Alison Weir

[EC2]

As they say, things happen in threes. Christy English's first novel about Eleanor and Alais of France (The Queen's Pawn) is scheduled for spring 2010 as well. The English and Holland have the same publisher, too (well, Berkley/New American Library).

Not only that but Sharon Kay Penman's Devil's Brood will be out in paperback around then too surely?
Another title with 'Queen' in it too. I think that added to headless bodice covers, readers are soon going to become very confused. Imagine the scenario.
Reader entering a bookshop. 'Hi, there's a historical novel I want. It's got Queen in the title and a headless costume cover.'
Assistant takes customer over to the shelf and there are at least 100 titles answering to that description..... I can see the dilemma. Headless bodices sell big-time. The word 'Queen' is an empowering one that suggests glamour and that the novel will be about a woman, but when everyone uses it, then you end up on first glance with a forest of identical trees.

[annis]

Lol! This sounds a bit like the typical librarian's dilemma, EC.
Customer: "I'm looking for a little book with a red cover that may or may not have been about an English queen in an unknown era. I know i got it out from this library ten years ago---"
Librarian: (visualizing tearing own hair out) "Can you possibly give me any more detail about this book?"

[Divia]

Lol! This sounds a bit like the typical librarian's dilemma, EC.
Customer: "I'm looking for a little book with a red cover that may or may not have been about an English queen in an unknown era. I know i got it out from this library ten years ago---"
Librarian: (visualizing tearing own hair out) "Can you possibly give me any more detail about this book?"

So true. So very true!

[Misfit]

Ok, so Harriet's reviewed it today. Can someone who has read is "esplain" what this means?

In other words the monarch's advisor conducted a blood of one velvet coup.

[Divia]

hhmmm Let me try to translate..but I dunno if this is right.

A damn smooth coup?

[Misfit]

Not bad. I'd like to see a few more interpretations and then perhaps see what the regular Harriet watchers can do with it.

[Kasthu]

HK certainly is fond of the word "bamboozle," isn't she?

[Misfit]

You just never know what you're going to find in a Harriet review, do you?

[Sharz]

"In other words the monarch's advisor conducted a blood of one velvet coup."

Ok, I'll play.

My theory is that "blood of one" is supposed to play off of a "bloodless coup", except that this wasn't bloodless, and Anne's is the "blood of one". (Never mind that three or four others were executed, too, so clearly there was more blood involved than just one.)

I agree with Divia that the "velvet" is supposed to convey "smooth". And I'm probably giving way too much credit to "Harriot", but since velvet is a cloth of the wealthy, perhaps also a nod at the motivation of wealth and power.

[Xenalyte]

I love Alison Weir's non-fiction. Really, really like it.

Her fiction, though ... YEESH.

I think what got me about the Jane Grey book (Innocent Traitor, perhaps?) was the writing in present tense. I CANNOT STAND THAT.

Plus, her women - while acting slightly more within their social context than, say, Philippa Gregory's - are still far too modern in outlook.