I began this website with facts not fiction about the women of 16th Century France. It was too limiting. , I posted historical content about the women I was fictionalizing. It was too limiting. Now my site is more eclectic. I have lots about my fiction, the blog posts with historical content about the women
The Women of 16th-Century France: Fact and Fiction Read More »
This post was originally published on Mary Anne Bernal’s blog Let Your Words Shine. Many people ask me how I became interested in the French renaissance. It’s a long story. The year I was five, I lived with my grandparents to go to grade one. It was the most formative of my life. Escaping from
How I Became Interested In The French Renaissance Read More »
This post was originally published on The Writing Desk. The sixteenth century French court dazzles on the surface. But beneath its glitter, danger lurks for those caught up in its flux. Based on actual historical events and characters, this riveting story will keep you turning the pages until the end. It is also a timeless
Tony Riches of The Writing Desk interviews me about The Importance of Pawns Read More »
This post was originally published on Ruins & Reading. The story behind The Importance of Pawns or how I developed my debut novel is long and tortuous. Yet you could not have asked about a topic closer to my heart. Historical fiction has been my favourite genre since I learned to read at five. At
The Story Behind The Importance of Pawns or How I Developed My Debut Novel Read More »
You’ll find my brief history of the life of Princess Renée de France, a stanch Huguenot, at The Freelance History Writer. I recently wrote a guest blog post there to celebrate the launch of my novel The Importance of Pawns. In the post, I give an overview of the tumultuous life that Princess Renée lived.
A Brief History of Princess Renée de France: Staunch Huguenot Read More »
The 4-volume ‘The Importance of . . .” Series features famous Renaissance paintings on their covers. They may cause you to ask why don’t you use images of the real women such as Anne, Claude, Renée? Find out why.
The Cover of Importance of Pawns Read More »
Who are the real women behind the a bit about the novel and the truth about its four principal characters. Table of contents Importance of Pawns Plot Claude de France: Princess, Queen, Duchess of Brittany Renée de France, Duchess of Ferrara Michelle de Saubonne, Baronne de Soubise Countess Louise d’Angoulême, the Girls’ Guardian Importance of
The Women in The Importance of Pawns Read More »
For 10 weeks, in 2021, from March 15 to May 17, the first published book in my series on Anne of Brittany, The Importance of Pawns, went on Tour with the Coffee Pot Book Club. Here are links to each of the blogs that posted different articles about my book. I thank all of them
Blog Tour with The Importance of Pawns Read More »
Born on 25 October 1510 at the Château de Blois, Renée de France’s life did not begin as difficult. She was the second daughter of Louis XII of France and Anne of Brittany. Blessed with a Golden Infancy Unusually for the times, Louis stayed in the queen’s chambers during Renée’s birth. Even though they had
Renée de France’s Difficult Life Read More »
Who are the four women in The Importance of Pawns who dominate the action? At the centre of the plots are Princess Claude and Princess Renée of France, the elder and younger daughters of the French King and Queen. The third, Baronne Michelle de Soubise, Renée’s Gouvernante*, fights to shield herself and the two daughters
Who were the women of The Importance of Pawns? Read More »
To say Mary Tudor, King Henry VIII’s younger sister, was reluctant to become Queen of France, is an understatement. When her brother told her she was to marry King Louis XII, she was furious. So, who was Mary Tudor? Why was she upset about marrying the King of France? Early Life: Favoured Daughter Mary grew
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Why did three royal princesses bear the name Marguerite de Valois between 1495 and 1615? It makes it so complicated to separate them. Their contemporaries must have muttered over the same problem. Each made a name for herself during her lifetime. Since each is an important French Renaissance women, they each merit a separate article.
Why THREE Marguerites de Valois? Read More »
