Tea at Trianon: Now on Kindle and In Paperback

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Now on Kindle and In Paperback

Madame Royale, a novel about the turbulent life of Marie-Antoinette's daughter, Marie-Thérèse, is now available as an ebook from Amazon and also in softcover. The period which follows the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, called by historians "the Bourbon restoration" (1814-1830), was outwardly one of rest and peace for France. Yet beneath the surface, the forces of revolution were engaged in a ruthless duel for power with those of the reaction. At the center of the drama one woman, consumed by a quest for love and restoration, must struggle to survive amid deception and betrayal. A tale of murder, mystery and secret romance, the novel searches the conflicted heart of the orphaned princess who from childhood had been called "Madame Royale." To quote from the back cover of the second edition:

They say that the greatest story in History is the Truth and in Madame Royale, Elena Maria Vidal certainly proves that’s the case. The sights, sounds and smells of 19th-century Europe are all brilliantly captured in this immaculately researched and exquisite novel, which recalls the great writers and memoirists of the 1800's. It is an unforgettable portrait of a royal life torn between religion, politics, revolution, mystery, heartache and intrigue and Madame Royale is a fantastic tribute to one of Europe’s most tragic, but courageous princesses.
- Gareth Russell, author of The Audacity of Ideas and Popular

Signed copies of Madame Royale and my other novels are available HERE.

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6 comments:

pacwp said...: Have you used the Kindle? My one of my twin daughters would like to have one the other, as she puts it: "Enjoys the feel of a good book in my hands."

What is your verdict of these book readers?; August 3, 2010 at 5:22:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: Patty, I have never used Kindle but many, many people seem to like it. I will always make sure my books are in traditional form since I, too, like the feel of a book in my hands.; August 3, 2010 at 5:26:00 PM EDT
Colleen Hammond said...: KUDOS!!! One of those things readers keep emailing me about, but I haven't done yet. BRAVO!!!!; August 5, 2010 at 11:28:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: Colleen, you will love having your book on Kindle. It is as easy as pie to get it on there. I sell more books on Kindle and the royalties per book are much higher.; August 6, 2010 at 8:36:00 AM EDT
ElaineMomNC said...: Please make this available on the nook and Sony Reader too please!; August 11, 2010 at 4:38:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: Tank you for the suggestion, Elaine! I will definitely look into it!; August 11, 2010 at 4:58:00 PM EDT