GIVEAWAY & Exclusive Excerpt: Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley
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In 1921, infamous Italian poet Galeazzo D’Ascanio wrote his last and greatest play, inspired by his muse and mistress, actress Celia Sands. On the eve of opening night, Celia vanished, and the play was never performed.
Now, two generations later, Alessandro D’Ascanio plans to stage his grandfather’s masterpiece and has offered the lead to a promising young English actress, also named Celia Sands—at the whim of her actress mother, or so she has always thought. When Celia arrives at D’Ascanio’s magnificent, isolated Italian villa, she is drawn to the mystery of her namesake’s disappearance—and to the compelling, enigmatic Alessandro.
But the closer Celia gets to learning the first Celia’s fate, the more she is drawn into a web of murder, passion, and the obsession of genius. Though she knows she should let go of the past, in the dark, in her dreams, it comes back…
***
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Susanna Kearsley is known for her meticulous research and exotic settings from Russia to Italy to Cornwall, which not only entertain her readers but give her a great reason to travel. Her lush writing has been compared to Mary Stewart, Daphne Du Maurier, and Diana Gabaldon. She hit the bestseller lists in the U.S. with The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden, both RITA finalists and winners of RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards. Other honors include finaling for the UK’s Romantic Novel of the Year Award, National Readers’ Choice Awards, and the prestigious Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize. Her popular and critically-acclaimed books are available in translation in more than 20 countries and as audio books. She lives in Canada, near the shores of Lake Ontario.
Excerpt from Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley
Bryan was waiting for us now beside the bar, with his back to the elegant windows whose curtains had not yet been drawn against the waning evening light. From the level of Scotch in his glass I could tell that he’d been here a while, which meant that we were late, since Bryan was always dead on time.
The Scotch had strengthened his Aussie drawl. “We did say seven,” he reminded Rupert, leaning round to kiss my cheek. “Happy birthday, Angel.”
“Thanks.” I kissed him back. “It’s my fault, really—”
“We were over to St. Paul’s Church,” said Rupert. Greeting the barman, he ordered a Scotch for himself. “And what will you have, Celia? Sherry? Right. And a glass of the Amontillado, please.”
“And what were you doing,” asked Bryan, “at St. Paul’s?” But he knew. I could tell from the smile at the edge of his eyes. Bryan had marvelous eyes—they could speak in a silence.
He was older than Rupert by several years, but seemed younger for some reason, maybe because he was more energetic, less languid, more given to moods. His face, too, was sharper in outline, expressive, with that prominent jaw and cleft chin that seemed somehow reserved for Australians. His skin, after twenty-odd years in our pallid weather, still bore the marks of a youth spent in subequatorial sunshine, creased deeply round his eyes and mouth to reveal the way he smiled. He’d looked the same for as long as I could remember—restless activity kept him from ageing. His golden hair had only just started to show at the temples the grey that had long ago sneaked into Rupert’s.
Since childhood I had played a secret game of giving roles from Shakespeare’s plays to the people around me. Bryan I had cast as Romeo and Juliet ’s Mercutio, witty and clever and swaggering around with a sword in his hand, whereas Rupert was more of a Brutus from Julius Caesar, reflective and careful. They balanced each other, like all well-matched couples.
They’d met quite by chance in the year of my birth, on a lazy hot Sunday in St. James’s Park. Bryan had still had his dog then—a lurcher named Oscar—who’d taken a liking to Rupert in passing and bounced him clean over. “And that,” Bryan told me, “was that.”
In the theatrical world, where people changed partners the way they changed socks, Bryan and Roo were a rarity. Bryan and Roo—I always thought of them like that, like bookends, each one incomplete without the other. Theirs was the only truly stable relationship I’d ever observed. It helped, I think, that Bryan was not theatrical. He worked in R and D for a pharmaceuticals firm, probably the furthest thing from Rupert’s world and mine one could imagine. Having lived for years at a microscopic level, he saw things with precision.
“You’ve had your letter, then,” he said, “from Italy.”
“How did you know about that?”
He shrugged. “Roo told me it was coming. And you have that look you get when you’re trying to make up your mind about something. You haven’t decided?”
“Not yet, no.”
Picking up his glass again he nodded understanding. “It’ll be the name thing. If you want my opinion—”
Rupert interrupted. “We’ll just let her make her own decision, shall we?” Passing me my sherry, he said, “Now then, do you want your presents now, or after dinner?”
A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Our Town. For some reason, I love it.
I second A Midsummer Night’s Dream. :-)
Yeah, this author has been on of my favourites for years. LUV LUV LUV Marianna!
I’ve only ever seen musicals live so I’m going with The Phantom of the Opera.
Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure, although Midsummer Night’s Dream is a close second.
Wicked was very good.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream!
I have not seen many plays :/ But I do remember this adaptation of a Swedish kid’s book the best. It was fantastical
I’ve always loved Much Ado About Nothing, but Hamlet is a close second.
Urinetown, as performed last year at my son’s high school- fantastic!
It’s such a tough call, but I think I’m going to have to go with Much Ado About Nothing. Love the banter between Beatrice and Benedick.
Hmm, my favorite play…An Ideal Husband, I think! But if musicals count, then it’s The Producers. :-D
Tough call. I’d say The Importance of Being Earnest.
When done well, Beauty & The Beast.
Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap.
Shakespeare’s King Lear.
I love Les Miserables. I know it’s really a musical, but I love it.
Wicked!
My favorite play? Well, I have plenty of favorites, but when it comes to murder stories, The Mousetrap has to be it.
It’s already been said, but Midsummer’s Night Dream is also mine.
I love Susan’s books, can’t wait for this one!
My favorite play though is Rent.. ok more of a musical :)
Not a whole of plays…..mostly Musicals. Gosh….so many! Phantom, Wicked, Miss Saigon…..don’t think I can just pick one!
Would Spamalot count as a play?
I’d have to go with Flowers for Algernon. That play is just heartbreaking and good. If we are going classic Shakespeare, I’d go Macbeth or Much Ado About Nothing.
Hamlet :)
I can’t decide between Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams, and Oleanna by David Mamet. All three are dark and twisted with a man and a woman at the heart of the plot.
Phantom of the Opera. Or Wicked I love that one too.
The Sound of Music!! (That’s considered a play, right?) ;)
Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde are definitely hard to beat…but I saw a revival of “Kiss Me Kate” that had me weeping with laughter. Also love “Or,” about England’s first female playwright, Aphra Behn. So much good live theatre!
hmmm…there are a lot of them…Les Miz, Phantom…Fiddler on the Roof
My favorite play would have to be Beauty and the Beast on Broadway.
Love Susanna Kearsley and can’t wait to read Season of Storms!
“The Taming of the Shrew”
I would say Hamlet by Shakespeare. I still remember the quotes from high school. :-)
Romeo and Juliet.
If musicals count, then WICKED! If not, then perhaps IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST?
fav play would be “And then there were none”
Susanna is amazing – I”ve read this one, but of course with the new pretty cover, I will need this.
Miss Saigon or Rent.
Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom of the Opera, and The King and I–too difficult to choose just one.
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
Death of a Salesman
I’m such a musical person, not a play person. I like plays but don’t have a favorite. (Favorite musical = Les Mis)
So many memorable plays. Always love Beauty and the Beast!
Fiddler On The Roof. My very first play, my Mom took my Sister & I to San Francisco to see.
Waiting for Godot, or Wicked.
Oh, so many to choose from! I think Les Mis is one of my very favorites – I’ve seen it four times, and would see it again in a heartbeat. For plays (vs. musicals), I love “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “Arsenic and Old Lace.”
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
Wicked!
I’m going to stretch it here and say “Grease” … because it was a play at my daughter’s school this year and my baby played Sandy! :)
Our Town
Susanna Kearsley is one of my favorite authors as well A Season of Storms was a wonderful book. I have read all of her books and was delighted with every one.
My favorite would be the musical “Phantom of the Opera” Overwhelmingly beautiful music. Saw this in Toronto, Ontario on stage,
Grease definitely!!
Now that you’ve made me think of it, I’ve probably only seen about a dozen or so non-Shakespearean plays, mostly of the Waiting for Godot and A Doll’s House type. So, I’ll stick with Shakespearean favorites As You Like It or Romeo and Juliet.
Now, if musicals count, that’s a whole ‘nother story!
I really love Macbeth.
Thanks for the giveaway. All my Rafflecopter entry says is to leave a comment, but apparently others were asked what’s their favorite play. Seen live? “Torch Song Trilogy.” At all? Too many to pick from.
Twelfth Night. Though I saw The Importance of Being Earnest earlier this year and it was so much fun.
An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde.
Thanks for the give-away!
Oooh. Not sure what my favorite play is. I do love Hamlet (I’m going to London next year to see Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance in Hamlet!).
Wit (also styled as W;t) by Margaret Edson
Love Susanna’s books!
My favourite play is Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
Recently saw a production of The Suit, which was excellent.
Tennessee Williams’ The Night of the Iguana
Love Susanna Kearsley’s books!
Measure for Measure was my favourite play.
Death of A Salesman
I just realized I’ve never seen any play in person, and have only seen maybe 1 or 2 on TV. I do live musicals though, and my favorite is also Les Miserables.
Beauty and the Beast
I don’t suppose Dame Edna’s The Royal Tour counts, but really, it should. Thanks for the giveaway.
I would have to say Phantom of the Opera. I’ve always loved that one!
Twelfth Night
My favorite play is Much Ado About Nothing :)
I am a huge fan of Theatre of all types so it is very hard to pick a favourite, it’s like picking a favourite child. I love every thing from Shakespeare to Musical Theatre but If I must pick one it would be Macbeth!
Mine is “Oklahoma” – love the music, dancing and story:)
I love Shakespeare, from his comedies to his tragedies. Tough choice, but I think I’ll go with The Tempest. It doesn’t get as much love as the biggies, but it has so much in it.
Phantom of the Opera – the first musical I saw on Broadway.
Les Miserables
The Importance of Being Earnest
I’d love to see any of Oscar Wilde’s plays – I’ve seen Hollywood film versions and read them in print, but have yet to see them on the stage.
I’d have to say that my favourite play is probably No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre. Or, seconding a few other users here, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. No Exit definitely comes first, though; I learn something new each time I read it.
The Importance of Being Earnest, and Macbeth.
I’ve only seen 1 play in my lifetime way back in the early 70’s I went with my class to San Francisco to see One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and it was a great play & loads of fun.
Looking forward to a new novel by Susanna Kearsley
The Jungle Book
Wait Until Dark
Phantom of the Opera
Much Ado About Nothing. It’s really hard to pin down just one!
It’s a zillion way tie. But I’m going to say The Lady’s Not for Burning, which I once saw with the Cosby Show’s Sabrina LeBoeuf! Thanks for the great giveaway!
Blithe Spirit.
Macbeth
Love Love love this author have read everyone of her books
phantom of the opera
Thanks for the giveaway. Favorite Shakespeare play would have to be Richard III — because I have always been fascinated by him. Favorite non-Shakespeare play would be Arsenic and Old Lace (and I love the film adaption with Cary Grant). If musicals count I would have to say Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, Cats, Les Miz and a whole bunch of others!
I have to give this to Greater Tuna. I almost wet my pants everytime those two guy do this great 2 man comedy.
Importance of Being Earnest and Taming of the Shrew, anything really with witty banter. :)
Macbeth for sure.
Hard to chose one play but I like to be entertained at the theatre so The Importance of Being Ernest
Tartuffe or anything by Ibsen.
G.B. Shaw: Pygmalion
I love Hedda Gabler! Now I’ve never seen if performed, but I read it in college and loved it!
I love South Pacific with Kelli O’Hara and Paulo Szot
Arcadia by Tom Stoppard!
A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Just love it.
Henry V
Twelfth Night
Hamlet or Clara Booth Luce’s The Women, but I’ve never seen either one performed.
Live I think Carousel was my favorite.
Probably one of the Shakespeare comedies. A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Macbeth!
Good question. Beauty and the Beast.
I still love Arsenic and Old Lace. ;)
The Importance of Being Earnest. Love it!
Favorite play? I want to say something funny — a play on “play” — like Derek Jeter’s flip play during Game 3 of the 2001 ALDS. But favorite play play? I’ll say The Farnsworth Invention by Aaron Sorkin. Just love his writing.
Miss Saigon rips my heart out every time!
Favourite Shakespeare I agree is The Tempest, but this author is in a league all her own. All the best Susanna.
Our Town and The Importance of Being Earnest