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A. Piper Burgi is the author of several non-fiction books and recently added six historical fiction novels to her ever-expanding collection of published writings. Her book, THE COUNTRY GIRL EMPRESS, is a Firebird Book Award winner (category: historical fiction), and Readers' Favorite Book Reviews named her women's fiction novel IN THE SHADOW OF HER MAJESTY "...a rollicking good read, full of humor, intrigue, tension and darkness behind the velvet and lace elegance of early Elizabethan England."
She is also a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Independent Author Network, an Air Force Veteran, and a military spouse; plus a busy doggie mommy, a cook, an event coordinator, a chauffeur...you get the picture. As an animal rights advocate, she fosters dogs and puppies and supports various animal rescue organizations. Her great affinity for animals and nature led her to write and publish the canine health book LIVING WITH CANINE EPILEPSY in November 2015 to help raise canine epilepsy awareness - a cause near and dear to her heart.
When she is not busy chasing after her three dogs or holding on tightly to a good cup of coffee, she can be found typing away on her computer.
Reviewed by Tiffany Ferrell for Readers' Favorite
A Life in the Shadow of the Crown: A Country Girl Empress Novel is a fictional account of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and the early years of her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph. The story begins on the honeymoon of Sisi and Franz. Young and naive, being only sixteen, Elisabeth becomes Empress of Austria. She loves her husband but isn’t quite sure of the grand life that she will now be living. Being an unimportant princess from Bavaria, she is surrounded by unfamiliar faces and protocol that she doesn’t understand. Dealing with a sweet but busy husband and a cruelly strict mother-in-law, Elisabeth tries to find her place in the royal family without losing herself.
I have always been a sucker for royal themed novels and A. Piper Burgi definitely did not disappoint! I found her story of Empress Elisabeth very impressive and unique. She places you in Sisi’s shoes, someone I hadn’t read as of yet. I have studied the Hapsburg family and know about the tragic deaths of the crown prince and the Empress. It’s nice to get away from all of that but I also liked how it focused on Elisabeth’s feelings and her experiences. I also found myself reading bits with Rudolf as a young, sensitive and nervous boy and I thought about his untimely end. I have seen that there are other books in this series and I’m excited to read them all. It’s nice to have a break from fiction about the British royal family for a change. A Life in the Shadow of the Crown is an excellent read which I will be recommending to all my royal history buff friends.
