Cat Thursday: Authors and Cats (103) The Black Cat Who Only Wanted to be Loved by Rosa Silva - Review

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite lolcat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Share the link to your post with your comment below.

The second Cat Thursday of each month is Authors and Cats Thursday. Each time I will feature an author (with a birthday during the month), pictured with their/a cat(s), or guest posts by cat loving authors who also (sometimes) write about cats.

First, I wanted to apologize for missing Cat Thursday last week. I became unwell late Wednesday night (another bout of cellulitis) and was too sick to put up my post. Thanks for understanding. ❤

I'm a fan of Rosa Silva's books. She knows cats (loves them) and has a knack for a story and humor. This book was wonderful. Everyone knows I'm the proud owner of two black cats so this one really hit home. It even had me in tears at one point. There have been many times of fear for my black cats when somehow one would get outside. Sadly, superstitions surrounding black cats are still around, even in this day and age. 

Though this is classified as a children's book (middle grade), its message is an important one for everyone, big or small. This is the type of book I enjoyed reading as a child. Books about animals on adventures like The Incredible Journey or Black Beauty. The characters are funny and endearing. Themes of friendship, acceptance, and believing in yourself are all present and are revealed seamlessly in the story. 

Balthazar the owl says, "You cannot control what others think of you. But what they think doesn't matter either. What others think says more about themselves and their prejudices than it does about you. What matters is what you think." Wise words to guide anyone.

For a first novel, this is excellent. I'm excited for the many people who will enjoy this book, young and old. Highly recommended. 

About the book

Black cats mean bad luck…
…or do they?

Abandoned by his owner on the side of a road, little Pepper must go on a journey of self-discovery. Will the little black cat embrace his own identity, or will he change the color of his fur to find a family that will love him?

You will love this touching and inspiring story about the power of friendship and the importance of acceptance and self-love.

Available on Amazon.

About the author

Rosa Silva is an author and a self-confessed book nerd with a soft spot for cats. She lives in Portugal, where she shares her home with (surprisingly) just one cat.

Find Rosa at catladyconfidential.com.

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THE WOMEN OF CHATEAU LAFAYETTE #StephanieDray #CoverReveal #HistoricalFiction

July 14th marks Bastille Day, a pivotal turning point in the French Revolution, now celebrated as France’s national independence day. 

What better day to announce the cover reveal of THE WOMEN OF CHATEAU LAFAYETTE by New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray (Berkley hardcover; on-sale March 30, 2021).

Enter to win an advanced reader copy (link at the bottom of the post).

ABOUT THE BOOK

An epic saga from New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray based on the true story of an extraordinary castle in the heart of France and the remarkable women bound by its legacy in three of humanity's darkest hours.

Most castles are protected by powerful men. This one by women...

A founding mother...

1774. Gently-bred noblewoman Adrienne Lafayette becomes her husband's political partner in the fight for American independence. But when their idealism sparks revolution in France and the guillotine threatens everything she holds dear, Adrienne must choose to renounce the complicated man she loves, or risk her life for a legacy that will inspire generations to come.

A daring visionary...

1914. Glittering New York socialite Beatrice Astor Chanler is a force of nature, daunted by nothing--not her humble beginnings, her crumbling marriage, or the outbreak of war. But after witnessing the devastation in France and delivering war-relief over dangerous seas, Beatrice takes on the challenge of a lifetime: convincing America to fight for what's right.

A reluctant resistor...

1940. French school-teacher and aspiring artist Marthe Simone has an orphan's self-reliance and wants nothing to do with war. But as the realities of Nazi occupation transform her life in the isolated castle where she came of age, she makes a discovery that calls into question who she is, and more importantly, who she is willing to become.

Intricately woven and beautifully told, The Women of Chateau Lafayette is a sweeping novel about duty and hope, love and courage, and the strength we find from standing together in honor of those who came before us.

Pre-order here

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Q&A WITH STEPHANIE DRAY

What made you fall in love with Adrienne Lafayette and why do you think readers will fall for her as you did?

Thanks to a popular musical, the Marquis de Lafayette is known to a new generation as "America's Favorite Fighting Frenchman"--and there's good reason for that. He's easily the most lovable of our Founding Fathers, and his wife, whom he called his dear heart, is just as lovable if not more so. Adrienne was our French Founding Mother, so right up my alley as a heroine, but at first I worried she was too sweet, devoted, and forgiving. In short, too gentle for a novel. Little did I realize that more than any other historical heroine I've ever written, Adrienne fought and sacrificed for her principles, courageously threw herself into danger, confronted tyrants, and endured trials that would have broken lesser mortals. She truly humbles me, and when I talk about the Lafayette legacy, I think of it as every bit as much hers as it is his.

How long did it take you to write this book? Did the story evolve as you researched, or did you always know you wanted to take on the lives of these particular women?

I was always interested in Lafayette--an interest that grew as Laura Kamoie and I co-authored America's First Daughter and My Dear Hamilton. I think I had the germ of the idea for a Lafayette novel at least seven years ago, but I had other projects in the way. And I was always in search of an angle that would be fresh and unique. That came to me when I discovered that Lafayette's castle in Auvergne, which had been purchased and renovated by Americans, served to shelter Jewish children from the Nazis. Knowing how deeply the Lafayettes both felt about religious freedom, I knew this would have pleased them, and it touched me. I was then determined to know which Americans had purchased the chateau, and when I found out, yet another glorious chapter in the Lafayette legacy was born. That's when the story took shape for me about one special place on this earth where, generation after generation, faith has been kept with principles of liberty and humanity. I find that very inspirational, now more than ever.

The book is centered around Lafayette’s castle, the Château de Chavaniac, and the pivotal role it played during three of history’s darkest hours—the French Revolution and both World Wars. If you could have dinner with any three people (dead or alive) at Chavaniac, who would you choose and why?

Believe it or not, this is actually a difficult choice because so many incredible men and women passed through those doors. I'd have to start with the Lafayettes--though I hope they would not serve me pigeons, which were a favorite at their wedding banquet. To join us for dinner, I'd choose the colorful stage-star of the Belle Epoque, Beatrice Chanler, because she was a force of nature without whom Chavaniac might not still be standing. Actress, artist, philanthropist, decorated war-relief worker and so-called Queen of the Social Register, she was as mysterious as she was wonderful, and even after all the startling discoveries I made researching her larger-than-life existence, I have a million questions about the early life she tried so hard to hide. I can't wait for readers to meet her!

Enter the ARC giveaway here.

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