I just attended the Napoleonic Historical Society’s annual conference, held this year in Alexandria, Virginia, not far from where I live. The schedule was packed with interesting, informative talks on battles, personalities, and culture of Napoleonic times. Even I gave a brief presentation about my voyage to St Helena. The highlight for me was our …
Finding Napoleon Bonaparte in Alaska? Unlikely. Nonetheless that’s where I am. I’ll be back thinking about Napoleon again sometime late next week.
On July 4, 1803, two hundred and ten years ago today, Thomas Jefferson’s administration announced the United States had the opportunity to double its territory. A few months earlier, President Jefferson had sent James Monroe to France to purchase New Orleans or at least negotiate trade access to its port. Much to everyone’s surprise, Napoleon …
This past weekend I attended the Historical Novel Society’s annual convention (more on that later) in St Petersburg, Florida. For a city of 250,000 residents, St Petersburg has a surprising trove of art museums, including the Salvador Dali Museum shown in the photo above. Of course I was on the lookout for Napoleon. Sure …
This morning, Memorial Day, my husband and I visited my parents’ grave in Arlington National Cemetery. This weekend the military places a small American flag at each of the 250,000 grave stones there. The President, of course, brings a wreath for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. It’s a privilege to be buried in one …
I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve signed with a terrific and talented literary agent, Russell Galen of Scovil Galen Ghosh, to represent my Napoleon novel. Russ, who bills himself as the only person he “knows of who grew up wanting to be a literary agent,” represents an amazing group of authors, including many New York …
On May 5, 1821, Napoleon Bonaparte died in this room in exile on St Helena Island. Two years ago, on May 5, 2011, I was in Cape Town, South Africa, on my way to St Helena to do research for my novel. To commemorate the anniversary of the Emperor’s death, my husband and I visited …
Portrait of Napoleon’s close friend Jean Lannes at the University of Texas’s Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas. Click here.
After seeing the photo of me riding an elephant, one of this blog’s readers asked if Napoleon had ridden a camel during his Egyptian Campaign (1798). Yes, Melanie! Here’s a photo I took of a small bronze statue of the Man himself on camelback. It’s displayed in the Musée Fesch in Ajaccio, Corsica, Napoleon’s hometown. …
This fall, The Delmarva Review published my short story, “Mrs. Morrisette.” Now, they’ve nominated it for inclusion in the 2012 Pushcart Prize anthology. According to the Pushcart website, “The Pushcart Prize – Best of the Small Presses series, published every year since 1976, is the most honored literary project in America.” Next April, I’ll find …
