Chapter 1 Abbey of St. Disibod, September 1143 I folded the letter and rose from my desk, intending to go find Volmar in the scriptorium to share the long-awaited news. It was a reply from Abbot Bernard of Clairvaux, to whom I had sent a chapter of my new book some months earlier in hopes... Continue Reading →
The Curious Flaw of Amiens Cathedral
A few weeks ago, I was researching medieval church architecture for Book Two of my Hildegard of Bingen series (which will come out in February 2019). Part of the story concerns Hildegard's project of building a church for her new foundation, which she wants to imitate the "French style," i.e. the nascent Gothic style (though,... Continue Reading →
The Scribe of Siena by Melodie Winawer
I have confessed on this blog to being conservative when it comes to my historical fiction: I prefer it realistic and serious, no fantasy, parody, alternative histories, etc. Then I came across a synopsis of The Scribe of Siena by Melodie Winawer. The setting of the novel – medieval Siena – had me sit up... Continue Reading →
Dunnottar Castle – Spooky and Spectacular
By the standards of some Scottish castles, Dunnottar is relatively small, but it sure is dramatic. Built atop a flat headland projecting into the North Sea, a few miles south of Aberdeen and near the town of Stonehaven, it looked breathtaking the day I first saw it. It was a chilly and windy day with... Continue Reading →
One Church, Twenty-Five ‘Witches’ and a Thousand Skeletons
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to write more about historical places I visit (and not just historical novels I read). In that spirit I am offering a post about the Kirk of St. Nicholas in Aberdeen, Scotland, which I visited on New Year’s Eve 2017. Originally founded in the 1150s, it is a... Continue Reading →
Chapter 1 – Bermersheim, Rhineland, September 1115
The night I learned that I would be leaving my family home, the sounds of talk and laughter took a long time to die down. Finally, a growing chorus of snores from the hall told me that the guests from Sponheim were asleep. But there was a murmur of voices close by, and a faint... Continue Reading →
