Only Mr. Darcy Will Do by Kara Louise

"Her worst fears come true....
After her father's death, Elizabeth Bennet goes to work as a governess. Little does she know the Willstones are social acquaintances of the Bingleys and the Darcys, and Elizabeth finds herself once again drawn into Mr. Darcy's orbit. To make matters worse, Mrs. Willstone's sister sets her sights on Mr. Darcy. With Elizabeth's social status even lower than it was before, she knows she must abandon all hope of Darcy renewing his proposal, even as she begins to see him in a completely different light....."
(from the publisher)

my thoughts:

Kara Louise is quickly becoming my favorite Austenesque author! Darcy's Voyage was a delightful P & P adaptation, and now with Only Mr. Darcy Will Do, I have two keepers on my shelf.

Thrown into circumstances beyond their control after the death of Mr. Bennett, the family must leave their home to make way for Mr. Collins and his wife. Jane is saddened as, thanks to Darcy's interference, she and Charles Bingley have gone their separate ways. After angrily turning down a proposal of marriage from Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth must set out to make her own way as a governess. Thus begins the really refreshingly original take on Elizabeth's journey to discover her own feelings as well as coming to learn the true character of Mr. Darcy. Much conflict and interest is added to the story by Rosalyn, the aunt of Elizabeth's charge. She is a pretty society young lady who has every intention of becoming the mistress of Pemberley...even though we know how it will end, the path to get there was quite intriguing and original.

A beautiful love story and highly recommended!


5/5 stars

Title: Only Mr. Darcy Will Do
Author: Kara Louise
Soucebooks
2011
353 pages
genre: historical fiction/historical romance

What's in a Name? I need your help!

I've been thinking about changing my blog name for a very long time, and I think it's time to have a chat with my faithful followers (and newbies, of course).

When I first started my blog, I had a vision of writing a creative blog that posted about some of my hobbies such as reading, scrapbooking, creative projects, and other interests....thus, each post would be a little "slice of life" or "a little part of me." The blog evolved into strictly a book blog and I feel it's time for a name change. I'm also picking up a book here and there for review for publishers and authors, and I think the blog name should be more indicative of books.

Now I'm not going to do anything drastic like changing the URL, so hopefully I won't lose any followers and my readers won't have to do a thing except remember the blog name change.....everything visually will stay the same and the content will remain with just a different title. I'll still be posting as "Joanne" in my comments. Simple. (I think - I Hope!)

Here's where I would like your help. I like my header and have studied it for inspiration. I thought about what all the books that I read have in common......they are all mostly set in the past with heroines (or belles), and they all have heroes (or beaux). So I've come up with a few names and I'd like to get your feedback.

Which blog name do you like?

A) Books, Belles & Beaux

B) Belles & Beaux Book Reviews

C) Belle of the Ball Book Reviews

D) Don't do it! I suffer from CRS and will not remember the name change! Keep Slice of Life.

Thanks for your input!

Guest Post & Giveaway: Anne Easter Smith, Author of Queen By Right

It is with great pleasure that I welcome the award-winning author of A Rose for the Crown, Daughter of York, The King’s Grace , and Queen By Right to Slice of Life today! Queen By Right is a captivating historical novel that tells the story of Cecily of York, mother of two kings and the heroine of one of history’s greatest love stories.


Guest Post by Anne Easter Smith

Protagonists in Anne Easter Smith Novels

While I was writing Queen By Right, people would ask me whether Cecily Neville was anything like my other protagonists. Certainly all of them were not afraid to speak their minds, except perhaps for Grace, until she was pushed. I like my medieval women feisty, history tells us they were--to a point. I confess my ladies are probably a little too contemporary in their behavior for the academic medievalist, but that’s why fiction is such fun.

Studies of the texts from the period tell us that men thought we had a greater desire for sex, that we were easily led, prone to unfaithfulness--especially sexually. That’s why men felt the need to control us. Fathers, priests and husbands thought it was their duty to keep us virtuous and threatened our reputations if we were not. A sullied reputation often meant no one would marry you, and that was a disaster.

Bold-speaking in women was a vice, so the men said, and there was nothing worse than being a “clatterer”! (Magpies, jays and women were dubbed the three clatterers, so droned on the men.) You could be punished for gossiping or scolding by being put on the cucking stool barefoot with your hair hanging down (very humiliating). It was a chair to which a woman was tied and left outside her door or in a public place, and some even had wheels so the clatterer could be clattered over the cobblestones around the neighborhood. (It is similar to a ducking stool, but no water is involved.) I know Kate Haute should have been put on one for sure! Margaret and Cecily were royalty, so I expect their husbands chastised them in private instead.

Another question I am asked is which of my “heroines” I like the most. Of course, I love them all, but here is what I love about them individually.

• Kate Haute because she was my first and, I thought, my only (and because I wasn’t expecting to write another book). I grew as a writer with her, so she’s special. And she is modeled on my younger daughter, Kate, who in puberty and teenage years mostly definitely would have been on the cucking stool a lot!

• Margaret of York is the one I related to the most as I was living with her. She was a rebel at heart, she was her father’s favorite, and she left her homeland for a new life (just like I did). She was also tall for a woman (like me) and loved books (like me).

• Grace is probably my antithesis. Petite, quiet, gentle, but I loved that she gave her heart in the wrong place at first (like me). I admired her tremendously for rising above her convent upbringing, being a bastard, being invisible at court, and yet managing to find herself among her beautiful and strong-minded siblings. I loved her loyalty to Elizabeth Woodville and John of Gloucester, and I loved the way she gently kept the peace and sorted out the mystery of who was Perkin Warbeck.

• Cecily is the woman I admire the most, and whereas I’d love to sit down to lunch with Margaret and have a natter, I’d be a bit intimidated by Cecily. This is no simpering miss! I am in awe of her strength, amazing health (she lived until she was 80), and her political savvy. She was lucky enough to experience one of the love matches of her century with Richard, duke of York, and her story is so colorful and dramatic it took me two years to tell. Cecily was in Rouen when Joan of Arc was tried and executed, she gave birth to a dozen children, she had a passionate marriage, she watched her husband fight his way to the throne to claim his right which eluded him in the end with his death at the Battle of Wakefield. And she watched her son, Edward, crowned in June 1461--550 years ago.

I invite you to dive into Cecily’s world with Queen By Right. I have been told by the wonderful woman who owns our local bookshop that this is my best book and she could not put it down. And Michelle Moran, author of Madame Tussaud, said “it kept me up for most of one night needing to know how it all wrapped up." It is my hope you will all be up nights reading it.

“Thank you Joanne, for hosting me here at Slice of Life”. – Anne Easter Smith

It is my pleasure! -- Joanne

For more information please visit Anne Easter Smith’s WEBSITE and FACEBOOK PAGE.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION



As part of the Anne Easter Smith Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour, I have one copy of Queen By Right available for one lucky winner! Contest is open to U.S. residents only, and the winner will be announced June 25, 2011.

Simply leave a comment with contact information for a chance to win. GOOD LUCK!



**************THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. 6/25/11***************

Queen By Right by Anne Easter Smith

"From the award-winning author of A Rose for the Crown, Daughter of York, and The King’s Grace comes another masterful historical novel—the story of Cecily of York, mother of two kings and the heroine of one of history’s greatest love stories.

In Cecily Neville, duchess of York and ancestor of every English monarch to the present day, she has found her most engrossing character yet. History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of the Market Cross at Ludlow, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons. Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, duke of York, whom she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father’s household, they become a true love match and together face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue. All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and their country. Queen by Right marks Anne Easter Smith’s greatest achievement, a book that every fan of sweeping, exquisitely detailed historical fiction will devour."

My thoughts:

When I read historical fiction, it is important to me that the author creates a seamless blend of the facts and fiction and evokes an authentic sense of time and place. Of course, I also want to be entertained as well as informed. In Queen By Right, author Anne Easter Smith succeeds on all levels.

Smith's attention to the details of daily life in the 15th century as well as the political and historical events of the period transported me to an intriguing time when claims to the throne of England from the Houses of York and Lancaster eventually resulted in the Wars of the Roses. Even though some readers may have definite loyalties to a particular side of the issue, the journey of Cecily of York is a compelling and poignant one as she evolves from a spirited and independent young girl betrothed at an early age to Richard, Duke of York, into a deeply spiritual, courageous, and devoted wife and mother.

I also commend the author for including helpful guides for the general reader. Queen By Right includes a list of characters and geneology charts, a map, bibliography, glossary, and an author's note detailing a few areas in which Smith used her creativity to embellish her story. (For example, the storyline of Cecily's encounter with Jeanne D'Arc is vividly told and plausible, but there is no evidence that the two historical figures ever met.) Together with her discussion questions at the end of the novel, these additions to the story enriched my knowledge of the period and added to the enjoyment of the story. I'm very much looking forward to reading more of Anne Easter Smith's novels.

Queen by Right was a delight to read and highly recommended for all historical fiction enthusiasts.



PLEASE CHECK BACK TOMORROW FOR A GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY DETAILS TO WIN A COPY OF QUEEN BY RIGHT BY ANNE EASTER SMITH!


4/5 stars

Title: Queen By Right
Author: Anne Easter Smith
Simon and Schuster
2011
genre: historical fiction

Special thanks to Amy @ Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.




****I received a copy of Queen by Right by Anne Easter Smith for review from the publisher. I was not compensated for my review, and the thoughts expressed are my own personal opinion.*****

GIVEAWAY: Margaret Mitchell & John Marsh: The Love Story Behind Gone With the Wind by Marianne Walker

I am pleased to announce that Peachtree Publishers is providing one copy of Margaret Mitchell and John Marsh: The Love Story Behind Gone With the Wind by Marianne Walker to one lucky winner here at Slice of Life!

All you have to do is leave a comment below WITH CONTACT INFORMATION and I will select one winner at random on June 20, 2011. The contest is open to U.S. addresses only.


GOOD LUCK!

Here's my review of this wonderful resource for GWTW fans!

*****6/20/11 THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED AND THE WINNER HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED.********

Margaret Mitchell and John Marsh: The Love Story Behind Gone With the Wind by Marianne Walker

"The marriage of Margaret Mitchell and John Marsh was more than one of great love and deep friendship; it was a lucky literary match, both for them and for a world made richer by the creation of GONE WITH THE WIND.

Based on almost 200 previously unpublished letters and extensive interviews with their closests associates, Walker's biography of Margaret Mitchell and her husband, John Marsh, offers a new look into a devoted marriage and fascinating partnership that ultimately created a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. This edition of Walker's critically acclaimed biography celebrates the seventy-fifth anniversary of the publication of GONE WITH THE WIND in 1936."

my thoughts:

It's been seventy-five years since Margaret Mitchell's phenomenal novel of the Old South took the world by storm, and Gone With the Wind to this day remains a beloved favorite of countless readers. It is certainly one of my personal favorites, and I am always interested to read about the background of the creation of both the novel and the blockbuster movie. What many may not know is that the love story behind the creation of GWTW is just as fascinating as that of the fictional love triangle of Scarlett O'Hara, Ashley Wilkes, and Rhett Butler.

In Margaret Mitchell & John Marsh: The Love Story Behind Gone With the Wind,
Marianne Walker, through interviews and extensive research, has written a fascinating portrait of Margaret ("Peggy") Mitchell that indeed seems to reflect many of the same facets of Scarlett O'Hara's fiesty and sparkling personality.

As a young southern debutante, Peggy enjoyed being the center of attention -- a pretty and pert flirt, she had no shortage of handsome young men to escort her to a never-ending round of parties and dances. Not very interested in school or studies but very much interested in being a writer, she could often be found at places where artists, writers, and others interested in a creative life frequented.

When she met the tall, quiet John Marsh in 1921, they became very close friends and shared an interest in books and writing. Marsh was a serious man who worked incredibly hard as a respected journalist, and he fell deeply in love with the vivacious and fun-loving Peggy. He knew she dated many other men and was very popular, but their friendship was very strong and deep and he believed one day they would be married. Peggy often found herself at odds with her social-conscious family over her impulsive and improper behavior, and the icing on the cake was when she shocked everyone by marrying "Red" Upshaw, a dashing and handsome bootlegger with a scandalous reputation!

I mention this background material of the book as it is important to see how the seeds of Gone With the Wind may have begun in Peggy's own experiences. Walker's biography continues to reveal how Margaret Mitchell and John Marsh finally, (as destiny must have planned all along) got together and became utterly devoted and supportive of each other.

Although Peggy worked as a reporter in Atlanta for a time, she was often sick in bed or in pain from numerous maladies, and her enforced bedrest gave her time to work on a story of the Old South that had been germinating in her mind. She had a keen interest in southern history and was entertained since birth with tales of the Confederacy. To quote her,

"I spent the Sunday afternoons of my childhood sitting on the bony knees of
Confederate Veterans and the fat slick laps of old ladies who survived the
war and reconstruction." p. 24

Her manuscript, which had no title up until the time of publication, was the couple's "baby." For years, Peggy worked on her manuscript, researched extensively, traveled to Civil War sites, and worked tirelessly to get her historical facts completely accurate. In the evenings when her husband returned home, they sat together and reviewed her writing of the day. The writing was deeply personal to them, and they did not share the manuscript with anyone -- indeed, it seemed as if her novel was a very intimate part of their relationship, and it's a wonder the world ever had a chance to see it. Peggy suffered from bouts of depression and insecurities, and she referred to her work as

"...just that old dog-eared and dirty bunch of copy paper which took up
so much space in our small apartment and seemed with each rewriting
to get worse." p. 289

Thankfully, a publisher did get to see this "dirty bunch of copy paper" as it eventually became a Pulitzer Prize winning novel! It is clear, though, in Walker's biography, that without the help and support of her beloved and devoted husband, Gone With the Wind might never have been completed.

Marianne Walker's meticulously researched biography is a richly detailed look at a complex love story every bit as compelling as the characters in GWTW.
Recommended for all GWTW fans, with many black and white photos and excerpts from personal letters included.

For more information about the book and Marianne Walker, visit Peachtree Publishers.

4/5 Stars

Title: Margaret Mitchell and John Marsh: The Love Story Behind Gone With the Wind
Author: Marianne Walker
Peachtree Publishers
paperback, 554 pages
June 2011
ISBN 978-1-56145-617-8
genre: biography

***Thank you to Samantha Grefe and Peachtree Publishers for sending me a copy of Margaret Mitchell and John Marsh: The Love Story Behind Gone With the Wind by Marianne Walker for review. I was not compensated for this review, and the thoughts expressed are my personal opinion.***

The Violets of March by Sarah Jio

"In a mystical place where violets bloom out of season and the air is salt drenched, a heartbroken woman stumbles upon a diary and steps into the life of its anonymous author.

In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world; she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily-ever-after.

Nearly a decade later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington state, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.

A mesmerizing debut with an idyllic setting and an intriguing dual story line, The Violets of March announces Sarah Jio as a writer to watch."
(from the publisher)

my thoughts:

The Violets of March was an absolutely beautiful story.....I loved the author's seamless blending of romance, mystery and suspense with a haunting story of a long-ago love affair. I found myself unable to put this book down as I immediately became emotionally invested in the players.....a hidden diary with stories of youthful, carefree times before World War II that reveal, over time, heartbreaking memories of love, betrayals, loss, and a lifetime of regrets.

Who is the author of this diary and why was it locked away in unused room in her aunt's house?

As Emily tries to find closure for her own failed marriage and find a new direction in her life, can she draw lessons from the mistakes of the past in the pages of this diary?

An utterly charming tale that left me deeply moved and holding on to the book long after I finished the last page.

5/5 stars




Title: The Violets of March
Author: Sarah Jio
Plume/Penguin Publishers
2011
296 pages
genre: literary fiction