ANNE and CHARLES – She married him to save her country. What happened next surprised them both.

05 Monday Jun 2023

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#awardwinning, #book, #Chanticleer-CIBA, #finalist, #political marriage, #series, Anne of Brittany, Brittany, Charles VIII of France, Early Modern Europe, fiction, historical fiction, History, late medieval, relationships, renaissance politics

Find Anne and Charles here. #historicalfiction spiced with #romance Book One of the Anne of Brittany Series.

MARGARET OF AUSTRA – The most undersung female player of 16th century Europe

24 Wednesday May 2023

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16th century Europe, Anne Boleyn, Anne of Brittany, bestseller, book, Catherine of Aragon, Charles V, diplomat, Early Modern Europe, Habsburg, Henry VIII, historical fiction, History, Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, Louis XII, Margaret of Austria, Maximilian I, New release, powerbroker, Renaissance, ruler, statesman, Thomas Wolsey, tudor, women of history, women of influence

May 24, 2023 – Margaret of Austria tops Google’s list of 16th century Europe’s most undersung female players. Find out why in Margaret of Austria, closing in on Prince Harry and Alexander the Great on Amazon’s Best Sellers in Biographies of Royalty list.

“A must-read for anyone interested in the history of early modern Europe, women’s history, or political biography.” —Lee Leho

“In Margaret of Austria, Rozsa Gaston offers an engaging account of the life and achievements of one of the foremost prominent figures of her time. The book is a well-researched and meticulously crafted narrative, blending historical facts and fiction in a way that renders the story both informative and entertaining. Gaston’s ability to balance intricate details of diplomatic events and relationships with the broader historical context makes the book a valuable resource for scholars of early modern Europe. The book offers a nuanced portrayal of a powerful woman in a period when female leadership was often overlooked, and I think it will be embraced by readers interested in the history of women in power.”–Asher Syed for Readers’ Favorite

“This captivating novel brings to life the story of Margaret of Austria, an extraordinary woman who wielded great political power as Governor of the Netherlands during the early 16th century. The author masterfully weaves historical detail with engaging storytelling to depict Margaret’s strength, intelligence, and resilience in navigating the complexities of European politics. Readers will enjoy the rich tapestry of Margaret’s experiences, from her personal struggles to her triumphs in diplomacy. A perfect gift for history enthusiasts or those interested in inspiring women, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression.”—Gene McKenzie

Margaret of Austria knew all the players and how to handle them

17 Monday Apr 2023

Posted by rozsagaston in 16th century, arranged marriage, Charles VIII, Dutch history, female rulers, historical fiction, History, Kirkus Review, Modern age

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16th century Europe, 16th century rulers, Anne Boleyn, Catherine of Aragon, Charles V, Habsburg, Henry Tudor, Henry VIII, historical fiction, History, Isabella and Ferdinand, Juana the Mad, Kirkus featured review, Kirkus Review, Louise of Savoy, Margaret of Austria, Maximilian 1, Netherlands, New release, Philip the Handsome, Renaissance, Thomas Wolsey, women in power

Kirkus Reviews magazine features Margaret of Austria in its April 1, 2023 issue. Read the Kirkus Review here.

𝑨𝑵𝑵𝑬 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑳𝑶𝑼𝑰𝑺 𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹 𝑩𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑫 makes the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐒.

20 Friday Jan 2023

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16th century rulers, Anne of Brittany, Award-winning, books, Brittany, Chaucer Book Awards, CIBA Awards, female ruler, France, historicalfiction, History, Louis XII, Renaissance, Renaissance history, semi-finalist, Series

The sky was gray, the weather was cold. Then everything burst into color…
𝑨𝑵𝑵𝑬 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑳𝑶𝑼𝑰𝑺 𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹 𝑩𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑫 makes the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐒.

bit.ly/anneandlouisforeverbound Award-winning #historical #fiction Thank you to Chanticleer Book Reviews & Media for supporting indie authors. https://www.chantireviews.com/2023/01/12/the-chaucer-2022-semi-finalists-for-early-historical-fiction-the-cibas/?fbclid=IwAR2JiN5e2vKmQL93C_Tm9dIQhUwhUszWTiH9c0cX5x64s2R6v9IcgMixAZQ

Anne and Charles makes Shepherd’s Top Five List for character-driven historical suspense with romance

22 Tuesday Nov 2022

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Anne of Brittany, anneofbrittanyseries, awardwinning, books, Brittany, fiction, France, historical fiction, historicalfictionromance, History, Renaissance, Series, Shepherd's top five list, Tudor history readers

Nov. 21, 2022 – Delighted to see Anne and Charles make the top five list. https://shepherd.com/best-books/character-driven-historical-suspense-with-romance?fbclid=IwAR3H2lfIyXhQmEhtn5VcVlFBCD2ugxbJLHW_ZFHhWYtKuZxQQnXQrxHPnm8

Anne and Louis Forever Bound makes shortlist for 2022 Chaucer Book Awards

09 Wednesday Nov 2022

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Anne of Brittany, book awards, Brittany, Chaucer Book Awards, historical fiction, History, Louis XII, of france, Renaissance, tudor

Nov. 4, 2022 – Anne and Louis Forever Bound makes the 2022 Chaucer Book Awards shortlist.

The Chaucer Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in pre-1750s historical fiction. The Chaucer Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs). See complete 2022 shortlist here.

https://www.chantireviews.com/2022/11/03/the-chaucer-2022-short-list-for-early-historical-fiction/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-chaucer-2022-short-list-for-early-historical-fiction&mc_cid=b4756cac85&mc_eid=77ba631df8

History Matters – Paper Lantern Writers features historical fiction author Rozsa Gaston for May 2022

27 Friday May 2022

Posted by rozsagaston in Dutch history, female rulers, French culture, historical fiction, Uncategorized

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16th century rulers, Anne of Brittany, Burgundy, Europe, female leaders, female political leader, France, historical fiction, History, Margaret of Austria, Margaret of Habsburg, Netherlands, Paris, Renaissance

https://www.paperlanternwriters.com/blog/words-with-a-wordsmith-rozsa-gaston

Paper Lantern Writers

Words with a Wordsmith: Rozsa Gaston

Rozsa Gaston : “History matters.”

Are there TV shows or films that have influenced your writing?

Yes. I saw The Red Balloon (1956) at our local library when I was a young girl. I was immediately enchanted with Paris. The movie has no words and there are no words to describe how deeply it moved me. The boy in the movie was poor. He lived in a small apartment in a dirty rundown section of Paris. Yet I was moved by Paris’s beauty and charm in every scene.

When I was 19 I went to Paris for the first time as an au pair and lived in a maid’s garret on the top floor of a building. No hot water, shower or bath. A Turkish toilet (don’t ask). Just like the boy in The Red Balloon chasing his balloon in the streets of Paris I spent that year chasing beauty all over Paris.

What do you worry about in your work?

I tend to avoid conflict and always seek happy endings. Yet novels are built upon conflict. To write a good novel you need lots of conflict before you can get to the happy ending. In my Anne of Brittany series I was challenged to touch upon the less positive aspects of my heroine’s character. Now that the series is done, I have moved on to Margaret of Austria, who experienced plenty of conflict during her years as governor of the Netherlands from 1507-1530.

As governor of the Netherlands she was responsible for administering Habsburg rule over 17 different territories that comprise today’s Holland and the Benelux countries, as well as Burgundy (now folded into France). She batted heads with many of her legislators, each of whom wished to maintain privileges for their respective regions.

My challenge is to refrain from writing a puff piece on Margaret of Austria, but rather to offer a balanced view of how she managed her position, both good and bad. I hope I will lead my readers to a satisfying ending, coming away with a deep appreciation for this historical figure.

What brings you great joy as a writer?

It brings me great joy to read a passage from one of my books a year or two after it came out and realize there’s a certain voice to the prose that is all my own.

A second source of joy is to hear from readers of my Anne of Brittany series that they had never heard of Anne of Brittany before and are fascinated to discover her story. I hope the same will be true of Margaret of Austria once my new book comes out. I feel connected to a larger purpose by bringing to life the stories of these female Renaissance rulers who played such vital roles in early 16th century Europe. History books have only sketched them in. My goal is to fill in the gaps and bring their personalities to life for readers of today.

Do you speak a second language? Do you think differently in that language? Does it influence your writing?

Yes. I speak French passably, not fluently. I think differently in that language. When I speak French my personality becomes more feminine, refined. I feel more myself. The challenge is to translate French phrases into English in a way that maintains their subtlety, shifting the English-speaking reader’s sensibility. The French language reflects its culture, utterly different from that of English-speaking countries. When researching historical figures in French texts, fascinating differences between Anglophone and Francophone worlds emerge, particularly in the area of pleasure.

The French celebrate pleasure, the English-speaking world feels guilty about its pursuit. The French pursue pleasure in eating, in creating beauty in their surroundings, in giving and receiving pleasure.

When I read texts covering Francis I and his 16th century Renaissance court I came across many passages about men’s preoccupation with providing satisfaction to their ladylove. There would be references to men boasting of how many times they pleasured their ladylove. My eyes opened and the scales fell away. If there were similar texts in English, either the subject would not be mentioned at all or any male boasting would have been about how many times they achieved satisfaction, not their female partner.

What was the inspiration for your most recent book?

While researching Anne of Brittany’s story I came across mention of Margaret of Austria as an 11-year-old, raised at the French court to become queen to Charles VIII of France. Charles jilted Margaret to marry Anne of Brittany, who was very kind to her despite having taken her place. When Margaret returned to the Netherlands, Anne of Brittany and Margaret of Austria stayed in touch. Both were interested in creating a Habsburg hedge around France, to curb its dominance. Both women were instrumental in the seminal development of what has now become the European Union. Both began their lives as pawns of powerful men and both emerged to become powerful players themselves on the European political stage.

Rozsa Gaston writes historical fiction. She studied European history at Yale, and received her Master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University, including one year at Institut des Etudes Politiques (Sciences Po), Paris.

She worked at the United Nations, then at Institutional Investor before turning to writing full-time. After beginning her writing career she worked as a columnist for The Westchester Guardian.

Author of the four-volume Anne of Brittany Series, Gaston won the Publishers Weekly 2018 BookLife Prize in general fiction for Anne and Louis, Book Two of the series.

Gaston lives in Bronxville, New York, with her family and is currently working on Margaret of Austria: Governor of the Netherlands and Early 16th Century Europe’s Greatest Diplomat. She is a member of and former guest expert at the UK Tudor Society and a founding member of France’s Splendid Centuries Facebook page.

Her motto? History matters.

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Rebecca D’Harlingue writes about seventeenth-century women taking a different path. Her award-winning debut novel,The Lines Between Us, takes place in Spain, Mexico, and modern-day St. Louis, Missouri.

Rebecca DharlingueMay 27, 2022

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