Rosedale, the Historic Estate in Washington, D.C.

UPDATE over at my other blog, Maximilian ~ Carlota, for researchers, both serious and "armchair," of Mexico's Second Empire, the tumultuous period also known as the French Intervention:

Pictured here is my pug dog, Picadou, a little tuckered out after her walk at Rosedale, when we were visiting just the other day. Rosedale plays an important part in my novel, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, because it was the family home of (prince) Agustín de Iturbide y Green's mother and, later, his home for many years, on and off, until it was sold in the early 20th century.

As I recount in the epilogue of my novel, "The Story of the Story or, An Epilogue by Way of Acknowledgements," when I first began researching the novel in the late 1990s, there was nothing-- and I mean absolutely nothing-- available on-line about Rosedale.

I found my way into the story ... CONTINUE READING

C.M. Mayo Now Podcasting on podomatic.com

Now podcasting at http://cmmayo.podomatic.com/
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As of May 14, 2010:

Library of Congress lecture on the research in the Iturbide Family, Emperor Agustin de Iturbide, and Kaiser Maximilian von Mexiko archives for the novel based on the true story, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire.

Historical Society of Washington DC lecture on research for the novel The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, with special emphasis on the Forrest and Green families and the historic country estate, Rosedale.

More podcasts to come on this research, as well as craft of creative writing lectures and much more.

Save the Date, October 18th @ The Historical Society of Washington D.C.

Washington DC (and Cleveland Park and Georgetown) history buffs take note:

October 18, 2009 Washington DC
Historical Society of Washington DC
C.M. Mayo on The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, a novel based on the true (and suprisingly Washingtonian) story

Sunday Afternoon Author Series

---> 2:30 pm (please note time, has changed) <---

801 K St NW at Mount Vernon Square, Washington DC 20001

Free and open to the public
www.historydc.org

Who knew that Mexico once had a half-American prince? Or that this little boy’s future was hotly debated not just in Mexico but in Washington D.C. and in every court in Europe? Set in the mid-19th century when Maximilian von Habsburg was Emperor of Mexico, C.M. Mayo's novel The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire is based on the true and never before completely told story about a half-American, half-Mexican boy who, as in a fairytale, became a prince and then a pawn in the struggle-to-the-death over Mexico's destiny.

Published by Unbridled Books this May, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire has already received numerous glowing reviews, including from Publisher's Weekly, Latin American Review of Books, the Austin American-Statesman, Mexico Connect, and Library Journal, which said, "Mayo’s cultural insights are first-rate, and the glittering, doomed regime comes to life."

This novel incorporates original research into what is also a very Washingtonian story, for the prince's mother was from a prominent Washington family, and his father, Angel de Iturbide, second son of Mexico's first deposed emperor, Agustín de Iturbide, had come to Georgetown in Washington DC as a young boy and eventually served as the Mexican legation's secretary.

C.M. Mayo will present the novel and discuss the story behind the story of Mexico's last prince, a descendant not only of an emperor of Mexico, but of an old Washingtonian family, and why it has been obscured for more than 100 years.

Read more at http://www.cmmayo.com/last-prince-of-the-mexican-empire.html

More anon.

Writing Historical Fiction: Washington DC AIW "PubSpeak" and Library of Congress

Here's what's next: two talks in Washington, D.C. about the story behind the very Washingtonian story of The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, and why it has been obscured for more than 130 years.

Thursday JULY 16, 2009 AIW PUBSPEAK
Details here.

Monday JULY 20, 2009 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Details here.

Who knew that Mexico once had a half-American prince? Or that this little boy’s future was hotly debated not just in Mexico but in Washington D.C. and in every court in Europe? Set in the mid-19th century when Maximilian von Habsburg was Emperor of Mexico, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire is based on the true and never before completely told story about a half-American boy who, as in a fairytale, became the heir presumptive to the throne of Mexico and then, when his American mother wanted him back, a pawn in the struggle-to-the-death over Mexico's destiny. This novel incorporates original research into what is also a very Washingtonian story, for the prince's mother, née Alice Green, was from a prominent Washington family, and his father, Angel de Iturbide, second son of Mexico's first deposed emperor, Agustín de Iturbide, had come to Washington as a young boy and eventually served as the Mexican legation's secretary.

Photographs, excerpts and more can be found at www.cmmayo.com.

"Epic in scope...impressively researched...Mayo's reanimation of a crucial period in Mexican history should satisfy history buffs and those in the mood for an engaging story brimming with majestic ambition."
— Publishers Weekly

More anon.

Rosedale, the Historic Country Estate in Washington DC Founded by General Uriah Forrest

Apropos of the publication of my novel, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire, new on the webpage: Rosedale, Washington D.C.'s Historic Estate founded by the prince's great grandfather, General Uriah Forrest.
(I snapped this photo a few years ago, in winter, obviously. Right now the lawn is emerald-green and the trees in glorious bloom.)
Photo Copyright (c) C.M. Mayo

Read an excerpt from the opening of the novel, "The Darling of Rosedale" (originally in Potomac Review).

Potomac Review: "The Darling of Rosedale"

The new issue of the Potomac Review is out and I'm delighted to say that it includes "The Darling of Rosedale," an excerpt from the first chapter of my novel, which is forthcoming this spring from Unbridled Books. P.S. Read a little bit (certainly not the whole story) about Rosedale on the Rosedale Conservancy website. More anon.