Her Last Assassin - Victoria Lamb - Author Guest Post

I am very pleased to welcome author Victoria Lamb to the blog today!

Her novel, HER LAST ASSASSIN is published by Bantam on February 27^th 2014.

William Shakespeare’s ‘Dark Lady’ of the Sonnets

A guest post by author Victoria Lamb

William Shakespeare is best known for his plays, but he also wrote poems, most notably love sonnets. Those traditionally numbered from 127-152 are known as his 'Dark Lady' sequence, and indicate the existence of a female muse whom Shakespeare both insults and worships by turns. This ‘dark lady’ forms the basis of my Tudor court entertainer Lucy Morgan in Her Last Assassin (and the previous two books in my trilogy, The Queen’s Secret and His Dark Lady).

So was there ever a 'Dark Lady' in Shakespeare’s private life, and what does the epithet ‘dark’ signify anyway?

Experts tend to disagree about both these points. Some believe Shakespeare's mystery lover was a dark-haired, dark-eyed beauty at the Elizabethan court. But she may have been a poetic device, an imaginary Muse, written with no specific woman in mind. As for her colouring, some experts believe ‘dark’ indicates a dark skin or Moorish descent, while others consider it poetic shorthand for ‘brunette’.

If the latter, Mary Fitton, maid of honour to Elizabeth I, is a likely candidate, especially given her reputation for promiscuity – some of his more insulting sonnets complain about her lack of fidelity. But other historians take Shakespeare's descriptions of his mistress more literally, believing her to have been exotic and dark-skinned. The poet Emilia Lanier is another possible candidate: a notorious Tudor beauty, Emilia was descended from Venetian Jews, and may have inspired Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, and the character of Rosalind in Love's Labour's Lost.

Another possibility is Lucy Morgan, one of Elizabeth's lesser-known ladies at court, whom some historians have associated with a dark-skinned 'Lucy Negra' of more dubious fame. According to records, Lucy Morgan lived at court and married a Thomas Parker in the late 1500s. Athough the sonnets were probably written later, that is no reason to assume they were not retrospective. And marriage to another man would fit, given how angrily Shakespeare refers to her cruelty, claiming she teased him and would not return his love, but loved another instead. 

There are other explanations. It could be that Shakespeare was deliberately writing anti-romantic sonnets, and a ‘dark’ mistress made a stronger contrast with the pale beauty of Elizabeth I. After all, Sonnet 131 finishes with the assertion, 'In nothing art thou black save in thy deeds.’ Yet people of colour were far from unknown in Tudor England, as demonstrated by a 1575 painting by Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder which depicts a group of black musicians and entertainers performing before Queen Elizabeth. 

None of this proves that Shakespeare's mistress was dark-skinned, of course, nor that she existed outside the poet's imagination. But since we have no absolute proof that she was not dark-skinned, it's been exciting to assume in my Tudor trilogy that Lucy Morgan was both black and Shakespeare’s mistress – and to speculate on how their fiery relationship might have unfolded.

About the novel...

Will love or loyalty conquer?

Lady-in-waiting Lucy Morgan is once again torn between her dangerous attraction to William Shakespeare and her loyalty to Queen Elizabeth I.

England is facing its gravest threat yet. The Spanish have declared war, and Elizabeth finds herself attacked by sea – and by Catholic conspiracy from within her own court. Master Goodluck goes undercover, tasked with discovering the identity of this secret assassin, leaving his ward Lucy not knowing if the spy is alive or dead. 

Meanwhile Queen Elizabeth is growing old in a court of troublesome young noblemen, while Lucy is struggling to love a man whose duties lie elsewhere.

When the final challenge comes, these two women must be ready to face it. But there is one last surprise in store for both of them …

About the author...

Victoria Lamb is a novelist with two historical series from Random House set in the Tudor era, one for adults (Bantam) and one for Young Adult readers (Corgi).

She also writes poetry and literary fiction as Jane Holland, and adult romance asElizabeth Moss.

Born in Essex in the mid-sixties, Victoria is the middle daughter of bestselling novelist Charlotte Lamb and the classical biographer Richard Holland. When the family later moved to the peaceful Isle of Man, Victoria was brought up in rural surroundings in a home full of books.

She returned to England for her education as an adult, and married there. While living in Warwickshire, affectionately known as Shakespeare Country, she began writing The Queen's Secret, a novel set at nearby Kenilworth Castle during an epic visit by Queen Elizabeth I in 1575.

Victoria now lives in Cornwall with her husband, four of her five children, and a highly energetic Irish Red Setter. In her leisure time, she has been known to write poetry and go for long walks across the moors. She writes other kinds of fiction under various names, and as a former Warwick Poet Laureate, her poetry is published under the name Jane Holland.

Author website - Victoria Lamb | twitter @VictoriaLamb1

Read my reviews of... 
The Queen's Secret 
His Dark Lady


Visit the other blogs on the tour...

Guest Book Reviews Special!

Three new guest reviews here - and a massive thank you to three lovely guest reviewers for reading these novels and reviewing them for The Little Reader Library. 

Under the Same Stars by Tim Lott

published by Simon & Schuster

guest book review by Angi Holden

It’s 2008. The world is in the grip of a banking crisis and America, still recovering from the ravages of hurricane Katrina, has elected its first black president. Against this background of global meltdown, Salinger Nash and his older brother Carson embark on a road trip in search of their estranged father.

Salinger – named after JD, author of Catcher in the Rye – is forty, an artist who lives with his girlfriend Tiane in London. He has suffered from phases of intense depression since adolescence. Carson – named after McCullers, author of The Ballad of the Sad Café – followed their father to the States many years ago and has made an all-American life for himself. He is a born-again Christian, unrelentingly optimistic.

Their relationship is distant, strained - Cain and Abel for modern times. The last time they met was at their mother’s funeral. They come from very different cultures and have equally different outlooks on life. It is with justified foreboding that Salinger sets off with his brother across the Southern States – from Carson’s home in New Orleans, through the Texas plains and on to New Mexico. Sibling rivalry confined in Carson’s shiny new Lexus is not an attractive proposition. There are old misunderstandings; there are new ones. And all the time Salinger’s e-mails and phone messages to Tiane go unanswered.

This is a fascinating road trip. A touch of Thelma and Louise, a nod to On the Road, even a short stretch by motorbike, to evoke memories of Easy Rider. Salinger is an intriguing character; deeply flawed yet likeable. He is capable of great trust and compassion even whilst delivering the cynical observation of an outsider.

Under the Same Stars is a tender, unflinching exploration of the childhood baggage we carry into our adult lives. Do the brothers find their father? Do they resolve their differences? And what is the significance of the photograph Salinger carries in his pocket. Well, I’m not going to tell you. You’ll simply have to read it, and I recommend you do.

Views of other bloggers - Dog Ear Discs |

~~~~~

The Outline of Love by Morgan McCarthy

published by Tinder Press

guest book review by Josie Barton

"It started with obsession"

Persephone Triebold escapes the isolation of her home in the Scottish Highlands and at the earliest opportunity heads for university and the bright lights of London, where she immerses herself wholeheartedly into student life. She hopes that the lure of new friends, endless parties and the promise of grand passion will grant her the excitement she so desperately craves. When she comes into contact with the famous writer, Leo Ford, and gets drawn into his mysterious world, the fascination she feels for him and his lifestyle soon becomes an overriding infatuation. However, Leo harbours a secret from his past which, if exposed, threatens to damage his growing reputation.

The description of student life in London is nicely done and in many ways seems to be a rather good interpretation of being young and carefree in a lively environment. However, Persephone’s character is rather harder to analyse, she is strangely immature in many ways, which somehow makes her attachment to Leo Ford rather unrealistic. The events of the past which threaten to engulf their unlikely relationship seem more of a damp squib rather than a huge revelation but the dénouement when it comes does seem to make sense in an understated sort of way.

Overall, this is a competent coming of age story; however, it’s not literary dynamite as the characters are not compelling enough to drive the narrative completely, and even though the story gets off to a good start, for me it rather fizzled out somewhere in the middle. I would give the book 3 out of 5 stars.

Views of other bloggers - Fleur in her World | Our Book Reviews |

~~~~~

Dark Possession by Carol Goodman

published by Ebury Press

guest book review by Wendy Rowley

This is the third book in the Fairwick Chronicles.  The first book, Incubus, I enjoyed immensely however I was disappointed with the second one, Water Witch.  Therefore it was with some trepidation I began this book.  However, I’m glad to say I found Goodman to be back on form. 

Callie is half witch, half fairly and this novel tells the story about how only she can save the magical folk of Fairwick from some evil characters. Callie travels through time to carry out this task and fans of Diana Gabaldon’s Voyager series will very much enjoy this episode.

There’s plenty of magic, peril and romance, all written in an easily read, free flowing style which gives escapism and entertainment without taxing the brain cells. 8/10

Views of other bloggers - Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf | Caffeinated Book Reviewer |

New England Rocks - Christina Courtenay

I've previously read one of this author's historical fiction titles, Highland Storms, which was a really enjoyable, well written period adventure and romance. I like to read a young adult novel from time to time, as I enjoy a nice variety in my reading matter! This is Christina Courtenay's first novel for young adults, and it is the first in a trilogy all to be set in New England.

Rain Mackenzie is expelled from Blakeborough boarding school in England and travels to join her wealthy parents where they currently live, in a small town north of Boston in New England. They hope to teach her a lesson after her exploits at her previous school where she was found in the boys dormitory surrounded by empty tequila bottles, by sending her to the local school, Northbrooke High, and bringing her down to earth. She is intent on not enjoying it at Northbrooke High, determined to keep to herself and not get involved with anyone. After all, she thinks she won't be there long. However, her opinion starts to waver when she gets to know fellow student and musician Jesse Devlin a little better. Despite a definite attraction between the pair, there's a complication because Jesse is already attached, and his girlfriend Amber isn't at all keen on Rain spending any time with him. The story follows Rain's time settling in at the school and getting to know Jesse. 

I thought this was an easy, enjoyable, fun and undemanding read, with a sweet storyline, featuring an independent, sassy heroine and a troubled, sensitive and handsome hero. It was an escapist read, and the development of friendships and romance were nicely portrayed. The author writes with a compassion for her characters, and captures the high school environment with its cliques and rivalries. I enjoyed the bonding day episode when the kids went out into the forest. I felt perhaps the outcome was a little easy to guess at, but I was glad that it concluded the way it did. Rain developed as a character, moving from her initial disgruntlement at finding herself thrust into a new school in another country, to an acceptance and even appreciation of the new people she meets, and happiness at how things turn out. There's a lot more to Jesse than initially meets the eye, and his tougher background is in stark contrast to Rain's privileged upbringing. There's some highlighting of the contrasts between the UK and USA, in terms of language and cultural comparisons; I'd have liked a bit more of this, and I'd have loved a little more about the New England setting and landscape.

Overall New England Rocks is a fairly quick read and an enjoyable teenage tale with heart, and I'd be keen to see what the author does in the next book in this series; in the meantime, I'll be hoping to read some of her other historical fiction.

Published by Choc Lit

Thanks to the publisher for kindly sending a copy of this novel to read and give an honest review.

You can find the author on twitter @PiaCCourtenay  and visit her website here.

You can read the prologue and first chapter on the Choc Lit website here. 

Book Beginnings (5) - His Dark Lady by Victoria Lamb

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays

The idea, as stated on the host's blog, is 'to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.' There's a hash tag #BookBeginnings for twitter etc too, and a master linky list on the host's blog. I've got a couple of books on the go at the moment so I've just picked one out to mention here.

My Book Beginning

His Dark Lady by Victoria Lamb

Published by Bantam 

Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire, April 1578

'Hands clasped in prayer, Lucy bent her head, watching a stag-horned beetle crawl across the rushes. Her knees hurt on the stone floor, its cold striking into her bones through the thin embroidered cushion on which she knelt. They would not have much longer to wait, she told herself. Her mind drifted to the past and she struggled to drag it back to prayer, to the present moment, to this small draughty room high up in the castle keep. Her back ached as well as her knees; her sleep had been disturbed last night. Too many unhappy memories in this place. Perhaps she should not have agreed to return to Kenilworth.'

I'm two-thirds of the way through reading this one and enjoying it a lot - it's great to be back with the characters from the first book, The Queen's Secret, like Lucy Morgan, Goodluck, a certain Will Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth I...

Here's the synopsis from the author's website:

London, 1583.

When young, aspiring playwright William Shakespeare encounters Lucy Morgan, one of Queen Elizabeth I's ladies-in-waiting, the two fall passionately in love. He declares Lucy the inspiration for his work, but what secret is Will hiding from his muse?

Meanwhile, Lucy has her own secret - and one that could destroy her world if exposed. No longer the chaste maid so valued by the Virgin Queen, she also bore witness to the clandestine wedding of Lettice Knollys and Robert Dudley, a match forbidden by the monarch.

England is in peril. Queen Elizabeth's health is deteriorating, her throne under siege from Catholic plotters and threats of war with Spain. Faced with deciding the fate of her long-term prisoner, Mary, Queen of Scots, she needs a trusted circle of advisors around her now more than ever. But who can she turn to when those closest to her have proved disloyal?

And how secure is Lucy's position at court, now that she has learned the dangerous art of keeping secrets? 

Sky Song - Sharon Sant - Excerpt & Giveaway

Format: Kindle Edition

File Size: 360 KB

Print Length: 167 pages

ASIN: B00B0CQWV8

What the man told him was too incredible to believe, yet Jacob did believe it.  On some deep unconscious level he had always known it to be true. He was an invention, a fictional character.  Jacob Lightfoot didn’t exist.

A strange-eyed boy with no memory of his true identity or real parents, Jacob could have no idea of the mortal danger he has been in every day of his fifteen years. Now that danger has found him and suddenly he doesn’t know who he can trust and what is real anymore.  All he knows is that his new identity is almost as terrifying as the peril unleashing it has brought. Caught in the universal power struggle of an ancient race of beings and a destiny demanded of him that he does not want, he must fight to protect his own life and everyone he holds dear.

But when the time comes, will he be strong enough to make the sacrifices that saving them will demand?

Sky Song - excerpt

Jacob was still in his school uniform. He glanced at the digital clock on his bedside table.  It had just gone three in the morning.  Moonlight streamed through his open bedroom curtains, throwing the sharp edged contours of his furniture into silvery relief.  Uncle Dan was downstairs on the sofa, asleep.  Jacob could hear the low, throaty rumble of his snoring and wished he would just go home; he couldn’t stand being around him. He couldn’t stand to be around anyone.  He wanted to be alone, not to have to speak ever again.  He wished he could cry.  It didn’t seem normal somehow not to, it seemed distinctly alien.  The burden of guilt was hard to bear; it tore at him and made him want to scratch and pinch himself in sheer spite. 

Eventually, he slid off the bed and padded across the hall to the bedroom that his parents had safely occupied only the night before.  Jacob pressed his ear to the closed door, willing a sound - steady breathing, the crack of the bedsprings as someone got comfortable, a low snore.  The pain the silence brought felt like a hole being carved into his heart. He pushed the door open and gazed at the empty bed.  Suddenly feeling the need to be close to the scent still lingering on the pillows, he crossed the room and threw himself onto the bed, face down, breathing deeply and trying desperately to hold on to the memory of the smell, to store it away so that they would never leave him.

As he lay, his face buried close to the only biological traces of his parents he had left, echoes of the evening’s conversations began to crowd his head.  Why had his mum called his dad out of work?  Something to do with him - but what?  There were witnesses who had seen the silver car break through the roadside barriers and plunge from the bridge into the swirling waters below, but as yet police divers had failed to recover any bodies.  How was it that their car had breached the barrier? He couldn’t accept what the police had told him, that there was a freak weakness in the metal. He had questioned them again and again. When they had gone he had questioned Uncle Dan again. None of it seemed right. How could they be so sure his parents were dead?  It didn’t add up. And it didn’t feel like they were dead, deep inside him, it all felt wrong.  He had tried to explain this to Uncle Dan, who gave a small, sad smile and muttered something to the WPC about denial. 

The next few days of waiting for news were an excruciating blur. There was no structure to the day, no hours to mark it out, only darkness or daylight.  When he wasn’t lying on his parents’ bed, their scent fading daily along with his hopes of their ever coming back, Jacob was in his room, on his own bed, staring blankly at the walls.  Ellen and Luca phoned him, but he ignored the calls; they sent him texts which he didn’t reply to. Every day he heard their low, earnest voices at the front door, speaking to Uncle Dan, and heard their receding footsteps as they left again. 

On the fifth day, Uncle Dan came up to his room and sat on the end of the bed upon which Jacob lay with his arms folded above his head, unmoving, staring into space.

‘I’m sorry to be talking practical, Jacob…’ He wiped his sweaty palms over his canvas trousers. ‘But I can’t stay here forever.’  Jacob continued in his silent contemplation of a dagger of impertinent sunlight that blazed across the ceiling, as if to mock his sorrow.  ‘And there isn’t room for you with us… you know I would if I could, but…’ His voice tailed off. 

Jacob sat up and fixed him with a shrewd look. ‘Aunt Carol doesn’t want me, that’s what you mean. I’m going into care - right?’ 

Uncle Dan shifted uncomfortably.  ‘I’m sorry. You’ve been allocated a social worker. Linda. She sounds nice.  She’s coming over later.’

Jacob saved him further explanation by swinging off the bed and striding across to his wardrobe. He began flinging clothes onto the floor.

‘Fine,’ he muttered through gritted teeth. ‘I’ll pack, then.’

Luca answered his front door, addressing Jacob in a low voice as he glanced back down the hall to make sure that no members of his huge family were in earshot.

‘Jakey, you can’t stay here, mate.’

‘But they’re going to put me in a home.’

‘Running away isn’t going to help,’ Luca snapped back.  Jacob pouted. ‘I’m sorry, but you can’t,’ Luca added more sympathetically. ‘Mum and Dad would go mental if they found out.’

‘They won’t, I’ll be quiet, stay out of sight; it’s only for a few days until I think what to do.’

‘Jake, there is nothing you can do.’

‘Mum and Dad will come back.’

Luca paused as if considering and then frowned. ‘It’s no good,’ he said finally.  ‘We’ll never get away with it. You know what my mum is like, how long d’you think you can stay in my room without being found?  I mean, if it was Ellen’s… hey, where are you going?’

Jacob was already running down the road.

  

About the Author

Sharon Sant was born in Dorset but now lives in Stoke-on-Trent.

She graduated from Staffordshire University in 2009 with a degree in English and creative writing. She currently works part time as a freelance editor and continues to write her own stories. An avid reader with eclectic tastes across many genres, when not busy trying in vain to be a domestic goddess, she can often be found lurking in local coffee shops with her head in a book. Sometimes she pretends to be clever but really loves nothing more than watching geeky TV and eating Pringles. 

Sky Song is the first instalment of the Sky Song trilogy. Book two, The Young Moon, is also available and book three, Not of Our Sky, is due for release early May 2013.

Author Links

Website: www.sharonsant.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sharonjsant?ref=hl

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6888220.Sharon_Sant

Twitter: @sharonsant

Amazon store: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sky-Song-The-trilogy-ebook/dp/B00B0CQWV8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1362222379&sr=1-1

Giveaway

There's a giveaway running during this book tour - please enter using the rafflecopter form below. The giveaway is for 10 ecopies of Sky Song overall on the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

When Tomorrow Comes - Joanna Lambert

Set in the 1960’s in England, this compelling saga tale is the first part of a trilogy from this author entitled ‘Behind Blue Eyes.’

I enjoyed this read and was very drawn into the lives of Ella Kendrick and her friends and family, and the other local residents. There is a strong sense of place, the rural setting of Ella’s Grandfather’s farm Willowbrook in Meridan Cross where she has grown up after being abandoned by her mother, her father having passed away.

Her mother Mel has now returned and after eleven years away, she now wants to become a part of Ella’s life again. Ella is open to this, but her elder brother Nick is dead set against it, as for him, it is too little, too late from his mother. Ella gives her mother a chance, despite warnings from those who love her and care about her, including her grandfather. She moves away to Abbotsbridge to be with her mother and her mother’s new partner, Liam, who welcomes Ella to live with them, and provides some level-headedness and good sense when Mel, is set on an idea which to Liam and Ella seems inappropriate, which is often! Mel is more concerned with being involved with the right people, those she deems wealth and successful, and tries to impress this upon Ella, forbidding relationships with those she disapproves of. Ella has to try and come to terms with the less than perfect person that she discovers her mother to be, and to also learn to build her own relationships, and cope with the sadness and disappointment that they can bring, as well as experiencing the joy and elation of being in love. 

Similarly, Mel meddles with Ella’s career aspirations; having dreamed of University and becoming a vet, when she moves to be with her mother, Ella finds herself set upon an entirely different route.

There is so much to discover, I was intrigued by the intricacies of friendships and romances in the story, I felt transported back to those times, with the new music, the young people out in the clubs, the new fashions back then, which the author has incorporated.

The story builds well and I was keen to discover how Ella’s life would change, what course it would take as so much was happening to her; I felt involved in her story and I enjoyed sitting back and reading on to see how her relationship with her mother would alter, and to share her early experiences of love and romance as she falls for Niall and then has to deal with the ups and downs that befall them. Later there will be a new man in her life, but that is for the reader to discover!

The cast of characters is detailed for us at the start of the book, and at first glance seemed extensive but as I read further into the story, the characters are introduced gradually and as we get to know them, the quantity is not a problem at all, and in fact they all give us a fuller, authentic sense of the local communities and the relationships that have been built up between the generations.

My only slight niggle with the text was the way that often after some speech, there is a capital letter used for he said or she said, and so on, when it ought I think to have been in lower case.

I very much enjoyed this debut novel from Joanna Lambert and it left me wondering about what would happen next to all these characters that I had grown to know so well in this first installment, and especially to Ella. 

Published by Authors Online

Thank you to the author for kindly sending me a copy of this novel to read and give an honest review.

You can visit the author's website here and follow her on twitter @Jolambertwriter

Witchstruck - Victoria Lamb

Witchstruck is a Young Adult title set in the mid-1500s, which tells the story of 15 year old Meg Lytton.

Meg's father is a respectable farmer who, wary of her burgeoning interest in witchcraft (encouraged by her maternal aunt), arranges for her to serve the exiled Princess Elizabeth, who has been banished to the isolated, run-down palace of Woodstock by her sister, Queen Mary. Meg finds a kindred spirit in Elizabeth. The shadow of her mother Anne Boleyn, herself accused of witchcraft, hangs over the young princess and she is keen to further her interest in magic and astrology (her mentor/astrologer John Dee also makes a cameo appearance in the book).

Throughout the story Meg is pursued by two very different suitors: the dashing Alejandro, a Spanish priest-in-training whose mission is to ensure that Elizabeth and her retinue adhere to the Catholic faith; and the dastardly witchfinder Marcus Dent, a darkly evil and warped individual who has some very strange ideas about how to go about wooing a young lady!

I’m not much of a reader of Young Adult novels and was initially a little wary that there might be a bit too much teen romance for me, but I was very pleasantly surprised. In fact I found it to be more insightful and intelligently written than a lot of the ‘Tudor-lite’ adult novels that are around at the moment. Meg is a very engaging character and Alejandro, despite being described as ‘smouldering’ in the blurb (presumably to appeal to the teen/Twilight market), is a charming and enigmatic young man.

Victoria Lamb already has a well received adult Elizabethan novel under her belt (which I hope to read soon) and another one to be released next year. I understand that Witchstruck is the first in a planned series of books featuring Meg Lytton, and accordingly the ending, whilst both exciting and satisfying, is left wide open for the next instalment.

Reviewed by Denise Powell.

Guest reviewer Denise Powell has kindly reviewed this novel for The Little Reader Library - many thanks to Denise for this lovely, insightful review. Denise is a very keen reader whose reviews I always enjoy reading and whose opinion I trust when choosing a book.

Published by Corgi

You can visit Victoria's website here and follow her on twitter @VictoriaLamb1

Thanks to the author and publisher for kindly sending a copy of this novel to read and review.