Thanks to the author, I am giving away one print copy of Catherine of Braganza: Charles II’s Restoration Queen by Sarah-Beth Watkins.
Description of Catherine of Braganza by Sarah-Beth Watkins
Catherine of Braganza, a Portuguese princess, married Charles II in 1662 and became the merry monarch’s Restoration queen. Yet life for her was not so merry – she put up with the king’s many mistresses and continuous plots to remove her from the throne.
She lived through times of war, plague and fire. Catherine’s marriage saw many trials and tribulations including her inability to produce an heir. Yet Charles supported his queen throughout the Restoration, remaining devoted to her no matter what. Outliving her husband, she ended up back in her home country and spent her final days as queen-regent of Portugal.
About Sarah-Beth Watkins
Sarah-Beth Watkins grew up in Richmond, Surrey and began soaking up history from an early age. Her love of writing has seen her articles published in various publications over the past twenty years. Her history works are Ireland’s Suffragettes, Lady Katherine Knollys: The Unacknowledged Daughter of King Henry VIII, The Tudor Brandons, Catherine of Braganzaand and the forthcoming Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scots.
Giveaway of Catherine of Braganza by Sarah-Beth Watkins
This giveaway is worldwide and is for the choice of ebook or print. However print is available to the U.S. and UK only. This giveaway ends on May 13, 2017 midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
Publisher: Mill City Press (Nov 17, 2015) Category: Historical Fiction, Romance, Pioneer Woman, Strong Female Character, Western Tour date Mar/Apr, 2017 ISBN: 978-1634138291 Available in Print & ebook, 560 pages
Description of Blue Hour by Vicki Righettini
IN THIS EPIC TALE of love, loss, and redemption, the year is 1861, a time when women are expected to be married by a certain age. At 26, spinster Emily Wainwright has no reason to believe her sheltered life will ever change—until the charming Samuel Todd unexpectedly crosses her path.
Samuel yearns to homestead and start a family in Oregon, but he first needs to find a wife. Blinded by Samuel’s good looks, and grasping at her final chance to have a husband and children, Emily accepts his marriage proposal. However, Samuel is not the man she thought he was, and her marriage becomes a cold, cruel prison, offering her no solace amidst the hardships of farm life.
When Samuel dies and a second chance at love and happiness arrives in the form of farmhand Cole Walker, Emily must overcome her bitter past—or risk losing Cole and the life she has always dreamed of having.
My Thoughts Blue Hour by Vicki Righettini
It is 1861 and 26 year old spinster, Emily Wainwright knows that she has no chance of finding a man now. When she was younger, she was engaged to the love of her life but he dis in a accident. She is still heartbroken. However, Samuel Todd just showed up at her doorstep and asked her to go on a carriage ride with her.
Things move quickly between them and he gives her a proposition. They can get married and cross the Oregon trail to get land and become homesteaders. Emily reads about the Oregon trail and her adventurous spirit is awakened. She accepts.
It takes months of preparation and learning a new way of living. The journey tests everyone’s mental and physical endurance. When the trip begins, Emily walks and Samuel drives the team of oxen, as is the custom. It sounds like Emily gets the sort end of the stick but the hard surface of the bench that Samuel sits all day is painful. Emily gets blisters but her feet toughen up over time. The two seen to be getting along fine but all of a sudden Samuel shows his true colors.
Once they arrive, they find the perfect spot and get to work. However Samuel becomes more and more aggressive with Emily and also leaves for months at a time. Samuel then gets consumption and dies. With the help of her neighbors, Emily keeps the homestead going. She also starts making money selling her herbal remedies. However, her farmhand, Andrew, her neighbor’s son, decides to leave to fight for the Union in the Civil war. Before he leaves he arranges for a new farmhand to take over, Cole Walker.
Will Emily find love and learn to trust again?
‘The Blue Hour’ is part adventure and part romance. Vicki Righetini captures the time and place in history with skill and poetic prose. I have read other books that take place on the Orgon trail but none as detailed and exciting as this one. I wish this was a series because I didn’t want this book to end. I am sure the story and characters will stay with me for the rest of my life. ‘The Blue Hour’ is a must read for historical fiction readers!
5/5
I received the ebook version for my honest review.
About Vicki Righettini
Vicki Righettini is an award-winning, nationally produced playwright, and her recently-published historical novel, The Blue Hour, was a badge winner and Pitch Perfect Pick at Underground Books. Originally from Los Angeles, Vicki lived in Oregon for over twenty years, where she developed an abiding love of the land and the Oregon way of life. Before turning to full-time writing, she worked for forty years as a singer/actress and performing arts instructor. Her blog, Between a Book and a Hard Place, focuses on the ups and downs of the creative process (http://www.vickirighettini.com). Vicki lives in San Diego with her software-developer, Jeopardy!-champion husband, and the world’s shyest cat.
Competition (Da Vinci’s Disciples Book Two) by Donna Russo Morin
Thanks to Author, Donna Russo Morin, I am giving away one print copy of Competition (Da Vinci’s Disciples Book Two) by Donna Russo Morin.
Description of Competition (Da Vinci’s Disciples Book Two) by Donna Russo Morin
In a studiolo behind a church, six women gather to perform an act that is, at once, restorative, powerful, and illegal. They paint. Under the tutelage of Leonardo da Vinci, these six show talent and drive equal to that of any man, but in Renaissance Florence they must hide their skills, or risk the scorn of the city.
A commission to paint a fresco in Santo Spirito is announced and Florence’s countless artists each seek the fame and glory this lucrative job will provide. Viviana, a noblewoman freed from a terrible marriage and now free to pursue her artistic passions in secret, sees a potential life-altering opportunity for herself and her fellow female artists. The women first speak to Lorenzo de’ Medici himself, and finally, they submit a bid for the right to paint it. And they win.
But the church will not stand for women painting, especially not in a house of worship. The city is not ready to consider women in positions of power, and in Florence, artists wield tremendous power. Even the women themselves are hesitant; the attention they will bring upon themselves will disrupt their families, and could put them in physical danger.
All the while, Viviana grows closer to Sansone, her soldier lover, who is bringing her joy that she never knew with her deceased husband. And fellow-artist Isabetta has her own romantic life to distract her, sparked by Lorenzo himself.
Power and passion collide in this sumptuous historical novel of shattering limitations, one brushstroke at a time.
Trailer for Competition (Da Vinci’s Disciples Book Two) by Donna Russo Morin
Praise for Competition (Da Vinci’s Disciples Book Two) by Donna Russo Morin
“In elegant prose, Morin paints a captivating tale of courageous women painters who battle against prejudices in Renaissance Florence. Featuring strong women characters, each with distinctive personalities, this is exactly the type of historical novel I enjoy reading. Exhilarating and compassionate, The Competition sings a beautiful tribute of women’s talents and underscores Morin’s masterful storytelling. Delightful!”– Weina Dai Randel, author of The Moon in the Palace and The Empress of Bright Moon
“THE COMPETITION is a page-turning, provocative romp through a fascinating time and place—15th-century Florence—made more so by her invention of a group of women who defy all conventions by secretly studying art under the great Leonardo da Vinci. Even more egregious: they openly compete for the commission to build a fresco in a city chapel. Most shocking of all, they win, drawing the ire of their competitors and inspiring protests and threats. Donna Russo Morin has given us a novel for our time, a book featuring strong female characters fighting the odds to break the “glass ceiling,” and reminding us that this battle is not new: women have been waging it for centuries.”—Sherry Jones, author of THE SHARP HOOK OF LOVE: A Novel of Heloise and Abelard
About Donna Russo Morin
Donna Russo Morin is the internationally published author of five multi-award-winning historical novels including PORTRAIT OF A CONSPIRACY: Da Vinci’s Disciples Book One, and The King’s Agent, recipient of a starred review in Publishers Weekly. Her other titles are The Courtier’s Secret, The Secret of the Glass, and To Serve a King. Her upcoming release, THE COMPETITION: Da Vinci’s Disciples Book Two (releasing April 25, 2017), continues to follow the adventures and traumas of a clandestine group of women artists set during the height of the Italian Renaissance.
In addition to her writing, Donna has worked as a model and an actor with appearances in Showtime’s Brotherhood, and Martin Scorsese’s The Departed). A 25-year professional editor, her work spans more than 40 manuscripts. She holds a BA in Communications and an A.A. in English Literature. Donna teaches writing courses at her state’s most prestigious adult learning center and has presented at national and academic conferences for over ten years. Donna is a proud, single mother of two sons, Devon and Dylan—an opera singer and a chef—her greatest works. http://www.donnarussomorin.com/
Giveaway of Competition (Da Vinci’s Disciples Book Two) by Donna Russo Morin
This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on May 5, 2017 midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
Catherine of Braganza by Sarah-Beth Watkins
Catherine of Braganza by Sarah-Beth Watkins
Competition (Da Vinci’s Disciples Book Two) by Donna Russo Morin