Pierre's stone house still stands and is the third oldest house in New York State. Nancy is a descendant of Pierre Billiou, a French Huguenot who immigrated to what was then New Amsterdam (later New York City) in 1661. While working as deputy editor of the nonprofit Center on Media, Crime and Justice in New York City, Nancy covered organized crime as well as cybercrime and terrorism.įor her Genevieve Planche novels-'The Blue' and 'The Fugitive Colours'-she drew on her own heritage to create her Huguenot heroine. She loves crafting immersive historical stories, whether it's Jazz Age New York City in 'The Orchid Hour,' the 18th-century European porcelain workshops and art galleries in 'The Blue' or 'The Fugitive Colours,' or Henry VIII's tumultuous England in 'The Crown,' 'The Chalice,' and 'The Tapestry.'Ī magazine editor who has worked on the staffs of 'Rolling Stone' and 'Entertainment Weekly,' Nancy drew on her journalism experience to research 'The Orchid Hour,' which includes real-life figures such as Lucky Luciano, Arnold Rothstein, and Lous Buchalter.

If you tell Nancy Bilyeau that reading one of her historical novels of suspense is like strapping yourself into a time machine, you'll make her a happy woman. With the heart and spirit of her Huguenot ancestors, Genevieve faces her challenges head on, but how much is she willing to suffer in pursuit and protection of the colour blue? The ensuing events take Genevieve deep into England’s emerging industrial heartlands, where not only does she learn about porcelain, but also about the art of industrial espionage. But in particular, she must learn the secrets of the colour blue…

When Genevieve meets the charming Sir Gabriel Courtenay, he offers her an opportunity she can’t refuse if she learns the secrets of porcelain, he will send her to Venice. Kings do battle with knights and knaves for possession of the finest pieces and the secrets of their manufacture.įor Genevieve Planché, an English-born descendant of Huguenot refugees, porcelain holds far less allure she wants to be an artist, a painter of international repute, but nobody takes the idea of a female artist seriously in London.

In eighteenth century London, porcelain is the most seductive of commodities fortunes are made and lost upon it.

The chalice nancy bilyeau