The History Behind the Books

The plot around which The Emperor’s Conspiracy is set is true. Napoleon did try to cause an economic collapse in England by smuggling out all of its gold. There are several letters by him to his brother and his officials, outlining the plan, and the French port of Gravelines did exist—a small town set up [...]

St. Paul’s Cathedral dominates London’s skyline today with its massive dome, but in 1525 it looked very different (see image here). Its spire was one of the highest in Europe. Because much of the roof was made of wood, the cathedral burned down during the fire of London in 1666, after which plans were drawn [...]

The second book in my Tudor-set series, KEEPER OF THE KING’S SECRETS released on Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012. In Keeper, Susanna Horenbout and her betrothed, John Parker, have to find the famous jewel known as the Mirror of Naples before anyone else, or England might just go to war with France. When I was researching [...]

Throughout history there have been many women who have made an impact on the world around them, but unless you dig, quite often mainstream history does not mention them. When I came across a reference to a Flemish artist, Susanna Horenbout, daughter of one of the most eminent and talented illuminators and painters of his [...]