Mistress of the Wind by Michelle Diener - my review! and a giveaway!!

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Tour!

Mistress of the Wind
by Michelle Diener
New Adult/Sci-Fi Fantasy
Paperback, 342 pages
Expected publication: December 19th 2013


Bjorn needs to find a very special woman . . . 

The fate of his people, and his own life, depends on it. But when he does find her, she is nothing like he imagined, and may just harbor more secrets than he does himself.

Astrid has never taken well to commands. No matter who issues them . . . 

She's clashed her whole life with her father, and now her lover, the mysterious man who comes to her bedroom in darkness and disappears to guard his mountain by day as a bear, is finding it out the hard way. And when he's taken by his enemies, no one is prepared for Astrid's response. 

It is never wise to anger the mistress of the wind . . . 

A captivating and magical adult retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

Praise for Mistress of the Wind:

“Diener’s adaptation retains the familiar elements of the original, echoing both the structure and spirit of the classic, but true to form, she puts her own spin both the plot and the narrative, crafting an intricately alluring tale of self-sacrifice, steadfast devotion and enduring love.“ Flashlight Commentary

“The story is fast-paced and never boring, the world a beauty and Michelle’s writing so wonderfully detailed that I felt I was with Bjorn and Astrid on their journey.“ Book Bird Reviews

Author Michelle Diener takes this re-telling to another level. She doesn’t restrict herself to an East of the Sun, West of the moon retelling. Instead we are also given parts reminiscent of Psyche’s quest. Which just allowed for a much more richer story.  Paperback Wonderland

My Thoughts:

I love this book!!!!!!!!

:-D

I am a little familiar with East of the Sun, West of the Moon... so I had some hopes and a little bit of nerves when I started this book. Could it possibly live up to my high expectations?!

Ha!

Bjorn is perfect. So self-sufficient and bossy - there's bluster that gets in the way of his tender side that makes him so real. He has a huge heart, but he's used to fighting all the time and regrets his quick reaction to spunky Astrid in a way that endeared him to me. He never gives up, which I also love. He's facing impossible odds right from page one and never, ever stops believing. 

I felt very protective of Astrid early on, too, and made Bjorn prove himself worthy to me repeatedly, so the poor guy really has it rough.  :-)

Astrid totally ROCKS!!  She's smart and realistic in a down-to-earth sort of way. She's thrown into things... like, uh, the bed without knowing what's going on. She doesn't lose her head or accept what Bjorn spoon-feeds her. Nope.  She considers what he tells her... and adds to that what he doesn't tell her... and heads out to make her own conclusions her own way.

Michelle Diener follows the fairy tale quite closely while weaving in the Norse mythology stuff. Right in the middle of the story there's a very big switcheroo... and this is where I expected things to get boring or fuzzy with lack of specific detail because... well, read the story.  This is where Michelle totally won me over. The Norse mythology side fills in all the vagueness of the fairy tale and the second half of the book is even better than the first. *rubs hands gleefully*

Astrid continues to be awesome in believable steps. Character after character shows up in vivid life, all different, all unusual. I thoroughly enjoyed being in Astrid's head as she tackles the biggest, uh, obstacle, yet - her own inheritance.

Love!!

I really want to keep all the Nordic mythology stuff secret, although that's where the title comes from. If you know the fairy tale - or if you don't - read confidently. It's all there, laid out beautifully. And enjoy all the delightful extras that Michelle weaves in!!

I have been asked about the bedroom scene a few times, so let me be clear. It's adult, not closed door... uh, in the dark, though. *cough*  And it's essential to the story and referred to often. If you're hoping to turn this story into YA with your own censoring, that would be tricky. 

My personal hang-up was the question of "not married, but with bedroom rights", which is made very clear and is quite the source of inner struggle, etc. In fact, I reserved my opinion as to how I felt about that to see how Bjorn and Astrid treated their relationship long-term.  Which, I concluded delightfully, was more committed than most who say vows first, which satisfied my "before God if not man" bone.

My recommendation - this is a must-read for everyone.  :-)  If you're not an adult (ie, sexing grown up ikes!), don't read this yet, but do plan on reading it later. (If you don't have a "later" TBR pile, you ought to. 0.0  YA is the bomb, but there are very good books that use Adult stuff to effect the story and this is one!)  Even if you aren't into fairy tales (what?!) or mythology (are you kidding me?!) I think you'll enjoy this story!  If you are a fairy tale BONSAI FAN like me, this is one for your library.  :-D

5 Stars - for the writing, for the creativity, for the real character growth, for the speed.  I love this book!!!

What, oh what? will Michelle Diener give us next?!  Whoohoo!!


Michelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

Michelle's other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor's Conspiracy).

Michelle's first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, is set for a December 23, 2013, release.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

Goodreads * Amazon * Website * Twitter * Facebook

International Giveaway:

10 copies of Mistress of the Wind, Kindle or print, winner's choice.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out each stop on the tour!

12/29: Launch    
12/30: My Seryniti

+ Tome Tender

12/31: Kelly P's Blog
+ Giveaway Breaking News for Indonesia
1/1: Mel's Shelves
1/2: Mythical Books
+ Tressa's Wishful Endings
1/3: Brooke Blogs
1/5: Leeanna.me
1/6: The Book Landers
1/7: So Many Reads
+ Deal Sharing Aunt
1/8: My Devotional Thoughts
1/9: Colorimetry
1/10: saeit yahalomi
1/12: The Reading Diaries
+ Bookish Outsider
1/13: The Wonderings of One Person
1/14: Dalene's Book Reviews
+ A Greater Yes
1/15: A Backwards Story
1/16: Addicted Readers

1/17: Grand Finale  

Are you a blogger and want to receive information about new tours? Go HERE.

Are you an author or publisher and would like to have us organize a tour event? Go HERE.

Launching the Tour: Mistress of the Wind by Michelle Diener!

We're Launching...

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Tour!

Mistress of the Wind
by Michelle Diener
New Adult/Sci-Fi Fantasy
Paperback, 342 pages
Expected publication: December 19th 2013


Bjorn needs to find a very special woman . . . 

The fate of his people, and his own life, depends on it. But when he does find her, she is nothing like he imagined, and may just harbor more secrets than he does himself.

Astrid has never taken well to commands. No matter who issues them . . . 

She's clashed her whole life with her father, and now her lover, the mysterious man who comes to her bedroom in darkness and disappears to guard his mountain by day as a bear, is finding it out the hard way. And when he's taken by his enemies, no one is prepared for Astrid's response. 

It is never wise to anger the mistress of the wind . . . 

A captivating and magical adult retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

Praise for Mistress of the Wind:

“Diener’s adaptation retains the familiar elements of the original, echoing both the structure and spirit of the classic, but true to form, she puts her own spin both the plot and the narrative, crafting an intricately alluring tale of self-sacrifice, steadfast devotion and enduring love.“ Flashlight Commentary

“The story is fast-paced and never boring, the world a beauty and Michelle’s writing so wonderfully detailed that I felt I was with Bjorn and Astrid on their journey.“ Book Bird Reviews

Author Michelle Diener takes this re-telling to another level. She doesn’t restrict herself to an East of the Sun, West of the moon retelling. Instead we are also given parts reminiscent of Psyche’s quest. Which just allowed for a much more richer story.  Paperback Wonderland

Check out each stop on the tour!

12/29: Launch    
12/30: My Seryniti
12/31: Kelly P's Blog
+ Giveaway Breaking News for Indonesia
1/1: Mel's Shelves
1/2: Mythical Books
+ Tressa's Wishful Endings
1/3: Brooke Blogs
1/5: Leeanna.me
1/6: The Book Landers
1/7: So Many Reads
+ Deal Sharing Aunt
1/8: My Devotional Thoughts
    +   Colorimetry
1/9: Tome Tender
1/10: saeit yahalomi
1/12: The Reading Diaries
+ Bookish Outsider
1/13: The Wonderings of One Person
1/14: Dalene's Book Reviews
+ A Greater Yes
1/15: A Backwards Story
1/16: Addicted Readers
1/17: Grand Finale 

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

Michelle's other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor's Conspiracy).

Michelle's first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, is set for a December 23, 2013, release.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

Goodreads * Amazon * Website * Twitter * Facebook

International Giveaway:

10 copies of Mistress of the Wind, Kindle or print, winner's choice.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you a blogger and want to receive information about new tours? Go HERE.

Are you an author or publisher and would like to have us organize a tour event? Go HERE.

Mistress of the Wind by Michelle Diener BOOKBLAST!!!

To post this Book Blast (html) and add your Social Media to the Rafflecopter, email Tressa at wishfulendings(at)outlook.com with "Mistress of the Wind Book Blast" in the subject line!

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

The Bookblast!!

Mistress of the Wind
by Michelle Diener
New Adult/Sci-Fi Fantasy
Paperback, 342 pages
Expected publication: December 19th 2013


Bjorn needs to find a very special woman . . . 

The fate of his people, and his own life, depends on it. But when he does find her, she is nothing like he imagined, and may just harbor more secrets than he does himself.

Astrid has never taken well to commands. No matter who issues them . . . 

She's clashed her whole life with her father, and now her lover, the mysterious man who comes to her bedroom in darkness and disappears to guard his mountain by day as a bear, is finding it out the hard way. And when he's taken by his enemies, no one is prepared for Astrid's response. 

It is never wise to anger the mistress of the wind . . . 

A captivating and magical adult retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

Praise for Mistress of the Wind:

“Diener’s adaptation retains the familiar elements of the original, echoing both the structure and spirit of the classic, but true to form, she puts her own spin both the plot and the narrative, crafting an intricately alluring tale of self-sacrifice, steadfast devotion and enduring love.“ Flashlight Commentary

“The story is fast-paced and never boring, the world a beauty and Michelle’s writing so wonderfully detailed that I felt I was with Bjorn and Astrid on their journey.“ Book Bird Reviews

Author Michelle Diener takes this re-telling to another level. She doesn’t restrict herself to an East of the Sun, West of the moon retelling. Instead we are also given parts reminiscent of Psyche’s quest. Which just allowed for a much more richer story.  Paperback Wonderland

Mistress of the Wind

by Michelle Diener regarding her new book!

Mistress of the Wind is based on the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon. It's a fairy tale I've loved since I was a child, but it wasn't until I started seriously researching the origins and mythology of East of the Sun, West of the Moon in preparation for writing Mistress of the Wind that I discovered what a unique fairy tale it is in many respects.

Fairy tales are generally grouped into types by folklorists using the Aarne-Thompson classification system, and East of the Sun, West of the Moon is classified as AT-425A, in the 'husband' group of tales, which also includes Beauty and the Beast and Psyche and Eros.

What is unique about East of the Sun, West of the Moon, is that when the heroine goes in search of her lover, the people who help her along the way do not do so because of any action on her part. Usually in a fairy tale--in fact, almost across the board--an elderly, mysterious figure or animal will aid the hero or heroine because of an act of kindness they have shown, or because of a favor the hero / heroine has done first.

In East of the Sun, West of the Moon, the heroine is helped as if it is her due. This really sparked my interest, along with the magical flying horses that are lent to her, and the assumption by all concerned that the four winds will give the heroine their aid.

I approached the story with the question: why would this be so? Because I was writing a full-length novel off of what is, in my fairy tale collection, only 8 pages of text, I obviously had to make the story make sense. Quite often in fairy tales coincidences, strange happenings and the relationships between characters are never explained, but it is assumed the reader will accept them, even though there is no reason behind them. That obviously wouldn't work in a full-length novel. So I decided to explore all mythology relating to the wind, and came across the myth of the Wind Hag, and I just knew I had found the core of my story.

If you are surprised at the use of the Wind Hag as a powerful heroine, let me explain why the crone or hag is a powerful, rather than a pitiable or evil character. And she doesn't have to be old and ugly, either. The book Women Who Run with the Wolves by Dr Clarissa Pinkola Estes first introduced me to the idea of the hag as a force of power and self-determination. Estes looked at a number of fairy tales and myths across many cultures, at a time when the power of the feminine had a strong place in society. As the patriarchal Christian religion encroached on society across Europe, women who understood herbology, kept the (pagan) myths and legends alive and who were respected and whose opinions mattered within the social structure, were a direct threat to the new religion.

It was most certainly in the interests of the Church to demonize and undermine these women and what they stood for, and it is no coincidence that the stereotype of a witch is an old hag or crone. They certainly caught the brunt of the Inquisition's witch hunts, and again, that was no coincidence.

It felt right to weave the myth of the Wind Hag through East of the Sun, West of the Moon, even though it isn't in the original. It fit in some way that was really satisfying, and it felt empowering.

Because this is originally a Scandinavian tale, I used Norse mythology to enrich it, although I made a few of the magical creatures up, from a mish-mash of fairy tale creatures and myth.

One aspect of East of the Sun, West of the Moon which I love is that this is a tale where the heroine rescues the hero. I love how the heroine takes action, refusing to give up even in the face of impossible odds. East of the Sun, West of the Moon has one of the bravest, most proactive heroines of any fairy tale, and her journey is striking in how it can be read from a Jungian point of view.

The Jungian psychologist, Marie-Louise Von Franz, made a life's study out of fairy tales and how they relate to ego and our sense of self. I am in awe of her work. One of the points she makes about fairy tales is how they are reflections of our relationship with ourselves, and I found that true over and over again as I wrote Mistress of the Wind.

I love that the heroine cannot rescue the prince until she has travelled to all four corners of the world, and I saw that very much as an allegory for her needing to explore her strengths and come to understand her own power and worth before she could save someone else.

I wrote Mistress of the Wind continually awed and amazed by the depth and richness of the original tale, and so, while I've woven new things into the story, like the Wind Hag, Norse mythology and some of my own imagination, I also tried to remain faithful to the original tale. I wanted to respect the original, and honor it. And it was certainly a privilege to write it. I just hope I did it justice.

- Michelle Diener

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

Michelle's other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor's Conspiracy).

Michelle's first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, is set for a December 23, 2013, release.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

Goodreads * Amazon * Website * Twitter * Facebook

Sign up for the tour HERE!

International Giveaway:

$50 Amazon gift voucher 

5 copies of Mistress of the Wind, ebook or print, winner's choice.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you a blogger and want to receive information about new tours? Go HERE.

Are you an author or publisher and would like to have us organize a tour event? Go HERE.

Mistress of the Wind by Michelle Diener - Tour Sign-Ups OPEN!

New Tour/Bookblast Sign ups NOW OPEN!

 There will be a BOOKBLAST on December 17th.  We will give away a $50 Amazon Gift Card and 5 copies of Mistress of the Wind (ebook or print, international.)

For the TOUR, December 29 - January 17:

We will have a Launch and Grand Finale Blast.
There are a limited number of Guest Posts about inserted mythologies, music, etc.
Interview questions!
REVIEW the new fairy tale retelling!!
Tour-wide giveaway!

SIGN UP BELOW!


Mistress of the Wind
by Michelle Diener
Paperback, 350 pages
Expected publication: December 23rd 2013 by Michelle Diener

Bjorn needs to find a very special woman . . . 

The fate of his people, and his own life, depends on it. But when he does find her, she is nothing like he imagined, and may just harbor more secrets than he does himself.

Astrid has never taken well to commands. No matter who issues them . . . 

She's clashed her whole life with her father, and now her lover, the mysterious man who comes to her bedroom in darkness and disappears to guard his mountain by day as a bear, is finding it out the hard way. And when he's taken by his enemies, no one is prepared for Astrid's response. 

It is never wise to anger the mistress of the wind . . . 

A captivating and magical retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.

Michelle's other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor's Conspiracy).

Michelle's first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, is set for a December 23, 2013, release.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

Goodreads * Amazon * Website * Twitter * Facebook

Sign up for the tour here:

Banquet of Lies by Michelle Diener #NewRelease 5 Star Review!

Banquet of Lies
by Michelle Diener
Paperback, 352 pages
Published October 22, 2013 by Gallery Books
Copy: Rec'd early eCopy from Edelweiss

A Secret Treaty and a Secret Life

LONDON, 1812: Giselle Barrington is living a double life, juggling the duties of chef with those of spy catcher. She must identify her father’s savage killer before the shadowy man finds her and uncovers the explosive political document her father entrusted to her safekeeping.

Posing as a French cook in the home of Lord Aldridge, Giselle is surrounded by unlikely allies and vicious enemies. In the streets where she once walked freely among polite society, she now hides in plain sight, learning the hard lessons of class distinction and negotiating the delicate balance between servant and master.

Lord Aldridge’s insatiable curiosity about his mysterious new chef blurs the line between civic duty and outright desire. Carefully watching Giselle’s every move, he undertakes a mission to figure out who she really is—and, in the process, plunges her straight into the heart of danger when her only hope for survival is to remain invisible.

Goodreads * Amazon * Barnes & Noble 

My Review:

This story has everything I love about Diener's writing - complicated, muliti-layered plot, intelligent, well-developed characters, & slowly crescendo-ing romance. In addition, there is a truck-load of French Cuisine. Lol. And I am now in love with French Cuisine!

Giselle is spunky. Her up-bringing is perfect to give her confidence in herself and life-or-death suspicious of everyone else. The opening scene is shocking, heart-breaking... and the book grabs hold tightly, refusing to be put down afterwards and Giselle is the amazing center of the story.

She hides from would-be killers by taking employment as a French cook, having learned from the best cooks in her travels. And this is where she meets Lord Aldridge - a society contemporary of hers who happens to be one of the search party looking for her.


Lol.


The set-up is asking for trouble... confrontations... awkward moments... and lots and lots of deliciousness as secrets push their way out.

Banquet of Lies is a book that needs to be on the shelf, a keeper to re-read on winter nights and while planning weekly menus. I must add a warning, however, that reading this story will inspire French Cuisine and there might be extra baking and coffee in the near-future.

There is an adult scene (or two) and I feel I should warn those looking forward to it to, um, smell the roses along the journey. The tension is increasing rather rapidly, at that point, and I couldn't help wanting to hurry on to resolution, but Diener allows for intelligent reading and doesn't return to repeat things covered earlier in the story.


My Rating: an enthusiastic 5 Stars. 

Find recipes for the famous Reine Claude Jam and Brioche at Diener's Recipe page!!



Michelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court and Keeper of the King’s Secrets, with In Defense of the Queen set for an August 1st, 2013 release.

Michelle’s other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky,The Emperor’s Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor’s Conspiracy), which will release on October 22nd, 2013.

Michelle also contributed a short paranormal story to the ENTANGLED Anthology entitled BREAKING OUT. All the proceeds of the sale of ENTANGLED go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

When she’s not writing, or driving her kids from activity to activity, you can find her blogging at Magical Musings, or online at Twitter and Facebook.

Website * Goodreads 

* I have to ask where the idea for the book came from? Why French cuisine?

I studied French at university and have a Masters degree in Translation. I love France, I've been there a number of times, and even lived with my French lecturer's family for a month just outside Paris. I had Reine Claude jam and brioche for breakfast almost every morning while I lived there. As anyone who reads the book can tell, that's stayed with me :). I love cooking and baking and other than reading, making something in the kitchen is my favorite hobby. A number of my friends have asked me through the years when I was going to write a book that had some cooking in it, as it is such a big part of my normal life. Banquet of Lies is that book. 

Oh, no way... I'm so jealous! Lol. It sounds so great in the book!!

* And I also have to ask about the cover.  :-D  My goodness!  

I'm so glad you like it! To begin with, we played around with a reverse of The Emperor's Conspiracy cover, to make the thread between the two books more apparent, but we couldn't get anything that really popped and worked as well as The Emperor's Conspiracy cover, so we went with something totally different instead, and I love what the art department at Simon & Schuster came up with.

* What kind of research did you do for the cooking? What comes from experience?

The recipes themselves are all from experience. I have made each dish, and readers can find the recipes on my website (http://www.michellediener.com/books/banquet-of-lies/recipes-from-banquet-of-lies/). But what did take research was the conditions in the kitchen, the layout and what equipment would have been available. I read up a lot about Antonin Carême  who was the first real celebrity chef, and worked for the Prince Regent around the time Banquet of Lies is set. I based the Duke of Wittaker's chef, Georges Bisset, partly on Carême, and studied his menus and his methods. British chef Heston Blumenthal has also 'walked' a little in Carême's footsteps, recreating some of his more outrageous recipes, and I give a link to his recreation of Carême's Cock's Testicles recipe on YouTube at the back of the book. Those who've read the book will recognise it as the inspiration for a threat Georges makes to Jonathan when he realizes Jonathan is romantically interested in Gigi.

Oh... wow. I'm so in over my head, but lovin' it!

* Which dish or scene is your favorite?

I love courgette and almond soup. So do my whole family. There is just something wonderful, almost mousse-like, about it. 

As for my favorite scene, that has to been the one after Gigi has escaped from the ball and Jonathan is waiting for her outside his house. I love the way they interact there. It is almost as delicious as Gigi's cooking.

Yes!!!  :-D  I love that one, too.

* Do you have a recipe from the book you can share?

I have them all! :) Readers can go here for a full list of all the recipes in the book: http://www.michellediener.com/books/banquet-of-lies/recipes-from-banquet-of-lies/

* What are you writing now?  :-D

I'm writing the book that comes after Banquet of Lies. The Duke of Wittaker just leapt off the page for me from the moment I started writing about him in Banquet of Lies, and so he's getting a turn next. 

How exciting!!  I had no idea you made these dishes when I was reading them... they sound so exquisite in the book, but you have RECIPES!!!  :-D  Yay!  And there's more story in this world!  DOUBLE-YAY!!! Thank you for the interview, Michelle, and please keep writing!!

I became an enthusiastic fan of Michelle Diener's books when I read The Emperor's Conspiracy... click on the covers to go to my posts on Colorimetry:

    

I'll spill a little secret, too... Prism Book Tours will be sharing a hot-off-the-press fantasy retelling by Michelle Diener after Christmas. Sign up to receive the email notification here!!

Final hours of In Defense of the Queen Release Day BLAST!

Only 9 hours left!!  Last chance to get your entries in for....

Goodreads * Amazon * Website

What people are saying about In Defense of the Queen:

Adventure, intrigues and assassins, a wild ride against time. Historical fiction with a flair is what Diener does best! Nocturnal Book Reviews

In Defense of the Queen was an absolute treat to read and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book by Diener and, then of course, the next Susanna and Parker book. I hope I don’t have to wait too long. If you like historicals and fast-paced stories, you will not be disappointed in the least. Rukmini Singh’s Blog

If you love historical fiction that is suspenseful, intriguing and beautifully written, please do yourself a favor and read this book and this series today.” Girl Lost in a Book

Website

Magical Musings blog

Twitter

Facebook

On SALE for $.99 
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * iTunes * Kobo

Giveaway!

* $50 Amazon Gift Card. International
* 2 Print copy sets of In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets & In Defense of the Queen. USA, Canada & UK only.
* 10 eCopies of In Defense of the Queen. International. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

50 GC Release Day Blast - In Defense of the Queen by Michelle Diener

Bookblast with Prism Book Tours

Adventure, intrigues and assassins, a wild ride against time. Historical fiction with a flair is what Diener does best! - Nocturnal Book Reviews

In Defense of the Queen
by Michelle Diener

An artist never betrays her patron . . . especially one of the world's most powerful kings.

Susanna Horenbout has learned this lesson from the cradle. But when she receives a letter from her father telling her to do just that, she faces a dilemma. Betray Henry VIII, or carry out the request of her father’s employer, Margaret of Austria, and pass secret information to Henry’s queen, Katherine of Aragon.

Caught between the machinations of her husband and her nephew, the Emperor Charles, Queen Katherine needs all the allies she can get. But what can Susanna really do to help her, and even if she does, will it be enough?

Susanna and her betrothed, Parker——one of Henry's most trusted courtiers——balance on the knife’s edge of treason as they try to make sense of both international and domestic conspiracies. Sometimes, it's better the enemy you know . . .

Goodreads * Amazon * Website

Praise for the previous books:

With its richly detailed historical setting and intrigue-filled plot, “In a Treacherous Court” is simply irresistible. - Chicago Tribune

“Awesome! History woven flawlessly into riveting fiction.” - Tammy J. Schneider (Special Features Editor and book reviewer at Affaire de Coeur Magazine)

“Just when readers think there is nothing new to be learned about Henry VIII, debut author Diener delivers a taut suspense . . . that will keep you turning the pages.” - Kathe Robin (4 star review in RT Magazine August 2011 issue)

Diener’s writing style is beautiful, to the point, vivid and exciting. This author is one to watch if you love the likes of Philippa Gregory or Anne Easter Smith. The characters are going to hook you first, and the intrigue will keep you turning the pages. - Reader’s Entertainment

Keeper offers a compelling, page-turning mystery packed with unexpected twists and turns, solid prose, always-fascinating court intrigue, and a unique story that feels like a classic mystery wrapped in a Tudor setting. - Book Addict Diary

Michelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout and John Parker series starts with IN A TREACHEROUS COURT. Set in the court of Henry VIII, it features the real historical figures of artist Susanna Horenbout and Henry’s Keeper of the Palace of Westminster and Yeoman of the King’s Robes, John Parker. It was followed by KEEPER OF THE KING'S SECRETS, also featuring Susanna Horenbout and John Parker, and DANGEROUS SANCTUARY, a short story with the same characters, set between the two books, is currently available as an ebook only.

THE EMPEROR'S CONSPIRACY, set during the Napoleonic Wars in London in 1811, was released on November 27th, 2012.

DAUGHTER OF THE SKY, set at the outbreak of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, was released on March 1st, 2013.

Michelle also contributed a short paranormal story to the ENTANGLED Anthology entitled BREAKING OUT. All the proceeds of the sale of ENTANGLED go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Michelle grew up in South Africa, and now lives in Australia with her husband and two children.

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On SALE for $.99 
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Giveaway!

* $50 Amazon Gift Card. International
* 2 Print copy sets of In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets & In Defense of the Queen. USA, Canada & UK only.
* 10 eCopies of In Defense of the Queen. International. 

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