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 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, […]
Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh, my! Tension, Conflict, and Suspense – Creating Compelling Stories
One of the most fundamental techniques of fiction writing is skillful creation of tension, sometimes referred to as conflict. Our favorite authors hook us on page one with a character so compelling that we read further to find out what happens. The character is engaging, with likeable traits that endear […]
Marie-Antoinette and Me
The following is a reprint of an interview by British author Gareth Russell about how I came to write about a certain Queen of France. GR: I think one of the things that made “Trianon” such a joy to read is that you and I have both written works that […]
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 […]
Writing Tudor Period Historical Fiction
I recently read a magnificent novel, The Crown by Nancy Bilyeau, which deals with the fate of some English Dominican nuns during Henry VIII’s “reform.” I was delighted and honored when Nancy agreed to be interviewed. I will be reviewing the book as well in a future post. To quote […]
"You talk like you was there."
Hearing voices in your head can be a good thing. At least it can be if you’re a writer. One of the three legs of a good story is characterization. Three things paint the character’s portrait for the reader: description, action, and dialogue. The first is usually the easiest for […]
Writing The Alien Alien
For the writer of speculative fiction, there’s a dodge most of us use—the human dressed in the alien suit. I don’t mean the guy dressed in a serape, lederhosen, Zulu head-ring, and carrying a samurai sword and boomerang (though it does make for an interesting picture); no, rather an alien […]