Stunning pink diamond was thought to be 'crystal'

Infamous First Lady Imelda Marcos had some fabulous jewels seized when her family fled following their loss of power in the Philippines. But nobody knew this was one of them.

"Marcos’ briolette-cut or barrel-shaped pink diamond is from India’s famous Golconda region, which produced rare finds like the Hope Diamond and a 500-carat diamond that is part of the British crown jewels."

(no photo, as there are conflicting images being flung around on the web right now. I'll wait until one of them is verified as hers)

Here's the story of her seized jewels, now coming up for auction after 30 years in a government-controlled bank vault.

To find out more about fabulous gems from the Golconda region, check out the 'Bloodshot Diamond' tab for the history of these and other gems.

Aprops of a conversation happening now on Twitter at

#YASIChat

Here's the link to a story about Queen Victoria's chainmail parasol

Teacup Tuesday

It's always teatime in Maddie's world, but twice on Tuesdays. Here's a style of teacup that's new to me, made by Blue-Pixie-Stick and shown on deviantart.

Maddie's Kindle edition is at #29 in Steampunk. Anything in the Top 100 is cause to celebrate, right?

Maddie's Marvelous Debut

While I was busy plotting and conniving to squeeze more remarkable clockwork critters into the next Maddie Hatter adventure, THIS happened:

That's right! Our delightful damsel and her high-flying pursuit of the Deadly Diamond hit the very top of the Fiction Charts in Calgary! 

Can an author BE more excited than I am today?

Come for Coffee with Jayne

Ask your questions about Maddie Hatter, the Deadly Diamond, the airships, the clockwork birds, or any other aspect of Maddie's first, fun-filled Steampunk adventure.

Bring your favourite beverage in your favourite mug or teacup.

Live online interview  
Saturday, October 17, 2015
1 p.m. Mountain Time

Your invitation to the launch