This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, This other Eden, demi-paradise, This fortress built by Nature for herself Against infection and the hand of war, This happy breed of men, this little world, This precious stone set in the silver sea, Which serves it in the office of a wall Or as a moat defensive to a house, Against the envy of less happier lands,-- This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England. ~~William Shakespeare, Richard III



Saturday, November 7, 2009

Book Giveaway - The Spanish Bride

I'm excited! This will be the first book giveaway I've hosted here on my blog! I have an extra copy of Lauren Gardner's The Spanish Bride, about Catherine of Aragon, to giveaway to one lucky winner! This is the first book in a 3 part series that Gardner wrote about Henry VIII's first three queens (A Lady Raised High is about Anne Boleyn and Plain Jane is about Jane Seymour).

From the back cover:

Estrella de Montoya is maid of honor to Catherine of Aragon, the Spanish princess betrothed to Arthur, Prince of Wales. Traveling away from home for the first time, Estrella shares her mistress's vision of England as a land of chivalric knights and courtly love. Her heart flutters at the bright prospects before them, as the English rejoice at Catherine's arrival.


Decades later, Estrella has learned from bitter experience that poetic legends are not to be confused with real life. But Catherine, long married to Arthur's brother Henry, clings to her illusions - even when Henry, desperate for a male heir, seeks to set her aside for a younger woman. At great danger to herself, Estrella remains loyal to her lady, the true queen.


Through it all, Estrella remains uniquely positioned to witness Catherine's triumphs and tragedies, as they risk everything against a king to whom human life - let alone chivalry - is nothing compared to his own personal desires...



How to enter (leave a comment for each entry with your email):

1. Become a follower (if you already are, just say so in your comment!).
2. Post about the giveaway on your blog, Twitter, etc.
3. Leave a comment about why you'd like to read about Catherine of Aragon.

Contest ends on November 17 and a random winner will be posted on November 18!!

19 comments:

  1. congrats on your first giveaway!!
    i am a follower but I already have the three books in the Laurien Gardner series, so no need to enter me!!!...

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  2. I'd love to be entered -- and I'm already a follower!! Thanks!

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  3. I would love to be entered for your first giveaway. Congrats! I have the other two books in this series it would round out my collection. I am a follower, and I posted in my blog sidebar http://themaidenscourt.blogspot.com/. I first read about Catherine in The Constant Princess and have always loved the story about her. She never deserved what she got from Henry.

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  4. Hi is me again...wanted to mention that I love your blog and I have an award for you...

    http://www.celticladysramblings.blogspot.com

    and I love your music. Loreena McKennitt is one of my favorites......

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  5. I am a follower. Pleae count me in. I feel that Catherine was much maligned and didnt deserve her fate at all.

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  6. congrats on your first giveaway!
    Haven't read her books before but I've heard good things about her. And I'd like to read about Catherine from servants point of view.

    I'm follower and I blogged: http://crimsonheart.bubble.nu/index.php/2009/11/giveaway-10/

    crimson_haze(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  7. Outside of The Constant Princess, I've read very little about Catherine, and would like a viewpoint other than Philippa Gregory's.

    I just became a follower. Lovely blog, neat background music.

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  8. I've only read one other novel about Catherine, and I'd love to read a different account of her tragic life.

    I just became a follower. Lovely blog, neat background music.

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  9. Madwoman-doing-cartwheelsNovember 8, 2009 at 9:14 AM

    I'm a new follower

    rubymoonstone at gmail dot com

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  10. I have not read anything about Catherine of Aragon but did studied a bit about her in HS school(long ago). I'd like to explore her life a bit. I love history!

    rubymoonstone at gmail dot com

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  11. What a fabulous first giveaway! I have much sympathy for all of Henry's wives, but am especially fond of Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand. I love that she refused to renounce her title as Queen after being banished from court.

    I'm a follower already (love the music you've added to your blog).

    Thanks for the entry!

    Wendy
    wendysfictionaddiction(at)gmail(dot)com

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  12. Posted on Twitter!

    http://twitter.com/FctionAddiction


    Thanks!

    Wendy
    wendysfictionaddiction(at)gmail(dot)com

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  13. Thanks for the giveaway! I haven't heard about this one before. And I'm new to your blog so I'm now a subscriber and follower. Thanks!

    nycbookgirl at gmail dot com

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  14. I'm following your blog now.

    akreese (at) hotmail (dot) com

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  15. I'd like to read the book because I find pretty much anything that has to do with Henry VIII and his wives fascinating.

    akreese (at) hotmail (dot) com

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  16. I would love to read this book because I love to read stories about royalty.
    I would love to be entered in your draw. Thanks.
    wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  17. I just became a follower of your blog.
    wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  18. Congrats on this!

    I'd love to enter for this. I am a follower.

    runaway84(at)gmail.com

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  19. I'd love to read this because Katherine of Aragon has always been my favorite out of the six wives. 20+ years of devotion and then she was just cast aside. I always felt pity for her.

    runaway84(at)gmail.com

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