On a blazing hot day on August 27^th, 2026, news broke of two unmasked suspects who stole a legendary diamond necklace, that belonged to Queen Nazil of Egypt from Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts. How was this possible happening in broad daylight? The unmasked suspects bought museum tickets before walking into the gallery. They then smash the display case with a hammer stealing the necklace and walking out into the city streets of Vienna. Austrian police have security footage clearly showing the suspects and according to Interpol, the necklace is now added to agency’s database of stolen artworks by Austrian authorities.

According to a recent report by Europol, there has been a rise in violent museum heists alongside a “growing focus on high-value items such as precious metals, gemstones and culturally significant artefacts”. In recent years, thieves have targeted museums big and small in France, the UK, Germany and elsewhere, making off with crown jewels, ancient coins, crystals and a golden toilet, among other valuable objects. Such objects can be more attractive to thieves as their component metals and precious stones can be broken down and sold as separate items that are harder to trace, whereas ill-gotten art is very hard to sell because it will almost certainly be identified as stolen.

A Necklace With a Story & The Queen Who Wore It

Queen Nazil of Egypt commissioned the Art Deco, bib-style necklace in 1938. A year later she would wear it with a matching tiara to her eldest daughter, Princess Fawzia’s wedding to the Crown Prince & Future Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The necklace has been crafted by pure platinum and features 673 baguette cut and brilliant cut diamonds. This stolen necklace is considered one of the most exceptional pieces Van Cleef & Arpels ever created.

Queen Fazil would wear the necklace and matching tiara for portraits, galas, including the birthday gala of her son King Farouk, court ceremonies and other engagements. Fazil would wear it for her youngest daughter, Princess Fathia’s wedding to Coptic Christian and her royal advisor, Riyad Ghali. Due to the Egyptian royal family being Suni Muslims, King Farouk would exile his mother. Fazil would live the rest of her days in Los Angeles and never return. To survive, in 1975, the former Queen Nazli had no choice, but to Auction much of her Jewelry Collection at Sotheby’s Parke Bernet in New York, with the Van Cleef & Arpels Diamond Tiara selling for $127,500 while the Necklace sold for $140,000. While the location of the tiara is currently unknown, the necklace reappeared at auction in 2015 and was sold for $4.3 million!

History & A Family Heirloom

Amina El-Demirdash, Queen Nazil’s great granddaughter wore the necklace on the cover of Vogue Arabia in 2018. Another great granddaughter of Queen Nazil, Fawzia Farouk, is not surprisingly upset over the theft of the historic necklace. Fawzia wrote this response on Facebook:

“Beyond its exceptional craftsmanship and beauty, this jewel is an irreplaceable part of our family’s history and of Egypt’s cultural heritage. It is a precious testament to an era of elegance, artistry, and vision, whose significance extends far beyond personal interests,” Farouk wrote. “It is my sincere hope that, once recovered, this exceptional piece will continue to be preserved and safeguarded with the dignity it deserves, so that its history and cultural significance may endure for generations to come.”

Sources

Here are the sources I used to write this piece. I will update everyone when new information comes up about the necklace. Since I did a piece about Princess Fawzia, Queen Nazil’s eldest daughter, Nazil’s story now has my interest for a future Queens of the Page & Screen post!

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/08/30/queen-egypt-diamond-platinum-necklace-stolen-vienna-museum-applied-arts-robbery

https://royalwatcherblog.com/2026/08/29/queen-nazlis-van-cleef-arpels-diamond-necklace-stolen-in-vienna/

New York Times Bestselling Author of historical fiction, Stephanie Dray has returned for this edition of my Substack series, Writing 101! Stephanie is the author of the novels My Dear Hamilton, The Women of Château Lafayette, America’s First Daughter, Song of the Nile, Becoming Madam Secretary & Ribbons of Scarlett which Stephanie co-wrote with Kate Quinn, Laura Kamoie, Sophie Perinot, Heather Webb, & Eliza Knight. Here is the Q&A I did with Stephanie Dray for my blog booknotions.com https://booknotions.com/qa-with-stephanie-dray/ .

Q: I’m so delighted you’re back for another interview Stephanie! Before you sit down and write, do you begin each day with a cup of coffee and breakfast or a brisk walk?

A: I absolutely must have my coffee. I am a caffeine addict. LOL. We have a little ritual where my husband makes my coffee every morning to show his love. I am a very lucky girl.

Q: How do you choose a time or topic that you believe would make a great historical fiction novel?

A: This is always a Venn diagram for me. I take into consideration first and foremost what I am actually passionate about. I won’t write a story if there’s not something in it that is somehow personal to me. But then there’s the second part of the diagram, and those are commercial concerns. Is this a time period that is popular with readers? Is this a subject that requires so much research it will delay publication of the book beyond that, which would be profitable? Is there a trend or current topic that overlaps? Is it in keeping with my brand? Can it be made to be keeping with my brand? I ask a lot of questions like this before I pick from my favorites!

Q: I know for some historical fiction and even historical nonfiction authors, that researching and writing history can take months or even years. How long does it take you to research and write historical fiction?

A: I’ve never written a historical fiction novel in less than eighteen months. That’s not a great pace. Having a book come out more than a year apart means that I must be twice as clever, and market twice as hard to be successful. Terrible business plan. I don’t recommend it!

Q: How many hours a day do you spend researching and writing historical fiction? If you ever fall down a research rabbit hole, how do you get out of it? Your wisdom may help future historical fiction authors.

A: I try to divide up my week by task. So, I dedicate the weekends to family, personal, and home maintenance. One day I surrender to pure business administration--emails and paperwork. I dedicate another day to meetings, errands, book clubs and other events. Then I have at least 3 concentrated writing days. By which I mean, my butt is in the chair no later than 9 AM, and except for a dinner break, a walk, or sometime in the pool, I am there writing until bedtime. But, of course, if something goes amiss--when I fall down a research rabbit hole I shouldn’t (happens all the time!), if I have an unexpected doctor’s appointment, a loved one needs to meet for coffee, someone insists on “just a quick phone call” … then I don’t make my wordcount, and I have to make it up somehow, and that usually means I don’t get a weekend. So, I guard that time fiercely, and I know that puts some people off, but there’s a lot of boundary violations in this profession, and I’m trying to hold the line!

Q: What are skills you believe are the most important for one to develop as a historical fiction author? Why?

A: I’m not sure if this is a skill that can be taught, but I think it’s curiosity and skepticism. To begin with, if you’re not a person who will go down a research rabbit hole _for fun_ then this is not the gig for you. But also, try not to believe anything that you read until you’ve confirmed it yourself in, hopefully, multiple credible sources. I guess all that adds up to critical thinking, and maybe there are some exercises that can help with that.

Q: You’ve written historical fiction set in America, The French Revolution, & in the ancient world! Did you ever take research trips to the places where your novels take place? What were those experiences like?

A: I went to France for The Women of Chateau Lafayette, and that was an amazing trip. To walk in the footsteps of my heroines always chokes me up. I also went to Monticello for America’s First Daughter. And, most recently, I went to Italy, up into the mountains where my great grandmother, great grandfather, and my grandfather all came from to research for my forthcoming novel, which is tentatively titled Macaroni with Mussolini.

Q: On Facebook we briefly discussed your historical fiction novel taking place during Mussolini’s dictatorship in Italy. Without spoiling too much, can you give more details about the novel and when we should expect it to be released? I’m so excited about reading it and doing a Behind The Book Q&A with you discussing the novel!

A: I hope to have it drafted by November, then edited and turned into the publisher by New Year’s Day. And to give you some idea about how long turnaround times are in publishing, this means that the book will be out in 2028 at the earliest. But I’m absolutely loving this project--which kind of makes me nervous, because I’m usually stressed out at this point in a manuscript, convinced that everything I’m writing is hot garbage. Still, this is the first book I’ve written in a long time that isn’t about a famous or forgotten woman. This book is about food, family, fun and fascism. It’s deeply personal, and a tribute to the people who gave me the opportunity to be who I am.

Q: You, Kate Quinn, Madeline Martin, Allison Pataki, & Kristina McMorris are doing the History Hive Five Podcast! I’m excited about watching what you guys discuss and who you have on your show! How did the 5 of you come up with the idea to do this podcast discussing history? I know Kristen Harmel (whom I interviewed in the past as well as Kate, Madeline, Allison & you of course) was your recent guest. Who else will be on the show? Would you please provide links where readers and I can follow The History Hive Five?

A: Yay, I’m so glad you asked about this! So, to begin with, the credit for The History Hive Five goes entirely to Kristina McMorris. This was her brainchild. She recruited the rest of us, and allowed me to interrogate her, and the idea, until she won me over completely. We’ve interviewed amazing authors and experts--we can’t wait to share. Forthcoming episodes are going to feature folks like #1 New York Times Bestselling author Chris Bohjalian and the historical food YouTube sensation Max Miller. We debut the show on September 29th, and here’s the link!

Q: If you were to time travel, or bring someone from the past back to the present, which historical figures would you interview? What questions would you ask them?

A: I’m currently interested in talking to the Italian Founding Father, Garibaldi. He fought against despots and I want to ask him how he did it.

Where to follow Stephanie Dray

You can follow the amazing Stephanie Dray and her work on her Author Facebook Page, Bluesky, Instagram & LinkedIn by clicking these links!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniedrayauthor/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/stephaniedray.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanie.dray/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniedray/

There are many people kings’ queens and everything in between throughout history. Many were good and many were bad; very rarely do you find a king queen and anything in between to be a saint. In this list, I will discuss royals who were so popular with their people that they also were canonized as saints.

Saint Jadwiga King & Scholar of Poland

Jadwiga was born sometime between 1373 to 1374 to King Louis 1 of Hungry & Poland and Queen Elizabeth of Bosnia. Jadwiga was also known as Hedwig and was the youngest of three sisters. Jadwiga was just destined to become a wife and a queen, but fate had other plans. King Louis died in 1382, and the Polish nobles preferred Jadwiga to rule Poland and not her sister Mary or her husband Sigismund who tried to seize the throne. The Polish nobles did not want Jadwiga’s betrothed William of Habsburg to become King. They did have another suitor in mind for Jadwiga & he was the Jogaila Grand Duke of Lithuania. While Jadwiga did not look forward to marrying him, as she was a devout Catholic & Jogaila was a Pagan, she prayed in front of a crucifix in Wawel Cathedral. It was said the crucifix spoke to Jadwiga and that was when she chose to marry Jogaila, on the condition that Jogaila would convert to Catholicism which he did. Jadwiga mediated the conflict in Jogaila’s homeland of Lithuania and the two co-ruled both Poland and Lithuania together. Jadwiga also was passionate about education and established a college. While Jadwiga did not live a long life, she accomplished so much. For more further reading about Jadwiga, read the solo Substack piece I did about her. https://booknotions.substack.com/p/queens-of-the-page-and-screen-jadwiga?r=1mu1ov&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer

Saint Matilda of Ringelheim

Saint Matilda of Ringelheim was born in the year 895 AD in Enger Westphalia to an ancient noble family to her mother Reinhild of Frisia & her father, Saxon count of Westphalia, Theodoric of Ringelheim. Matilda was educated at the monastery of Herford where her grandmother also named Matilda was the abbess. Matilda remained in the convent until 909 AD when her father betrothed her to Henry of Saxony known as “the Fowler,” who was 20 years older than she was. Henry would succeed his father as Duke of Saxony in 912 AD & in 919 AD after the death of Conrad I of Franconia he was elected King of the East Franks which most of the territory made up of modern-day Germany. Matilda & Henry would have five children Otto I, Gerberga, Hedwig, Henry I Duke of Bavaria & Bruno who became Saint Bruno Archbishop of Cologne. Despite being a wealthy queen, she was known for being charitable toward the poor and personally bringing them offerings. After her husband’s death, Matilda would be mistress of several properties and founder of many monasteries. If you would like to read more about Saint Matilda of Ringelheim, read my Substack piece I did about her by clicking this link https://booknotions.substack.com/p/queens-of-the-page-and-screen-matilda?r=1mu1ov&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer

Saint King Louis IX of France

Louis was born on April 25^th, 1214 & was the fourth child to King Louis VIII & his wife Queen Blanche of Castile. Louis became heir to the throne of France after his three elder brothers died. Louis would have seven more brothers and sisters. Louis was taught by experienced horsemen riding and the fine points of hunting. Tutors had taught him biblical history, geography & ancient literature. Queen Blanche, Louis’s mother, educated him in religion. Louis was a boisterous teenager who had a temper that he did his best to control. When Louis’s father, King Louis VIII, died in the year 1226, when Louis was not yet 13, Queen Blanche ruled as regent until Louis would reach maturity. Eventually, Louis would marry Margaret of Provence, the daughter of Count Raymond Berenger IV of Provence. Together the two would have 11 children. Other than leading the 7^th crusade, he extended justice in civil administration. Louis replaced trial by combat with a form of examination of witnesses and encouraged the use of written records in court. Louis was devoted to his people, he founded hospitals, visited the sick, and like Saint Francis, cared for people with leprosy. Louis united France, lords, townsfolk, peasants, priests and knights due to his personality and holiness and for several years the nation was at peace. I plan on writing a solo piece about Louis and if you would like to read more, here are the links I used to write this mini bio.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-IX

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/saint-louis-of-france/

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/08/25/st--louis---king-of-france-.html

Edward The Confessor

Edward called the Confessor, was born at Islip in Oxfordshire between the years 1002 and 1005 to King Ethlred “the Unready” & Emma of Normandy. Driven from England by the Danes & spending exile in Normandy, the story goes that Edward vowed if he were to return to his kingdom safely, that he would make a pilgrimage to Saint Peters Rome. Once Edward became king, he found it impossible to leave his subjects behind. The Pope released him from his vow on the condition that he found or restore a monastery to Saint Peter. This would lead to the building of a new church in the Norman style to replace the Saxon church at Westminster. The Abbey at Westminster was consecrated on Holy Innocents Day on December 28^th, 1065. Unfortunately, the king was ill and not able to be present at the service. While Edward was not known as a very successful king, he was beloved by his kingdom for his piety & personal character. Edward had not taken part in any wars except to repel a Welsh uprising. Edward was not known for personal ambition, and his main concern was the welfare of his people, and he demonstrated this by giving alms to the poor and not imposing taxes. The title “Confessor” was given to Edward for his just deeds. This title refers to a particular type of saint, one whose status is between that of a common man and saint who suffered for their faith in a manner short of martyrdom and demonstrated their faith in the face of worldly temptations. I plan on doing a solo piece about Edward the Confessor and if you would like to read more about him, read the sources I used to write this mini bio.

https://stedwardchurch.org/history-of-our-name-sake-st-edward

https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-commemorations/royals/edward-the-confessor-and-edith

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Having everything a royal family could possibly want, wealth, palaces, power & a vast empire, The Romanov’s, after more than 300 years of dynastic rule would eventually meet a tragic end. Though what makes the downfall of the Romanovs more haunting are the tales of prophecies and curses surrounding their fate. Prophecies & curses that make the hairs on your neck stand up & bring a chill down your spine…. Some might think these are just mere coincidences….I however, do not think so….

Marina Mniszech Prophetess who Curses The House of Romanov

You would think after the death of Ivan the Terrible, Russia would know peace for a little while. You’d be mistaken as after Ivan’s death; Russia entered a period of the Time of Troubles which lasted from 1598-1613. At this time, a three-year-old boy was executed by hanging in 1614, a year after Mikhail Fyodorovich Romanov became the Tsar/Czar. The child was known as Ivan Voryonok which meant “Little Thief” and was the son of False Dmitry II and his Polish wife Marina Mniszech. Why would the Romanovs execute a child, especially in such a horrific way? Ivan was hanged because his mother, Marina Mniszech was crowned as tsarina/czarina in Moscow in 1606 and her son had vague rights to the thrones. The Romanovs supported the Assembly of the Land, denied those claims and preferred to kill the child rather than live under another Time of Troubles.

Marina in her dark dank cell walls would hear of the death of her son. According to legend, Marina uttered a chilling curse, predicting the downfall of the House of the Romanovs. Marina is said to have uttered; “You began with the death of a tsarevich, you will end with the death of a tsarevich!” Pay attention to this curse as it ties in with another chilling prophecy that puts the pieces of the puzzle together!

Eudoxia Lopukhina The Empress Who Curses Saint Petersburg

Eudoxia Lopukhina was born in Moscow on August 9^th, 1609, she was the tsarina/czarina & first wife to Tsar/Czar Peter the Great. At 17 years old, Eudoxia became the young bride to Peter. While Eudoxia was a great beauty, she lacked intelligence and ambition and had little in common with her husband. Eudoxia was very Russian and all about tradition. Peter was more interested in war and westernizing the country. They were able to have two sons though one died in infancy and their other son; Alexey would be the next in line. Eventually Eudoxia was sent to a nunnery, separating her from her eight-year-old son. Eudoxia lived a comfortable life and even had a lover army officer Stepan Glebov. When Peter found out about their affair, Stepan would suffer a brutal execution by impalement.

According to legend, Eudoxia told her sister-in-law, Mariya Alexeyevna, Saint Petersburg shall not stand and it shall be empty. Mariya Alexeyevna, told Alexey, which he reported while he was interrogated in 1718. A few years later in 1722, clergy members were condemned for spreading the rumors of Eudoxia’s prophecy which has haunted Saint Petersburg ever since. Currently, Saint Petersburg is full of people. However, something to note, is Saint Petersburg is often threatened by floods, especially in its downtown regions. Peter the Great, had chosen a very low-lying area on which to build St. Petersburg and from its very foundation, floods were a major problem. In August 1703, three months after the city was founded, the waters of the Neva River rose 6 feet above normal levels and washed away construction materials for the Peter and Paul Fortress. The city has experienced over 270 major floods since then. One could wonder, will a flood wipe out the city eventually? A theory I have is, what if the continuing war with Ukraine will wipe out the famous capital? I suppose time will tell.

Monk Abel’s Predicts the Death of Catherine The Great

During the time of Catherine The Great, & before the world would ever know of Rasputin, there lived a man who prophesized the future and even wrote entire books of prophecy Vasily Vasilyev, also known as, monk Abel. Monk Abel’s dark and dire predictions foretold the deaths of many Russian emperors. At the Nikolo-Babaev Monastery, where the monk lived in 1796, the book of prophecies was found in Abel’s cell. One of the prophecies alleged that Catherine The Great would die in eight months. Catherine found out about this and had Abel’s arrested. However, Abel’s arrest would not stop his prophecy from coming to pass as Catherine would die of a stroke in the bathroom of November 1796. Monk Able would make several more chilling prophecies (one of which had to do with Napoleon Bonaparte) and would be imprisoned again when it would be for monetary gain.

Rasputin’s Chilling Prophecy that would foretell the doom of The Romanovs

In the early 20^th century, Rasputin, the man whom some believe was a healer, and many believe was a charlatan, delivered a chilling prophecy. Rasputin warned Tsar/Czar Nicholas II saying this, Tsar of the Russian land, when you hear the bells ringing, informing you of the death of Grigoriy, then know: if assassins kill me, Russian peasants, my brothers, then you, the Russian tsar, have no one to fear. Stay on your throne and reign. But if your relatives committed the murder, then none of your family, that is, children and relatives, will live longer than two years. The Russian people will kill them. Rasputin was murdered in 1916 after his cousin in law Count Yusapov & his cousin Dmitri Pavlovich tried to poison his treats. When that didn’t kill him fast enough, someone fired gun shots and Rasputin got up and ran and more shots were fired and his body was dumped in the Neva River. It would not be found for several weeks. Nicholas would abdicate the throne after the people had enough of World War I. Two years later on, July 17^th 1918, Nicholas, his wife Alexandra & their five innocent children Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia & Alexei, as well as some attendants were shot to death in the Ipatyev House (also known as the House of Special Purpose) in Yekaterinburg. The curse of Rasputin along with Marina Mniszech’s curse You began with the death of a tsarevich, you will end with the death of a tsarevich was now fulfilled…..

For Further Reading

If you would like to read more about Russian history curses and the people discussed in this list, click on the links I used for this research below! I plan on doing an in-depth solo piece about Monk Abel & his predictions & a Queens of the Page & Screen about Catherine The Great in the future. A future historical curse I plan on covering is The House of Grimaldi is cursed to be unhappy in love, if only I could time travel and tell Grace Kelly, not to marry Prince Rainier…

https://www.gw2ru.com/history/1222-5-curses-that-haunted-romanovs

https://www.factinate.com/people/marina-mniszech-facts

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Eudoxia-tsarina-of-Russia

https://steemit.com/til/@aksinya/til-deadly-love-or-how-peter-i-punished-his-rivals

http://www.saint-petersburg.com/history/floods/

https://anomalien.com/abel-the-russian-monk-and-ominous-prophet/

http://www.saint-petersburg.com/royal-family/catherine-the-great/

https://www.britannica.com/summary/How-did-Catherine-the-Great-die

In a recent interview, Michael Jackson’s nephew & star of the Michael biopic, Jaafar, explained why he believes his aunt Janet, did not take part in the film. What’s interesting is, I recently did a Substack piece about biopics and one artist I mentioned who should get her own biopic is Janet. Then this interview with Jaafar happens where he’s teasing at it. It makes me wonder if Janet & Jaafar were looking at my Substack pieces, or if my Substack has become a place of prophecy? I’m going to lean into the prophecy bit. Sometimes I can sense when/if something is going to happen, & then it does.

What Jaafar specifically said?

While Jaafar doesn’t hint at family feuds for the reason Janet doesn’t take place in the biopic, he does have this to say. I don’t want to speak too early, but Janet has ideas of maybe doing her own film. So having someone portrayed in this and then choosing a different actor for her own is just… Jaafar’s words trail off during this interview. Here is the link where I had gotten Jaafar’s quote. https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/jaafar-jackson-explains-why-janet-jackson-not-depicted-in-michael

What would A Great Janet Biopic Require?

As Janet Jackson fans, we want to see this biopic do just as well as the Michael biopic. We want to see her versatile talent as both a singer and an actress. We want to see how Janet suffered and conquered her body image issues, her love life, her breaking away from her father Joseph and making a name for herself as a solo artist without Michael or the rest of her family. The Superbowl controversy from 2004 needs to be in the movie as well as her close relationship with Michael and how she mourned his passing. Jafar Jackson needs to return as Michael only with not as big of a part. The movie could show how she became a mom at 50 and end with new music of hers. Afterall Janet did say she has new music coming. The only way we can see this biopic do well is if Janet has creative control and doesn’t allow her greedy siblings to be involved.

I’ve done a few Substack articles about shows I watched as a millennial child in the 90s and early 2000s discussing episodes and why certain characters made terrific or terrible friends and parents. In this Substack article, I’m going to discuss episodes that I appreciate more as an adult, whether I already understood the meaning, or I understand the meaning now as a 34-year-old that I missed when I was a kid, tween or teen.

Helga On The Couch-Hey Arnold

In the episode Helga On the Couch, after getting in trouble because she punched Brainy in the face, she is sent to see the child psychologist Miss Bliss who has been observing the children at PS 118. Helga’s parents hear about it, and Bob especially isn’t pleased. Bob and Miriam tell Helga not to blab anything personal, and that Pataki’s don’t do therapy. During Helga’s session with Miss Bliss, the two get to know each other and have common interests. Helga thinks she’ll outsmart Miss Bliss, but she uses these tactics against Helga. They admire art and jump rope with Miss Bliss discussing her family with Helga, eventually discussing her home life with her neglectful parents, favoring Olga with love, praise and encouragement. We see a particularly heartbreaking flashback where Helga as a preschooler must walk to school by herself in a sketchy neighborhood in the rain with a dog stealing her lunch. After a rough start, Arnold is the first one who shows Helga kindness and that’s where the crush begins. Eventually, Helga tells Miss Bliss about her feelings for Arnold after Bliss promises not to tell anyone else about it. While Miss Bliss reminds Helga that she won’t know how Arnold feels until she tells him, she reminds Helga that she can tell Arnold when she’s ready.

Lessons Learned

Helga On The Couch has always been one of my favorite episodes, but as an adult I appreciate it even more. This episode is a sad reminder that there are children in the real world like Helga, who are forced to take care of themselves and grow up fast due to a difficult homelife. Something I noticed after watching Toonnish’s analysis of this episode, is when Bob tells Helga not blab what goes on at home, that she said both Helga’s parents know that they failed her. Yet they aren’t ready to take accountability and change it. Miss Bliss is the first adult to tell Helga that she feels strongly and that her feelings are valid. I wish they continued this storyline on the show.

Hip Hop Helicopter- The Proud Family

In The Proud Family Episode Hip Hop Helicopter, Penny, Dijonay, Lacienega, & Zoey form a dance group to perform on the television show Hip Hop Helicopter, which is essentially the show’s version of Soul Train. I appreciate this episode more as an adult because it explores grooming & how older teens and adults can manipulate young people. The girls dance on tv and wear revealing outfits that immediately cause concern for the adults in their lives. Despite Bethany being Dijonay’s older cousin, she proves to be a terrible role model who uses the girls for her own benefit. Bethany makes them walk to the competition but then gives them a ride when they win. Bethany also pressures the girls to lie about their age and perform at a high school party her friend Gary is throwing and to wear the outfits they wore on Hip Hop Helicopter. Penny is hesitant because she promised her mom not to wear that outfit. At the party the boys focus heavily on their bodies, and Bethany is annoyed that the girls are uncomfortable. Ultimately, they follow their gut and leave the party.

Lessons Learned

What makes this episode unfortunately so realistic is that Bethany represents the kind of people who exist in the real world, older relatives or trusted adults whose job is to protect impressionable young people but instead encourages behavior that’s risky and dangerous for their own gain. As a kid I saw Bethany as your typical mean girl, now I see her as someone who is much more dangerous, because she is placing the girls in a situation where they could be taken advantage of. Two huge things I appreciate as an adult are Penny, Lacienega & Dijonay trusted their gut to leave the party and when Zoey didn’t want to leave, Penny dragged her out of that party. No friend gets left behind and if Penny left Zoey behind, things could have gotten very dangerous. If your gut is telling you something or someone is off LISTEN TO IT AND GET OUT OR AWAY FAST!

About Face- As Told By Ginger

About Face is one As Told By Ginger episode I appreciate more as an adult. Dodie Bishop’s mother, Joanne becomes a substitute teacher at Lucky Jr. High. This worries Dodie as she knows her mother is grouchy and will embarrass her by acting that way. Dodie does get embarrassed but not in the way she expected. Instead of acting her age, Joanne acts like a teenager instead of a parent, she even doesn’t want Dodie to call her mom at school but Josie. Joanne is so desperate to recapture her youth that she hangs out with Courtney, Miranda, Mipsy and the other popular girls. Joanne even blows off giving Dodie a ride home. Later that evening, Dodie is still upset about the whole issue. Dodie and Hoodsey’s dad show both pictures of the real Josie who was voted “Miss Popular” and of Dodie’s mother who was voted “Missed Popularity”. Joane tried and failed to become popular and fit in, and she did things that were not very nice to try and failed to achieve that. This rubbed off on Dodie as she’s become very much like her mother, a backstabbing wannabee. Courtney, Miranda, Mipsy and the other popular girls along with Ginger show up to Dodie’s house to tell Dodie that they don’t think Joanne is cool. For the first time Dodie doesn’t care and learns to accept herself and had a healthy conversation with her mom even if there’s not a huge magical change. Later that night, Doctor Dave & his mother are having dinner with Ginger, Carl & their mom Lois. Dave’s mother is very difficult to be around, & Dave stands up for himself and proposes to Lois.

Lessons Learned

I always enjoyed this episode, but somethings clicked more as an adult. Rewatching As Told By Ginger as an adult, is the realization that there was more than one episode where Dodie was a terrible friend. But this bad behavior didn’t come out of nowhere, as her mother, Joanne cares very much about appearances and is very intense & judgmental. It’s not a household to be honest about your feelings or expressing who you are. While it doesn’t excuse bad behavior, it makes us understand it. The biggest theme of this episode is mother child relationships, as both Dodie & Doctor Dave, had to learn to stand up for themselves when it came to their overbearing mothers. Some family members, especially your parents, can be very difficult to talk to. But when you tell them the answer is “no” or “My dream is this...” It can be scary, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. It’s also important to accept who you are and love yourself, because when you don’t, you’re going to look for that validation from other people. Something else to note is this episode stresses the importance of breaking cycles & if we don’t watch it, we can repeat the same mistakes. It takes more than realization; there needs to be action. It’s why it’s disappointing that in future episodes it’s forgotten about, and Dodie doesn’t grow, she regresses once they reach high school.

With the new Michael Biopic releasing this year, & part 2 being confirmed to come out late 2027 early 2028, 4 movies about each member of The Beatles coming out in the future, & a Gloria Estefan biopic with the controversial Rachel Ziegler, I wrote a list of biopics confirmed to happen that I can’t wait to watch. I’m also adding other favorite singers of mine who I hope have their own story told on the big screen in the future. Like my eclectic reading taste, I have an eclectic taste in music…

Shania Twain-Confirmed

Late spring & early summer of this year, it has been confirmed that there will be a Shania Twain biopic simply titled Shania. Leah McKendrick of Sony Pictures will write and direct the movie. Shania’s involvement in the movie will be as a producer alongside Amie Karp. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but I’m sure the biopic will cover Shania’s humble beginnings in Ontario Canada and the rough childhood she had to eventually becoming the superstar she is today. I still enjoy belting out the tunes That Don’t Impress Me Much, Man I Feel Like A Woman, & You’re Still The One. I can’t wait to listen to her new album which recently came out this year.

https://people.com/shania-twain-biopic-now-in-the-works-with-singer-producing-report-11990701

https://deadline.com/2026/06/shania-twain-biopic-leah-mckendrick-directing-sony-1236939923/

Michael Part II-Confirmed

I know part I recently came out, but we’re all still discussing what we hope and what they must cover for part II. While I put a wish list together of what I hope part II covers when it comes to his music in the 90s and 2000s and him eventually leaving Jehovah’s Witnesses to become Catholic, something I know they must cover is his plastic surgeries going out of control, his marriages to Lisa Marie Presley & Debbie Rowe, his children, the child sex abuse allegations & of course his death. Recently though, it’s been confirmed that Michael Part II will either be released in late 2027 or early 2028.

https://deadline.com/2026/08/michael-2-michael-jackson-biopic-sequel-update-1237028163/

Other Musicians I Love Who I Hope Get a Biopic

Janet Jackson was the only other Jackson who could stand on her own and have her own solo career. Not only can Janet sing, but she can also act. While Janet had one album before Control simply titled Janet Jackson, the album after that named Control was what made her big. The perfect Janet biopic in my eyes would cover both Janet’s music career as well as her acting career, her closeness with Michael, breaking away from Joeseph, her body image issues, her love life the Superbowl Halftime Show controversy, how she grieved Michael’s death to her becoming a mother at 50 and leading up to the present where she is getting a music comeback. What must happen is Janet must have creative control and not have her greedy family involved. Despite not being a part of Michael Biopic in the movie or behind the scenes with her greedy siblings, I know she was proud of her nephew Jafar. I think for the parts where Michael would and could possibly show up, she could have Jafar return to play her late brother.

Aaliyah is another singer who I would love to see a big budget biopic about. I know back in 2014 Lifetime did a low-budget tv movie about Aaliyah. The tv film received so much backlash from both fans and family members of Aaliyah due acting and accuracy. With a big budget movie, I hope Aaliyah’s family will be involved. I hope that it covers her music career, her illegal marriage to R. Kelly when she was 15 and he was 24. I would like to see her music career transitioning to acting and how she did a cover to Journey to The Past for the 1997 animated film Anastasia and how she won a Grammy for that same song in 1998. I would also love to see something foreshadowed all the opportunities she would have had if she hadn’t died in that plane crash on August 25^th, 2001. In 2012 there was a movie called Sparkle which was a remake. Sparkle would have come out in the 2000s and Aaliyah would have been the lead if she hadn’t had died. Janet Jackson also wanted to do either a song or an album with Aaliyah, but she died before anything could happen.

Sting is another artist I enjoy whether he’s solo or in the band The Police. It would be great to see how he and The Police became the band as well as Sting doing his own as a solo artist. I also read somewhere that Sting was a schoolteacher before having a career in music.

Journey is a band I’m surprised haven’t been in talks to have a biopic done about them. I heard that an upcoming tour would be their last. So why not do a biopic about them?

Honorable Mentions

There has been talk that there will be a biopic about Who member Keith Moon. For a long time not much has been said about it. There hasn’t been much news since a Deadline article from 2022 interviewing Sir Roger Daltrey, which you can read here https://variety.com/2022/film/global/the-who-movie-keith-moon-1235165958/ . Personally, I would love to see a movie about The band rather than just about one member.

The Bee Gees biopic was almost made into a film in 2025 by Sir Ridley Scott. Stephen Spielberg almost did one too. Both times the projects fell through. I would love to see that movie happen and I like their music. https://ew.com/celebrity-biopics-in-development-hell-11993919

Award-winning author Denny S. Bryce has returned for the next installment of my Writing 101 Interview series on Substack! I have interviewed Denny a few times in the past, which you can read by clicking these links https://booknotions.com/qa-with-denny-s-bryce/ https://booknotions.com/behind-the-book-with-denny-s-bryce-eliza-knight/ Denny has written several great works of historical fiction, including Wild Women And The Blues, In The Face Of The Sun, and The Other Princess: A Novel Of Queen Victoria’s Goddaughter, as well as Can’t We Be Friends: A Novel Of Ella Fitzgerald & Marilyn Monroe, co-written with USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight, and The Trial Of Mrs. Rhinelander and Where the False Gods Dwell.

Q: Welcome back, Denny! I’m so glad you’re back for another interview! Do you start each day with breakfast, a hot cup of coffee, or a brisk walk before sitting down to research and write?

A: Thank you for inviting me back. I am thrilled. It’s always fun chatting with you. But let me answer this question. How my day begins depends. Sometimes I’m up at 3 o’clock in the morning to write. Then there are more realistic days when I’m up at six. The first thing I think about lately is washing my face. I’m obsessed with products. But as soon as the teeth are brushed and the face is clean, I’m swallowing half a pot of coffee with some whipped half-and-half. After coffee, I take a few minutes to review social media marketing-wise. Then I’m rereading only the last couple of paragraphs of whatever I wrote the day before or at 3 AM. So not to go on and on, because on other days the day may not begin as planned; you never know. Sometimes I just wanna open a book and read.

Q: In our very first Q&A from 2023, you wrote about how you conduct your research, specifically mentioning that you enjoy digging through old newspapers and magazines. Given your love of research for your historical fiction, do you ever fall into research rabbit holes, and if so, how do you decide what to use and what to leave out?

A: I’ve learned a few lessons about research since 2023. I start by creating a timeline of historical facts for the period in which my story is set. I use a program called Aeon Timeline. In addition to historical information relevant to the story I’m telling, I add my main characters and their birthdays and death dates. That way, I can always refer back to this program as I travel through time, which I do quite a lot in my most recent manuscript. Of course, research is critical, but to avoid the rabbit hole, I focus on my main character’s emotional journey. History is a critical byproduct, but what the character thinks and feels, and how they change and develop amid historical events, is what keeps the reader turning the page. So, after I establish the historical tentpoles, I outline, and then I start writing. As I continue to write my dirty first draft, I look for specific history that applies directly to the story I’m telling. After six novels, I’ve learned that too much research too early is where the rabbit-hole digging begins.

Q: How many hours a day do you spend researching, writing, and editing?

A: Honestly, I don’t always write every day. I do think about my book every day, but when it comes to getting in front of the computer, the iPad, or my iPhone (because I write on all of my devices), that happens at least five out of seven days a week. On those five days, my average writing time includes research, staring into space, listening to music, and talking on the phone. Seriously, the actual time allotted to writing can be anywhere from 3 to 4 hours a day to a great 60 minutes. There are also days when I write 10 hours straight. Frankly, I wish for more of those days.

Q: As an author of historical fiction, what wisdom do you have for anyone wanting to write historical fiction that you wished you knew when you first started out? In your opinion, what are the ingredients that make for a great historical fiction book?

A: What makes a historical fiction book great? If I may be so bold, I think I answered that question in one of the earlier overviews. It’s about the characters. How much do readers care about the main character? Are that character’s relationships pivotal to the story? To really deliver a compelling, immersive story, who do they love? Who do they learn to love? Who do they hate? The backdrop of history provides that texture, complications, excitement, and potentially intrigue. Be it the turn of the 20th century or the turn of the 19th century, what was happening to a character in 1925 Chicago versus what was happening in the lives of people in 1935 in Kingston, Jamaica, or on a ship sailing from New York to Kingston Harbor is much more interesting when the character’s journey matters.

Q: If you could time travel to the past, who are some historical figures you would love to sit down & have an interview with? What would you ask them?

A: In my novel, The Other Princess, which tells the story of Queen Victoria‘s goddaughter, Sarah Forbes Bonetta, I was blessed to read several of her letters. She was a prolific writer, and, of course, Queen Victoria was too. Her diaries are said to contain over 1 million words. Although Sarah, or Princess Aina, may not have written many words, reading her letters gave me important insights into her decision-making process. I studied her words and learned what was important to her. With all the knowledge I gained about her from my research, I would love to travel through time and chat with her, but in West Africa, not London. What would I ask her? For example: what made her so stubborn? She grew up in a world that betrayed her, but it also gave her the chance to excel as a linguist, a contributor to African culture, and so much more.

Another historical figure I would love to sit down and chat with is Langston Hughes. Several of my novel titles are inspired by poetry written by Langston Hughes. I would love to have a conversation with him about his perspective on race, sexuality, queerness, what he loved about the time he lived in, and what frightened him the most. I think there are overlapping points between what he experienced during his lifetime and what many Black artists go through today.

Q: Since you’ve written the novel The Other Princess: A Novel Of Queen Victoria’s Goddaughter, & you discussed your love of historical fiction was inspired by your grandmother who is from Jamaica. Have you ever taken research trips outside of the country? What were those experiences like?

A: I have traveled extensively outside the US, including London, Paris, Bermuda, and Kingston, Jamaica, and throughout the Caribbean, from Aruba to Nassau in the Bahamas, to Saint Martin’s. I’ve also spent time in Hawaii on several occasions, and I’ve been to every state except for Alaska. Yes, I have a travel bug, but I have used my trips/travels in all of my novels.

Q: Can you provide your social media links so that we may follow you and your work?

A: You bet, I can share my social media links. I believe they’re easy to remember. My website is www.dennys.bryce.com. My handles on Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, Facebook, and Tumblr are the same, Denny S. Bryce. I also have a YouTube channel that I need to update. Anyway, visit my website first, and you’ll find everything you need to find me online. I’m also on Substack. Wow, I almost forgot.

Thank you so much for having me. I always enjoy visiting with you. I hope we can do this again soon.

Q: I truly enjoyed reading Can’t We Be Friends that you co-authored with Eliza Knight! You both put in so much hard work researching and writing history that came to life! Are you two currently writing another historical fiction novel? What are some solo projects you are also working on?

A: I am in the midst of writing a new novel. But that’s about all I’ll say about it right now, other than that it’s historical fiction☺! It’s primarily set in 1960s and the 1970s.

Q: In our first Q&A you told me that Hollywood has expressed interest in your work but that nothing has happened yet. Is Hollywood getting a move on now when it comes to adapting your books?

A: I have a film agent, but right now that means wait-and-see☺…which is pretty much the nature of show business.

Recently it was revealed Oded Fehr & Kevin J O’Connor along with newcomers Michael Johnston & Numan Acar will return & join the cast of the new Mummy sequel. You can read all about it and some of my theories by clicking this link https://booknotions.substack.com/p/more-mummy-news-to-unravel-two-fan?r=1mu1ov&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=post%20viewer . It has now been confirmed that Arnold Vosloo, the actor who portrayed Imhotep in both The Mummy (1999) & The Mummy Returns (2001) is returning to the franchise!

How did the news break?

News of Arnold Vosloo’s return as Imhotep, came straight from John Hannah who is also returning as Johnathan. The news was confirmed at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival. According to darkhorizons.com Back in June, Hannah spoke with Italian magazine CiaK as part of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, where he mentioned the Imhotep actor’s name, saying:

“Arnold Vosloo, a very good friend of mine, will also be returning; he is currently finalising the agreement from Cape Town, where he resides.”

Here are the links to the sources where I had gotten this information.

https://www.darkhorizons.com/arnold-vosloo-returns-for-the-mummy-4/

https://www.comicbasics.com/john-hannah-confirms-a-fan-favorite-mummy-character-is-returning-for-the-mummy-4/

What we know so far

Right now, all we know is several people are returning to the franchise as well as newcomers. We know that The Mummy Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is now considered non-cannon to the Mummy franchise. So, we know they are returning to Egypt. The story, however, is being kept under wraps for now. We won’t know anything for sure until more information is released whether it’s a trailer or a press release.

Later this month, The Mummy sequel will start filming & while the plot for the next sequel is kept buried beneath the sands of time, some clues have been revealed. Over the past few months, we found out that the core three cast Brendan Fraiser, Rachel Weisz & Joh…

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Few royal women captured the public imagination like Empress Elisabeth “Sisi” of Austria. Elisabeth was celebrated for her extraordinary beauty, her independent spirit and her tragic life. Sisi became one of the most recognizable women of the ninetee…

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It’s hard to believe it’s been 2 weeks since we lost Sam Neill. While the Jurassic Park franchise introduced many people to the late & great Sam Neill, for me, these are the films & shows that showed how talented and versatile Sam really was. Sam was one of those actors that g…

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The Michael Jackson biopic titled Michael is the first music biopic ever to reach $1 Billion! Michael beat Bohemian Rhapsody to become the highest grossing music biopic of all time. Something else I found out, is that Michael is now considered one of the highest grossing biopics ever made trai…

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On July 17, 1918, 108 years ago, marks the anniversary of the execution of Russia’s imperial family, the Romanovs. It would be their tragic deaths that would inspire books, films, a Broadway play and a mystery that captivated the world for decades. Did the youngest Romanov daughter, Anastasia, survive? From a 1956 film sta…

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It’s hard to believe I did a Q&A with Rosa Kwon Easton almost two years ago discussing her debut historical fiction novel White Mulberry which you can read by clicking this link https://booknotions.com/qa-with-rosa-kwon-easton/ . This time I’m honored to have Rosa return for the latest in my Writing 101 Q&A…

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Lisa See, the New York Times Bestselling Author of historical fiction has returned for the latest in the Writing 101 series on Substack. I did my very first Q&A three years ago discussing after the release of her novel Lady Tan’s Circle of Women & this year I did a Behind The Book discussing her new release which c…

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While growing up watching The Proud Family as a kid, I laughed along & learned some valuable lessons. Oscar Proud, while never one of my favorite characters, does provide a lot of comedy on the show. Rewatching it as an adult, however, revealed some things I didn’t notice befo…

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I’ve learned so much from the storytellers who bring us to their world through their books. The quotes, whether they’re in the stories or from the authors who write these stories, make me reflect, relate and ponder. To the authors I’ve mentioned and the authors I have not, I thank all of you for sharing your wi…

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My very first Terrific Toon Parent Post was about Lois Foutley from the Nickelodeon cartoon series As Told By Ginger. I feel as though now is the time to do a Terrible Toon Parent Post about Lois Foutley’s ex husband and Ginger and Carl Foutley’s father Jonas.

Jonas Foutley

Jonas Foutley is the ex-husba…

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One century after the reign of the great female Pharoah Hatshepsut, and thirteen centuries before Cleopatra, another woman would also make an extraordinary queen. Her name was Nefertiti. While Nefertiti herself, was not a Pharoah, her name is renowned because written evidence tells us that…

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