Tag: The Sister Queens
Why I Want Books For Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is a “brunch holiday.” I detest brunch. There is something so very non-committal about it. Besides, all the best food (not to mention the alcohol to go with it) comes out after dark. In the early years of being a mother I devoted considerable time and energy in the month of April to oh-so-subtly delivering my anti-brunch message (my husband comes from a Mother’s-Day-Brunch family). By the time we had two toddlers I’d given up on subtle and had “Sophie hates brunch” tattooed on hubby’s arm. Let’s face it there is NOTHING relaxing or celebratory about trying to consume a meal in a nice restaurant with two toddlers. And, crazy as it may seem, I’ve always been under the impression that a gift is supposed to delight and relax its recipient.
Motherhood is not, generally speaking, a relaxing occupation. Everything is prone to interruption. Everything. If you are a mother and you’ve been drawn, shampoo-still-in-hair, from the shower by disturbing sounds from elsewhere in your house—sounds suggesting that either furniture or children are being broken—then you know precisely what I mean. The TRULY perfect Mother’s Day gift would be an exotic getaway. A weekend on a beach inBali. Shopping inParis. A day at the spa. Heck, I drive past a Dominican retreat on my appointed motherly rounds, and lately I’ve been thinking a day with the nuns would do wonders for me. Please note, I am not even Catholic.
The truth is, for many of us, an actually physical getaway is pipe dream. There are kids to be delivered to and from a myriad of activities (anyone who’s had a “oh my god I forgot to pick up [insert child’s name here]” moment, raise your hand), homework to help with, etc. And can you just imagine the size of the laundry pile that would await a mother’s return should she actually manage to slip away toBali?
But being a mom is a joy and an avocation. It’s taught me a lot of things including how to live in the moment. After two decades of motherhood I know that I need to both treasure and expect my “me time” in small increments. You have perhaps heard of the twenty-minute power nap? Well, I have become the master of the eleven-minute sitting-in-the-car-getaway. And that leads me to books.
Books offer the perfect, portable, getaway. I may look like I am in the carpool line, waiting for the man with the whistle to call a hundred car engines to life, but I am not. I am in ancient Rome thanks to Kate Quinn’s Empress of the Seven Hills. I am in regency England watching a confirmed bachelor-dandy fall head-over-heels thanks to Miranda Neville. I am spending an afternoon with Catherine de Medici thanks to biographer R. J. Knecht. I am attending festivities at the Valois court with Philippe Erlanger. I am discovering a set of sisters from Provence in a secondary research source on Notre Dame de Paris—sisters who will lead me on an adventure ultimately resulting in the publication of my debut novel, The Sister Queens.
The cost of these getaways is negligible (certainly not in the league of airline tickets to Bali). For the cost of a brunch I’d hate for the five of us, my family can get me a whole armload of books I’ll love and that will fit into my schedule. Yes, I may get snappish when I am forced to put down a novel at a climatic moment to help find a uniform skirt gone missing, or “check” on someone who has already been in bed for an hour but is still not asleep (you know who you are, son). But it’s a lot easier to settle back down on the couch and slip back into the French Revolution with Michelle Moran’s Madame Tussaud than it is to sop up all the water and suds from interrupted tub-time. When I travel by novel I can get back home from Paris for tuck-in time. Try doing that by airplane (especially in a TSA infested air-travel world).
So, husband dearest, books please. Mother’s Day is still more than a week away. Don’t make me tattoo this on your. . . oh, never mind.
Celebrating with Friends
Everybody knows there is no better way to celebrate success than with friends! Today I am celebrating the 8-week anniversary of the release of The Sister Queens (hooray). But I want to take a moment to celebrate how special this day is for two of my fellow historical authors as well.
Today is the 4-week anniversary of Kate Quinn’s brilliant Empress of the Seven Hills. It is also the 4-week anniversary of Elizabeth Loupas’ entrancing The Flower Reader. Now I could go on all day about how wonderful these ladies’ books are – but why take my word for it? Both have received considerable praise since they hit shelves. 
Peeking Between the Pages say’s of Kate’s Empress:
The characters in this novel just jump out at you. They have a depth to them and the life in Ancient Rome is described so vividly you feel sure you are experiencing it all with your favorite characters.”
While Amy at Passages to the Past purrs:
No one does Ancient Rome quite like author Kate Quinn”
Damn straight!
Praise for Elizabeth’s book includes this from The True Book Addict:
The Flower Reader is rich storytelling and its characters are real and interesting. The historical details were obviously meticulously researched. Throw in some intrigue and scandal and we have a book that will appeal to all readers, not only fans of historical fiction.”
I hope you’ll forgive me for rounding out this book-realease anniversary celebration with a clip from the newest review of my own book. The Tulsa Book Review said:
The Sister Queens is historic fiction at its absolute finest. I simply cannot wait to see what this author does next. She’s already won herself a spot on my list of favorite authors. In all of its colorful prose, deep and eccentric characters, and historical brilliance, this book can be summed up with one word: phenomenal. Brava!”
Happy anniversary ladies! And many, many happy returns.
Celebrating a 5-Star Review from Let Them Read Books
Put on your party hats! There is something to celebrate! The Sister Queens just received an extremely laudatory and exquisitely written review at Let Them Read Books. Lines like these had me blushing at my desk:
Sophie Perinot’s writing style is simple and honest and all the more eloquent for it.
* * *
I was reminded of one of my favorite historical fiction authors, Sharon Kay Penman. (Although Ms. Perinot’s style is deliciously more sexy 🙂 There’s not a word out of place, and I must have marked a dozen beautiful passages of description and observation. Whether the emotion is grief, anger, or love, Perinot gives it life and evokes it from the reader.”
* * *
Historical fiction lovers rejoice! A new and true talent has arrived on the scene!”
And while I am busy hugging myself (yeah, I do that), you should plan on returning to Let Them Read Books tomorrow because Jenny will be hosting a giveaway. I will also be guest posting on a new reading list I started at Goodreads—a list you may be very interested in.
The Seventh Inning and No Time to Stretch
I can’t believe it – today marks the 7-week anniversary since launch day for The Sister Queens. Never have weeks rolled by so quickly!
Much of the time I’ll admit I was lost in a blur of blog appearances and promotional duties, so I may have fallen short of my pre-launch pledge to “savor every moment.” But just because I was dazed doesn’t mean I didn’t’ enjoy myself! Highlights included a marvelous Moroccan dinner at the home of a woman who “won” me in a school auction; an on-line author chat where I shared the virtual floor with the talented Christy English; and a well-attended outing at Barnes & Noble where the incomparable Kate Quinn & Stephanie Dray joined me for a lively discussion of “Sex, Lies and History: A Literary Threesome.”
And then of courses there were the reviews. The Sister Queens was privileged (and I was humbled) to receive more than two-dozen on-line reviews from book bloggers and on-line publications during its first seven weeks on the market. If you are interested in reading some of the many good things that have been written about The Sister Queens, check out the “reviews” category here at the blog—it should take you directly to some of my “highlight” posts complete with links to full reviews. Besides these “official” opinions, many readers have taken the time to share what they thought about the book at Goodreads and Amazon. To everyone who has taken a moment to let me know whether by review, letter or email, how you felt about my debut effort, thank you! To all my “queen-spotters” (some of whose pictures dot this post), I appreciate your time, your enthusiasm and your photographic skills. My collage is filling in nicely. Over all then I am feeling pretty grateful to say the least!
But, even as I bask in the glow of a successful release, I know this is no time to take things easy. In the first weeks after its release a book is the latest thing. It’s on all those glamorous, sexy front bookstore tables under signs like “New Releases” or “Notable in Paperback” The internet hums with talk of an author with a new release and of her book. New is exciting. I am not new anymore. But I still want to be exciting! In the next seven weeks, even as I shift my attention more and more to my wip, I will still have an eye on The Sister Queens. I hope you will too oh faithful readers. The optimist inside me says that book lovers—unlike those who find the majority of their entertainment electronically—still have nice long attention spans in a era of sound-bites. Here’s hoping I am right!
Fantasy Casting—Sport of Arm Chair Readers and Writers Alike
I don’t play fantasy sports (real sports either for the record), but as a reader and writer I participate in something similar—fantasy casting. I bet you do too. Certain novels just read like movies, filling my head with images of people, places and situations so vivid that I might be watching the action unfold on a screen. I know EXACTLY who I’d like to see play particular characters in some of my favorite novels but, sadly, no one inHollywood ever rings me up when they are making a movie out of a book and says “cast this baby for us.”
Hence the fantasy casting. Because when real-life constraints—money, an actor’s age, and/or even whether he/she is still among the living—are set aside I can have any book made into a movie starring precisely who I envision in each role. Bliss.
Of course my fantasy cast is not your fantasy cast. And that’s another upside from my point of view. If I prefer Glenda Jackson asElizabeth I (a role she nailed on the BBC before many of you were born) and you prefer Cate Blanchett that’s just fine. We can each pop some popcorn, pull up our respective hassocks, settle down with the very same book in hand and watch the action on the tiny screens in our head featuring our choice. It’s a fantasy remember 🙂
But for some reason while I’ve been busy casting other writer’s historical novels I never thought about a fantasy cast for The Sister Queens . . . until yesterday. That’s when a pair of talented writer friends (Lydia Netzer and Nancy Bilyeau) pointed out how cinemographic my novel is and started making casting suggestions of their own.
Next thing you knew we had a pretty good list going. I knew it was time to share, and more than that to solicit readers’ opinions. So, in a sort of “We’ll show you our if you show us yours” gesture, I am putting our current fantasy casting ideas out on the table and counting on you to reciprocate. Who do you see playing Louis IX? Eleanor? Jean? The Dragon of Castile? DO TELL (that’s what comments sections are made for)!
Fantasy Cast, The Sister Queens:
A Starter List Courtesy of Sophie, Lydia and Nancy
Marguerite: (I’ll admit I see my eldest daughter in this role so thank heavens for the suggestions of others) Romola Garai, Saoirse Ronan, Keira Knightly
Eleanor: (Again my second daughter plays this role in my head): Miranda Otto (remember current age is no impediment), Anna Kendrick, Hailee Steinfeld (right age for start of book but later?), Rooney Mara, Dakota Fanning
Blanche of Castile: Dame Judy Dench, Virna Lisi
Louis IX: Julian Sands (when he was younger), Rupert Penry-Jones (ditto. Or he could play Henry as he currently is), Keith Ledger (told you we included the dead), Alex Pettfer, Raymond Coulthard, Douglas Booth (if he isn’t playing Jean)
Jean de Joinville: Douglas Booth (if you didn’t see him in the recent Masterpiece Great Expectations, click the link—it will be apparent why he is my first choice), Kit Harington (you know, Jon Snow in Game of Thrones), a younger Joseph Fiennes (particular if his brother played Henry), Henry Cavill, Jamie Bell (right age for the start of the action but later?), Jeremy Irvine, Orlando Bloom (who might also play Louis if he put in those contacts he wore for Legolas)
Henry III: Michael Fassbender (yeah he is too good looking – so?), Seth Green, Daniel Auteuil (in younger days), Sean Bean (and for once he wouldn’t have to DIE in a movie), Johnny Lee Miller, Rupert Penry-Jones.
A Little Author Frivolity – Tag & Book Teasers
I’ve been tagged by author, Erika Robuck, whose novel Hemingway’s Girl will be out this September with NAL (same imprint as The Sister Queens). To play the game, she instructed me to do the following:
1. Go to the 77th page of my latest book (or wip – author’s choice).
2. Count down 7 lines.
3. Copy the 7 sentences that follow, and post them as a teaser.
4. Tag 7 other authors.
In this scene from The Sister Queens, Eleanor of Provence’s brother-in-law, the Earl Richard, returns to the English royal court furious over the secret marriage of his sister to Simon de Montfort. The Earl confronts King Henry III during court festivities, interrupting Eleanor and Henry while they are dancing. Without further ado, here are seven sentences (or thereabouts) from the 77th page of The Sister Queens:
Her welfare? If that is all that worries you, be done. Lady Montfort is quite abundantly happy with her situation.” For the first time Henry looks in my direction. “Is that not so Eleanor? Our sister writes to the Queen glowingly of her new husband.”
“This is not a fanciful troubadour’s romance! It is a royal marriage! It ought not to be managed by women.”
My Uncle, silent himself, gives me a meaningful look, warning me to hold my tongue.
Now, I’ll tag 7 brilliant authors to give us teasers of their own:
1. Kate Quinn
4. Erin Cashman
5. Mindy McGinnis
7. Lydia Netzer
Visit their websites in the next few days to get a peek into their latest work and discover who they’ll tag in turn. Nothing like a little game to start the weekend.
The Sister Queens Spend a Day in the Renaissance
Today’s review of THE SISTER QUEENS comes from a fellow historical writer, Julianne Douglas of Writing the Renaissance. My favorite quote:
Congratulations to the author for finding a little-explored moment in history and bringing it to life for modern readers with verve, demonstrating how the bonds of sisterhood transcend not only distance, but time.”
They do indeed!
I am flattered that Julianne, a professor of literature, calls the novel:
an admirable debut, well-written and richly imagined, peopled with unique characters and simmering with conflict. Despite its length, the story never bogs down with unnecessary detail; the politics of thirteenth-centuryFranceandEnglandare sketched with just enough detail to support the dramatic action. The focus remains on the sisters’ relationship throughout, assuring thematic as well as structural cohesion.”
I hope you will venture over to Writing the Renaissance today and read the rest of her review. Then stop by again tomorrow when I answer a series of questions generated by Julianne’s reading of the book.
My First Author Appearance! And in VERY Impressive Company!
You’ve read my blog. You’ve read my book. Now I’d love to meet you.
On April 21st I’ll be joining the fabulous and talented Kate Quinn (Mistress of Rome, Daughters of Rome, & Empress of the Seven Hills) and Stephanie Dray (Lily of the Nile & Song of the Nile) for a “literary threesome” in theWashingtonDC metropolitan area.
Come on out to hear us discuss Sex, Lies and History, and make the acquaintance of some amazing historical women—Cleopatra’s daughter; a host of patrician Roman women (including an empress and the daughter of a Senator); and, of course, my pair of 13th century Provencal sisters who became the queens ofFrance andEngland. In addition to a lively panel discussion, all three of us will be signing books. It’s a triple historical fiction treat!
Here are the details:
Date: April 21st
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Location: Barnes & Noble,Spectrum Center, 1851 Fountain Drive, Reston, VA20190
Celebrating THE SISTER QUEENS Twenty-Fifth On-Line Review
By my count this lovely review of The Sister Queens from Kathy at Bags, Books & Bon Jovi marks the TWENTY-FIFTH on-line review received by the novel. Twenty-five is a milestone.
I’d like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank each and every member of the virtual-world book community who took the time to read my debut and share their thoughts on it. I am grateful. I am humbled. And in many cases I was very moved.
As for Kathy, she believes The Sister Queens would make a “fascinating choice” for book clubs and says:
There is just so much drama and intrigue and it can be told from so many perspectives… and reading such a novel told from two sisters’ points of view is refreshing and, honestly, a little unexpected. I did not realize, when I was offered this novel for review, that it would be such an intimate tale.”
If you have missed any of what has been said about The Sister Queens, the “Reviews” blog post category should bring up a complete (or nearly complete) list of links as well as some highlights.
To Read or Not to Read? For These Reviewers the Answer Seems to be an Emphatic “Read It”
The Sister Queens started their week at The Maiden’s Court where Heather enthused:
The pages of this read absolutely flew by at a pace much faster than my recent reads this year. This is a testimony to just how well written these characters were and how invested in their lives I became. You are simply sucked into all of the ups and downs that these women face.”
Then, after stuffing themselves with four-week launch anniversary cupcakes (no, wait, that was me), the queens received “4 Willies” (can I just say I love that) at To Read or Not to Read, where Marcie said:
Perinot makes you care about these characters. She nailed the bond that only sister’s can have. The love, the jealousy, and also the deep friendship. This book was a page turner that I thoroughly enjoyed.”
Thank you ladies! So glad you had The Sister Queens on your reading lists. Hope your words will encourage others to add the novel to theirs.