Guest Post and Giveaway: Christina Dudley of The Beresfords

The Calico Critic offers a big welcome to our guest blogger Christina Dudley, author of The Beresfords.  As fan of Austenesque fiction, I myself am looking forward to reading this nod to Mansfield Park in the near future.  In the meantime, here are a few thoughts from Christina and a nice giveaway!

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Although Austen described Emma Woodhouse as “a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like,” as the centuries have passed, it turns out far more abuse has actually been heaped on Fanny Price of Mansfield Park. Yes, Emma may be interfering and snobby, but Fanny—! Even Austen’s niece Anna Austen LeFroy “could not bear” her, and Austen’s own mother deemed Fanny “insipid.” Why the hate?

Anna Austen Lefroy,
Fanny-Hater

I think Fanny suffers from the Not-Elizabeth-Bennet Syndrome, just as MP suffers in readers’ estimation as the Not-Pride-and-Prejudice. Fanny doesn’t sparkle and enchant; she watches from the wings, observing all but acting little (pun intended). When Mary Crawford comes along, sparkling and enchanting like an Elizabeth Bennet gone to the Dark Side, she steals Fanny’s horse, Fanny’s health, Fanny’s beloved Edmund, and Fanny’s emotional well-being, without Fanny lifting a finger in defense. Fanny Price has nothing, it seems, but the power to say No. Yet much of the novel turns on this power of Fanny’s. With her No to the amateur theatrical and its attendant misbehaviors, and with her No to the wiles of Henry Crawford, Fanny alone emerges with her self-respect and integrity intact.

Maybe if we let her hair
down and give her pouty lips
and cleavage, people will warm to her..?

Besides its passive heroine, Mansfield Park has two more strikes against it for modern readers: Fanny’s sincere religiosity and Edmund’s unsexy career choice. For their book A Billion Wicked Thoughts, neuroscientists Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam analyzed 15,000 Harlequin novels and came up with this top-ten list of romance hero professions:

1. 

   Now there's a hero.

   Doctor
2. Cowboy
3. Boss
4. Prince
5. Rancher
6. Knight
7. Surgeon
8. King
9. Bodyguard
10. Sheriff

But wait! They left off “clergyman”! Exactly. Now, I know Harlequin novels are not Austen novels, but they, like all the Austen adaptations and sequels and updates, are descendents of her work. The hillbilly cousins who show up to the family reunion.

So given all poor Fanny’s disadvantages, why did I choose to write The Beresfords, a modern update of Mansfield Park? Four reasons:

1. Mansfield Park is one of my favorite Austen novels, P&P and Persuasion being the others. MP features some of Austen’s best humor (not to mention the only dirty joke in her entire oeuvre, courtesy of Mary Crawford!), richest characterizations, and most detailed windows into her time and place.
2. Given Fanny’s religiosity and Edmund’s career choice, faith issues play a natural, integral role in a re-envisioning of the story. My whole reading life has been spent on “secular” books, and I don’t think of myself as a writer of Christian fiction, per se, but I get tagged as such because I often write about churchgoing characters and things they wrestle with. Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but in contemporary secular fiction, churchgoing characters tend to be either (1) closet molesters or, (2) hypocritical as all-get-out. There are exceptions, of course, but not many. The exceptions prove the rule.
3. I wanted to give Fanny her own voice, to make her more sympathetic. Recently, MP was made into an opera, and as the Austenonly blogger who attended noted, “…the internalized dialogues of Fanny Price are simply crying out to be translated into arias when she can address us, her audience, with some passion about the dreadful goings on around her.” The best way to make a potentially unsympathetic character sympathetic? Let her tell her side of the story, as my “Frannie” does.
4. And finally, I was ticked at dear Jane for the ending of Mansfield Park. After all that Fanny has been through, things turn around for her in one sentence?! (And not even a very detailed sentence!) Fanny suffers more than any other Austen heroine, with the possible exception of Anne Elliott in Persuasion, but Anne gets a delicious conclusion, complete with detailed, heartfelt confession by Captain Wentworth. How could Austen so phone it in, when it came to Fanny? This absolutely had to be remedied.

So meet The Beresfords.

Raised with four older stepcousins in a conservative, churchgoing family, Frannie Price teeters on the brink of adolescence in the summer of 1985. Her timidity and awkwardness make her easy to overlook, yet she has one true friend in her cousin Jonathan. Jonathan, her childhood champion and the best person she knows. But when the Grant twins enter her life, Frannie’s world turns upside down. Not only does the sly and charming Eric Grant set her girl cousins against each other, but his flirtatious sister makes off with Jonathan’s heart.

Only Frannie sees the faults running beneath the family landscape—not that anyone’s asking her opinion. Not her strict Uncle Paul, not her beloved Jonathan, and certainly not the Grants, who, after having their way with the rest of the Beresfords, turn their sights on her. What’s a girl to do? And why does she feel, in this uncharted territory, like God left her at the border?

With sympathy, humor and more than a nod to Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, The Beresfords chronicles Frannie’s coming of age, when all around her is coming apart.

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Probably only a small percentage of my reader base have read Mansfield Park, so if I can’t convince you to love the Austen novel, don’t let it stop you from spending time with my Frannie!

A misleading Venn diagram, in which the author’s
readership appears disproportionately large.

But you get the idea.

And finally, if you live in the greater Seattle area, I will be reading from and signing copies of The Beresfords at University Book Store Bellevue, Wednesday, July 18, at 6:30 p.m. Come talk Austen with me, and invite me to your book club!

Christina Dudley's Website

E-Book Giveaway of The Beresfords!

Now that Christina has piqued your interest in The Beresfords, she has generously offered to give away a Kindle edition of her book!  Remember, even if you don't own a Kindle, you can still read these versions on Kindle's Cloud Reader on your computer, or even on a Kindle app for your phone or iPad. Be sure to read the guidelines below, enter via the Rafflecopter widget, and good luck!

• The contest period ends at 12:01am EST on July 29th, 2012.
• Contest is open to those with an Amazon.com account to receive contest prize.
• Make sure you leave your email address in the one required portion of the Rafflecopter form. Should you win, I will contact you on Sunday, July 29th.  Please take measures to ensure that my email will make it past your spam filters, lest you miss my message. (CalicoCritic@gmail.com) You'll have 72 hours to respond before I pick another winner.  This email address must be the same one you use to log in to your Amazon account, as it is where the e-book will be sent.
• All entries must go through the Rafflecopter form.  For example, if you leave a blog post comment and would like it to count toward your contest entry, be sure to indicate this through the "Leave a Blog Post Comment" button on the form.
• You may tweet about the giveaway once per day for bonus entries. Please report the direct URL to the tweet in the Rafflecopter form.
• Entries will be verified.  If a fraudulent entry is detected for the winning name, another winner will be drawn.
• After contact is established with the winner via email, the results will be published in the Rafflecopter widget below, and in a post on The Calico Critic's Facebook group wall.

If you can't see the Rafflecopter form below,

try clicking on the "Read more »" link

a Rafflecopter giveaway




        

DVD Review: Walk His Trail by EthnoGraphic Media

In recent years, EthnoGraphic Media has produced three incredible films chronicling the events surrounding the death of several Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) missionaries in the Amazon Jungle in 1956.  Beyond the Gates of Splendor tells the story of these missionaries in dramatic documentary fashion, with reenactments and testimony from surviving family members.  End of the Spear tells the same story, but has more of a feature film approach with actors playing the roles of those involved. The Grandfathers is a highly stylized documentary told from the point of view of the grandson of one of the victims.  I highly recommend all of these productions, and you can read a more detailed review of the latter film here on The Calico Critic.

EthnoGraphic media has taken material from all three of these works and put together a movie message series for pastors and church leaders to use in teaching to their congregations.  The Walk His Trail DVD is divided into three lessons.  Each compelling lesson has footage from a corresponding EGM film, with inserted commentary from Steve Saint, son of martyred missionary Nate Saint.

Lesson 1:  Beyond the Gates of Splendor 

The theme of this episode is sacrifice. The MAF missionaries sacrificed their lives to convey God’s message to the Waodani people. They understood that when we give up something now, it’s not sacrifice, it’s an investment.

Steve also conveys the message that God has a plan for all of us, and will someday make sense of pain and loss.  When life beats us up, we want someone to come to us who can relate to our pain.  He can relate to us in a way that no one else can. The Lord is writing our story, and as we readers know, the Author always gets the last word.

Lesson 2 – End of the Spear

The theme of this episode is reconciliation. God has given us a message of reconciliation and he has made us his ambassadors of reconciliation to the world. This was powerfully shown in a scene when a former tribe member is explaining this concept to one of the Waodani men who speared the missionaries:

“Why didn’t the wood bee {airplane} men shoot us?”

“They came to tell you Waengongi {God} has a Son. He was speared, but he didn’t spear back. So the people spearing him would one day live well.”

This message led to the softening of the hearts of the Waodani, and an amazing transformation of these formerly murderous people.

Lesson 3 – The Grandfathers

The theme of this final episode is heritage.  It’s very much the story of Jesse Saint, grandson of Nate Saint. As it’s told from the perspective of a much younger individual, the style is very artistic and modern, and I was completely riveted by the full film when I saw it last year. ThisWalk His Trail lesson captures the feel of the film and also adds in Steve’s commentary as well.  A particularly compelling moment comes when Steve recounts his crisis of faith during a family tragedy, and how a Waodani was the one that God used to comfort him in his moment of grief.  The heritage of the Saint family is not only carried on in the life of Jesse Saint, but in the lives of the Waodani.

All three of the Walk His Trail episodes would make for an amazing teaching series for any pastor or church leader.  The basic themes of sacrifice, reconciliation and heritage are related in a way that both unbelievers, new Christians and mature Christians can be blessed from.  The DVD is structured in such a way that each lesson can be played in full for about 30 minutes, or the lessons can be played with built in breaks, to give time for further lecturing and/or group discussion.

Given the intense nature of the Waodani before their conversion, I would not recommend this series for young children.  There are scenes of people getting speared, and impaling injuries are clearly seen.  The recounting of many murders is discussed on multiple occasions. The tribal men wear loincloths with no coverings for their backsides, and in some scenes, the women are topless in their natural habitat.  Nothing is gratuitous; life is portrayed in a realistic fashion.

There is less of the mature content in the Walk His Trail DVD than in the full-length features.  However, because of the PG-13 material, I would not recommend the films or Walk His Trail lessons to be shown to a general church audience where children or the easily offended are about.  It would probably be best to be shown in a small group setting, or at an evening church program when the audience has been given advance notice of the content they are about to witness.

The events chronicled in the EthoGraphic Media films are difficult, but the overall message is a glorious one, and I cannot recommend all of these videos highly enough.  The story of the MAF missionaries and the Waodani people is truly inspirational. If you are struggling with forgiveness or pain in your life, God’s message of hope conveyed in these films can give you the strength and comfort you are looking for.  As Steve Saint states, “God wants your will as His quill and your life as His slate.”  That can happen if we walk His trail.

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For more information on Walk His Trail and how your church leadership can receive a copy, visit the EthnoGraphic Media website here.

EGM Films - Walk His Trail Series

Film Trailers

Walk His Trail

Beyond the Gates of Splendor

End of the Spear

The Grandfathers

Mission Aviation Fellowship

          

Book Review: To Heaven and Back by Dr. Mary Neal

A kayak accident during a South American adventure takes one woman to heaven — where she experienced God’s peace, joy, and angels — and back to life again.

In 1999 in the Los Rios region of southern Chile, orthopedic surgeon, devoted wife, and loving mother Dr. Mary Neal drowned in a kayak accident. While cascading down a waterfall, her kayak became pinned at the bottom and she was immediately and completely submerged. Despite the rescue efforts of her companions, Mary was underwater for too long, and as a result, died.

To Heaven and Back is Mary’s remarkable story of her life’s spiritual journey and what happened as she moved from life to death to eternal life, and back again. Detailing her feelings and surroundings in heaven, her communication with angels, and her deep sense of sadness when she realized it wasn’t her time, Mary shares the captivating experience of her modern-day miracle.

Mary’s life has been forever changed by her newfound understanding of her purpose on earth, her awareness of God, her closer relationship with Jesus, and her personal spiritual journey suddenly enhanced by a first-hand experience in heaven.  To Heaven and Back will reacquaint you with the hope, wonder, and promise of heaven, while enriching you own faith and walk with God.

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Within the last few years, I've enjoyed reading a couple of books that recounted the testimonies of those who have had experiences in heaven.  Don Piper’s book 90 Minutes in Heaven was amazing, and his continued testimony of how he has endured physical and emotional pain since his return is inspiring.  I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of years ago, and I look forward to finishing his follow-up book of encouragements, Heaven is Real.

This past Christmas I also read the jaw-dropping story of Colton Burpo in Heaven is for Real, which has spent many weeks on the bestseller lists.  In both cases, I was awed, inspired and given so much hope from the experiences of these two individuals.  As a Christian I do believe in heaven, but to hear direct testimony from these guys was just incredible.  And while their stories are amazing, I felt comfortable believing in what they’ve been sharing with their audiences.

Recently I saw Dr. Mary Neal on a national news program sharing her own heavenly story as well, and my interest was piqued.  I read her book To Heaven and Back, and while I found it interesting and at times amazing, I didn’t feel as compelled to buy into everything that was shared in her story.  I believe that she’s sharing from her heart, that she has good intentions and that she did have these experiences.  I just felt that theologically there were some “red flags” in her story.  I always try to apply what I know of God’s word whenever I hear stories like hers, and for some reason, I felt that some of it just didn’t line up.







I’m not trying to discount eyewitness accounts of miracles that most certainly occurred the day of Dr. Neal’s accident.  I do believe in miracles, both ancient and modern, and I do accept that many miraculous things have happened to Mary.  There were just some subsequent spiritual moments and revelations in her life that I cannot be certain were from the Lord.

For example, she believes that we existed before our birth here on earth, and that we have already seen the basic outline of how our lives are going to play out.  She also believes that very young children still hold the memories of their pre-earth lives.  She states:

In preparation for our journey to earth, we are able to make a basic outline for our life. This is not to imply that we, the humans, are entirely in charge of our life’s design. It is more like God creates it, then we review it and discuss it with our “personal planning” angel. Within the algorithm are written branch points in our lives at which times we may exit, returning to God, or we may be redirected to a different task and goal.

I know that Dr. Neal is just writing from her heart, sharing what she has experienced and truly believes.  I also know that there is much about the spirit world that we cannot begin to comprehend, sometimes making it very difficult to verify.  There are forces that can disguise themselves as angels of light, deceiving us into believing things that seem to be lovely and true, but in actuality go against what the Lord has told us in His word. 

Unfortunately, I’m not enough a Biblical scholar to specifically refute the things that didn’t sit well with me in this book.  Much of To Heaven and Back was encouraging and amazing, showing God’s definite hand in the life of this intelligent, caring woman.  There were just enough doubtful elements that keep me from accepting the whole of the book.  My recommendation would be to read her story with both an open mind and a skeptic’s heart as well.  There’s much to learn from Dr. Mary Neal’s testimony, but I would take care as you experience it for yourself.

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In order to be an informed reader,
here are some To Heaven and Back book resources:

Dr. Mary Neal's Website

Dr. Mary Neal's Facebook Page

            

 I received this book for free from
WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Movie Review: Disney/Pixar's Brave

In my household, going to the theater is de rigueur for any Pixar film. The amazing animation absolutely must be seen on the big screen.  The acquisition of the video for home viewing is pretty much inevitable, too.  So this review is coming from someone who considers herself a fan of the studio and just about everything they’ve ever done.

That being said, my comments today are aimed at a very specific audience:  conservative parents of young children who don’t care about spoilers.  If you have older kids or are going to the movie on your own without them, you can disregard at least half of what I’m about to share.  In fact, you may want to skip this altogether and come back after you’ve seen it for yourself.  I’d hate to spoil anything for you!

Today I went to the 12:00pm showing of Brave in glorious 2D, free from the encumbrances of those annoying 3D glasses that make the images dark, and my peripheral vision go crazy. My husband had to work and my eldest son is away at Centrifuge camp, so it was just a mommy/son date for me and Colson, age seven.  We snuggled up together and settled in for a fun couple of hours.

Pre-feature comments:  Can I just tell you how much I love watching the previews for the upcoming Hobbit films?!?  And the Pixar short that precedes the movie is sweet, touching and beautiful.  But on to the movie…

I don’t know what it is about animated movies with female leads:  They are either of the old-school variety, where the girl is a fair damsel in distress and/or looking for her one true love, or she’s a rebellious teenager fighting against the powers that be. Brave’s Merida falls into the latter “modern” category, of course.  Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and The Hunger Games.  But I can’t help but wish for a different motif once in a while.

Merida’s rebellion isn’t completely unjustified—her parents seem to be completely oblivious or intentionally ignoring her true nature, to be a free and spirited girl.  At the same time, as a parent I’m just weary of seeing parents portrayed in this fashion, and princesses always rebelling against them.  At one point, I thought to myself, “I’m glad my sometimes-rebellious preteen son isn’t here right now.  He doesn’t need to see this.”  And fortunately, I think most of the teen angst went over my younger son’s head.  The first thing he said to me as the credits rolled was, “What was that movie about??”  A lot of the content was just lost on him, I think.

As I said to a friend earlier this morning, I don’t care how beautiful the animation is. For me, my enjoyment of a film is grounded in the story.  It’s all about the story.  When it comes to beautiful animation, Brave has it in spades.  It is so gorgeous!  I wanted to get on a plane to Scotland immediately.  And Merida’s hair is almost a character unto itself.  It’s so multi-dimensional and dynamic.  But sadly, I wasn’t captivated by the story.  Yes, the overall theme is wonderful, emphasizing compassion, reconciliation and forgiveness.  Yet somehow it just didn’t hold my interest.  The film relied too much on silly pratfalls, spit takes and occasional potty humor, which is so unnecessary to me.  Do I really need to see a 6-inch line of snot hanging from a child’s nose for half a scene before he sucks it back in again? 

Other thoughts:  There are five bears in this film.  Four are “good” and one is, well, really horrible.  He’s quite a nasty beast, and even gave me the willies whenever he was present. Parents of small children:  this guy may give your kids nightmares.  He’s pretty frightening. I put my arm around Colson whenever the creature was on screen.

Another minor note:  These aspects didn’t offend me in the least; I actually thought they were funny, but their presence took me by surprise.  In one scene, a group of men have to lose their pants, and they walk away, naked from the waist down.  Yes, we see their animated tushies, but still—I was surprised to see it.  Later Merida’s three brothers run around naked as well.  In one scene, a character must literally dive down into a woman’s ample bosom from up above, and we get a VERY close shot of her generous cleavage.  Again, I found these moments to be funny, but some parents might want to be aware of them just in case they’re more conservative than I am.

All in all, I don’t want to give Brave a completely negative review.  The animation is striking, the overall theme of forgiveness and reconciliation is beautiful and the music is lovely.  I was just somewhat unimpressed with it for some reason.   My recommendation to parents is to view this film first.  You may find that your kids can handle some of these questionable moments just fine.  Only you know what is appropriate for your children.  I’d also recommend reading the review from the folks at Plugged In Online. They reiterate some of the same concerns and disappointments that I have.

I’m glad I was able to see the film, and enjoyed going with my seven year-old.  That being said, I’m not going to take great measures to make sure my elder son sees this anytime soon, and I don’t feel the need to own the video. I’m sad to say that about any Pixar film, but that’s where I am with this.  I still hope Brave is wildly successful and that the studio continues on so that they can make great movies. Although they have slightly missed the target on this one, I know there will be many more perfectly-executed stories from them in the future.

Book Review and Giveaway: Bewitched, Body and Soul: Miss Elizabeth Bennet

"Well, my comfort is, I am sure Jane will die of a broken heart, and then he will be sorry for what he has done."

--Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Determined to right a wrong against her family by reuniting her sister with the man she loves, Elizabeth finds that Society's expectations and decorum are only a few of the things standing in her way.

Upon discovery, will she forgive the one man who has been the means of disappointing the hopes of a most beloved sister?

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In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Miss Elizabeth Bennet comes from a modest family of five sisters.  Her most dear sibling Jane develops an affection for the delightful and wealthy Charles Bingley, who is obviously far above her in the social strata.  His close friend, the sometimes haughty Fitzwilliam Darcy, feels it is in Charles’ best interest to not become involved with the lovely yet middle-class Jane Bennet and takes measures to keep them apart.

In Bewitched, Body and Soul, author P.O. Dixon develops Austen’s original plot in similar and entirely new ways.  Miss Elizabeth discovers Darcy’s efforts to thwart this budding romantic relationship and is horrified at his assumptions and interference.  Seeing Jane’s dejected state of mind, she takes it upon herself to call on Mr. Darcy to try to right the wrong he has done.  Unfortunately, she is caught in a rainstorm and is forced to spend more solitary time with Darcy than she had ever intended.

P.O. Dixon’s novel may be a brief one at only 165 pages, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in quality.  The writing is superb, balancing modern readability with period customs and turns of phrase.  The characterization of these classic figures is just perfect; the choices made in this incarnation of Austen’s world could easily have been made in the original work.  And while the plot choices were very reasonable for the genre, I was kept guessing in between the established beginning and the expected outcomes.

I also appreciated Dixon’s choice in keeping things very chaste in her romantic scenes.  There is certainly more detail than was given in Austen’s original work, but compared to many Austenesque novels in today’s market, this one is decidedly clean.  Bewitched, Body and Soul may have a sultry title, but in its world, the ultimate gentleman not only feels great passion, but he is devoted enough to his future bride to keep it in check until the appointed time.

Bewitched, Body and Soul cannot be recommended highly enough.  I have given it a rare five-star review on Goodreads.com.  My only complaint for this novel would be that I wish it had been longer. Dixon could easily have spent more time with Jane, Bingley and Caroline, giving us more of her excellent storytelling. This was my first exposure to her writing, and I’m eagerly looking forward to reading more of her.  I offer my highest praise to P.O. Dixon, and congratulate her on a fabulous work of Austenesque fiction.

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P.O. Dixon Around the Web

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest
YouTube

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Bewitched, Body and Soul Giveaway! (USA)

As much as I enjoyed P.O. Dixon's novel, I'd like to share my gently-read copy with one of you!  Be sure to read the guidelines below, enter via the Rafflecopter widget, and good luck!

• The contest period ends at 12:01am EST on July 8th, 2012.
• Contest is open to U.S. entrants only. Sorry-- gotta stay domestic on this one.
• Make sure you leave your email address in the one required portion of the Rafflecopter form. Should you win, I will contact you on Sunday, July 8th.  Please take measures to ensure that my email will make it past your spam filters, lest you miss my message. (CalicoCritic@gmail.com) You'll have 72 hours to respond before I pick another winner.
• All entries must go through the Rafflecopter form.  For example, if you leave a blog post comment and would like it to count toward your contest entry, be sure to indicate this through the "Leave a Blog Post Comment" button on the form.
• You may tweet about the giveaway once per day for bonus entries. Please report the direct URL to the tweet in the Rafflecopter form.
• Entries will be verified.  If a fraudulent entry is detected for the winning name, another winner will be drawn.

If you can't see the Rafflecopter form below,

try clicking on the "Read more »" link

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want another chance to win? 
Stop by So Little Time and enter! (Ends July 1)

http://candy-m.blogspot.com/2012/06/bewitched-body-and-soul-by-po-dixon.html

        

Romanov Birthday and Giveaway!

I don't know about you, but ever since the 1997 animated movie Anastasia was released, I've been intrigued with the history and lore surrounding the fate of Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov of Russia.  This April the novel The Last Romanov was published, and while I haven't had a chance to read it yet, it has definitely piqued my interest.  The book's publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark has graciously offered my readers the opportunity to win a copy of Dora Levy Mossanen's alluring novel. This event is being held in conjunction with what would have been Anastasia's 111th birthday, or as us Lord of the Rings fans would say, the "eleventeenth" birthday of this mysterious figure on June 18th.  Here's some more information about The Last Romanov:

In a Time of Rasputin's Magic and Romanov Mystery,
A Young Girl Finds Herself at the Heart of the Royal Family

She was an orphan, ushered into the royal palace on the prayers of her majestry. Yet, decades later, her time spent in the embrace of the Romanovs haunts her still. Is she responsible for those murderous events that changed everything?

If only she can find the heir, maybe she can put together the broken pieces of her own past-maybe she can hold on to the love she found. Bursting to life with the rich and glorious marvels of Imperial Russia, The Last Romanov is a magical tale of second chances and royal blood.

"A master story teller at the height of her game...weaves history and magic into a riveting page-turner."—Robin Maxwell, bestselling author of Signora da Vinci and The Seceret Diary of Anne Boleyn

"This haunting tale of prophecy and redemption sweeps up into an opulent world of glamour, myth, tragedy and unforgettable humanity."—C.W. Gortner, author of The Confessions of Catherine de Medici

DORA LEVY MOSSANEN is the bestselling author of the widely acclaimed novels Harem and Courtesan, which have been translated into numerous languages, and is the recipient of the prestigious San Diego Editors' Choice Award. She blogs for the Huffington Post, reviews fiction for the Jewish Journal, and has been featured in various publications.

The Last Romanov Giveaway!

Sound good?  One of you can win a copy! Be sure to read the guidelines below, enter via the Rafflecopter widget, and good luck!

• The contest period ends at 12:01am EST on July 23rd, 2012.
• Contest is open to U.S. and Canadian entrants.
• Make sure you leave your email address in the one required portion of the Rafflecopter form. Should you win, I will contact you on Sunday, July 8th.  Please take measures to ensure that my email will make it past your spam filters, lest you miss my message. (CalicoCritic@gmail.com) You'll have 72 hours to respond before I pick another winner.
• All entries must go through the Rafflecopter form.  For example, if you leave a blog post comment and would like it to count toward your contest entry, be sure to indicate this through the "Leave a Blog Post Comment" button on the form.
• The winner's mailing information will be sent to Sourcebooks for prize shipment. 
• You may tweet about the giveaway once per day for bonus entries. Please report the direct URL to the tweet in the Rafflecopter form.
• Entries will be verified.  If a fraudulent entry is detected for the winning name, another winner will be drawn.  

If you can't see the Rafflecopter form below,

try clicking on the "Read more »" link

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want another chance to win?
Here are some other giveaways of The Last Romanov!

http://celticladysreviews.blogspot.com/2012/06/celebrate-anastasias-111th-birthday.html
(Ends 6/21)

http://maryinhb.blogspot.com/2012/06/giveaway-last-romanov-by-dora-levy.html
(Ends 6/25)

http://www.brokenteepee.com/2012/06/celebrate-anastasias-111th-birthday.html
(Ends 6/30)

Book Review and Giveaway - The Secret Keeper by Sandra Byrd

The author of To Die For returns to the court of Henry VIII, as a young woman is caught between love and honor.

Juliana St. John is the daughter of a prosperous knight in Marlborough. Though her family wants her to marry the son of her father’s business partner, circumstances set her on a course toward the court of Henry VIII and his last wife, Kateryn Parr.

Sir Thomas Seymour, uncle of the current heir, Prince Edward, returns to Wiltshire to tie up his business with Juliana’s father’s estate and sees instantly that she would fit into the household of the woman he loves, Kateryn Parr. Her mother agrees to have her placed in the Parr household for “finishing” and Juliana goes, though perhaps reluctantly. For she knows a secret. She has been given the gift of prophecy, and in one of her visions she has seen Sir Thomas shredding the dress of the king’s daughter, the lady Elizabeth, to perilous consequence.


As Juliana learns the secrets of King Henry VIII’s court, she faces threats and opposition, learning truths about her own life that will upset everything she thought she once held dear.

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Although I tend to gravitate toward the 18th Century when I delve into historical fiction, the premise of Sandra Byrd’s The Secret Keeper was intriguing, and I delighted at the chance to join in the Secret Keeper Virtual Book Tour, sponsored by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. The lure of the royal court, prophecies and secrets was undeniable.

Sandra Byrd does a magnificent job of transporting her readers to mid-16th Century England, in particular to the court of Kateryn Parr. Her writing style is such that we as modern readers can comprehend the language of the characters, but she also inserts enough appropriately antiquated terms that the environment seems authentic.

While the bulk of the story revolves around the court of Kateryn Parr, the main character is actually Juliana St. John, a young woman who is brought into Kateryn’s court through her family’s relationship with Sir Thomas Seymour. Juliana, like several female Biblical characters, has the gift of prophecy that has allowed her to see remarkable visions, messages of events that are to come. Through this God-given gift, she is able to occasionally help others, but in incredibly crucial moments in time.

Juliana also has a bit of drama of her own.  She experiences a horrific event, which changes her life seemingly forever.  Miss St. John also has affection for one male in particular, and this also brings interesting aspects to her story.  I found Juliana to be the most interesting character of this novel, as she seemed very real, imperfect, compassionate and brave.  Her growth as a woman was evident throughout the storyline, and I enjoyed seeing her overcome some amazing obstacles in the eight years that are covered in the plot.

Certain Christian topics are a part of The Secret Keeper, such as prophecy, the English Reformation, the debate over scriptural accuracy and other issues.  Sandra Byrd also states in a post-novel interview that she herself is a Christian.  And it’s notable that certain adult concepts were handled in a realistic, yet non-gratuitous fashion. That stated, I would not pigeonhole this novel into the limited Christian Fiction genre.  The church was a dominant force during the 16th Century, sometimes for ill as well as for good.  The Secret Keeper is simply covering events that either did occur or easily could have occurred during that time period.  Those not sharing the Christian faith could easily enjoy this novel, regardless of their religious persuasion.

Although I did appreciate much of Sandra Byrd’s choices in her storytelling, at times the recounting of events and goings-on within the court became confusing and weighty.  The family trees included at the book’s outset were helpful, but I still found myself frequently trying to remember the identities of the litany of people within the story.  Fortunately, the handful of main characters that were always near the forefront were easy to recognize and follow, and I did enjoy their contributions to the narrative.  I’m not sure how the accuracy and veracity of the story could have been retained with some simplification, but if that could have been accomplished, I would have enjoyed this novel more overall.

That reservation aside, I find Sandra Byrd to be an excellent, well prepared writer who has clearly done her homework and cares about her characters.  She plays with history just a bit, but never takes the story beyond what is reasonably plausible for the time period.  I especially enjoyed the characters of Juliana, Kateryn and Jamie, and Sandra’s ending was so sweet and satisfying.  If you’re looking for a bit of royal intrigue, spiritual wonderment, romance and adventure, The Secret Keeper would be a fine way to start off some quality summer reading.

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About the Author

Sandra Byrd has published more than three dozen books in the fiction and nonfiction markets, including the first book in her Tudor series, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn.  Her second book, The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr, illuminates the mysteries in the life of Henry's last wife.

For more than a decade Sandra has shared her secrets with the many new writers she edits, mentors, and coaches. She lives in the Seattle, Washington, area with her husband and two children. For more Tudor tidbits, please visit www.sandrabyrd.com.

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Secret Keeper Giveaway!

Thanks to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, I have two copies of The Secret Keeper to offer our readers!  Winner #1 will win a new copy of the novel from the book tour, and Winner #2 will win my gently-read review copy.  Be sure to read the guidelines below, enter via the Rafflecopter widget, and good luck!

• The contest period ends at 12:01am EST on July 8th, 2012.
• Contest is open to U.S. and Canadian entrants.
• Make sure you leave your email address in the one required portion of the Rafflecopter form. Should you win, I will contact you on Sunday, July 8th.  Please take measures to ensure that my email will make it past your spam filters, lest you miss my message. (CalicoCritic@gmail.com) You'll have 72 hours to respond before I pick another winner.
• All entries must go through the Rafflecopter form.  For example, if you leave a blog post comment and would like it to count toward your contest entry, be sure to indicate this through the "Leave a Blog Post Comment" button on the form.
• The first winner's mailing information will be sent to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for prize shipment. The second winner's information will be used by The Calico Critic to mail the gently used review copy.
• You may tweet about the giveaway once per day for bonus entries. Please report the direct URL to the tweet in the Rafflecopter form.

Entries will be verified.  If a fraudulent entry is detected for the winning name, another winner will be drawn.

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A Bookish Affair: Ends July 8th

Peeking Between the Pages: Ends July 12th

Luxury Reading: Ends July 16th