlisle, dominated the royal scene. Her beauty was immortalized in magnificent Van Dyck portraits, her political skills attracted many famous lovers, and her talent as a gossip ensured her inclusion in the queen's inner circle—until civil war and its machinations led to her imprisonment in the Tower of London.

Her sister, Dorothy, Countess of Leicester—wife of a diplomat and an ancestor of Princess Diana—managed the family estates and raised twelve surviving children. Though brilliant, with a keen eye and special purview of European politics, she had a reputation as a shrewish wife and, when her husband rebelled after thirty-five years of marriage, it caused a public scandal.

Viewing a tempestuous era through the exceptional lives of Lucy and Dorothy Percy, Lita-Rose Betcherman's Court Lady and Country Wife offers a perfect window into a remarkable world."

Drake by Stephen J. Coote (2003)
"Sir Francis Drake: pirate, explorer and Protestant zealot, a man princely in his bearing, heroic if sometimes foolhardy in his enterprise, a genius at once awe-inspiring and riddled with faults. He is the archetypal Elizabethan sea-dog, and Stephen Coote's brilliant new book rescues him from the dusty pages of history to breathe new life into one of the great maritime adventure stories. Focusing on the episodes that made Drake's reputation -- and exploring not just the nature of that reputation but how it also, for better or worse, came to epitomise a sense of nationhood -- Stephen Coote re-creates all the excitement and terror of the raids on Spanish Caribbean ports during Drake's privateering days; the extraordinary feat of the circumnavigation aboard the 'Golden Hind'; and Drake's role in the famous defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Told with novelistic verve, DRAKE is a thoroughly modern re-assessment of a man who embodied all the ebullient courage and personal shortcomings of the great age of Elizabethan expansion. Was Drake just a rabid anti-papist, a state-sponsored terrorist and slaver? Or was he the embodiment of English sang-froid, an empire-builder and hero? This gripping and entertaining biography gives us a picture of the man altogether richer and more interesting than we could have imagined."

A Royal Affair: George III and His Scandalous Siblings by Stella Tillyard (2006, pictured in the middle of my photo at top)
"The acclaimed author of Aristocrats returns with a major new book that reveals the story of a regal family plagued by scandal and notoriety and trapped by duty, desire, and the protocols of royalty.History remembers King George III of England as the mad monarch who lost America. But as a young man, this poignant figure set aside his own passions in favor of a temperate life as guardian to both his siblings and his country. He would soon learn that his prudently cultivated harmony would be challenged by the impetuous natures of his sisters and brothers, and by a changing world in which the very instituation of monarchy was under fire.

At the heart of Stella Tillyard’s intimate and vivid account is King George’s sister Caroline Mathilde. Married against her will at fifteen to the ailing king of Denmark, she broke all the rules by embarking on an affair with a radical young court doctor. Their rash experiment in free living ended in imprisonment, death, and exile and almost led their two countries to war.
Around this tragedy are woven the stories of King George’s scandalous brothers, who squandered their time and titles partying and indulging in disastrous relationships that the gossip-hungry press was all too delighted to report.

Historians have always been puzzled by George’s refusal to give up on America, which forced his government to drag out the Revolutionary War long after it was effectively lost. Tillyard suggests that the king, seeing the colonists as part of his family, sought to control them in the same way he had attempted to rule his younger siblings.In this brilliantly interpretive biography, Stella Tillyard conjures up a Georgian world of dynastic marriages, headstrong royals, and radical new ideas. A compelling story of private passions and public disgrace, rebellion and exile, A Royal Affair brings to life the dramatic events that served as a curtain-raiser to the revolutions that convulsed two continents."

Murder of a Medici Princess by Caroline P. Murphy (2008) "In Murder of a Medici Princess, Caroline Murphy illuminates the brilliant life and tragic death of Isabella de Medici, one of the brightest stars in the dazzling world of Renaissance Italy, the daughter of Duke Cosimo I, ruler of Florence and Tuscany.
Murphy is a superb storyteller, and her fast-paced narrative captures the intrigue, the scandal, the romantic affairs, and the violence that were commonplace in the Florentine court. She brings to life an extraordinary woman, fluent in five languages, a free-spirited patron of the arts, a daredevil, a practical joker, and a passionate lover. Isabella, in fact, conducted numerous affairs, including a ten-year relationship with the cousin of her violent and possessive husband. Her permissive lifestyle, however, came to an end upon the death of her father, who was succeeded by her disapproving older brother Francesco. Considering Isabella's ways to be licentious and a disgrace upon the family, he permitted her increasingly enraged husband to murder her in a remote Medici villa. To tell this dramatic story, Murphy draws on a vast trove of newly discovered and unpublished documents, ranging from Isabella's own letters, to the loose-tongued dispatches of ambassadors to Florence, to contemporary descriptions of the opulent parties and balls, salons and hunts in which Isabella and her associates participated. Murphy resurrects the exciting atmosphere of Renaissance Florence, weaving Isabella's beloved city into her story, evoking the intellectual and artistic community that thrived during her time. Palaces and gardens in the city become places of creativity and intrigue, sites of seduction, and grounds for betrayal.
Here then is a narrative of compelling and epic proportions, magnificent and alluring, decadent and ultimately tragic."

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Pink Carnation, #1)by Lauren Willig

WHO IS THE PINK CARNATION? Eloise Kelly was looking for answers to one of history’s greatest mysteries, but found something even better: Intrigue. Espionage. Romance. Swordplay. Comedy.»Learn More...

The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation, #3)by Lauren Willig Rebellion is brewing in Ireland, egged on by the unquenchable Black Tulip. The Pink Carnation and Geoffrey Pinchingdale-Snipe (formerly of the League of the Purple Gentian) are on the case. But as the Irish uprising draws nearer and the Black Tulip grows bolder, Geoff finds himself struggling with a very different sort of problem. An unexpected wife.»Learn More

The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation, #4)by Lauren Willig
Determined to secure another London season without assistance from her new brother-in-law, Mary Alsworthy accepts a secret assignment from Lord Vaughn on behalf of the Pink Carnation: to infiltrate the ranks of the dreaded French spy, the Black Tulip, before he and his master can stage their planned invasion of England.»Learn More...

I have resisted these books for a long time, but since book #2 (Black Tulip) is on the way from Swaptree I figured I may as well buy some of the others. The last one (The Betrayal of the Blood Lily (Pink Carnation, #6) is to be released January 2010.

The Passion of Artemisia (Paperback) by Susan Vreeland (2002) "Recently rediscovered by art historians, and one of the few female post-Renaissance painters to achieve fame during her own era, Artemisia Gentileschi led a remarkably "modern" life. Susan Vreeland tells Artemisia's captivating story, beginning with her public humiliation in a rape trial at the age of eighteen, and continuing through her father's betrayal, her marriage of convenience, motherhood, and growing fame as an artist. Set against the glorious backdrops of Rome, Florence, Genoa, and Naples, inhabited by historical characters such as Galileo and Cosimo de' Medici II, and filled with rich details about life as a seventeenth-century painter, Vreeland creates an inspiring story about one woman's lifelong struggle to reconcile career and family, passion and genius."

A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott "Rosamond Vivian, brought up on a remote island by an indifferent grandfather, swears she'd sell her soul to Satan for a year of freedom. When Philip Tempest enters her life, she is ripe for the plucking, but is soon caught up in a web of intrigue, cruelty and deceit stretching back far into the past. Remarkable for its portrayal of a sensual, spirited Victorian heroine, Louisa May Alcott's work, too shocking to be published during her lifetime, tells a compulsive tale of love, desire and deceit. Its publication more than a century after being written marks a new page in literary history."

And I also couldn't resist two books that had garnered alot of publicity:

The Shack by William P. Young (2007) "Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend."

Olive Kitteridge: A Novel in Stories by Elizabeth Strout
"At times stern, at other times patient, at times perceptive, at other times in sad denial, Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher, deplores the changes in her little town of Crosby, Maine, and in the world at large, but she doesn’t always recognize the changes in those around her: a lounge musician haunted by a past romance; a former student who has lost the will to live; Olive’s own adult child, who feels tyrannized by her irrational sensitivities; and her husband, Henry, who finds his loyalty to his marriage both a blessing and a curse.

As the townspeople grapple with their problems, mild and dire, Olive is brought to a deeper understanding of herself and her life–sometimes painfully, but always with ruthless honesty. Olive Kitteridge offers profound insights into the human condition–its conflicts, its tragedies and joys, and the endurance it requires."

And last but not least from my shopping glee:
Jane Austen: Her Life by Park Honan (2008)

"Drawing on diaries, memoirs, and letters written by members of the Austen family, this sympathetic and probing biography enters the private world of Jane Austen, revealing experiences and observations she drew upon to write such masterpieces as Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility. Austen's childhood is recreated, sketching her devotion to her ambitious parents and drawing a lively picture of Jane's two brothers—one of whom served with Nelson's navy at Trafalgar—and of Jane's closest confidante, her elder sister Cassandra. Set against a backdrop of rural Hampshire and Bath, Austen's life moves between a closely observed domestic setting with family and friends to descriptions of dances and parties, social mores, and malice. This account brings new insights into her checkered love life, her moments of loneliness and frustration, and her ironic appreciation of her situation as an intelligent, economically dependent woman."

And from Swaptree I received:

The Fool's Tale by Nicole Galland "Wales, 1198. A time of treachery, passion, and uncertainty. King Maelgwyn ap Cadwallon, known as Noble, struggles to protect his small kingdom from foes outside and inside his borders. Pressured into a marriage of political convenience, he takes as his bride the young, headstrong Isabel Mortimer, niece of his powerful English nemesis.
Through strength of character, Isabel wins her husband's grudging respect, but finds the Welsh court backward and barbaric, and is soon engaged in a battle of wills against Gwirion, the king's oldest, oddest, and most trusted friend. Before long, however, Gwirion and Isabel's mutual animosity is abruptly transformed, and the king finds himself as threatened by loved ones as by the enemies who menace his crown.
A masterful novel by a gifted storyteller, The Fool's Tale combines vivid historical fiction, compelling political intrigue, and passionate romance to create an intimate drama of three individuals bound -- and undone -- by love and loyalty."

The one book that I did receive from the publisher, and almost forgot about (ooops!)

Fireworks over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff (April 2010)

"Every so often that story comes along that reminds us of what it’s like to experience love for the first time—against the odds, when you least expect it, and with such passion that it completely changes you forever.
An unexpected discovery takes eighty-four-year-old Lily Davis Woodward to 1945, and the five days that forever changed her life. Married for only a week before her husband was sent to fight in WWII, Lily is anxious for his return, and the chance to begin their life together. In honor of the soldiers' homecoming, the small Georgia town of Toccoa plans a big celebration. And Jake Russo, a handsome Italian immigrant, also back from war, is responsible for the elaborate fireworks display the town commissioned. But after a chance encounter in a star-lit field, he steals Lily's heart and soul--and fulfills her in ways her socially-minded, upper-class family cannot. Now, torn by duty to society and her husband--and the poor, passionate man who might be her only true love--Lily must choose between a commitment she's already made and a love she’s never known before.
Fireworks Over Toccoa takes us to a moment in time that will resonate with readers long after the book’s unforgettable conclusion. A devastating and poignant story, this debut novel will resonate with anyone who believes in love."

And now I am in DIRE need for that other bookcase.

Speaking of giveaways... I've got three going on RIGHT NOW!!!!

See my left sidebar at the top to follow the links to all the giveaways.. and the fantastic author interview with Leslie Carroll goes along with a giveaway to her newest release, Notorious Royal Marriages. There are some fantastic creative posts on Royalty and book reviews courtesy of my fellow Historical Fiction Round Table members. Lucy at Enchanted by Josephine is my biggest fan, and she has a great post on Napoleon and Josephine (go figure!) here, and you can see the rest of the list on the main HFRT site. Leslie Carrol even wrote some guest posts for the event such as one on Mary, Queen of Scots, which can be found at Lizzy's blog, Historically Obsessed. So many things going and too many to list, so you really need to visit the main site for many chances to win your copy of Notorious Royal Marriages.

Onwards..The Blogoversary Giveaway has been pretty stagnant so I may end that one early.. so that's your warning to get in there and enter. And don't forget the newest Darcy variation by Abigail Reynolds.. two winners for that one! Please be advised, that the ONLY requirements for the giveaways are that you leave me an email address. If there is no email address, you will not be eligible. I think that is a simple enough request and I mentioned for every giveaway, so please pay attention. Of course you are advised to leave it in a spam-blocker format such as replacing the @ with the word 'at'.

I've got quite a large mailbox coming your way for Monday, although only a couple came to the mailbox.. (I bought them and drove the books home myself!) And on Monday, a book review of the new debut novel by Matthew Flaming called The Kingdom of Ohio. This is a fantastic tie-in to the book I just reviewed by Samantha Hunt, The Invention of Everything Else.

A rare author event somewhat close to me is going to occur!! About 40 miles away the author Leila Meacham will be at Legacy Books in Plano on February 10, 2010 at 7:30. Leila is the proud writer of ROSES.. which focuses on a family in my humble state of Texas.

Have you heard of this book yet? I cannot believe it took me as long as it did to hear about it. It was unfortunate that many of my fellow bloggers who were buzzing about it were overlooked by me because of the holidays and work pressures. It is a shame I missed out on the buzz... so here I am buzzing along with you, albeit quite belatedly!

On BlogTalkRadio you can hear the fabulous accent of this new author, and she is a doll!!! I cannot wait to meet her, and if anyone else in the DFW area is going, let me know! I would love to meet you too! No, I haven't read the book, but I hope to really soon, and I am going to have to push some other reads to the side in order to read this one around the event date. But a girl has gotta do what a girl has gotta do!!

Just check out this brief description: "Spanning the 20th century, the story of Roses takes place in a small East Texas town against the backdrop of the powerful timber and cotton industries, industries controlled by the scions of the town's founding families. Cotton tycoon Mary Toliver and timber magnate Percy Warwick should have married but unwisely did not, and now must deal with the deceit, secrets, and tragedies of their choice and the loss of what might have been--not just for themselves but for their children, and children's children. With expert, unabashed, big-canvas storytelling, Roses covers a hundred years, three generations of Texans and the explosive combination of passion for work and longing for love."

I cannot wait to get my hands on this book!! I am hearing my Dallas theme streaming through! Somewhere around #76 on my playlist on the right!

Happy Sunday.. Happy Reading!! (*opening up Island of the Swans by Ciji Ware right now..)

Marie, thank you for the opportunity to share with your readers a little about my background and writing. The historical fiction blogging community has been so supportive and I really have found a cyber-home away from home with you ladies.

As a writer under several pseudonyms, which are your favorite types of stories to write?
I’ve written contemporary and historical novels as well as historical nonfiction, but they’ve all had something in common: relationships. They are all stories about men and women finding (or losing, or having to cope with not having) love. And many of the stories involve the interrelationships among family members as well; not just the relationships between spouses and lovers, but among a given subject’s grandparents and parents, children, and siblings.

Which were your most successful works so far?
It depends on your definition of “success.” I define success as the ability to do something I love—and get paid to do it, too! And every single book I have written has been an intensely enjoyable project for me.

What has been the greatest learning experience for you as a writer?
Hard truths about the business end of the business. For instance, a story that a writer may be bursting to tell might not be one that sells.

You have been an active member in the blogosphere by communicating with bloggers and book reviewers much more than other authors. What are the pros and cons of the online community of which you participate in?
Writing is such a solitary activity that I find it necessary to seek a balance so that I’m not really alone all day with just my own thoughts. And without the personal interaction and life experience, we’d have no stories to tell. Before I found this community I wondered if I was the only geek in the world (besides my agent) who was nuts about a certain subject; and then I found a whole community of like-minded people located all across the globe, who speak the same language (history and historical fiction) that I do, and can talk about the Tudors or the Georgians, for example, like they’re the neighbors down the block who we’ve known for years.

The historical fiction blogging community is so supportive of writers and so passionate about our books that it’s hard to stay away! The flip side of that is that when you’re on a deadline and must-must-must finish writing a certain number of pages or review back cover copy, or copyedits, or complete a research book before the library begins charging you overdue fines … and yet there’s a fascinating discussion taking place on someone’s blog—you just have to chime in, too!


As a resident of New York, (I used to be also!) what is your favorite New York landmark? Where is your favorite place to have lunch? Your favorite Broadway show? Do you prefer to walk, drive, or take the subway or train? If you were forced to move out of New York, where would you like to move to?
My favorite NYC landmark is the carousel in Central Park. My grandmother lived a block away (in an apartment I shared with her after graduating college and which I lived in for several years after she passed on and before I got married). She (or my first cousins, if they were in town) would take me there when I was little. I’ve done a lot of my best thinking there; mourned break-ups, gotten ideas for books or how to fix a scene, and made sure to take a ride every Kentucky Derby Day. And a man wasn’t the guy for me unless he’d ride the carousel with me. The calliope music still plays the same songs they did when I was growing up, so it’s incredibly nostalgic for me every time I visit.

My favorite place to have lunch—if it’s a special treat—would be Serendipity (or afternoon tea at the Four Seasons; they do the most amazing Christmas tea). If I don’t care about my arteries (well, there goes Serendipity again), the Second Avenue Deli (which is no longer on Second Avenue) has the best corned beef in the city.

My favorite Broadway show (I have a number of them) is probably “Kiss Me Kate” because every single song is a hit and the Kate and Petruchio story (told in KMK as a play within a play) is one of my favorites. It’s too often misdirected as a battle of the sexes. It’s really a coming together of equals.

I walk wherever I can (I do a lot of my best thinking while I’m walking down the street as well); ditto for public transportation. I also use the opportunity (when I get a seat) to get research done. I always have a book in my purse, and because the nonfiction in particular requires so much research, it’s a rare day that I can read purely for pleasure.

I always thought I’d be the last person out of NYC—the one to flip the light switch. But if I were “forced” to move out of NYC, it would be for a reason other than choice. Choice would see me living in Bath, England, or London, or Paris, or Venice—Italy, not California. However, I’ve fallen in love with some stateside locations over the past several years: Chicago, Santa Fe, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, Southern Vermont.


As an actress, what were your favorite gigs that you participated in, and do you still act?
I most certainly do still act—when the role, the play, the other people involved, and the time commitment (a salary would be nice as well!) all excite me. My favorite roles have always been sexy, misunderstood women (and wouldn’t you know, those types also happen to be the same women I like to write about in my historical fiction and nonfiction) Favorite roles include Amanda in Noel Coward’s Private Lives (that’s how I chose my former pen name, Amanda Elyot), Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, Milady de Winter in The Three Musketeers, and Guinevere in King Arthur (an 1895 verse version (with musical underscoring by Sir Arthur Sullivan) of the famous love triangle, which first starred the legendary acting duo of Henry Irving and Ellen Terry).


Growing up, you were taught to follow your bliss by your grandmothers. Just what exactly is your bliss these days? How has this changed since you have become an adult?
I’m an adult? Yikes! Now you tell me! I’m probably following my bliss more now than I did when I was younger. Life experience has shown me the importance of doing what you love every day of your life (as long as no one gets hurt, physically or emotionally), following the Golden Rule, and making sure that your loved ones know how much you love them. Even if you have the career you want, it’s important never to forget the people that are integral to your ability to have that lifestyle. The bliss is doubled when you have the home life you want as well, with the right partner.

What has been your biggest disappointment in your life?
I admit to struggling with this question, Marie. Not because I’ve never been disappointed (hah!) but because I’m not sure how to answer it. I will say this: I hate goodbyes, whether it’s because of someone’s death, the close of a show, a friend moving away. I just find them heartbreaking. And all of my grandparents are long gone … but I think about them and their profound effect on my life literally every day.

What has been one of the greatest gifts bestowed on you? (take that in any connotation!)
Meeting—and marrying—my husband, Scott.


Who have been your favorite inspiring authors and favorite books?
I’d prefer not to mention the living authors whose books have delighted me because (a) the list will be long; and (b) if I leave someone out I’ll never hear the end of it; and (c) because I would never want a colleague to think “hey, she didn’t mention me!” So I will keep it short and just mention Jane Austen—because it’s true. And because the experience I had playing Jane in The Novelist, a gorgeous romantic drama written by the prolific novelist himself Howard Fast, directly inspired me to become an author. I even got a novel out of that experience (well, Amanda Elyot did), titled BY A LADY: Being the Adventures of an Enlightened American in Jane Austen’s England. As it’s a time travel, the book is considered a “paranormal.” I consider it a paranormal romp with its tongue slightly inside its cheek. Jane is a supporting character in it as well. There are no zombies or sea monsters, but there is a tantric sex scene—and no, Jane is not in it.

What is your favorite genre to read for pleasure at this point in your life?
Historical fiction—hands down! I become so envious when I see the new releases mentioned on all the HF blogs, and I wish I had time to devour them all.

What book are you reading right now?
At the time I’m answering these questions, I’m reading three biographies of King John—research for my 3rd nonfiction book. By the time this interview runs, I’d better have finished them. Then it’s on to Caroline Weber’s Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution. And if my copy of Peter Mottley’s The Harlot’s Progress has arrived by then, I might be very tempted to set aside my research books and dig right in.


Do you watch TV regularly? What shows do you watch?
I don’t watch TV regularly, though I admit to being a Project Runway junkie. I have never missed an episode. And we don’t have TiVo so we can’t tape the episodes. I’ve been known to rearrange my schedule just to be home in time for the telecast.

In your recent non-fiction works of Royal Affairs and Notorious Royal Marriages, you spotlight some of history's most fascinating royals. Which Royal Couple that you have researched was the most surprising to you?
One couple I absolutely fell in love with was Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. I came into my nonfiction research with preconceived notions about each of them and about their marriage and what I came away with was the inspiration for a fictional trilogy! Biographers and historians lay out the facts of people’s lives, but I like to delve into their psyches (must be the actress in me!) to figure out the motivations and reasons behind certain actions. I think that Marie Antoinette and Louis were in way over their heads. It was hard for her because she was considered the outsider from the start; only a handful of people were in favor of her marriage. And Louis was a shy, nearsighted boy (he was the fat kid in class who everyone picks on, but who has hidden depths, if anyone cares to look). Their problem in the bedroom led to each of them needing an outlet for their sexual frustration. Marie Antoinette became a shopaholic. Louis hunted and stuffed his face. And yet events were so much bigger than both of them. Additionally, the fact that no one liked either of them and they were the butt of so much ridicule and bad press made me feel for them all the more. I love to see underdogs triumph. And in their case I found myself rooting for them all the way to the guillotine, always hoping, although knowing otherwise, that there would be no cool head, or deus ex machina to save them.


What were your favorite little known facts in history that you uncovered during your research?
Unlike her sister, Elizabeth II, the late Princess Margaret was not a Corgi lover. Instead, she had a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Rowley. I laughed so hard when I read that about her because it’s such an inside joke. The Cavalier King Charles Spaniels were named for Charles I and Charles II of England; it was the breed of dog they preferred. Charles II, who also loved his horses, had a stud stallion named Old Rowley. The Merry Monarch himself was quite the stud, siring numerous illegitimate children (though no legitimate ones; his queen, Catherine of Braganza, couldn’t bring a baby to term). Consequently, “Old Rowley” became one of the king’s nicknames as well.

And Edward VIII who abdicated for love of his girlfriend, the twice-divorced American Wallis Warfield Simpson, used to like to dress up in a diaper (according to a former girlfriend, Lady Thelma Furness) and be pushed about in a giant pram. He and Lady Thelma would do needlework side by side. Evidently, several of the Windsor men were quite the dab hand with a needle and embroidery silks!


What is one of the biggest misconceptions of history that has been repeated over and over that you would like to see corrected?
Here’s one: Richard I (Richard the Lionhearted) was most likely not gay. A popular misconception, and an interesting character twist on this manly warrior-king; however it’s not verifiable. In fact, Richard slept with women indiscriminately while he was off on Crusade and may have left illegitimate children all over the place. He didn’t have a child with his wife, Berengaria, because (apart from their wedding), they were scarcely in the same country. She remained in Italy for most of his reign, as the guest of Richard’s sister.


What historic royal figure is your personal favorite and why?
I have soft spots for Marie Antoinette, Josephine, and—believe it or not, Anne of Cleves and Caroline of Brunswick. These women were so maligned during their lifetimes, as well as by historians writing over the subsequent centuries; but too often we’re told only one side of the story—the side that casts them in a negative light. These women were bold and brave in their own ways, with the instincts of survivors. Three of the four women I mentioned were treated so poorly and openly insulted by their own spouses. I see their side of the story and my heart goes out to them, along with my admiration.

Have you visited Europe for your research? What is your favorite European country?
I have visited Europe for my research, though I can never travel there often enough! I don’t think I have a favorite European country, though there are certain cities and towns that resonate with me. I was in Paris (and its outskirts, visiting Malmaison and Versailles) in September, and was reminded how much I adore the city. As a fervent Anglophile (my paternal great-grandparents were English) I love just about every square inch of Britain that I have seen, with many more places yet to visit. Then again, Venice Italy just makes my heart soar.


What are your future writing goals?
To continue to write both historical fiction and nonfiction … there are so many wonderful stories to tell, I’m sure I won’t run out of fascinating people to write about.

You are working on your third non-fiction title, (ROYAL PAINS: A Rogues' Gallery of Brats, Bastards, and Bad Seeds) to be published in the spring of 2011) and you are going to write a historical fiction trilogy on the life of Marie Antoinette. With all this on your plate at this time, what do you do to wind down and relax? What do you do to get yourself in the mood for a productive day of writing?
It’s my job, so I wake up in the morning, and I do it—made all the easier by the fact that I’m having boatloads of fun. I spent years working survival jobs (sometimes three of them simultaneously), so I am grateful for every day that I can walk over to the computer, fire it up, and spend the day doing something I love. I’m my own boss and I make my own hours—how great is that?

I set myself goals every day as to how many pages I plan to write (or to read, if I’m in the research stage). To relax I like to bake, do needlepoint, and if my husband’s home I even find it relaxing to do my research sitting on the couch while he’s reading, on the computer, or watching TV. Old movies on TCM are another great way to relax.

Do you still have time for crafting hobbies? What are your favorite crafts to create?
I’m a big needlepointer. Also a knitter. And I’ve crocheted my share of granny-square afghans in my time, too. I find that working with my hands is a great way to focus my mind. When I was reading all about Jane Austen’s life as I was preparing to play her in The Novelist, I learned that she would embroider to focus her thoughts on a given scene she was writing and when an idea came to her, she would drop her embroidery hoop, pick up her quill and begin to scribble it out.

Who or what is your greatest inspiration at this time?
In all sincerity—pat yourselves on the back—it’s the historical fiction blogging community and their followers! It is incredibly exciting (as well as reassuring) to know that out there in cyberspace there are so many people, with such positive energy, who share the same passion for the subject matter and who are so supportive of authors.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
With more bookshelves! Seriously, I’d like to split my time between NYC and a lovely pastoral place in the country, with plenty of time to travel for my research, and with Scott and a Cavalier King Charles spaniel of my own at my side. I certainly don’t see myself giving up writing, ever. I have writers on both sides of my family, and they got up every morning and hit the typewriter well into their eighties. Their work ethic and their longevity were admirable!

Leslie's Non-Fiction: Notorious Royal Marriages (2010)
Royal Affairs (2009)

Leslie's historical fiction books; written under Amanda Elyot:
The Memoirs of Helen of Troy (2006)
By a Lady (2006)
Too Great A Lady (2007)
All For Love (2008)

Leslie's Blogs: http://www.leslie-carroll.blogspot.com/ and http://royalaffairs.blogspot.com/

The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt
Hardcover 2008, Paperback March 2009 Mariner Books
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Mariner Books; Reprint edition (March 2, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0547085777
Review copy from the publisher
The Burton Review Rating:

This January 7, 2010 marks the 67th anniversary of Nikola Tesla's death. Tesla (July 10, 1856 – January 7, 1943) is the focus of this novel by Samantha Hunt, and I wanted to post this review close to that date in celebration of the life of Nikola Tesla.

This is one of those books that had a product description online and on the back cover that gives too much away and still doesn't do it justice, so I shortened it here:
"From the moment Louisa first catches sight of the strange man who occupies a forbidden room on the thirty-third floor, she is determined to befriend him. Unbeknownst to Louisa, he is Nikola Tesla—inventor of AC electricity and wireless communication—and he is living out his last days at the Hotel New Yorker. Winning his attention through a shared love of pigeons, she eventually uncovers the story of Tesla’s life as a Serbian immigrant and a visionary genius: as a boy he built engines powered by June bugs, as a man he dreamed of pulling electricity from the sky."
('The Invention of Everything Else was short listed for the Orange Prize 2009)

Shunned by the now modern society that Nikola Tesla helped to bring to fruition, author Samantha Hunt brings us her imagined story of Nikola's last days that he had lived out at the Hotel New Yorker. Through Nikola's thoughts, the novel flashes back to Nikola's childhood, his brother, and to the point that he immigrates to America in 1884. This is a story that encompasses many themes, from love, tragedy and loss, to the power of thought and unlimited creativity.

The novel opens up to Tesla at the age of 86, and we get a feel for how the story is going to play out. The author uses flashbacks and multiple viewpoints to embrace the reader fully into the world of 1943, where hotel chambermaid Louisa meets and befriends Tesla just at a time that her father and family friend have decided to embark on a time travel experiment. Louisa is a simple character, and could have been more developed, but perhaps the character of Nikola Tesla simply eclipsed hers in this telling. I certainly felt like I knew more about Tesla from this book, and I was enthralled with the vivid imagery of New York City as the characters lived in it, along with the scenes on Long Island where Tesla had one of his last greatest experiments which failed miserably due to lack of funds and Tesla's fall from social graces.

Nikola Tesla is a Serbian-born immigrant who came to the USA to test his inventions and work with Thomas Edison. Edison promptly fails him, cheating Tesla out of a promised $50,000 (worth much more in today's terms) in exchange for Tesla making Edison's laboratory more efficient. This was a sad sign of things to come for Tesla, where money issues seemed to plague Tesla forever after this incident. Although J.P. Morgan did back Tesla's experiments for a time, once Morgan learned that the invention that Tesla wanted to accomplish was free wireless electricity for all, Morgan pulled his support. Morgan had achieved a sort of monopoly by that time by reaping the benefits of the electricity revenues and he had no intention of giving it away for free.

The novel does not focus on Edison or Morgan but they needed to be mentioned so that the readers understood the reason for Tesla's unsuccessful ventures. Tesla was successful with Westinghouse when they harnessed electricity using the power of the Niagara Falls, but this is also not covered very much except to say that Tesla tore up the contract where at that time was worth $12,000,000 in royalties. But Tesla did it for the greater good, for the power of electricity to survive and to keep Morgan from owning the company that Westinghouse and Tesla co-partnered. There were quite a few things that Tesla created, from X-Rays to the Tesla coil and robotics. There were murmurings of Tesla's insanity as he tried to harness the unknown from outer space, and thus he was immediately discredited as talking to Mars. The "Teslascope" was the invention in progress of Tesla's that he wanted to be his greatest yet, but in the world's eyes at the time of 1901 he was effectively becoming a quack. It was a secret experiment, and to this day is still a mystery to the modern man for what Tesla was trying to accomplish by communicating with Mars. The novel also touches on the Death Ray, also known as the peace beam, which Tesla seemingly wanted to use to end warfare, and that the F.B.I. were spying on him for this and other information. The USSR had paid Tesla $25,000 in 1939 after testing the first stage of the Death Ray.

Once I started this novel, I seriously could not put it down and I read the last 3/4 of the book in one sitting. A minor drawback is that this is not a long book and it had room for much more. It does not drag at all within the plot, as we leaped from the present to past and back again, but this was done in such a cohesive way that it enthralled me. I enjoyed the mentions of other people such as J.P. Morgan, George Westinghouse, Mark Twain and the conspiratorial F.B.I. When it was the eccentric Tesla's turn in the story there were times when he confused me; his thoughts were indeed very meandering and perhaps a bit tedious. I think it helped to show Tesla how he really may have been, and how he saw the inner mechanics of everything he came across. This book is an absolute must-read for those slightly interested in Tesla, who is the reason for the electricity currents we utilize today, and the added romance and intrigue make this a fabulous fictional account of a man who was misunderstood and mistreated. There is so much more to learn about and from Tesla, that this will not be my last book concerning him.

The mention of the old laboratory in Shoreham, Long Island, then the Wardenclyffe World Wireless Telecommunications Station to Tesla, intrigued me very much because I grew up on Long Island and never heard of the site and Tesla's wireless ambition that enveloped him here. In fact, I don't even recall learning anything at all about Tesla in my studies. Why was that? Why was Edison the one who was so celebrated because of a light bulb? And I just found this article from 12/18/2009 that a plaque on this old Tesla laboratory was stolen from its brick building and has been missing for two months now. What a tragedy it is that still, after we supposedly realize the contributions that Tesla had made, that he is still being mistreated in America. The Wardenclyffe site with a huge tower had to be sold by Tesla to pay his debts to the Waldorf hotel, and now stands empty and vandalized, and sadly, for sale. The owners will level it for the buyers if need be.

Another book that I recently read which mentions Tesla is The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming. Although completely different stories in nature, the mechanical age is the common thread between these two novels and I recommend both of them for fans of Tesla. My review of The Kingdom of Ohio is completed, and can be found here.

TEASER TUESDAYS is hosted by ShouldBeReading and asks you to:
♠Grab your current read.
♠Let the book fall open to a random page.
♠Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
♠You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
♠Please avoid spoilers!



"Elizabeth's reaction was even more curious as she turned to stare at her husband, her cheeks nearly scarlet. It seemed to take her a moment to find her voice then she said archly, "I was of the opinion that some gentlemen appreciate a lady's blushes." ~page 203

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World by Abigail Reynolds. (Released Jan. 1, 2010)

See my review, and the Guest Post with Giveaway starts today!! 2 winners!!