Patricia Furstenberg, Writer of Historical Fiction, Children's Books
Travel via Stories
Between 1 and 25 December enjoy on my blog, all free on this page, my Christmas gift: an Advent Calendar of riddles leading you to Romanian winter legends, first snow songs, and recipes to a seasonal dish to feast on! May your Christmas be Merry and your winter full of peace!
Continue reading “Your Christmas Gift, an Unique Advent Calendar of Romanian Winter Legends, Snow Songs & Feast”
Every year, on the first morning of December, when villages wake under frost and the rooftops shine like glass, I find myself thinking back to a moment when Romania reinvented itself.
A little more than a century ago, in 1918, a handful of historic provinces decided they wished to speak with one voice. Their choice reshaped a country, Romania, but also the map of Eastern Europe and the future of millions.
Most people know December 1 as Romania’s National Day. Fewer know the story behind it; it is one of war, collapse, hope, but mostly of the determined will of ordinary people.
Continue reading “Celebrating 1 December, Romania’s Day”
When it comes to superstitions, especially Transylvanian superstitions, even the most rational among us have whispered “touch wood” or avoided walking under a ladder. I know I have. Such old magic and weird beliefs have long offered humans a sense of control over a world that often feels cruelly unpredictable.
Superstitions are more than quirky cultural relics; they are the soul’s attempt to impose meaning on chaos. This is evident in Romania, particularly Transylvania, where the supernatural and the sacred have long shared the same threshold. While the Western world flinches at black cats and the number 13, in Transylvania we count our MANY fears differently.
Continue reading “Sound Transylvanian Superstitions and Why We Still Believe in Old Magic”
In the frost-bitten winters of 15th-century Transylvania the line between savior and sorceress could be drawn by a whisper. A woman might spend her days easing childbirth pains, binding wounds, or coaxing fevered children back from death only to face the stake by nightfall, accused of witchcraft.
This was the brutal paradox faced by countless women across medieval Europe and perhaps nowhere was it more stark than in the fortified towns of Transylvania, where Saxon, Vlach, Magyar, and Jewish communities shared the safety of walls, but not always trust. Here, a woman’s skill could make her indispensable and dangerous in equal measure.
Continue reading “Transylvanian Witches: from Popular Healers to Hunted Outcasts”
Between oath and silence, two outcasts carry a kingdom’s oldest secret.
I’m thrilled to share that my newest historical fiction novel, Where Secrets Bloom, is now available for pre-order from Amazon worldwide for 0.99c / 0.99p!
Journey to 15th-century Transylvania, where Kate – a Saxon healer – faces accusations of witchcraft, and Moise – a young printing apprentice – finds himself entangled in a perilous weaving of secrets and shifting loyalties.
The e-book is ready for pre-order today from Amazon. Publication day: Friday 27 June!
I’ll keep you updated the moment the paperback and audiobook editions are released too.