Audiovisual Tour Guides
Leslie Carroll is the author of twenty-one books in three genres [women’s fiction, historical nonfiction; and historical fiction (writing as Amanda Elyot). She has also adapted a number of classic texts (Ivanhoe; The Prisoner of Zenda; The Scarlet Pimpernel; Mark Twain’s The Diaries of Adam and Eve) for the stage.
Leslie has written seven non-fiction books which has led to appearances on national and international media, including the Travel Channel; Canada’s History Channel; CBS Nightly News; and NBC’s Today Show.
Under the pen name Juliet Grey, Leslie wrote her acclaimed trilogy of historical novels on the life of the doomed French queen Marie Antoinette. The work was optioned by Sony pictures. These books were also adapted for a BARDEUM experience for the Queen's Suite of rooms at the Palace of Versailles.
Leslie is also an award-winning audiobook narrator.
Welcome to the glittering Palace of Versailles on the starlit night of February 25, 1745. King Louis XV of France is hosting a lavish ball to honor the marriage of his oldest son. Anyone may attend, as long as they are costumed and masked!
But the State Rooms are abuzz with rumors that the handsome and virile king, bored with his Polish-born queen, also hopes to meet his next royal mistress—an official, and powerful, position within the Bourbon court. Among the revelers vying for the opportunity is a huntress in disguise, a beautiful commoner named Jeanne Antoinette Poisson. Is this the night her life will change forever?
Step Inside the Story of the famous Yew Tree Ball, and accompany our “Goddess Diana” through the sumptuous rooms of the King’s Grand Apartments as she searches for the greatest prize of all—the heart of a king.
It’s October 5, 1789. France has been in a state of tension for months. In June, the citizens formed a National Assembly; and on July 14, the Bastille Prison was stormed. Ever since, there have been uprisings demanding Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.
France’s despised queen Marie Antoinette has just learned that a ragtag army of Paris fishwives is on the march toward Versailles, slogging through a drenching downpour. Word has spread that they are coming to demand bread from the king, Louis XVI; yet they are armed with pikes, pitchforks, and scythes. Is something much more sinister afoot?
The panicked courtiers fear for their lives. Stay—or flee? As Marie Antoinette tries to calm the court, surveying the rooms of the Queen’s Suite and searching for her husband, the tension rises and the hours inexorably tick by. Step Inside the Story of BARDEUM’s Revolution Comes to Versailles and follow the true events of the French royal family’s final hours there.
Books by Leslie Carroll
As JULIET GREY:
The Marie Antoinette Series: Becoming Marie Antoinette; Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow; and Confessions of Marie Antoinette.
"In her richly imagined novel, Juliet Grey meticulously recreates the sumptuous court of France's most tragic queen. Beautifully written, with attention paid to even the smallest detail, Becoming Marie Antoinette will leave readers wanting more!"—Michelle Moran, bestselling author of Madame Tussaud
"Wonderfully delectable and lusciously rich, an elegant novel to truly savor. Juliet Grey’s Marie Antoinette is completely absorbing.”—Diane Haeger, author of The Queen’s Rival
As AMANDA ELYOT:
“Luminously intelligent, beautifully written, a delightful blend of magic and mythos.” —Linda Lael Miller, author of McKettrick’s Choice
By A Lady: Being the Adventures of an Enlightened American in Jane Austen's England
“Richly textured and carefully researched, By a Lady is a bright and bawdy romp that combines nitty-gritty life in 1801 Britain with the wit of the real Jane Austen. Amanda Elyot brings the past alive in this fresh and wickedly clever tale.” —Mary Jo Putney, author of Stolen Magic
Too Great A Lady: The Notorious Glorious Life of Emma. Lady Hamilton
All for Love: The Scandalous Life and Times of Royal Mistress Mary Robinson
As LESLIE CARROLL:
Nonfiction: American Princess: The Love Story of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry; Notorious Royal Marriages: A Juicy Journey Through Nine Centuries of Dynasty, Destiny, and Desire; Royal Affairs: A Lusty Romp Through the Extramarital Adventures that Rocked the British Monarchy; Royal Pains: A Rogue's Gallery of Brats, Brutes and Bad Seeds; Royal Romances: Titillating Tales of Passion and Power in the Palaces of Europe; Inglorious Royal Marriages; A Demi-Millennium of Unholy Mismatrimony: The Royals; and Scribbling Women.
"Leslie Carroll’s books on royalty are “an irresistible combination of People Magazine and the History Channel.”—Chicago Tribune
“For those who tackled Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, and can’t get enough of the scandal surrounding Henry VIII’s wives, [Notorious Royal Marriages] is the perfect companion book.”
—The New Yorker
Contemporary Fiction: Miss Match; Reality Check; Temporary Insanity; Play Dates; Spin Doctor; Herself; and Choosing Sophie.
"A great, fun read, with engaging characters and witty dialogue...Leslie Carroll has penned a winner!" -- Millie Criswell, bestselling romance author