It is not the first time I have the honor to announce a NEW book of my most favourite author and personal dearest  friend Juliette Benzoni. But everyone will surely understand why it is different this time !

So please dear visitors let me present to you the book cover of Juliette Benzoni's latest book of the Aldo Morosini Serie:
 

The newest book by Juliette Benzoni sent to me with her dedication. Juliette you so are adorable, thank you so much to have giving me the honor, to be on your mailing list! My motivation for studying French is now even greater...
 I adore also this new heroine "Lorenza Davanzati" from Florence (bastard-child of Madalena de Medici and goddaughter of French Queen Marie de Medici) who had come to Paris to marry young and handsome "Antoine de Sarrance"! Her first fiancé Vittorio Strozzi had been stabbed with a dagger, ornate with a precious red lily. Together with the dagger, the assassin had left also a piece of paper: which said: whoever wanted to marry "Lorenza" would end the same way!  Lorenza's reception in France - is not the way she had imagined it! A fiancé who had refused to marry her - a godmother who is the Queen of intrigues - a supposed to be "father-in-law" who tries to rape her - and of course as we are used to from Juliette, already lovable characters, we shall surely not forget!
 I admit, it took me some time to read this newest historical novel by my all time favourite author. Imagine me with the book (which is heavy by the way..) in my hand, and a great dictionary on my lab ;-) It was worth it every minute!
 And for the first time, I am waiting with all the French speaking readers for the continuation of the story which will be called: "Le couteau de Ravaillac" (the title was giving exclusively to Frédérique by Juliette Benzoni herself) I say first time, because so far I had always had to wait until a book was translated either into English or German! Juliette is writing this moment on the book. I cannot wait to know what will happen to the adorable Lorenza and if there will be a happy end with "Marquis Antoine de Sarrance" or his best friend "Baron Thomas de Courcy"!

...a few months have gone by, since I have written the text above! In the meantime, I have been sent the second and conclusion of the story by Juliette Benzoni herself. I do not want to betray the end of the story - except: Juliette, you have done it again!" What a wonderful and exceptional author you are! Thank you so much for your newest book, for your ingenious! Please keep on writing, we adore you. I am sure I can say that in the name of all your faithful readers: " You are absolutely the Queen of history stories"! I know personally, that you are busy with the next "Aldo Morosini" and everyone who has read my interview with you, knows what we Catherine fans, are waiting for soon soon....

I feel very honored, it is the first time, I have the honor to be eternalized with my dear friend Juliette, Catherine, Arnaud de Montsalvy and Jean de Xaintrailles :-)Thank you so much Demoiselle Hélène. A speechless Mistral, who smiles at her summer look ;-)
... let me share also this amusing photo with you! Mistral was able to be Catherine for a day ;-) thanks to Miriam (my daughter-in-law)...I was so amused ;-)  the whole creation (there is a lot more on it ;-) will get it's place in my private tower ;-)
My thank you goes also to my sister LaLuna...her birthday present was this very beautiful painting-creation 60x40 in size - wound up on canvas!! It hangs already on the wall,  in my private tower - together with my big big box of Haribo's ;-) It was a very special birthday for me :-) !!!

Happily I was able to buy another book of Juliette Benzoni lately. I am talking about "Un aussi long chemin"! I really love this book of the beautiful Marjolaine des Bruyères. It tells of Life in Early Mediveal France. The seemingly "hopeless" love between the beautiful and passionate Marjolaine and the strong-spirited Chevalier Baron Hughes de Fresnoy.
We learned from Juliette Benzoni herself, that this book should have been one of a series. What had happened? The same reason "La Dame de Montsalvy" was not translated anymore into English! The company of Editions Trévise was sold! This was the last book, published by the old firm.
The epilog was added to this book, to give it a decent and plausible ending! I really regret it, I am sure the ingenious author would have gone with us to Atlantis with some of the characters we come to love in this book!
I shall ask Juliette on my next visit, if she will reveal in what direction, the story of Marjolaine would have gone! Something which touched my heart also with this beautiful book, is the fact, that this book is dedicated to Juliette's own mother Marie-Suzanne Arnold whose name was kindly told to me by none other than Frédérique, the Juliette Benzoni expert :-)

I am very proud and happy to recount that "Suite Italienne" was given to me personally by Juliette Benzoni. But this beautiful gift has a very important "insider story"!! A little "bird" has sung to Juliette, that Mistral is working on her very first book. With a shaking voice I have told Juliette Benzoni in February, that it is true, that I have been writing for years on a "certain" historical romance! Five months later she wanted to know, how far I was with the book NOW!! Last Sunday, she got up, went to her famous shelf and took out the book you see above. She signed her book, with a very encouraging dedication! Courage Mistral...and all who have read that book, will know in what period it will play! ... I know what I have to do now, after all I do not want to disappoint my favorite author ;-) !! I am not so vain to think it will be in Juliette Benzoni's high standard. However, the thought that she believes in me, gives me so much courage, that I have plunged into it, with renewed enthusiasm!

The story behind the only book I have so far from this serie. When back in October 2009
Frédérique, Claudia and I and were invited to meet  Juliette Benzoni the first time, we decided to buy her newest book : L'Anneau d'Atlantide 2009 at the bookstore where they had kindly given JouJou the address of Juliette Benzoni. Proudly we showed Madame Juliette (as we first called her) what we had just bought. But Juliette Benzoni called out: "Anne (her daughter) look what the girls did! And I had wanted to present them with my latest book"! We were really touched by this, and it already gave us an idea what a warm and generous person the famous Juliette Benzoni is! And this book I have not read so far. I want to buy the whole serie now and know the story of Aldo Morosini ;-)
 

What can I say about my all-time favourite books "Catherine, Il suffit d'un amour? Is there something I have not mentioned yet? For many years I am a passionate admire of those books! I never had the possiblities early on to talk about the story, to share with someone my opinion. No INTERNET as I have said before;  not knowing that there existed readers like me, who were likewise enchanted by the violet-eyed Catherine and her great love Arnaud de Montsalvy.
Certainly I had read also hundreds of other books beside my "Catherine"! But never had a heroine touched me so much. My "impossible dream" to meet one day the author of those books, the one and only Juliette Benzoni! I did not even know that there excisted a movie in 1968 called "Catherine, Il suffit d'un amour. THE movie, which by the way, made Juliette Benzoni cry over two hours, like a fountain, because they had "destroyed" her story!!
Nowadays my immense joy to write, to create, to correspond with everyone who is in someway connected with "Catherine" Lately I have been asked, where do you get your ideas Mistral? I can assure all my faithful visitors, surely most of them also fans of Catherine like me - I shall never weary of her! The ideas come naturally, there is nothing forced with it. It is more than a hobby now, something my âme-soeur from Charleville understands like no one else!
When in the beginning this website was created, to remember "Catherine de Montsalvy" - it is now my dedication to JULIETTE BENZONI, to Marion Sarraut and all the wonderful performers of "Catherine de Montsalvy". Their generosity towards my site fills my cup of happiness. I can never thank them all enough, to participate in all kinds of way's with the website. A fact which touches Juliette Benzoni more than they can imagine!