Available Now: The Tudor Conspiracy by C.W. Gortner

Hunted by a shadowy foe in Bloody Mary’s court, Brendan Prescott plunges into London’s treacherous underworld to unravel a dark conspiracy that could make Elizabeth queen—or send her to her death in C.W. Gortner's The Tudor Conspiracy, Book 2 in The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles.

England, 1553: Harsh winter encroaches upon the realm. Mary Tudor has become queen to popular acclaim and her enemies are imprisoned in the Tower. But when she’s betrothed to Philip, Catholic prince of Spain, putting her Protestant subjects in peril, rumors of a plot to depose her swirl around the one person whom many consider to be England’s heir and only hope—the queen’s half-sister, Princess Elizabeth.

Haunted by his past, Brendan Prescott lives far from the intrigues of court. But his time of refuge comes to an end when his foe and mentor, the spymaster Cecil, brings him disquieting news that sends him on a dangerous mission. Elizabeth is held captive at court, the target of the Spanish ambassador, who seeks her demise. Obliged to return to the palace where he almost lost his life, Brendan finds himself working as a double-agent for Queen Mary herself, who orders Brendan to secure proof that will be his cherished Elizabeth’s undoing.

Plunged into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with a mysterious opponent who hides a terrifying secret, Brendan races against time to retrieve a cache of the princess’s private letters, even as he begins to realize that in this dark world of betrayal and deceit, where power is supreme and sister can turn against sister, nothing—and no one—is what it seems.

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (July 16, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312658494
ISBN-13: 978-0312658496

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Interview with PT McHugh, Author of Keeper of the Black Stones

PT McHugh didn’t start out as a storyteller. He was, however, born into a family of that encouraged imagination. He became a fan of history in school and then went to college to become a construction engineer, to build a world of straight lines, angles, and equations.

He was just as surprised as everyone else when he realized that he believed in magic, and might just know the secret of how to jump through time. Since then, he’s been researching the possibility and learning everything he can about history. Just in case the opportunity arises.

PT was born and raised in New Hampshire and currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, two daughters, and a dog named Bob, daring to dream of alternate worlds and cheering for his beloved New England Patriots.

Visit the author online at www.ptmchugh.com 

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m a project manager for a large construction firm in the Southeast (not the most creative vocation in the world). I have two beautiful daughters, who are nine and twelve, though the twelve-year-old believes she’s eighteen. And I have a wife who is about to turn twenty-eight again for the tenth time.

Where did you grow up?

Lebanon, New Hampshire (where some of the book takes place).

What is your fondest childhood memory?

Hitting the drive-in with my best friends on a Saturday night in the heart of summer. It didn’t matter what the movie was, we wanted to watch it! We usually took my mom’s Oldsmobile (more room in the trunk to hide people), and spent our entire night watching movies and dreaming about those other realities. I loved it, and looking back now it didn’t get any better than that! Too bad there are no more drive-ins left – they were awesome!!!!

When did you begin writing?

In college, only because I had no idea what I wanted to do when I grew up, and decided that being a writer looked easy enough. Good hours, great pay … and then reality hit. Even when I started a career (outside of writing), I continued to write here and there, more as a creative outlet than anything else. I never dreamed it would go anywhere or to anyone outside my own family, but one day I started writing something for my kids, and Keeper was born. I thought I had something, and started sending it out to publishers and agents. The rest, as they say in the movies, is history.

Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

I’m a husband and father of two girls, so the only time I can write is at night. Fortunately for me, I’m a chronic insomniac!

What is this book about?

Our main character is a boy, just like any other boy. He doesn’t like school much, he’s kind of a nerd, and his life is pretty dang boring. Until he finds out that his grandfather has a set of stones that allow time travel. And his grandfather’s not the only one using them. Another man – our villain – is jumping through time, trying to change history for his own foul purposes. In doing so, he’s going to destroy time itself, and the world with it. Now our hero, Jason, must gather his friends, learn everything he can about Medieval England, and go jumping back in time, to save his grandfather, help Henry VII win the War of the Roses, and keep the villain from altering the thread of time. Will he get there in time? Will he save his grandfather? Or will he fail, and take the world itself with him?

What inspired you to write it?

Fear and the inability to paint. Everyone needs a hobby, and I’m no different. I love my wife and kids, but there was something inside of me that wanted more out of life (perhaps everyone has that feeling?). So, since I seemed to always be up late and my brain never really shut down, I decided to make the best of it. I started writing and never looked back.

Who is your biggest supporter?

My oldest daughter, Cristina. She was the first one to say, “Hey Dad, this is really good.” Now I know what you’re thinking – all kids say that to their parents. But my oldest girl is different. She speaks her mind just like her mother, and if she didn’t like it she wouldn’t be reading it. I even caught her reading the original manuscript when she didn’t know I was around. Well, that was enough for me to continue.

Are you a member of a critique group? If no, who provides feedback on your work?

My wife and two girls. They’re extremely honest … perhaps too honest. And, of course, my editor, who never fails to give me her honest and extremely brutal opinion.

Who is your favorite author?

Bernard Cornwell. The guy is amazing, I’ve read everything he’s published.

Do you have an agent or are you looking for one?

To this point I’ve done it on my own and I don’t feel there is a need for an agent. I’ve already lined up my contracts and I already split my fee with my family. I don’t need someone outside my wife and kids taking a share.

Was the road to publication smooth sailing or a bumpy ride?

Hard to say, because I have nothing to compare it to. I’d have to say I was lucky enough to find a publisher who believed in me relatively quickly, so to that extent I can’t complain. Now on the other hand, it took three years to actually get the book in bookstores after I was signed on. That was bumpy, because it included an extremely long editing process.

If you knew then, what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

I would have outlined my manuscript first before writing the book. So much easier the second time around, now that I know how to use an outline for brainstorming.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

Anywhere … B&N is carrying it in most of their stores, Amazon of course, a lot of independent bookstores, and you can get it in any ebook format.

Do you have a video trailer to promote your book? If yes, where can readers find it?

We’re currently waiting for the final revision on the book trailer. I believe it’ll be out this summer sometime.

What is the best investment you have made in promoting your book?

Actually reaching the schools. We’ve been able to get into a lot of schools to promote the book, either in person or on Skype, and it’s been great!

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere?

Keep at it. I never had the guts to try to get published until I hit a birthday and I thought … man life goes by fast, what am I waiting for? Remember to have a thick skin, too. Your writing will be criticized and scrutinized, and you have to take the good with the bad, and grow with it. Don’t let it get you down and don’t give up.

What is up next for you?

Stones End II is well underway, and we’re hoping to have it out in the spring quarter of 2014. We’re also working on a short story, which might come out this fall.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Yes, and it’s going to sound like a cliché, and I know most people have heard it a thousand times, but I can honestly say it’s true. Whatever your passion is, don’t let life get in the way. I’m not saying abandon your family and run to Broadway – you need to be realistic, and supporting your family comes first. But there’s always time in the day (or in my case at night) to do what you truly want to do. Life is ridiculously short, don’t waste it complaining about what could have been!

The Book You Wish You Had Time (or money) to Read

I think there is at least one of these on many readers' lists. There's that book you've heard is fabulous. It's received numerous five-star reviews. Friends rave about it. You know you want to read it, but your review schedule or that enormous pile of books you still haven't read yet is mocking you, telling you there is no way you can spend another dime on new books until you have polished off some of the books you already own.

For me, that book is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. In 2011, I actually promoted this book for Random House for the book's 20th anniversary. This virtual book tour filled up within days, reviewers telling me that though that had read the book years ago, they were eager to revisit it. Here is the author's description from her website:

"In 1946, after WWII, a young Englishwoman named Claire Beauchamp Randall goes to the Scottish Highlands with her husband, Frank. She’s an ex-combat nurse, he’s been in the army as well, they’ve been separated for the last six years, and this is a second honeymoon; they’re getting re-acquainted with each other, thinking of starting a family. But one day Claire goes out walking by herself, and comes across a circle of standing stones—such circles are in fact common all over northern Britain. She walks through a cleft stone in the circle….and disappears. Back into 1743, where the first person she meets is a gentleman in an 18th-century army officer’s uniform. This gentleman, Jack Randall, looks just like her husband Frank—and proves to be Frank’s six-times-great-grandfather. Unfortunately, he also proves to be a sadistic bisexual pervert, and while trying to escape from him, Claire falls into the hands of a gang of Highland Scots, who are also trying to get away from Black Jack Randall—though for other reasons.

In order to avoid being handed over to Captain Randall, Claire is obliged to marry one of the young clansmen. So she finds herself trying to escape from Castle Leoch and her Scottish captors, trying to get back to her husband Frank, trying to avoid being recaptured by Captain Randall—and falling in love with Jamie Fraser, the young man she’s been forced to marry. The story rolls on from there…"

I truly hoped to read it during the author's tour, but tackling a book that is over 650 pages when you're already behind schedule with reviews is not the way to make friends. So, I put that desire aside and kept plugging away. As I mentioned recently, I have more than 600 books (printed and electronic) I haven't read yet, so I can't justify spending $9 for a book I won't read for years. Though I still enter the occasional book giveaway, for the most part, I'm not getting involved in those either. I simply have too many books here.

But Outlander remains in the back of my mind for when my TBR Pile becomes more manageable. Even if I don't read all the books I have here, once I am through all the reviews I owe people, I will feel more comfortable picking up a copy of Outlander to add to my bookshelf.

Do you have a book you wish you had time (nor money) to read?

Catching Up!

And, we're back! North Carolina was wonderful. Though we had more rain than usual, the family still managed to have a nice time. We went to the beach, ate some great food, and finally took the ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke Island, where we walked around the village area. We stopped by the Ocracoke Preservation Museum, checked out the British Cemetery, enjoyed ice cream at The Slushy Stand, and visited the Books to Be Red bookstore. If you're on the island, you really need to check out this neat bookstore. It's much larger than it looks from the outside and has a slew of interesting titles and gift items, as it shares space with Deepwater Pottery.

I picked up a journal for each of the girls and treated myself to Portsmouth Divided: Portsmouth Island and the Civil War by James E. White, III. This is just one of a series of books the author has written about Portsmouth.

We had never been to Ocracoke in all the years we've vacationed on the Outer Banks, so this was a nice day trip. Next time we go, we'll rent a golf cart to travel around. The island isn't very large and it's much more peaceful than Kill Devil Hills, where we stay on the mainland. I would love to visit one time with just the hubby and take the boat out to Portsmouth.

In addition to this day trip, we visited Manteo a few times. The first was to take in the fireworks on July 4th, but toward the end of our first week we stopped at the Island Gallery Christmas Shop, which is probably my favorite place on the Outer Banks. I usually buy myself a new Christmas ornament, but this year books were on my mind. At a 60% discount I picked up a copy of Tom Wolfe: A Writer's Life edited by Ted Mitchell. I recently heard of this book, even though it was released in 1999. It was a recommendation, so I figured I would check it out. The editor is an authority on Tom Wolfe.

As for books from my TBR Pile, I reviewed Anasazi Intrigue by Linda Weaver Clarke here on July 1st. I also started The Queen's Vow by C. W. Gortner, and I am almost done with Strong Rain Falling by Jon Land.

Book Spotlight: Pretty Is As Pretty Does by Debby Mayne

Priscilla Slater goes to her 10-year high school reunion as a successful business woman. Even though she got rid of her mousy brown hair, swapped out her discount store wardrobe for designer clothes, and now has perfectly straight teeth, she can’t get past feeling like the ugly duckling. Her parents’ disapproval for her choice of careers—running a chain of hair salons—deepens her self-doubt. She experiences self-discovery and learns that things aren’t always as they seem.

During the reunion, one woman passes out after starving herself for the event. The class beauty queen appears to have more self-confidence than ever until her ex shows up with his new wife. The reunion organizer has taken her responsibilities to a whole new level that makes the Marines look like Boy Scouts, while her husband drinks too much and makes a fool of himself. The man she always dreamed about being with finally gives her some attention, but when she finds out more about him, she realizes he’s not worth her time. These realizations boost her self-confidence, but now she has to deal with her best friend Tim’s new feelings for her.

 Purchase your copy:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | ABINGDON PRESS

Debby Mayne has published more than 30 books and novellas, 400 print short stories and articles, more than 1,000 web articles, and a slew of devotions for women. She has also worked as managing editor of a national health magazine, product information writer for HSN, a creative writing instructor for Long Ridge Writers Group, and a copy editor and proofreader for several book publishers. For the past eight years, she has judged the Writers Digest Annual Competition, Short-Short Contest, and Self-Published Book Competition. Three of Debby’s books have been top ten favorites by the Heartsong Presents book club. Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida received 4-1/2 stars from Romantic Times Magazine, and was named a Top Pick for the month of July 2009.

You can visit Debby Mayne’s website at www.debbymayne.com.

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Top Ten Best/Worst Movie Adaptations

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they will post a new Top Ten list that one of the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Top Best (no particular order)

1 & 2 - Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea

Long before I ever read a single book in the Anne of Green Gables series, I watched Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea on public television. These movies, based upon Lucy Maud Montgomery's books, made me fall in love with the imaginative and feisty red-headed orphan who attracted the attention of Gilbert Blythe.

Though I love the books, I always felt the creation of the way Gilbert and Anne's romance developed in the second movie and how the characters of Christine Stewart and Morgan Harris were adapted for to play more pivotal roles made for a more romantic tale. I also can't read about Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert without picturing Colleen Dewhurst and Richard Farnsworth.

3 - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The first of the new Narnia movies was stupendous for many reasons. The acting was superb. The special effects amazing. The battle scene--wow! I simply loved this movie. I've watched it multiple times. Our DVD has commentaries, which I also enjoy watching from time to time.

I'm so glad they remade this movie for a contemporary audience. If you want to read all my thoughts on it, you can visit http://www.thebusymomsdaily.com/2011/09/movie-review-chronicles-of-narnia-lion.html

4 - The Green Mile

Stephen King's books can be so hard to make into good movies, but they knocked it out of the park with The Green Mile. My husband and I read the books when they first came out in multiple installments instead of a complete book.

This is a superbly told, but very dark story about a man convicted of murder who is now sitting on death row. The man, John Coffey, also has a mysterious gift.

I feel the selection of actors for this movie was crucial to its success, because it takes place in a jail (on death row) and some of the characters are downright evil. It's a moving story from beginning to end.

5 -  The Hunger Games

I am not a fan of dystopian fiction, so when my daughter asked if she could read this book, I wasn't sure what to say. She was only 10 at the time and I had heard some things that made me want to say no. In the end, I decided we could read them together. This opened a new reading experience for me, as I discovered not all books in this genre could be lumped into the same basket.

Whenever I truly enjoy a book. I'm afraid a movie is going to destroy it. Such was not the case with The Hunger Games. Though I felt some things were lost in the movie that were important to me in the book, I still loved the movie and am looking forward to seeing the sequel this fall. You can read my complete thoughts on the movie at http://www.thebusymomsdaily.com/2012/04/movie-review-hunger-games-2012.html

6 - Gettysburg 

The Battle of Gettysburg is considered a turning point in the Civil War. Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Michael Shaara, made this battle the focus of his historical novel, The Killer Angels, which was adapted for the big screen in 1993 in the movie, Gettysburg. I had watched the movie long before I read the book, but my enjoyment of each led to me purchasing the three book series from Michael and Jeff Shaara that includes a prequel and a sequel to The Killer Angels.

I believe this is the first movie where I saw Jeff Daniels play a dramatic role. He would return to his role as Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in the movie, Gods and Generals, in 2003, which is the prequel to The Killer Angels.

7 - The Thorn Birds

I still remember the scandal when The Thorn Birds mini-series starring Richard Chamberlain played during Holy Week that led to Easter Sunday in 1983. I was a few months shy of my 15th birthday, and my mother was a huge fan of Richard Chamberlain's, so I knew I would be tuning in.

This movie totally captivated me. And though I'm not sure I would be comfortable with my girls seeing this movie at 15, I ended up liking it so much, I scooped my mother's copy of McCullough's book off the shelf and read it within days of the movie's end.

I was a bit disappointed that Ralph in the book looked nothing like Richard Chamberlain, but there was so even more of the story to learn in 688 pages versus the movie. I've read The Thorn Birds several times, though at this point, I skip some of the narrative so I can dig right into the dialogue. I also have the movie on tape, so I can watch it from time to time.

As an aside, the movie, The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years, aired in 1996. It takes place in the middle of the events from the book and original movie. Though Richard Chamberlain reprised his role as Father Ralph, Meggie Cleary O'Neil's part was played by Amanda Donohoe instead of Rachel Ward. McCullough was not thrilled about this new mini-series. And honestly, it made no sense at all, since there were no "missing years" from the original story. Though the book didn't cover the years in which these events take place, they are also totally inconsistent with the original story. Father Ralph and Meggie didn't see one another when Meggie's son was a boy. Ralph didn't meet Dane until he was a young man. While I have this mini-series on tape, I never watch it.

8 - A Christmas Carol

Though A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has been made and remade into numerous film adaptations, my favorite is the 2000 version starring Patrick (Captain Picard) Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge.

I actually didn't read the book until my son had it as a reading assignment in high school. It was one of those books I always meant to read but never got to. Stewart was so convincing as Scrooge and this movie stayed close to the book.

9 - Stephen King's It

Creepy clowns should be outlawed, but Stephen King created one in the late 1980s that preyed on children in the town of Derry, Maine. The book was made into a TV movie in 2002 starring Richard (John Boy Walton) Thomas, the late John Ritter, and Richard Masur.

This is one of the few instances where I like the movie a bit better than the book. While I read the book cover-to-cover, I had some trouble getting through it. I felt the movie was exceptionally done.

10 - The Stand

The Stand by Stephen King is my all time favorite book. If you're going to commit to reading a book that is over 1100 pages, you darn well better enjoy it. I can definitely say I did, even if the first 600 pages were tough.

In 1994, The Stand was made into a TV mini-series starring Gary Sinise and Molly Ringwald. Though I wasn't thrilled with some of the changes they made in the movie, overall this book made it well to the small screen. I wasn't sure how it would be because so much of what happens in the novel takes place in dreams. Though they kept some of that element, the movie depended more upon interactions between people to move the story along.

The DVD for this movie was released in June. It's a definite must for King fans. For those who aren't into the horror genre, this is an excellent choice if you want to see what King is made of because it isn't a blood and gore novel or movie. It's about a "superflu" wiping out more than 90% of the earth's population and how the survivors cope with the fallout.

Reading Now - The Queen's Vow by C.W. Gortner

Young Isabella is barely a teenager when she is thrust into danger. Suspected of treason and held captive, she treads a perilous path, until, at age seventeen, she finds herself heiress of Castile, the largest kingdom in Spain. Plunged into a deadly conflict to secure her crown, she is determined to wed the one man whom she has vowed to love yet is forbidden to her—Fernando, prince of Aragón.

As together they unite their two realms under "one crown, one country, one faith," Isabella and Fernando face an impoverished Spain beset by enemies. With the future of her throne at stake, Isabella resists the zealous demands of the inquisitor, Torquemada, even as she is seduced by the dreams of an enigmatic navigator named Columbus. But when a violent, treacherous battle against an ancient adversary erupts, it will test Isabella’s resolve, her courage, and her tenacious belief in her destiny . . . .

From the glorious palaces of Segovia to the battlefields of Granada and intrigue-laden gardens of Seville, The Queen’s Vow sweeps us into the tumultuous forging of a nation and the complex, fascinating heart of the woman who overcame all odds to become Isabella of Castile.

Read an excerpt at http://cwgortner.com/TheQueensVow.html#excerpt

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