strange and random happenstance

Last year I read a lot of Regency themed books for my Regency Romp. Which made me actually question whether doing Regency Magic might have been a tad too much too soon. Yes, it's been four years since I last did Regency Magic and this subgenre is such a favorite of mine that I am a little baffled I didn't squeeze it in somewhere. And yes, I do totally organize my blog around the "what do I feel like reading" versus "what is popular" which means I have a legitimate excuse to indulge in something Austenesque with a side of magic. But somehow I just didn't. And then the question of should I even be doing it now kept repeating in my head on a loop. But then two things happened, I started craving anything set in the Regency and I picked up C.C. Aune's The Ill-Kept Oath. The cravings were obviously caused by my withdrawal after reading so many Regency set books last year and The Ill-Kept Oath was one of those books you read and it's just sheer perfection. You want to inhale it all and yet you never want it to end and I felt myself falling in love with Regency Magic all over again. And then I picked up Jacey Bedford's Rowankind series and the same thing happened again! I wasn't just falling in love with a subgenre all over again I was falling in love with reading all over again! Therefore I am beyond delighted to spend the next two months with C.C. Aune and Jacey Bedford, as well as the much loved Stephanie Burgis, and the new to me H.G. Parry. I can't wait for you to read their books! Join me on this journey, read along with me, keep an eye out for an Instagram giveaway or two, and if we ever meet in person, excuse me for yelling at you to pick up The Ill-Kept Oath by describing it as Jane Austen with trolls. And yes, that did happen. More than once.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Austenesque, Blog, C.C. Aune, Giveaway, H.G. Parry, Instagram, Jacey Bedford, Jane Austen, Love, Regency, Regency England, Regency Magic, Regency Romp, Rowankind, Stephanie Burgis, Subgenre, The Ill-Kept Oath, Trolls

The second time I went to New York it was more than just a rushed trip tacked onto a family vacation to Washington. The second time was magical, going to all the museums and looking at all the art I'd spent years reading about. During that trip I discovered The Frick Collection, which is located right on fifth avenue and was the home of Henry Clay Frick. It's not just the art that is amazing, though seriously you will be shocked by the number of pieces you recognize from Ingres to Renoir to Vermeer to Rembrandt, but the house itself is a work of art preserved in time. It's like really cheap time travel! You feel as if Edith Wharton were about to hold court over high tea in the luxurious indoor garden. Years later when I went back to New York I discovered the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, which is located in the Andrew Carnegie Mansion. Again I was walking in another era. These homes were built by the New York upper crust as they slowly started moving to the Upper East Side. I was so pleasantly surprised when I picked up Lauren Willig's latest book, The English Wife, to slip back into this world again. A world of excess and elegance, fortunes lost and gained, and secrets, but all contained within this other time. So whether you knew about Lauren Willig's new book yet or not, I think you can feel the theme month coming on right? The English Wife is Lauren's fourth stand-alone and therefore a fourth theme month was not just necessary but vital. It's in another time and another world, but one I hope you've been wanting to explore as much as I have over the years. 

But enough from me, let's hear from Lauren as we welcome in Willig Winter!

"When Miss Eliza asked me if I would recommend six or seven books I’d used in writing The English Wife for a companion read, I thought, easy peasy!

Then I looked at my bookshelf.

I’d forgotten just how much went into The English Wife. My research pile included book-length accounts of infamous murder cases in turn of the century New York (of which there were more than you would expect), oversized coffee table books with pictures of mansions and marquetry and jewels and gowns, extensive histories of Dutch New York, biographies of robber barons, sociological studies of nineteenth century women’s charitable organizations, memoirs of nineteenth century authors and socialites, unpublished dissertations about specific towns in the Hudson Valley in the mid to late nineteenth century, and books on topics that I can’t go into without giving plot twists away.

And that’s just the New York end of things. We won’t even get into all the Newport research, the gossipy accounts of past residents and glossy pictures of “cottages”. A chunk of the book takes place in England and a smaller chunk in France, so I also have shelves and shelves of books on topics like theatre in Victorian England, monographs about Paris in the Belle Epoque, and biographies of Proust. I may have gotten just a little carried away while reading up for this book....

So, in the interest of brevity, I’m sticking to the New York-centric books for this particular list and keeping it to non-fiction. With one exception at the end. You’ll see why.

At some point, I’ll try to put up a more comprehensive list on my website. If I don’t get crushed beneath a giant pile of research books along the way." - Lauren Willig

Literally the seven books Lauren has selected look beyond tempting, but in the interest of full disclosure, unlike Ashford April (The Asford Affair), This Summer (That Summer), and Jazzy July (The Other Daughter), I have been unable to read them all and write reviews because this year has been a personal as well as a global dumpster fire. But my guilt is your reward, because this means I feel obliged to do a giveaway!  

Giveaway Prize:
A copy of The English Wife personalized TO YOU from Lauren's tour stop at Murder by the Book in Houston on January 17th, 2018

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE (for clarification, this means international too).

2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s) or email me.

3. Giveaway ends Sunday, December 31st at 11:59PM CST (Yes, that's New Year's Eve folks!)

4. How to enter: Just comment on this post for a chance to win!

5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

• +1 for answering the question: What is your favorite house turned museum?
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +10 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, instagram (@miss.eliza), twitter (@eliza_lefebvre), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post in each platform, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once from twitter). Also please leave a link! 
• +10 for each comment you leave on other Willig Winter posts with something other than "I hope I win!" 

Good luck!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 7 comments  

Labels: Ashford April, Cooper Hewitt, Edith Wharton, Giveaway, Jazzy July, Lauren Willig, New York, That Summer, The Ashford Affair, The English Wife, The Frick, The Other Daughter, This Summer, Willig Winter

While I do love creating theme months and reading lists to go with these months, sometimes there's only so many Downtonesque books or Regency time period books one can take. The long and short of what I'm saying is that I read a lot more books than reviews I post here. On average I have about 104 reviews on my blog per year while I write anywhere from 50 to 70 more reviews... So I kind of have a backlog of book reviews that are just sitting around, collecting dust, being pushed further and further back in my blog queue. Therefore I was pondering, why not utalize this backlog for a theme month, or months... in fact I could throw in some books I've been dying to read and haven't had the time to get around to.

I was warming to this idea very fast when I concocted it a few months ago. And then I started playing with my blog calendar, and once I start playing with my blog calendar it's kind of a foregone conclusion that it's going to happen. Only once have a scraped an idea after it reached the calendar phase. So yes, Backlog Bonanza is happening. NOW! I've thematically divided the books up into categories from biographies to modern classics to science fiction. I'll also talk a little about each genre that is spotlighted and why I'm drawn to it. I'm also bringing back a giveaway! Because nothing says summer party like a free book? So let's get this party started!

Giveaway Prize:
A copy of the book of your choice from one of the books reviewed during Backlog Bonanza.

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE (for clarification, this means international too).

2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s) or email me.

3. Contest ends Wednesday, August 31st at 11:59PM CST

4. How to enter: Just comment on this post for a chance to win!

5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

• +1 for answering the question: What is your favorite genre?
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +10 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, instagram (miss.eliza), twitter (@eliza_lefebvre), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post in each platform, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once from twitter). Also please leave a link! 
• +10 for each comment you leave on other Backlog Bonanza posts with something other than "I hope I win!" 

Good luck!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Backlog Bonanza, Biography, Blog, Book Review, Downtonesque, Fiction, Giveaway, Historical Fiction, Instagram, Modern Classic, Mystery, Regency, Science Fiction, Theme Month, Twitter, YA

Jane Austen is perfection. I think the majority of us can agree on this. It's hard to beat perfection. In fact, I would say it's nigh on impossible, you can't get higher then the highest degree now can you? There's none more black. That is why I've never been a fan of retellings, reimaginings, or continuations of her works. It's not on. Her books are perfect in and of themselves, there doesn't need to be more. So stop. There are of course exceptions to this rule, but taken as a whole all they do is prove the rule. Jane Austen is magic, so how to write a book that is just as magical? Why not literally add magic? In fact there's more and more writers who are combining the Regency world of Austen with magic and I say yes! It's taking Austen to the next level and there's so many clever and unique ways all these different writers are taking to get there and I'm just along for the ride.

The first book I picked up with this unique fusion was Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell and I was hooked. I am beyond excited that this wondrous book has finally been made into a miniseries by the BBC and that got me thinking... there are so many Regency books with a magical bent that perhaps now is the time to declare my love of them to the world. With the television adaptation of Susanna Clarke's book as well as the end of Mary Robinette Kowal's Glamourist Histories series what better time for a celebration? So March and April are being dedicated to "Regency Magic" with author profiles, a few of whom are stopping by to answer some questions, reviews, a giveaway, and hopefully a bewitchingly good time! Now how about that giveaway?

The Prize:
A paperback copy of Susanna Clarke's The Ladies of Grace Adieu

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE (for clarification, this means international too).

2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s) or email me.

3. Contest ends Thursday, April 30th at 11:59PM CST

4. How to enter: Just comment on this post for a chance to win!

5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

• +1 for answering the question: Would you choose to visit the magical version or non magical reality of Regency England?
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +10 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @eliza_lefebvre), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post in each platform, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once from twitter). Also please leave a link! 
• +10 for each comment you leave on other Regency Magic posts with something other then "I hope I win!" 

Good luck!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Caroline Stevermer, Giveaway, Glamourist Histories, Jane Austen, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Magic, Mary Robinette Kowal, Regency, Regency Magic, Stephanie Burgis, Susanna Clarke, The Ladies of Grace Adieu

The upper class British life that we see on Downton Abbey is very much a product of England's domination of other countries and their Empire where the sun never set. While prior to 1858 the British had a strong presence in India, it wasn't until then that India came under the rule of the British. Queen Lakshmi, Michelle's "Rebel Queen", fought and died for her country during the uprising that resulted in the British Raj, and Queen Victoria eventually being crowned Empress of India, a country she never visited it should be noted. On Downton, Rose's father Shrimpy has a post with the Foreign Office in India that is eventually closed, signalling the beginning of the end of the British Raj, which was officially over in 1947. I thought it would be a nice change of pace to expand the cloistered view of Downton Abbey and hear a little bit about the culture that helped to form Britain. Take it away Michelle!

"With every book I write, I discover something about the culture I’m researching which completely blows me away, often because it’s so unusual and something I’ve never encountered before. In the case of my book, Rebel Queen, set in India during the British invasion, the concept of Janam Kundlis struck a chord with me, particularly since Janam Kundlis very nearly played a role in my own life and my marriage to my husband, who is Indian.

Also known as an astrological chart, a Janam Kundli is made by a priest for each child in India. No one is sure when the concept of a Janam Kundli came to be, but as Vedic astrology is several thousand years old, it’s not surprising that my protagonist’s Janam Kundli would have looked similar to my husband’s, even though they were born more than a hundred years apart. A person’s Janam Kundli includes the details of their birth–time, date, planetary alignments. It also includes other things which aren’t so common in the West, such as that person’s probable future career and who they were in their most recent past life (in my husband’s case, a yogi!)"

"Reading a person’s natal chart is serious business. Once a person’s Janam Kundli is created, they will keep that document with them for life, producing it when it’s time for marriage. Even today, Janam Kundlis are used to make prospective matches between brides and grooms throughout India, where the majority of marriages are arranged. And woe betide anyone whose Janam Kundli declares them to be a manglik, or a bad-luck person. If that’s the case, as it was for the famous Bollywood actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai, one of two options are available. You can either marry another manglik, thus canceling out your bad-luck status, or you can hire a priest to conduct a variety of ceremonies that will make it possible to marry someone who isn’t a manglik like yourself. This last option, however, is only available if the non-manglik person’s family finds the risk acceptable. In Aishwarya Rai’s case, her in-laws obviously felt the “risk” was worth it, and in 2007 she married a tree before she married her husband, thereby canceling out her bad-luck in this way.

Why a tree? Well, this was something I very nearly discovered myself when my own Janam Kundli was made. Apparently, like Aishwarya Rai, I too am probably a manglik, meaning marriage for me would most likely end in the divorce or death of my spouse. I say probably because my Janam Kundli was done online. The effect, however, was very nearly the same. Major discussions took place as to whether I would need to marry a tree before the wedding could proceed, or whether my Janam Kundli should be discounted since I am not, after all, Indian, and my Janam Kundli hadn’t “officially” been made by a priest.

In the end, it was decided that my husband should take the risk and go for it. I never had to marry a tree or even choose among a variety of clay urns for my groom. Either option, apparently, is acceptable, as it’s believed that a person’s manglik dosh can be canceled out if the manglik person’s bad luck is spent on the first marriage. Thus, the bride first marries a clay urn or a tree, then either breaks the clay urn or chops down her tree-husband in order to become a “widow” (in some places, the tree is allowed to survive). After this, the second marriage is ready to proceed without a hitch.

There are varying interpretations of this ceremony, and even though it didn’t end up affecting me, a person’s Janam Kundli can alter their destiny, just as I describe in the beginning of Rebel Queen. It’s cultural gems like these which make researching historical fiction such a pleasure, and it’s these type of details which I try to include in each of my books. As a writer, my hope is that they pique the reader’s interest along the way, and as a reader, they are the sort of facts which help ground me in another place and time."

Now time for a giveaway I think! No marriage to a tree involved. 

The Prize:
A signed copy of Michelle's new book, Rebel Queen, as well as a pair of bangles* which Michelle purchased on her last trip to India.

*Note about the bangles, Michelle brought several hundred back from India and all of them are different, so what's in the picture above may or may not be what they look like (but they will still be from India and still look fabulous!) Also shipping bangles is difficult (because they're so delicate), if they arrive damaged Michelle is more than happy to send another set!

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE (for clarification, this means international too).

2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s) or email me.

3. Contest ends Friday, February 13th at 11:59PM CST

4. How to enter: Just comment on this post for a chance to win!

5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

• +1 for answering the question: Would you let the stars be willing to dictate who you marry?
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +10 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @eliza_lefebvre), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post in each platform, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once from twitter). Also please leave a link! 

Good luck!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 3 comments  

Labels: Bangles, British Empire, British Raj, Downton Abbey, Foreign Office, Giveaway, India, Janam Kundlis, Marriage, Michelle Moran, Queen Lakshmi, Queen Victoria, Rebel Queen, Shrimpy

Summer is that time of year when it becomes fashionable to read. Everyone has to have a nice big thick beach read for when they fall asleep to the lapping of the waves. While I personally believe that reading is fashionable all year long, I won't go so far as to say I am immune to this silly season and yearn for different types of books. Summer is the fun books, the series, the non-scholarly Olde English texts that are "improving" literature and have language you have to wade through (though I did spend one summer devouring Austen and another E.M. Forster). I want to curl up on my side porch and sway in the breeze on my porch swing while delving into Stephen King or re-reading all of Harry Potter. I have spent innumerable days and evenings just falling into another world while the cicadas sing and the lightning bugs slowly come out one after another. Angling my book just so so that I can catch the lights inside the house and read for a few more minutes before having to forsake my warm bower and go back into the chill house and reality.

While contemplating what I wanted to feature this summer on my blog I realized that the time had come to just revel in summer. To think back to devouring Harry Potter during these sultry months and try to recapture that joy. Today there are YA book series popping up like mushrooms after a rain and I have gotten woefully behind. With Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments Series coming to a close, as well as many other series having their final or penultimate book coming out I figured this summer I would revel in YA. Devote the whole of summer to YA Series that I have been meaning to pick up or to pick up again. To make the beach read of this summer the YA book series. I hope you will join me in curling up in a warm place, letting the sun shine down on you and catching up with a new or favorite series.

And now, a giveaway...

The Prize:
A lovely hardcover copy of the first book in Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl's The Caster Chronicles, Beautiful Creatures.

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE (for clarification, this means international too), just because you haven't been following me all along doesn't mean you don't matter, you just get more entries if you prove you love me by following.

2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s) or email me directly.

3. Contest ends Sunday, August 31st at 11:59PM CST (Yes, I know it's a holiday weekend, so be sure to get your entries in early!)

4. How to enter: Just comment in the space below!

5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

• +1 for answering the question: What is your favorite summer read?
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +10 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @eliza_lefebvre), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post on each social media plateform, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once). Also please leave a link! There's also a handy code on the side for your blog/website sidebars!
• +25 if you comment on any of the posts during the YA Summer Series Celebration, with something other than "I hope I win" or a variation thereof.

Good luck!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Beautiful Creatures, Cassandra Clare, Caster Chronicles, E.M. Forster, Giveaway, Harry Potter, Jane Austen, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Stephen King, Summer, Summer Series, YA

You might not know it yet, but you are suffering from Downton Denial. You're in the middle of the new season, everything is good, it's great in fact. Mary is rebounding quite nicely with Anthony Gillingham and Charles Blake, though my money is on Charles... who could resist the lure of Julian Ovenden, seriously? Daisy is turning into this wonderfully snarky character that is almost getting better lines then Maggie Smith. Also, what will happen with Edith's ever complicated love life, could there be something worse then being left at the alter? And then there's Anna and Bates. Poor poor Anna... at least Julian Fellowes didn't kill her! And finally, Rose, who is turning out to be far less annoying then I anticipated, which is a nice surprise. Throw in some Americans and you have first rate television... but you are still in denial.

The fact remains that come February 23rd you will have no more Downton. You will have to wait a whole year just to have nine more episodes... the fact that you don't want to face up to this knowledge is where your denial comes in. But I am here to aid you! I am here to help you cope with the bereft feeling that will overtake you in the weeks to come. While Downton Abbey is unique in it's own way, it's not so unique that you can't find books to fill the void inside. For the month of February I will have a plethora of Downtonesque reading suggestion to help you through the loss to come. It's the least I can do for my fellow sufferers.
  The Prize:
An awesome Downton Abbey ornament! Not only is it reminiscent of the bells in the servants halls that feature prominently in the opening credits, but it has a lovely picture of Highclere Castle in the center, where they film Downton Abbey. Let me put it this way, it's so cool that when I ordered it specifically for this theme month, I had to order one for myself as well. Should note that the bell doesn't work very well... that or everyone has just decided to ignore it...

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE (for clarification, this means international too), just because you haven't been following me all along doesn't mean you don't matter, you just get more entries if you prove you love me by following.

2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s) or email me.

3. Contest ends Friday, February 28th at 11:59PM CST (Yes, I know it would be nice to have a leap day for extra entries... but that's just the way it is.)

4. How to enter: Just comment in the space below!

5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

• +1 for answering the question: Who is your favorite character on Downton Abbey and why?
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +10 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @eliza_lefebvre), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once). Also please leave a link! There's a handy code on the side for your sidebars!
• +25 if you comment on any of the posts during the Downton Denial Celebration, with something other than "I hope I win" or a variation thereof.

Good luck!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: Downton Abbey, Downton Denial, Downtonesque, Edith, Giveaway, Julian Fellowes, Julian Ovenden, Mary, Ornament

And the lucky winner of this awesome book is... drum roll please... Giada! Make sure to check your inbox, you'll have a message from me waiting there!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 11:59 PM 1 comments  

Labels: Chicks Dig Time Lords, Doctor Who, Doctor Who 50th Anniversary, Giveaway

I think it can go without saying, but I'll say it anyway: I love Doctor Who. While I haven't been around nearly as long as The Doctor, growing up in the late 70s and early 80s thanks to PBS The Doctor has always been a part of my life. I can literally not think of a time when I didn't know who he was. Therefore, I couldn't miss this opportunity, this once in a lifetime chance to celebrate Doctor Who. The Doctor has been gracing our lives for fifty years! Just think of that, that's half a century. Sure, half a century is no time at all to a Time Lord claiming to be around 1200 years old. But to us mere mortals, us humans, this is a long time and our love for him just seems to grow and grow. Will this show go for another fifty years? I can't tell you, my guess would be no, but if it does, I plan on being around to see it happen. But for now, let us revel, let us take delight in the fact that he has been here this long and shows no sign of retiring the TARDIS.

So how does one mark fifty years? Isn't silver something something like the wedding equivalent? Yeah, you can really see I pay attention... or maybe it's diamonds... nope, totally wrong, it's gold. Moving on... for me, the marking of this occasion will be much watching of Doctor Who, much reading of Doctor Who, much thinking about Doctor Who and then, most likely, much crying once Matt Smith leaves (damn you Moffat). As for how I'm celebrating on my blog... well, I'll reminisce about The Doctor and my life, then I'm doing the Doctor Who Book Reading Challenge, you'll have to wait for an explanation if you don't know what it is, then I'll talk about how the Whoverse has expanded beyond just The Doctor and, seeing as this goes right into the holidays, crafty me (as in glue and yarn, not manically laughing and rubbing my hands) will show you how to do the holidays up in true Doctor Who fashion, on the cheap. So sit back, grab your sonic screwdriver, bundle up in an appropriate Tom Baker scarf, and let's get this party started*!  

*It starts with prizes!

The Prize:
A copy of Chicks Dig Time Lords edited by Lynne Thomas and Tara O'Shea which is a MUST for any Whovian, and in particular, any girl out there who loves The Doctor. Essay authors range from my most favorite of authors, Mary Robinette Kowal (she's a fan of the 9th), to Captain Jack's own sister, Carole Barrowman, who is pretty kick ass awesome in her own right.

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE (for clarification, this means international too), just because you haven't been following me all along doesn't mean you don't matter, you just get more entries and prizes if you prove you love me by following.

2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s) or email me.

3. Contest ends Tuesday, December 31st at 11:59PM CST (yes, I know it's New Year's Eve, so get those entries in early)

4. How to enter: Just comment in the space below!

5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

• +1 for answering the question: Who is YOUR Doctor (as in 1-11, I guess you can have 12, though that would be a little silly now wouldn't it)?
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +10 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @eliza_lefebvre), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once). Also please leave a link! There's a handy code on the side for your sidebars!
• +25 if you comment on any of the posts during the Doctor Who Celebration, with something other than "I hope I win" or a variation thereof.

Good luck!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 3 comments  

Labels: Captain Jack, Carole Barrowman, Chicks Dig Time Lords, Doctor Who, Doctor Who 50th Anniversary, Doctor Who Book Challenge, Giveaway, Lynne M. Thomas, Matt Smith, PBS, Sonic Screwdriver, Time Lord, Tom Baker

I sincerely want to thank each and every author who participated in My Golden Summer in one way or another. Whether it was the great writers of the past or those who continue to keep their genre alive, I adore all of you and your wondrous books! Thank you thank you thank you! As for my blog readers, thank you too! You have made this summer, and in particular this month, my highest ever for website hits, almost doubling all my other months. You guys rock, I wish I could give each and every one of you a prize... but sadly, I have only one copy of The Secret Adversary... ok, two, because one is my own copy, but you don't get that one! As for the winner... Lara, who like me, love Bletchley Circle! Hope you enjoy the book Lara!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 11:59 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Agatha Christie, Giveaway, Golden Age of Detection, Golden Summer, The Secret Adversary

After the last two months living in the lands of Mitfords and Kenya, I came to realize how much I adore the 1920s. I mean, not just a little, but like, an all out passion for the period from fashion to personalities to literature. Sadly, I still do not have a time machine or Tardis, no matter how hard one wishes, it just doesn't seem to work! But luckily there is a far cheaper way to time travel, and that's by reading. Books can transport us to anywhere and anywhen. Therefore I decided that this summer I wanted to live in the 1920s, and subsequently picked out all my reading material and realized that this was going to be really fun. Now I only have to get myself a gramophone, some cool clothes and lots of booze and I'll be set.

But, on top of my love of the 1920s, I have a love of mysteries. As it so happens, the 1920s were known in literature as the "Golden Age of Detection." This was when many of the "Queens of Crime" first published, from Agatha Christie to Dorothy L. Sayers, this time period brought about a thriving of the whodunnit. So it was never a lack of choices for my reading, more a who to cull with this embarrassment of riches... I have devised a nice little list containing some of the luminaries of the day, but I have gone beyond this into modern mystery writers too. Because there is a distinct trend for current writers to set their mysteries during this golden age. From Jacqueline Winspear to Carola Dunn, many modern writers are just as enraptured with the 20s as I am! Then to go even further, there are modern writers who have writers from the Golden Age as their crime solving protagonists, all set in the Golden Age! In other words, such fun! Therefore I say, let us start this "Golden Summer" off right with a giveaway!

The Prizes*:
1st Prize: A gorgeous hardcover facsimile edition of Agatha Christie's second novel, The Secret Adversary. This is one of those swoon worthy editions that are being released that are made to look exactly like the original books, but without the hefty price tag of buying a true first edition.

*For the first time in awhile I'm doing incentivized prizes. I've been looking at that side bar and seeing somewhere around 300 followers for awhile now... all of you I love and adore, as you'll see below, you get more entries... but I'd like to bump it up this summer. So the more people who join, the more prizes in the pot. I break 350, another prize gets added, if I break 400 another prize. You get the picture, for every 50 people who sign up to follow little old me, more mystery goodness goes into the swag bag. So let's get going, sign up those friends and family!

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE (for clarification, this means international too), just because you haven't been following me all along doesn't mean you don't matter, you just get more entries and prizes if you prove you love me by following.

2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s) or email me.

3. Contest ends Monday, September 30th at 11:59PM CST

4. How to enter: Just comment in the space below!

5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

• +1 for answering the question: Who is your favorite crime solver? Poirot? Marple? Someone more modern like Castle? Yes, tv crime fighters count too!
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +10 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @eliza_lefebvre), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once). Also please leave a link! There's a handy code on the side for your sidebars!
• +25 if you comment on any of the posts during the Golden Summer, with something other than "I hope I win" or a variation thereof.

Good luck!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 8 comments  

Labels: 1920s, Agatha Christie, Carola Dunn, Dorothy L. Sayers, Giveaway, Golden Age of Detection, Golden Summer, Jacqueline Winspear, Kenya, Mitfords, Queens of Crime, The Secret Adversary

As Ashford April draws to a close, I know, you all want to still dwell in Kenya, but remember, by opening the pages of a book, you can be back there in mere minutes, there is one final piece of "business." And by business I mean, PRIZES! See, isn't it great when business equals books? I sure think so. So without further ado... the winners of the three prize packages for Ashford April are...

In 3rd place, with the prize of a 1st Edition of The Ashford Affair, as well as a SIGNED Paperback copy of The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, the 5th in Lauren's Pink Carnation Series is Misty! (After the original winner never emailed me, a warning to you all to leave your contact info, or you don't get cool prizes).

In 2nd place, with the prize of a 1st Edition of The Ashford Affair, as well as a SIGNED Paperback copy of The Seduction of the Crimson Rose, the 4th in Lauren's Pink Carnation Series is Giada!

In 1st place, with the grand prize of a lovely 1st Edition of The Ashford Affair, as well as a SIGNED ARC of The Ashford Affair AND (yes there's more) a SIGNED Paperback copy of my favorite Lauren Willig Book, The Mischief of the Mistletoe is Ashley!

If I don't have a way to contact you, please email me (click about me on the right and then email) and if I do have your email, expect me to drop you a line shortly to get your shipping details! I hope everyone enjoys! Also, be sure to check out my new giveaway... coming soon!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 11:59 PM 1 comments  

Labels: Ashford April, Giveaway, Lauren Willig, Pink Carnation, The Ashford Affair, The Mischief of the Mistletoe, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine

So, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been excitedly awaiting the arrival of Lauren Willig's first true stand alone novel (Two L being a trunk novel and law school satire it doesn't have the magic that the name Ashford brings, though it is still a great read, so make sure you read it). Seeing as an inordinate amount of my readers come from Lauren's website thanks to google analytics (hi fellow Lauren junkies!) I know you feel as I do. Ashford, finally! Not just the fact that it's a favorite writer of mine, but that it combines two things I love, the 1920s and Kenya, makes this book worthy of it's own themed month.

I have always been intrigued by East Africa, not just Egypt, which I'm sure my loyal blog readers will know is a true obsession of mine, but Kenya and The Happy Valley. I should add, that I think this is a hereditary affliction, seeing as my mother is also addicted to the likes of Isak Dinesen, Elspeth Huxley and Beryl Markham, therefore she was a great resource to raid for my month's reading selection, even if I did have to deal with her rants about how Robert Redford was woefully miscast in Out of Africa... therefore, using Lauren's "Ashford Origins" and "If You Like" posts on her blog I complied a reading list for April, which oddly also influenced last months Mitford March, in which I could revel in the world of The Ashford Affair and Kenya. It didn't hurt either when having the next snow storm being predicted to be able to dive into a nice warm continent.

So what do you have to look forward to this month, besides the release of The Ashford Affair? Well, there's a giveaway... how could I not have one I ask you? I am also bringing back my dream casting scenarios which I do love doing, for the book's leads, Bea and Addie. It was a little creepy how easily I was able to picture these two actresses as the leads... and no, I'm not going to tell you now, so you'll have to come back later. But what I think is most fun is that for each book I picked from Lauren's recommendations, Lauren has written a little blurb about her feelings on the book and how it either struck a cord with her or influenced her in some way. So, you're not just getting my blattering on about the books, but Lauren's as well. I do so hope you enjoy this new book as much as I did and this month as much as I did putting it all together! Also, don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win prizes (see below)!

The Prizes*:
1st Prize: A lovely 1st Edition of The Ashford Affair, as well as a SIGNED ARC of The Ashford Affair AND (yes there's more) a SIGNED Paperback copy of my favorite Lauren Willig Book, The Mischief of the Mistletoe... you can read the two versions of The Ashford Affair side by side and try to find the subtle differences!

2nd Prize: A 1st Edition of The Ashford Affair, as well as a SIGNED Paperback copy of The Seduction of the Crimson Rose, the 4th in Lauren's Pink Carnation Series.

3rd Prize: A 1st Edition of The Ashford Affair, as well as a SIGNED Paperback copy of The Temptation of the Night Jasmine, the 5th in Lauren's Pink Carnation Series.

*PS, the prizes deserve a BIG shout out to Lauren, for the signed paperbacks, she is such a wonderful supporter of blogs and libraries and is basically just totally awesome. Secondly a HUGE shout out to Sarah Goldstein at St. Martin's who not only provided me with ARCs, but is also providing the 1st editions. So fabulous to see that Lauren's new publisher is just as awesome as her Pink publisher, Dutton.

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE (for clarification, this means international, yes, including Kenya, but sadly, not Kenya in the 1920s, I don't have a time machine, drat), just because you haven't been following me all along doesn't mean you don't matter, you just get more entries if you prove you love me by following.

2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s) or email me.

3. Contest ends Tuesday, April 30th at 11:59PM CST

4. How to enter: Just comment in the space below!

5. And for those addicted to getting extra entries:

• +1 for answering the question: If you where to build a home in Kenya's Happy Valley, what would you name your house?
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +10 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @eliza_lefebvre), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once). Also please leave a link! There's a handy code on the side for your sidebars!
• +25 if you comment on any of the posts during Ashford April, with something other than "I hope I win" or a variation thereof.

Good luck!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:01 AM 5 comments  

Labels: 1920s, ARCs, Beryl Markham, Elspeth Huxley, Giveaway, Isak Dinesen, Kenya, Lauren Willig, Out of Africa, Pink Carnation, The Ashford Affair, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose, The Temptation of the Night Jasmine

You really didn't think I'd forget about Charles Dickens this year did you? I mean, really!?! There are very few writers who have endured and who will continue to endure like Charles Dickens. Hundreds of years from now, I have no doubt, people will still know who he is, many of them grumbling high school students, but still, people will remember him. To most, he represents an entire time and place in history. He is Victorian London, hence many people calling it Dickensian London. Two hundred years after his birth, the love of his writing has not slacked in the least. Two hundred years! Just think of that! Dickens lived to be 58 years old, and his legacy has lived for almost 4 times the span of his life, so far.

Therefore, taking two months of the bicentenary year of his birth seems small potatoes. Also, I did chose the most Dickensian months, really it was planned, not just me going, damn, two months to fill, what to do, what to do. Ok, maybe it was a little of that, but, I mean really, Christmas has Dickens written all over it, A Christmas Carol, hello! So let's have a little Boz Birthday Bonanza! (Boz was an early pen name of Dickens fyi.) So, there's going to be author profiles, book reviews, movie reviews, miniseries reviews, you name it, you've got it. Also, of course, the obligatory giveaway, below. Might just have to buy that book for myself... so, sit back, be thankful you have a belly full of food and a warm place to call home and a roaring fire, it's time to discuss Dickens.

Prize:
Terry Pratchett's Dodger, where Dickens himself appears as a character!

Description:
"A storm. Rain-lashed city streets. A flash of lightning. A scruffy lad sees a girl leap desperately from a horse-drawn carriage in a vain attempt to escape her captors. Can the lad stand by and let her be caught again? Of course not, because he's . . . Dodger.

Seventeen-year-old Dodger may be a street urchin, but he gleans a living from London's sewers, and he knows a jewel when he sees one. He's not about to let anything happen to the unknown girl—not even if her fate impacts some of the most powerful people in England.

From Dodger's encounter with the mad barber Sweeney Todd to his meetings with the great writer Charles Dickens and the calculating politician Benjamin Disraeli, history and fantasy intertwine in a breathtaking account of adventure and mystery.

Beloved and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett combines high comedy with deep wisdom in this tale of an unexpected coming-of-age and one remarkable boy's rise in a complex and fascinating world. breathtaking account of adventure and mystery."

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE, just because you haven't been following me all along doesn't mean you don't matter, you just get more entries if you prove you love me by following.
2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s).
3. Giveaway ends Monday, December 31st at 11:59PM CST 
4. How to enter:

Answer me this: Who is your favorite character in all of Dickens?

• +1 for answering the question above
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +10 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @eliza_lefebvre), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once). Also please leave a link! There's a handy code on the side for your sidebars!
• +25 if you comment on any of the posts during Dickensian Denouement, with something other than "I hope I win" or a variation thereof.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: A Christmas Carol, Bicentenary, Boz, Charles Dickens, Dickensian Denouement, Giveaway, The Charles Dickens Museum

I know you have been patiently waiting... your breath held till you almost passed out, and than a nice person can along a gave you some interesting breathing apparatus, very chic and Steampunk, but that's another story for another day. I'm sure all you want to know is, who won what, so here goes!

The first name drawn was kara-karina (The Janus Affair), the second name drawn was Carrie (Steampunk Bible), the third name drawn was Denise Z (The Leagure of Extraordinary Gentlemen) and whichwaydidshego (Phoenix Rising) was forth. I will update the post later, once I hear from them, with what each of them chose.

Also, check out my newest giveaway, it's totally awesome... not that I'm biased or anything...

Here are the prizes they chose from as a reminder:
*The Steampunk Bible by Jeff Vandermeer
*The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen  by Alan Moore, illustrated by Kevin O'Neill
*The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Book 1: Phoenix Rising Signed and Inscribed to you, by the authors, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris!
*The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Book 2: The Janus Affair Signed and Inscribed to you, by the authors, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 11:59 PM 3 comments  

Labels: Alan Moore, Giveaway, Phoenix Rising, Pip Ballantine, Steampunk Summer, Tee Morris, The Janus Affair, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences

While I have covered some of my favorite Steampunk authors, they are by no means the only Steampunk authors! This is a genre that is expanding and evolving every day. Like the great YA leap, when authors where trying to finagle their way into that genre, authors are trying to find ways to market to this burgeoning demographic all the time. In fact, my reading list for this summer did overflow with Steampunk books I longed to read and finally get around to. What with that pesky thing called "life" I was unable to even finish much of my list, restricting my reading to just the authors that participated this summer.

I hope that this summer has found a new genre or a new favorite book for you. Perhaps I will do this again next summer with even more authors, what do you say to that? Until then, remember to enter the giveaway, ending Sunday night, and here's some more books to check out, again, these are just books I found interesting, but the list isn't really that accurate or exhaustive a list. Also, I'd love to hear your recommendations too!

Shelley Adina: Lady of Devices, Her Own Devices and Magnificent Devices

Paolo Bacigalupi: The Windup Girl

Jonathan Barnes: The Somnambulist

Cage Baker: The Women of Nell Gwynne's

Frank Beddor: The Looking Glass Wars, Seeing Red and ArchEnemy

Meljean Brook: The Iron Duke, Heart of Steel and Riveted

G.K. Chesterton: The Man Who Was Thursday

Cassandra Clare: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess

Kady Cross: The Girl in the Steel Corset and The Girl in the Clockwork Collar

Gordon Dahlquist: The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, The Dark Volume and The Chemickal Marriage

Glenn Dakin: The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance and The Society of Dread

Bonnie Dee: Like Clockwork

Kate Elliott: Cold Magic, Cold Fire and Cold Steel

Phil and Kaja Foglio: Girl Genius Comics, Agatha H. and the Airship City and Agatha H. and the Clockwork Princess

O.M. Grey: Avalon Revisited
Clay and Susan Griffith: The Greyfriar, The Rift Walker and The King Makers

M.K. Hosbon: Native Star, Hidden Goddess and The Warlock's Curse

Mark Hodder: The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack, The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man and Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon

Stehphen Hunt: The Court of the Air, The Kingdom Beyond the Waves, The Rise of the Iron Moon, Secrets of the Fire Sea, Jack Cloudie and From the Deep of the Dark

Matthew J. Kirby: The Clockwork Three

Suzanne Lazear: Innocent Darkness

Karin Lowachee: The Gaslight Dogs

Scott Lynch: The Lies of Lock Lamora and Red Seas Under Red Skies

Richard Matheson: I Am Legend

Andrew P. Mayer: The Falling Machine, Hearts of Smoke and Steam and Power Under Pressure

China Miéville: Un Lun Dun

Tim Powers: The Anubis Gates

Christopher Priest: The Prestige

Félix J. Palma: The Map of Time and The Map of the Sky

S.M. Peters: Whitechapel Gods

Philip Pullman: The Shadow in the North, The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass

Lilith Saintcrow: The Iron Wyrm Affair

Mary Shelley: Frankenstein

Jacques Tardi: Adele Blanc-Sec Comics

Tiffany Trent: The Unnaturalists

Scott Westerfeld: Leviathan, Behemoth and Goliath

Yseabeau S. Wilce: Flora Segunda, Flora's Dare and Flora's Fury

Also, further Steampunky goodness from this summer's authors:

Gail Carriger: 2013 will see some more Gail with Etiquette and Espionage, the first book in The Finishing School series, and Prudence, the first book in The Parasol Protectorate Abroad series

George Mann: The Osiris Ritual, The Immorality Engine, Ghosts of Manhattan and Ghosts of War

Cherie Priest: Clementine, Dreadnought, Ganymede and shortly, The Inexplicables

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Cherie Priest, Frankenstein, Gail Carriger, George Mann, Giveaway, Jacques Tardi, O.M. Grey, Philip Pullman, Scott Westerfeld, Steampunk Summer

As you know, a theme month, or months as the case is, wouldn't be complete without a giveaway! Yet, the giveaway must be very appropriate... hence, this giveaway. Everyone needs a book to live by, a bible is such a thing. Of course, I'm not trying to be sacred or profane, but chose the lesser meaning of bible, which is any book, reference work, periodical, etc., accepted as authoritative, informative, or reliable. This is the definitive authority on Steampunk, which is what this summer is about! So enter away... also, the more people who enter to win, the more books I will add to the pot... as you can see, there is definitely more now!

Prizes (the person whose name is drawn first gets first choice, etc, etc.):

*The Steampunk Bible by Jeff Vandermeer
*The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen  by Alan Moore, illustrated by Kevin O'Neill
*The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Book 1: Phoenix Rising Signed and Inscribed to you, by the authors, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris!
*The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Book 2: The Janus Affair Signed and Inscribed to you, by the authors, Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris!

The Rules:
1. Open to EVERYONE, just because you haven't been following me all along doesn't mean you don't matter, you just get more entries if you prove you love me by following.
2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s).
3. Giveaway ends Sunday, September 30th at 11:59PM CST 
4. How to enter:

Answer me this: What is your favorite Steampunk book?

• +1 for answering the question above
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +10 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @eliza_lefebvre), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once). Also please leave a link! There's a handy code on the side for your sidebars!
• +25 if you comment on any of the posts this summer, with something other than "I hope I win" or a variation thereof.

Good luck to all, may the odds be ever in your favor. Yeah... it's that kind of day.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 5 comments  

Labels: Giveaway, Jeff Vandermeer, Phoenix Rising, Pip Ballantine, Steampunk, Steampunk Bible, Steampunk Summer, Tee Morris, The Janus Affair, The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences

Well time does march on, ok, yes, that's a bad joke that it's now march... even with that extra day February just whizzed by. I hope you enjoyed my little tribute to all things Regency. While I sadly did not spend the entire month walking around in clothes with an Empire waist having poets fling themselves at my feet (reality, lots of layers and blankets and pjs), I did have the honor of heading down to the Chicagoland area, aka Barrington, and getting to hear Lauren Willig and Tasha Alexander talk. A wonderful and fun talk wherein I learned that they could both easily quote Dorothy Sayers. No matter what you do, be it pharmaceutical salesman or lawyer, if you where meant to write, you will write. Also too much caffeine could possibly lead to interpretive dance on tables, unless you are able to talk yourself out of it. Yet, while I could dwell on fun, I'm sure you all are just wanting to know who's getting a free book... which does have poets flinging themselves at peoples feet... sadly not my own... maybe if I wore azure shoes... well, without further ado... mariepea! Look to your inbox for further instructions!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: Giveaway, Lauren Willig, Regency Romance, Tasha Alexander

Now, I'm not just talking about a love for books that are Regency romances, that would limit the field of all those yummy books out there that you love to curl up with on a cold winters day as the season of love and hot cocoa descends on us. I'm talking about a love, a romance, with all things Regency. A love of the time period from the end of the 18th century till the beginning of the 19th century, of course embodied by the works of Jane Austen. The Empire waist line on dresses making you giddy. Knowing the differences between a barouche and chaise (four versus two wheels). Understanding the horrors of an entail. Having an unending love of knee breeches. And being giddy when you hear any quote from Blackadder season 3 and ALWAYS picturing Duke Wellington as Stephen Fry. HURRAH FOR THE REGENCY! A mad king and dachshund named Colin.

And of course, a themed month can't be complete without a giveaway!

Prize: A signed arc of Lauren Willig's the new book, The Garden Intrigue (direct from Lauren).

The Rules:1. Open to EVERYONE, just because you haven't been following me all along doesn't mean you don't matter, you just get more entries if you prove you love me by following.
2. Please make sure I have a way to contact you if your name is drawn, either your blogger profile or a link to your website/blog or you could even include your email address with your comment(s).
3. Contest ends Wednesday, February 29th at 11:59PM CST (yes folks, it IS a leap year!)
4. How to enter:

Answer me this: Who is your favorite regency author? Now, they don't have to have been writing during the Regency, but they have to be writing about the Regency.

• +1 for answering the question above
• +2 for becoming a follower
• +10 if you are already a follower
• +10 for each time you advertise this contest - blog post, sidebar, twitter (please @MzLizard), etc. (but you only get credit for the first post, so tweet all you like, and I thank you for it, but you'll only get the +10 once). Also please leave a link!
• +25 if you comment on any of the posts this month (aka February), with something other than "I hope I win" or a variation thereof.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 6 comments  

Labels: Blackadder, Colin Firth, Duke Wellington, Giveaway, Knee Breeches, Lauren Willig, Regency, Regency Romance, Stephen Fry, The Garden Intrique

Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran
Published by: Crown
ARC Provided by the author
Publication Date: February 15th, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy
Marie Grosholtz has one goal in life, and that's to make the Salon de Cire, that she runs with her uncle Philippe Curtis, as successful as possible. If she or Philippe were allowed entrance into the Academie Francaise, well, that would be the pinnacle of success. Modeling the famous personages of the day in wax, Marie prides herself on capturing not only the person she is immortalizing, but the fashions and sensibilities of the day, no matter how fast they change. But Marie feels that in order to be a true success she needs the Royal stamp of approval. She wants the King and Queen to look upon their likenesses and smile. Plus it couldn't hurt ticket sales any. After appealing to the Queen's dressmaker, Rose Bertin, for over a year on behalf of the Salon, Marie finally realizes that perhaps she should be appealing to Rose's vanity. Once Marie agrees to immortalize Rose in wax, suddenly the Salon is in a flurry of activity as they prepare for the royal viewing. But what goes on in the public rooms is nothing to what goes on in the weekly salons held behind closed doors. Revolutionaries, inventors and thinkers, from the Charles brothers, Jacques and the lovestruck Henri, from Marat to Camille, Robespierre to the King's own cousin, the Duc d'Orleans, talk about the day when the monarchy will fall. It's not that Marie and her family really support the revolutionary cause, but their job demands that they are abreast of the voice of the people. Plus, if they didn't meet in their salon, they'd only meet somewhere else... so what can it hurt?

After the Royal visit Marie's life and the success of the Salon de Cire change forever. Marie is invited to sculpt luminaries and lunatics such as Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Sade. But more importantly, she is invited to Versailles to work with Louis the Sixteenth's sister, the Princess Elisabeth. She is to help Elisabeth learn to sculpt the human form so that she may create religious effigies. Despite working with a devoutly religious woman who rarely goes out, Marie forms a friendship with the Princess and does occasionally get a glimpse of court life, the life her brothers guard as part of the King's own men. But in Paris people are starving and the public opinion against the King and Marie Antoinette is shifting. The time may come when Marie Grosholtz will have to remove their likenesses from the Salon. Much hope is given to the meeting of The Estates-General, wherein the people will make their voices heard, no matter if the King and the Church object. But whatever concessions the monarchy is willing to make, there seems to be nothing that will quench the thirst for revenge. Soon the people are out of hand and the Bastille falls. Paris changes by the minute and hour, not by the day. Rallies in cafes and scathing articles in newspapers fuel the terror that has begun. Straddling the world of the court she has come to know and the Salon which captures the pulse of a nation, Marie is the ultimate politician just hoping for her own survival. Only soon a rosette in the tricolours will not be enough. Soon she must prepare the death masks of those recently beheaded. Soon she must decide if she can continue in this life she has had thrust upon her, or if there is some point that will make her say no. Some point which will put her head in the guillotine.

Madame Tussaud, Marie Grosholtz that was, is an institution to this day. With wax museums the world over, she has become a lucrative tourist attraction. But what became a venue for people to goggle over celebrities was once a venue for political change. To the people in revolutionary France, the wax works that Marie sculpted were the closest they'd ever get to the King or Queen. While Marie would insist that she was just giving the people what they wanted, her brother was more accurate in stating that what she did, what she showed, mattered. Art is a medium for change. She captured these luminaries and distilled them down into a caught moment. She moved with the times, she transformed and updated. She was able to show the world as it was, ever changing and not staying still in the days of unrest. Whether or not she fueled the revolution, she documented it. She was able to ride the wave of public opinion and stay in touch with both worlds, the rarefied nobility and the common man. Her art and connections let her be more, see more.

The only real problem I had with this novel is that it's too short. The ending sneaks up on you and it's over. I would willingly have read a Margaret George length opus of this quality from Moran. After experiencing the first year of the revolution in detail, to then only be given glimpses of the succeeding years is almost painful. I fell for Marie, this fiercely talented pragmatic artist without the posturing. She thought of art as a business and how things could be changed and improved, versus long diatribes about the proper use of Azure Blue. The one thing I have detested about novels, historic or otherwise, is that they never capture what an artist really is. They become caricatures. People who have their heads in the clouds, have no money concerns and are always somewhat tortured. As an artist myself, I want to find these writers and harm them. Not Michelle! She perfectly captured the analytical mind of an artist that I myself hope I am. She thought about the good of her art, her salon. She had set goals and she had an astounding memory for faces and fashion. And what a world of people she lived in. Michelle brings to life everyone from Marat to Marie Antoinette in a human and compassionate light. What were once figures in history become living breathing people you care about. If the goal of a historical novel is to make history alive again, then Michelle has succeeded immensely.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 1 comments  

Labels: French Revolution, Giveaway, Guillotine, Madame Tussaud, Marat, Marie Antoinette, Marie Grosholtz, Marquis de Sade, Michelle Moran, Robespierre, Salon de Cire, Thomas Jefferson, Wax