Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Tudor Secret by C. W. Gotner



Join C.W. Gortner, author of the historical mystery novel, The Tudor Secret (Griffin, St. Martin’s Press, February 2011), as he virtually tours the blogosphere in February on his third virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book.



About C.W. GortnerC.W. Gortner is the author of the acclaimed historical novels The Last Queen and The Confessions of Catherine de Medici. He holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis on Renaissance Studies from the New College of California. In his extensive travels to research his books, he has danced a galliard in a Tudor great hall and experienced life in a Spanish castle. He is also a dedicated advocate for animal rights and environmental issues. Half-Spanish by birth, he divides his time between Northern California and Antigua, Guatemala.

The Tudor Secret is the first book in Gortner’s The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles series.

You can visit the author online at http://www.cwgortner.com/ or his blog at http://historicalboys.blogspot.com/.

About The Tudor Secret

The era of the Tudors was one of danger, intrigue, conspiracy, and above all, spies.
Summer 1553: A time of danger and deceit. Brendan Prescott, an orphan, is reared in the household of the powerful Dudley family. Brought to court, Prescott finds himself sent on an illicit mission to the King’s brilliant, enigmatic sister, Princess Elizabeth. But Brendan is soon compelled to work as a double agent by Elizabeth’s protector, William Cecil—who promises in exchange to help him unravel the secret of his own mysterious past.

A dark plot swirls around Elizabeth’s quest to unravel the truth about the ominous disappearance of her seriously ill brother, King Edward VI. With only a bold stable boy and audacious lady-in-waiting at his side, Brendan plunges into a ruthless gambit of half-truths, lies, and murder. Filled with the intrigue and pageantry of Tudor England, The Tudor Secret is the first book in The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles.

Read an Excerpt!

There are moments that define our existence, moments that, if we recognize them, become pivotal turning points in our life. Like pearls on a strand, the accumulation of such moments will in time become the essence of our life, providing solace when our end draws near.

For me, meeting Elizabeth Tudor was one of those moments.

The first I noticed was that she was not beautiful. Her chin was too narrow for the oval of her face, her long thin nose emphasizing the high curve of her cheeks and proud brow. Her mouth was disproportionately wide and her lips too thin, as if she savored secrets. And she was too pale and slim, like a fey creature of indeterminate sex.

Then I met her stare. Her eyes were fathomless, over-wide pupils limning her gold irises, like twin suns in eclipse. I had seen eyes like hers before, years ago, when a traveling menagerie entertained us at Dudley Castle. Then, too, I had been captured by their dormant power.

She had the eyes of a lion.

“Lord Robert’s squire?” she said to Cecil. “How can it be? I’ve never seen him before.”

“I’m new to court, Your Grace,” I answered. “Your dog is foreign, is he not?”

She shot me a terse look; she’d not given me leave to speak. “He is Italian. You are familiar with the breed?”

“I had occasion to learn many things during my time in the Dudley stables.”

“Is that so?” She tilted her head. “Hold out your hand.”

I hesitated for a moment before warily extending my wrist. She loosened her grip on the chain. The hound thrust his muzzle at me. I almost recoiled as I felt his breath on my skin. He sniffed. To my relief, he licked my skin and retreated.

“You have a way with animals,” Elizabeth said. “Urian rarely takes to strangers.” She motioned me to my feet. “What is your name?”

“Brendan Prescott, Your Grace.”

My Take:  Although I have not quite finished this book I can tell you that I am enjoying the ride!!.  I love historical fiction and have recently in the past couple of years come to enjoy anything to do with the Tudor's and through in mystery and suspense and I am in heaven.  There are plenty of twists and turns in this book.  If you like any of the things I listed above you probably will enjoy this book.  (Even if you don't like any of these things I think you will enjoy this book!!) This is the first in a series and I look forward to read the rest. 

The Tudor Secret (The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles)
To Purchase the book, click on the cover (yes I am an Amazon Associate)

You May also be interested in

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici: A Novel
The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C. W. Gotner

The Tudor Secret Tour Schedule
For full tour stops and links please visit this page.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the great review of Christopher's latest. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you so much for this lovely review and for hosting me on my blog tour. I hope your readers enjoy THE TUDOR SECRET.

    ReplyDelete

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