September 21-22, 2019: Traveling After my flight from California landed in Salt Lake City, I had a 2-1/2 hour layover. Then I boarded the red-eye to Heathrow. We arrived about 11:00 a.m. on the 22nd. Jet-lagged and bleary-eyed, I checked into my Bloomsbury hotel—too drained for more than a foggy scout for supper. I had … Continue reading Footsteps Through Time: A London Diary of Discovery and Dust
History
The Legacy Continues
When I am working on a novel, I have no time for recreational reading. Since I write historical fiction, I burn up many hours poring through source materials: newspaper archives, biographies, letters, memoirs, military records, insurance policies, genealogy charts, maps, history books, etc. My mornings and afternoons are consumed doing research and crafting prose, and … Continue reading The Legacy Continues
Life and Legacy
What is a legacy? If you look to the dictionary for an answer, the first definition that pops up is money or property left to someone in a will. The second definition is somewhat abstract, but it is the more interesting one. A legacy is something we inherit from a predecessor. In this second scenario, … Continue reading Life and Legacy
A Time and a Place
“Maybe she doesn’t speak English,” said a short, chubby, middle-aged woman. “Or maybe she’s deaf,” her friend observed. “Hello? Hello? Can you understand me?” shouted the first woman. I was just coming to the statue of Charles James Fox at the north end of Bloomsbury Square, when I stopped and turned my head to the … Continue reading A Time and a Place
The Essence of Liberty and Love
Sifting through source materials in my quest to find meaning and cohesion in someone’s long-forgotten life is one of my favorite pursuits. I have traveled thousands of miles to sit in the quiet rooms of faraway libraries and archives, poring through antiquated books or binders filled with thick parchment pages. But there is nothing like … Continue reading The Essence of Liberty and Love
Benevolence
It was a joy to see Catherine, Princess of Wales, out and about today, raising a glass of Guinness in celebration of St. Patrick's Day with her regiment, the Irish Guards. While other members of the British Royal family were also taking part in the day’s festivities, scandal-plagued Andrew, Duke of York, continued to keep … Continue reading Benevolence
False Friends
In an attempt to provide relatable context for my latest historical novel, I have been organizing a portrait gallery of some of the colorful characters who lived, loved, fought, and died during the reign of George III. The King’s eldest son, George, Prince of Wales, was an untamed, big-hearted, self-indulgent force of nature, and his … Continue reading False Friends
Men and Myths
If you get your news online from the BBC or Sky News, you wouldn’t know that there was a massive demonstration in Central London on Saturday, February 1, 2025. Tens of thousands of people turned out in support of the independent journalist and anti-rape-gang crusader known as Tommy Robinson. Some estimates put the number as … Continue reading Men and Myths
Memories and Montmartre
Last Saturday, a photo service emailed me a “memory.” It was a picture I took of tombstones in a Paris cemetery. The caption, “Bring your memories to life,” made me laugh. Six years ago, I had finished writing the draft of A Moon Garden and was becoming frustrated at my lack of success in finding … Continue reading Memories and Montmartre
A Pathway to Perdition
There is a writers conference coming soon to a city near me. Wouldn’t you know it? The first literary agent listed among the panelists is the New Yorker I wrote about in November (see Flying Blind), who proudly announced on X-Twitter that she categorizes people by race and prioritizes manuscripts submitted by People of Color … Continue reading A Pathway to Perdition
Roxane Gilbert 