Spotlight - Near the Wild by Maureen Willett

Today we're welcoming author Maureen Willett to One Book Shy as she begins her tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, showcasing her new book: Near the Wild.

TITLE:    Near the Wild

AUTHOR:    Maureen Willett

INFO:    Fiction, 229 pages

PUBLISHED:   Amazon, 2015

GENRE:    Historical Fiction

ABOUT:  COWBOYS AND LEPRECHAUNS. Both occupy Maeve MacKeighry’s world in 1870, and she must decide which will win her heart. Leprechauns are feared, even in Ireland, but that doesn’t prevent Maeve from striking up a friendship with one who lives near her village. But once Maeve becomes a young woman, the local villagers start to gossip, especially since the MacKeighrys are known to practice magic in their home. It’s just for entertainment, but the town folk don’t see it that way. Rather than be outcasts, the MacKeighrys set off to America to homestead in Kansas, vowing to leave their magical ways and friends behind. Little do they know that Maeve’s friend follows and protects them on their journey. 

The MacKeighrys encounter many adventures along the way to Kansas, only to find a simple sod house on their new farm at the end of the journey. The untamed land offers a fresh start for the family, as well as two very interesting men who both compete for Maeve’s attention. Pretty young women in a wild western town are a rarity. But can she forget her magical friend, and turn her attention to two of the most interesting men she has ever met? Perhaps cowboys and outlaws have a certain charm that a leprechaun doesn’t, after all.

Most of the novel takes place in Kansas in 1870 and is based on my family’s history. The idea of the MacKeighry’s sod house came from the home of my great grandfather. I was lucky enough to visit it as a teenager before the house was destroyed. One of the characters, Nikki Fuerst, is based on an ancestor, a prince from Austria who was disinherited for marrying a commoner and sent off to America. Stories I’ve been told my entire life about my family’s history and traditions, such as levitating tables, are included in Near The Wild.

NEAR THE WILD contains mild sexual references and some violence.

Available now at:  Amazon 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Maureen Willett is a writer of fiction that pushes the boundaries of established genres. Her stories mostly come from her own family legends that have been passed down through generations, but then she tops them off with a twist of faery dust and angel wings. But at the core of each story are great characters in very human conflicts that anyone will find compelling. Each novel is crafted as an experience that will take readers beyond their day-to-day lives, incorporating themes of time travel, reincarnation, and magic. She is a former journalist, public relations professional, and media marketing specialist. Maureen lives in Hawaii with her family and walks the white-sand beaches of Oahu each day to get her inspiration for writing.

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

GIVEAWAY Ends Tonight! Castles, Customs and Kings: True Tales by Historical Fiction Authors

Ends tonight at midnight PST. Be sure to comment on the original post HERE to get your entry in.

Castles, Customs, and Kings: True Tales by Historical Fiction Authors

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Zenobia: Challenging a Legend by Russ Wallace + GIVEAWAY

Wrapping up his blog tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours is author Russ Wallace. Here today with the second in his new series: Zenobia - Challenging a Legend.

TITLE:    Zenobia: Challenging a Legend
AUTHOR:    Russ Wallace
INFO:    Historical Fiction, 512 pages
PUBLISHED:   Geode Press LLC, 2015
SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:   Sequel to the award-winning Zenobia – Birth of a Legend.

The continuing saga of the deadly young warrior who will one day challenge Rome for the supremacy of her world.
As the dynamic girl continues her education in Egypt, for a time she is diverted from her warrior path. Complicating Zenobia’s life is a budding romance with her brilliant and charismatic instructor. The challenge – he is the scholar, she the warrior. Can they blend their worlds to become the most exciting couple in Alexandria?
Learning of a slave trade in kidnapped young women, Zenobia determines to free the oppressed. Warrior skills will not be enough. Her new challenge – to become a pirate, then a temptress in her fight for justice.

MY TAKE:   I like reading original and creative takes on actual people or events in history. It makes it so much more enjoyable to learn about the past when you can imagine along with the author what the characters may have been like in their personal relationships or situations. 

I was lucky enough to be able to read and thoroughly enjoy both this second book in the series and the first: Zenobia - Birth of a Legend. While you could be satisfied with just reading this book, I found it to be very rewarding to start at the beginning and follow along her journey into the second story. 

Zenobia is another of the historical warrior women who became a legend and a true inspiration to her people. Much has been written and theorized about her. I found this book/series to be a refreshing change from many of the other books as we are introduced to the person she may have been and we see what things may have shaped her and the world around her. 

There is a lot of action, emotion and adventure in this tale along with plenty of historical figures and events. The author has done a fine job of blending fact and fiction to create a lovely story that most any reader will find enjoyable. I highly recommend this series and am looking forward to the next installment.
  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Both books are available now at Amazon

  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:   Russ Wallace is an avid student of history and religion. Zenobia, one of the deadliest and most fascinating women of history, comes to life in his series about her. Russ is working on future releases in the Zenobia book series.

Russ and Amy from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours are giving away a copy of these first two books in the series to one lucky winner. Rules are simple:

~Must be 18 or older to enter.

~Giveaway is open to the US & UK only.

~Only one entry per household.

~All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. 

Entry is easy, just leave a comment on this post. Drawing will end Saturday, Dec 5, 2015 at 11:59pm PST. 

Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour to learn more about this series.

Blog Tour Schedule

Saturday, November 14 Tour Kick Off & Giveaway at Passages to the Past
Monday, November 16 Character Interview at Boom Baby Reviews
Tuesday, November 17 Review at History From a Woman's Perspective Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews
Wednesday, November 18 Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More Thursday, November 19 Excerpt & Giveaway at Unshelfish
Friday, November 20 Excerpt at Let Them Read Books
Saturday, November 21 Spotlight at Svetlana's Reads and Views
Tuesday, November 24 Excerpt & Giveaway at Room With Books
Thursday, November 26 Excerpt at Just One More Chapter
Friday, November 27 Review at Book Nerd
Saturday, November 28 Review at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf
Sunday, November 29 Interview at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

~~~~~ 

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own. I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links. I may receive books in order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one. Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Brian Boru: Freedom Within the Heart by Mark Mahon

Great historical fiction full of action, romance and adventure.

TITLE:    Brian Boru: Freedom Within the Heart

AUTHOR:    Mark Mahon

INFO:    Historical Fiction, 245 pages

PUBLISHED:   M.I.P Ltd, 2015

SOURCE:   Received from Author for Review

FROM GOODREADS:   952 A.D. With infighting among the Irish clans throwing Ireland into turmoil, the pagan Vikings invade the region with little resistance. After watching both his father and mother murdered, a young Brian Boru and his brother, Mahoun, swear to revenge their Norse oppressors. 

A man, a simple man, whose bravery captivated a nation, was killed on Good Friday in April of 1014, but Brian Boru’s spirit lives on in every Irishman until this present day. This is his story of bravery that inspired a nation against all the odds.

MY TAKE:   I was very happy to be contacted by the author regarding a review of this book. I had read a bit about Brian Boru in the past and jumped at the chance to get to know him in a new light. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed. 

This is a story full of fascinating history. The exploits of Brian and his brother as boys and then as men are filled with action and adventure. We are taken along with them as they seek revenge for the murders of their parents and village. 

The author has created a lovely story of what actually was and what might have been in this fictionalized version of an Irish hero and legend. It was very easy to feel that I was learning while being entertained - my favorite kind of story.

I highly recommend this book to history lovers and I think it would be an excellent way to get reluctant readers (especially of the young male variety) interested in a great tale.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Available now at AMAZON 

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Castles, Customs and Kings: True Tales by Historical Fiction Authors (volume 2) + GIVEAWAY

TITLE:  Castles, Customs & Kings: True Tales by Historical Fiction Authors (volume 2)

AUTHOR:    Authors - Various

INFO:    Historical Facts & Fiction, 638 pages

PUBLISHED:   Madison Street Publishing, 2015

SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:  An anthology of essays from the second year of the English Historical Fiction Authors blog, this book transports the reader across the centuries from prehistoric to twentieth century Britain. Nearly fifty different authors share the stories, incidents, and insights discovered while doing research for their own historical novels.


From medieval law and literature to Tudor queens and courtiers, from Stuart royals and rebels to Regency soldiers and social calls, experience the panorama of Britain’s yesteryear. Explore the history behind the fiction, and discover the true tales surrounding Britain's castles, customs, and kings.

Visit the English Historical Fiction Authors blog & Facebook page.  

MY TAKE:  This is a BIG book! A BIG book of fascinating historical goodness. I have to admit that I have not finished this giant masterpiece. I'm taking my time, reading an essay or article at a time - and thoroughly enjoying myself. 

The amount of research these fantastic authors do always impresses the heck out of me. I am really finding it interesting the many things they come up with that don't end up making it to the actual stories they're writing. The way this book is compiled makes it easy to stop and start and pick and choose whatever you're in the mood for reading at the time. One of my favorite parts of book reviewing is doing interviews with the authors and/or having them write guest posts for the blog. This book, along with the first volume, are like candy for me in that respect. I feel like I'm getting "behind the scenes" glimpses into the process in a big extra helping. 

The varying emotions that are evoked from many of these offerings were also a surprise for me. I pretty much hit the full range from sadness and tears to full belly laughs. 

Any lover or writer/wannabe writer of  historical fiction needs to have this tome on their shelf. It is a fabulous reference as well as a place to go for an entertaining and informative look into the early times of Britain. Those who are just in search of some great stories to while away a winter's night will also benefit from getting this/these books. 

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Available now at:

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / KOBO

Below is an excerpt/example from the book:  

Seven Surprising Facts about Anne of Cleves

By Nancy Bilyeau

Everyone thinks they know the story of the fourth wife of Henry VIII. She was the German princess whom he married for diplomatic reasons, but when the forty-eight-year-old widower first set eyes on his twenty-four-year-old bride-to-be, he was repulsed.

With great reluctance, Henry went through with the wedding—saying darkly, “I am not well handled”—but after six months he’d managed to get an annulment, and the unconsummated marriage was no more. Although Anne had behaved impeccably as Queen, she accepted her new status as “sister” and lived a quiet, comfortable existence in England until 1557, when she became the last of the wives of King Henry VIII to die.

And so Anne of Cleves has either been treated as a punchline in the serio-comic saga of Henry VIII’s wives or someone who was smart enough to agree to a divorce, trading in an obese tyrant for a rich settlement. But the life of Anne of Cleves is more complex than the stereotypes would have you believe.

1. Anne’s father was a Renaissance thinker. The assumption is that Anne grew up in a backward German duchy, too awkward and ignorant to impress a monarch who’d once moved a kingdom for the sophisticated charms of Anne Boleyn. But her father, Duke John, was a patron of Erasmus, the Dutch Renaissance scholar.

The Cleves court was liberal and fair with low taxes for its citizens. And the Duke made great efforts to steer a calm course through the religious uproar engulfing Germany in the 1520s and 1530s, earning the name John the Peaceful. He died in 1538, so his must have been the greatest influence on Anne, rather than her more bellicose brother, William. In Germany, highborn ladies were not expected to sing or play musical instruments, but Anne would have been exposed to the moderate, thoughtful political ideals espoused by John the Peaceful.

2. Anne was born a Catholic and died a Catholic. Her mother, Princess Maria of Julich-Berg, had traditional religious values and brought up her daughters as Catholics, no matter what Martin Luther said. Their brother, Duke William, was an avowed Protestant, and the family seems to have moved in that direction when he succeeded to his father’s title.

Anne was accommodating when it came to religion. She did not hesitate to follow the lead of her husband Henry VIII, who was head of the Church of England. But in 1553, when her step-daughter Mary took the throne, she asked that Anne become a Catholic. Anne agreed. When she was dying, she requested that she have “the suffrages of the holy church according to the Catholic faith.”

3. Anne’s brother had a marriage that wasn’t consummated either. Duke William was not as interested in peace as his father. What he wanted more than anything else was to add Guelders to Cleves—but the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V had other ideas. William took the bold step of a French marriage so that France would support him should it come to war.

His bride was Jeanne D’Albret, the daughter of Marguerite of Angouleme and niece of King Francis. The “high-spirited” Jeanne was only twelve and did not want to marry William. She was whipped by her family and physically carried to the altar by the Constable of France. But when Charles V took hold of Guelders, France did nothing to help William of Cleves. The four-year-old marriage was annulled—it had never been consummated. Jeanne’s next husband was Antoine de Bourbon, whom she loved. Their son would one day become Henry IV, King of France.

4. Hans Holbein painted Anne accurately. The question of Anne’s appearance continues to baffle modern minds. In portraits she looks attractive, certainly prettier than Jane Seymour. A French ambassador who saw her in Cleves said she was “of middling beauty and of very assured and resolute countenance.”

It is still unclear how hard Thomas Cromwell pushed for this marriage, but certainly he was not stupid enough to trick his volatile King into wedding someone hideous. The famous Hans Holbein was told to paint truthful portraits of Anne and her sister Amelia. After looking at them, Henry VIII chose Anne. Later, the King blamed people for overpraising her beauty, but he did not blame or punish Holbein. The portrait captures her true appearance. While we don’t find her repulsive, Henry did.

5. Henry VIII never called her a “Flanders Mare.” The English King’s attitude toward his fourth wife was very unusual for a sixteenth century monarch. Royal marriages sealed diplomatic alliances, and queens were expected to be pious and gracious, not sexy.

Henry wanted more than anything to send Anne home and not marry her, which would have devastated the young woman. He was only prevented from such cruelty by the (temporary) need for this foreign alliance. But while he fumed to his councilors and friends, he did not publicly ridicule her appearance. The report that Henry VIII cried loudly that she was a “Flanders mare” is not based on contemporary documents.

6. Anne of Cleves wanted to remarry Henry VIII. After the king’s fifth wife, young Catherine Howard, was divorced and then executed for adultery, Anne wanted to be Queen again. Her brother, William of Cleves, asked his ambassador to pursue her reinstatement. But Henry said no. When he took a sixth wife, the widow Catherine Parr, Anne felt humiliated and received medical treatment for melancholy. Her name came up as a possible wife for various men, including Thomas Seymour, but nothing came of it. She never remarried or left England.

7. Anne of Cleves is the only one of Henry’s wives to be buried in Westminster Abbey. Henry himself is buried at Windsor with favorite wife Jane Seymour, but Anne is interred in the same structure as Edward the Confessor and most of the Plantagenet, Tudor, and Stuart rulers. In her will she remembered all of her servants and bequeathed her best jewels to the stepdaughters she loved, Mary and Elizabeth.

GIVEAWAY TIME!  

Enter now to win an eBook copy.

Rules

– Must be 18 or older to enter.

– Giveaway is open internationally.

– Only one entry per household.

– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.

To enter, just leave a comment on this blog post. Drawing will close 11/30/15 at 11:59pm PST. Winner will be notified by email. Good luck! 

Be sure to visit all of these other lovely sites on this blog tour for even more chances to win and learn more about Castles, Customs and Kings!

Monday, November 16
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Spotlight at Unshelfish

Tuesday, November 17
Review at Kinx’s Book Nook

Wednesday, November 18
Review at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf

Thursday, November 19
Review at Unabridged Chick

Friday, November 20
Review at With Her Nose Stuck In A Book

Saturday, November 21
Spotlight at The Reading Queen

Monday, November 23
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Spotlight at HF Connection

Tuesday, November 24
Spotlight at So Many Books, So Little Time

Wednesday, November 25
Review at BrokenTeepee

Thursday, November 26
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation

Friday, November 27
Review at Bookish
Spotlight at Let Them Read Books

Saturday, November 28
Spotlight at Passages to the Past

Monday, November 30
Review at Impressions In Ink
Review at Celtic Lady’sReviews
Review at The True Book Addict

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Spotlight - The Spanish Patriot by Nicky Penttila + GIVEAWAY

The Spanish Patriot by Nicky Penttila

Publication Date: September 3, 2015 Wondrous Press 
Formats: eBook, Paperback, Audio 
Genre: Historical Fiction

      
READ AN EXCERPT 

Some fly to war. Others flee it. No one is safe. When the British army is sent into Spain to help expel Napoleon’s invaders, nothing goes as expected. Not for London newsman Sam Kerr, hunting a story that will win him the editor’s chair, who discovers one that could wreck his career. Not for the Wakefield family, loyalist refugees from America seeking peace among people of their faith, who find war has followed them even here. And certainly not for the British troops, whose mission of support turns into a fight for all their lives. Historical fiction set in Corunna 1808.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | INKTERA | 

ITUNES (AUDIOBOOK) | KOBO | SMASHWORDS

PRAISE FOR AN UNTITLED LADY

“Penttila shows a deft hand with complex, believable characterizations that accurately reflect the historical period.”–Publishers Weekly

“The social turmoil in Manchester leading to the Peterloo Massacre of 1819 is the unusual setting for Penttila’s quietly stunning, memorable debut novel. A very highly recommended book.”–Historical Novel Society

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicky Penttila writes stories with adventure, ideas, history, and love. She enjoys coming up with stories that are set in faraway cities and countries, because then she *must* travel there, you know, for research. She lives in Maryland with her reading-mad husband and amazing rescue cat.

WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | TUMBLR | GOOGLE+ | GOODREADS | PINTEREST

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

Sunday, November 1 Guest Post at Please Pass the Books 
Monday, November 2 Review at Book Nerd 
Tuesday, November 3 Excerpt at What Is That Book About 
Wednesday, November 4 Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past 
Thursday, November 5 Spotlight at Just One More Chapter 
Friday, November 6 Guest Post at The Writing Desk 
Monday, November 9 Character Interview at Boom Baby Reviews 
Tuesday, November 10 Review at She Is Too Fond of Books 
Wednesday, November 11 Review & Interview at Back Porchervations 
Spotlight at A Literary Vacation 
Friday, November 13 Spotlight & Giveaway at Queen of All She Reads 
Saturday, November 14 Spotlight & Giveaway at One Book Shy of a Full Shelf 
Monday, November 16 Guest Post at I Heart Reading 
Wednesday, November 18 Review at With Her Nose Stuck in a Book 
Thursday, November 19 Spotlight & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More Friday, November 20 Review, Interview, & Giveaway at Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne 
Spotlight at CelticLady's Reviews

GIVEAWAY

Nicky Penttila and Amy from HFVBT are giving away one (1) paperback copy of The Spanish Patriot. To enter the drawing simply leave a comment on this blog post. One lucky US winner will be chosen at random via random.org. Drawing will close at 11:59 pm PST on 11/21/15. Winner will be notified by email. Good luck!

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review - Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva by Eliza Redgold + Giveaway

I'm really excited to welcome Eliza Redgold to One Book Shy of a Full Shelf today as she tours with her fantastic new story, Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva. 

TITLE:    Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva

AUTHOR:    Eliza Redgold

INFO:    Fiction, 320 pages

PUBLISHED:   St. Martins Griffin, 2015 

SOURCE:   Received from Publisher for Review

FROM GOODREADS:   We know her name. We know of her naked ride. We don't know her true story.

We all know the legend of Lady Godiva, who famously rode naked through the streets of Coventry, covered only by her long, flowing hair. So the story goes, she begged her husband Lord Leofric of Mercia to lift a high tax on her people, who would starve if forced to pay. Lord Leofric demanded a forfeit: that Godiva ride naked on horseback through the town. There are various endings to Godiva's ride, that all the people of Coventry closed their doors and refused to look upon their liege lady (except for ‘peeping Tom') and that her husband, in remorse, lifted the tax. 

Naked is an original version of Godiva's tale with a twist that may be closer to the truth: by the end of his life Leofric had fallen deeply in love with Lady Godiva. A tale of legendary courage and extraordinary passion,Naked brings an epic story new voice.

MY TAKE:    I definitely prefer this version of Godiva's story to any I've read in the past! Eliza Redgold has brought us a lovely, lyrical tale that puts Godiva's naked ride through Coventry into a whole new light. 

I was familiar with this story and the poem from Tennyson that immortalized it, but I never knew much more than that. It was fascinating for me to learn so much of the back story and some of the other characters and "off-shoots" such as the origins of the "Peeping Tom".  

It made me happy to think that Leofric might have felt remorse at forcing Godiva to make the ride. Their relationship was an interesting one and I enjoyed watching it grow and change as they came to learn more about each other. Their different upbringings and outlooks make for some colorful and volatile exchanges, but their attraction and feelings for each other were apparent from the star` 

The other characters were well written and added much to the story. Edmund is such a wild-card through most of the journey. I wasn't sure which way he was going until close to the end. 

The theme and threads of Saxon heritage and history were obviously well-researched. The actual history and the fictional parts were blended seamlessly into a beautiful story that is easy to read and hard to put down. I highly recommend it!  

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

Available now at: AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / POWELL'S BOOKS  THE BOOK DEPOSITORY / KOBO
~~~~~

Lady Godiva: The Woman Behind the Legend

This blog post comes to us from Eliza Redgold, author, academic and unashamed romantic. Her new novel Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva was released by St Martin’s Press in 2015.

“Were they real?” I’d asked my mother, half asleep, my arms twining her neck.

“Were who real, my sweet heart?”

“Beowulf. The heroes of the past.”

“They’re as real as you would have them be, Godiva. As real as love or courage or honor or kindness. Though we can’t see these things, they are all that matter.”

Her words floated back to me as the gleeman sang.

Quote from NAKED:A Novel of Lady Godiva

Lady Godiva is more than an historical figure. She’s a true legend.

Godiva of Coventry’s story is shrouded in history and mystery. Further back in time than the real-life eleventh century Countess Godgyfu, Lady Godiva is connected to ancient tales of saints and goddesses. Her story has lasted for thousands of years, to be transformed and re-told.

According to legend, Lady Godiva begged her husband Lord Leofric of Mercia to lift a high tax on her people, who would starve if forced to pay. He cruelly demanded a forfeit: that Godiva ride naked on horseback through the town. Though the legend has lasted for centuries, there’s dispute over exactly what if anything Godiva wore on her famous ride, or even if it occurred. Historical fact and a good story don’t always go hand in hand. Some historians certainly call it a myth. Yet there’s no doubt that Lady Godiva was a real person who lived in 11^th century Anglo-Saxon Engla-lond. Whatever the facts, she has remained captivating.

Countess Godgyfu (in the Anglo-Saxon version of her name) spent some of her life in what is now called the British Midlands. Anglo-Saxon Engla-lond was a tough time and place for a woman. Constant Danish invasion by those later called Vikings, though the Saxons called them Danes, occurred many times in the 10^th and 11^th century.

Records suggest that Godiva was more than equal to the challenges of her day. Her name appears in records as the only female landowner who retained her lands not only against the Danes but also later against the Norman invasion of 1066. It was also the right of Saxon noblewomen to approve their own husband – upheld by a ruling of King Canute, the Danish King on the throne in England at the time I set Godiva’s story.

History has been hard on Godiva’s husband, Lord Leofric of Mercia. In the legend Leofric is definitely the villain of the piece, ready to impose heavy taxes and to ignobly allow his wife to carry out her daring ride. Yet historical documents reveal that by the end of his life, Lord Leofric was a changed man. Ancient records suggest their marriage was a strong one, and may indeed have been a love match. Together they supported monasteries, built abbeys and churches, and aided the poor. The original cathedral in Coventry was founded by Godiva and Leofric.

It’s the legend of Lady Godiva’s ride that has stood the test of time. Rides as penitents like the one Godiva undertook were practiced in that period - though Godiva’s nakedness was certainly unique. By all accounts, whether fact or fiction, she was a unique woman. Her courage continues to inspire us, her story to be told, even after a thousand years.

Follow Eliza Redgold on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or subscribe to her newsletter

~~~~~

Thank you Eliza for that lovely look into the history of our heroine!

Eliza Redgold: Biography

ELIZA REDGOLD is an author, academic and unashamed romantic. She writes historical fiction (St Martin’s Press) and romance (Harlequin).

NAKED:A Novel of Lady Godiva was released internationally by St Martin’s Press New York in 2015. Her ‘Romance your Senses’ series of contemporary romances are published by Harlequin. They include Black Diamonds, Hide and Seek and Wild Flower. Eliza is also contracted to Harlequin Historical for two upcoming Victorian historical romances. Look out for Enticing Benedict Cole in November 2015.

Eliza Redgold is based upon the old, Gaelic meaning of her name, Dr Elizabeth Reid Boyd. English folklore has it that if you help a fairy, you will be rewarded with red gold. She has presented academic papers on women and romance and is a contributor to the forthcoming Encyclopedia of Romance Fiction. She was born in Irvine, Scotland on Marymass Day and currently lives in Australia.

~~~~~

Eliza is generously gifting one lucky winner a $20 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble! Be sure to enter below and then check out all of the other stops to learn more about this great book and earn more entries into the drawing!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Stops

November 2: Long and Short Reviews
November 4: Behind Closed Doors
November 5: Unabridged Andra's - promo
November 6: Punya Reviews... - promo
November 6: Book-o-Craze - promo
November 9: Musings of a Writer
November 10: The Romantic World of Leigh Anderson 
November 11: One Book Shy of a Full Shelf - review
November 12: Welcome to My World of Dreams
November 13: It's Raining Books
November 16: Hart's Romance Pulse
November 16: Liz Gavin's Blog
November 17: Louise Lyndon Romance Author Hear Me Roar
November 18: Christine Young
November 19: Books Chatter
November 20: The Reading Addict
November 23: Romantic Fanatic
November 24: Katherine Givens: Historical Romance Author
November 25: Queen of the Night Reviews
November 25: Rusticating in the Tropics
November 27: Susana's Morning Room

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.