#WritersCoffeeClub Nov 29. What do you need to simplify in your work?

I need to be careful how much of my research gets put into the book, especially in historical fiction. I tend to share more about what I have found than necessary to the plot. Also, I need to describe things in a way that is easy to follow - from the first printing Gianni witnesses in #TheMasksofFlorence to Marek watching Frida making shoes in #FridaVonHameln

#WritersCoffeeClub 13/11: Name the oldest work to have inspired you.

Renaissance paintings, especially The Spring by Leonardo da Vinci. Also the sculptures, the Davids made by Donatello and Verrochio. I always envisioned Gianni like that latter.

And the countless "Portrait of a Lady with a..." inspired my Susanna. I wanted to call the book Portrait of a Lady, but well, that one was taken.

So, the book became #TheMasksOfFlorence

#WordWeavers 29 Apr. What’s your best-selling or most popular story?

The German version of #TheMasksofFlorence: #TheMaskenVonFlorenz.

Closely followed by #Alsterdiamanten

https://mybook.to/DieMaskenvonFlorenz

#ScribesAndMakers 24 April Show us an image that inspires your creativity (with source in the alt text.)

Well, since you asked... This picture was one of the reasons for #TheMasksofFlorence. It's called Primavera (spring) and was done by Sandro Botticelli in Renaissance Florence. (He and Gianni even discuss it in the epilogue.)

I love Renaissance painting. The abilities of these artists inspire awe in me.
Also, if you look closer, you'll find Merkur looks a lot like the David of Verrocchio 😇

#WordWeavers Jan 3. Share something writing-related you’re proud of: an achievement, a beautiful passage, a compliment, etc.

Just last week, a friend informed me that her brother-in-law, who's a picky reader, downloaded #TheMasksOfFlorence. He had read and liked the free sample, telling her that I wrote like Ken Follett.

Seeing as Ken Follett is one of the very few historical writers who managed to get a dramatic birth scene right, I'll take this as a compliment 😜

#TimeTravelAuthors 19: A research reference you used

Wasn't sure how to answer this as I did no real research. Instead, I used my historical books for the time travel scenes.

Thus, these are my references 😅

#TheMindOnFire
#TheMasksOfFlorence
#OdysseyToThePromisedLand
#AlsterDiamonds

#wordweavers June 27. Do you have any sort of marginalized group representation in your current book?

Not sure about #TheMindOnFire. Unless you count the revolutionaries, of course.

There's a family of traveling folk in #OdysseyToThePromisedLand loosely inspired by Sinti/Roma/Yenish. There's lame Luca in #TheMasksOfFlorence and a whole bunch of LGBA in #AlsterDiamonds

But #TheMindOnFire? Can't think of a good example. Huh.

#writerscoffeeclub 29 Jan. Describe the saddest moment you’ve written. Share an excerpt.

That honor would go to #TheMasksOfFlorence . I knew right from the beginning this character would die, but my poor MCs heart is broken.