Early in March of 1526, Isabel of Portugal finally got her dream prince. At last! The groom, Holy Roman Emperor Carlos I (or Charles V, depending on who you’re asking) had originally been less than interested in the match with his first cousin, and for years Isabel had waited for the man to come to
His empress, his love – of Isabel, matriarch to the Spanish Hapsburgs Read More »
The men in my brain have a tendency to ambush me at the most inappropriate moments. Note the men in my brain: in real life, I have only one man, and he is not much given to ambushing me—and when he does, he calls it a surprise, ergo the ambush is a (supposedly) pleasant experience.
Of stereotypes and heroes – a reflection on my leading men Read More »
Since years back, I have been a Roma Nova fan, somewhat addicted to Alison Morton’s books set in an alternate history world, where a small remnant of “true Rome” has survived through the centuries. In the first few books, the story is set in contemporary times, a delicious mix of fast-paced action and great world-building.
When exile was the only option – Alison Morton paints the background to EXSILIUM Read More »
The day Camila met Ladislao, she was eighteen. He was a year or so older—and a Jesuit priest. The year was 1843, the place Buenos Aires, and as Ladislao had been appointed the family priest, they saw a lot of each other. Ladislao was a friend of Camila’s older brother, also a Jesuit priest, and
Struck by the arrow – of love and its consequences Read More »
Here, take my hand. Come on, I won’t hurt you. Nope, just grab hold of me so that I can drag you with me, seven centuries backwards in time. What, you don’t want to? I promise I’ll bring you back. Cross my heart. (Sheesh: some people are SO unadventurous!) Now that you’ve overcome your fear,
Today is the winter solstice. In many ways, this calls for a huge celebration – we have turned the corner, peeps, and slowly, slowly, the light will return to warm the frozen ground. In countries such as mine, so far north as to extend beyond the Artic Circle, winter is the season of extended nights
Today, I am happy to host Milana Marsenich and her book, Beautiful Ghost, as part of her Coffee Pot Book Club tour. Milana’s novel is set in 1918, just as the dreaded Spanish Flu starts spreading – and I imagine that present-day audiences are better equipped to understand the reactions to this influenza after our
1294 was a bad, bad year for Edward I. Mind you, I think he was of the opinion most years after the death of his wife in 1290 were pretty bad, but a year in which he was tricked out of his lands in France must qualify as exceptionally bad, right? Before we go on
A medieval king’s headache – of Edward I, Gascony, and the events of 1294 Read More »
Today, I’m publishing my 22nd book. Phew . . . Like always, there’s this bubbling feeling of joy as I consider the fact that yet another story of mine is out there. This story has a dark undertone, in that life is hard for my time traveller Erin in 18th century Pennsylvania. When Erin Barnes
The other day, my BFF and I shared a nice cuppa while having a bit of a moan about the fact that we are no longer bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Instead, we have odd aches, have to our shock realised we can no longer leap out of bed (our bodies protest too loudly) and have a
Mellow and mature – a reflection on growing old(er) Read More »