Giveaway: "Black Venus" Blog Tour and Trailer

"Black Venus"
by James MacManus

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Source: ARC sent by publicist/publisher in exchange for blog post


Summary from goodreads.com:
A vivid novel of Charles Baudelaire and his lover Jeanne Duval, the Haitian cabaret singer who inspired his most famous and controversial poems, set in nineteenth-century Paris.

For readers who have been drawn to The Paris Wife, Black Venus captures the artistic scene in the great French city decades earlier, when the likes of Dumas and Balzac argued literature in the cafes of the Left Bank. Among the bohemians, the young Charles Baudelaire stood out—dressed impeccably thanks to an inheritance that was quickly vanishing. Still at work on the poems that he hoped would make his name, he spent his nights enjoying the alcohol, opium, and women who filled the seedy streets of the city.

One woman would catch his eye—a beautiful Haitian cabaret singer named Jeanne Duval. Their lives would remain forever intertwined thereafter, and their romance would inspire his most infamous poems—leading to the banning of his masterwork, Les Fleurs du Mal, and a scandalous public trial for obscenity.

James MacManus's Black Venus re-creates the classic Parisian literary world in vivid detail, complete with not just an affecting portrait of the famous poet but also his often misunderstood, much-maligned muse.

Trailer:



GIVEAWAY RULES
The publisher and publicist have generously provided a copy of "Black Venus" for a lucky reader of my blog.
All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below.
  • US only
  • Books will be mailed out by the publisher
  • Must be 18 or over 
  • Ends May 20
Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow along with the rest of the tour on BookTrib here:

This ARC was sent by the publicist and publisher in exchange for a blog post.

22 comments

  1. this looks good. Thanks for sharing the trailer and the giveaway :)

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  2. ooh la la, love the theme of this one!

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  3. i was in Paris 25 years ago!!! need to back!!
    thanx for reminding me....& for the giveaway!!!

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  4. This looks awesome! Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Looks interesting. I wasn't a huge fan of The Paris Wife, but I would like to read more about that time and the bohemian way. It's so foreign to me, but I guess it led to great creativity.

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  6. I love Baudelaire's poetry. This trailer is wonderful, thanks for sharing! :-)

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  7. It looks like such a good read! I hope I win!

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  8. It sounds really interesting and definitely up my alley, thanks for the giveaway.

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  9. I'm always up for a little historical action, and I haven't read enough about Baudelaire yet. Or much of his poetry, yet, either! Another gap to fill!

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  10. I love books about Paris so I'm definitely going to read this one!

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  11. This sounds like an awesome read. I would love to get my hands on it!

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  12. Parisian literature is one of my favorites! I would love to read this! Thank you : )

    (Rafflecopter name: Morgan Patrice)

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  13. I'm looking forward to reading Black Venus - thanks for the giveaway.

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  14. Looks like a great book - thanks for the giveaway!
    hrddiana556@gmail.com

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  15. I like historical fiction!

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  16. Thank you for the giveaway. Not only will this be a great historical fiction read for me but I hope my daughter will read it too and learn something about this period.

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  17. What an interesting looking book. I think this would be a great addition to my library and make for a great late night read.

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  18. Sounds delightful! I'd love to read about the history of their relationship.

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  19. Would love to read the book! Sounds good!

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  20. This book is right up my alley. My favorite genre is historical fiction.
    Kathy Davis
    kdavis1@centurytel.net

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  21. i love historical fiction especially in france

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Thanks so much for your lovely comments!