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Kathleen Carr Foster presents The Jewel of Corlivo

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Kathleen Carr Foster visits Gibson's to present her debut Historical Fantasy novel, The Jewel of Corlivo. She will be joined in conversation by fellow author, Luna McNamara. If you loved The Odyssey but wished the women had more screentime, this book is for you. It's an epic fantasy adventure inspired by the Byzantine Empire that doubles as a passionate defense of libraries and the women who care for them. There's even a slow-burn love story with a surly adventurer. What more could you possibly want?ABOUT THE BOOKIn a reimagined Byzantine empire, a runaway courtesan and her disgraced suitor are on the hunt for ancient treasure. But in Kathleen Carr Foster’s glittering debut, what they find will be far more troublesome . . .Raised for the most luxurious pleasure house in mountain-ringed Corlivo, Anna has no illusions about her future. She’ll be a courtesan, as her mother was before she disappeared—and like her mother, gamble that her charms attract a patron rich enough to pay her debts.But when a gruff explorer with connections at the capital notices Anna, it’s her sharp eye that draws him in. Sebastianus thinks Anna’s found a clue within the pages of an ancient book to the lost city of treasure he seeks, and she might well discover more.Together they escape to the imperial court, where marvels are commonplace—and so is treachery. Anna’s courtesan training has hardly prepared her for the dangers of court life, let alone for delving into artifacts from the empire’s past. But when she uncovers a secret tied to her mother’s fate, Anna realizes more than her life is at stake. She holds the key to untold possibilities not only for herself, but for any of the women of Corlivo . . . if she can use it.“Part sexy love story full of yearning, part feminist adventure, all wrapped in a passionate defense of libraries . . . The Jewel of Corlivo caught hold of my heart and refused to let go.” --Caroline Woods, The MesmeristABOUT THE AUTHORKathleen Carr Foster has an MFA in Creative Writing from Boston University, where she was awarded the Florence Engel Randall Graduate Fiction Prize and was nominated for Best New American Voices. She has also received an Emerging Artist Award from the St. Botolph Club Foundation. Her short stories have been published in Slice Magazine, on Harper Perennial’s Fifty-Two Stories website, and in 236, BU Creative Writing’s Literary Journal. While an undergraduate at Wellesley College, she won the Davis Prize for Fiction. She teaches writing at the University of Massachusetts and lives in the Boston area with her family and an anxious rescue dog named Wendy. The Jewel of Corlivo is her debut novel.Luna McNamara is the author of Psyche and Eros and The Witch and the Huntress, which have been translated into fourteen languages. She holds a master’s degree from Harvard University with a focus on women and gender in world religions, and has studied ancient Greek language and philosophy. By day she works in social services, and by night she writes about historical women and forgotten gods. She lives in Boston.

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