Cathie Dunn writes...

Finally! I’m so thrilled to show you the cover art of my upcoming novel, The Shadows of Versailles .  Ta da...  Set in the 1670s, in the early days of the infamous Affair of the Poisons , The Shadows of Versailles tells a tale of seduction, loss, and revenge. It is the first in a new series of loosely-interlinked stories all set during the Affair of the Poisons , an event that brought to light the dark underworld of Paris, with its fortune-tellers, alchemists – and poisoners! The Kindle ebook is now available for pre-order on Amazon ! ~~~ Blurb: Seduced at Versailles. Broken by tragedy. Consumed by revenge. Fleur de La Fontaine attends the court of King Louis XIV at Versailles for the first time. Dazzled by the opulence, she is soon besotted with handsome courtier, Philippe de Mortain. When she believes his words of love, she gives in to his seduction in the shadows of the palace – with devastating consequences. Nine months later, when the boy she has given birth to is w...

Today, it’s my turn on the Historical Writers’ Forum ’Momentous Events’ Blog Hop . I’m very excited about that! There have been some fantastic posts already by your favourite historical fiction authors, so make sure to visit their blogs too. You’ll find the full list at the bottom of this page. I’m going to take you to Paris, and – via the dark quartiers of that city – to the Versailles of King Louis XIV. (Incidentally, the setting of my current work-in-progress.) Not all was bright and breezy in the Sun King’s realm. Courtiers vied constantly for the King’s attention. If you happened to fall out of favour, you might end up losing your life. And ladies tried desperately to make him fall (or stay) in love with them. They did this by using potions. But more of that later. In 1675, Mary-Madeleine Dreux d’Aubrey, the Marquise de Brinvilliers was accused of poisoning first her father, then later her two brothers. With the help of servants, the poison was administered to the men...