Q-Standiford: Did you have to change any facts about Russian history to fit your story? Was it a challenge to turn real historical figures into fictional characters?Ī-Patrick: I did end up changing quite a few historical facts- primarily the timeline of the story.

I listened to lectures, I read books and firsthand accounts, went to museum exhibits- everything! One incredibly helpful resource was eBay, oddly enough- it’s full of antique store catalogs, and there’s no better way to get a feel for what people were wearing or buying than actually seeing what was available in stores during that time period. I basically did a crash course in all things Russia. Q-Standiford: How did you learn so much about Russian history? What did you do to research Tsarina?Ī-Patrick: I knew the basics before I began TSARINA, but felt I needed a lot more than basics to pull the book off.

It wasn’t until I was in high school that I recognized them as a very symbolic part of Imperial Russia and, in some ways, its downfall. Each plate had a picture of one of the Faberge eggs on the front and then, when you turned it over, there was a picture of the “surprise” that each egg contained- the jade rabbit, the little elephant, the portraits of the royal family, things like that. I’m sure they were bought at a nondescript department store or the like. There were a set of six, and they were the fancy sort of plates that weren’t actually meant to be used for food.

Q-Standiford: Where did your interest in Imperial Russia come from? Can you trace it back to a particular moment or source?Ī-Patrick: This is super cheesy, but my interest in Imperial Russia actually goes back to these plates my parents had hanging on the wall when I was growing up. Nelle Patrick and Natalie Standiford, author of The Boy on the Bridge Power, that, in the right hands, can save her way of life.Īn epic romance with glittering magical elements, TSARINA is swirling with beautiful prose, stark Russian contrasts, and lavish visuals perfect for fans of Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty. It holds a power rooted in the land and stolen from the mystics.Ī power that promises a life of love for her and Alexei Romanov. historically sensitive and gloriously thrilling.' -Kirkus, starred reviewĪ magical Faberge egg glows within the walls of Russia's Winter Palace. 'Romance, adventure, magic and history blend seamlessly into a story that is.

Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick