Yesterday was the First Sunday of Advent. Suddenly, the dreary, grey November exploded into light, as us Swedes hung up glowing stars, adorned our windows with our “adventsljusstakar” and generally began the countdown to Christmas. Now, had this been five hundred years ago, the first Sunday in Adent would also usher in the Advent fast.
My December newsletter – of Devil’s cats, dried fish and books Read More »
Today, I am happy to host Deborah Swift and her latest release, The Cameo Keeper as part of her Coffee Pot Book Club tour. Think Rome, think 17th century, and no, you do not get a pristine, tourist-friendly place. Instead, it is dark and dirty, poverty cheek to jowl with riches, power-hungry families striving for
The Cameo Keeper – diving into 17th century Rome with Deborah Swift Read More »
Anyone who has a thing about Tudor England will have heard of Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII’s fourth wife—the second one he divorced. Some say he felt tricked by Thomas Cromwell (and, I suppose, by Holbein) stating the real-life Anne was a far cry from the beautiful woman in her portrait. Whatever the case, Anne
From portrait to Protestantism – a post about Sibylle of Cleves Read More »
October was quite a busy month for me. First, I had the pleasure of visiting Dresden with dear friend and fellow writer Alison Morton. Among other things, we undertook a seventeen kilometre trek through the beautiful Saxon Switzerland National park (yes, I know, very confusing: Switzerland in a German park?) to see the famous Bastei
My November newsletter – a reflection on the passing of time Read More »
Today, I am hosting Rosemary Griggs and her book Mistress of Dartington Hall as part of her ongoing Coffee Pot Book Club tour. Now, I am not generally a big fan of Tudor England, but I really enjoyed Ms Grigg’s previous book about Dartington–well, more specifically about the female protagonist, Roberda–so when the opportunity came
I was recently in Dresden, which has absolutely no connection to the books I am writing or planning to write. But sometimes, life invites you to stroll down an alternative path, which is why my friend Alison Morton and I took a long weekend in Saxony. Alison, of course, had a reason for wanting to
When Death calls your name – a reflection on the Moritz Monument and a gagged lady Read More »
Recently, I posted about a book dealing with Inés de Castro, a purportedly very beautiful woman who caught the eye (and heart) of Pedro of Portugal. Now, it would seem the de Castro genes were very good genes, because Inés had a younger half-sister named Juana whose beauty also caught the eye (but not the
Today, I am hosting Catherine Mathis and her new release, Inés. Set in the early 14th century, Ms Mathis has based her narrative on the legends around Pedro of Portugal and Inés de Castro, one of the many love stories that don’t have a happy ending. (See my post HERE!) As I have a major
Inés – or how Catherine Mathis converted a legend into a novel Read More »
Hands up those of you who’ve heard of the Battle of Cartagena de las Indias. Hmm, very few, apparently. Now, I had heard of this battle before, because as a child I grew up in Colombia, and on several occasions I had the pleasure of visiting Cartagena de las Indias. And once there, it was
The consequences of Jenkin’s ear – the story of a naval battle Read More »
Today was supposed to be a writing day. I have two chapters left in my WIP, and one of them is going to be very, very hard to write—gruesome, is probably the right word—so I’ve been procrastinating. Until today. I had cleared my calendar, done some pep-talking along the lines of “Enough, already! Get it
Don’t mess with my baby! My October newsletter about Mama Bears and motherhood Read More »