Rozsa Gaston's Blog
November 19, 2022
Who was Margaret of Austria?
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
November 16, 2022
Margaret of Austria - the 16th century ruler who shot the fortunes of the House of Habsburg to the stars
October 24, 2018
Charles would need watching; was Anne of Brittany up for the job?
From Anne and Charles, Book One of the Anne of Brittany Series
Order Anne and Charles, Book One of the Anne of Brittany Series, here.
Order Anne and Louis, Book Two of the Anne of Brittany Series, here.
“Anne and Louis is a masterpiece that paints an extraordinary emotional and political vision of its times. Satisfying, educational, and hard to put down.”—D. Donovan, Midwest Book Review
Anne and Louis
Passion and Politics in Early Renaissance France: The First Years of Anne of Brittany’s Marriage to Louis XII (
Book Two of the Anne of Brittany Series)
Rozsa Gaston
Renaissance Editions: 2018
978-0-9847906-8-5 (pbk) $14.95 Available on Amazon and Ingram
978-0-9847906-9-2 (ebook) $2.99 Available on Amazon
Anne and Louis: Passion and Politics in Early Renaissance France: The First Years of Anne of Brittany’s Marriage to Louis XII will delight readers of historical fiction who want their dramas firmly rooted in facts. This audience—especially those who enjoyed the first
Louis XII and Anne of Brittany by Francois-Seraphin Delpech
book in the Anne of Brittany series—will find a compelling continuation of the saga in this story of Anne, the Duchess of Brittany, who has a country to run even as her lover Louis has a controversial annulment to pursue in order to fulfill his romance…
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January 8, 2018
Anne and Charles: Passion and Politics in Late Medieval France
Passion and Politics in Late Medieval France: The Story of Anne of Brittany’s Marriage to Charles VIII
Book One of the Anne of Brittany Series
by Rozsa Gaston
Publication date: Jan. 22, 2018
Publisher: Renaissance Editions
357 pps.
eBook, paperback, audiobook by Tantor Media coming spring 2018
A historically sharp and dramatically stirring love story. — Kirkus Reviews
A historical dramatization of the 15th-century marriage between Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII of France.
Upon the death of Anne’s father, Duke Francis II, she becomes the ruler of Brittany at the tender age of 11. Determined not to have her authority usurped by meddling advisers or foreign powers, she searches for a suitable husband whose allegiance will bring peace and security to Brittany. She’s offered protection—as well as condolences—by King Charles VIII of France, but she rejects his offer as an imperialist scheme to gain…
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March 7, 2017
Sense of Touch featured in Choosy Bookworm's Free eBook to Read and Review
https://www.choosybookworm.com/select...Sense of Touch
August 2, 2016
Historical Novel Society calls Sense of Touch "A striking story"
‘In July 1497 Anne of Brittany, Queen of France, gives birth to a son. Within hours the child joins the five dead siblings who came before him. In the mournful weeks that follow, fifteen-year-old Nicole St. Sylvain meets Philippe de Bois, a young horse trainer. The attraction between the two is immediate, but duty and honor bring their romance to an abrupt halt. They work together to heal the horse’s infected hoof, then part ways.’Thus begins a romance and an interesting novel about a little-known French queen.The story is of Anne’s struggle to produce a family, and her grief at losing her children, a grief shared by so many women throughout history, and continuing to this day. Alongside her is Nicole, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Her family has money, she is the only heir, but her father is untitled and the nobility is only on the maternal side. Marriage to a noble family would secure her future, but her love is for Philippe. Then the queen’s only child becomes ill and Nicole’s gift of healing is required again. It is a story with a strong sense of place and well-drawn characters, a story of heartache and forbidden love, of women in the 15th century French court, who fought with passion and determination for what they wanted.
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/re...
May 19, 2016
Who was Anne of Brittany?
Who was Anne of Brittany?
Her dates: 1477-1514.
Her personality?
Anne of Brittany by Jean Perreal, c. 1492
Decidedly feminist.
Delightfully feminine.
Intelligent.
Highly educated.
Raised to rule over Brittany.
Generous.
Lavish in her spending.
Imperious.
Unyielding.
Shrewd.
Relentless.
A bookworm.
Pious.
Lovingly conscientious to her husbands, both kings of France.
Faithfully conscientious to her Breton subjects, over which she ruled from the age of eleven.
Anne of Brittany by Jean Perreal, c. 1492
Ever since picking up Mildred Allen Butler’s book on Anne of Brittany a few years ago (Twice Queen of France: Anne of Brittany. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1967), I’ve been fascinated by this French queen who came to power at age eleven as ruler of Brittany, then became queen of France at age fourteen.
Anne of Brittany’s travails trying to bring live children into the world rival any woman’s in history. This girl/woman…
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December 14, 2015
The Impeccable Hauteur of Jacqueline de Ribes
The Impeccable Hauteur of Jacqueline de Ribes
By Rozsa Gaston for The Westchester Guardian, Dec. 10, 2015
“Elegance. It’s an attitude. A frame of mind. An intuition, a refusal, a rigor, a research, a knowledge. The attitude of elegance is also a way of behaving.”—Jacqueline de Ribes
Jacqueline de Ribes in her own desgin, 1983. Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Victor Skrebneski, ©Skrebneski Photograph, 1983
Gift yourself this holiday season with a visit to see Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute’s latest exhibit. The impeccable hauteur of Parisian designer Jacqueline de Ribes is on display now through February 21, 2016 in a dazzling exhibit featuring 60 haute couture and ready-to-wear ensembles from her personal archive, dating from 1962 on. The clothes are gorgeous, unfussy, and vibrantly colorful. But the exhibit’s focus on Jacqueline de Ribes’ life and imprint…
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October 8, 2015
Sense of Touch is burning up the Hot & Trending list of K...
Sense of Touch is burning up the Hot & Trending list of Kindle Scout nominations for the second week of its one month campaign to receive a publishing contract. Why?
Readers want to know more about her.
Anne of Brittany is a fascinating historical figure about whom almost nothing has been written in English. Her dates? 1477-1514. She reigned as Queen of France after Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) and before Catherine de Medici (1519-1589).
Douleur du Roi sans Fils by Jean Pichore, c. 1503
This week I uncovered a powerful and poignant painting of her with husband Louis VII by court painter Jean Pichore. The name of the painting says it all: Douleur du Roi sans Fils. Translation: Sorrow of the King without a Son.
Before you feel sorry for Anne of Brittany, don’t.
Claude of France, eldest daughter of Anne of Brittany and Louis XII
She may not have brought a son to adulthood, but she succeeded with two daughters, Claude of France, and Renée of France. Claude of France married Francis I, known as the Renaissance King, and produced Henry II, husband of Catherine de Medici.
Anne’s Breton blood found its way into the French royal bloodline through her daughter, not her sons. Her leadership skills, authority and self-confidence have informed French women ever since. Long live Anne of Brittany, vive Anne de Bretagne!
Speaking of sons, she had many. All of them either stillborn, dead hours after birth, weeks after birth, or by age three.
Let’s take a look at the full Jean Pichore painting of Anne of Brittany with second husband Louis XII.
We see Louis XII, King of France, looking sad. The man behind him looks at the queen with a recriminating expression, as if to say, “Why can’t you produce a son for France?”
We see Anne of Brittany, Queen of France looking regal, confident, not sad at all. Defiant, in fact. Why?
She’s pointing to their daughter, Claude of France. “What’s wrong with the daughter I gave you?” she appears to be saying.
Sadness of the King without a Son, Jean Pichore, c. 1503
Who’s in the hot seat here? Anne.
Who’s the power on the throne? Anne.
Who’s appealing to whom? Louis and his court are appealing to Anne.
Who’s the boss? Anne. She was also a loving and deeply beloved wife to both of her husbands, Charles VIII of France before Louis, and Louis XII of France.
The more I learn about this French Renaissance queen, the more I fall in love with her.
Anne of Brittany is an amazing historical role model for girls. Please nominate my book about her here.
Keep Sense of Touch on Kindle Scout’s Hot & Trending list until campaign ends Oct. 20. It’s FREE to vote and if Sense of Touch is selected for publication you will receive the eBook free.
I can’t wait to share more with you about Anne of Brittany.
Warmly,
Author Rozsa Gaston
