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Catherine de Medici

(see under "By Era" for French Revolution fiction)
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penelope29
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Post by penelope29 » Fri August 21st, 2009, 9:09 pm

I loved 'The Last Queen' and it sits proudly in the staff recommends bay in the bookshop where I work. It's so nice to read a book about a lesser known character, and one so well written. I can't wait for the new book and shall wait with bated breath until it's in my grubby little hands!

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diamondlil
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Post by diamondlil » Sat August 22nd, 2009, 2:57 pm

[quote=""cw gortner""]Some news on my Catherine de Medici book, as promised:

My revisions have been officially approved by my editor :D and the on-sale date is 5/25/2010.

As soon as I have cover art, I'll post.[/quote]


Excellent news! Added it to my list!

Do you have an official title already?
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tsjmom
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Post by tsjmom » Sat August 22nd, 2009, 9:59 pm

[quote=""cw gortner""]Some news on my Catherine de Medici book, as promised:

My revisions have been officially approved by my editor :D and the on-sale date is 5/25/2010.

As soon as I have cover art, I'll post.[/quote]

I was just about to post on the "people you'd like to see more HF written about" thread when I saw this. I can't wait!! I'm surprised there isn't more written about this fascinating "bad girl" in history.

Nine months is such a long time to wait :S

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Post by Chatterbox » Sun August 23rd, 2009, 2:53 am

Tsjmom, there's some stuff out there. Jeanne Kalogridis has a brand-new HC book devoted to Catherine, and Jean Plaidy has a trilogy of books devoted to her. As things go, she's not all that unknown, just overlooked for now amidst all the Tudor-mania. I think Susan Carroll's novels feature her, as well (although I've never found them very readable). There is Diane Haeger's novel about Diane de Poitiers, which of course ends up dealing with Catherine. Judith Merkle Riley has a book focusing on Catherine & her links with Nostradamus (which forms part of Kalogridis's book, which is heavily based on the occult.) Some of these verge closer to fantasy than historical fiction.

What's been missing and what I'm hoping CW will provide is a solid biographical-style but lively novel of Catherine's life. The Plaidy trilogy is the most solid, so far, but it's been out for decades, there's a lot more new research, and there's room for a livelier rendering. (Let's face it, Plaidy is no prose stylist...)

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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Sun August 23rd, 2009, 11:23 am

There is also Dumas, Catherine plays prominently in La Reine Margot and she's really OTT in delightful wickedness. You'll also find her in his two volume book called The Two Dianas (these can be found through inter-library loan).
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Julianne Douglas
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Post by Julianne Douglas » Tue August 25th, 2009, 12:18 am

Wonderful news, Christopher! I can't wait to read it. Let me know how I can help spread the word. I'll blog about it as soon as you have some cover art.
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tsjmom
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Post by tsjmom » Tue August 25th, 2009, 12:22 am

[quote=""Chatterbox""]Tsjmom, there's some stuff out there. Jeanne Kalogridis has a brand-new HC book devoted to Catherine, and Jean Plaidy has a trilogy of books devoted to her. As things go, she's not all that unknown, just overlooked for now amidst all the Tudor-mania. I think Susan Carroll's novels feature her, as well (although I've never found them very readable). There is Diane Haeger's novel about Diane de Poitiers, which of course ends up dealing with Catherine. Judith Merkle Riley has a book focusing on Catherine & her links with Nostradamus (which forms part of Kalogridis's book, which is heavily based on the occult.) Some of these verge closer to fantasy than historical fiction.

What's been missing and what I'm hoping CW will provide is a solid biographical-style but lively novel of Catherine's life. The Plaidy trilogy is the most solid, so far, but it's been out for decades, there's a lot more new research, and there's room for a livelier rendering. (Let's face it, Plaidy is no prose stylist...)[/quote]

Thanks Chatterbox! I've read all that you mentioned except for J. Plaidy. I just thought writers would be all over this 'mean girl' LOL!

Chatterbox
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Post by Chatterbox » Tue August 25th, 2009, 1:06 am

I think that the absence of a romantic element in Catherine's life probably keeps some novelists away. That and the fact that while powerful, she was a pretty tough cookie. Think a 16th century Margaret Thatcher. Let's face it, not appealing HF material! (You're right though -- she's a great character.)

She does appear in a lot more French HF, however. Not that that is any consolidation, as CW will pop in here to remind me forcibly...

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cw gortner
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Post by cw gortner » Tue August 25th, 2009, 5:36 pm

I just wish I could read those French hf novels, Chatterbox! ;)

I think she's not as well covered in English hf because she's controversial; Plaidy's depiction of her, as well as most others to a certain extent, tend to make her either completely ruthless or a victim of circumstances (though the latter is much more rare than the former). The 'evil' camp generally sees her as responsible for murdering thousands of Protestants, and the Catholic angle doesn't come across well, in Plaidy's work, in particular.

I haven't read Kalogridis' novel so I cannot comment. Personally, however, to me any heavy-handed approach to Catherine's alleged interest in black magic fuels the legend and has little basis in reality.

What I hope I've done with my version is bridge that chasm to present a more nuanced portrait of a woman who faced very tough choices. And, I did find a romantic story for her . . . well, sort of.

Julianne, as always, you're the best! Thanks so much for the offer!! As soon as I have cover art, I'll let you know. I'll be looking over the copy edited ms. when I return from Spain (I'm going from September 2 - 18); some time after I return the copyedited ms., I think I'll start to see first drafts of cover art.

I wonder what they'll come up with . . . :rolleyes:
Last edited by cw gortner on Tue August 25th, 2009, 5:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
THE QUEEN'S VOW available on June 12, 2012!
THE TUDOR SECRET, Book I in the Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles
THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI
THE LAST QUEEN


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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Tue August 25th, 2009, 6:37 pm

I haven't read Kalogridis' novel so I cannot comment. Personally, however, to me any heavy-handed approach to Catherine's alleged interest in black magic fuels the legend and has little basis in reality.
She wrote in a couple of really odd twists at the end that weren't addressed in her notes. Just say in the notes I made it up.
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