BLOG TOUR: My Lady Viper by E. Knight

Tour Schedule: http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/myladyvipertour

Tour Hashtags: #MyLadyViperBlogTour #EKnight #TudorHistFic

Publication Date: May 2014
Knight Media, LLC
Formats: Ebook, Paperback

May, 1536. The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen.

When Anne Boleyn falls to the executioner’s axe on a cold spring morning, yet another Anne vows she will survive in the snakepit court of Henry VIII. But at what cost?

Lady Anne Seymour knows her family hangs by a thread. If her sister-in-law Jane Seymour cannot give the King a son, she will be executed or set aside, and her family with her. Anne throws herself into the deadly and intoxicating intrigue of the Tudor court, determined at any price to see the new queen’s marriage a success and the Seymour family elevated to supreme power. But Anne’s machinations will earn her a reputation as a viper, and she must decide if her family’s rise is worth the loss of her own soul…

Book Two, Prisoner of the Queen, will be released later in 2014.

Praise for My Lady Viper

“E. Knight breathes new life and new scandal into the Tudors. This is an engrossing historical fiction tale that readers will love!” ~ Meg Wessel, A Bookish Affair

“A brilliant illustration of a capricious monarch and the nest of serpents that surrounded him, My Lady Viper is an absolute must. Intricately detailed, cleverly constructed and utterly irresistible.” ~ Erin, Flashlight Commentary

“Author E. Knight proves that though there are a plethora of Tudor novels out there a writer can still create a fresh and unique view of one of history’s most treacherous courts, that of England’s King Henry VIII. Schemes and scandalous trysts abound in ‘My Lady Viper’, making for a very captivating read. Racy and deliciously sensual, once started I was hard pressed to put the book down. I eagerly await the next installment in E. Knight’s stand-out Tales of the Tudor Courts series!” ~ Amy Bruno, Passages to the Past

About the Author

E. Knight is a member of the Historical Novel Society, Romance Writers of America and several RWA affiliate writing chapters: Hearts Through History, Celtic Hearts, Maryland Romance Writers and Washington Romance Writers. Growing up playing in castle ruins and traipsing the halls of Versailles when visiting her grandparents during the summer, instilled in a love of history and royals at an early age. Feeding her love of history, she created the popular historical blog, History Undressed (www.historyundressed.com). Under the pseudonym Eliza Knight, she is a bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author of historical and erotic romance.

She is avid in social media and readers can find her at:

Website
Facebook
Twitter (@ElizaKnight)
Goodreads

My Review

I was already a huge fan of E. Knight’s novels, and “My Lady Viper” just reaffirmed why I love her books! This novel was absolutely fantastic, and I honestly had difficulty putting it down in order to go to sleep at night. I love pretty much any novel about Tudor England, but somehow E. Knight was able to make this novel about that time period really stand out for me. As usual Knight’s writing style is superb, and the descriptions so realistic you feel as though you’re right there with the characters. The characters were also amazing. I loved how she portrayed Lady Anne Beauchamp. In past novels that I have read, where Lady Anne was a character, she was always portrayed as power hungry and just not a nice person. Knight really lets you get to know Lady Anne, and you can’t help but care about her and really want the best for her. E. Knight brought the main character Lady Anne to life for me in this novel in a way few authors have ever been able to do with their characters for me. I truly cared about what happened to Lady Anne, and she became so real to me in this book. I have read so many novels about Tudor England, but none of them have ever brought the people of that time to life for me like this novel did. The intrigue and the twists in this novel had me on the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen next.

Any lover of historical fiction, especially the Tudor Era, is going to love this novel. It’s been years since I have read a Tudor novel that even compared to this one! I cannot wait to read her next installment in “Tales from the Tudor Court’, because if it’s anything like this one than it will be a definite hit!

I give this novel a solid FIVE out of FIVE stars, and I would give it more if possible!

Buy the Book

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon Canada
Amazon Australia
Barnes & Noble
iTunes

Audio: Coming June 16, 2014 — Available for Pre-Order

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, May 5
Spotlight at The Tower of Babel
Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, May 6
Review & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, May 7
Review & Giveaway at The Tudor Enthusiast

Thursday, May 8
Review at Curling Up By the Fire

Friday, May 9
Review at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Monday, May 12
Review & Giveaway at The Tudor Book Blog
Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book

Tuesday, May 13
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession

Wednesday, May 14
Review at Griperang’s Bookmarks

Thursday, May 15
Review at Luxury Reading

Friday, May 16
Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict
Interview & Giveaway at Luxury Reading

Monday, May 19
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, May 20
Review at A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, May 21
Guest Post & Giveaway at Historical Fiction Connection

Thursday, May 22
Review at Bibliophilia, Please
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Friday, May 23
Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Review at The Musings of ALMYBNENR
Giveaway at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

BLOG TOUR: Under These Restless Skies by Lissa Bryan

Under These Restless Skies 
By 
Lissa Bryan 

Published by The Writers Coffee Shop

Available from Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and TWCS

Summary: 

Will Somers has always thought himself unlovable. When he encounters a creature of myth and magic, he seizes the chance to finally have a wife and family of his own. Emma is a selkie—one of the immortal fae-folk of the sea—bound to Will by the magic of her kind, and eager to learn about life on land. She has to learn to adapt quickly to human customs, because Will is headed for the court of Henry VIII, to serve as the king’s fool. It’s a glittering, dangerous world, where a careless word can lead to the scaffold and the smallest of gestures is loaded with political implications. Anne Boleyn is charmed by Emma’s naïveté and soothing selkie magic and wants Emma for her own fool. Can Will protect his newfound love from the dangers that lurk in every shadow? Circa regna tonat: around the throne, the thunder rolls.

Author Bio:

Lissa Bryan is an astronaut, renowned Kabuki actress, Olympic pole vault gold medallist, Iron Chef champion, and scientist, who recently discovered the cure for athlete’s foot . . . though only in her head. Real life isn’t so interesting, which is why she spends most of her time writing.  

My Review:

I’m not going to lie, when I first started reading “Under These Restless Skies” by Lissa Bryan, I wasn't that into it. I was having trouble getting past the ‘magical’ elements and the idea of ‘selkies’. I even put the book down for a few days and started to read something else. I decided to go back to this book and give it another chance, and I’m so glad that I did! It ended up being a fantastic read, and very well researched! I had trouble putting the book down once I started reading it again. Lissa Bryan did a great job at writing a book that a lover of historical fiction can get totally lost in.

Her writing style was interesting, and she did an excellent job with descriptions and imagery, allowing a reader to picture everything that is happening as clearly as if you were there.

As a reader you do have to let go a little, and realize it's not purely historical fiction. There are some magical elements, but they don’t take over the story. They are a part of the story, but not the main part, which I thought was great. I was able to suspend my disbelief while reading, and by the end I found the magical elements of the story endearing. It’s a great story of love, as well as tragedy, the tragedy being Anne Boleyn’s rise and fall. I would recommend this novel to any lover of historical fiction. The author did a great job writing a historical novel, but weaving something out of the ordinary into the story. I’m so glad I gave this novel a second chance!

Even though it took me a couple chapters to get into it, I still give this novel a FIVE out of FIVE stars for how great it ended up being!

Connect with Lissa Bryan on: 

Facebook, Twitter, Blog and Goodreads

Other novels by Lissa Bryan

 

                                                  Ghostwriter                The End of all Things

Short stories by Lissa Bryan

                                             Tales From The End   The Golden Arrow and The Butterfly

 Coming soon The Land of the Shadow 

REVIEW: The White Princess (Cousin's War) by Philippa Gregory

Blurb:

Caught between loyalties, the mother of the Tudors must choose between the red rose and the white. 

Philippa Gregory, #1 New York Times best­selling author and “the queen of royal fiction” (USA Today), presents the latest Cousins’ War novel, the remarkable story of Elizabeth of York, daughter of the White Queen.

When Henry Tudor picks up the crown of England from the mud of Bosworth field, he knows he must marry the princess of the enemy house—Elizabeth of York—to unify a country divided by war for nearly two decades. 

But his bride is still in love with his slain enemy, Richard III—and her mother and half of England dream of a missing heir, sent into the unknown by the White Queen. While the new monarchy can win power, it cannot win hearts in an England that plots for the triumphant return of the House of York.

Henry’s greatest fear is that somewhere a prince is waiting to invade and reclaim the throne. When a young man who would be king leads his army and invades England, Elizabeth has to choose between the new husband she is coming to love and the boy who claims to be her beloved lost brother: the rose of York come home at last.


My Review:

Philippa Gregory is one of my all time favorite authors of historical fiction. I have read every one of her books, and have yet to be disappointed. She is able to bring historical characters to life in a way that makes you believe that things happened exactly as she writes. I also appreciate that she researches her novels so well. Of course she takes some creative license when writing her novels, but overall she sticks with the facts, and creates a story that’s hard to put down.

I loved Elizabeth’s (Henry VII’s wife/queen) character. She’s passionate and loyal; whish is exactly as I would imagine her to have been in real life. Philippa Gregory did an amazing job of brining her character to life in this novel. I wasn’t really a fan of how she portrayed King Henry VII, but that is just my bias. I’ve read so many books where he is described as a loyal, faithful, loving husband to Elizabeth, that it’s hard for me to see him as a jerk, for lack of a better word!

Her descriptions allow the reader to imagine everything that is going on clearly, whether it is a characters dress or personality, or the landscape they are travelling through. I would recommend this novel, and really any Philippa Gregory novel, to lovers of historical fiction. It’s definitely a page-turner.

I give this novel a FIVE out of FIVE stars!

Purchase The White Princess (Cousin's War) Here!

The Boleyn Bride by Brandy Purdy

Blurb:

From carefree young woman to disillusioned bride, the dazzling lady who would become mother and grandmother to two of history's most infamous queens, has a fascinating story all her own. . .

At sixteen, Elizabeth Howard envisions a glorious life for herself as lady-in-waiting to the future queen, Catherine of Aragon. But when she is forced to marry Thomas Boleyn, a wealthy commoner, Elizabeth is left to stagnate in the countryside while her detested husband pursues his ambitions. There, she raises golden girl Mary, moody George, and ugly duckling Anne—while staving off boredom with a string of admirers. Until Henry VIII

takes the throne. . .

When Thomas finally brings his highborn wife to London, Elizabeth indulges in lavish diversions and dalliances—and catches the lusty king's eye. But those who enjoy Henry's fickle favor must also guard against his wrath. For while her husband's machinations bring Elizabeth and her children to the pinnacle of power, the distance to the scaffold is but a short one—and the Boleyn family's fortune may be turning. . .

Praise for the novels of Brandy Purdy

"Recommended for readers who can't get enough of the Tudors and have devoured all of Philippa Gregory's books." —Library Journal on The Boleyn Wife

"Purdy wonderfully reimagines the behind-the-scenes lives of the two sisters." —Historical Novel Reviews on The Tudor Throne

My Review:

“The Boleyn Bride” by Brandy Purdy was right up my alley when it comes to reading and reviewing. I read every book I can get my hands on that deals with Anne Boleyn or King Henry VIII! Ms. Purdy did not disappoint. Her writing style was fluid and descriptive, and it keeps the reader interested through the entire novel. I loved reading the author's perspective on what Anne Boleyn’s mother, Elizabeth Howard, was like during her life. In all of the books I’ve read about Anne, there has been barely a mention of her mother, since very little is known about her. Even though the author definitely used some creative license as to what she was really like, it was still interesting to read about what type of person she MIGHT have been.

While I definitely enjoyed reading the book, I would have enjoyed it more if it had been more about Anne Boleyn’s mother, Elizabeth Howard, and less about Anne’s rise and fall. I felt like the book was mostly Elizabeth (Anne's mother) telling the story of Anne and her brother George’s life, and less about what HER life was like. Occasionally she would narrate what was going on in her life, but it mostly dealt with her multitude of lovers! Also, there were a few historical inaccuracies that threw me off, but nothing more than what any other historical fiction writer throws in.

All in all I really enjoyed reading this novel. The time period this novel takes place in interests me more than any other era. Any lover of historical fiction, especially the Tudor era, will love this novel. I would definitely recommend it.

I give "The Boleyn Bride" a 4 out of 5 stars!

"The Boleyn Bride" will be available for purchase in February 2014!

THE TUDOR THRONE by Brandy Purdy: Review

Blurb:

In the wake of King Henry VIII's death, England's throne is left in a precarious state - as is the peculiar relationship between his two daughters. Mary, the elder, once treasured, had been declared a bastard in favour of her flame-haired half-sister, Elizabeth, born of the doomed Anne Boleyn. Yet the bond between the sisters was palpable from the start. Now reinstated, Mary eventually assumes her place as queen. But as Mary's religious zeal evolves into a reign of terror, young Elizabeth gains the people's favour. Gripped by a tormenting paranoia, Mary is soon convinced that her beloved Elizabeth is in fact her worst enemy. And the virginal Elizabeth, whose true love is her country, must defy her tyrannical sister to make way for a new era...


My Review:


[I received this novel from the author as a review copy.]


Over the past several years I have read many books dealing with the Tudors. Most of them have dealt with Anne Boleyn or Elizabeth Tudor, and a few have been about Henry VIII’s other five wives, his sisters, and his daughter Mary. THE TUDOR THRONE, however, is the first Tudor novel that I have read that gives both Mary and Elizabeth Tudor’s points of view together following their father’s death. All of the books that I have read about Elizabeth have mentioned Mary or even had Mary play a large part in the book, or included Elizabeth in a book about Mary, but never have I read a book that placed equal importance on both Mary and Elizabeth's points of view. The novel was written as a first person account of both of their lives, so the chapters alternate between Mary’s point of view and Elizabeth’s. Although I have read their stories a hundred times, from a hundred different books, it was still a terrific novel that held my interest until the end. 


Switching back and forth between the sister’s perspectives enables the reader to really get to know both Mary and Elizabeth. Their fears and insecurities come to light in a way that only a first person narrative can provide. Both women were deeply affected by their father’s treatment of their mothers, and of women in general. Any future relationships with the opposite sex are indirectly tainted by their father’s treatment of women. Both Mary and Elizabeth are frightened of and desperate for love. Mary is desperate to find the love she lost from her father for so many years when she was young. She easily succumbs to Philip of Spain’s half-hearted courtship of her, and although she is the Queen of England, she allows him to rule her, as well as her country. After taking care of herself, guarding her emotions, and having no one to lean on for so long she is more than willing to put her life and love into Philip's hands, though he is no way worth it. 


Elizabeth turns out much differently when it comes to love and trust. Rather than throw everything away for love and companionship as her sister did, she puts up a wall around her that is impossible to penetrate. She refuses to end up like her mother, or any of the other women that her father loved passionately, only to discard when bored, angry, or seeking an heir. Elizabeth, unlike Mary, refuses to rely on anyone, especially a man. She wants to be her own woman, and to make decisions for herself and for her country. Years of sadness and loneliness had weakened Mary’s resolve, while it had strengthened Elizabeth’s. While both women were talented and extremely intelligent, it will forever be Elizabeth who stands out in people’s minds, because of the idea of womanly strength and power that she stood for.


I would recommend this book to any reader who enjoys Tudor history. While Ms. Purdy did take creative license when it came to several parts of the book, it was still a well researched Tudor novel. I was impressed by what a quick and easy read it was. There was never a dull moment, and I was able to transport myself to Mary and Elizabeth’s Tudor England every time I opened the book. The fact that it was written in first person, from both women’s perspectives, (both before and after becoming Queen of England) added to the enjoyment and excitement of this fascinating novel of historical fiction.


I without a doubt give this book five out of five stars!

This novel is also published in the UK, but it is under the title, MARY & ELIZABETH by EMILY PURDY. It was published in the US on July 28th.

PURCHASE THE TUDOR THRONE HERE!

ONE more day to enter my FIRST BOOK GIVEAWAY!

That's right! One more day before I choose the winner (via random.org) for my first book giveaway, THE LAST WIFE OF HENRY VIII. So, tell your blogger friends or your real life friends, lol, and make sure to sign up! I will announce the winner on my blog tomorrow, and I will also email the winner in order to get their snail mail address.
In other book news, I have about 50 pages left in TO BE QUEEN by Christy English. When I say I can't put the book down, I'm not lying. The only reason I haven't finished yet is because I worked doubles between substitute teaching and serving at applebees all last week. I have a good feeling I'll finish it by tomorrow and get my review up asap. Reading the book honestly takes me back to the time Eleanor of Aquitaine was alive, and put me right inside her head. While reading the book I get completely lost in Eleanor's thoughts and plans. I get anxious when she's anxious, and feel her excitement at times. It's easy to become completely immersed in this novel, so much so that the world around you ceases to exist...and THAT is the type of book I like! So, as soon as I finish it, the review will be up!

OHHH...and P.S. I asked for a KINDLE 4G for my birthday (April 16th I'll be 30!) And as a first time Kindle user, I hope I can figure it all out. I also hope I'm not disappointed with it, and miss my paperback books, but it's the "new" thing, and moving back an forth across the country means losing books along the way and that I cannot do! 

MY FIRST GIVEAWAY: THE LAST WIFE OF HENRY VIII by Carolly Erickson

I guess we'll see how this goes! I've been wanting to post a giveaway, because I know how much I love entering (and winning) book giveaways! I've decided to stick with my favorite genre of novels, which of course is historical fiction. Also, the majority of historical fiction novels I've read over the years take place during the TUDOR time period. The Tudor's were absolutely fascinating, and their family continues to intrigue people to this day! The book I chose for my first giveaway is a novel that I read about one year ago. It is not included in my reviews, because my blog is fairly  new, so I was not blogging at the time of my reading this. I know that I enjoyed the book immensely, and that I would love to share it with a fellow lover of historical fiction!
I am posting the goodreads.com blurb about THE LAST WIFE OF HENRY VIII, so that readers will have an idea of what book they are signing up to win!

Courageous, attractive, romantic, intelligent, Catherine Parr became the sixth wife of Henry VIII. Her story, as Carolly Erickson re-creates it, is page-turning drama: from the splendors of the Field of the Cloth of Gold to the gory last years of the outsize King Henry, when heads rolled and England trembled, Catherine bestrode her destiny and survived to marry her true love.

Catherine Parr attracted the king's lust and, though much in love with the handsome Thomas Seymour, was thrown into the intrigue-filled snake pit of the royal court. While victims of the king's wrath suffered torture and execution, Catherine persevered until, at last, she came within the orbit of the royal fury. King Henry toyed with her, first ordering her arrested, then granting her clemency. She managed to evade execution, but she knew that the king had his wandering eye fixed on wife number seven.

**You MUST be a follower of this BLOG in order to win, and you also MUST leave your name and email address in order to contact the winner!

For extra entries:

+1 FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER 


+1 TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY ON YOUR TWITTER or BLOG (please provide link for me to verify)

+1 ADD ME AS A FRIEND ON GOODREADS.COM

+2 ADD ME AS A FRIEND ON BOOKBLOGS.COM

The winner will be drawn at random on April 8, 2011!

I guess we shall see how this giveaway goes!