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Claudia Long Author

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Happy Birthday to the Trees!

February 6, 2023 by Claudia Long Leave a Comment

palm tree and raiblow

Happy birthday to the trees! Happy Tu B’Shvat, the birthday or festival of the trees! I’ve always felt an odd affinity for trees. In eighth grade we each did an […]

Filed Under: artists, Jewish law, love Tagged With: #birthday, #creation, #festivals, #poems, #trees, holidays

Scone or Irish Soda Bread?

October 26, 2022 by Claudia Long Leave a Comment

Irish soda bread

After a trip to Ireland, I created this scone-like Irish soda bread recipe. Luscious, a bit lemony, a bit tangy. Bring out the butter!

Filed Under: advice, Food, Ireland, love Tagged With: #baking, #bread, #gingeredwhisk, #irish, #irishsodabread, #scones, #travel, love

Ukraine in my history

May 11, 2022 by Claudia Long Leave a Comment

My paternal grandmother (the little girl in the photo) emigrated from Uzhhorod in 1913. That is one of the cities in #Ukraine that Jill Biden visited last week. The parallels […]

Filed Under: Journeys, Russia, Ukraine Tagged With: family history, immigration, Jews, Ukraine, Uzhhorod

Kiffles are the new Magic

December 2, 2021 by Claudia Long 5 Comments

I was enjoying Jean Metzer‘s The Matzah Ball, a really fun #Hanukkah romance in the classic Romance-novels style (meet-cute, boy and girl hate each other as sparks fly, the last […]

Filed Under: advice, Food, Hanukkah Tagged With: #Hanukkah, #Jewishfood, #NineTenthsoftheLaw, #rugelach, #TheMatazahBall, chocolate, Jewish, The Matzah Ball

Jewish Book Tour on Instagram

November 12, 2021 by Claudia Long Leave a Comment

book cover Consuelo

Welcome to my first post on my books as part of the #Jewishbookstagramtour. The Duel for Consuelo—book two in the Tendrils of the Inquisition series—weaves poetry, the Enlightenment, and the […]

Filed Under: Crypto-Jews, Mexico, Uncategorized Tagged With: #DuelforConsuelo, #HistoricalFiction, #Jewishbookstagramtour, #womensfiction, historical fiction, Jewish, Mexico, Women writers

An old law leads to forced marriage–can this bride be saved?

June 29, 2021 by Claudia Long Leave a Comment

 Barcelona, 1584 Dear Madam Mariana,  I dare not ask this question of anyone I know but–I must seek counsel.  In Jewish law, when a man dies, his brother is obligated […]

Filed Under: advice, Jewish law, love, sons, Uncategorized, widows Tagged With: #eggs, #fertility, #fertility foods, #halitzah, #indiewriter, #levirate marriage, #levirate union, #lovelorn #MadamMariana, #mandrakes, #Pride and Prejudice, #womensfiction, advice, Jewish, widows, Women's Dreams

Josefina and Father Alonso, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!

June 11, 2021 by Claudia Long Leave a Comment

[A blast from the past! Josefina de Castillo, happily married to Manuel Castillo, rediscovers her passion for a redheaded priest. And worse yet, he’s now a Bishop!] Mexico, 1690 Estimada […]

Filed Under: advice, Books on Parade, love, Mexico, Sor Juana Tagged With: #josefinassin, #lovelorn #MadamMariana, #MadamMariana, #newbook #womensfiction #Latina, #SorJuana, #womensfiction, inquisition, Josefina's Sin, Madam Mariana, Sor Juana

How to not marry Igor, or, He got the estate, now he wants me!

May 20, 2021 by Claudia Long Leave a Comment

CP Lesley Song of the Sisters

[In which Madam Mariana travels back to Moscow, 1543, to help the lovely Russian noblewoman, Darya Petrovna, avoid her cousin Igor’s grasping ways: He got her daddy’s estate, and now […]

Filed Under: advice, artists, From Russia with love, Journeys, love, Russia, Uncategorized Tagged With: #indiewriter, #lovelorn #MadamMariana, #MadamMariana, #newbook #womensfiction #Latina, #womensfiction, advice, historical fiction, historical romance, Women's Dreams

Look who’s back! The original Mariana!

May 13, 2021 by Claudia Long Leave a Comment

Ciudad de Mexico, 1587 Estimada Madam Mariana, I am caught between two suitors–again! My brother in law, Jorge de Almeida, remember him? the “other Jorge,” my sister Leonor’s husband? Anyway, […]

Filed Under: advice, Journeys, love, Mexico, silver mining, Uncategorized Tagged With: #bigamy, #MadamMariana, #mercurypoisoning, #silvermining, historical fiction, inquisition, Jewish, Mexico, Women writers, Women's Dreams, writing

Madam Mariana fields a question from…a dog!

April 29, 2021 by Claudia Long 2 Comments

In which Madam Mariana fields a question from…a dog! Yes, even dogs have questions about love, about life… Dear Madam Mariana,   I am a Scottish Terrier named Bilbo, and […]

Filed Under: advice, artists, Books on Parade, Dog's Life, Dogs, Food, Journeys, love, San Francisco, Uncategorized Tagged With: #AskMadamMariana, #dogs, #dogslife, #GreyfriarsBobby, #indiewriter, #MadamMariana, #obituaries, #ScottishTerrier, #typecasting, advice, love

Breaking up with a killer? Here’s how!

April 22, 2021 by Claudia Long Leave a Comment

Dear Mrs. Know-it-all, aka Madam Mariana: I am the taller, more beautiful sister of the notorious Zara Persil-Pendleton, who is getting all of the attention as usual. As if money-management […]

Filed Under: advice, artists, Books on Parade, Food, Journeys, love, San Francisco Tagged With: #bestsellingnovel, #booksonparade, #coittower, #MadamMariana, #moneymanagement, #siblingrivalry, #tellallnovel, advice, Jewish, Women writers, Women's Fiction

From Italia, con amore

April 15, 2021 by Claudia Long Leave a Comment

Beyond the Ghetto Gates

Mia cara Madam Mariana: I am corresponding with someone I may have feelings for. Our letters have to cross the Mediterranean Sea as I live in Ancona, Italy, and my friend is […]

Filed Under: advice, artists, Food, Journeys, love, San Francisco, Uncategorized Tagged With: #lovelorn #MadamMariana, historical fiction, historical romance, Jewish, love, Women writers, Women's Fiction, writing

Our San Francisco lusty-widow-turned-journalist is back

April 8, 2021 by Claudia Long Leave a Comment

[Madam Mariana has received a shocking missive from 1933, and her cloche hat definitely slipped when she read this letter from Lucy!] Dear Madam Mariana: Now it’s really too late. […]

Filed Under: advice, artists, Food, Journeys, love, San Francisco Tagged With: #Arnautorff, #coittower, #loveadvice, #MadamMariana, #SanFrancisco

Bridget has a verrry British question!

April 1, 2021 by Claudia Long Leave a Comment

[Bridget Jones’s account has been hacked by the mysterious D. Steele, and in honor of #AprilFoolsDay, Madam Mariana received this question early this morning. What does this D. Steele take […]

Filed Under: advice, artists, Journeys, love Tagged With: #AprilFools, #BridgetJones, #lovelorn #MadamMariana, #Rewind, #satire, #womensfiction

Madam Mariana: question from a lusty widow in San Francisco

March 25, 2021 by Claudia Long Leave a Comment

San Francisco, 1933 Dear Madam Mariana: I’m writing to ask your advice, as I find myself in a most untenable situation. I recently arrived in San Francisco, after much effort, […]

Filed Under: advice, artists, Journeys, love Tagged With: #artists, #coittower, #diegorivera, #indiewriter, #womensfiction, #WomensHistoryMonth

Madam Mariana gets her first question!

March 18, 2021 by Claudia Long Leave a Comment

Well, it looks like Madam Mariana has her first question, from another Mariana back in 1586 (maybe they’re related across the centuries? #reincarnation) And she thinks she’s consulted Mme Mariana […]

Filed Under: advice, Food, Journeys Tagged With: advice, histor, historical fiction, history, love, marriage

New Game! Dear Madam Mariana, advice for the lovelorn

March 17, 2021 by Claudia Long 2 Comments

I’ve added a new game to the blog! So much fun to be had, when characters from historical fiction write to the all-knowing, all-seeing, ever-so-wise-ass Madam Mariana. Madam Mariana will […]

Filed Under: advice, Food, Journeys Tagged With: #womensfiction, #WomensHistoryMonth, advice, historical fiction, historical romance

Cuban Coffee

February 25, 2018 by Claudia Long 2 Comments

Early morning in Havana Nothing about Cuba is as expected. As the Cubans say in describing their own country, “it’s complicated.” Even a cup of breakfast coffee can be complicated. […]

Filed Under: Journeys Tagged With: cafe de olla, coffee, Cuba, Cuban, Mexico, women

One-fruit compote, or the last Christmas Eve standing

December 24, 2017 by Claudia Long 1 Comment

I came from a family where the less said about religion the better. My Polish Jewish mother had suffered unspeakable cruelties at the hands of the Nazis, and survived by […]

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: children's Christams dinner, Christmas, food, Jewish, pears, Polish Christams Eve, salmon, vigilia

Yes, please speak!

August 15, 2017 by Claudia Long 2 Comments

I’m still reeling from shock regarding #charlottesville, as so many of us are. But it sure didn’t take long for the “circular firing squad” to load up and start firing […]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Next Page »

Recent Posts

  • Happy Birthday to the Trees!
  • Scone or Irish Soda Bread?
  • Ukraine in my history
  • Kiffles are the new Magic
  • Jewish Book Tour on Instagram
  • An old law leads to forced marriage–can this bride be saved?
  • Josefina and Father Alonso, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!
  • How to not marry Igor, or, He got the estate, now he wants me!
  • Look who’s back! The original Mariana!
  • Madam Mariana fields a question from…a dog!
  • Breaking up with a killer? Here’s how!
  • From Italia, con amore
  • Our San Francisco lusty-widow-turned-journalist is back
  • Bridget has a verrry British question!
  • Madam Mariana: question from a lusty widow in San Francisco
  • Madam Mariana gets her first question!
  • New Game! Dear Madam Mariana, advice for the lovelorn
  • Cuban Coffee
  • One-fruit compote, or the last Christmas Eve standing
  • Yes, please speak!

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