The Dragon and the Pearl by Jeannie Lin

“The Dragon and the Pearl “ is a stand-alone novel by Jeannie Lin, however it picks up where “Butterfly Swords” left off. “Dragon’s” cast includes Li Tao, the antagonist of Butterfly Swords, as the hero of “Dragon,” and his backstory gives us a much wider vision of the author’s Tang Dynasty China.

Now I loved “Butterfly Swords” (click the link to see my review), but you can see Lin’s skill as an author has increased since the first book. She has sunk herself into this world, making the characters rounded, fleshed and highly sexual. More than that, her political and social structure is more solid than the Kunlun mountains.  She needed that solidity as we find out how both the court and the seedy underground culture of Tang dynasty functioned. 

Thanks to that background structure, we discover why Li Tao is the stern and unyielding man you met before, but we also find the heart beneath that exterior. That said, he never breaks character. His is one of the strongest, most well rounded characterizations I’ve ever seen. Hypnotizing, never a good man, but always a believable and desirable man.

 If you enjoyed the dainty appetizer of “Butterfly Swords,” you will love the full course spread that is “The Dragon and the Pearl.” Go out and buy a copy via Amazon, Barnes and Noble or wherever else you can find one OR you can put your name into the hat for a paperback or e-copy.  Reader's choice.

Culloden Spirit by Anita Davison

A fabulous Victorian era Paranormal Romance

Overview

Carrie Gordon's season in her native York was an unqualified success, until the young man who paid her so much attention married someone else.

When her family takes a summer trip to her father’s ancestral home in the Scottish Highlands, her handsome Scottish cousin, Duncan McRae, takes an immediate dislike to Carrie, mainly due to her father’s plans to refurbish Cair Innes castle which is in need of extensive repair beyond the means of its present owner and resident, Iain McRae.

Carrie feels the vacation will be a disaster until she discovers a strange young man while exploring the derelict castle, However, she soon learns Ruairi McRae is not what he seems, and the battle he intends to fight was lost by his clan a hundred and fifty years before.

Will Carrie be able to accept that she cannot be part of Ruairi’s world? And when the Roma arrive to camp on Bucks Meadow as they do every summer, who is the beautiful gypsy girl Duncan won't talk about?

Review

I always enjoy Anita Davison’s novels, and I was eager to read Culloden Spirit, her latest release. I love a good Scottish historical novel, and this one promised to be a good one. It certainly did not disappoint.

Culloden Spirit is a Victorian paranormal romance about a young American woman, Carrie Gordon who travels to her ancestral home in Scotland, which is in desperate need of repair. Surrounded by the highlands, Carrie encounters her dashing cousin, Duncan McRae, and an endearing young man named Ruari. These two love interests form the basis of the story. As she slowly gets to know each of these fascinating men, historical secrets about her ancestors and the castle itself are slowly and very tantalizingly revealed.

If you’ve never read one of Anita Davison’s books, I encourage you to pick one up. She is a talented writer who paints vivid pictures of landscapes, clothing, and the social norms of the era. Her scenes are sprinkled with realistic character nuances that makes them real, as if they can leap off the page. Her strong writing skills and knowledge of the Victorian era lends realism to the tale, especially with the addition of an underlying paranormal element. With her lyrical prose, she stirs a reader’s emotion. A subplot of a mysterious Roma family living in the castle’s shadows added interest and variety. Intrigue, mystery, a strong romance, and a shocking surprise ending makes this novel a must read! Two thumbs up!

Song of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

Song of the Nile - A novel of Cleopatra's daughter and interview with Stephanie Dray!

Synopsis

Sorceress. Seductress. Schemer. Cleopatra’s daughter has become the emperor’s most unlikely apprentice and the one woman who can destroy his empire...

Having survived her perilous childhood as a royal captive of Rome, Selene pledged her loyalty to Augustus and swore she would become his very own Cleopatra. Now the young queen faces an uncertain destiny in a foreign land.

Forced to marry a man of the emperor’s choosing, Selene will not allow her new husband to rule in her name. She quickly establishes herself as a capable leader in her own right and as a religious icon. Beginning the hard work of building a new nation, she wins the love of her new subjects and makes herself vital to Rome by bringing forth bountiful harvests.

But it’s the magic of Isis flowing through her veins that makes her indispensable to the emperor. Against a backdrop of imperial politics and religious persecution, Cleopatra’s daughter beguiles her way to the very precipice of power. She has never forgotten her birthright, but will the price of her mother’s throne be more than she’s willing to pay?

Review

Song of the Nile is the much-anticipated second book of a trilogy based on the life of Cleopatra’s and Mark Anthony’s daughter, Selene. This novel, however, easily stands on its own and it is not necessary to have read the first book in order to fully enjoy this one, but you’ll definitely want to collect all three books in the series.

As queen of Mauretania, Selene continues her efforts to reclaim her mother’s throne of Egypt. Like her mother before her, Selene is a shrewd young woman and must use her wits against the cunning strategies of Caesar.

Author Stephanie Dray did a splendid job of recreating Selene from vulnerable young woman to woman of great strength. The characters are complex and intriguing, at times likeable and at other times detestable. And that’s what made them so believable. Although the novel closely follows historical facts that are known about Cleopatra Selene, the author has believably filled in what was missing with vibrant detail and additional conflict that truly brings the story to life.

Delicious prose, an exotic setting, and a heroine that will impress you with her unfailing courage and determination to reclaim what was once hers, are elements that make this book worth reading. It is historical women’s fiction at its finest and I recommend you get both Lily of the Nile and Song of the Nile so you can follow the trilogy from start to finish.

An Interview with Author Stephanie Dray

1. Welcome, I'm so glad to have this opportunity to chat with you. Can you share with my readers the essence of the story you've penned?

Thanks so much for having me here. The honor is all mine!

Song of the Nile is the story of Cleopatra’s daughter, a little girl who was orphaned and taken away from the only home she’d ever known, marched through the streets of Rome as a captive prisoner, and raised by the very people who killed her family. That she was able to carve a future for herself out of that horrific past, by endearing herself to her parents’ enemies and keeping quiet about her true feelings, is a testament to her strength. However, it also meant that she was deprived of a true voice most of her life. I try to give that voice back to her.

2. You've chosen a very interesting title. What inspired the title? What inspired the book?

The original title for this book was Sorceress of the Nile because I wanted to get across that the Romans were so suspicious of Egyptian magic and they feared it in the hands of a woman. My heroine is as feared for her association with magic as for her actual wielding of it. The publisher thought the title was too much like fantasy, so we changed it to Song of the Nile which is just as appropriate because Egypt sings to my heroine and tries to lure her home.

3. What makes this book special to you?

This is a book that delves deep into the human heart and goes very dark places. Cleopatra Selene lost so much in her life--she suffered unimaginable tragedies by the time she became a bride at just fourteen years old. Exploring how it is that she was able to put her life back together to become one of the greatest queens in the ancient world was truly an honor for me. And an inspiration.

4. What makes this a book that people MUST read and WHY?

I think Selene’s story will help every woman find her own inner goddess to guide her. Moreover, Selene’s story is a lesson to us that the progress of women’s liberation has not been a straight line; there have been setbacks in the past and there may be setbacks in the future. We should be wary of them even now.

5. What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?

Reading books! I learn so much from how other writers have tackled problems that I’m always inspired. Also, meeting with other writers at conferences always leaves me ready to go.

6. What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems?

This book was difficult for me to write for a couple of reasons. The first reason was that I knew it was going to be controversial; it’s darkly beautiful. I’m exploring cultural issues that would have been normal for Selene, such as slavery, rape and incest. But these things shock the modern senses. And they should shock us. But we have to know where we came from to understand where we are. I had to just swallow my fear and let some like-minded readers see the early drafts of the book so that I could have more confidence in what I was doing. Having that early feedback that this book was stronger than the first...that helped me persevere. The second reason it was difficult for me is that it is such an emotional story. To create this character, I had to channel her a little bit. I had to imagine how difficult and painful her life might be. I cried more than once writing this novel, but by the end, I was also filled with joy.

7. Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote your book?

Oh, the crazy things I’ve done! I suppose the wackiest is that I started making Egyptian-themed jewelry to give away with my books.

8. Each author is different in the way they create a work of fiction. Please describe for us how you plan or plot a story.

For starters, I create a giant timeline of known historical events. Then I stare at the timeline a lot, as if I can divine a pattern from it. I ask myself what themes suggest themselves from the historical record. Is this a time of recklessness when people are making fatal mistakes? Is there a slow and steady march to power? What’s the arc of this person’s life and can it be twisted into a story that follows any kind of journey? When I stared at the timeline of Cleopatra Selene’s life, I saw that it was inextricably wound up with Augustus. She lived at his sufferance. She ruled for his pleasure. But all the while, she did these little things to assert her independence and to memorialize her dead. She commissioned coins honoring her dead mother that could have created trouble for her with the emperor. She built temples to her forbidden goddess. She named her son after her lost dynasty. This suggested to me a woman who suffered from survivor’s guilt, so I used that to start filling in the holes in the historical record.

9. Authors are very unique in the way they write, the tools they use, when they write, etc. Please describe a typical writing day for you? How do you organize your day?

I use two tools for historical fiction. The first is a timeline program called Aeon Timeline and I’m desperately glad for it because math has never been my strong-suit. This program helps me keep track of the ages of my characters when certain things are happening--not to mention the events themselves. The second program I use to write is called Scrivener. It allows me to keep all my notes and research in one convenient place. I’m so dependent on it, I’m not sure I could write without it anymore! As for the structure of my day, it used to be that I’d get up, get coffee, start writing and not stop until I’d hit my word count. Lately, marketing and promotional activities have started to get in the way. I wake up, take care of urgent emails, figure out if there are any outstanding obligations I might have--books to send out, people to thank, tweets to send, etc. This takes up far more time than it should and I’m recently considering whether or not simply withdrawing into hermit land would not be a better approach.

10. What is your current work in progress?

I’m in the midst of writing the third and final book in the Nile trilogy about Cleopatra Selene’s life. This will cover the meat of her career as a successful ruler, all her amazing accomplishments, not to mention her legacy as a mother and as the last Ptolemaic queen. It’s also my last chance to say goodbye to her, so it’s been fairly emotional writing it.

11. Can you tell us where to find more information about you and your books and how readers can reach you?

I really hope readers will subscribe to my very infrequent, but always informative newsletter. I like to include recipes from ancient history, little known facts, recent discoveries about women in history, and the occasional update about my books. Also, I give out free stuff to subscribers every time I send out the newsletter and who doesn’t want free books? If folks want to find me online, however, I tweet as stephaniehdray and I’m reachable through my website at StephanieDray.com.

I love when folks stop by and tell me their thoughts on my books.

12. What would you like our readers to know about you and your writing?

My style is very allegorical. I take the historical record, then I infuse it with mythology. I do this because even though history is interesting all on its own, I want to make sense of these events for their symbolic import. This is why readers will find themes such as the divine feminine sprinkled throughout my work and why fantasy elements creep into an otherwise faithful historical narrative.

Thanks so much for having me here today!

About Stephanie…

Stephanie graduated with a degree in Government from Smith, a small women’s college in Massachusetts where–to the consternation of her devoted professors–she was unable to master Latin. However, her focus on Middle Eastern Studies gave her a deeper understanding of the consequences of Egypt’s ancient clash with Rome, both in terms of the still-extant tensions between East and West as well as the worldwide decline of female-oriented religion.

Before she wrote novels, Stephanie was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the transformative power of magic realism to illuminate the stories of women in history and inspire the young women of today. She remains fascinated by all things Roman or Egyptian and has–to the consternation of her devoted husband–collected a house full of cats and ancient artifacts.

Berkley Trade October 2011 (Trade Paperback)
# ISBN-10: 0425243044
# ISBN-13: 9780425243046

Purchase Info

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound
Borders
Constellation Books
Powell's




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Through an Icon's Eyes by Grace Conti

Brilliant from start to finish – you must read this hauntingly beautiful story!

Overview

Set in 1440s London, Italy and Greece against a turbulent political background enflamed by religious divisions, the unfolding narrative of Benedict Paston and Annie Carter's relationship encompass memories of heresy, murder, loss and betrayal.

Benedict an erstwhile sundial maker, is lost to the world. His self-imposed exile, both emotional and physical, in a remote Greek monastery is relieved only by the task of painting an icon under the monks' instruction. Their hope: to save his tortured soul. As the hours of devotion mark the progress of one day in his monastic cell, an escape from Benedict's self-destructive isolation is brokered by the image of Mary Magdalene, guiding him back to his previous life and a new understanding of the events that have led him to Greece

.

Annie, a young widow beset by visions and facing death, finds that she too has an unusual guide and confessor as the light and shadows mark the progress of an English day in a very different cell…

My Review

I get very, very excited when I discover a novel, so wonderful, so enjoyable, that I include it on my list of lifetime favourites. Set in the 15th century in an ancient abbey, Through an Icon’s Eyes by Grace Conte fits that bill exactly!

This is a beautifully written story, so engaging, so engrossing, I could not put it down. One of the main characters is a partially-completed icon of Mary Magdalene who comes alive in the painter’s mind acting almost as a conscience for him – guiding, questioning, enlightening. Bit by bit, the story spirals into spectacular events of heresy, murder, lust, and betrayal that culminate into an utterly satisfying, completely shocking ending. Extremely real, three dimensional characters that are ever evolving enchanted me from the very first page. Each page is ripe with wisdom, teases with mystery, and swirls the reader into a hurricane of emotions.

Grace Conti is extremely talented and the beauty of her prose is a joy to read. The author is donating all the proceeds to breast cancer research until Christmas 2011. That in itself makes it worth buying and I encourage everyone to do so. Better yet, the book would make a wonderful gift. Brilliant from start to finish – you must read this book.

To Die For by Sandra Byrd

A fresh look at the life of Anne Boleyn

Overview

To Die For, is the story of Meg Wyatt, pledged forever as the best friend to Anne Boleyn since their childhoods on neighboring manors in Kent. When Anne's star begins to ascend, of course she takes her best friend Meg along for the ride. Life in the court of Henry VIII is thrilling at first, but as Anne's favor rises and falls, so does Meg's. And though she's pledged her loyalty to Anne no matter what the test, Meg just might lose her greatest love--and her own life--because of it.

Meg's childhood flirtation with a boy on a neighboring estate turns to true love early on. When he is called to follow the Lord and be a priest she turns her back on both the man and his God. Slowly, though, both woo her back through the heady times of the English reformation. In the midst of it, Meg finds her place in history, her own calling to the Lord that she must follow, too, with consequences of her own. Each character in the book is tested to figure out what love really means, and what, in this life, is worth dying for.

Though much of Meg's story is fictionalized, it is drawn from known facts. The Wyatt family and the Boleyn family were neighbors and friends, and perhaps even distant cousins. Meg's brother, Thomas Wyatt, wooed Anne Boleyn and ultimately came very close to the axe blade for it. Two Wyatt sisters attended Anne at her death, and at her death, she gave one of them her jeweled prayer book--Meg.

My Review

Although the novel To Die For by Sandra Byrd is a novel about Anne Boleyn, it is told through the first person narrative of Meg Wyatt, her friend, and true historical personage. From their early youth to Anne’s final moments, Meg tells the story of this fascinating queen’s life, from its fabulous rise to its tremendous fall.

Sandra Byrd did a wonderful job at writing a well researched story. The writing flowed seamlessly and drew me into the story from first to last page. I was impressed because she skillfully weaved political fact and Reformation details throughout with such ease, and so simply, that it was not obtrusive or confusing in the least. I especially appreciated the fact that there just enough characters for me to follow and remember as I read along.

To Die For is the first book in a new series entitled The Ladies in Waiting Series. I hope that future books in the series will branch out beyond the over-done Tudors. With plenty of intrigue and twists and turns, this is an all-around, multi-dimensional novel with plenty to keep one reading to the end.

The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer

All aboard for a trip back into Medieval England to truly experience the good, the bad, and the ugly of 14th century England. Written like a travel guide, The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England is a book that truly makes you feel as if you were on vacation to another place and time.

Ian Mortimer holds nothing back in his objective recreation of the fourteenth century. His impeccable research reveals numerous startling and long forgotten truths about many aspects of life.

The book is divided into 11 chapters:

The Landscape
The People
The Medieval Character
Basic Essentials
What to Wear
Traveling
Where to Stay
What to Eat and Drink
Health and Hygiene
The Law
What to Do

By using actual examples, Ian Mortimer was able to convey the simplest facts about daily living. One of my favourite chapters was the Health and Hygiene, which covered numerous topics from human waste, to bathing, to laundering clothes, and how women cleaned her home. He delved deeply into life and death especially during the plague and described how the style of dress evolved.

For historians or those who love history, this book is an invaluable source of immpecably researched facts. Simple to read, uncomplicated in format, and highly entertaining, this book will leave you surprised, shocked, and horrified at times. What a wonderful opportunity to truly experience the turbulence and charm of life more than 600 years ago.

Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock by David Margolick

Review by Cori Van Housen

Elizabeth and Hazel is the true story of one moment in the lives of two young women that changed them, and history, forever. In fall of 1957, with 9 select black students enrolled, Central High School in Little Rock, AK, desegregated. Shy and bookish Elizabeth, for all her 15 years of growing up in the segregated south, had precious little idea of, and even less preparation for, the vitriol about to be unleashed as she did the unthinkable: simply walk to school. Outgoing Hazel, also 15, loved being the centre of attention. The camera’s eye caught Elizabeth walking stoically amid a jeering crowd while behind her, Hazel shouted angry epithets.

Margolick has not so much written a story as an anthology, compiling snippets from the many lives and events tangential to the photograph. In doing so, he uniquely explores desegregation, its impact on individuals, community, and country; effectively challenging any simplistic view of racism or its solutions. Moving out from the vortex surrounding Elizabeth, Margolick captures the many-faceted nature of the problem. One must sympathize with Elizabeth, ill-suited for the role of groundbreaker. She ultimately emerges from Central High shell-shocked, unable to move past her experiences. Hazel, on the other hand, garners little initial sympathy but experiences great growth in subsequent years.

The relationship which eventually forms between Hazel and Elizabeth serves to illustrate the difficulties of race relations, where good intentions aren’t always enough, trust is hard-won (and hard to maintain), and a residue of resentment and bad feelings is left on both sides of the equation. Summing up for Hazel at one point, the author writes, “Whites weren’t ready for desegregation in 1957, and blacks weren’t ready for reconciliation now.” For the most part, Margolick does not venture conclusions; he relates the facts in a tidy, journalistic staccato. He does not tell us what to think. Instead, he gives us a fascinating read, an interweaving of tensions and cross-currents of conflict: people at odds with each other, and even within themselves.