A servant from The King's Rose

The King's Rose by Alisa M. Libby is about a young woman who's life completely changes when she wedded King Henry VIII. In this post, it is through a servant's perspective as she watches the new queen dance at the ball.

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August, 1540, Hampton Court Palace, England

Our new queen does look a pretty thing in that gown, all velvet and jeweled and royal purple. She does sparkle, this little Catherine Howard does, I will say that for her. But I’ve seen the ones who’ve come and gone before her, and I don’t know where all these rounds of dancing and banqueting will lead unless—may the Lord bless us so—she already have a prince lying in wait in her belly. Surely Henry thinks of this when he looks at her; he is our old lusty king Hal again, after years of sourness and dismay. A bit rounder than he was in younger years, of course, for nothing pairs so well with dismay as unwatered wine and an extra pudding or two, but that is not for me to worry about. Let little Catherine figure how to make the great king happy; I am content to watch from the shadows.

The young queen twirls on the dance floor, that wide gown swishing around her and her bodice and fingers all a-twinkle with gems. I am only a servant here, a cook’s helper no less. But I will tell you this: I would not dally with this king for all the velvet and jewels in the world, not with all of Henry’s dead ghost-wives nipping like dogs at my heels. I can see them all in the hall right now: the first Catherine is blowing out candles, Jane Seymour plucks a sour note on a lute string, Anne Boleyn rakes her fingernails across the tapestries. Little Catherine does not see them, no, not yet. Her eyes are blinded by diamonds. But if ghosts don’t take her down, the living will. They surround her, too, smiling, always smiling, with eyes like those I see on dead fish.

May she fill a bassinet with a red-haired Tudor babe, Amen. A son, of course, Amen, again to that—and may she be so lucky as to live to tell the tale. Luckier than all the rest before her. Amen.

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Historical fiction lovers should definitely look into this YA novel! You can win a signed copy of The King's Rose here! Or if you already have it, you can win a shirt of Alisa's debut, The Blood Confession! Or just take a shot at both to win one or the other!

And Alisa is awesome enough to take a snapshot of congratulations! Thank you!

Prize(s): A signed copy of the King's Rose OR The Blood Confession T-shirt
# of Winners: 2
Eligibility: US

How to get entries: (please put keep it in the format below when you comment!)
+1 Comment (TELL ME WHICH ONE YOU WANT TO BE ENTERED IN IF NOT BOTH)
+1 New follower
+2 Old follower
+1 Linking this contest once somewhere else around the web

Author Interview: Alisa M. Libby

Author of The Blood Confession and soon to be published, The King's Rose, I present Alisa M. Libby! She is kind to give me a quick author interview! Thank you Ms. Libby! Please check her fabulous stories out!

First, when did you decide that being a writer was the perfect occupation for you?

Since childhood I felt the urge to write; it’s always been a part of who I am. As a kid I dreamed of being a writer, but I didn’t necessarily know what that meant or what a career in writing would be like.

Were there any other careers that you were planning to go into? What were your previous occupations?

Growing up I had other ideas (sometimes brief) for what I wanted to do as an adult: an actress, a professional trumpet player, an archaeologist (I definitely went through an Egyptian phase). While these and other obsessions came and went, writing was always something I did – either writing in a journal or writing poetry, short stories, or attempts at writing novels.

In the two novels that you have written so far, they are both based on historical events. What prompted you to write stories set in the 16th century?

I never imagined that I would write historical fiction, and at first didn’t make a conscious decision to do so. That said, I think all writers are heavily influenced by what we read, and as a pre-teen I read a book about Lady Jane Grey that enthralled me and moved me to tears. I’ve often been drawn to particular characters in history, or curious about what someone’s daily life was like in Medieval England or Renaissance Europe or ancient Greece…what did they do, wear, eat, read, think about?

When I was a teenager I came across the legend of Countess Bathory, a 16th century countess who believed that bathing in the blood of virgins would preserve her youth and beauty for eternity. I was terrified by this story, and even more so by the fact that the Countess actually existed and was imprisoned for her crimes. The Countess became the inspiration for my first novel, The Blood Confession. Though I fictionalized much of her story in order to create an inner “logic” (deranged though it may be) for committing the murders, I decided that the time, place, and circumstances for this character—the daughter of nobility in 16th century Hungary—was vital to the story.

Are you soon to release another novel? If so, can you give us a summary of your upcoming novel?

The King’s Rose is my second book, which will be published by Dutton Books in March 2009. It tells the story of Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of King Henry VIII of England. Catherine was a pretty, vivacious teenage girl when she caught the eye of one of the most powerful kings in history. But after just over a year of marriage Catherine was accused of having an affair with one of the king’s grooms—similar accusations had already cost Henry’s previous wife, Anne Boleyn, her life. As with my first book, the question of “what was she thinking?” inspired me; I was compelled to create a way to understand (if not condone or agree with) Catherine’s risky behavior.

If you were to enter the mind of anyone in the world at any time period, who would it be and why so?

I would love to visit the real people that I’ve written about, particularly Catherine Howard: Did she really have an affair while married to the King of England? Did she really think she wouldn’t be caught? As for Countess Bathory, I don’t think I want to enter her thoughts for fear that she really was the mass-murderess many historians claim her to be. She was fascinating to write about, but that’s as close to her as I want to get.

Lastly, give us an interesting fact about yourself! Maybe even a secret! (We won't tell!)

I lived in a castle in Holland for one semester in college—the castle was said to be haunted, but I never saw the resident ghost. I love ice cream (this isn’t really a secret) and consider it a part of my writing process. Also, for a while now I’ve struggled with some form of writer’s block, but I’m trying to claw my way out of it and back to inspiration. For more musings about the writing life, visit my blog: http://alisamlibby.wordpress.com/.

The King's Rose by Alisa M. Libby

Title: The King's Rose
Author: Alisa M. Libby
Age Group: Teens
# of Pages: 299
My Rating: 4.5/5

Catherine Howard is just a regular fifteen years old girl, until her family placed her in front of King Henry VIII. They have molded her into a desirable girl for the king. He soon enough marries her, making her queen. The king was told things he wants to hear and believes he is marrying a pure girl. Without any freedom, Catherine does what is told of her, trying to maintain her ideal image. She is in desperate for an heir to keep herself on the throne. Afraid to be like her infamous cousin, Anne Boleyn, would she be able to lie her way out of death?

Catherine is one of the most interesting character I have encountered in a book. (The person herself was real, but the way the author created her in the story is compelling!) She is about my age but to see what she thinks makes you wonder if you would be the same in her position. So many different enemies around you and your head can be lopped off any second, it is extremely terrifying! The King's Rose brings you to a world full of lies and jewels, keeping you locked onto every word.

Review ARC copy provided by Book Divas.