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Some more interesting facts I learned about Catherine de' Medici while researching THE BLOODIEST QUEEN:

Catherine was Mary, Queen of Scots' mother-in-law. In fact, when Mary was five, she left Scotland and went to live at the French court, where she was raised by Catherine and her husband, King Henri IV. (That's Mary's portrait at age twelve, BTW.)

So, a little multiple choice pop quiz for you, just for fun:

Catherine and Mary, Queen of Scots

a) adored each other so much that Mary called her "my true mother."
b) despised each other so much that Mary, at her tender age, referred to Catherine as "that shopkeeper's daughter"
c) disliked each other, but were publicly polite to each other.

Answers below. Next fun fact:

Catherine's rival for Henri's affections was Diane de Poitiers, whom Henri openly adored, even though Diane was nineteen years his senior.

Catherine and Diane

a) got along quite well, actually; Diane was Catherine's lady-in-waiting, and lovingly nursed Catherine through many illnesses;
b) hated each other so much that Catherine refused to enter a room if Diane was in it;
c) were extremely fond of each other, to the point that historians believe the two women may have had sexual relations with each other.

And the answers are:

I stumbled upon two this week that are worth checking out: Melisende's Women of History and Scandalous Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon.

The fires in our area are all under control now; the air is breathable again. A good thing, since my itty bitty baby puppy is now forty-seven pounds and desperate for some major outdoor exercise.

My current work-in-progress, THE BLOODIEST QUEEN, is based around the key event of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in France. More than 70,000 French Protestants (known as Huguenots) were slain by Catholics in mob violence.

It all began on August 24, 1572. August is beastly hot, even in the City of Lights, and most Parisians have the good sense to hightail it out of the city for the better part of the month.

No one thought to do that back in 1572; they'd all been invited to the wedding of Catherine de' Medici's daughter. Paris was a tinderbox that year, brutally hot, a fact which no doubt fueled the sectarian violence.

By coincidence, as I've been studying up on the details of that vicious summer, my little corner of paradise has heated up to 105 degrees today. And it's only noon. Let's just say I'm glad I don't keep weapons in the house. And that I have a don't-discuss-religion-when-it's-over-eighty-degrees rule, too.

At least I can kill people digitally. I'm off to slay a Huguenot or two as soon as I finish typing these words...

The picture? Ah, that's Django the Wonder Pup, the newest resident of the Palazzo Kalogridis. Sure, he looks all cute and innocent now, but give him a few minutes outside in the heat, and he'll turn into a slavering monster.