Cover Reveal: The Competition by Donna Russo Morin

I am so excited to be able to be a part of this cover reveal today for the 2nd installment in the Da Vinci’s Disciples series by Donna Russo Morin!  I have enjoyed all of her novels that I have read (and I have read all but 1 so far!) and she is such a super sweet woman when you meet her in person.  I can’t wait to get my hands on this novel when it comes out. 

(Be sure to read to the end of the post for an extra special bonus!).

Before we get to the reveal, I wanted to share some words from the author herself about this 2nd book:

“I knew I wanted the second book in this trilogy to be a little more personal, get into the lives of these courageous women, and da Vinci himself, a bit more deeply. Oh, they are still daring to go where women had never gone before in the Renaissance, and they put everything on the line for the love of their art—their marriages, their family relationships, even their lives—to do it, to bring their work out into the open, no matter the consequence. Another form of art is explored through their eyes, through their hands. But in THE COMPETITION, I’ve pulled back more of the layers of their lives and the secrets they may hold. Love bursts to fulfillment, desire is ignited, disastrous illnesses change lives, and familial condemnations are shattered. All set amidst the glory that is Florence during the Renaissance. 

These women are bold; there can be no doubt. But they are elegant women and this cover, like the first, captures that elegance to perfection. It is the seamless companion to the first, and they look dazzling together.”  --Donna Russo Morin

Curious to know more about this book? Check out this book’s description:

A commission to paint a fresco in the church of Santo Spirito is about to be announced and Florence’s countless artists each seek the fame and glory this lucrative contract will provide. Viviana, a noblewoman freed from a terrible marriage, and now able to pursue her artistic passions, sees a potential life-altering opportunity for herself and her fellow artists. The women first speak to Lorenzo de’ Medici himself, and finally, they submit a bid for the right to paint it. And they win. The very public commission belongs to them.

But with the victory comes a powerful cost. The church will not stand for women painting, especially not in a house of worship. The city is not ready to consider women in positions of power, and in Florence, artists wield tremendous power. Even the women themselves are hesitant; the attention they will bring up) on themselves will disrupt their families, and even put them in physical danger.

All the while, Viviana grows closer to Sansone, her soldier lover, who is bringing to her a joy that she never knew with her deceased husband. And fellow-artist Isabetta has a flame reignited, sparked by Lorenzo himself.

Power and passion collide in this sumptuous historical novel of shattering limitations, one brushstroke at a time.

THE COMPETITION: Da Vinci’s Disciples Book Two goes on sale April 25, 2017. Pre-order a copy here.

Ok, now I can share this beautiful cover with you!  What do you think?

The Competition by Donna Russo Morin
Book 2 in the Da Vinci’s Disciples series
Publication Date: April 25, 2017
Paperback, 268 pages
Diversion Publishing
Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery

Haven’t read the first book yet? Now’s your chance at a special reduced price!

For the next SEVEN days (beginning November 2 until November 9!), the Kindle version of PORTRAIT OF A CONSPIRACY IS ONLY $.99…that’s a $7 savings!

Get your copy now!

You can read my review of Portrait of a Conspiracy here.

Read the first critically acclaimed book, fall in love with these daring women, and get ready to fight beside them for the right to be who they truly want to be in THE COMPETITION.

“Russo Morin’s elegant command of language and composition left me breathless, but the story itself, with its flawless depiction of power, corruption, defiance, intrigue, and retribution makes Portrait of a Conspiracy an absolute must read.” --Flashlight Commentary

“...a page-turner unlike any historical novel, weaving passion, adventure, artistic rebirth, and consequences of ambition...a masterful writer at the peak of her craft.”—C. W. Gortner, author of THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE’ MEDICI

“This riveting book is filled with art, assassinations, retribution, and a sisterhood of fascinating women who inspire as well as entertain.”—Stephanie Dray, NYT Bestselling author of AMERICA’S FIRST DAUGHTER

“In PORTRAIT OF A CONSPIRACY, Russo Morin's prose is as sharp as a Medici dagger...Thwarting danger, finding love, and creating masterpieces, [these women] remind us just how powerful the bonds of womanhood can be.”—Marci Jefferson, author of THE ENCHANTRESS OF PARIS

“A 15th-century Florence of exquisite art, sensual passion and sudden, remorseless violence comes vividly to life in Donna Russo Morin's new novel.”—Nancy Bilyeau, author of THE CROWN

“In PORTRAIT OF A CONSPIRACY, Russo Morin's rich detailing transports the reader to the heart of Renaissance Italy from the first page.”—Heather Webb, author of BECOMING JOSEPHINE

“Illicit plots, mysterious paintings, and a young Leonardo da Vinci all have their part to play in this delicious, heart-pounding tale.”—Kate Quinn, author of THE EMPRESS OF ROME SAGA

About the Author:

Donna Russo Morin is the award winning of author of historical fiction. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, she lives near the shore with her two sons, Devon and Dylan, her greatest works in progress.

Donna enjoys meeting with book groups in person and via Skype chat. Visit her website, friend her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

Cover Reveal Hosts:

Book Lovers Paradise
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Books, Dreams, Life
Broken Teepee
CelticLady's Reviews
Curling up by the Fire
Let Them Read Books
Passages to the Past
So Many Books, So Little Time
The Book Junkie Reads
The Maiden's Court (That’s me!)
The Reading Queen
Unabridged Chick

Cover Reveal Hosted By:

 

Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Portrait of a Conspiracy by Donna Russo Morin

Portrait of a Conspiracy by Donna Russo Morin

Book 1 in the Da Vinci’s Disciples Trilogy

ARC, Paperback, 290 pages

Diversion Books

May 10, 2016

★★★★☆

Genre: Historical Fiction/Mystery

Source: Received from the publisher for review with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

One murder ignites the powderkeg that threatens to consume the Medici’s Florence. Amidst the chaos, five women and one legendary artist weave together a plot that could bring peace, or get them all killed. Seeking to wrest power from the Medici family in 15th Century Florence, members of the Pazzi family drew their blades in a church and slew Giuliano. But Lorenzo de Medici survives, and seeks revenge on everyone involved, plunging the city into a murderous chaos that takes dozens of lives. Bodies are dragged through the streets, and no one is safe.

Five women steal away to a church to ply their craft in secret. Viviana, Fiammetta, Isabetta, Natasia, and Mattea are painters, not allowed to be public with their skill, but freed from the restrictions in their lives by their art. When a sixth member of their group, Lapaccia, goes missing, and is rumored to have stolen a much sought after painting as she vanished, the women must venture out into the dangerous streets to find their friend and see her safe. They will have help from one of the most renowned painters of their era the peaceful and kind Leonardo Da Vinci. It is under his tutelage that they will flourish as artists, and with his access that they will infiltrate some of the highest, most secretive places in Florence, unraveling one conspiracy as they build another in its place. Historical fiction at its finest, Donna Russo Morin begins a series of Da Vinci’s disciples with a novel both vibrant and absorbing, perfect for the readers of Sarah Dunant.

The story that Donna Russo Morin crafts in Portrait of a Conspiracy is a little bit of a mystery, a little bit of a women’s history lesson, and a little bit of a study of art. Immediately from the first pages of the novel you are sucked into the drama of an assassination and as the pages turn more of the plot behind the assassination unfolds. The five core women of this story get caught up in all of the drama not only because it is happening in their great city and it effects everyone to some extent, but also because one of their own is seemingly implicated in the plot in some manner and they are trying to find and protect their friend before the law does. At this time, women were not in power, so they must find her using the methods available to women, which makes things a little bit trickier. At the same time, they must work to keep their small art group a secret, which is a challenge when the people in power are turning over every stone looking for the perpetrators of the assassination. There is quite a lot going on here!

Overall, I feel that the plot of the novel was well thought-out and well-paced. There was never a sense of the objective being lost even though these characters endure some life events that run alongside the main story of the assassination plot and finding their missing friend. It imitated life in that you can never have a sole focus because life gets in the way – and especially when you are trying to coordinate a group of women it can become a challenge as personalities can get in the way!

There was certainly a lot of attention paid to learning about and detailing the creation of art. These women have their own art studio and we are privy to their creation of their works. In their quest they also study and witness other art being created. It is clear that the author spent a lot of time researching methods of painting and it make the novel that much richer in detail.

Morin is an expert at bringing the setting to life, in this case the city of Florence. I have never been to Florence, or even Italy for that matter, but I felt like I was living and breathing it right along with the characters – from the grimy walls a dark alley, to the smells of death and decay in the plaza, to the plush luxury of the upper class homes.

There is a large cast of characters here – at the very least there are 6 women, their husbands/children, Leonardo da Vinci, and several people of power and influence. Although a dramatis personae is included in the front of the novel, I forgot about this and struggled through most of the novel to remember which name belonged to which woman and from what walk of life she was from. Various sections of the book are told from different perspectives and I found it hard to keep track of who was who – so I recommend you keep the character profiles in front of you! Morin well fleshes out her characters and each is a unique character – I just couldn’t keep them all straight.

There was one thing that kept me from rating this novel higher and this was that at times the narrative became a little bit dense, especially in the first half of it. The most glaring example of this was the inclusion of practically every street that the women covered during their treks around the city; it was something that I began to frequently notice and it slowed down my pace. While I think the author wanted to give a detailed description of their paths through the city I think that it became a little too much and would have benefited from a lighter hand at the street name dropping.

I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of this series plays out. I am curious if there will be another mystery/thriller angle in the next book or if it will be more focused on their quest to bring women’s art to the fore.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• The Quidnunc

 
Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

 
Also by Donna Russo Morin:

The Secret of the Glass
[My Review]

The King’s Agent
[My Review]

To Serve a King
[My Review]

The Courtier’s Secret

 
Find Donna Russo Morin: Website | Facebook | Twitter

 
Follow the Tour!

On Twitter: #PortraitofaConspiracyBlogTour

On HFVBT Website

 
 


Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: The King’s Agent by Donna Russo Morin

The King’s Agent by Donna Russo Morin
ARC, Paperback, 384 pages
Kensington
February 28, 2012
★★★★☆

Genre: Historical fiction

Source: Received from author as part of the Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

“To the casual observer, Battista della Palla is an avid art collector, or perhaps a nimble thief. In reality, the cunning Italian is an agent for François, the King of France, for whom he procures the greatest masterpieces of the day by any means necessary. Embroiled in a power struggle with Charles V, the King of Spain, François resolves to rule Europe’s burgeoning cultural world. When he sets his sights on a mysterious sculpture, Battista’s search for the elusive objet d’art leads him to a captivating woman on a mission of her own…

Having spent her life under the controlling eye of her protector, the Marquess of Mantua, Aurelia longs for freedom. And she finds it in Battista. Together, they embark on a journey to find the clues that will lead him to the sculpture—a venture so perilous it might have spilled from the pen of Dante himself. From the smoldering depths of Rome to a castle in the sky, the harrowing quest draws them inextricably together. But Aurelia guards a dark secret that could tear them apart—and chance the course of history…”

What starts out as a seemingly standard historical fiction novel quickly turns into more of an adventure novel in a historical setting. This was a new sort of twist in the HF genre and certainly for Morin’s novels in general – and it was an amazingly fun ride! Our hero and heroine set out on an epic adventure to find a relic of some extraordinary power for the king of France. To ultimately get to this relic they will have to face tests of strength, speed, power, stamina, emotions and many more challenges along the way.

The author points out that two of the inspirations behind this novel are Dante’s The Divine Comedy, which is explicitly known while reading, and the video game series, Zelda. If you are not a video game aficionado you will not recognize any references to the video game, so don’t be concerned that it will cause to you miss out on something or won’t be to your interest. But, for those of us, me included, who are quite familiar with the game series you will notice that the format of the plot very much feels like a video game. There were times while I was reading where I remember thinking, “I remember doing that!” It was quite the multilayered experience and I can certainly understand why this was an inspiration. If you are not familiar with this video game series, I would compare the plot in some ways with The Da Vinci Code in the regard that you are looking for clues that are hidden in plain sight which will lead you to the next item of importance. In regard to The Divine Comedy I do not have much experience, except knowing the general concept of his work, but the novel actually helped me to have a new experience with the work. I have a lifetime goal to eventually read Dante’s work.

There is a requirement at some points where you have to suspend reality in this novel. This is especially true for those of us who read a lot of historical fiction when it tends to follow a set sort of path anchored in historical detail. The novel is certainly historical fiction, as the events that take place are set within the historical events, people, and setting, however there are some elements that sort of defy the historical formula. Again, a good thing, but just a heads up.

Morin chooses to set this novel in various prominent cities in Italy – Florence, Mantua, Rome – however for some reason I expected it to be set in France. I guess with the back cover text referring to King Francois I of France and not specifically stating Italy I got that stuck in my head. That being said, I loved the world created by the author. Everything stood out in vivid detail – and this is especially true of the artworks, which play a prominent role in this novel. If the art was not given a depth of definition I do not think the plot would have come off as well.

Another great outing from Donna Russo Morin – I can’t wait to read more of her work.

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

Other reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Historical Novel Review
• Jenny Loves to Read

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Donna Russo Morin:

To Serve a King
[My Review]

The Courtier’s Secret

The Secret of the Glass
[My Review]

Portrait of a Conspiracy
[My Review]

The Competition

The Flames of Florence
Coming in 2018

Find Donna Russo Morin: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Follow the Tour!

You can follow the rest of Donna’s blog tour by visiting the Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tours website.  You can also follow the tour on Twitter with #KingsAgentVirtualBookTour

Copyright © 2012 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: To Serve a King by Donna Russo Morin

To Serve a King by Donna Russo Morin
ARC, Paperback, 384 pages
Kensington
January 25, 2011
★★★★½☆

Genre: Historical fiction

Source: Received from the publisher for review

“From her earliest days, Genevieve Gravois has known one fact above all: Francois I, king of France, is her enemy. Raised by her embittered aunt after her parents' deaths, Genevieve has been schooled in things no woman should know: how to decipher codes, how to use a dagger and a bow, and how to kill. For Henry VIII has a destiny in mind for the young girl--as his most powerful and dangerous spy. 

When the time is ripe, Genevieve enters the magnificent world of the French court. With grace to match her ambition, she becomes maid of honor to Anne de Pisseleau, King Francois's mistress. Yet neither the court--which teems with artistry and enlightenment as well as intrigue--nor Francois himself are at all what Genevieve expected. And with her mission, her life, and the fate of two kingdoms at stake, she will be forced to make deadly decisions about where her heart and her ultimate loyalties lie.”

I have read one other book by this author so far and this was an improvement over the last, you can certainly see this author’s growth over time. I loved this book - it was fast paced and carried your right along with the story. I enjoyed the fact that our heroine, Genevieve, is not a real historical character because I didn’t know what her story would be; every turn of the page was a surprise. To that end, the resolution of the novel was even more surprising and I certainly never would have guessed it! It was a wonderful closure to the story. Both of these elements that I point out above – the pacing and ending – were aspects that were greatly improved over the previous novel, The Secret of the Glass.

I loved getting to know the French court of Francois and the Duchesse de Etampes. I had previously met these characters before in novels about Catherine de Medici, but never had they been major characters for me. The characters were so well constructed, even all of the ladies who were a part of the Duchesse’s retinue. It was nice to see attention paid to the details here. I also enjoyed seeing the factions that occurred in court: the Duchesse and Francois vs. Henri and Diane de Poitiers vs. Catherine de Medici and Queen Eleanor. Morin writes some beautiful characters to be sure.

One of my favorite aspects was the spy/intrigue storyline. I hadn’t put too much thought into this happening as a daily aspect of life in the courts. I knew that everyone had the eyes and ears everywhere, but that was the extent of it for me. From all of my reading set in the courts of Henry VIII, Francois I, and Charles V, I could sincerely believe that these events would have occurred, based on their personalities.

I can’t wait to read more by this author.

Other reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Reading Vacation
• Luxury Reading

Buy the book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Donna Russo Morin:

The King’s Agent
[My Review]

The Courtier’s Secret

The Secret of the Glass
[My Review]

Portrait of a Conspiracy
[My Review]

The Competition

The Flames of Florence
Coming in 2018

Find Donna Russo Morin: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Copyright © 2012 by The Maiden’s Court

The Making of the Glass

While reading The Secret of the Glass by Donna Russo Morin I learned a lot about how the Murano glass was made. The entire first section of the book focuses on describing the methods and tools used in this trade among other things. While the descriptions were great, many people have complained that there is not a glossary for the Italian words – so I am providing one for the glass making process.

• Borselle – tongs or pliers – used to form the hot glass
• Canna da soffio – blowing pipe
• Pontello – iron rod used to hold the glass object after the initial blowing to add the decorative touches
• Scagno – glass makers work bench
• Tagianti – glass cutting clipper

Now you may wonder how these tools all work together to make the beautiful glass you see above. Here is a video clip I found of some glass being made – all of the above tools are used. I always think that with these sorts of craft trades – it is better to see it happen than listen to it being described or reading about it.


Hope you have learned something about making Murano glass!

Here are the other events happening at the Round Table today:

Book review by Lucy at Enchanted by Josephine
Info on DRM’s upcoming 2011 Tudor novel TO SERVE A KING at HFBRT

Copyright © 2010 by The Maiden’s Court

Secret of the Glass - Giveaway Round Up

We are about halfway through The Secret of the Glass week at the Historical Fiction Bloggers Round Table and I thought I would do a round up of the giveaways going on.

At HFBRT:

Murano Venetian Glass Pendant - Open to All and Ends March 1, 2010.

1 Paperback Copy of The Secret of the Glass - Open to All and Ends March 1, 2010.

At Historical-Fiction.com:

1 Paperback Copy of Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel - Open to All and Ends March 1, 2010.

At The Burton Review:

Bookmark and ARC of The Secret of the Glass - Answer an intriguing question to answer this giveaway.

Enter as many as you want - best of luck to all!

Copyright © 2010 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: The Secret of the Glass by Donna Russo Morin

The Secret of the Glass by Donna Russo Morin

ARC, Paperback, 384 pages

Kensington Press

March 1, 2010

★★★★☆

Genre: Historical Fiction

Source: From Author for Review for Historical Fiction Bloggers Round Table Event

“The Murano glassmakers of Venice are celebrated and revered. But now three are dead, killed for attempting to leave the city that both prized their work and kept them prisoner. For in this, the 17th century, the secret of their craft must, by law, never leave Venetian shores. Yet there is someone who keeps the secret while defying tradition. She is Sophia Fiolario, and she, too, is a glassmaker. Her crime is being a woman. . .

Sophia is well aware that her family would be crushed by scandal if the truth of her knowledge and skill with glass were revealed. But there has never been any threat. . .until now. A wealthy nobleman with strong connections to the powerful Doge has requested her hand in marriage, and her refusal could draw dangerous attention. Yet having to accept and cease her art would devastate her. If there is an escape, Sophia intends to find it.

Now, between creating precious glass parts for one of Professor Galileo Galilei's astonishing inventions and attending lavish parties at the Doge's Palace, Sophia is crossing paths with very influential people--including one who could change her life forever. But in Venice, every secret has its price. And Sophia must decide how much she is willing to pay.”

Sophia Fiolario is the daughter of one of the great glassmakers of Murano. The making of the glass is a secret that only the men of Murano are allowed to know or partake in – except one woman knows the secret – Sophia. Sophia is betrothed to marry a man that she despises and who really has no interest in her – except so that he can carry on his own interests. At the same time she falls in love with someone she can’t have. As her life starts to spiral out of control, Sophia worries as to what will happen to the glassworks factory and what will happen to her now that she knows the secret…

I have to admit that going into this book I had no idea what “the secret” of the glass was, and I was oblivious to it for awhile – although it was fairly obvious now that I look back at it. I loved learning all about how glass was made – I could almost see it happening in my mind (I can make some beautiful glass in my mind). This is the second book in a short time that I have read about artisans – the previous one being The Queen’s Dollmaker by Christine Trent. It was enjoyable to read about something other than royalty for a little while.

I loved the character of Sophia. I could feel all of her emotions and desires. I also was fascinated by her love interest, Teodoro – she picked a good one all right! The characters were very well developed – even the minor characters. I also enjoyed how Galileo was a prominent character, without being the main character. I found him very likeable and it encouraged me to look up a little more about him (someone I didn’t care too much about in school).

There were a couple of small issues I had with this book. I wished the ending had a little more to it. Don’t get me wrong, I was very happy with the twist at the end, but I wish there was a little bit more after the twist. I felt like it ended a little abruptly. I also would have liked a little more explanation regarding this mysterious illness that Galileo had that affected him frequently – I’m a little perplexed about that one.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book. This strengthened my enjoyment of books that focus on the more obscure characters.

You can read an excerpt of the book here to sample the author's writing. 

 

Reviews of this book by other bloggers

• Romancing the Book
• Historical-Fiction.com

 

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Also by Donna Russo Morin:

The Courtier's Secret

To Serve A King
[My Review]

The King's Agent
[My Review]

Portrait of a Conspiracy (Book 1 in Da Vinci's Disciples)
Coming in May 2016

Find Donna Russo Morin: Website | Facebook | Blog | Twitter | Goodreads 

 

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Also featured today during the HFBRT event:

• The first part of an interview with Donna Russo Morin at the HFBRT site
• Fact Checking The Island of Murano at Historically Obsessed

 

Copyright © 2010 by The Maiden’s Court

Sunday Salon and The Secret of the Glass Week

Good morning everyone! I hope you all are having a much better weekend than I am. We have had consistent running water here since Thursday because my father screwed something up with our water system. Then last night as we got the pipes fixed and the cold water working mostly right, we find out that we need to get a new hot water heater because he messed that up too. So hopefully with a new hot water heater today, we might be back close to correct. I would love to shower at home again, haha. But, enough with my problems.

I’m still reading The Scarlet Lion by Elizabeth Chadwick for our March Roundtable event. With all of the problems we have been having around here and the Olympics on, I have been slacking a little on my reading. I have started listening to Mercy by Jodi Picoult on audio book in the car. I am enjoying it, but not as much as I did her other books, Salem Falls and The Pact.

We also still have a giveaway going on here for 1 copy of The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory. This is open until February 27th.
This week is the February event for The Historical Fiction Round Table and we are featuring The Secret of the Glass by Donna Russo Morin. Over at the main blog you can find the official announcement and the first giveaway – for a copy of the book. I have posted our schedule of events for this week below for easy access. The events being hosted here are on the 22nd and the 28th.

February 20th – Announcement & opening of Giveaway at HFBRT.
February 21st - Book Review by Arleigh at Historical-Fiction.com, “The History of the Venice Canal System and How it Works” by Susie at All Things Royal
February 22nd – Book Review by Heather at The Maiden’s Court, “Fact Checking the Island of Murano” by Lizzy at Historically Obsessed, Interview Questions with Author at HFBRT
February 23rd – Book Review by Marie at The Burton Review, “Venice Carnival” by Lucy at Enchanted by Josephine, Murano Venetian glass NECKLACE giveaway at HFBRT
February 24th – Book Review by Allie at Hist-Fic Chick, “The Life and Times of Galileo Galilei” by Arleigh at Historical-Fiction.com, Interview Questions with Author at HFBRT
February 25th – Book Review by Lizzy at Historically Obsessed, Article on The Courtier's Secret at HFBRT
February 26th – Book Review by Susie at All Things Royal, “Dowries in Italy” by Marie at The Burton Review, Interview Questions with Author at HFBRT
February 27th- Book Review by Amy at Passages to the Past, Creative Post by Allie at Hist-Fic Chick
February 28th – Book review by Lucy at Enchanted by Josephine, “Making the Glass” by Heather at The Maiden’s Court, Info on DRM’s upcoming 2011 Tudor novel To Serve A King

I hope you all are having a fabulous weekend and hope you drop by some of the Round Table events to come.




Copyright © 2010 by The Maiden’s Court