December 02, 2011

Quickie Book Giveaway! 'Queen Hereafter' by Susan Fraser King..2 WINNERS!

Available in paperback December 6, 2011:


A Novel of Margaret of Scotland
Read an Excerpt

Visit Scotland today and you will undoubtedly hear about the highly revered and very much adored Queen Margaret. Scotland ’s only royal saint, Margaret’s reign ended in the eleventh century and yet, to this day, legends and links to Margaret still flourish throughout the country. A Saxon princess, she was a refugee seeking shelter in Scotland when she married the warrior-king, Malcolm Canmore of Scotland . At first despised for her foreign ways, Margaret’s incredible acts of charity and kindness changed minds and the Scots who once resented her quickly grew to adore her. Shortly after her death, a contemporary biography of Margaret’s life was written by her personal confessor, Bishop Turgot of England , adding to the mystique of the good and saintly queen. Turgot praised Margaret as a devout woman and devoted monarch, painting a portrait of pure perfection—but for author Susan Fraser King, something was very much missing. In doing her own research into Queen Margaret’s life, King discovered Margaret had a fierce temper, a taste for adventure, and even a reckless side. For all her good qualities, Margaret was a real woman with real flaws, and in QUEEN HEREAFTER: A Novel of Margaret of Scotland (Crown; December 7, 2010), King set out to portray the very real and complex woman behind the legend, offering readers a glimpse into the life of a medieval queen as it might have been.

In QUEEN HEREAFTER we meet Margaret, a young Saxon princess forced into exile upon the death of her uncle, the English king. While fleeing the country from Norman invaders, she is shipwrecked with her family on the coast of Scotland where the recently widowed King Malcolm Canmore offers them sanctuary. Malcolm’s kindness, however, is not without motive. In Margaret he sees a political prize and so he promises to help her brother, the outlawed rebel Edgar of England, in return for his sister’s hand in marriage.

Despite their less than ideal beginnings, Margaret and Malcolm come to love and care for one another. Their marriage, a challenge at first, evolves, while Margaret steps wholeheartedly into the role of queen, immediately setting out to improve the lives of her people. However, tensions with the northern Scottish kingdom, ruled by the conniving Lady Macbeth, escalate and put Malcolm on edge. To ensure Lady Macbeth’s good behavior, the king brings Eva, a female bard and Macbeth’s granddaughter, to court as a hostage. While Eva expects to dislike and resent Margaret, the two discover an unlikely bond as outcasts of a sort—Eva as a wild Celtic spirit captive among her enemies and Margaret suppressing her passions as she endures increasing pressure as a queen and a mother of princes. Eva must betray the king and the new queen, however, in order to honor her devotion to her kinswoman and former monarch. Torn between loyalties, will Eva betray the queen she has always known—or the queen she has come to love?





King combines elegant, lyrical prose with detailed research conducted alongside prominent Celtic and medieval scholars to create an imaginative retelling of Queen Margaret’s life. QUEEN HEREAFTER offers a fresh, unique perspective on the remarkable young queen who would become a saint.



2 LUCKY WINNERS OF THIS BOOK GIVEAWAY COURTESY OF THE PUBLISHER!!
OPEN TO HF-CONNECTION FOLLOWERS IN USA or CANADA..
PLEASE LEAVE A  COMMENT WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS..WHAT INTRIGUES YOU ABOUT THIS STORY? HAVE YOU READ THE AUTHOR'S PREVIOUS WORK, LADY MACBETH?
THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS DECEMBER 8TH! GOOD LUCK!

12 comments:

  1. Scottish history is just fascinating to me. I have not read the author's other book.
    thank you
    kaiminani @gmail dot com

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  2. This sounds really good and covers a lady I have never read about! I did read the novel on Lady Macbeth and thought it was quite interesting.

    Thanks for the giveaway!
    robinbird_79 AT hotmail DOT com

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  3. I love books set in Scotland and this one sounds wonderful. Thanks for the giveaway!

    annesbookgarden@gmail.com

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  4. I also love books set in Scotland. I have Lady Macbeth sitting on my shelf and am looking forward to reading it.

    confessions(dot)avidreader(at)gmail(dot)com

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have not read the authors previous work which is why I would love to win and read this one. I don't know as much about the Scottish throne as I do the English so it would be really enlightening to read. Thanks!

    Margaret
    singitm(at)hotmail(dot0com

    ReplyDelete
  6. i haven't read any Scottish historical fiction, so this would be my first!!!!
    already on my WishList!!

    thank you for this quick giveaway!!!

    cyn209(AT)juno(DOT)com

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  7. I haven't read Ms. King's books although they sound wondereful. I'm especially interested in this novel about St. Margaret. Recently while doing some genealogical research my daughter found a family link to this fabulous woman. Would love to win this novel. Thanks for the giveaway.
    lcbrower40(at)gmail(dot)com

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  8. I have not read anything by Ms. King either but Queen Hereafter sounds like a very interesting book. I read a lot of Scottish/Irish Historical Fiction so this book will be on my list. Thank you for the great giveaway!!
    momkelly2003@yahoo.com

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  9. I have never read a book by this author before and I love reading about powerful women in history who are not in the history books.

    booksnobsblog at gmail dot com

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  10. I have not had the opportunity to read anything by Ms. King but Scottish/Irish history is absolutely fascinating to me!!

    Thank you for this opportunity!

    gemstonemom at gmail dot com
    gemstonemom@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ooohhh I've had this one on my Wish list for so long! I haven't read anything by Ms. King yet. Thanks so much for the giveaway!

    Amy
    tiger_fan_1997 AT yahoo DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  12. ilove books set in Scotland.Thanks for giveaway.lomazowr@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete

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