Hi, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Sarah Provost and her new book, “Guinevere: Bright Shadow,” here on FAB!! For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Sarah and to increase your chances of winning!!
Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!
Guinevere: Bright Shadow
“You may think you know my story. My name has been bandied in ballads and jests, for good and (mostly) for ill. High Queen, priestess, adulterer… but first and always a woman. Courage and honor shaped me; ecstasy transported me; grief, betrayal and terror tempered me.
“My loyalty to the Goddess was supreme. But as the new religion took hold, the pagan way was threatened with extinction. There were those on both sides who would use me as a pawn in that battle, even if it meant taking my life.
“Yes, I bear my portion of blame. I loved Arthur, and I loved Lancelot, will I or no. But that was only one element in the impending chaos. Britain was divided, my love was divided, and such divisions cannot endure. I did everything in my power – and learned new powers – to prevent an all-out war. But would it be enough?”I was torn from my peaceful sleep by a sense of foreboding so dire, so overwhelming, that I could not stop screaming, even when Catlin and Wynyth and others burst in. “What, lamb, what is it?” Catlin folded an arm around me and smoothed back my tangled hair. “Shh, shh. What, my dove?”
“I don’t know I don’t know!” I babbled. “A snake. A sword. We are lost!”
She pressed my head to her shoulder and rocked me like a babe. “Only a dream it was. That’s all, only a dream…”
At last I calmed. The sky was greying quickly, so I was about to start the day, but Catlin insisted I take a while to gather myself. She went off to bring me a cup of wine. I was lying on my pallet, drained, when I heard her returning. Her footsteps stopped. She gasped. And the cup hit the stone floor.
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https://www.bookbub.com/books/guinevere-bright-shadow-by-sarah-provost
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1675305.Sarah_Provost
Goodreads Book Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65822131-guinevere
Amazon Author Page:
Amazon US Kindle eBook:
Amazon US Paperback:
Amazon CA Kindle eBook:
https://www.amazon.ca/Guinevere-Bright-Shadow-Sarah-Provost-ebook/dp/B0BM5YHDST
Amazon CA Paperback:
https://www.amazon.ca/Guinevere-Bright-Shadow-Sarah-Provost/dp/1958901199
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/guinevere-sarah-provost/1142807944
Between the Lines Publishing Paperback:
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This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
Hello, friends. Thanks for stopping by. And a big THANK YOU to Ally for hosting. Are you interested in Arthurian matter in general, or is Guinevere a particular interest? I've always felt that she was unfairly blamed by (mostly male) authors for the fall of Britain, when those who were more directly responsible got a pass. I've always wanted to tell her side of the story.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to your comments and questions!
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah. What was your inspiration for this latest book?
ReplyDeleteI've always been interested in this material. Almost all of the older literature assumes two things: that Arthur was a Christian king, and that Guinevere was to blame for his downfall. The more I read, the more I saw that she was being scapegoated. Merlin, Mordred, and Arthur himself were the true sources of the tragedy. Arthur turned to Christianity to gain forgiveness of his sins. The change from paganism to Christianity was not peaceful, and it had a particularly bad effect on women. I felt that story needed to be told.
ReplyDeleteI love this whole idea -- the feminist, goddess-centered Guinevere. Looking forward to reading my copy. What was the research like?
ReplyDeleteIt was a lot! I did a great deal of detail-oriented research, about wildflowers, falconry, armor, food, architecture, clothing, etc., but the central concerns were researching paganism and early Christianity, and being careful with the language.
ReplyDeleteThe etymology website was my constant companion. I tried not to use any word that didn't exist at the time, such as "noon" or words that had a very different meaning. "Fun" for instance, meant trickery, so I had to use "merriment." When I couldn't find a good alternative, I allowed myself to use words that came from Latin roots, since the Romans had recently occupied Britain.
The canon always assumes that Arthur was Christian. The concept that he converted in search of forgiveness for his sins is mine.
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoy your reading.
I love the cover ! Do you have an interpretation of the grail/chalice? I have ordered the book, but have not yet read it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting these great book spots!
That beautiful cover was done by Cherie Fox. I don't deal at all with the Grail quest, since that didn't involve Guinevere. I told the art director that fire was a recurring theme/image in the book, and this was Cherie's interpretation. I love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for ordering, and I hope you enjoy reading it!
This sounds like an interesting book.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sherry. I certainly enjoyed writing it!
DeleteThanks again to Ally for hosting, and to all who stopped by. Happy New Year, everyone!
ReplyDeleteDo you find parallels between any dynamics in your book and the present day?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a very good read.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds fascinating. Love the cover!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds really good, thanks for sharing an excerpt
ReplyDelete