Please join author Sandra Byrd as she tours virtually for the release of the second novel in her Ladies in Waiting series, The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr from June 4th through July 6th!

Sandra Byrd’s Ladies in Waiting series is “a rich alchemy of fact and fiction, the Ladies in Waiting series chronicles the glittering court lives of three Tudor Queens and the women chosen to be their closest friends and companions. Each book envelopes the reader in sweeping romance, heartwarming and heartbreaking circumstances, and heroines who choose lives worth risking all for.”

Book One:  To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn
Book Two:  The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr
Book Three:  Roses Have Thorns: A Novel of Elizabeth I (to be released in 2013)

Publication Date:  June 5, 2012
Howard Books
352p

{SYNOPSIS}

The author of To Die For returns to the court of Henry VIII as a young woman is caught between love and honor. Juliana St. John is the daughter of a prosperous knight. Though her family wants her to marry the son of her father’s business partner, circumstances set her on a course toward the court of Henry VIII and his last wife, Kateryn Parr.

Sir Thomas Seymour, uncle of the current heir, Prince Edward, returns to Wiltshire to tie up his concerns with Juliana’s father’s estate and sees instantly that Juliana would fit into the household of the woman he loves, Kateryn Parr. Her mother agrees to have her placed in Parr’s household for “finishing” and Juliana goes, though perhaps reluctantly.

For she knows a secret. She has been given the gift of prophecy, and in one of her visions she has seen Sir Thomas shredding the dress of the king’s daughter, the lady Elizabeth, to perilous consequence.

As Juliana learns the secrets of King Henry VIII’s court, she faces threats and opposition, learning truths about her own life that will undo everything she holds dear.

ABOUT SANDRA BYRD

Sandra Byrd has published more than three dozen books in the fiction and nonfiction markets, including the first book in her Tudor series, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn.  Her second book, The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr, illuminates the mysteries in the life of Henry’s last wife.
For more than a decade Sandra has shared her secrets with the many new writers she edits, mentors, and coaches. She lives in the Seattle, Washington, area with her husband and two children. For more Tudor tidbits, please visit www.sandrabyrd.com.

PRAISE FOR TO DIE FOR: A NOVEL OF ANNE BOLEYN

2011 Library Journal Best Books Pick

2012 Christy Award Finalist

“In TO DIE FOR, Sandra Byrd gifts the reader with a fresh look at Anne Boleyn through the eyes of her lifelong friend Meg Wyatt. But Meg commands her own interest and respect in the Tudor world of triumph and tragedy. Readers will be drawn to the events, beautifully depicted, but also to the emotions, skillfully conveyed. A new Tudor historical to treasure.”
Karen Harper, Author of The Queen’s Governess

“Most readers of Tudor historicals think they know Queen Anne Boleyn. They’ll meet a very different Anne in Sandra Byrd’s wonderfully told To Die For. Meg, who rises and falls with Anne, seeks her own lost love and faith. Anne’s influence during the English Reformation is an integral and refreshing part of this story, one that Byrd tells with authority… A novel to savor and return to.”
Jeane Westin, author of His Last Letter: Elizabeth I and the Earl of Leicester

“In this moving story of a friendship that survives a queen’s rise and fall, Sandra Byrd reaches beyond the familiar stereotypes to give us the story of two remarkable women: Anne Boleyn and Meg Wyatt. A refreshingly three-dimensional Anne, and a Meg of courage and integrity, make this novel a must for your Tudor library.”
Susan Higginbotham, Author of The Queen of Last Hopes

 Praise for The Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr

“Juliana’s character as the main protagonist is both surprisingly fresh and perfectly presented. There is much more to her than a lady’s maid, and finding out her secrets as the story unfolds is a great pleasure. Unlike many novels of this kind — which portray a fictional character in the lead — this one works very well. A female’s place in society is expanded upon, but not so much as to become monotonous and spoil the historical theme.”
Historical Novel Society

“Rich in historical detail, full of intrigue, and starring a memorable heroine—Juliana St. John—who grows in both character and faith, Sandra Byrd’s The Secret Keeper kept me completely engrossed in the tumultuous court of Henry VIII. I felt a part of the times, thanks to the author’s skillful storytelling, vivid descriptions, and inspiring characters. Readers are in for a special treat with this remarkable novel.”
Francine Rivers, New York Times bestselling author 

“Sandra Byrd’s remarkable book, The Secret Keeper, provides exquisite attention to detail of time, language, and place. A deft creation of character voice that invites the reader in and never lets her go. A delicate suspense that keeps pages turning. And throughout, the evidence of a remarkable storyteller who moves emotions in ways that both inspire and satisfy. I fell in love with Juliana St. John and with her heart, and hope she and her secrets find the widest possible audience.”
Jane Kirkpatrick, New York Times bestselling author of Where Lilacs Still Bloom

VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, June 4th
Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, June 5th
Review at Let Them Read Books
Review at The Owl Bookmark Blog

Wednesday, June 6th
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Thursday, June 7th
Review & Giveaway at The Calico Critic
Review at Always with a Book

Friday, June 8th
Author Interview & Giveaway at The Owl Bookmark Blog

Monday, June 11th
Author Guest Post at A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, June 12th
Author Interview & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Thursday, June 14th
Review at Reviews by Molly 

Monday, June 18th
Review at Peeking Between the Pages
 
Tuesday, June 19th
Review & Giveaway at Bippity Boppity Book
Author Guest Post & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Wednesday, June 20th
Review at A Bookish Affair
Review at Knitting & Sundries

Thursday, June 21st
Review & Giveaway at Royal Reviews

Friday, June 22nd
Review at A Novel Affair
Review at Broken Teepee 
Author Interview & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Monday, June 25th
Review at My Reading Room
Review at A Girl’s Legacy
Review & Giveaway at The Bookworm
Review, Author Guest Post & Giveaway at Drey’s Library

Tuesday, June 26th
Review at The Eclectic Reader
Review at A Bookish Libraria

Wednesday, June 27th
Review at The Broke and the Bookish

Thursday, June 28th
Author Interview & Giveaway at My Reading Room

Friday, June 29th
Author Guest Post & Giveaway at The Eclectic Reader

Wednesday, July 4th
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading

Thursday, July 5th
Review at Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books

Friday, July 6th
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews
Author Interview & Giveaway at Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books