A new plot bunny has come to live at my house.  He’s Russian, and he’s making me research Faberge eggs.  Oh, the horror, having to look at tons of pictures of exquisite works of jewelry art! Okay, I’m also having to research bombs, which is less exciting, and makes me worry that I’m going to end up on some Homeland Security list.

Seriously, I’m very excited about this – it’s one of those times where the more I research, the more my plot falls into place,  almost as if it’s meant to be.   Without going into too much detail, my protagonist Alexei is an up and coming jeweler with Faberge who catches the eye of a cynical nobleman and gets drawn into the world of the aristocracy.  Unfortunately, his older brother is a dedicated Bolshevik who is more than willing to use Alexei to advance the revolution.  Drama (and a bit of sex) ensues.

One thing I’ve already learned – the Russians had a fairly enlightened attitude about homosexuality back then, at least compared to the rest of Europe.  This is going to be fun!