Lillian Marek's Blog, page 5
October 28, 2014
Dining with Lady Elinor in Rome
Next week, on November 4 to be precise, Lady Elinor’s Wicked Adventures will make its debut. To whet your appetite, I thought I would write about something Our Heroine might have eaten while she was off having her adventures.
October 21, 2014
October 14, 2014
What to pack in 1841
When I began researching 19th century travelers for Lady Elinor's Wicked Adventure, I met Mrs. Hamilton Gray, one of those well-read Victorian ladies of insatiable curiosity and determination and good humor.
October 1, 2014
The more things change…
Guidebooks for travelers in the 19th century provide an interesting glimpse into the way things have changed—and the way they haven’t. Then, as now, people often set off for foreign lands with a picture in their minds drawn from books they have read. I know my picture of Paris was permanenty etched in my mind by BABAR THE ELEPHANT back when I was a toddler. The wrought-iron balconies are just what I expected, but I'm always surprised that there aren't any little old ladies wearing long dresses.
September 22, 2014
Madrigals and murder
The other day I had the radio on while I was eating breakfast and the announcer introduced a piece by “Carlo Gesualdo, composer of madrigals and murderer.”
Madrigals and murder. Now that’s a combination you don’t usually encounter.
September 15, 2014
Lorenzo's galley slaves
I'm always intrigued by the untold stories of the people who don't get into the history books, the ones who get sideswiped by the major players.
One of the major players of Renaissance Itlay was Lorenzo de’ Medici, the de facto ruler of Florence later known as The Magnificent. In 1478, he had a rough year.
September 8, 2014
A peachy combination
This post has nothing to do with history or writing. It’s about cooking, another love of mine.
Or rather, in honor of a recent spell of miserably hot, humid weather, about not cooking, as in salad.
The other day I tried to recreate a salad my sister once made for me with an unusual combination of fruit and tomato. It's perfect for late summer when local tomatoes and peaches are at their peak. I had lost her recipe, but I thought I remembered it pretty well.
September 2, 2014
Contessa Maria della Torre
The Contessa Maria della Torre was not one to sit quietly at home while great events were changing the world around her.
August 7, 2014
Bits and Pieces
When I tell people I write historical romance novels, they almost always say, “Oh, I could never do all that research!”
I’m not sure they believe me when I say, “But the research is fun.”
It’s also distracting. I go to look up one thing, and there’s a mention of someone who sounds interesting, or some odd little fact is mentioned, and that sends me down a brand new road.
