Book Blast & Giveaway: How to Find a Job, Career and Life You Love by Louis Efron

Blurb
How to Find a Job, Career and Life You Love - a journey to purpose, fulfilment and life happiness is a no fluff, highly effective, step-by-step guide to discovering your life’s purpose, finding a career you love, and living a life of intense fulfilment each and every day.

Do you love your job? Your current career? Your life? Or do you go to work feeling disengaged, uninspired or maybe even dreading the day?

In How to Find a Job, Career and Life You Love, Efron reveals how to find purpose, fulfilment and more happiness in your career and life.

His distinct self-discovery process helps you create new excitement and vigour in your current job and career. If you're ready for change, he'll help you find new direction that brings you in alignment with your purpose and goals.

Through his proven process, you'll make job and career decisions for the right reasons, plus look at life options from uniquely different angles.

If you're feeling unfulfilled, uninspired, or disengaged in your job, career or life, or battling low self-confidence, this is definitely the book for you. Start your 30-day+ challenge today (included inside) and begin to proactively design the fulfilling, engaging life you desire and deserve.

Giveaway
To Enter: leave a comment below in answer to the following question: If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
Eligibility: international, open to readers from any country
Entries close: midnight Sunday 30 November, enter as many times as you like (must be a different answer each time)
Winner: the winner will be chosen based on entries received

Good luck!

About the Author
Louis Efron is a contributing writer for Forbes and Huffington Post, an award-winning Fortune 300 human resources executive, theatrical director, entrepreneur, charity leader and founder of The Voice of Purpose at LouisEfron.com

How to Find a Job, Career and Life You Love is Louis’ first book and he hopes to inspire people to find their purpose, become more fulfilled and make positive changes in their lives.

Review: Dolls' Houses from the V&A Museum of Childhood by Halina Pasierbska

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

After reading about a rich heiress who collected dolls and doll houses in Empty Mansions, it seems only fitting that I should read Dolls' Houses from the V&A Museum of Childhood by Halina Pasierbska so closely afterwards.

The V&A of the book title refers to the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the V&A Museum of Childhood is a branch of that museum, with both of them located in London. The author Halina Pasierbska was curator of Dolls' Houses and Toys there and in publishing this book is sharing years of knowledge and expertise in the magical world of dolls' houses.

There's something special about seeing the objects and furnishings of everyday life shrunken to a miniature size. The detail in replicating a couch, fireplace or cooking pot can be crude or detailed beyond belief, and they are all just begging to be played with.

History tells us dolls' houses were used as a teaching aid for servants and children of the household to learn how a house was to be organised and run, so that everyone knew their place and their role in the home. Dolls' houses from centuries ago capture life as it was at the time, and now serve as an historical snapshot into domestic life and the lifestyle of the occupants. 

Dolls' Houses from the V&A Museum of Childhood was written to compliment an exhibition at the museum and contains photographs and descriptions for some of the museum's oldest and most precious houses all the way up to the present day. My only complaint reading this book was that there weren't enough photographs for my liking. I really wanted more, and perhaps this interest would only be satiated by being present at the exhibit, but as a reader half a world away, I wanted to gain as much as I could from both the content and the colour photographs.

While many children will enjoy 'flicking through' this book, it will really appeal to mature readers, collectors, or wannabe collectors.

Highly recommended.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

RRP $32.99

Winner Announced: Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman & Paul Clark Newell Jr

Thanks to everyone who entered my Empty Mansions giveaway, entries closed at midnight on Friday 21 November and it's time to draw the winner (drum roll):

Hols24

Hols24 chose Melbourne as the best location for a luxury mansion. Here's her entry: 

Melbourne. Probably in Brighton near the beach. Then I could have huge luxury parties with French champagne and oyster stations and we could dance the night away in my grand ballroom. The views over the water would be breath taking and I would hire my mansion out for functions like weddings and other grand parties.

Congratulations Hols24, please email me with your postal address by midnight Friday 28th November and I'll send your prize to you right away; a brand new copy of Empty Mansions - The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark by Bill Dedman & Paul Clark Newell Jr.

Thanks again to all those who entered and to Allen & Unwin for supplying the prize. 

I'll be running another book giveaway soon, so stay tuned and Carpe Librum!

Review: A Vision of Fire (Book One of the Earthend Saga) by Gillian Anderson & Jeff Rovin

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster for review * 

Blurb
Renowned child psychologist Caitlin O'Hara is a single mum trying to juggle her job, her son, and a lacklustre love life. 

Her world is suddenly upturned when Maanik, the daughter of India's ambassador to the United Nations, starts having violent visions. Maanik's parents are sure that her fits have something to do with the recent assassination attempt on her father - a shooting that has escalated nuclear tensions between India and Pakistan to dangerous levels - but when children start having similar outbursts around the world, Caitlin begins to think that there's a stranger force at work. 

With Asia on the cusp of nuclear war, Caitlin must race across the globe and uncover the supernatural links between these seemingly unrelated cases in order to save her patient - and perhaps the world.

My Review
I've been a fan of actress Gillian Anderson for many many years, beginning with the epic TV Show The X-Files. I went on to enjoy her portrayal of Miss Havisham in BBC's Great Expectations her roles in Bleak House and The Crimson Petal and the White and she's simply brilliant in the TV show Hannibal as Hannibal's psychotherapist.

When I heard she was teaming up with author Jeff Rovin to write a sci-fi thriller called A Vision of Fire, I was really excited.

The book starts off with a very international feel, with one of the main characters being the daughter of the Ambassador to India currently engaged in peace talks. This wasn't really essential to the main plot but added depth and suspense later on. So did the fact that the protagonist Caitlin O'Hara has a deaf son, I really enjoyed his small role and their interactions together.

There's the discovery of an artefact, which for me was the most exciting part of the novel and I would have loved to read more about this set of characters.

The first half reads as a well-written thriller and it was hard not to see Gillian Anderson as the character Caitlin in the novel. She's smart and intelligent and great at her job. The second to last third of the novel is where things really move into the supernatural themes that made The X-Files so popular. It's not that Anderson and Rovin are using themes or ideas from the show - theirs is all new material - but the explanation for the fits and visions the young characters are having is pretty 'out there', and won't appeal to all readers. In fact the climactic scene almost reads as if it were a dream (I'd love to know which of the co-authors was the primary contributor here) and felt like the scene was transcribed from memory rather than created as fiction. Strange.

I'm pretty sure there's nothing out there at the moment (in the thriller genre anyway) quite like A Vision of Fire and it's exciting to see Gillian Anderson published as an author. The ending leaves room for a sequel and this novel is Book One of the Earthend Saga, so I guess I'll be staying tuned for the next one.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Review & Giveaway of Empty Mansions - The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark by Bill Dedman & Paul Clark Newell Jr

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin for review *

Until I came across Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr, I had never heard of Huguette Clark and her story intrigued me right away.

With a fortune of almost $300 million dollars, this shy and reclusive American heiress spent the last twenty years of her life cooped up in a hospital room, despite being perfectly healthy.

An eccentric woman who gave $30 million dollars in gifts to her nurse and wrote cheques to others almost every day, Huguette had a love of cartoons and often watched The Smurfs and The Flintstones.

Huguette was a musician and painter at heart and owned many priceless artworks including paintings by Degas and Renoir. She also collected hundreds upon hundreds of dolls and dollhouses. Huguette owned several magnificent homes, although hadn't stayed in some of them for decades.

When Huguette Clark died at the age of 104, 19 family members tried to get their hands on her money. Paul Clark Newell Jr is a relative of Huguette and together with Bill Dedman bring us the details of this amazing woman and her life in Empty Mansions - The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune.

A fascinating read which had me diving for Wikipedia to see what her dolls or mansions looked like, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Empty Mansions. If my snippets above piqued your interest at all, you'll love this one too. See below for details on how to WIN your own copy.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

Giveaway Details
To enter: to WIN your very own print copy of Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman & Paul Clark Newell, valued at RRP $32.99, answer this question: if you could own a luxury mansion in any city in the world, where would it be? Leave your answer in a comment below to earn one entry.

Additional entries:
- Follow Carpe Librum on Google Friend Connect or subscribe by email for 3 additional entries (each)
- Follow @carpe_librum1 on Twitter for 2 additional entries
- Tweet this for 2 additional entries: I just entered to WIN a copy of #EmptyMansions by @BillDedman thanks to @carpe_librum1
- Share this article on Facebook for 1 additional entry
- 1 automatic additional entry for all existing Twitter, email and Google Friend Connect followers

Eligibility: only those with an Australian postal address are eligible to enter.

Closing date: entries close at midnight on Friday 21st November and the winner will be drawn using random.org and announced here. The winner will have 5 days to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn.

Good luck everyone!

Top 5 Best Books Read In 2014

As the year is beginning to come to a close, I'd like to list the top five books I've read this year, in the hope it'll inspire others to discover them or give them as gifts for Christmas etc.

It wasn't hard to compile this list. First I looked at the all books I'd given 5 star ratings to, and from there looked for the ones I found myself telling others about.

Here's my Top 5 Books Read in 2014 listed chronologically, in the order they were read.

1. Eugenia, A True Story of Adversity, Tragedy, Crime and Courage by Mark Tedeschi QC

In this true crime book, Australian author Mark Tedeschi, AM QC uses his extensive legal experience to take the reader through the life of Eugenia Falleni. Born a female in New Zealand in 1875, Eugenia decided to live her life as a man, dressing as a man and going by the name Eugene. In 1898, she moved to Newcastle and began her life here in Australia as a male.

Living under different names, Eugenia successfully married twice and lived every aspect of her life as a man, including conducting intimate relationships with women who had no idea of her true sexuality. In Sydney in 1920, Eugenia's life took a turn for the worse when she was charged with murdering her first wife, Annie Birkett.

I read Eugenia in April, and it's in my Top 5 list because I found myself talking about her case with others and her story really shook me.

2. Into The Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

In May, I stayed awake reading until 5am, completely engrossed in the psychological thriller Into The Darkest Corner by ex Police Intelligence Analyst turned author, Elizabeth Haynes. The characters were compelling, the fear palpable and the suspense chilling. I was creeped out by the simplest of things (a button, a cutlery drawer) testament to just how far I was drawn into the story.

The plot was tightly crafted, the OCD angle fascinating and I really flew through the pages to find out what was going to happen.

I went on to have the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth Haynes about her novels Into The Darkest Corner and Human Remains and it was great fun. You can read our interview here.

3. The Martian by Andy Weir

In June I read the funniest book of the year, The Martian by Andy Weir. The Martian is a science fiction novel about NASA astronaut Mark Watney, who finds himself deserted on Mars following a failed mission. His engineering and problem solving skills will make the difference between death or survival and Watney maintains a wicked sense of humour; evidenced in his online diary.

The Martian is laugh out loud funny and an absolute gem and I still remember his best jokes five months later. I'm always thrilled when I find out another friend is reading it and I keep recommending it widely.

4. The Farm by Tom Rob Smith

In July, the book I couldn't stop talking about was The Farm by Tom Rob Smith. With a brilliant opening scenario, (who would you believe, your mother or your father) the book was easy to talk about and I yelled out loud when the lead character decided which parent's version of events to trust.

Inspired by The Farm, I then went on to read Child 44 and to become the first Australian blogger to interview Tom Rob Smith here. Definitely one of the highlights of my year. Click here to find out for yourself.

5. The City by Dean Koontz

I've read at least 29 books by Dean Koontz, and easily consider him one of my favourite authors, despite never giving him a five star review. All that was set to change in July when I read his latest offering. The City is the coming-of-age story of nine year old Jonah Kirk growing up in the 1960s. It's a story of fate, luck, tragedy, family and love with a light touch of the paranormal and it's what I've been waiting to read from Koontz for years!

In The City we are given a glimpse into the life of one young boy, and the influence of his guardian, Miss Pearl and the unforgettable Mr. Nashioka, a humble tailor.

___________________________________________________________________

Have you read any of these novels? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment, or share some of your own favourite reads from 2014.

Carpe Librum!

Review: Skinjob by Bruce McCabe

* Copy courtesy of Random House Books *


Skinjob is an exciting techno-thriller set in the near future from debut Australian author Bruce McCabe. Daniel Madsen is our protagonist; a Federal Agent with a small handheld lie detector unit, called to join the task force after a bombing in downtown San Francisco.

The target of the bombing was a brothel (called a dollhouse) where patrons pay to spend time with lifelike sex robots; called skinjobs because of their lifelike skin.

Skinjob includes the political landscape of the world McCabe has created, and features a religious movement that's more like a giant advertising machine than a church. The New Christian Organization of America (NeChristo) is a suspect in the bombing due to their protests against Dreamcom - the manufacturers of the skinjobs. 

NeChristo directly transmits their daily podcasts to their millions of followers by use of G-rings (cross-shaped earring that acts as a receiver and earpiece). A scary thought indeed. The descriptions of the NeChristo headquarters showed incredible imagination by the author and I wouldn't be surprised if his words inspired an architect or two in the process. I'd definitely want to visit!

Starting out as a self-published novel before being picked up by Bantam Press (Random House Books), McCabe's writing is unexpectedly polished and tight, and gives the impression of an experienced writer.

I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller, with more to offer than just crime, action and suspense. There's much to consider here and the reader is entertained in the process.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Review: Pen & Ink - Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them by Isaac Fitzgerald & Wendy MacNaughton

* Copy from Allen & Unwin for review * 

I've noticed more and more people seem to have tattoos these days, and although I've had mine for more than 16 years, I might be thinking about getting another one.

Whether I do or not, I always enjoy looking at other tattoos and of course pondering the stories behind them. Isaac Fitzgerald is the editor at BuzzFeed Books and has put together a book of tattoos from people from all walks of life and the personal stories behind each one.  Illustrated by Wendy MacNaughton, the result is Pen & Ink: Tattoos & The Stories Behind Them.

I'll admit it was unusual to read a book about tattoos without colour photographs of the artwork, but I'll admit a certain pleasure seeing the drawings of the art instead; no trouble with poor lighting or distractions from the human canvases.

Pen & Ink: Tattoos & The Stories Behind Them would make a great Christmas gift.

My rating = ***1/2

Pen & Ink: Tattoos & The Stories Behind Them by Isaac Fitzgerald and Wendy MacNaughton is available from 1 November 2014, RRP $29.99.

Review: The Universe Doesn't Give a Flying Fuck About You by Johnny B. Truant

The Universe Doesn't Give A Flying Fuck About You by Johnny B. Truant is a FREE e-book, currently available in the Kindle store or on iBooks.

It's a motivational kick in the pants for those who need a reminder that time is short, and to go out and get what you want, instead of being crippled by doubt, fear or lack of motivation.

Truant has a great sense of humour and no nonsense attitude and as the title might suggest, his work includes some swearing, but if this doesn't bother you, you'll enjoy gems like this:

"If you knew how small you are and how short a time you have to do what you can, you wouldn't waste time watching five fucking hours of TV a day." Page 11

And this, from page 18:
"You might write something and nobody might read it. You might build it and nobody might come. You could fail and ruin your life. You could take a chance and end up looking really, really stupid. Boo-fucking-hoo."

Highly recommended for those needing a pep up, motivation or a slap in the face, The Universe Doesn't Give A Flying Fuck About You by Johnny B. Truant is FREE and only 26 pages long. C'mon, you can do it!

My rating = ****
Carpe Librum!

Book Tour & Guest Post: Reluctantly Charmed by Ellie O'Neill

* Copy courtesy of the Reluctantly Charmed book tour hosted by Simon and Schuster *

Today is the last stop on the Reluctantly Charmed book tour, and I'm pleased to host author Ellie O'Neill here on Carpe Librum today.

Blurb
It’s Kate McDaid’s birthday and she’s hoping to kickstart her rather stagnant love-life and career when she gets some very strange news. To her surprise, she is the sole benefactor of a great-great-great-great aunt and self-proclaimed witch also called Kate McDaid, who died over 130 years ago. As if that isn’t strange enough, the will instructs that, in order to receive the inheritance, Kate must publish seven letters, one by one, week by week.

Burning with curiosity, Kate agrees and opens the first letter – and finds that it’s a passionate plea to reconnect with the long-forgotten fairies of Irish folklore. Instantly, Kate’s life is turned upside down. Her romantic life takes a surprising turn and she is catapulted into the public eye. As events become stranger and stranger – and she discovers things about herself she’s never known before – Kate must decide whether she can fulfil the final, devastating step of the request . . . or whether she can face the consequences if she doesn’t... 

My Review
I've learned not to trust a book by it's cover, and nowhere is this point more valid than Reluctantly Charmed by Ellie O'Neill. Pitched as having the 'warmth of Monica McInerney and the charm of Bridget Jones', I'd never have picked up Reluctantly Charmed if it weren't for the invitation to join the virtual book tour being hosted by Simon and Schuster and being offered an ARC of the novel.

Far from being a beach read or chick lit novel, I found Reluctantly Charmed to be a dark mystery that definitely held my attention. The romance is subtle, the protagonist Kate is very likeable and the plot is original and believable. I flagged each of the letters as they appeared in the novel (and were subsequently published on the web by Kate) and couldn't wait to read the final letter and the instructions it contained.

I enjoyed the darkness and fear associated with Irish folklore and the mention that some Irishman still try to please the fairies by fulfilling superstitious beliefs. Author Ellie O'Neill tells me more in her guest post below.

Reluctantly Charmed was the most unexpected and surprising read of the year for me and reinforces the lesson that if you generalise and make snap judgements about a book, you could be missing out on a rewarding reading experience. I'm glad I didn't miss this one.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

I recently had the opportunity to ask author Ellie O'Neill some questions and here is her response.

Guest Post from Ellie O'Neill
It is true that at one point in Ireland, a long time ago roads would have to be re-routed rather than go through a fairy fort.  The belief was strong.  But it’s an old belief going back a few generations. It doesn’t belong to modern Ireland.  However I do love the stories and the fairy world but I’m not a folklorist, just a person who had a superstitious granny that lead to me investigate the fairies more.  Because these stories are folklore, they fall into a grey area, there’s no right or wrong answer, there’s only perceptions of right or wrong.  I cover off most of what I actually know in Reluctantly Charmed, and any first hand recollections I have of them are from years ago and a little bit fuzzy if I’m honest.  A few things seem to be agreed on, from what I can tell anyway and I’ll do my best to explain.  

Author, Ellie O'Neill

A fairy tree is generally considered to be a white thorn tree or a Hawthorn tree, they are large bushes and have a white flower.  It is bad luck to cut one down or dig one up, because it is believed that often fairies live there.  Sometimes offerings are placed on these trees and they’re called a Wishing Tree.  There’s quite a famous tree at the Hill of Tara in County Meath that is covered in ribbons, gifts and wishes, quite a beautiful tradition really, and worth a look if you find yourself in that neck of the world.   

As a kid I remember a fairy ring being literally any circular formation in a field, so if they were a ring of mushrooms, or stones, or just that the grass was different and formed a circle that was a fairy ring.  The criteria for a fairy ring to exist, was that it had to be naturally formed and to have been there for a very long time.  I do remember seeing them when I was younger, and my siblings and I would dare each other to step into one, and make up stories as to what would happen if you did.  But we never did, we were too scared, you would be cursed by the other world and in our head that was anything from imminent death to never finding true love.  It wasn’t worth the risk.  As an adult I have learned that a fairy ring is considered to be more of a stone formation, but again one that has been formed in nature.  At one stage there were literally tens of thousands of these in Ireland.  These are now protected monuments and there is a fine if they are destroyed – but who would be brave enough to do that?  

There is a great article written on this topic, Irish skepticism and beliefs, which appeared in The Examiner, a national paper in Ireland, two years ago.  It’s very interesting and should answer a lot of your questions a lot better than I can!

Truly fascinating, thanks so much Ellie!

Review: Baudelaire's Revenge by Bob Van Laerhoven

* Copy courtesy of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Pegasus Books and Edelweiss * 

Blurb

It is 1870, and Paris is in turmoil.

As the social and political turbulence of the Franco-Prussian War roils the city, workers starve to death while aristocrats seek refuge in orgies and seances. The Parisians are trapped like rats in their beautiful city but a series of gruesome murders captures their fascination and distracts them from the realities of war. The killer leaves lines from the recently deceased Charles Baudelaire's controversial anthology Les Fleurs du Mal on each corpse, written in the poet's exact handwriting. Commissioner Lefevre, a lover of poetry and a veteran of the Algerian war, is on the case, and his investigation is a thrilling, intoxicating journey into the sinister side of human nature, bringing to mind the brooding and tense atmosphere of Patrick Susskind's Perfume. Did Baudelaire rise from the grave? Did he truly die in the first place? The plot dramatically appears to extend as far as the court of the Emperor Napoleon III.

A vivid, intelligent, and intense historical crime novel that offers up some shocking revelations about sexual mores in 19th century France, this superb mystery illuminates the shadow life of one of the greatest names in poetry.

My Review
Here's a fact I didn't know, Charles Baudelaire was a French poet and lived from 1821 to 1867.  Baudelaire's Revenge by Bob Van Laerhoven is essentially a historical fiction crime novel, featuring Commissioner Lefevre and his 'wingman' Bouveroux investigating a spate of murders; the killer leaving snippets of Baudelaire's poetry on the body three years after the poet's death.

Despite the exciting and promising premise, unfortunately Baudelaire's Revenge never really took off for me. My first problem was that there was simply too much character background and research inserted into the novel for little reward or purpose.

Here's an example:
"Her collarbone reminded the commissioner of the willowy skeletons of tiny mammals on exhibit at the city's natural history museum."  Page 56

Another reason I didn't enjoy the novel were the frequent and unnecessary references to modern times. The writer goes out of his way to make sure the reader knows that although we're reading a novel set more than 140 years ago, it is an era of new technology and change for the characters.

Here's an example from Page 99:
"The owner of the house had followed the modern trend and built a toilet detached from the rest of the house." 

Any lover of historical fiction will know that the characters are at the cutting edge of change and modernity without being reminded, however Van Laerhoven uses the term 'modern' at least 19 times in 268 pages which slowly began to grate on my nerves.

The last sticking point I had was with some of the descriptions, check out this one from page 56: 
"...cushions under her belly so that his penis, its head the size of a plump radish, could penetrate..."

Just ridiculous. However in order to balance the criticism, I'd like to share my favourite quote from the novel, which appeared on Page 147:
"I remember its corridors better than the faces of those who walked them."

Lines like this were a blessing, but what really kept me reading was the character born with a tail. Abandoned at a convent, she was the most exciting character of the novel, and when I began to read the story from her perspective I was thoroughly entertained. If I had my way, I'd lose Lefevre and Bouveroux completely and read the entire life story of this character (name withheld to avoid spoilers).

Baudelaire's Revenge didn't conclude satisfactorily and ultimately was a disappointing read for me. Such a shame.

My rating = **

Please don't take my word for it though.

About the Author
Bob Van Laerhoven became a full-time author in 1991 and has written more than thirty books in Holland and Belgium. The context of his stories isn't invented behind his desk, rather it is rooted in personal experience. As a freelance travel writer, for example, he explored conflicts and trouble-spots across the globe from the early 1990s to 2005. Echoes of his experiences on the road also trickle through in his novels. Somalia, Liberia, Sudan, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar to name but a few.

Author Bob Van Laerhoven

During the Bosnian war, Van Laerhoven spent part of 1992 in the besieged city of Sarajevo. Three years later he was working for MSF - Doctors without frontiers - in the Bosnian city of Tuzla during the NATO bombings. At that moment the refugees arrived from the Muslim enclave of Srebrenica. Van Laerhoven was the first writer from the Low Countries to be given the chance to speak to the refugees. His conversations resulted in a travel book: Srebrenica. Getuigen van massamoord, Srebrenica. Testimony to a Mass Murder. The book denounces the rape and torture of the Muslim population of this Bosnian-Serbian enclave and is based on first-hand testimonies. He also concludes that mass murders took place, an idea that was questioned at the time but later proven accurate.

All these experiences contribute to Bob Van Laerhoven's rich and commendable oeuvre, an oeuvre that typifies him as the versatile author of novels, travel stories, books for young adults, theatre pieces, biographies, poetry, non-fiction, letters, columns, articles... He is also a prize-winning author: in 2007 he won the Hercule Poirot Prize for best thriller of the year with his novel De Wraak van Baudelaire, Baudelaire's Revenge.

For more information please visit Bob Van Laerhoven's website.

Review of The Secrets of Casanova & Interview with the author Greg Michaels

* Copy courtesy of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours * 

Blurb
Loosely based on the life of Jacques Casanova, The Secrets of Casanova is a rich, lush novel of love, sex, family, ambition, intrigue, and adventure. Set in Paris of 1755, Casanova's luck is fading and his past is shoving up against his present with potentially disastrous consequences. What price must he pay to uncover a treasure of inestimable value? What hearts must he break along the way? Casanova's will and destiny collide again and again in this riveting historical fiction that brings to light a man of great passion and not a few secrets.

My Review
I didn't know anything about the real life of Casanova going into this novel, apart from knowing he was a ladies' man in Europe a couple of hundred years ago.

Out of money and unable to return home to his beloved Venice, Casanova and his valet Petrine (great character) seek refuge with Casanova's brother. Always on the lookout for a patron, out of money and a social climber, Casanova takes off on an adventure in an effort to solve a riddle and seek a treasure worth more than money; which is where the novel really takes off.

The Secrets of Casanova is a fictional account of Casanova's life, and while it takes some liberties with the facts, many of the events and people Casanova met and interacted with (including Voltaire and Pope Clement XIII), actually took place.

Not surprisingly, there are several sex scenes throughout the novel, however Michaels has painted Casanova as a giving and generous lover; perhaps that's what made him attractive to the ladies...

Michaels includes many words and events that piqued my interest along the way, and I was frequently leaving the tale to learn more, the events just too interesting to ignore. One such event was the Lisbon earthquake, which I learned was a real event that took place in 1755 and killed anywhere between 10,000-100,000 people.

Here's my favourite quote from the novel, which gives you an indication of the author's writing style:

"But then Frenchmen are relatively polite. They, for instance, step around a starving peasant. The Russians? They slay the peasant, slice open his belly and shove their feet inside to warm their toes."   Page 131

Unforgettable and bursting with imagery! I recommend The Secrets of Casanova for lovers of historical fiction, and those wishing to embark on a refreshing and exciting adventure story. (You can read a free excerpt here).

My rating = ****

Interview with author Greg Michaels
Greg, thanks so much for stopping by at Carpe Librum as part of your tour with HF Virtual Book Tours. Can I ask, when did your personal interest in Casanova begin?

Author Greg Michaels

Thanks for having me, Tracey. My interest in Casanova began a few years ago when a biography by John Masters popped into my hands. A bright turquoise cover is hard to ignore. (LAUGHS). After reading the first few pages, I was mesmerized.

Many people, after finishing my novel, The Secrets of Casanova, have told me they didn’t know Casanova was a real human being; I was ignorant of that fact until the John Masters’ book enlightened me. And once it did, there was no going back. This Casanova guy—well, he lived one extraordinary exploit after another.

According to Wikipedia, Giacomo Casanova (1725 – 1798) was: “by vocation and avocation, a lawyer, clergyman, military officer, violinist, con man, pimp, gourmand, dancer, businessman, diplomat, spy, politician, medic, mathematician, social philosopher, cabalist, playwright, and writer.” It almost sounds too outlandish to be true. What research did you undertake to find out more about this intriguing man?
Wikipedia actually omitted a few other hats that Casanova wore: duelist, entrepreneur, adventurer—to name just three. Oh, and let’s not forget lover! One might say that was a preoccupation of his.

Your use of “outlandish” is certainly appropriate. Casanova’s life was so often over the top, that people thought his autobiography - published long after his death - was mostly lies and hyperbole. Then, slowly, nineteenth-century scholars began to unearth police records, personal letters, memoirs, etc.; they came to the conclusion that 95% of what Casanova recorded was true!

For my research I read Casanova’s twelve-volume autobiography several times. Whew! I delved into diverse sources about Casanova: from Erica Jong, Arthur Symons, J. Rives Child, to Ezra Pound.

Beyond that, I digested a few dozen books on gambling, ships, carriages, Voltaire, Christianity, Gnosticism, architecture, 18th century Europe, Freemasonry, Horace, swordplay, Jerusalem, Venice, outerwear and underwear. Heck, like many historical fiction authors, I loved the research. Beguiling.  It was sitting down to write that scared the pantaloons off me. (LAUGHS.) Your research of the clothing really came through for me, I wished there were sketches so I could see exactly what they were all wearing at different times.

At the end of The Secrets of Casanova, you tell your readers that your fiction is ‘made up of exaggeration and fabrication” and not to: “take any of this book as factual; it is fiction.”  Not knowing much at all about Giacomo Casanova going in, I was surprised to find later that many of the people he met in your novel and many of the events actually took place. How did you decide what to include and what to leave out or fabricate?
I won’t talk too much about the book—don’t want spoilers, you know—but now and again certain characters, historical dates, geographical places—were modified to serve my story. Although there’s a basis in fact for most of the events and people in The Secrets of Casanova, by book’s end it seemed to me that a fair number of details had been altered.
At the same time, however, I felt I’d captured some of Casanova’s complex personality and I wanted people to see the flesh-and-blood dissolute genius, not just the legendary womanizer with whom we may be familiar.

My editor, Cynthia White, understood my dilemma and so, after much gnashing of teeth, we decided the best solution was the simplest: we added the “everything is fiction” disclaimer while gently pointing out some of the historical origins of the novel, as well as suggesting that folks read Casanova’s autobiography to learn how this paradoxical man lived the adventure called Life.

Portrait of
Casanova (source)

In your personal opinion, do you think Casanova was a womanizer or a romantic?
I define a romantic as “someone in love with love.” Knowing that we could build a case for either label, I would choose to describe Casanova as a romantic.

Yes, it’s no secret that his many romances often played out in brief, dramatic episodes, but I take him at his word when, in his autobiography he wrote “. . .without love [my italics], this great [seduction] business is a vile thing.”

I believe this statement of his—and here’s a reason why: Casanova was a hedonist, living his life to satisfy his senses. He was a creature of feelings. What better feeling than to regularly convince yourself that you’re infatuated or in love with a woman you desire? Jacques Casanova, the hedonist, consistently did that. Is that being in love with love? I think so. And that makes him a romantic. And that’s how I portray him in my book.

I was very grateful to be reading the e-book version of The Secrets of Casanova, because I used the dictionary function many times to check the meaning of words like: venery, primogeniture, fauteuil, peruke, argent, madrigal, sedulous, poetaster and riposted to name a few. Have you an impressive vocabulary or did you come across these gems in your research?
Impressive vocabulary. (LAUGHS.)  NOT! (LAUGHS AGAIN.) But seriously, words are an actor’s tool; I learned to relish words acting in Shakespeare’s plays. That’s carried over to writing and often when I discover “exciting words” during research, I keep them.

And since you asked…it felt important to add a “sophistication” element to the book. In Casanova’s time, people were more into language than in our culture; as an author I wanted to capture the times as best I could. The $10 words helped. 

Lastly, a touch of authenticity was inserted in the book by using words and phrases in Latin, French, Spanish, and Italian. I presumed that in the eighteenth-century, Europeans would have heard a multitude of languages.

All of these writing choices, I felt, could help immerse the reader in a different time and place. And isn’t that one of the reasons people read historical fiction? Do I use these $10 words in my everyday conversation? No. But I’m happy to raise the literary bar for myself and for the readers of The Secrets of Casanova. Hope my language choices don’t come across as pompous. (Don't worry, they didn't).

I read that you have a Degree in Anthropology and have done some serious acting, including one of my favourite TV shows of all time, The X-Files. How has this life experience helped you write about Casanova?
Yes, I’ve done a lot of serious acting. And a lot of silly acting too. (LAUGHS)
But as for life experience, well, my three loves - anthropology, acting, and writing - are all about observing and studying people in one way or another. (Coincidentally, my name “Gregory” means “observant” in Latin). Observing people, and then building truthful characters from those observations, whether in a book or onstage - well, the creative processes are similar - so my background in acting informed my writing, I’m sure.

Besides that, it’s pretty significant that as a theatre actor I’ve had the privilege to interpret great playwrights onstage; I’m thrilled to have “rubbed shoulders” with colossal writing talents like Shakespeare, Pinter, Rostand, and Chekov.

Now if you’re a younger author and don’t have a lot of life experience, you’re still in luck. A fertile imagination can work as a substitute.

Greg Michaels was an actor on
one of my favourite TV shows
of all time, The X-Files

I’ve also got to ask, what was it like to be on the set of The X-Files?
Tried to assassinate Agent Scully. (That’s a fun way to start your acting day!) Instead, I missed Scully with my gunshot, got my leg blasted, and ended up killing Agent Pender. Gosh, as a professional actor I felt bad: the young guy playing Pender had a recurring role on X-Files - and I was the one that ended his paychecks.

I recall David Duchovny rehearsing his “acceptance speech” to me - and asking my honest opinion. He was to attend the Screen Actor Guild Awards ceremony the coming weekend. In retrospect, I may have offered too pointed a critique, but the good news is that it added fire to our adversarial [onscreen] relationship - trying to kill each other on a passenger-laden 747 that is in crash mode.

One other memory…I’d done quite a few TV shows before X-Files but I was stunned to see how much money the producers had for their production. For example, the Art Director rented a “prop” plane: a whole 747 fuselage that was outfitted with a hydraulic system that rocked, rolled, and swivelled that plane - to look as if it were going into a tailspin.
To intensify the dramatic [onscreen] action, the passengers, the extras - were directed to scream bloody-murder. Before every scene, before every take with David Duchovny, my blood curdled. But what great fun for an actor!

Especially when, at the finale, I get sucked out of the plane by a UFO. After that, I avoided UFO’s for some time. Sensible idea and wow, what an experience.

I am happiest when…?
There’s a part of me that’s a dedicated “nester.” I can be pretty darned domestic. To that end, my wife and I enjoy throwing small dinner parties at home. Surrounded by antique bookcases, clocks, and a striking mantelpiece, we often feel that we’re in the middle of a safe and familiar forest. When, at the dinner party, the wine and the conversation are flowing, the fireplace is crackling, and the laughter is genuine, there’s a conviviality that I truly treasure. These moments with my wife, sons, and friends are my happiest…and make me darned grateful.

What are you reading at the moment?
Please, Pretty Lights by Ina Zajac is my current read. Good, good writing by Ms. Zajac. The story is a young woman’s drug-infested descent into a world of strip bars, music, and love. A great psychological study that paints a contemporary demi-monde. Yep, there’s another one of those $10 words! Maybe I do have an impressive vocabulary. (LAUGHS)

One of Greg's favourite
books is The Last of the
Mohicans by James
Fenimore Cooper

Can you share some of your favourite books and authors?
There are so many that I’ll voluntarily confine myself to historical fiction. The Last of the Mohicans is one of my favs. I read it as a boy and then as a man. When you’re aware of the actual history on which it’s based, it gives you the shudders.

Talking contemporary authors, Robin Maxwell is one of my favorites. Her writing is personable, bright, easy-going, informed. A real pleasure to read. Especially like her Mademoiselle Boleyn. Then there’s Hilary Mantel’s Bring Up The Bodies. Wow! The Jack Kerouac of historical fiction, if you ask me. Powerful work.

I also enjoy Michelle Moran’s work, especially Madame Tussaud. She took on great challenges in that book and tackled them with gusto.  

I noticed in your Acknowledgements section that Robin Maxwell (one of my favourite authors) played a significant part in encouraging and inspiring you to write Casanova.  How did this come about, and do you have any other literary influences?
I discovered Robin Maxwell’s The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn in the 90’s; since then I’ve read five or six of Robin’s books. Exhilarating prose. Flowing sentences that take you on a ride. And fine, fine storytelling.

Robin and her husband Max became mentors who offered inspiration, discipline, a business sense, and encouragement at every stage of the writing process. Robin has taught me about the profession of writing from a number of perspectives.

Two other terrific writers, whose books I admire and enjoy, were gracious with their time and critiques: C.W. Gortner and Gillian Bagwell. Can’t thank them enough.

What's next?  Do you have anything in the pipeline at the moment? 
I have an outline for the next Casanova book, there’s just no telling when I’ll finish the manuscript. I’m a slow-poke, what can I say? I like to savor writing as much as I savor reading.

Anything else you'd like to add?
I’m very glad that The Secrets of Casanova won the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction. The judges were librarians and, personally-speaking, I look at librarians and authors as “keepers of the language.” So, to me, it was a true honor that librarians chose my book for their award.

Oh yes, one final, final thing. My publicist threatens to spank me if readers don’t flock to the website: Greg-Michaels.com.  Please don’t let this grown man get a spanking! Well, we can't have that can we? Please visit Greg's website for more information, and thank you so much for your time today Greg.

About the Author

After receiving his B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin, a chance experience thrust Greg into a career as a professional actor and fight director. To date he's acted in over fifty theater productions, more than forty television shows, and choreographed dozens of swordfights for stage and screen. In The Secrets of Casanova, Greg again proves his skill at telling a theatrical story. He lives with his wife, two sons, and Andy the hamster.