On December 29, 2023, I did what I hadn’t done in five long years: finished the first draft of a new book. I know. I’m as surprised as you are. During most of those years, I didn’t think I’d ever write another book, that there was no point, that I’d burned out whatever sources of joy or inspiration I used to have. But those things weren’t gone – they were only dormant.
The Dueling Princess: Pauline Metternich
UPDATE: Thanks to a comment from Dutch historian Ignaz Matthey, it looks like we can debunk the story of this duel. I fell for the fake news! So embarrassing, right? If this is your first visit, read the story of the duel below as I originally wrote it, then stick around for a little debunking at the end. If you …
The Princess in the Concentration Camp
I came across this story while researching a post for Tiara Tuesday. And now that I know it, I can’t forget it, so I’m going to share it with you. It’s about Mafalda of Savoy, an Italian princess who died in a concentration camp during World War II. Before the Storm Princess Mafalda of Savoy was born in Rome in …
Madame du Barry & Me: What an 18th Century Courtesan Taught Me about Modern Life
If you’ve ever wondered where writers get their ideas, sometimes it’s when they were looking for something completely different. Case in point: I’ve been reading the biography Du Barry by Stanley Loomis, as part of my research for the sequel to The Romanov Legacy. The book is a fascinating glimpse at Louis XV’s last mistress. I related to her in …