Tag Archives: Fabergé

Easter : Just Chocolate and Fluffy Bunnies?

Easter bunnies and eggs

Image by annca from Pixabay

If we believe the torrent of adverts, Easter is just a foodie challenge, mostly directed at children (and their parents).

How much chocolate can you eat and in how many different shapes and sizes?

Monster chocolate rabbit anyone?

Easter Eggs

Straw-decorated Easter eggs, image by Jan KameníčekEaster traditions vary across the world, though a lot of them feature Easter eggs, like these beautifully straw-decorated eggs from the Czech Republic. Like jewels, aren’t they?

Not surprising that eggs feature, perhaps. Not only do eggs symbolise new life and rebirth, they were a forbidden food during Lent. There probably wouldn’t have been many about, early in the year. The old stock of eggs would have been gobbled up on Shrove Tuesday, in yummy pancakes.

Fabergé Coronation Egg by Miguel Hermoso Cuesta [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia CommonsThink of those amazing Fabergé eggs, given as gifts to the women of the Romanov family after a Russian Orthodox Easter service. Of course, Easter would usually have been later there than in non-Orthodox countries — most years, the Orthodox Easter is later than the Western Christian Easter. In 2019, the dates differ by a week. But in 2025, the dates will be 31 March and 5 May. (Children in places like Cyprus may get Easter eggs twice over, if they have friends from both communities.
Good, eh?)

Here, in the Libertà hive, we’ve been doing a little research about Easter traditions. Hive members chose their own area to pursue. (And they do not have to come clean about their level of chocolate consumption, either…) Continue reading

Libertà’s Liz Fielding wins Outstanding Achievement Award

Liz Fielding, winner of RNA's Lifetime Achievement Award 2019

Liz Fielding

Libertà author Liz Fielding is to receive the 2019 Outstanding Achievement Award from the Romantic Novelists’ Association at their prestigious award ceremony in London on 4th March 2019.

RNA President, Katie Fforde, said, “Liz Fielding’s books, with their warmth, humour and emotion, have charmed millions of readers. She is a true star of the romantic fiction genre.”

Liz has won the Romance Writers of America’s RITA® Award twice; and she also won the RNA’s RoNA Rose Award in 2005.

Liz’s books have sold over 15 million copies, in over 30 overseas markets and in 27 different languages. More info about Liz’s Outstanding Achievement Award here.

Libertà sponsors RNA’s Shorter Romantic Novel Award 2019

We are proud to announce that Libertà is sponsoring the RNA’s Shorter Romantic Novel Award 2019. All the authors in the Libertà hive have strong connections with this genre. Libertà partner, Sophie Weston explained:

Shorter Romantic fiction is as gorgeous as this Fabergé Renaissance egg

Fabergé Renaissance egg
Sadly NOT the winner’s trophy

At its best, short fiction is the Fabergé egg of our genre — intricate, gorgeous and just a little bit magical.
So Libertà is delighted to sponsor this Award, with love and appreciation of the fabulous practitioners of the form — especially those who have done so much for the RNA and are now missing, including Penny Jordan, Sara Craven, Roger Sanderson, Anne Weale, Elizabeth Harrison, Lucilla Andrews and Rosamund Pilcher (in her Jane Fraser incarnation).

Shortlisted books and more information on the Libertà website page here.