For this Friday, I thought I’d share a photo of a wonderful place to read, the Libreria Acqua in Venice. Can’t you imagine curling up here, with the water lapping all around you?
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Cynthia’s Interests
Blog Tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
- A Book Geek: review of THWARTED QUEEN “I would heartily recommend Thwarted Queen to anyone who enjoys historical fiction particularly those who enjoy the history aspect to historical fiction.”
- A Chick Who Reads review of THWARTED QUEEN: “From the very start, this book captured my interest. Its a weighty book, about 440 pages give or take, and I read it in 2 days. I got a wonderfully entertaining history lesson from Cynthia Sally Haggard.”
- A Hook of a Book review of THWARTED QUEEN: “This novel seemed like a large undertaking with its voluminous size, but I flew through this book in no time!”
- Ageless Pages review of THWARTED QUEEN “For a novel that clocks in at nearly 500 pages, THWARTED QUEEN was a surprisingly fast and easy read. Once Cecylee got her foot in the door, she was impossible to ignore.”
- Flashlight Commentary review of THWARTED QUEEN: “Meticulously researched and easy to follow, Thwarted Queen is an exceptional period piece, a must read for anyone interested in medieval monarchs, royal intrigue and the intense passions of those who sought the English crown.”
- Griperang's Bookmarks review of THWARTED QUEEN: “The way the author wrote this book – being narrated by Cecylee kept me turning the pages, I enjoy this writing style.”
- KInx's Book Nook review of THWARTED QUEEN “Thwarted Queen is a wonderful book. I highly recommend it for any historical fiction fan. It is an interesting take of the reigns of Edward IV and Richard III.”
- Luxury Reading review of THWARTED QUEEN: “If you’re a lover of historical fiction, you will love this tale, especially if you’re interested in British history. I really enjoyed reading this, and would read it again.”
- Peeking Between the Pages review of THWARTED QUEEN: “I breezed through this rather large novel quite quickly and enjoyed it.”
- Sharon's Garden of Books review of THWARTED QUEEN: “I highly recommend this book as a well-written, fast moving tale that will keep readers captivated to the very end.”
- The Book Garden review of THWARTED QUEEN: “I appreciated how the author made Cecylee a believable character with both strengths and weaknesses.”
- The Lit Bitch review of THWARTED QUEEN “This book will delight fans of the era and hopefully inspire a few new fans!”
Blogs & Websites to watch
- Ashley's Bookshelf Ashley shares her thoughts about the books she’s read, and also hosts author interviews.
- Big Als Books and Pals BigAl’s Books and Pals concentrates on reviewing books from independent (“indie”) authors available for ereaders, primarily Amazon’s Kindle, but also the Nook from Barnes and Noble.
- Book'd Out Shelley Rae lives in Australia and is a voracious reader. She specifically welcomes Australian authors. She also has a list of resources for authors looking for reviews.
- Booked In Chico Erica Spangler reviews books and has an amusing 5-point rating system based on shots of coffee.
- Books Like Breathing Grace is a voracious reader who hopes to find a place in the publishing industry some day. Will accept VERY FEW Indie books to review, due to some bad experiences.
- Brazilian Bookworm May Arend lives in Brazil and wants to help authors promote their books, but is picky about what she accepts, and prefers paper to electronic media.
- Clover Hill Book Reviews Michelle is a Mom and lives in the UK. She is open to blog tours, author interviews and giveaways. She does NOT accept self-published books.
- Dark-Readers Dark-Readers does giveaways and makes videos of books they promote.
- Flying Off the Shelves Beth Negri reviews books and has a 5-point rating system. Will give a second opinion if asked by author.
- Livin' Life Through Books Reading books is a hobby for Felicia. She started her blog to complete a reading challenge.
- Novelicious Kirsty, Debs, Amanda, Kira, Anna Bell run this blog. They are interested in chick lit and contemporary female fiction. They do NOT accept e-books, self-published books or non-fiction.
- The Book Hookup A blog written by a group of five women, it hosts blog hops and giveaways
- The Canary Review Tagline is: “We read books so you might not have to.”
- The Secret Life of Books Lucy loves reading and has a rating system. Her tagline is: “Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled ‘this could change your life’.”
- To Read or Not To Read – That's a Silly Question! Marcie, Steve and Nancy run this blog, which hosts giveaways, and will promote books if asked by authors.
Cecylee and her daughters visit for Guest Posts and Interviews
- Cecylee talks about her long life, and what it was like to be a Lady in 1400s England… GUEST POST ON SHIRLEY’S NOT MY NAME
- Cynthia chats about the writing life, how to deal with agents, and how to get over writer's block INTERVIEW WITH MAGDA OLCHAWSKA
- Cynthia describes her favorite characters and scenes in THWARTED QUEEN, and talks about how she uses her knowledge of neuroscience in her novels. AUTHORS ANON IN UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
- Cynthia describes her writing life and how she came to write THWARTED QUEEN INTERVIEW WITH MORGEN BAILEY
- Cynthia describes the process of writing about Lady Cecylee, plus giveaway for THWARTED QUEEN. INTERVIEW WITH STEPHANIE MOORE ON GOODREADS’ LADIES & LITERATURE
- Cynthia describes why she wrote about Lady Cecylee, plus writing tips for newbies. INTERVIEW WITH STEPHANIE MOORE ON LAYEREDPAGES.BLOGSPOT.COM
- Cynthia gives a brief interview about THWARTED QUEEN, including why she wrote it and advice for newbies BOOK MARKETING BUZZ BLOG
- Cynthia, in her second interview with Layered Pages, takes up the issue of Edward IV's illegitimacy, and talks about her favorite and least favorite characters in THWARTED QUEEN SECOND INTERVIEW WITH STEPHANIE MOORE ON LAYEREDPAGES.BLOGSPOT.COM
- Jane Shore, well-loved mistress of Edward IV, dishes about a row Cecylee had with her son, when she blasted him for marrying Elisabeth Woodville TANZANITE’S CASTLE FULL OF BOOKS
- Lady Cecylee describes an incident in which Duke Humphrey of Gloucester dishes about a recent marriage treaty to a crowd of rambunctious Londoners HISTORICAL FICTION EXCERPTS BLOG
- Lady Cecylee nominates 9 dinner table companions – Boudicca, Cleopatra, Eleanor of Aquitaine and others – to discuss the care and management of husbands. HNS CONFERENCE GUEST OF THE DAY POSTED BY HELEN HOLLICK
- Lady Cecylee provides us with a synopsis of THWARTED QUEEN AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT WITH MAGDA OLCHAWSKA
- Lady Cecylee spills the beans about her life. Please note that her ladyship's teeth were hurting her that day, making her more grumpy than usual. She can be charming when she chooses. WORLD LITERARY CAFE INTERVIEW WITH STACY EATON
Cynthia's Favorite Authors
- C. W. Gortner, author of THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI C. W. holds an MFA with an emphasis on Renaissance studies from the New College of California
- Curtis Sittenfeld, author of AMERICAN WIFE Curtis is not only a talented writer, but a good and supportive listener who helps her students discover their strengths and weaknesses
- Elizabeth Chadwick, author of LADY OF THE ENGLISH Fascinating look at the past, filtered through the research that Elizabeth Chadwick has done for her novels.
- Geraldine Brooks, author of YEAR OF WONDERS and MARCH A former journalist for the Wall Street Journal, Geraldine won the Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for her novel MARCH.
- Isabel Wolff, author of A VINTAGE AFFAIR A gifted novelist, Isabel was both a producer and reporter for the BBC World Service radio
- Joanne Harris, author of CHOCOLAT Set in France, Joanne’s novels have a vivid sense of taste.
- Juliet Marillier, author of the SEVENWATERS trilogy Juliet is capable of writing glorious prose that conveys a past sunk in the distant mists of time
- Ken Follet, author of THE FALL OF GIANTS trilogy, THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE, THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH and WORLD WITHOUT END A fabulous storyteller who writes large, ambitious novels that are believable, funny and tragic
- Margaret George, author of HELEN OF TROY Margaret writes such wonderful stories, and does an impressive amount of research to make her long-dead characters breathe
- Mary Sharratt, author of DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL Mary is also the author of THE VANISHING POINT, set in 17th century England and America
- Philippa Gregory, author of THE RED QUEEN Philiippa has become legendary in the publishing community for the success of her historical novels.
- Sharon Kay Penman, author of LIONHEART A blog about Sharon’s historical research into the wonderful novels she writes
- Susan Higginbotham, author of THE QUEEN OF LAST HOPES Susan is a former lawyer, who takes great pride in doing meticulous research.
- Tayari Jones, author of LEAVING ATLANTA and THE SILVER SPARROW A gifted teacher, Tayari makes each critique count in a supportive and helpful way to everyone
Indie Bookstores
- Books for America Building & improving libraries in Washington DC area schools, shelters, prisons & more, supporting reading programs, giving children their first book to keep
- Busboys & Poets Progressive bookstore with wonderful snacks near the famous U-Street corridor in Washington DC
- Kramer Books & Afterwords Dynamic bookstore & coffeehouse with desserts to die for in Dupont Circle Washington DC
- Politics & Prose That wonderful cozy nook in Chevy Chase DC, where you can read, sip coffee, & listen to fabulous talks
- Second Story Books Wonderful used bookstore in Dupont Circle, with cardboard boxes full of books haunted by eager buyers on sunny days
Must Haves
- New York Times Book Review Read the review of my latest novel here! Just kidding.
- Salon.com book reviews A wonderful resource for the author
Sheer Pleasure
- TROUVAIS A feast for the eye, for those of us who love French dressed up or down, country farmhouse or urban chic
Talented Professionals of Any Age to Watch
- David Henry Sterry, actor, activist and author of THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO GETTING YOUR BOOK PUBLISHED A charmingly wacky site that showcases the life, talents and activities of David Henry Sterry
- Heather Hayes, Model for Cecylee, Duchess of York (1415-1495) You will see Heather’s face on the cover of my forthcoming novel THWARTED QUEEN.
The Agents
- Donald Maass, literary agent and author of WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL
- Irene Goodman, literary agent Irene not only fosters the career paths of her present clients, she holds critique auctions every month, sending the proceeds to charities that she cares about
Welcome to Spun Stories
Welcome to Spun Stories, where I find books for book groups, give advice on the craft of writing, share tips on self-publishing, make bookclub recommendations, and spin stories from threads of the past
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Publisher’s Weekly Listing of THWARTED QUEEN, April 2013:
Thwarted Queen: A Saga About the Yorks, Lancasters and Nevilles
Cynthia Sally Haggard. Spun Stories Press, $18.99 paper (478p), ISBN 978-15120884-96; $5.99 e-book ISBN 978-0-9848169-1-0
Amazon
As the Hundred Years War comes to an end and the War of the Roses is about to begin, the wife of Richard, duke of York, bears a son after a love affair. Here is a portrait of a woman trapped by power, a marriage undone by betrayal, and a king brought down by fear.Kirkus Review of THWARTED QUEEN, March 2013:
Cecylee Neville is 9 years old when she’s betrothed to Richard Plantagenet, the Duke of York. Years after they marry, an affair she has one night leads to the birth of an illegitimate heir, an event that alters the course of history. As King Henry VI of Lancaster descends into madness, the house of York—comprised of Cecylee’s husband and, later, her sons Edward, Richard and George—begins a long, hard-fought campaign, often marked by betrayal, to win the throne of
England for themselves.Through careful, comprehensive research, Haggard creates a world rooted deeply in fact that’s also rich with dramatic detail. Descriptions of Henry’s descent into madness are particularly striking, as are the myriad relationships and duplicities that shaped the era, ultimately causing the war, which unfold intimately as Haggard couples fact with the affecting personal details.
Reviews of THWARTED QUEEN
"THWARTED QUEEN" is extremely interesting and cleverly written-I was completely enthralled! Lucy Bertoldi, HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY.
“THWARTED QUEEN is a gripping, well-researched historical novel, revealing a violent age. Cecylee and the other characters are well-drawn, with great subtlety and depth." Lindsay Townsend, author of TO TOUCH THE KNIGHT.
"The author immerses the reader in a complex and vivid world that is depicted with persuasive confidence." Curtis Sittenfeld, author of AMERICAN WIFE.
"THWARTED QUEEN is a wonderful novel to introduce Cecily Neville and historical biographical fiction to young female readers." Mirella Patzer, author of THE PENDANT.
"Haggard delivers a swift epic that is both entertaining and informing. The writing is crisp and clear, the characters well-defined, and the emotion overflowing. This book has something for everyone—romance, intrigue, and plenty of action." US REVIEW OF BOOKS, May 2012.
Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2015
Lady Cecylee’s Reading Circle on Goodreads
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THWARTED QUEEN has won a B.R.A.G. Medallion!
Blog of the month for June 2011, at HISTORICAL BLOGS, FICTION & FACT
Spun Stories gets the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award!
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