Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Another Review

Elizabeth Kathryn Gerold-Miller has a favorable review of The Night's Dark Shade posted on her blog, saying:
The Night’s Dark Shade tells the story of a young heiress, Lady Raphaelle, who is caught up in the turmoil of the Albigensian Crusade in thirteenth century France. En route to meet her betrothed in the castle in the Pyrenees... she is rescued from an ambush by the brave and alluring Sir Martin.

The sparks between the two are flying from the very beginning, while the reader learns of the history of the crusade as well as the mysterious Cathars.... In the first chapter the setting, plot, and all the main characters are all well-established....The novel moves on, mixing history and drama, at a good pace. Raphaelle is caught up in several major dilemmas; we can truly sympathize with what she is going through.

Raphaelle is a strong character who insists on doing what is right for her people. All that she does, including following through on her betrothal to a man she does not love, is seen as her duty to them. Even so, she is torn by the feelings she has for another man. She also chooses to harbor an evil object which results in dire consequences. Vidal shows us how even the very best of us can struggle with sin....

The more you read about history, the more you realize that there is truly nothing new under the sun. What is going on in modern society is a rerun of what was happening in the Middle Ages....

I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. I was up until 3 AM reading the suspenseful ending!...The choice Raphaelle makes in the end is completely satisfying....

The author studied the Cathars at SUNY Albany before receiving her Master’s Degree in European History....The book is available from Lulu.com and will be available from Amazon in a few weeks.

Thank you, Elizabeth! Share

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Elena, will you let us know when your book gets on Amazon? Signed, your (lazy) friend who uses one-click Amazon shopping. :>

elena maria vidal said...

I will, Susan. A lot of people are waiting to get the book through Amazon, and I totally understand. I hope the Amazon people are able to get the book on there before Christmas! :-0

Right now, many people who want the books as Christmas gifts are sending me a check in the mail and I am shipping the books directly to them. Just email me if you would like to go that route.

Julygirl said...

Sounds like a 'page turner'. Can't wait to get my copy(s). The last time I sat up until 3 AM to read the ending of a book was "The Exorcist".

elena maria vidal said...

I have you copies ready for you, Julygirl. They arrived today! Get ready to burn the midnight oil.......

Alexandra said...

"The more you read about history, the more you realize that there is truly nothing new under the sun. What is going on in modern society is a rerun of what was happening in the Middle Ages...."

So true!

The book coming out after Christmas which should be good as well...people are spending their Christmas money, and then there are the tax returns. Wishing you good sales! :)

Anonymous said...

Sounds so exciting...Can't wait to get my copies -- to read myself, and to give as gifts!

elena maria vidal said...

Thanks, Alexandra, for your reassurance. The book is already selling well, with people buying it directly from me, as at the recent book signing, when we sold out. It is a different story online, however. People prefer to buy from Amazon rather than from Lulu, it seems.

elena maria vidal said...

They will be in the mail tomorrow, Gette, so you should get them over the weekend. All signed. Enjoy!

Anonymous said...

I would love a signed copy! I will email you. I can't wait to read it!

Love in Christ,
Juliana