Royal Romances
Titillating Tales of Passion&Power in the Palaces of Europe
NAL Trade
Literature and Fiction: Historical Fiction
November 6, 2012
ISBN-10: 0451238087
ISBN-13: 9780451238085
Available in: Trade Size
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Royal Romances
by Leslie Carroll
More breathtaking than any fairy tale, here are seven scandalous, seductive centuries of all-for-love royal desire . . .
Elegant palaces, dazzling power plays, shimmering jewels, and the grandest of all-or-nothing gambles—nothing can top real-life love among the royalty. Louis XIV defied God and law, permitting his married mistress Madame de Montespan to usurp the role of Queen of France, then secretly wed her successor, Madame de Maintenon. Grigory Potemkin was a worthy equal in Catherine the Great’s bed as well as in Russia’s political arena. Dashing Count Axel von Fersen risked everything to save Marie Antoinette’s life more than once—and may have returned her passion. The unshakable devotion of the beloved late “Queen Mum” helped King George VI triumph over his, and England’s, darkest hours. And the unpretentious, timelessly glamorous—even relatable—union of Prince William and the former Kate Middleton continues to enthrall the world.
Full of marvelous tales, unforgettable scandals, and bedazzled nobles who refused to rule their hearts, this delightfully insightful book is what the sweetest royal dreams are made of...
Other Books by Leslie Carroll
Leslie Carroll's Bio
Leslie Carroll was born and raised in New York City. A professional actress as well as a novelist, over the years she has also worked in politics, advertising, public relations, law, and journalism. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University.
Although she always amused herself on long car trips by making up stories in her head and populating them with imaginary friends, Leslie's writing career gathered steam in 1998, when, during a long car trip, she proclaimed that she would like to be paid to write. What followed was the impetus for a career as a novelist as well as a return to the world of journalism: a stint as an Associate Editor at Back Stage, New York's leading trade paper for the Theatre professional, where Leslie wrote and edited industry news and features.
On stage, Leslie has played classical and contemporary virgins, vixens, and villainesses in New York and in regional theatre. She has appeared in commercials, voice- overs and talking books, and daytime dramas. Under the auspices of Survivor Productions, a not-for-profit professional theatre company that she founded in 1989, Leslie produced several seasons of "neglected" plays of the 19th century. She is also the author of three stage adaptations of 19th century/early 20th century English novels: Ivanhoe, The Prisoner of Zenda, and The Scarlet Pimpernel. Additionally, Leslie is the dramatist of The Diaries of Adam and Eve, based upon the humorous writing of Mark Twain, and the author of The Anglophile's Guide to Afternoon Tea in New York, cheerfully co-researched by close tea-sipping, scone- munching friends. Leslie considers herself more or less "the ultimate anglophile," with a particular penchant for Bath. Her occasional wanderlust has led her to other favorite (and wildly romantic) locales such as Venice and New Orleans.
Surrounded by hundreds of books, her own needlework, family mementos, and a plethora of pre-Raphaelite prints, Leslie lives on Manhattan's Upper West Side in a rambling pre-war apartment once shared with her grandmother. "Three generations of my family have lived here over the years. I jokingly refer to it as 'Tara.' "
She is a member of the Dramatists' Guild and both the national and New York chapters of Romance Writers of America.