The Chalice: A Novel

Those who enjoyed Nancy Bilyeau’s debut historical novel The Crown will find its sequel The Chalice  even more heart-wrenching and suspenseful. Once again we follow the adventures of former Dominican novice Joanna Stafford as she is torn from her peaceful country life and thrust into the maelstrom of Tudor-era intrigue. […]

Scandal and the Queen

The other day I ran across an article entitled “Top 5 Marie-Antoinette Scandals” which was filled with errors. What an incredibly misleading portrayal of the Queen! Marie-Antoinette, in spite of being from a generation known for its fast pace of living, did not live in a manner which gave public […]

The Fersen Myth in Literature

Surfing the internet anyone can see that the myth that Swedish Count Axel von Fersen was the lover of Marie-Antoinette is deeply entrenched in the public mind. This is due to major publishers yearly churning out sensational biographies and novels, which focus on the legend rather than on the facts, […]

Madame Royale Interview

In the following interview, author Catherine Delors asked me about my research for the novel Madame Royale, and why I made certain decisions in describing the life of Marie-Antoinette’s daughter. CD: Welcome, Elena, and thank you for kindly agreeing to discuss your book, Madame Royale, for our readers. The novel […]