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  • Anne and Louis Forever Bound
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Rozsa Gaston – Author

~ Anne of Brittany Series & other works

Rozsa Gaston – Author

Tag Archives: History

๐‘จ๐‘ต๐‘ต๐‘ฌ ๐‘จ๐‘ต๐‘ซ ๐‘ณ๐‘ถ๐‘ผ๐‘ฐ๐‘บ ๐‘ญ๐‘ถ๐‘น๐‘ฌ๐‘ฝ๐‘ฌ๐‘น ๐‘ฉ๐‘ถ๐‘ผ๐‘ต๐‘ซ makes the ๐Ÿ๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ ๐‚๐ก๐š๐ฎ๐œ๐ž๐ซ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐€๐ฐ๐š๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐’๐„๐Œ๐ˆ๐…๐ˆ๐๐€๐‹๐’.

20 Friday Jan 2023

Posted by rozsagaston in Uncategorized

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

The sky was gray, the weather was cold. Then everything burst into color…
๐‘จ๐‘ต๐‘ต๐‘ฌ ๐‘จ๐‘ต๐‘ซ ๐‘ณ๐‘ถ๐‘ผ๐‘ฐ๐‘บ ๐‘ญ๐‘ถ๐‘น๐‘ฌ๐‘ฝ๐‘ฌ๐‘น ๐‘ฉ๐‘ถ๐‘ผ๐‘ต๐‘ซ makes the ๐Ÿ๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ ๐‚๐ก๐š๐ฎ๐œ๐ž๐ซ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐€๐ฐ๐š๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐’๐„๐Œ๐ˆ๐…๐ˆ๐๐€๐‹๐’.

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

Posted by rozsagaston in Uncategorized

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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=77ba631df8ย 

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 : โ€œHistory matters.โ€

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 Parisโ€™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 maidโ€™s garret on the top floor of a building. No hot water, shower or bath. A Turkish toilet (donโ€™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 heroineโ€™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 todayโ€™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 thereโ€™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 readerโ€™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 menโ€™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 Brittanyโ€™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 Masterโ€™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 Europeโ€™s Greatest Diplomat. She is a member of and former guest expert at the UK Tudor Society and a founding member of Franceโ€™s Splendid Centuries Facebook page.

 Her motto? History matters.

Website

Anne of Brittany Series:

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

Book 4

Sense of Touch

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*This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thanks.

To interact with Paper Lantern Writers and other historical fiction authors and readers, join our Facebook group SHINE.

Rebecca Dโ€™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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Denise DeVries4 days agoยท 2 Likes

I loved the Red Balloon too!

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Charles? Needs watching.โ€”Anne and Charles for Valentine’s Day, Anne of Brittany Series, Book One

13 Wednesday Feb 2019

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audiobook, books, culture, ebook, fiction, History, life, paperback, relationships, travel, Valentine's Day

AAA Anne and Charles PW takeaway 2

Posted by rozsagaston | Filed under 15th century, Anne and Charles, Anne of Brittany, Anne of Brittany series, arranged marriage, Charles VIII, Duchess of Brittany, female rulers, feudal era, French culture, French history, historical fiction, historical romance, History, Hot & Trending, infidelity, Kirkus Review, laws of inheritance, love, Medieval, medieval France, powerful women, Publishers Weekly, Publishers Weekly reviews, Queens of France, relationships, Renaissance France, Renaissance history, romance, Salic Law, Women in history, women of influence, women's empowerment

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Rising star spotlight on novelist Rozsa Gaston by InD’tale Magazine

01 Friday Feb 2019

Posted by rozsagaston in Anne and Charles, Anne and Louis, Anne of Brittany, Anne of Brittany series, Budapest, Duchess of Brittany, female rulers, foreign romance, historical fiction, historical romance, History, literary fiction, magazine article, medieval women authors, New release, Paris, powerful women, relationships, Renaissance history, romance, Women in history, women of influence, women's empowerment, writing

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book, books, culture, fiction, fun, History, Indtale Magazine, literature, publishing, reinvention, relationships, review, Series, travel, UN

0000 Rising Star Spotlight 2-1-19

Read InD’tale Magazine’s full interview on novelist Rozsa Gaston here: http://magazine.indtale.com/magazine/2019/february/viewer/desktop/#page/30

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anne of Brittany? Born Jan. 25, 1477, she was raised to rule and knew how to lead.

25 Friday Jan 2019

Posted by rozsagaston in 15th century, Anne and Charles, Anne and Louis, Anne of Brittany, Anne of Brittany series, arranged marriage, Charles VIII, Duchess of Brittany, female rulers, feudal era, French culture, French history, historical fiction, historical romance, History, laws of inheritance, powerful women, Queens of France, Renaissance France, Renaissance history, romance, Uncategorized, Women in history, women of influence, women's empowerment

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Anne of Brittany, books, culture, Duchess of Brittany, fiction, History, literature, Queen of France

anne of brittany guest blog for tony riches 1-25-19

https://tonyriches.blogspot.com/2019/01/anne-of-brittany-raised-to-rule-she.html

Jan. 25, 2019 – Happy 542nd anniversary of the birth of Anne of Brittany — a female role model for leadership for all times.

Discover her in Sense of Touch, prequel to the Anne of Brittany Series.

landing page crop 3

Charles? Needs watching.–Anne of Brittany Series, Book One

24 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by rozsagaston in 15th century, Anne and Charles, Anne of Brittany, Anne of Brittany series, arranged marriage, Charles VIII, childbirth, Duchess of Brittany, female rulers, feudal era, French culture, French history, historical fiction, historical romance, History, Hot & Trending, infidelity,, Kirkus Review, laws of inheritance, literary fiction, love, Medieval, medieval France, powerful women, Publishers Weekly reviews, Queens of France, relationships, Renaissance France, Salic Law, Salic Law laws of inheritance, Women in history, women of influence, women's empowerment

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Anne of Brittany, books, Brittany, Charles VIII, culture, European history, european royalty, fiction, France, French kings, French Queens, History, Italian campaigns, love, Naples, political marriage, politics, power, relationships, Renaissance, review

000 ac excerpt - charles needs watching

AAA Anne and Charles PW takeaway 3

Discover the story of Anne of Brittany’s marriage to Charles VIII, King of France, in Anne and Charles, Book One of the Anne of Brittany Series.

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Be inspired in 2019. Let Anne of Brittany’s story show you how.

10 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by rozsagaston in 15th century, Anne and Charles, Anne and Louis, Anne of Brittany, Anne of Brittany series, arranged marriage, Charles VIII, childbirth, Christine de Pizan, Claude of France, Duchess of Brittany, female rulers, feudal era, French culture, French history, historical fiction, historical romance, History, Kirkus Review, laws of inheritance, literary fiction, Louis XII, love, Machiavelli, Marie de France, Medieval, medieval France, medieval women authors, New release, powerful women, Publishers Weekly, Publishers Weekly reviews, publishing, Queens of France, Renaissance France, Salic Law, Salic Law laws of inheritance, Women in history, women of influence, women's empowerment

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books, culture, ebook, fiction, History, new release book, politics, review

a of b series be inspired

Find the Anne of Brittany Series here. Discover the keys to self-possession and self-confidence in the true story of this 15th century ruler.ย  Let 2019 be your year to fly.

000 al kirkus

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BookBub announces new release Anne and Louis from Rozsa Gaston

29 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by rozsagaston in 15th century, Anne and Louis, Anne of Brittany, Anne of Brittany series, childbirth, Christine de Pizan, Claude of France, Duchess of Brittany, female rulers, feudal era, French culture, French history, historical fiction, historical romance, History, Kirkus Review, laws of inheritance, literary fiction, Louis XII, love, Machiavelli, Marie de France, Medieval, medieval France, medieval women authors, New release, powerful women, Publishers Weekly, Publishers Weekly reviews, Queens of France, Renaissance France, Renaissance history, Salic Law, Salic Law laws of inheritance, Uncategorized, women of influence, women's empowerment

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2018 Booklife Prize, BookBub, Booklife, books, culture, Eleanor Brown, fiction, History, Midwest Book Review, new release book, NYT Bestselling author, politics, Publishers Weekly, review

BookBub New Release post 11-29-18Anne and Louis

Booklife mentions Anne and Louis 11-19-18

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@rozsagaston

  • Travel to Budapest this Valentine season. lrd.to/Budapestromance contemporary #sweet #romance #Budapest #travelโ€ฆ twitter.com/i/web/status/1โ€ฆ 5 hours ago
  • @LayahHeilpern your mum looks radiant. 1 day ago
  • Travel to Budapest this Valentine season. lrd.to/Budapestromance contemporary #sweet #romance #Budapest #travelโ€ฆ twitter.com/i/web/status/1โ€ฆ 1 day ago
  • @tonyriches Grounds of Clos Luce, Amboise, Loire Valley, France. Magnifique. https://t.co/gx11B6TqT4 2 days ago
  • ๐—š๐—ข๐—ข๐——๐—ฅ๐—˜๐—”๐——๐—ฆ ๐—š๐—œ๐—ฉ๐—˜๐—”๐—ช๐—”๐—ฌ ๐—”๐—Ÿ๐—˜๐—ฅ๐—ง Jilted at age 11 by the king of France, Margaret of Austria went on to govern the Netherlaโ€ฆ twitter.com/i/web/status/1โ€ฆ 4 days ago
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  • ๐‘จ๐‘ต๐‘ต๐‘ฌ ๐‘จ๐‘ต๐‘ซ ๐‘ณ๐‘ถ๐‘ผ๐‘ฐ๐‘บ ๐‘ญ๐‘ถ๐‘น๐‘ฌ๐‘ฝ๐‘ฌ๐‘น ๐‘ฉ๐‘ถ๐‘ผ๐‘ต๐‘ซ makes the ๐Ÿ๐ŸŽ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ ๐‚๐ก๐š๐ฎ๐œ๐ž๐ซ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐€๐ฐ๐š๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐’๐„๐Œ๐ˆ๐…๐ˆ๐๐€๐‹๐’.
  • Anne and Charles makes Shepherd’s Top Five List for character-driven historical suspense with romance
  • Presenting Margaret of Austria – the 16th century ruler who shot the fortunes of the House of Habsburg to the stars
  • Anne and Louis Forever Bound makes shortlist for 2022 Chaucer Book Awards
  • Anne and Louis Forever Bound shortlisted for 2022 Chaucer Awards

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