|
At the dawn of the 17th Century, the glassmakers of Murano are revered as master artisans, enjoying privileges far beyond their station, but they are forced to live in virtual imprisonment, contained by the greedy Venetian government who fears other countries will learn the intricacies of the craft…and reap the rewards.
Sophia Fiolario, the comely daughter of a glass making maestro, has no desire for marriage, finding her serenity in the love of her family and the beauty of the glass. She learns of its secrets at her father’s side, where a woman is forbidden to be. The life Sophia loves is threatened by the poor health of her father and the determined attentions of a nobleman who could and would never love her but seeks to possess her wealth and the privilege it affords. Thrust into the opulent world of the Venetian court, Sophia becomes embroiled in the scheming machinations of the courtiers’ lives. The beauty of Venice, the magnificence of the Doge’s Palace, are rivaled only by the intrigue and danger that festers behind their splendid facades. As she searches for an escape, she finds the arms of another, a man whose own desperate situation is yet another obstacle in their path.
Amidst political and religious intrigue, the scientific furor ignited by Galileo, and even murder, Sophia must do anything to protect herself, her family…and the secret of the glass.
In this historical adventure novel set in the fascinating, sexy, excessive, and dangerous world of Louis XIV’s court of Versailles, Jeanne du Bois, the daughter of a cruel and controlling comte, fights against an arranged marriage to a weak, ineffectual, effeminate man of her father’s choosing; she fights with a small, dedicated group of Musketeers to save the life of the Queen of France; and she fights for the true love of her life.
Click here to listen to Donna discuss THE COURTIER’S SECRET on the radio with Reading with Robin 920 WHJJ
 |
To Serve A King
Kensington Books
Coming Feb. 2011
Read Excerpt |
They told her that her parents were dead, perished in a fire she barely remembered, a fire set by a king they taught her to hate. 'They' were her aunt and the jolly king, and she had believed them. From that day forward, Genevieve Gravois swore her allegiance to Henry VIII and no other. Raised by her cold and heartless aunt, she learns things no woman should know: how to write and decipher codes, how to use a dagger and a bow…how to kill.
When the time is ripe, Genevieve is thrust into the court of Francois I, a dangerous and magnificent place, as replete with intrigue and conflict as it is with the world's finest artists and musicians. Here, two mistresses, Anne d'Heilly and Diane de Poitiers, struggle for ultimate power. Here, the likes of Catherine de' Medici and Nostradamus explore the realm of the unknown. And here, Genevieve carries out her duties for the king she loves, spying on Francois, doing whatever Henry demands of her. But the French king is not who she thought him to be, his truth is at odds with all she has learned. Her life tangles with lives of others, both worthy and disgraceful, in circumstances none of her training has prepared her for. Genevieve's life spins out of control and she is forced to make deadly decisions about her true and ultimate loyalties.
|
