Writing The Grotto's Secret

Some ideas that inspired me when researching my historical mystery thriller, The Grotto's Secret, which is on Amazon at http://getBook.at/The-Grottos-Secret - or grab free chapters here: http://bit.ly/TGS-Chapters
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an image of various items that are used to make crafts
These tools were used by scribes and writers in medieval times.
c. 1450  The man wears a “shockingly” short tunic that became popular in this period.  The feet of his hose are pointed and tipped by bells.  Bells were often used on many garments, especially belts, purses, and shoes.  The woman wears a gown with bag sleeves trimmed in fur.  Her headdress is a more modern version of the toque, worn with a butterfly veil. http://www.paulawynne.com/the-grottos-secret/medieval-clothing-featured-the-grottos-secret
Medieval 1100-1450 – History of Costume
c. 1450 The man wears a “shockingly” short tunic that became popular in this period. The feet of his hose are pointed and tipped by bells. Bells were often used on many garments, especially belts, purses, and shoes. The woman wears a gown with bag sleeves trimmed in fur. Her headdress is a more modern version of the toque, worn with a butterfly veil. http://www.paulawynne.com/the-grottos-secret/medieval-clothing-featured-the-grottos-secret
I imagine my medieval character to be as beautiful and feisty as Isabelle in Braveheart. If she wasn't so defiant and show her feminist views, she may have dressed this way in gowns with both tight and trailing sleeves. Find out how she really dresses in The Grotto's Secret: http://www.paulawynne.com/the-grottos-secret/my-medieval-characters-beauty-within
Medieval 1100-1450 – History of Costume
I imagine my medieval character to be as beautiful and feisty as Isabelle in Braveheart. If she wasn't so defiant and show her feminist views, she may have dressed this way in gowns with both tight and trailing sleeves. Find out how she really dresses in The Grotto's Secret: http://www.paulawynne.com/the-grottos-secret/my-medieval-characters-beauty-within
the water is crystal blue and clear in this area with some rocks on either side
Cueva del Gato, Benaojan, Ronda
Cueva del Gato, Benojan, Ronda is one of the caves that inspired The Grotto's Secret. The Cueva del Gato - the cat’s cave - is one of those paradisaical river pools that you often find in the depths of the Andalusian countryside. I used this combined with other imaginary caves. More at http://www.paulawynne.com/the-grottos-secret/cool-green-inspiration
c. 1450    The man wears a short pourpoint jacket lined with fur.  His hat is trimmed with a gold coronet.  The woman wears an escoffion with a veil and gold ribbon attached.  Her brocade gown has fur-lined dalmation sleeves.  Jewels and gold were often used to line clothing of the nobility as a means to display wealth.
Medieval 1100-1450 – History of Costume
c. 1450 The man wears a short pourpoint jacket lined with fur. His hat is trimmed with a gold coronet. The woman wears an escoffion with a veil and gold ribbon attached. Her brocade gown has fur-lined dalmation sleeves. Jewels and gold were often used to line clothing of the nobility as a means to display wealth.
the front cover of london primed by an official portrait and richard whittakers
John Gerard - Wikipedia
Gerard’s Herball references many of the poisonous plants mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays.The origins of Gerard's Herball, famous for its detailed (if sometimes inaccurate) descriptions of plants are controversial. It is said that The Queen's printer John Norton had commissioned a Dr Priest to prepare an English-language translation of Rembert Dodoens' immensely popular herbal, but the priest died and John Gerard to take over the work.
an old black and white drawing of a man with long hair
Nicholas Culpeper - Wikipedia
Nicolas Culpeper spent the greater part of his life in the English outdoors cataloging hundreds of medicinal herbs. His Complete Herbal is still in print today and this inspired the idea that my medieval character was in fact the first to write a herbal journal in The Grotto's Secret.
the medieval costumes paper dolls are in front of a yellow book cover with an image of two men and a woman
Medieval 1100-1450 – History of Costume
Medieval Costumes Paper Dolls, this is a great way to find out what they wore in the middle ages. I used some of these ideas in The Grotto's Secret. http://www.paulawynne.com/the-grottos-secret/medieval-clothing-featured-the-grottos-secret
an animal painting on the side of a wall
spainatm.com
This cave-art in Nerja, gave me the idea for where my character in The Grotto's Secret could hide something valuable. At the time she didn't know her secret could have deadly consequences in the wrong hands!
a painting of people standing on rocks near water
This lovely image of looking out from the inside of a cave or grotto gave me the idea for my character to hide things inside ... what does she hide? Find out in The Grotto's Secret: http://www.paulawynne.com/the-grottos-secret/cool-green-inspiration
there is a small cave in the side of this mountain that has water running through it
Cueva del Gato is placed between the towns of Montejaque and Benaoján, more or less 15 kilometres away from Ronda. I used the idea of this kind of 'eye' as the opening for my secret grotto in my historical conspiracy thriller The Grotto's Secret. http://www.paulawynne.com/the-grottos-secret/cool-green-inspiration
a man swimming in the middle of a river surrounded by rocks and trees, near a cliff
My medieval character swims in a pool just like this one in Rhonda in Spain, except there are other things going on in there too. Find out in The Grotto's Secret: http://www.paulawynne.com/the-grottos-secret/cool-green-inspiration