November Tour: The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

The Lady of the Rivers
by Philippa Gregory
Publication Date:  October 18, 2011
Publisher:  Touchstone

Passion. Danger. Witchcraft . . .

The Lady of the Rivers is #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory’s remarkable story of Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford, a woman who navigated a treacherous path through the battle lines in the Wars of the Roses.

Descended from Melusina, the river goddess, Jacquetta always has had the gift of second sight. As a child visiting her uncle, she met his prisoner, Joan of Arc, and saw her own power reflected in the young woman accused of witchcraft. They share the mystery of the tarot card of the wheel of fortune before Joan is taken to a horrific death at the hands of the English rulers of France. Jacquetta understands the danger for a woman who dares to dream.

Jacquetta is married to the Duke of Bedford, English regent of France, and he introduces her to a mysterious world of learning and alchemy. Her only friend in the great household is the duke’s squire Richard Woodville, who is at her side when the duke’s death leaves her a wealthy young widow. The two become lovers and marry in secret, returning to England to serve at the court of the young King Henry VI, where Jacquetta becomes a close and loyal friend to his new queen.

The Woodvilles soon achieve a place at the very heart of the Lancaster court, though Jacquetta can sense the growing threat from the people of England and the danger of royal rivals. Not even their courage and loyalty can keep the House of Lancaster on the throne. Henry the king slides into a mysterious sleep; Margaret the queen turns to untrustworthy favorites for help; and Richard, Duke of York, threatens to overturn the whole kingdom for his rival dynasty.

Jacquetta fights for her king, her queen, and for her daughter Elizabeth for whom Jacquetta can sense an extraordinary and unexpected future: a change of fortune, the throne of England, and the white rose of York.

A sweeping, powerful story rich in passion and legend and drawing on years of research, The Lady of the Rivers tells the story of the real-life mother of the white queen.

• Tour Dates:  November 14 - November 28 
• Tour signups will close on September 2 *New* September 11
• This book will be available in both PRINT and EBOOK formats.  Ebook copies will be available through Netgalley.
• To sign-up - please leave a comment with your name, e-mail address, blog name, format preference (print/ebook), and the date you would like to post your review (check calendar below - first come, first-serve.  If a date is already taken, you must pick a different date.  Please click the arrow to move over to the correct month as it is set to the current month automatically).  
• This tour is open to USA bloggers.

Participating Bloggers
11/14/2011 -- A Bookish Affair
11/15/2011 -- Proud Book Nerd
11/16/2011 -- Review from Here
11/17/2011 -- By the Book
11/19/2011 -- The Bookish Mama
11/20/2011 -- Ravishing Reads
11/21/2011 -- A Chick Who Reads
11/22/2011 -- Kritter's Ramblings
11/23/2011 -- The Book of Secrets
11/25/2011 -- Sinnful Books
11/26/2011 -- Sherri's Jubilee
11/27/2011 -- Hippies, Beauty, and Books Oh My!
11/28/2011 -- Book Snob

Reviews

November Tour: The Women of the Cousins' War by Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin, and Michael Jones

The Women of the Cousins' War
by Philippa Gregory, David Baldwin, Michael Jones
Publication Date:  September 13, 2011
Publisher:  Touchstone

#1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory teams with two eminent historians to explore the historical characters in the real-life world behind her Wars of the Roses novels.

PHILIPPA GREGORY and her fellow historians describe the extraordinary lives of the heroines of her Cousins’ War books: Jacquetta, Duchess of Bedford; Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV; and Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII.

In her essay on Jacquetta, Philippa Gregory uses original documents, archaeology, and histories of myth and witchcraft to create the first-ever biography of the young duchess who survived two reigns and two wars to become the first lady at two rival courts. David Baldwin, established authority on the Wars of the Roses, tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, the first commoner to marry a king of England for love; and Michael Jones, fellow of the Royal Historical Society, writes of Margaret Beaufort, the almost-unknown matriarch of the House of Tudor.

In the introduction, Gregory writes revealingly about the differences between history and historical fiction. How much of a role does speculation play in writing each? How much fiction and how much fact should there be in a historical novel? How are female historians changing our view of women in history?

The Women of the Cousins’ War is beautifully illustrated with rare portraits and source materials. As well as offering fascinating insights into the inspirations behind Philippa Gregory’s fiction, it will appeal to all with an interest in this period.

• Tour Dates:  November 7 - November 21 
• Tour signups will close on September 2 *New* September 11
• This book will be available in both PRINT and EBOOK formats.  Ebook copies will be available through Netgalley.
• To sign-up - please leave a comment with your name, e-mail address, blog name, format preference (print/ebook), and the date you would like to post your review (check calendar below - first come, first-serve.  If a date is already taken, you must pick a different date.  Please click the arrow to move over to the correct month as it is set to the current month automatically).  
• This tour is open to USA bloggers.

Participating Bloggers
11/7/2011 -- A Bookish Affair
11/8/2011 -- Review from Here
11/10/2011 -- Man of La Book
11/12/2011 -- The Bookish Mama
11/14/2011 -- True Book Addict
11/21/2011 -- CelticLady

Review Links

Signups CLOSED: November Tour: Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

Triangles
by Ellen Hopkins
Publication Date:  October 18, 2011
Publisher:  Atria

In this first adult novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the unforgettable Crank trilogy, three female friends face midlife crises in a no holds-barred exploration of sex, marriage, and the fragility of life.

Ellen Hopkins has made her mark as the wildly popular author of several novels for young adults—every one of them a New York Times bestseller, and every one a hard-hitting exploration of tough-to-tackle topics. Now, in Triangles, Hopkins brings her storytelling mastery and fearlessness to take on the challenges of adult dramas.

In this emotionally powerful novel, three women face the age-old midlife question: If I’m halfway to death, is this all I’ve got to show for it? Holly, filled with regret for being a stay-at-home mom, sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Andrea, a single mom and avowed celibate, watches her friend Holly’s meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt. Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for—a committed relationship with a decent guy. So what if Andrea picks up Holly’s castaway husband? Then there’s Marissa. She has more than her fair share of challenges—a gay teenage son, a terminally ill daughter, and a husband who buries himself in his work rather than face the facts. As one woman’s marriage unravels, another one’s rekindles. As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s is reconfigured into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all three of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness before it is through.

• Tour Dates:  November 1 - November 18
• Tour signups will close on September 2 
• This book will be available in PRINT format only.  We have limited copies available, so if it comes to that, we may need to do a random draw for who is selected to participate.
• To sign-up - please leave a comment with your name, e-mail address, blog name, and the date you would like to post your review (check calendar below - first come, first-serve.  If a date is already taken, you must pick a different date.  Please click the arrow to move over to the correct month as it is set to the current month automatically).  
• This tour is open to USA/CAN bloggers
• The author is open for Q&As along with your scheduled review.  Please indicate in your post if you would like to interview Ellen in conjunction with your review.

Participating Bloggers:
11/1/2011 All I Ever Read
11/3/2011 Taming the Bookshelf 
11/4/2011 Oodles of Books
11/5/2011 Ravishing Reads
11/7/2011 Review from Here
11/8/2011 Proud Book Nerd
11/9/2011 The Book Swarm 
11/10/2011 Tiffany's Bookshelf
11/11/2011 Kritters Ramblings
11/13/2011 Hippies, Beauty, and Books Oh My!
11/15/2011 So Many Books, So Little Time
11/16/2011 Book Snob 
11/17/2011 Reader Girls 
11/18/2011 Colloquium
11/19/2011 Reflections with Coffee

Review/Interview/Guest Post Links: