Historical romance with some familiar characters and setting. Read an excerpt from Marian by Gayle Feyrer and then follow the tour for even more! You can also learn more about the author's Top 10 favorite movies. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
Warrior. Spy. Marian Montrose dons silk or chain mail with equal aplomb. Sent by Queen Eleanor on a mission to Nottingham, Marian is waylaid in Sherwood Forest by the infamous Robin Hood. Her companions are stripped of their riches, but from her, Robin steals only one brazen kiss.
Seething with anger at the thief’s presumption and the haunting memory of his searing embrace, Marian arrives at the castle to find the sophisticated and seductive Sir Guy of Guisbourne a welcome distraction. Guisbourne would be the perfect ally against the Sheriff and Prince John but he believes he’s already picked the winning side. Deft at games of intrigue, Marian discovers Guisbourne’s involved in plans to steal the ransom meant to free King Richard the Lionheart.
Conquering her misgivings, Marian returns to Sherwood and recruits Robin with the promise of a pardon for him and his men. Now they are allies in the fight to return the king, but Robin wants far more from Marian. First she resists his almost magical allure, then succumbs, then resists again, distrusting the elemental power he has over her. Guisbourne may be lethally dangerous, but Robin threatens to consume both her body and her soul.
Danger surrounds them. Betrayal separates them. But desire—and fate—will not be denied.
Read an excerpt:
Almost before she saw him move, Robin Hood had grasped her arms and pulled her against him, locking her within his embrace. His eyes met hers in flaring challenge. Then he kissed her, full on the mouth, a slow, hard, relishing kiss. Stunned, Marian felt every sense inundated. She inhaled the scent of him, the pungent spice of male inextricably woven with vibrant forest scents. She felt the ruthless grip of his hands and thighs, the hard tension of his chest against her breasts, and the moist, seductive movement of his lips against her own. Most shocking of all, though her gaze encompassed only the blurred lineaments of his face, she envisioned his nakedness and her own pressed close, as if the leather, silk, and linen that covered them had vanished at his touch.
A rush of heat swept through her, terrifying in its sweetness, as though all her blood blossomed into flame, red upon red unfolding, blurring her senses. A soft gasp escaped her, but that faint parting of her lips against his was all the betrayal of her own flesh Marian would endure. Freezing that melting warmth, she willed herself to utter stillness. He might have held a statue carved of ice.
Her coldness must have penetrated his heat, for instantly he released her and stepped back. For a second he watched her intently, his eyes revealing their misted green, his expression strangely pained and hungry all in one. Then he smiled again, flashing with willful insolence, and turning strolled back toward the head of the caravan.
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Performance: My long time best-ever movie. It was released in 1969, and for decades I’ve declared it ahead of its time. Film making may finally have caught up with its dazzling cutting and metaphysical themes, but it’s still gorgeous, still brilliant. James Fox stars as mob henchman Chas and Mick Jagger as Turner, the burnt out rock star who’s lost his demon. On the run, Chas hides out in Turner’s hippie lair and the two begin an occult merging of destinies.
Trailer for Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mggYe5E5laU
Lawrence of Arabia: I still remember my first glimpse of Peter O’Toole in this and the shock of wonder at the beauty and intensity he projected. I got to see the film on a HUGE screen, the way it should be viewed, so that you’re tiny and insignificant under the blazing desert sun. When intermission came, there was an endless line at the water fountains. Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif sizzle on the screen in the ultimate bromance. It’s a fascinating, complex biopic abut an enigmatic man (the first media superstar) and a fascinating slice of history. Along with the breathtaking visuals, it has some of the best dialogue ever written for the screen.
Click image for a short scene.
Interview with O’Toole on creating Lawrence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTMeRPPeGFw
Interview with O’Toole remembering Lawrence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0T7zkLtIIU
The Red Shoes: On my list the longest, since I grew up with this movie, seeing it first as a child and thinking of it as a magical fairy tale, and then many times as an adult, equally magical but also as a crucible of choice. The ballet sequence remains wondrous, with fabulous color, and the story remains heartbreaking. Anton Walbrook’s performance is in my top ten for actors, along with James Fox and Peter O’Toole (I think Meryl Streep might own all the women’s roles).
Trailer for The Red Shoes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9Mv0PSmklM
Entire ballet sequence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JANckR57Dg
Phaedra: A passionate reconceiving of the Greek tragedy of Phaedra, the queen who falls in love with her stepson. Set in modern times, it stars Melina Mercouri and Tony Perkins, both superb. The score is gorgeous. It has the most beautiful love scene ever filmed. It haunted me for decades.
Trailer for Phaedra; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB4kmEZaOQ4
Love scene from Phaedra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9CHYaNPdUo
Children of Paradise: Les Enfants de Paradis is classic French epic set in the romantic era. The theme is the merry-go-round of love - X loves Y, Y loves Z, Z loves X. It’s a gorgeous, magical, stylized masterpiece filled with courtesans, actors, mimes, gangsters, and evil aristocrats. One reviewer said even the daylight scenes seem to be filmed in moonlight. It’s also my favorite political film, ever, because while it has no politics at all, it was filmed under the noses of the Nazis, celebrating the beating heart of Paris.
Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfqRRYDLKS8
Pickpocket scene from Children of Paradise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ABzfKzwA7g
And then there were five. Looking down my list of best loved, I decided to pick the lesser known ones to celebrate. So, not Sense and Sensibility, The English Patient, Vertigo, The Talented Mr. Ripley, or Zefferelli’s Romeo and Juliet, but—
Lone Star: John Sayles masterpiece depicts three story lines weaving together the past and present of different cultures (White, Black, Mexican) on a Texas border town. The murder mystery beginning sets up tension but the film explores many issues. Superb ensemble cast.
Brief but deeper explication of the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQVCQYq5Z5g
Cold Comfort Farm: Wonderfully witty twist on Austen’s Emma. Flora Post likes things tidy. With great deftness and aplomb she sets everything to rights on cursed Cold Comfort Farm. Kate Beckinsale, Ian McKellan, Rufus Sewell, and more cavort through the tale in their deft British fashion.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P_1oFBbKZ4
Flame and Citron: Fictional version of Denmark’s celebrated resistance fighters. This film is a beautiful but devastating depiction of how their black and white world of heroism slowly dissolves into a world of grey. Very John LeCarre. Flame, played by Thurle Lindhart, is the most captivating character, a true Flame. Mads Mickelson puts in a taut, understated performance as Citron, who feels deeply what he’s already sacrificed in the fight.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAMIFdnnE20
Forever: This documentary by Heddy Honigmann is an intriguing, often humorous, endlessly haunting film set in Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris. There’s a Proust thread, and a Chopin thread that interweave throughout the individual tales of memory, discovery, heartbreak, and affirmation. It focuses on artists but embraces all of humanity.
Clip from Forever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfwtnRxIjfU
From Noon Till Three: I moved this film way up the ladder because it’s one so few people have seen. My quirkiest favorite. It’s a romantic black comedy, ironic tragedy, fairy tale western starring Charles Bronson and Jill Ireland (the trailer notices this quirkiness too). It’s about the power of love, the power of illusion, and the power of the media.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWYDEJB6VPg
Click for the song from movie – Hello and Goodbye:
A world traveler, Gayle has visited Paris, England and Italy numerous times. She lived for two years in Jakarta, Indonesia, with many trips around Asia. She currently resides across the bridge from San Francisco, with her husband and their two rescue cats, Charlotte and Emily, the Flying Bronte sisters, half Siamese and half tabby.
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Gayle-Feyrer/author/B000APGOU0?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6836429.Gayle_Feyrer
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YvesFey
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yves_fey/
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Thank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt and cover.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great story.
ReplyDeleteGood morning and thanks for hosting.
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt and giveaway. :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a good read.
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ReplyDeleteThanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your favorite time of day to do your writing?
ReplyDeleteWhat impact do you want this book to have on your readers?
ReplyDeleteI like giving a new version of Marian, who's a strong woman taking control of her life. I grew up with more docile Marians, though they've done versions of her more recently that are more adventurous. And I always like contrasting the role of women in various historical eras with what our world is now.
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