About Lotharingia – Charlemagne’s Heir:
AD 1062. One day, warrior Countess Matilde will rule like a man, and inherit her mother’s mysterious relics, yet she is trapped in a betrothal she hates. Despite all her efforts, and the protection of the new Pope, she is forced to marry the Duke of Lotharingia, a man who fills her with dread. Across the Alps, her young overlord King Heinrich, whose family is Matilde’s bitter rivals, is fighting a similar battle.
When Matilde rebels to her fate and flees her abusive husband, a chance meeting with Heinrich will change their lives forever. Soon their friendship blossoms into forbidden love. The spies of the all-seeing cardinal Ildebrando are watching their every move. Persuaded that Matilde and Heinrich’s union could bring about the fulfillment of Charlemagne’s prophecy and destroy the power of the Church, Ildebrando will stop at nothing to shatter their dream. But even he does not know the whole truth.
A medieval tapestry of love, relics, politics, and prophecies, inspired by real events and historical characters.
Before Eleanor of Aquitaine, there was Matilde of Tuscany.
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Author Bio:
Currently based in the UK, with her family, cat, and dog, Lara Byrne is passionate about travel. During summer and the Christmas breaks, you will find her in remote villages or buzzing cities in Italy and Germany, climbing to remote castle ruins or admiring the grace of a grandiose medieval cathedral. In her free time, she finds balance through yoga and walks, peace listening to the sound of the sea, and earthy joy sipping wines and sampling good food.
After spending too long in a corporate career, she took redundancy to follow her dream: turning the period and characters she loves into stories. Her debut novel Lotharingia made it to the shortlist of the 2020 Page Turner Awards and was awarded a Highly Recommended badge from the Historical Fiction Press.
Lara’s fiction brings to light the larger-than-life personalities and political dramas that marked the history of the Holy Roman Empire in the middle ages. Popes, emperors, bishops, monks, noblewomen move in a landscape defined by crumbling Roman ruins and the palaces and cathedrals of the new power, their minds and hearts constantly confronting the boundaries of a world-view shaped by religion. Lara’s approach of thorough research paired with artistic licence delivers a blend of romance, political intrigue, religious mystery, and dynastic drama.