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Books:
Mistress of the Sun"A captivating jewel of a novel"
Editors' Choice, Historical Novels ReviewA novel about Louise de la Vallière, mistress of the Sun King. As a girl, she won the trust of the wildest of horses. As a woman, she would win the love of the most charismatic of kings.
Published in hardcover in the spring of 2008, Mistress of the Sun is now available in paperback from HarperCollins Canada and Touchstone, a division of Simon & Schuster in the U.S. It is also available on Kindle in the U.S., on audio, and, in translation, in seven countries other countries as well.
To see what readers have had to say about Mistress of the Sun, click here.
(To order, click cover image.)
"Exquisite and fantastic detail . . . to be savored and enjoyed. Take your time with this one; you will not want it to end." — Romantic Reviews Today, Perfect 10 Rating
"Teeming with the rich period details that make historical fiction so rewarding, Gulland's dynamic and nuanced portrait of Louis' notorious reign thrums with page-turning expediency and deliciously seductive machinations." — Booklist
"Suspenseful, evocative, atmospheric, and deliciously satisfying reading, with an immensely appealing heroine." — Margaret George, author of Helen of Troy
"I fell in love with Petite from the moment she tamed her wild, white horse, and I galloped along with her through her undying devotion to one of France's most colorful kings." — Anne Easter Smith, author of Daughter of York and A Rose for the Crown
"Here's a warning: Mistress of the Sun is dangerously seductive. It's one of those books that will grab you and hold you captive till the last page is turned -- and even then, chances are you'll find yourself, eyes burning, online at midnight, ordering Sandra Gulland's other books. Yes, it's that good." — Geeta Nadkarni, for the Calgary Herald
"Beautifully told and elegantly written, Ms. Gulland's novel, Mistress of the Sun, sweeps the reader up and transports them into the opulent world of the 17th Century French Court... In this tale, Louise de la Valliére leaps boldly from these elegantly written pages. She is unforgettable, as is this brilliant novel!" — Diane Haeger, author of The Perfect Royal Mistress
Excerpt
Discussion guide Suggestions for further reading
Order: Canada, USA., UK (ebook). Mistress of the Sun has been translated into a number of languages, including the French edition, La Maîtresse du soleil..........................
Click here for music of the Baroque period—perfect for listening to while reading Mistress of the Sun.
Click here to see a Google map of all the wonderful sites in the novel. (Tracking Louise de la Valière on research trips was a pleasure.)
Click here for video of my reading in New York. A YouTube search for my name will give you a number of videos of my readings—which I invariably give in a 17th-century gown. This video is one of my favourites, in large part because my son Chet was in the audience, and I succeeded in embarrassing him.
"Eye for Detail Brightens Mistress of the Sun" - Review in the Calgary Herald, Montreal Gazette and other newspapers This is my favourite review quote: "Here's a warning: Mistress of the Sun is dangerously seductive. It's one of those books that will grab you and hold you captive till the last page is turned."
Author Q&A in January Magazine January Magazine is a wonderful on-line literary magazine. The questions asked focussed on the craft of writing. It was a pleasure to respond.
"Finding the Right Words: How the author consulted with book clubs in writing Mistress of the Sun" I now consult with book clubs when nearing the final draft of every novel I write. It's an invaluable part of the process. Yay for book clubs!
"Heroine of a Golden Age" This interview accurately captures the challenges of writing Mistress of the Sun.
Facebook group on Mistress of the Sun Join us! We also have a lively reader community on my Facebook Author Page.
For the curious:
Portraits of Louise de la Valliére on Flickr
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