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. […]
The Myth of Persecution
Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.~ from the Te Deum When I wrote to Dr. Moss requesting her latest work The Myth of Persecution, I received a prompt and gracious reply assuring me of a copy. Dr. Moss hoped that I would not see the book as an attack upon the […]
My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints
“Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.” ~Apocalypse 13:10 My Peace I Give You by Dawn Eden is a much-needed spiritual resource for those recovering from any type of physical or emotional suffering brought on by the lust, crassness or cruelty of others. It took a long […]
Self-Publishing and Web Presence
Since I self-published my first book eight years ago, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of self-published books being released. In 2009, nearly 80 percent of all books released were self-published. And with the e-book revolution, there are even more independently published books released each year. Many […]
Marie-Antoinette and Freud: Why Careful Research is Important
“Her virtue is intact, she is even austere by nature rather than by reason.” —Joseph II to Archduke Leopold from Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette before the Revolution by Nesta Webster, p.158 The first decades of the twentieth century saw the rising popularity of the theories of Sigmund Freud. Freud believed […]
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 […]
Marie-Antoinette and the Carmelite Order
The connection between the Carmelite Order and the Royal House of France originated in the Middle Ages, when St. Louis IX encountered the hermits on Mt. Carmel and brought them to France. When the Discalced Reform came to France from Spain in the early seventeenth century, the royal family assisted […]
Madame de Polignac and the Politics of Calumny
The closest confidante of Queen Marie-Antoinette was Madame de Polignac. Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchesse de Polignac, also referred to as “Yolande,” is usually portrayed in books and films as Marie-Antoinette’s “bad girl” friend, responsible for leading the young queen of France into a wild, decadent lifestyle. Often depicted as a […]
The Value of Live Conferences and Long-Lasting Friendships
“There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.” St. Thomas Aquinas When I self-published my first novel seven years ago, I joined a local secular writers’ group but never quite felt a connection. It was only through the Catholic Writers Online (Yahoo group) that I […]
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, […]