This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Elizabeth St.John was brought up in England and lives in California. To inform her writing, she has tracked down family papers and sites from Nottingham Castle, Lydiard Park, and the British Library to Castle Fonmon and The Tower of London. Although the family sold a few castles and country homes along the way (it's hard to keep a good castle going these days), Elizabeth's family still occupy them - in the form of portraits, memoirs, and gardens that carry their imprint. And the occasional ghost. But that's a different story...
Elizabeth is currently writing a sequel to The Lady of the Tower, following the fortunes of the St.John family during the English Civil War. The working title is "By Love Divided", and it is due to publish in early 2017
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
The tides of politics are ever changing and this is not so different throughout the centuries. After the Elizabethan era, the Stuart kings represented a time of great unease. Those who frequented the Royal Court were always on their guard as to what they said in public or even in private. There were spies everywhere. And the wrong thing spoken often meant a visit to the Tower, a visit from which few returned. Even within families, the politics of the spoken word created fragile ties.
The story of Lucy St. John is almost a Cinderella-like story. After the death of her parents, Lucy was sent to live with her Aunt Joan and Uncle Oliver. Her uncle loved her, but her aunt took an instant disliking and, supported by Lucy’s older sister, Barbara, the two women continually chastised the young girl and made her feel insignificant. Lucy found solace in the gardens that surrounded her family home. And it was gardens and the collection of medicinal herbs that would see her through many hard times throughout her life, from the unfounded rumors surrounding her attraction to a wealthy young Howard, a highly titled man with connection in the court, to a marriage to a military man who aspired for greater connections in court, only to leave the family almost destitute.
Elizabeth St. John’s historical romance, The Lady of the Tower, speaks of an uneasy time during the reign of the Stuart kings. The author quickly brings the reader to the heart of the story and maintains the reader’s interest and intrigue right to the very end. She is well researched in the Stuart era and has a fascinating grasp on the startling innuendos of life in the Stuart Royal Court. This is a real page turner and a fascinating historical read. Well done!
