Jenny Knipfer–Author

It’s release day for The Regal Pink! I am excited to share Diana, Daniel, Rosalind, and Roderick’s stories with you in this work of fantasy fiction. Even though this novel is in the fantasy/fairy tale genre, I wanted it to have some realistic historical elements pertaining to the medieval setting and characters. I suppose this also drives it into another genre—magical realism. 

Some things I studied up on for the book, pertaining to the mid 1400s:

CLOTHING STYLES:

Long, loose tunics were the basic style for women. Men wore shorter tunics with doublets (a long type of vest)  over top usually with some kind of leggings 

Trivia question… What is a hennin? Please don’t cheat and look it up! 

MEALS AND EATING HABITS:

Strange fact: breakfast was looked down upon by the church and was considered indulgent. Most people did not eat breakfast but had a midday meal and an evening meal.

Plates were not widely used, but a trencher (thick slab of bread) was used as a sort of plate to mop up meat juices. Forks were not yet in use, but people used a knife to cut and spear food. Bowls and spoons were commonly used utensils. 

CASTLES:

I searched through online maps of castles from the middle ages, and found this one that gave me the right feel for the story. I like to have an image like this in my mind for a significant setting. Often it is a place that I have actually seen or been to. I can recall those types of places the best, and they seem the most real when writing a story. But sometimes I use the Internet to give me that visual.

I used medieval era Harlech Castle in England for the main castle setting of The Regal Pink.

I hope you enjoyed the bit of behind-the-scenes research for the book. Order links for the book can be found at: https://jennyknipfer.com/the-regal-pink/