Friday 56: The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau

Welcome to this week's Friday 56 - this Friday 56 comes from The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau.  I discovered Nancy Bilyeau when I heard her speak at ThrillerFest 2013 in New York last July.  She participated in the panel "Who Killed Jack the Ripper?:  Putting the Mystery in History."  

The panel itself was wonderful.  Steve Berry acted as Panel Master while Nancy Bilyeau, William Dietrich, C.W. Gortner, David Liss, David Morrell and M.J. Rose all spoke about their experiences writing historical novels.  I will write more about the actual discussion in another post.  I left the panel with authors that I wanted to learn more about and books to read.

Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56 or 56% on your e-reader/
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
*Post a link along with your post back to this blog and to Freda's Voice at http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Here's my Friday 56 from The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau

But reports of Arthur's growth, dreams of a tapestry business, my missing my father - it was all so very personal.

The blurb:

In 1538, England's bloody power struggle between crown and cross threatens to tear the country apart. Novice Joanna Stafford has tasted the wrath of the royal court, discovered what lies within the king's torture rooms, and escaped death at the hands of those desperate to possess the power of an ancient relic.

Even with all she has experienced, the quiet life is not for Joanna.   Despite the possibilities of arrest and imprisonment, she becomes caught up in a shadowy international plot targeting Henry VIII himself.  As the power plays turn vicious, Joanna realizes her role is more critical than she'd ever imagined.  She must choose between those she loves most and assuming her part in a prophecy foretold by three seers. Repelled by violence, Joanna seizes a future with a man who loves her.  But no matter how hard she tries, she cannot escape the spreading darkness of her destiny.

To learn the final, sinister piece of the prophecy, she flees across Europe with a corrupt spy sent by Spain.  As she completes the puzzle in the dungeon of a twelfth-century Belgian fortress, Joanna realizes the life of Henry VIII as well as the future of Christiandom are in her hands -- hands that must someday hold the chalice that lies at the center of these deadly prophecies.

About the Author:

Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Crown, is a writer and magazine editor who has worked on the staffs of InStyle, Rolling Stone, Ladie's Home Journal, and Good Housekeeping; she is currently executive editor of DeJour magazine.  A native of the Midwest, she graduated from University of Michigan.  She lives in New York City with her husband and two children.  Learn more about her at NancyBilyeau.com