About the Author:
Sandra Byrd has published more than three dozen books in the fiction and nonfiction markets, including the first book in her Tudor series, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. Her second book, The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr, illuminates the mysteries in the life of Henry's last wife.
For more than a decade Sandra has shared her secrets with the many new writers she edits, mentors, and coaches. She lives in the Seattle, Washington, area with her husband and two children.
For more Tudor
tidbits, please visit www.sandrabyrd.com.
About the Book:
The author of To Die For returns to the court of Henry VIII as
a young woman is caught between love and honor. Juliana St. John is
the daughter of a prosperous knight. Though her family wants her to
marry the son of her father's business partner, circumstances set her on
a course toward the court of Henry VIII and his last wife, Kateryn
Parr.
Sir Thomas Seymour, uncle of the current heir, Prince Edward, returns to Wiltshire to tie up his concerns with Juliana's father's estate and sees instantly that Juliana would fit into the household of the woman he loves, Kateryn Parr. Her mother agrees to have her placed in Parr's household for "finishing" and Juliana goes, though perhaps reluctantly.
For she knows a secret. She has been given the gift of prophecy, and in one of her visions she has seen Sir Thomas shredding the dress of the king's daughter, the lady Elizabeth, to perilous consequence.
As Juliana learns the secrets of King Henry VIII's court, she faces threats and opposition, learning truths about her own life that will undo everything she holds dear.
Sir Thomas Seymour, uncle of the current heir, Prince Edward, returns to Wiltshire to tie up his concerns with Juliana's father's estate and sees instantly that Juliana would fit into the household of the woman he loves, Kateryn Parr. Her mother agrees to have her placed in Parr's household for "finishing" and Juliana goes, though perhaps reluctantly.
For she knows a secret. She has been given the gift of prophecy, and in one of her visions she has seen Sir Thomas shredding the dress of the king's daughter, the lady Elizabeth, to perilous consequence.
As Juliana learns the secrets of King Henry VIII's court, she faces threats and opposition, learning truths about her own life that will undo everything she holds dear.
Sandra Byrd is making me fall in love with the Tudor Era! In this next book in her Ladies-In-Waiting series, this talented author returns back into Henry VIII’s courts and delves into the life of Kateryn Parr, last wife to the king. I enjoyed The Secret Keeper even more then the first book in the series—and I really liked To Die For, as all can see from my review!
The characters were, once again,
wonderfully depicted and portrayed. The intrigue of court made for many
interesting character—I can’t tell you how many times I would have liked to
slap some of them! I also thought that it was really neat that Meg, from To
Die For, made a small appearance in this book. Amazing how lives intersect
and entwine! Like everyone else (I am sure!) I really grew to like Jamie and
his undying love for the main character, Juliana. The ending made me so happy, I couldn’t help
smiling like a fool! So sweet. So long looked for. So deserved!
I learn so much from reading Byrd’s
books. She has this wonderful way of merging fiction with fact so that I find
myself learning so much history, but
enjoying a work of fiction at the same time. All that said, I personally would only
recommend The Secret Keeper for
mature, adult readers, as there is a rather descriptive and violent rape scene
in the book.
Seeing what Byrd has done with To Die For and now The Secret Keeper, I cannot wait to read Roses Have Thorns, which will be about Anne Boleyn’s daughter,
Elizabeth I, next year. How I will last till then, I don’t know!
3 comments:
So far I have only read Byrd's "Let Them Eat Cake!" series but I wish to rea more! They sound very good and I would LOVE to know more about this subject. I had to do a 7 page report on the early life of Elizabeth I (not fun) and it has intrigued me. Thank you for sharing! I will definitely be looking for more of Byrd's books.
I have never read anything by Byrd, but this sure looks interesting. I'm intrigued!
By the way, I awarded Legacy of a Writer with the Sunshine Award: http://notebookfromtheheart.blogspot.com/2012/06/blog-award.html
I have learned of so many books and products through your reviews! Thanks! :)
4readin - I haven't read that series but, judging from the title of the series, it sounds like a fun one!
Oh really? Wow, 7 pages can be a lot! Well, then you'll be VERY interested in the next book in Sandra Byrd's series -- since it'll be on Elizabeth I, daughter of Anne Boleyn from To Die For (The first book in this series).
Jill - I highly recommend this series for mature readers. There are a few scenes in each book that had mature elements, so I wouldn't recommend them to younger readers. But if you're wanting to read more about either Anne Boleyn or Kateryn Parr...read Sandra's books!!
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