Announcing New Historical Fiction

Coming soon…
from Sunbury Press

FROM THE DROP OF HEAVEN

AWARD-WINNING

RENAISSANCE HISTORICAL FICTION

The 2021 Royal Palm Literary Awards Gold Medal Winner for unpublished historical fiction.

Renaissance Historical Fiction at its best!

From the Drop of Heaven

What defense is there to superstition?

It’s 1582, a time when books are banned and witches live next door. Citizens of the European principality of Salm pray the way they want while Catholic and Protestant fanatics in surrounding towns believe theirs is the only truth.

Everyone is a heretic to one side or the other.

Martin, an accused seditionist, seeks safety in Salm. He teaches Nicolas, the mayor’s son, to read. Though Nicolas knows Martin’s books are banned, he cannot resist them.

Catherine Cathillon and her family live in isolation. Though Catholic, her father’s mistrust of the church prevents her from joining the community. A chance meeting with Nicolas changes everything. He reads to Catherine, and when she learns what life is like outside their farm, she begs him to teach her to read. But class differences force them to meet in secret. During the lessons, they fall in love, but their romance is exposed, and spurned lovers swear vengeance.

Lovelorn revenge is one thing, but when one of the banned books is found in Nicolas’s shop, Catherine learns that her father was right. Their true enemy is the man charged with saving their souls, and he will stop at nothing to reinforce his position of power.

Based on real people and events, genealogist Juliette Godot draws upon her own Renaissance-era family to bring you her debut novel From the Drop of Heaven.  

A 2021 Royal Palm Literary Award Gold Medal Winner, From the Drop of Heaven from Sunbury Press is Renaissance Historical Fiction at its best.

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon Debut Historical Fiction

Author Juliette Godot has signed with Sunbury Press for her debut novel, From the Drop of Heaven.

It should be available for release August 16th!

Learn more about Sunbury Press.

I am reposting a photo of my Royal Palm Literary Award because it is pretty and because I truly believe that without it, I wouldn’t have gotten a contract. Yippee!!

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Happy Saint Nicholas Day

Happy St Nicolas Day

When I was a child, we would put out our stockings on December 5, hoping Saint Nicholas would bring us a small toy in anticipation of Christmas. Besides getting a gift, I had never given much thought to the actual Saint called Nicolas, or why we celebrated this “small Christmas” weeks before the real one. Eventually, my parents stopped reminding us to put out our stockings, and the entire holy day got wrapped into Christmas.

Pc Vive St Nicolas j 60” by janwillemsen is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

There are many stories about Saint Nicholas, most written hundreds of years after his death. He is said to have been born wealthy but gave up his life of luxury for a life of service. In one of his most famous acts of kindness, he is said to have saved three girls from being sold into prostitution by dropping gold coins through their window each night for three nights so their father could afford a dowry for them. Nicholas is attributed to saving three innocent soldiers from execution and also for chopping down a tree that had been possessed by a demon.

But a legend of Saint Nicholas Day that I had never heard of, was that of Krampus. When I began researching legends of the Vosges for the book, I came across this sidekick of Saint Nicholas. I thought I would write about him to bring another legend of the Vosges to light.

Krampus began as a pagan celebration. He is said to be the son of Hel from Norse mythology but became wrapped into the Christian tradition of Christmas.

So, if you are reading this on December 6, Nikaustag, Saint Nicholas Day, that means that you have been good and Krampus did not eat you the night before. Kinda scary for a child’s story, but …whatever…

“Gruß vom Krampus: Greetings from the Krampus: Happy Christmas? by Artist unknown” by dullhunk is marked with CC BY 2.0.

According to the legend, a half-goat, half demonlike creature with long curly horns, a forked tongue, and a furry black body named Krampus, would arrive on December 5, Krampusnacht or Krampus Night. He would chase both children and adults through town, poking them with sticks if they were naughty. Particularly, disobedient children would be visited that night, and depending upon the severity of the misbehavior, would either be eaten or would be given coal.

Happy Krampus Night and Happy Nicholas Day tomorrow!