Recommended Reads

If you like my novels, these are books I highly recommend for additional reading. 

A primary research resource for my Capetian ladies series, House of Lilies, by historian Justine Firnhaber-Baker tells the epic story of the Capetian dynasty of medieval France, showing how their ideas about power, religion, and identity continue to shape European society and politics today.

Reigning from 987 to 1328, the Capetians became the most powerful monarchy of the Middle Ages. Consolidating a fragmented realm that eventually stretched from the Rhône to the Pyrenees, they were the first royal house to adopt the fleur-de-lys, displaying this lily emblem to signify their divine favor and legitimate their rule. The Capetians were at the center of some of the most dramatic and far-reaching episodes in European history, including the Crusades, bloody waves of religious persecution, and a series of wars with England. The Capetian age saw the emergence of Gothic architecture, the romantic ideals of chivalry and courtly love, and the Church’s role at the center of daily life.

Evocatively interweaving these pivotal developments with the human stories of the men and women who drove them, House of Lilies is the definitive history of the dynasty that forged France—and Europe—as we know it. Learn more.

Well-written historical fiction is another great resource for my writing. Sherry Jones The Sharp Hook of Love not only helped with details and dialogue, but her emotive writing deftly conveys a passionate, obsessive love. 

The first retelling of the passionate, twelfth-century love story since the discovery of 113 lost love letters between Heloise d’Argenteuil and Pierre Abelard—the original Romeo and Juliet.

Among the young women of twelfth-century Paris, Heloise d’Argenteuil stands apart. Extraordinarily educated and quick-witted, she is being groomed by her uncle to become an abbess in the service of God.

But with one encounter, her destiny changes forever. Pierre Abelard, headmaster at the Notre-Dame Cloister School, is acclaimed as one of the greatest philosophers in France. His controversial reputation only adds to his allure, yet despite the legions of women swooning over his poetry and dashing looks, he is captivated by the brilliant Heloise alone. As their relationship blossoms from a meeting of the minds to a forbidden love affair, both Heloise and Abelard must choose between love, duty, and ambition.

Sherry Jones weaves the lovers’ own words into an evocative account of desire and sacrifice. As intimate as it is erotic, as devastating as it is beautiful, The Sharp Hook of Love is a poignant, tender tribute to one of history’s greatest romances, and to love’s power to transform and endure. Learn more

Another epic historical fiction series, this one set in 16th century French Renaissance highlighting the dangers created by the divisions between Huguenots and Catholics. This is a family saga following the de Siorac family in four separate titles; The Brethren, City of Wisdom and Blood, Heretic Dawn, and League of Spies.

An easy to read, intriguing tale of the lives of two young people, Minue and Piet, in mid-16th century Carcassonne, France. The divisions between the Catholics and Huguenots are seen through their eyes, she a Catholic and he a Protestant, with their lives become even more dangerous by their growing attraction to each other.   

The Burning Chambers

Enthralling read! In the style of Dumas, a story of French Huguenots.

I couldn't put this one down even though it is three books in one and some 700 pages long. I have Huguenot ancestors and this novel transported me to the late 17th century to experience the life and times of these persecuted people. Written in a style similar to Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo or The Three Musketeers, once the story gets started and the stage is set, there is drama and excitement at every turn. The author's in-depth character development had me emotionally involved with Jeanne and Jacob right through to the end. I hear there is a sequel and I am really excited for it.

Learn more at The Huguenot Chronicles trilogy

Set in France, 1673, Charlotte Picote flees her village for sanctuary, when her son is stolen along the road. A strange twist of fate puts a charlatan--Adam Lesage, a man just released from the galleys--in her path. Lush prose and great character development fills this novel where magic and witchcraft control the lives of its characters. At times grim and gruesome, but the writing kept me in there as these two wove through the strange streets of Paris and the manipulations of the elites who practiced magic within its walls.

City of Crows

This is intriguing read weaves between time periods and ends in my beloved Cèvennes in southern France. When Orla, a young Irish woman, leaves Dublin for Paris to trace the father she never met, her quest takes her to a forgotten village in the Cévennes where she stumbles on disturbing memories. A moving tale of love and loss, the Wolf's legacy sweeps through WW2, the chic but rigid world of Parisian aristocracy, the student revolts of May `68 and ends in present time with, in the background, the terrible legend of the Gévaudan beast, a mythical wolf that, for Orla, may prove to be more than a myth.

The Wolf's Legacy

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