The Deciding Power Fairy tales are wonderful explorations of our personal sub-conscious, and of a collective sub-conscious, as well. One of the recurring themes of fairy tales is the dark forest. The symbolism of entering the dark forest is one of confronting the darkness of our own sub-conscious, and grappling with issues of identity and […]

I’ve always loved fairy tales and when I was at university, doing research for a history paper on the witch hunts of the 17th Century, I came across a really interesting (but totally unrelated :)) journal full of articles on the meanings of fairy tales. It was fantastic, and mind-blowing. I suddenly saw the subversion […]

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 is KEEPER OF THE KING’S SECRETS (1st Edition released on April 3rd, 2012 | 2nd Edition released 12 June 2023). 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 […]

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 […]