C.W. Gortner

C.W. Gortner wrote historical fiction after careers in fashion and public health. He earned an MFA in writing with an emphasis in Renaissance studies from New College of California and taught courses on women of power in the Renaissance. In 2012 he made writing his principal occupation. The Queen's Vow reconstructs the rise of Isabella of Castile, while Mademoiselle Chanel imagines the life and career of French designer Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel. His catalogue also includes The Last Queen and The Confessions of Catherine de Medici. Gortner's novels reached readers in numerous languages, and Penguin Random House records that he died in 2025. His fashion experience included retail buying, publicity, and show coordination during an eleven-year career.