Friday, March 12, 2010

Susan Higginbotham Interview, Author of The Stolen Crown (and Giveaway!)

I am excited that Susan Higginbotham, author of The Stolen Crown is here on Laura's Reviews today for an interview. I really enjoyed The Stolen Crown and I am very happy that Susan took the time out to answer my burning questions!

Q(Laura) I love that The Stolen Crown is about the War of the Roses, through the view of Katherine Woodville. What drew you to this period of history and Katherine Woodville in particular?

A(Susan H.) I’ve been interested in the Wars of the Roses ever since I read Shakespeare’s history plays about the era, though I didn’t begin to research the period in depth until a few years ago. It’s a hugely dramatic period, full of stories of torn loyalties, abrupt reversals of fortunes, and tragic, early deaths, as well as stories of great resilience and courage.

We know almost nothing about Katherine Woodville’s personality—one historian has suggested that she was a sloppy record-keeper, and we know that toward the end of her life, she possessed enough gumption to make an unlicensed marriage to a much younger man. But what I could find out about her life made me decide that it would be interesting to tell a novel from her point of view. Probably the youngest of the Woodville siblings, she was the one who made the greatest marriage (after her sister the queen, of course), and she would lose her father, two of her brothers, a nephew, and finally her first husband to the executioner’s ax. Her first husband, of course, is known mainly for his failed rebellion against Richard III, and though we don’t know what if any role Katherine played in his decision to turn against a king he had helped bring to the throne, it’s a tantalizing subject for speculation.

Q(Laura) Your take on Harry Stafford is different than other views of him (and I like your take better!). What made you decide to write him as a sympathetic character that truly loved his wife?

A(Susan H.) Originally, I planned to tell the novel entirely through Kate’s eyes, but Harry shoved his way in, and I’m very glad he did. No one knows why Harry rebelled against Richard III in 1483, but some chroniclers have suggested that he had a crisis of conscience, and that seemed to me to the most plausible explanation for his behavior. That in turn made him a sympathetic character in my eyes. As for his relationship with Katherine, that pretty much evolved in the course of writing the novel, but I do find it significant that during Buckingham’s rebellion, Kate accompanied her husband in his disastrous attempt to cross out of Wales and that she was with him until he made his last flight for his life.


Q(Laura) The relationship between Harry and Richard III is very complex and interesting in this novel. What inspired you to take their relationship in this direction?

A(Susan H.)Richard III is often depicted as being manipulated by Harry, but as I read more about the two men, I found this to be implausible. As Duke of Gloucester, Richard had led armies for his brother Edward IV and wielded great power in the North; nothing suggests that he was unassertive or lacking in self-confidence. Why would he allow himself to be the tool of Buckingham, a man three years his junior who had no military experience and very little administrative experience and who had never played a role of importance in English affairs? I thought that it was far more likely that it was Buckingham who would have looked up to Richard and to have been guided by his example, and their relationship took off from that starting point.

Q (Laura) I noticed in your author biography that you are an attorney. What inspired you to make a career change to an author?

A (Susan H.) I haven’t made a career change—more of a career addition! I still work full-time for a legal publishing company. My hours are flexible, however, much more so than when I had a legal practice, so that allows me to get my writing done.

Q(Laura) I've read many good reviews of both of your previous novels. Can you share some thoughts on these novels with us? Was it easier writing The Stolen Crown?

A(Susan H.)
My first two novels, The Traitor’s Wife and Hugh and Bess, both deal with the Despenser family—one of the great tragic families of medieval England. I have no background in history, and I had to pretty much learn how to do historical research when I began writing The Traitor’s Wife—before that, I couldn’t have told you the difference between a primary source and a secondary source, and I had no idea of the depth of the materials from medieval England that were available.

In some ways, it was easier to write The Traitor’s Wife than my second two novels because I had no reader expectations to meet and no consciousness of an editor looking over my shoulder. From a research point of view, though, it was probably easier to write The Stolen Crown because so much has been published about the period of the Wars of the Roses and so much more primary source material is available in English.

Q(Laura) What is next for you? Are you at work on a new novel that you could share with us?

A(Susan H.) I’m working on The Queen of Last Hopes, a novel about Henry VI’s queen, Margaret of Anjou, who is one of the most maligned queens in English history. She had the great misfortune to be a Frenchwoman at a time when England suffered enormous losses of its holdings in France, and she was a fiercely devoted mother who refused to sit back quietly and watch her son’s claim to the throne be set aside. She’s been portrayed as a sexually promiscuous, vengeance-mad harpy, based mainly on propaganda and gossip spread by her enemies and a good healthy dose of plain old sexism, and I’m looking forward to presenting a different fictional portrayal of her.

Q(Laura) I always love to learn who authors love to read. Can you list a few of your favorite books and authors?

A(Susan H.) My favorite novelists are Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, with Bleak House and Our Mutual Friend being in a tie for my favorite novel. I also enjoy Elizabeth Gaskell’s works. For contemporary authors, my favorites are Anne Tyler, P.D. James, and the late Barbara Pym, while in the area of historical fiction I’ve particularly enjoyed the work of Sharon Penman, Jean Plaidy, Margaret Campbell Barnes, and Brenda Clarke/ Brenda Honeyman.

Thanks, Laura, for the interview!


THE STOLEN CROWN BY SUSAN HIGGINBOTHAM—IN STORES MARCH 2010
On May Day, 1464, six-year-old Katherine Woodville, daughter of a duchess who has married a knight of modest means, awakes to find her gorgeous older sister, Elizabeth, in the midst of a secret marriage to King Edward IV. It changes everything—for Kate and for England.
Then King Edward dies unexpectedly. Richard III, Duke of Gloucester, is named protector of Edward and Elizabeth's two young princes, but Richard's own ambitions for the crown interfere with his duties...
Lancastrians against Yorkists: greed, power, murder, and war. As the story unfolds through the unique perspective of Kate Woodville, it soon becomes apparent that not everyone is wholly evil—or wholly good.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Higginbotham is the author of two historical fiction novels. The Traitor’s Wife, her first novel, is the winner of ForeWord Magazine’s 2005 Silver Award for historical fiction and is a Gold Medalist, Historical/Military Fiction, 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards. She writes her own historical fiction blog, Medieval Woman. Higginbotham has worked as an editor and an attorney, and lives in North Carolina with her family. For more information, please visit http://www.susanhigginbotham.com/

Giveaway Details
Danielle of Sourcebooks has been kind enough to offer two copies of the The Stolen Crown by Susan Higginbotham for this giveaway. If you would like to enter this contest do any of the following:

1. Leave a comment on this post. You must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner. (1 entry)

2. Blog about this giveaway or post about it on your sidebar. (1 entry)

3. Become a follower or leave a comment that you already are a follower of this blog. (1 entry)

There are three ways to enter, but you can put all three entries as one comment.

I will be using random.org to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Friday April 2nd.

Good luck!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Helen Hollick Guest Blog, Author of Shadow of the King (and Giveaway)

Today I am honored to have Helen Hollick, author of Shadow of the King as a guest blog. I love books dealing with Arthurian legend, and Hollick's books look fantastic.

Helen Hollick
One of my first memories is running from the library clutching a book I had not read (or at least, someone had read to me) I was four years old. I was writing stories when I was thirteen, in every spare moment scribbling something, and I confess even during lessons at school I was sometimes secretively writing!

I became a library assistant when I left school, and discovered the factual history behind the legends of King Arthur after reading Mary Stewart’s Crystal Cave and Hollow Hills novels – I was hooked on Arthur, but not the Medieval chivalric knight in shining armour, the Holy Grail or gallant quests, for some reason I disliked those made-up stories. My interest lay in the reality behind the legends. If Arthur had existed what would he have been like? Where would he have fought his battles? Against whom? And was his queen truly an adulteress?

My problem then, was that I soon became dissatisfied with novels about Arthur. They either had too much fantasy which made them feel unreal, or I just did not agree with the author’s viewpoint. So there was only one thing for it. Write my own.

I made several false starts, but eventually, after almost 10 years of writing and researching in my spare time I ended up with the manuscript of what was to eventually become The Kingmaking and half of Pendragon’s Banner.

My good friend, Sharon Kay Penman, encouraged me and I was delighted when William Heinemann of Random House UK signed me up for a trilogy. All I had to do was polish and edit the material I had, complete Pendragon’s Banner and write the third part of Trilogy – Shadow of the King.

All? LOL :-)

The research for Shadow was particularly enjoyable, as I used old Welsh Legends that possibly made Arthur Lord of Brittany, which meant I could I venture on a three week expedition to Brittany and France in search of locations. What a wonderful career writing can be!

I then went on to write two other historical novels, Harold the King, the story of the Battle of Hastings, 1066 (which is probably the most famous date in English history) writing it from the English point of view and stripping away all the incorrect Norman propaganda – for instance, Duke William of Normandy had no right to the English throne, whatsoever, he was a usurping tyrant.

While writing Harold, I became fascinated by Queen Emma, Edward the Confessor’s mother, and wife to two different Kings of England. I decided she deserved her own novel, so wrote A Hollow Crown (UK title)/ The Forever Queen (US title).

Both Harold the King and A Hallow Crown are available now in the UK (or via Amazon) and they will be published un the US by Sourcebooks Landmark: The Forever Queen in November 2010 and Harold the King in March 2011!

I have also written the first three adventures in my pirate-based historical-fantasy Sea Witch series: Sea Witch, Pirate Code and Bring It Close, featuring my charismatic rogue of a hero, Captain Jesamiah Acorne and his girlfriend, the white witch, Tiola. Full to the scuppers fun and action – a sort of blend of Indiana Jones, Cpt Hornblower and Richard Sharpe – with a little magic added in for good measure! I wrote Sea Witch out of pure love for my character after watching the first of Johnny Depp’s Pirate movies (who can resist Jack Sparrow?) I wanted to read more pirate adventures, but there seemed to be only teenage and children’s books available. Beyond the wonderful Frenchman’s Creek by Daphne du Maurier, I could find nothing for adult taste that included a touch of “adult” content. So, as with my Arthur stories, I researched the history of the Golden Age of Piracy, thought out my plot, invited my characters into my life – and wrote Sea Witch in about 3 months. Which included working on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day because I could not stop writing!

I am thrilled to discover that many readers are falling for my Jesamiah as much I did!

Thank you for inviting me onto your Blog, I’ve enjoyed myself! Tell me, what are your favourite books that have shaped you as a reader?

Helen Hollick

SHADOW OF THE KING BY HELEN HOLLICK—IN STORES MARCH 2010
They knew what was coming.
Man and beast knew what lay ahead.
After the war cry.
Bitter the grave.

At long last, the peace King Arthur was born to usher in has settled over the realm. But Arthur was also born to be a warrior… and all true warriors are restless without a fight. Yearning for battle and ever-loyal, Arthur is easily deceived into setting sail for Gaul to defend its territories—leaving his country vulnerable and leaderless.

A beacon of hope in a land of desolation, he was to be the Lord of the Summer Land for now and forever. But first, the Pendragon must face the ultimate test, one that will take all his courage, strength of will, and honor to survive.

Because once destiny is fulfilled, can you ever truly win again?

About the Author
Helen Hollick lives in northeast London with her husband, daughter and a variety of pets, which include several horses, cats and two dogs. She has two major interests: Roman / Saxon Britain and the Golden Age of Piracy--the early eighteenth century. You can Find Helen at the following places:

Main Website: http://www.helenhollick.net/
Blog profiles: http://www.acorne.blogspot.com/
Muse and Views Blog: http://www.helenhollick.blogspot.com/
My Picture Diary Blog: http://helenhollicksdiarydates.blogspot.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/helen.hollick
Monthly Journal: http://www.helenhollick.net/journal.html
Twitter: http://twitter.com/HelenHollick

Giveaway Details
Danielle of Sourcebooks has been kind enough to offer 1 set of Helen’s trilogy, The Kingmaking, Pendragon’s Banner and Shadow of the King for this giveaway.
If you would like to enter this contest do any of the following:
1. Leave a comment on this post. You must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner. (1 entry)
2. Blog about this giveaway or post about it on your sidebar. (1 entry)

3. Become a follower or leave a comment that you already are a follower of this blog. (1 entry)

There are three ways to enter, but you can put all three entries as one comment.

I will be using random.org to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).
No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Friday March 26th.

Good luck!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

The Stolen Crown by Susan Higginbotham

The Stolen Crown by Susan Higginbotham was riveting historical fiction. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. This is amazing as I love this time period and have read several books concerning the War of the Roses, Elizabeth Woodville, etc. I have never read a book about her younger sister, Katherine Woodville and her husband, Harry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham. I was intrigued to find out how they would survive the turmult of the times they lived during.

Young Katherine Woodville discovers her sister Elizabeth marrying King Edward IV in secret one morning. Little does she know that life is about to change in a major way for her entire family. Her and her siblings are matched with some of the greatest families in the land. Katherine marries Harry Stafford, the young Duke of Buckingham at a very young age. As they grow up together, they learn to love each other. Katherine’s family’s rise does not make them many friends, and when King Edward unexpectedly dies, the winds of change threaten to tear apart Katherine and Harry’s family.

Overall I really enjoyed this novel and read it quickly. If you are a fan of historical fiction and/or The War of the Roses, you must read this novel for a fresh take through the eyes of two interesting historical people.

Book Source: Advance Review Copy from Sourcebooks. Thank-you!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Giveaway and Review: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls is a prequel to one of my favorite reads of last year, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. As Jane Austen obviously didn’t write a prequel, Dawn of the Dreadfuls is an entirely new work.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls tells the tale of how the “dreadfuls” first make an appearance in the Bennet girls’ lives. This is only slightly before Pride and Prejudice. Jane is eighteen and Elizabeth is just coming out. After a funeral goes awry and the dreadfuls have made an appearance back in Meryton, Mr. Bennet decides to train his daughters in the ways of the warrior. This does not please Mrs. Bennet or the gossiping townsfolk. What does please Mrs. Bennet is the appearance of the militia and an old flame to help safeguard Meryton. Adventure and romance ensues.

Overall, I was entertained by Dawn of the Dreadfuls, but I did not love it as I did Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. PP&Z had the wit of Jane Austen and what made it hilarious were the slight changes of the beloved classic to add zombies. It worked beautifully. It also had Mr. Darcy, which this book does not. Dawn of the Dreadfuls did have one hilarious scene involving Mr. and Mrs. Bennet that you have read to enjoy. I laughed out loud.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls hits bookstores on March 23, 2010. If you would like to learn more about this book, please visit the Quickclassics.com book page.

If you would like to win one of 50 Quirk Classics Prize Packs please go to the following link. You will be sent to a public message board post on QuirkClassics.com, that will prompt you to mention Laura’s Reviews. Participants will be automatically entered to win one of the Quirk Classics Prize Packs. What is in the Prize Packs? Each Prize Pack contains the following:

1. An advance copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls
2. Audio Books of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
3. A password redeemable online for sample audio chapters of Dawn of the Dreadfuls
4. An awesome Dawn of the Dreadfuls Poster
5. A Pride and Prejudice and Zombies journal
6. A box set of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Postcards

Good luck!

Book Source: Advanced Review Copy from Quirk Classics. Thank-you!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Author Interview and Giveaway: Elizabeth Chadwick on The Scarlet Lion

If you've been reading my blog this past month, you've noticed that I have become infatuated with two new books; The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick. Today I am lucky enough to interview Elizabeth Chadwick on this blog. Thank-you to Elizabeth Chadwick to take the time to answer my questions!!

Q (Laura)William Marshal is one of the best characters I have ever read about – and it’s amazing that he is an actual historical figure! Where did you first learn about William Marshal and what inspired you to write about him?

A (Elizabeth Chadwick) Thank you Laura. I think he is pretty amazing myself. I first came across William Marshal a long time ago in my career when I was writing a romantic novel titled “The Champion.” I was studying the art of jousting and his name cropped up as having been the best jouster of his age as a young man. As I continued to write, his name kept cropping up time and again, I finally decided to take a closer look at the man himself. His story was just so powerful that it had to be told. I was really lucky that as I seriously began to research and write the books, a history of his life story, told as a poem in Old French and written from eye-witness accounts, was published for the first time in English translation. I couldn’t have got as close to him as I did without the help of that wonderful document.

Q (Laura) Isabelle is a very strong heroine for her time. In your author’s note you state that there are not many records of her, but what there are shows that she was a strong presence in William’s life. How did you fill in the details to create your compelling portrait of Isabelle?

A(Elizabeth Chadwick)Some of it, as I stated was taken from the records, where inferences could be pieced together. Isabelle is described as being beautiful, noble, gracious and courageous, but a lot of these descriptions are stock in trade for noble ladies of the period. However we know that William was very taken with her – he took her away on honeymoon to a quiet spot and they had proper time to themselves for a month before resuming normal daily business. We know her father had red hair, her mother was blonde, and that her daughter Isabelle, named after her, had glorious thick, flaxen hair (a chronicler mentions it) as a grown woman. So I’ve made Isabelle a blonde because it seems very probable that she was. We know that she was usually not far from William’s side, that she sat in on his ‘business meetings’ and had a say in what happened, even if William (in keeping with most medieval men) was head of the household and still had the last word. She was prepared to argue with him when their sons were taken hostage, and when she thought he was being too lenient in forgiving their untrustworthy Irish vassals. When he returned to her in Ireland after being trapped at court in England, we are told that seeing him again was ‘very much to her taste.’ All of these details can be garnered from the Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal, the poem written about his life. She comes over as a sensible, gracious woman, well aware of her own worth, and of the worth of the man whom she had married. To find Isabelle, I also used the skills of Akashic Record consultant Alison King. Details on my website here http://www.elizabethchadwick.com/akashic_record.html Basically it’s a belief that everything that has happened in the past can be accessed if you have the skill to do so.

Q(Laura)Your description of the Battle of Lincoln was riveting. What inspiration do you use for your writing of such epic scenes?

A(Elizabeth Chadwick)Again, I used the Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal which described the battle in detail. I used Alison King’s skills to go back to the battle and take a look, and I used memories of scenes of warriors on horseback from various historical pageants I’ve attended to help get the feel. I also used music as an inspiration. It might seem a bit strange, but when I was envisaging William charging into battle at Lincoln, I had parallel Universe by Red Hot Chili Peppers running through my mind. It was all about being transported. About being inside yourself and outside of yourself at the same time, and feeling all the joy and power of what you were born to do, no matter your age. As William was swinging his sword, I had that powerful chorus kicking in full blast.

Q(Laura) In your author biography, it states that you are a part of the Regia Anglorum, an early medieval reenactment society. That sounds intriguing! How long have you been a member and how does it influence your writing?

A(Elizabeth Chadwick) I first met Regia Anglorum when I went to see a pageant at Nottingham Castle and they were providing the guards on duty. To see men wearing real mail shirts and with real weapons, to see the living history exhibit, made me realize that if I could capture this 3D feel and put it in a novel, it would really add richness and texture and hopefully enhance the sensory experience to make readers believe that they were actually there. If you can learn the crafts, if you can handle good quality replicas and experiment with how they work, I do believe it brings you closer to the life and times.

Q (Laura) Alais de Bethune’s tragic story intrigued me. What information is known about her? Did she have known bad relations with her family?

A(Elizabeth Chadwick) Very little is known about her beyond the fact that she died. Her half-brother would not have known her well and they would not have grown up together. I fleshed her out using the Akashic Record and also had some help from a friend who has studied the genealogy of the period and knew something of the background and personality of William de Forz, which made the circumstances of what happened chillingly plausible.

Q(Laura) Curse or no curse? Do you believe that Bishop’s curse caused all five of the Marshal sons to die childless?

A(Elizabeth Chadwick) I think it was probably a made up story that has grown in the telling. I know the bishop was most disgruntled at what he saw as William misappropriation of his lands, but whether he actually did curse William has to be treated with caution. Chroniclers were all too fond of doing the retrospective thing.

Q(Laura) The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion are two of the best historical fiction novels that I have ever read. What is next for you? Will you continue writing in the same time period?

A(Elizabeth Chadwick) Thank you! I haven’t quite finished with the Marshals and the USA will get to see more of this family and their friends and relations. I wrote a prequel to the Marshal novels titled A Place Beyond Courage, which is all about William’s father, John, and involves William as a little boy. It’s not currently available in the USA, but I think it may well make its way here at some point. The next novel for the USA published by Sourcebooks, will be in the autumn and titled For The King’s Favour (it’s called The Time of Singing in the UK). It’s based on a true story about a mistress of Henry II called Ida de Tosney, and her match with a young lord called Roger Bigod who is striving to regain his family’s lands. Their eldest son, married William Marshal’s eldest daughter. William has a bit part in the book, but it’s mostly Roger and Ida’s tale. To Defy A King will follow in the USA in spring 2011. It’s the story of Mahelt Marshal and Hugh Bigod, and covers from a different angle the issue of Magna Carta and explores the real place of aristocratic women in medieval society. How much power they did and didn’t have. I’m currently working on an untitled novel about the Empress Matilda and her young stepmother Queen Adeliza. It’s an up close and personal view from a woman’s perspective. The Empress has been covered on a few occasions before, but not in the same way as I am writing about her, and Adeliza is, as far as I know, completely new territory.

Q(Laura)I’ve read that William Marshal will appear in the new Ridley Scott Robin Hood movie. How do you feel about the blending of history and legend? And more importantly, if The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion became movies, what actor can you envision playing William Marshal?

A(Elizabeth Chadwick)With the Ridley Scott film, I will just have to suspend my disbelief. William Hurt is playing William Marshal, which I just can’t see for a start, so I’ll just either not have to watch the film, or put myself into the mode of ‘It’s entertainment fantasy, so chill out.’ If The Greatest Knight and The Scarlet Lion became movies, then I’d love Ioan Gruffydd to play William. Alison, who has seen him when reading the Akashic Records, tells me that he looks not unlike actor Christopher Eccleston. I’m sure everyone has their own views and an image in their heads. I’d love suggestions from readers as to who they’d like to see play William Marshal in a film?

Q(Laura)What are your personal favorite novels? I always love to see what authors love to read!

A(Elizabeth Chadwick) I have very eclectic reading tastes. Variety is the spice of life. I like well written stories, simple as that. Entertain me without dumbing down or being pretentious and I’m a happy girl. Some favorite novels not in any order of preference include.

Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett. Grebo the cat is one of my all time favorite characters. Terry Pratchett books are my comfort reads. They are so wise and so funny.
The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett – My first introduction to Dunnett and the stunning Francis Crawford of Lymond.
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Jamie Fraser. What more can I say?
Two For the Dough by Janet Evanovich. There’s a scene in that involving a body part sent in the post. I shouldn’t laugh, but that is one of the funniest moments I have ever read!
Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman. What a novel, what a great writer, and what a lovely, genuine, classy author.
The Shining by Stephen King. Because it’s one of the scariest books I’ve read and a fantastic page turner – I told you my taste was eclectic!
The Roselynde Chronicles of Roberta Gellis. Historical romance with real history rather than just modern day characters in fancy dress.
Riders by Jilly Cooper. This was left behind in a holiday cottage where I stayed once. I picked it up and was riveted from start to finish – a glorious romp!
The Vintner’s Luck by Elizabeth Knox – one of my more literary reads, this story of a man’s relationship with an angel, but I love the descriptions and the ideas, and this one has stayed with me for a long time.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver – simply beautiful language and ideas.

Other writers I enjoy to name but a few - Anita Shreve, Jodi Picoult, Peter James, Jill Mansell, Barbara Erskine and Bernard Cornwell.

THE SCARLET LION BY ELIZABETH CHADWICK—IN STORES MARCH 2010
A page-turning novel of honor, intrigue, treachery, and love, continuing the story of England's greatest knight of the Middle Ages, William Marshal. Bestselling author Elizabeth Chadwick, "an author who makes historical fiction come gloriously alive" (The Times of London), is known as a writer of uncommon historical integrity and accuracy.

By 1197 William Marshal's prowess with a sword and loyalty with his heart have been rewarded by the hand in marriage of Isabelle de Clare—heiress to great estates— and their brood is growing. But their contentment and security is shattered when King Richard dies. Forced down a precarious path by the royal injustices of the vindictive King John, the Marshals teeter on a razor-thin line of honor that threatens to tear apart the very heart of their family.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth Chadwick (UK) is the author of 17 historical novels, including The Greatest Knight, Lords of the White Castle, Shadows and Strongholds, A Place Beyond Courage, the Winter Mantle, and the Falcons of Montabard, four of which have been shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Awards. She won a Betty Trask Award for The Wild Hunt, her first novel. For more information please visit http://www.elizabethchadwick.com/, http://livingthehistoryelizabethchadwick.blogspot.com/ and follower her on Twitter http://twitter.com/Chadwickauthor!

Giveaway Details
Danielle of Sourcebooks has been kind enough to offer two copies of the The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick for this giveaway.If you would like to enter this contest do any of the following:

1. Leave a comment on this post. You must include an email address. If I can't find a way to contact you I will draw another winner. (1 entry)

2. Blog about this giveaway or post about it on your sidebar. (1 entry)

3. Become a follower or leave a comment that you already are a follower of this blog. (1 entry)

There are three ways to enter, but you can put all three entries as one comment.

I will be using random.org to pick the winners from the comments.

This contest is only open to US and Canadian residents (Sorry!).

No P.O. Boxes.

The deadline for entry is midnight, Friday March 19th.
Good luck!