Historical Romance - The Last Betrayal

Book's Premise:

Versailles depicts the very essence of King Louis XIV, but amidst secret executions, abductions, and imprisonments, two men have served Louis’ every whim, never questioning the why of it, now one of those men has imprisoned the other at the king’s command. Has Lady Fate or the hand of God provided a chance escape to King Louis’ former Intelligencer, and can revenge ever be sweet for king or commoner? With the past revisited and finally laid to rest, love blossoms as a new life beckons, and the lovers pray they can cross the border to safety. With the revocation of the Edict of Nantes a tidal wave of fear has swept across France, thus a secret society formed by Huguenot merchants from within safe havens abroad assists those in need. In the meanwhile a secret society in England to dethrone James II brings the merchants together as a united force to uphold the Protestant faith under the royal standard of William of Orange. War is nigh, and can a Frenchman be trusted as William’s spy extraordinaire?

Amazon UK ---- Amazon US

The Award and Editorial Review:

What a thrill-packed spicy fan fiction sequel this is.

The background setting is France during the reign of Louis XIV. Dare it be said the author has either delved deep into research of her subject or has an uncanny familiarity with this period in history. The plight of the Huguenots and the ghastly consequences after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes is laid bare in this stylish sequel to the TV series Versailles. Fervour for the series in my house was met with ‘oh no, is that it?’ when a cruel cliff-hanger scene left devotees of Fabien Marchal in limbo and in horror there was no more episodes to come. There is no absolute proof it is Fabien in this novel, or is there? If not, was Fabien Marchal his full name and who was his father. All these questions have answers, and more. In any case, the hero’s dark side we witnessed from the TV series matches this hero who is plagued with memories. He is effectively damned by who he is and all that was undertaken in the name of the king. It is a common enough phrase to say the love of a good woman will sort him out, and that may be true if a poignant past would cease to torment him (a tissue box advisable). Then, when a spirited young woman tends to the needs of his horse her verve is somewhat refreshing to the jaded hero. She is then set to become his torment of a different kind when trusted into his care, and he is bound by sworn promise to deliver her to the care of her older brother. While the road to freedom is paved with many perils two familiar figures from the TV series are found en route and needy of help, and our hero rides to the rescue of royal blood. And so it goes all the way through this engaging novel with wonderful cameos very much in the vein of the Three Musketeers as the hero and heroine make of life thrown their way. All the while historical facts are interlaced with fiction as the hero tells us of his past in vivid colour. Interestingly the timeline begins in 1685 in France and ends in 1688 with a happy conclusion after the coronation in England of William and Mary of Orange. The Last Betrayal was recommended for the Historical Readers’ Award and is hereby granted the gold award, and goes without saying it is well written.

We were informed by the author the novel will be released September 30th as a text only e-book. The paperback edition is part illustrated.

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Award Winning Novel - Destiny by Design Leah's Journey

Book Blurb:

Leah Abramovitz, a cossetted member of the upper echelons of Odessan society, has high hopes for a brilliant future—that is until Fate takes a hand. When confronted with alarming changes in political and societal mores, the family decide to flee and chart a course that will forever alter their lives. Will her dreams be washed away on the shores of Buenos Aires or will Leah finally achieve the freedom to design her own destiny?

Literary Award Judge notes:

Whilst literary awards became a modern 20^th century concept to raise the standards of literary output, the oldest recorded was that of James Tait Black Memorial Prize of 1919. No doubt Jane Austen would have been overjoyed to receive the accolade of “Award Winning Novelist” had there been such in her lifetime. And when asked what I think about the plethora of on-line literary awards I can freely admit I have accepted the role of judge for several International literary awards, thus I give not a fig who the author is, or who published the book. Hence, whether a book is a romantic adventure, a gripping murder mystery, or a family saga, there are six main pointers I seek from submitted novels:

a) quality of prose. b) believable characters. c) realistic dialogue appropriate to historical/contemporary setting. d) depth of meaning to overall plot. e) historical credit for HRs and HNs. g) entertainment value.

Guest Editorial Review: 

Leah Abramovitz’s story is a novel exuding passion and understanding of life in Odessa (Imperial Russia), and it affords more than a glimpse of the Jewish community and all the Abramovitz family have built for future generations. But, with the coming of “Pogroms” (violent anti-Semitism) the family decide to start a new life in Argentina. As an émigré within a new country, Leah matures from an idealistic romantic teenager into a woman of strong mind and purpose in life.

The narrative, the dialogue, and the characters initially bring to life the emotions of a family in jeopardy amidst impending and ongoing likelihood of persecution in late 19^th and early 20^th century Russia. The strength to close a door on one life and start anew in Beunos Aires for the Abramovitz family is as heartbreaking as it is daunting. And when love blooms in the wilds of Argentina’s pampas lands Leah is faced with a second incidence of harsh reality. Thus fleeting heady romance pales and heartache ensues, but when true love steps forth brandishing a Jane Austen novel, can a would-be suitor truly be a fan of Ms Austen’s works? Well dear readers you must find out for yourselves the answer to that question, and I heartily recommend this delightful and engrossing family novel for the Historical Readers’ Award. Not only is the story steeped in historical facts and the Jewish faith, it radiates love of family across the generations. It is as educational as it is entertaining, which is the last important factor for any award winning novel: in my humble opinion.

Amazon UK   Amazon US 

addendum: apparently the Nobel Prize for literature was established in 1901. There were years where no prize was awarded, and in latter years the Nobel prizes have fallen out of favour due to criticism of Political bias in reference to Political Correctness: unlike the Booker or Costa Awards.  

Welcome to HRA

Welcome to the Historical Romance *Reader's* Award. 
The Award is bi-monthly. Subsequently submissions per month entered by the 10th day will be judged and the winner will appear in the next bi-monthly announcement. 

No monetary prize, and no Author Submission Fee.
But a pretty jewelled badge will be yours for the more romantic covers. 

Or if you prefer for the more Historical and Adventurous novels we offer this alternative. The choice is yours.

All the judges are volunteer historical buffs in differing fields of history who receive no reading fee from authors. The admin are all unpaid lovers of historical romance. Hence no flashy . Com enterprise and no charlatan spiel. That's why we don't charge for the reviews or the award as do many other online award schemes and so we keep a humble blog devoted to Free Enterprise and Moral Support for Authors.  
   

Hi, I'm Charlotte, the joint founder and administrator of this blog. Suzy you probably know already from the Jane Austen Award FB group she founded. The reason for having this blog is so that search engines will pick up on our blog posts and distribute pictures across the globe. Book covers featured here will go global on the Internet. There's a major problem with FB. Search engines don't pick up on group activity which means all posts are locked into FB's closed bubble. We hope to see lots of books walking away with awards. Quality counts and should be acknowledged. 

  

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