Sara Turnquist's The Lady Bornekova - Guest Post and {Giveaway}

THE LADY BORNEKOVA: The truth behind the fiction

My debut novel “The Lady Bornekova” is set right on the cusp on the Czech lands' religious civil war, the Hussite Wars. This was a war that many of us here in the United States have never even heard of. I hadn't. Until I visited the Czech Republic. It's hard to visit Prague and get away without at least hearing the name “Jan Hus”. There's a statue of him in a prominent part of the city! And the Czech people consider him to be an important figure in their history.

Jan Hus...the way I like to describe him for people is to say that he was like Martin Luther before Martin Luther. He had some...we'll say “issues” with the Catholic Church as it was in that day (early 15th Century). One of the major differences between Martin Luther and Jan Hus, however, was that Jan Hus was eventually martyred for his oppositions to the Church. His death (he was burned at the stake) is what precipitated the beginning of the War between his followers (the “Hussites”) and those who supported the Church.

And so, Jan Hus is mentioned in my novel, but I don't actually “bring him to life” in the sense that he is not in any scenes, with any dialogue, or anything of that nature. I was just unsure about bringing such a great man into my story and doing him justice. I can't be the only Historical Fiction writer that has had this struggle. So I took a different tact. The novel's strong characters are contemporaries of Hus's and know him and are in touch with what's happening to him. This breathes life into his plight.

The story truly centers on Karin, a young woman who is coming to her own. Where does she stand in the midst of this conflict in her homeland? In this great divide between her people? What about her family? In the midst of her struggle to find herself, she finds love. But can that young love survive the trials she must face - including a mysterious individual with murderous intentions?

So, while the story is driven by a romance, it is really about Karin and her struggle. It is, however, a clean romance in the sense that I will not blush when I give a copy to my mother-in-law. This is one the things I strive for in my novels: Historical Fiction with meaningful romances that are not your run-of-the-mill, expected, tawdry stories. My main goal is to do justice to this piece of history through the lens of my characters as they interact and progress through the events of the story. So, I hope you find it every bit as intriguing to read as I did to write! Happy reading!!

About the book
Publication Date: July 14, 2015 (tentative)
Publisher: Clean Reads (formerly Astraea Press)
Format: eBook
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

The red-headed Karin is strong-willed and determined, something she inherited from her father. She tries to keep her true nature a secret to avoid being deemed a traitor by those loyal to the king. Karin and her father butt heads over her duty to her family and the Czech Crown. She is then sequestered to the Royal Viscount’s hunting lodge.

Not aware of everything that is happening, she becomes the target of an individual with murderous intent. Her heart soon becomes entangled though her father intends to wed her to another. The turmoil inside Karin deepens and reflects the turmoil of her homeland, on the brink of the Hussite Wars.

The Lady Bornekova Available at

Amazon

About the Author
Sara resides with her family in Middle TN. Though she has enjoyed her career as a Zoo Educator, Sara's great love of the written word has always drawn her to write. An avid reader, she has been, for many years, what she terms a “closet writer”. Her travels and love of history have served to inspire her to write Historical Fiction. Sara has made several trips overseas to the Czech Republic for short stints in the summer over several years. Her time among the Czech people and the landscapes of the country inspired her and greatly influenced her work on her debut novel, The Lady Bornekova, set in the Czech town of Hradec Kralove.

For more information please visit Sara Turnquist’s website. You can also follow her on Facebook,Twitter, and Pinterest.

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Giveaway

To enter to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card, please enter via the GLEAM form below.
Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on July 31st. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open internationally.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

The Lady Bornekova