I was sitting here thinking, what the heck am I going to do today with all this rain!? Then I remembered, that I had promised to do another giveaway since my last one had gone so well!
**I had to add that shortly after I posted this giveaway entry I finally reached 100 FOLLOWERS! THANK YOU to everyone who helped me out and entered my giveaway! I'm sure there will be many more to come!
SIGNORA DA VINCI by Robin Maxwell (NAL, 2009) is an entertaining and imaginative re-creation of the cultural cauldron of sixteenth-century Florence. The story is told by Caterina, a village apothecary's daughter who, after a brief liaison with a nobleman's son, gives birth to a boy destined to become one of Italy's greatest creative minds. Snatched from her by his father's family, Leonardo is doomed to lead the anonymous life of a bastard until Caterina takes charge of his destiny--and hers. She convinces his father to apprentice him to an established artist in the city. Determined follow Leonardo, Caterina disguises herself as a man and establishes herself in Florence as Cato, Leonardo's apothecary uncle. Educated in philosophy and the alchemical arts by her father, Cato/Caterina befriends the legendary humanist Lorenzo de' Medici and becomes a member of his Platonic Academy, a secret philosophical society established to further knowledge of the ancient arts. Eventually, Caterina and Lorenzo fall in love and she reveals her true identity to him alone. Together, the couple works to advance Leonardo's career while their circle battles Fra Savanarola, the Church reformer who seeks to curb the excessive luxury and pagan influences that saturate Florentine society. Even as she watches her son's genius flower, Caterina cannot escape the decline of her lover's health and great changes that overtake the city she has grown to love.
Anyone who has read any of Robin Maxwell's books is aware of what an amazing writer she is. She really knows her facts, and is able to take the facts, and twist them enough to make an amazing novel!
Oh, and to throw in a little more fun with this contest....I'll be adding a SECOND book for for the winner! And, of course it will be another Robin Maxwell novel!
THE WILD IRISH by Robing Maxwell
Two powerful women of indomitable will-Elizabeth I and the sea-loving Irish pirate, Grace O'Malley-collide in this vivid but ungainly historical drama. Maxwell (The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, etc.) introduces the fabulous queen at 60, her face white with alum and eggshell paint and her red wig ablaze. Twice the age of her confidant, the brilliant Robert Devereaux, earl of Essex, she is brittle and bitter, loath to show any weakness or mercy. Determined to stamp out the ongoing unrest in Ireland, she calls on the notorious O'Malley for counsel. O'Malley's son and brother are in the custody of the English, and it is for their sake that she agrees to appear before Elizabeth. In an extraordinary private conference late at night in the queen's rooms, the Irishwoman tells her own story, which is the history of an island nation at war with England and itself as well as of a woman who has lived a long and turbulent life. Moved by her tale, Elizabeth grants her wishes, but soon finds herself sending Essex to destroy the rebellion raging in Ireland. Ravaged by syphilis and outnumbered two to one, Essex is persuaded by O'Malley that there is no shame in asking for a truce, and he makes peace with the Irish. Though he rushes back to Elizabeth hoping for her blessing, he falls from favor and desperately engineers a hopeless uprising. Maxwell's double portrait of two aging women is warmly drawn ("Look at us," says Grace. "Two old birds fightin' for the same feckin' worm"), but the novel's pacing is erratic, its leaps from England court intrigue to Irish battle scenes jarring.
Ok, so there are a couple of things needed in order to win the book!
+1 You must be a follower of my blog to enter this contest.
For extra entries:
+1 follow me on twitter (twitter.com/kdaze10)
+1 TWEET the giveaway on your twitter (leave the link for me to see!)
+1 Become my friend on GOODREADS (there is a link on the sidebar of my blog!)
+1 Follow me on networked blogs.
You can include ALL of this information in ONE post, so that should make it easier for ya!
Good luck to everyone! I will be using random.org to choose the winner, and I will announce the winner on MAY 8th! Make sure to share with friends!
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