Château Gaillard Amboise is a dream. I took one look in 2019 and knew it would become the quiet refuge at Amboise for the Sibylline. Woman On The Wall is centered around it. I took so many elements from it for the story. You can see some of them in these video readings from the IRL locations featured in the novel.
Retracing My Steps at Château Gaillard Amboise
I am so far behind on posting the on-location stuff for the book, but it’s only because I am lost to time. The only moments I reconnect to the day of the week or time of day is if I have a train ride or a reservation. Otherwise . . .
Château Gaillard Amboise is that sort of magic to me. Here are some shots from yesterday. . . I think. 
Gaillard holds so much meaning for me. It is where I first met Maurine Soudier. Its connection to the time period when da Vinci lived in Amboise is remarkable. As I continued to dig in my own historical research, I learned of ancient temples potentially long ago having stood in the hills behind it.
In my own writing process, Gaillard and Fontevraud have always held center stage. I’ve spent so much time i my head imagining Marie and Philip in these spaces, recreating the Sibylline world of the sixteenth century, hanging our with da Vinci.
While Gaillard won’t show up in The Mother House, I am confident that it will make a revival in Vol. 3 of The Sibylline Chronicles and beyond. I’ve even tossed around an idea or two for a stand-alone novel that features the royal residence.
Here is a whole tour video set to gorgeous music.
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