Tea at Trianon: The Joy of Real-World Research When Crafting a Novel

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

The Joy of Real-World Research When Crafting a Novel

From Crime Reads:

But even all of that doesn’t come close to the real experience. Tasting the food, braving the traffic, feeling the wind on your face or the strength of the rain, seeing the mist or the sunshine on the green hills and hearing the sheep.

Traveling to previously-unknown places also provides inspiration for entire plots or small scenes. The very first scene in my book was directly inspired by our experiences trying to maneuver our way safely through the roundabouts (three lanes, seven exits!), and down the tiny streets. In the pouring rain, when even the GPS isn’t entirely sure of the way. Driving on the “wrong” side of the road to boot.

While in Yorkshire my daughter and I stayed at Holdsworth House Hotel, a gorgeous old stately house (the original parts date from 1633), now a hotel, and that inspired much of the landscaping and decor of Thronecroft Castle House and Hotel, as well as some of the history.

The rolling green, sheep-dotted fields provided a hefty dose of atmosphere. Remember that my characters are visitors to this new place, and they see everything though tourist eyes (much as we did.)

We visited traditional and historic Yorkshire pubs, so my characters could do so also, and we lined up at the bar to order drinks. (No table service in English pubs). We ate bangers and mash and enjoyed meat pies with thick gravy and mashed potatoes. (Read more.)