Cathie Dunn writes...

Today it’s my turn on the fabulous  Historical Writers Forum Blog Hop , and I have a truly scandalous treat in store for you! So grab yourself a cup of tea or coffee, or a nice glass of Pays de la Loire –  have a sniff or taste first to see if it's safe to consume – then follow me to Paris in the late 17th century!  King Louis XIV reigns supreme from his ever-expanding and brilliantly glittering palace of Versailles, leaving his capital city of Paris and his old palace, the Louvre, behind. In fact, the king detests Paris! It's dirty, there are too many poor people knocking on the gates, and it's crime-ridden! As newly installed streetlights banish the shadows in some of the more affluent areas, there is still an underworld of well-organised criminals operating across the city. Poverty is high, and the many midwives, fortune-tellers and alchemists in town are looking for a more lucrative way of making ends meet.  So they found a handy way for despised husbands or wive...

I'm taking part in a wonderful Christmas Blog Hop: we're celebrating the Icelandic tradition of Jolabokaflod ! Yes, it's all about books for Yule.  Throughout December, our group of historical fiction writers will give away free copies of our books, or offer them at reduced rates , for you to enjoy over the festive season! Make sure later to check the link at the end of this post to find all the other exciting, fascinating posts from my writer friends! The joy of gifts! But first, let me tell you a bit about what the 5th December meant to me when I was a child... Benvenuto di Giovanni December 6th is the feast day of St Nicholas (in the West; Eastern churches, where he is more popular, celebrate him on December 19th). The early Christian bishop is said to have died on 6th December AD 343.  It was said that, on his parents’ death, he gave away their wealth to the poor. He was also recorded as helping an impoverished man with the dowry for his three daughters, in that Nichol...