(Please post any comments in the Box at the very bottom of the page: I
apologise for the inconvenience - am working on the fix - R)
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO READ ABOUT MY PREVIOUS GUESTS: WENDY PERCIVAL - ANNA BELFRAGE - CATHY HELMS - KIMBERLEY JORDAN REEMAN - ALEX MARCHANT - SUSAN GROSSEY - MERCEDES ROCHELLE - ALISON MORTON - ANNIE WHITEHEAD - HELEN HOLLICK
Ah, my firstborn baby… The Graham Saga is the story of reluctant time traveller Alex Lind who one days is dragged back three centuries in time to land at the feet of Matthew Graham. She suspects he’s some sort of oddball, a hermit of sort, until she realises that the odd one out is not him, but her. Matthew, on the other hand, is somewhat cautious: who is this strange woman who appeared out of nowhere? Is she some sort of witch? Anyway: once they get over these initial hurdles, Alex and Matthew grab each other by the hand and set out to have a very adventurous life in Scotland, Virginia and Maryland. Life in the 17th century is no walk in the park, and Alex is of the opinion I make things excessively exciting at times—but despite her harsh new reality, despite pain and loss, she does not want to go back. She belongs with her Matthew—forever.
This is the story of Adam de Guirande, who owes everything he has and is to Roger Mortimer. So when Mortimer rises in rebellion against his king, Edward II, Adam has no choice but to ride with him, no matter that he rides towards death and ruin. Fortunately for Adam, he has a resourceful wife who has no intention of letting him die and so he survives to instead live through the tumultuous years of 1322 to 1330, when a king is deposed, a young boy is crowned in his stead and Mortimer becomes the real power in the realm. Adam is torn: he loves the new young king, Edward III, he loves his former lord, Mortimer, but fears that Mortimer’s ambition and greed—fuelled by the beautiful and equally ambitious and avaricious Queen Isabella—will be his downfall.
Adam is one of my favourite people as well. Like all my male protagonists, Adam is a man of convictions, a man whose word is his bond—and for such men life can be difficult. As to how he developed, well, I first met him when he was eyeing his intended bride with about as much enthusiasm as he would a flea-ridden rat. Why? Because he fears she comes to her wedding a tad too experienced—at the hands of Mortimer. He didn’t exactly make the best of first impressions, but he grew just as fast on me as he did on his bride, who, BTW, had had no hanky-panky with Mortimer prior to wedding this blond, tall man who studied her with more caution than affection initially.
Well, first of all I believe Mortimer was an extremely capable man—and Edward II has himself to blame for what befell him, seeing as he allowed his favourites to enrich themselves at the expense of others. Mortimer was educated, counted several churchmen among his closer friends, had been a loyal servant to the crown for years before the king’s obvious preference for the grasping Despensers drove him over the edge.
It is also important that Edward III would, several decades after Mortimer’s death, absolve him of the crime of treason which to me indicates that while the king had no choice but to rid himself of his domineering regent in 1330, he also recognised that he had Mortimer to thank for the relatively well-organised realm he took over in 1330.
Let’s just say I do not believe Edward II was murdered. To kill an anointed king – no matter how deposed – was a grievous sin. I think Kathryn Warner and Ian Mortimer present a lot of interesting facts that lead me to conclude that it may be possible that Edward II did not die in 1327, but that it was convenient to tell the world that he was dead so as to safeguard the throne for Edward III (and his regents). It has the added benefit of allowing me to give Edward II some more years of life and at present he and his loyal companion Egard are having a lot of fun in 14th century France.
It all began with lions. Yes, yes, I can hear you going “Qué?”, but it did. Vague images of a young girl with the most amazing set of blonde curls running barefoot somewhere very hot. Red dust rose in her wake, the shapeless linen garment billowed around her as she ran and ran, accompanied by three half-grown lionesses. Very strange. Even stranger was that when I saw that same girl as an adult, that head of curls was tamed in a short edgy haircut, her toned legs encased in black jeans. Plus she was in London and to judge from her attire and the laptop she was carrying, she was a busy something in a financial environment.
A bit of both, I think. Adam de Guirande has just been lumbered with an undercover mission to France by Edward III, so I just MUST spend some time with him and see what happens. My 18th century WIP is a spin-off from The Graham Saga so in a sense it is a continuation, even if the protagonist is one of Alex’s and Matthew’s grandchildren. But there’s my new medieval series to finish and I have a half-written novel set in Queen Kristina’s Sweden I’d like to finish. Too many ideas, too little time, Richard – that’s my problem!
I am delighted to welcome Susan Grossey as my special guest today. Susan is the author and creator of the Sam Plank series set in London in the 1820s, just prior to the formation of the Metropolitan Police.
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Thank you so much for taking part. it's been most enjoyable!
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO READ ABOUT MY PREVIOUS GUESTS: WENDY PERCIVAL - ANNA BELFRAGE - CATHY HELMS - KIMBERLEY JORDAN REEMAN - ALEX MARCHANT - SUSAN GROSSEY - MERCEDES ROCHELLE - ALISON MORTON - ANNIE WHITEHEAD - HELEN HOLLICK
*
* *
DEBORAH SWIFT
Deborah Swift
* * *
DEBORAH SWIFT
Q
& A – Deborah Swift
Q
- You are the author of a number of books, but I would like to talk
mainly about two particular series, namely the 'Women of Pepys Diary'
and The Highway Trilogy. First, then, The Women of Pepys Diary:
please tell us, then, about the 3 books (so far) in the series.
The
three women I chose for the books were Deb Willet, Pepys’
maidservant, Bess Bagwell the wife of a ship’s carpenter, and Mary
Elizabeth Knepp an actress. According to Pepys’ own diaries, all
three had liaisons with him. The three women are very different
characters with different agendas. Their relationships with him are
also different – one is used by him but turns the tables on him,
one deceives him for her own ends, and one finally becomes his
friend.
Each
of these women lives through a time in the 17th
Century of great importance in London’s history. Mary Elizabeth
Knepp has to deal with the Great Fire of London, Bess Bagwell with
the Plague, and Deb Willet with the war with the Dutch, for whom she
is a spy.
Of
course the other woman who appears in all three novels is Pepys’
wife, Elisabeth. Her relationship with the other women in her
husband’s life was fascinating to imagine, and unpick from the
entries in the diary. She is the link between all three books.
Q
– How did you come by the idea of writing, not so much about Samuel
Pepys himself, but the women who played at least some part of his
life?
I
used Pepys’ Diary for my research for a number of other seventeenth
century novels, and was always curious about the women. Pepys was
well known as a man who had many affairs, and I was particularly
interested to bring some of these people out from the shadows of his
viewpoint and give them a voice. Of course nobody can really know
what the women did between the lines of his diary as no letters or
other ephemera survive. The joy for me was in finding the gaps
between their appearances, and imagining what could plausibly have
been happening to these women ‘offstage’.
The
novels are designed however to entertain – they are not
‘histories’, as we have to rely on Pepys’ somewhat biased view
of their lives. But I did find it exciting to re-imagine the women in
a different way from his view of them, by giving them more agency,
and investing them with opinions about him he would not suspect!
Q
– Your descriptions of Pepys' London smack of authenticity – how
were you able to convey this in your books?
Pepys’
diaries contain 80% of the information I need to re-construct the
era, as his entries are so detailed. However, his diaries don’t
include everything, and much research was needed to add a sense of
reality. He mentions the shipyards at Greenwich often, but
re-imagining them meant a lot of research into shipbuilding methods.
‘Pleasing Mr Pepys’ also involves espionage in the war with the
Dutch, which meant investing time to try to understand all the
different allegiances, and what might have gone on in battles at sea.
I think authenticity in fiction is often about the character’s
voice, and how real they feel to the reader. This and a few telling
authentic details to paint the scene, rather than swathes of lengthy
information about the era.
Q
– Are there any more of this series 'in the pipeline'?
For
the moment I’m at the end of my Pepys adventures. The three women
I’ve chosen all feature often in the diary, and other women less
frequently, so it would be a challenge to do another! But who knows?
Q
– Turning to The Highway Trilogy how difficult was it to separate
fact from fiction?
The
facts have already been embroidered into a legend, the legend of The
Wicked Lady, and so my fictional account is a third layer. What
interested me initially was why a well-bred lady (Katherine Fanshawe)
might fall for a farmer’s son (Ralph Chaplin). What made him so
charismatic? And given that they were so young, what might inspire
them both? Lady Katherine Fanshawe lived through the turmoil of the
English Civil Wars, and so I imagined that they would both be
inspired by the peaceful protests of the Diggers movement led by
General Winstanley. This strand of the story was an invention by me,
but served to make sense of much of the plot.
The
other aspect of the story; that the lady turned into a highwaywoman,
was also a great stimulus for invention. This was the hardest part of
the story to balance, because over three books I didn’t want the
highway robberies to become repetitive, yet there had to be a little
‘highway action’ in each. The books are aimed at young adults,
but so far have mostly been read by adults. I hope the real history
in them is substantial enough to please both.
Q
– The story of Katherine Ferrers has featured twice on film –
Margaret Lockwood in the original and Faye Dunaway in the remake: how
do you feel about their portrayals and also the scriptwriters'
versions of the story?
The
initial film was the sensation of its day – women were supposed to
be safe at home doing the housekeeping! The film had one of the top
audiences ever for a film of its period, 18.4 million – a
staggering number. I can remember my mother talking about it as one
of her favourite films, and I really enjoyed it although it is
somewhat melodramatic for today’s tastes. It gave people a sense
that women on film were not just decorative, that they could do
things too.
The
Faye Dunaway version is gorgeously costumed, but in the plot the
wicked lady is rather too wicked for my tastes! I was aiming for
something that would appeal to a broad range of readers, and there
was altogether too much sex and violence in that version for my
vision of the story.
Q
– What prompted you to write the story of the 'Lady Highwayman'?
I
am always fascinated when a story takes on the quality of a myth, and
endures like that. Also, I just love the seventeenth century period.
Q
– Please tell us about something of the other books you have
written.
I
have been stuck in the 17th
Century for quite a while, but there is so much to explore there.
Although most of my books are set in England, one of my novels set in
the time of the Gunpowder Plot also explores Catholic Spain. ‘A
Divided Inheritance’ is my biggest book at about 500 pages, but one
I really enjoyed writing. And as one reviewer said, ‘it doesn’t
feel that long’!
Q
– Clearly the 17th Century is your favourite period, but
are there other eras that attract you?
I
have written two novels set in WW2. Both are dear to my heart. It was
a time I wanted to explore before it went out of living memory.
Eyewitnesses are the generation on the cusp of disappearing, and I
wanted to use interviews as a research technique, rather than
archives. The interviews were humbling and enlightening.
Q
– Do you have a writing routine, what is it and is there a
background 'soundtrack' to your writing?
My
soundtrack is silence. I am a very quiet person, so don’t function
well at parties or in crowds. I do have a routine because I still
teach some days of the week, and that makes a routine necessary.
Mostly I write in the mornings, and teach for adult education in the
afternoons and evenings.
Q
– Finally – who are your three favourite 'heroes/heroines of your
books – villains too, if you like – and who do you see as
portraying them on screen?
I
can’t choose amongst my major characters, but here are some minor
characters vital to the books in which they appear. Abigail Williams,
the spymistress who recruits the maid Deb in ‘Pleasing Mr Pepys’,
Stephen Fisk the reluctant Quaker in ‘The Lady’s Slipper’ who
stands up against his father’s horrendous overbearing nature, and
finally Zachary Deane, the liar and pickpocket who turns into a hero
in ‘A Divided Inheritance.’ I don’t know who might play them on
screen, though, as I don’t like to nail them down too precisely.
Each reader’s Abigail, Stephen or Zachary might be different.
Thank
you so much for this interview, I enjoyed it!
And thank you for taking part, Deborah - it was my pleasure!
You
can find Deborah at:
Twitter
https://twitter.com/swiftstory
Website
www.deborahswift.com
HIGHWAY TRILOGY mybook.to/HighwayTrilogy
ENTERTAINING MR PEPYS mybook.to/EntertainingMrPepys
* * *
WENDY PERCIVAL
Q
– Welcome Wendy and thank you for agreeing to join me today. You are the author of series of books about Esme Quentin a sort
of Private investigator, but with a difference. Can you tell me
something about her, because she has an interesting past?
Esme
used to be a researcher for her investigative journalist husband,
Tim. But he died tragically in an incident connected with one of his
investigations. Esme was inadvertently caught up in the incident and,
traumatised by what happened, she turns her back on what she
considers to be too dangerous a career, vowing to use her research
skills in the safe environment of genealogy instead. Of course things
don’t go quite according to plan, mainly because of Esme’s
inherent curiosity and determination to keep digging, no matter what.
We
learn something of the events which resulted in Esme’s facial scar
in the first book, Blood-Tied, but it won’t be until the
third book The Malice of Angels, that the full story is
revealed and Esme finally learns the truth behind what happened, the
facts of which have always eluded her.
Q
– How did you first get the idea of creating the scenario of crimes
with a genealogical link?
I
love books with a secret at the centre of the plot. I always cite my
mum reading The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, to
me when I was a child, as sowing the seed for that. When I started
writing seriously, it was around the same time as I was taking my
first tentative steps into family history research. When I realised
what secrets families keep, the two things merged and I began
plotting a novel which would become the first Esme Quentin mystery,
Blood-Tied.
Q
– Blood Tied is the first of these adventures and features
Esme's own family. Could you give me a
brief
synopsis?
The
story centres on a shock discovery Esme makes after her sister
Elizabeth is attacked and left unconscious, miles from her home –
that Elizabeth has a secret past.
Esme
is convinced the assault and the secret are linked, but with
Elizabeth comatose and unable to provide answers, Esme decides she
must uncover the truth for herself. She enlists the help of her
archivist friend Lucy, unaware of the dangerous path she is treading.
Together
they uncover a trail of unresolved bitterness, blackmail and dubious
inheritance and, as the truth emerges, Esme exposes evidence of a
harrowing and pitiful crime.
Realising
too late the menace she has unwittingly unleashed, Esme is caught up
in a terrifying ordeal. One that will not only test her courage and
her sanity, but force her to confront her perception of birth and
family.
Q
– Although the action is set in the modern day, such a lot depends
on stories of the past – how do you think these fit in under the
large umbrella of 'Historical Fiction'?
I
know the official definition of Historical Fiction requires a novel
to have a certain percentage of the narrative set in the past. Most
genealogy mysteries are written in dual time periods – the current
investigation and the time of the critical event or events. But mine
don’t – they mirror the experience of a family historian,
following a trail of evidence to uncover the truth and, in an Esme
story, expose the present day crime, not unlike a detective in a
police procedural.
The
mystery in each of my books, along with its associated crime, is
always rooted in the past and an aspect of history is always at the
story’s core e.g. ancestry, inheritance and identity in Blood-Tied;
the British penal system in The Indelible Stain; the
clandestine world of WWII secret agents in The Malice of Angels;
the English Poor Laws in my latest novella, Legacy of Guilt.
The history which I weave into the plot is factually correct, so I’d
argue the books do fit under the Historical Fiction umbrella.
Certainly, I find that my readers are usually history enthusiasts.
Q
– If I had a favourite of the 4 books, it would probably be The
Indelible Stain which involves the old punishment of deportation.
Was this an emotional episode to research?
Yes,
it was – very emotional and shocking. Some of the accounts of
prisoners’ conditions and their experiences were harrowing.
Britain’s attitude in the late 18th and early 19th
century towards criminality is a fascinating subject. I was
particularly captivated by Robert Hughes’s brilliant book, The
Fatal Shore, which tells the story of the birth of Australia from
penal colony to independent country within the context of Crime and
Punishment in British history. Deborah J Swiss’s book, The Tin
Ticket, inspired by the horrific experiences of the women caught
up in the system, was also a gripping read and influenced the
creation of one of my key characters in the story.
Q
– In the fourth book, The Malice of Angels, you introduce
Max, a former colleague of Esme's deceased husband Tim. Is he likely
to feature in the future?
That’s
an interesting question! I don’t think Max covered himself in glory
in Esme’s eyes regarding his role in the story. She was already
wary of his motives at the start of the book and felt vindicated in
this early assessment by the end of it. But who knows? Sometimes
characters push themselves forward and the author suddenly discovers
they’re perfect to play a part in a new plot or story, when they
least expect it!
Q
– Three full novels and a novella (Death of a Cuckoo) - what
is next for Esme?
As
I mentioned above, I’ve written another novella – Legacy of
Guilt – which is a prequel to the series and is available free
to anyone who’d like to give Esme a try (full details on my
website).
Also,
novel number four is well underway! Esme is now settled in North
Devon and her research skills continue to be in demand. While I can’t
give away too much of her current investigation, I can tell you that
the story was inspired by Bideford’s infamous history of being the
home town of three of the last women in England to be hanged for
witchcraft in 1682.
Q
– Genealogy is, I know, a hobby of yours; how did you get into
that? Do you get involved with helping others with their researches?
Although
I’d always planned to research my family history at some point, it
was the spine-tingling discovery of a hand-written Australian death
certificate from 1868 in – yes, honestly – a box of old documents
in the attic which got me started. The deceased ancestor turned out
to be my husband’s great-great grandfather, Charles Gabriel Baker.
My husband knew nothing of any Australian family connection, so we
set about solving the mystery. The task became a very steep learning
curve in how to go about conducting your family history research, and
I loved every minute! We were thrilled with what we were eventually
able to find out about why he’d travelled to Australia and what
happened to his young family after his death. I wrote an article
about our discoveries which was published in Family Tree Magazine.
The
genealogy community is a very supportive bunch and I’m always happy
to help out fellow researchers if and when I can. I write a blog
which regularly features an aspect of my family history research and
I often get emails from distant relatives all over the world who’ve
read a blog post and get in touch to share information. I love that.
Q
– Finally, I said in one of my reviews for Discovering Diamonds
that I felt the books would make as great TV series. If that were to
come about, who would you like to play Esme, Lucy and Max?
I
was thrilled that you thought the Esme books would make a good TV
series!
As
for who would play Esme, I’m a huge fan of Olivia Coleman and
Nicola Walker, both of whom I can see in the role. But I was watching
an old episode of Lewis, the other day and I suddenly realised
that Clare Holman, who plays the pathologist, Laura Hobson, looks
almost exactly like I imagine Esme to look, and my husband agreed!
I
think Charlotte Ritchie, who played Nurse Barbara Gilbert (later
Hereward) in Call the Midwife would make an excellent Lucy,
and I can see John Simm playing the part of Max.
*
* *
My
special Guest Star today is the fabulous award winning author, Anna
Belfrage
Q
- You are the author of three entirely different sagas. So, first,
please tell me about The Graham Saga
....
Ah, my firstborn baby… The Graham Saga is the story of reluctant time traveller Alex Lind who one days is dragged back three centuries in time to land at the feet of Matthew Graham. She suspects he’s some sort of oddball, a hermit of sort, until she realises that the odd one out is not him, but her. Matthew, on the other hand, is somewhat cautious: who is this strange woman who appeared out of nowhere? Is she some sort of witch? Anyway: once they get over these initial hurdles, Alex and Matthew grab each other by the hand and set out to have a very adventurous life in Scotland, Virginia and Maryland. Life in the 17th century is no walk in the park, and Alex is of the opinion I make things excessively exciting at times—but despite her harsh new reality, despite pain and loss, she does not want to go back. She belongs with her Matthew—forever.
Q
– ….and your latest, The Wanderer
saga?
Jason
and Helle first met 3 000 years ago. They fell in love, but Helle was
promised to another, and Prince Samion refused to accept when she
chose Jason over him. Things ended very badly: they all died.
Not all souls die easily. Helle tumbled through time, reborn over and over. She forgot her past, she forgot her first love—but he never forgot her, searching the world for her in life after fruitless life.
Now, thirty centuries later, Helle and Jason are at last reunited. Unfortunately, where Helle and Jason go, there goes Samion—and he is determined to destroy them permanently this time round.
I am very, very fond of my Helle and her Jason. Sam gives me the creeps, though. Writing something so different from the historical context I usually prefer was immensely rewarding and I will likely write some more contemporary fiction—but with my own blend of fantasy and suspense.
Not all souls die easily. Helle tumbled through time, reborn over and over. She forgot her past, she forgot her first love—but he never forgot her, searching the world for her in life after fruitless life.
Now, thirty centuries later, Helle and Jason are at last reunited. Unfortunately, where Helle and Jason go, there goes Samion—and he is determined to destroy them permanently this time round.
I am very, very fond of my Helle and her Jason. Sam gives me the creeps, though. Writing something so different from the historical context I usually prefer was immensely rewarding and I will likely write some more contemporary fiction—but with my own blend of fantasy and suspense.
Q
– The third saga , the King's Greatest Enemy,
is more, shall we say, conventional. What is this about?
This is the story of Adam de Guirande, who owes everything he has and is to Roger Mortimer. So when Mortimer rises in rebellion against his king, Edward II, Adam has no choice but to ride with him, no matter that he rides towards death and ruin. Fortunately for Adam, he has a resourceful wife who has no intention of letting him die and so he survives to instead live through the tumultuous years of 1322 to 1330, when a king is deposed, a young boy is crowned in his stead and Mortimer becomes the real power in the realm. Adam is torn: he loves the new young king, Edward III, he loves his former lord, Mortimer, but fears that Mortimer’s ambition and greed—fuelled by the beautiful and equally ambitious and avaricious Queen Isabella—will be his downfall.
Q
– Adam is one of my favourite male characters, how did he develop
in your mind?
Adam is one of my favourite people as well. Like all my male protagonists, Adam is a man of convictions, a man whose word is his bond—and for such men life can be difficult. As to how he developed, well, I first met him when he was eyeing his intended bride with about as much enthusiasm as he would a flea-ridden rat. Why? Because he fears she comes to her wedding a tad too experienced—at the hands of Mortimer. He didn’t exactly make the best of first impressions, but he grew just as fast on me as he did on his bride, who, BTW, had had no hanky-panky with Mortimer prior to wedding this blond, tall man who studied her with more caution than affection initially.
Q
– Roger Mortimer hasn't had the best of press on terms of
historical popularity, but you have presented him in a much better
light – what prompted this approach?
Well, first of all I believe Mortimer was an extremely capable man—and Edward II has himself to blame for what befell him, seeing as he allowed his favourites to enrich themselves at the expense of others. Mortimer was educated, counted several churchmen among his closer friends, had been a loyal servant to the crown for years before the king’s obvious preference for the grasping Despensers drove him over the edge.
It is also important that Edward III would, several decades after Mortimer’s death, absolve him of the crime of treason which to me indicates that while the king had no choice but to rid himself of his domineering regent in 1330, he also recognised that he had Mortimer to thank for the relatively well-organised realm he took over in 1330.
Q
– In Under the Approaching Dark (in this same series) you expand a
theory about the supposed death of Edward II Do you buy into the
theory or was it a writer's solution for a plot?
Let’s just say I do not believe Edward II was murdered. To kill an anointed king – no matter how deposed – was a grievous sin. I think Kathryn Warner and Ian Mortimer present a lot of interesting facts that lead me to conclude that it may be possible that Edward II did not die in 1327, but that it was convenient to tell the world that he was dead so as to safeguard the throne for Edward III (and his regents). It has the added benefit of allowing me to give Edward II some more years of life and at present he and his loyal companion Egard are having a lot of fun in 14th century France.
Q
– An impressive 9 books in the Graham Saga –
is there still more life in them?
Well,
they were very much alive when I last checked. There’s a couple of
chapters written on a tenth book, and as always there’s a LOT of
stuff happening.
Q
– Alex and Matthew are clearly in love – well, I don't think
'besotted' would be too strong a word! - are you a romantic
yourself?
Duh!!!!
Yup. Yes. Oui.
Q
– I have read on your blog how Jason and Helle came into your life
– would you mind explaining to my readers how they came to you
?
It all began with lions. Yes, yes, I can hear you going “Qué?”, but it did. Vague images of a young girl with the most amazing set of blonde curls running barefoot somewhere very hot. Red dust rose in her wake, the shapeless linen garment billowed around her as she ran and ran, accompanied by three half-grown lionesses. Very strange. Even stranger was that when I saw that same girl as an adult, that head of curls was tamed in a short edgy haircut, her toned legs encased in black jeans. Plus she was in London and to judge from her attire and the laptop she was carrying, she was a busy something in a financial environment.
Obviously,
I had something of a dilemma on my hands. How was I to marry those
images of the running child in old-fashioned clothes with this
high-flying professional? How to create a plausible context in which
lions ran with the girl without snacking on her?
“Plausible
context?” Helle Madsen looked at me over her laptop and grins.
“Good luck with that one.”
I
actually think I have found a good backstory. Helle can’t express
an opinion. You see, she doesn’t remember. Nope, she has no
memories of her first and very distant life in which her only friends
were those three lions—until the day Jason made his first
appearance in her life.
“Ah,
yes.” Jason smiled, those copper-coloured eyes of his lighting up.
“She was for once silent and neat—not as much as a smudge on her
garments, not a single wayward curl escaping her heavy braid—standing
some feet behind her father. Such a pretty little girl. Such a lonely
little girl.”
“I
was?” Helle asked, sounding intrigued. “And how would you know?”
Jason
just smiled and winked at me. You see, Jason does remember—all of
it. And I can tell you that while he is more than happy at having
found his Helle again after spending fifty lives or so looking for
her, he sincerely hopes his presence won’t nudge all her dormant
memories to live. After all, there’s a reason he’s been tumbling
through time desperately searching for her and hoping to make amends…
Q
– Are there any more periods in history that interest you enough to
write about?
Far
too many. But I have just finished a book set in the 13th
century, am working on one set in the early 18th century
(although I am not entirely comfortable there yet. Have major probs
with their clothes. The mantua is not a garment I am much enamoured
of…) and toy with the idea of writing a book set in Sweden in the
16th century.
Q
– You have created some great heroes and villains over the three
series – who were your favourites to write about in both
categories?
I
can’t answer that. I love all my heroes. As to the villains, Hugh
Despenser has a special place – because I could just as well have
written a book portraying him as the hero. The similarities between
Hugh Despenser and Roger Mortimer are far greater than the
differences…
Q
– Finally, what next for Anna Belfrage, writer? Series'
continuations? Something completely new? Or a bit of both?
A bit of both, I think. Adam de Guirande has just been lumbered with an undercover mission to France by Edward III, so I just MUST spend some time with him and see what happens. My 18th century WIP is a spin-off from The Graham Saga so in a sense it is a continuation, even if the protagonist is one of Alex’s and Matthew’s grandchildren. But there’s my new medieval series to finish and I have a half-written novel set in Queen Kristina’s Sweden I’d like to finish. Too many ideas, too little time, Richard – that’s my problem!
About Anna: Had Anna been
allowed to choose, she’d have become a time-traveller. As this was
impossible, she became a financial professional with three absorbing
interests: history and writing.
Anna has authored the acclaimed
time travelling series The Graham Saga, set in 17th
century Scotland and Maryland, as well as the equally acclaimed
medieval series The King’s Greatest Enemy which is set in 14th
century England. (Medieval knight was also high on Anna’s list of
potential professions. Yet another disappointment…)
At present, Anna is busy with a
new series, The Wanderer, featuring fated lovers Jason and Helle.
With this, Anna has stepped out of her historical comfort zone and
has loved doing so – so much, in fact, that she already has a new
story brewing, replete with magic, love and suspense.
Find out more about Anna by
visiting her website, www.annabelfrage.com
or her Amazon page, http://Author.to/ABG
*
* *
Today's guest is not an author, but someone without whom no author would ever get their book noticed! Please welcome the designer of so many wonderful covers, Cathy Helms ...
Hi
Richard! Thank you so very much for inviting me over to your blog!
You are most welcome, Cathy! I'd
like you to take me through the process of producing book covers
stage by stage …
Q
How is the first approach usually made?
I
usually receive an email from an author who has been given my name by
a friend/fellow writer. Word of mouth is the primary source of my new
clients and that in itself is quite a compliment for me personally.
And I also prefer to accept new clients that have been referred by
existing clients/friends and fellow publishing professionals (such as
formatters, publishers and literary agents).
Q
Does the author send you the book, an extract or a synopsis to let
you know the details of time span, location, major characters etc?
I
always request a long synopsis of the author’s book up front, and I
also send the author a questionnaire to fill out where I query them
on both the details of the book and the technical specifications of
how they plan to publish their manuscript. I never have time to read
a book before I need to design the cover, so it is critical to gather
all of the pertinent information up front from the author.
Q
How welcome are the author's own 'ideas' or is it agreed that the
deal means that it is you who produces the finished product without
'interference'?
I
take and use as much of the author’s input as possible. However, it
is also important that the final design follows industry standards,
genre trends and general layout rules. The reason to hire a
professional graphic designer should be to give your book the best
possible cover design that is both specialised to represent your
story and constructed as well as any mainstream publication on the
market at the same time. I will not hesitate to let a writer know
when their ‘idea’ is out of touch with what is currently selling
and also what is simply not a good idea. But overall, my final cover
designs are collaborations with the authors – bottom line is that I
want my clients happy with their covers.
Q
How do you select the right font(s) and do you have a favourite?
Font
selection is one of the key elements in cover design, so selecting an
appropriate one (or two) takes both research and expert knowledge of
trends and genres. Historical Fiction novels require typography
fitting to the time period of the novel for example. A Roman style
serif font (like Trajan Pro or Garamond) would be appropriate, but
nothing like the font used for the title of ‘Star Wars’ or the
children’s font ‘Comic Sans’ for example. I often take equal
time researching for appropriates fonts as I do searching for image
resources for any given book cover design.
Q
Obviously a cover design is more than a pretty picture with
appropriate writing, so how much of a challenge are the spine and
back cover?
The
front cover design takes up the majority of my labour time, but I
cannot take the spine and back cover too lightly either. Depending on
the front cover design layout, I prefer to wrap the design around the
spine and through the back-cover area for a nice flow. The title is
repeated in the same font on both the spine, and if space allows, the
back cover. And the width of the spine is calculated by multiplying
the final page count of the interior with the thickness of the paper
that the book will be printed on. Crème is slightly thicker than
white paper, so it is important that I have that information before I
fit the spine. I also must fit the summary on the back cover – and
at times, I have to ask an author to trim it down due to the summary
being too long. There is no magical word count for a back cover
because the space available depends on the trim size and what all
else the author wishes to have on the back cover (I’ve been asked
what the limit of words they can have – each book is unique due to
the design, trim size, and the fonts chosen for the layout).
Q
I know you are a big fan and user of Photoshop, but are there any
other methods you could or have used?
Actually,
a final cover design comes together in a layout program by Adobe
called InDesign. Not to get too technical, but Photoshop is a raster
program designed to process images. InDesign is a vector layout
program designed for type formatting and the layout of print media in
the world of graphic design. Thus, I design my artwork (photo
blending, colouring, editing, etc.) in Photoshop, add the typography
(author’s name, back cover copy, etc.) within InDesign, and then
finally export for printing as a PDF file from InDesign. Photoshop is
the industry standard for all professional designers and
photographers, and is an extremely powerful tool in creating design.
But there are other software programs that we use in conjunction with
it, depending on the output. I also use Adobe Illustrator for all
line art or vector illustrations as well as logo design. Honestly, no
other software on the market today can come close to the power of
Photoshop when it comes to the creative process. I would be utterly
hobbled by any other so-called design software to attempt to produce
a book cover design without all that Photoshop has to offer. However,
non-designers tend to use Canva, Word (drives me mad to even hear
that! LOL), and other default programs on their computers. Those
programs will work for simple and quick things one might use in
marketing, but they are not powerful enough nor extensive enough to
produce a professional book cover jacket design.
Q
What advice would you give to new authors/new clients about the
importance of a good cover?
The
old saying ‘Never judge a book by its cover’ is actually an
oxymoron. People ALWAYS judge books by their covers. Potential
readers pick up books in book stores based on what they perceive as
an attractive cover. There are exceptions of course, famous and best
selling authors do sell books based on their names alone. But
overall, every author out there must rely on an excellent cover,
marketing and platform (social media, etc.) to sell their books.
Bottom line is the book cover design is extremely important in
today’s highly competitive literature market.
Q
Big question!! Title in top third and author in lower third or vice
versa!?
From
the designer’s perspective, this isn’t a right or wrong question.
We place the typography where it best serves the layout. Typically,
one should have the title as large, front and centre as possible. But
the author’s name can be along the bottom or top – neither is
incorrect design. One look at the top selling Books on Amazon and
you’ll see no clear pattern either way.
Q
I read an article by you on your blog that designers know the genre
and current 'favourite' styles. Can this be emphasised enough?
No.
It is our job, as designers, to keep up with current design trends
and what is selling. We also need to have the knowledge of what fonts
are appropriate for what genre or the design will scream
amateur-made. The best decision an author can make is to leave that
to the cover designer and trust our choices.
Q
With your own interests in sci-fi and the diverse subjects you have
depicted in your covers, have you ever been tempted to write your own
novel?
I
had actually started writing an Arthurian novel about twelve or
thirteen years ago, but alas I haven’t had time to fiddle with it
since. But I have always wanted to tell my own tale about Arthur and
who he could have been during the Dark Ages. Perhaps one day when I
can retire from designing for others, I will revisit writing myself.
Q
Of the many covers you've designed; do you have 3 favourites?
This
is always a tough one to answer. I’ve designed several hundred
covers over the last decade and trying to narrow it down to only a
few of my favourites is like trying to choose a favourite child when
you’ve given birth to so many babies. But from a sentimental
standpoint, my first published cover design was for Helen Hollick’s
‘Sea Witch’ and the cover features my husband in that pirate hat
and jacket. Since then, I might have a favourite design for about a
month, then it is something new….and so on. *laughs*
Q
And finally: if you were commissioned to design covers for the
reprints of 4 'Classic' books, what would they be?
I
often think about this actually. While working for my degree in
college, we were given this assignment (but we could only choose
one), and I chose ‘Cold Mountain’ by Charles Frazier. Of course,
I created that design back in 2008 before completing college. And at
the time, I had no idea that I would go into book cover design as my
primary profession, so I do consider it rough now that I look at it
today. I would love to have the opportunity to re-design the cover
for ‘Dune’ by Frank Herbert, and any of J.R.R. Tolkien’s
novels. Or sink my teeth into re-designing Terry Goodkind’s covers
for his ‘The Sword of Truth’ anthology.
Links:
On
Facebook: AvalonGraphics
On Twitter: Avalon_Graphics Personal website: www.cathyspage.com
Blog: https://cathelms.wordpress.com/https://www.instagram.com/cathelms/
Email: chelms@avalongraphics.org
On Twitter: Avalon_Graphics Personal website: www.cathyspage.com
Blog: https://cathelms.wordpress.com/https://www.instagram.com/cathelms/
Email: chelms@avalongraphics.org
BIO
Cathy
lives with her husband of twenty-seven years in Troutman, North
Carolina, although the house belongs to their cat, they simply live
there to open the cat food cans. She earned her degree in Advertising
and Graphic Design in 2008 and founded Avalon Graphics in 2009. Years
before she attended college and gained a formal education in the
medium, Cathy taught herself how to create graphics for the web and
print media using Adobe Photoshop. Her formal education in 2008 gave
Cathy the technical skills required in order to apply her creative
talent in book cover design, marketing materials, and book trailer
production. Cathy is an avid reader and fan of history. If money were
no object, Cathy would travel the world. You will always find a fresh
cup of coffee on her desk and music playing while she works her magic
on her computer.
* * *
I am
absolutely delighted to welcome Kimberly Jordan Reeman today, this
being the first stop of her début Blog Tour.
Q – Coronach
is your first novel; what prompted you to write about this particular
period?
Coronach
was inspired by the Scots who settled Canada, and by one Scot in
particular: William Lyon Mackenzie. He was a gadfly journalist and
political agitator who was born in Dundee in 1795 and emigrated in
the early 1800s to what was then called Upper Canada. He became the
first mayor of the city of Toronto, and in 1837 he led an ill-fated
rebellion against the colonial government; and when it failed he had
to flee for his life to the United States, where he remained in exile
for many years. My grandfather, a third-generation Canadian, used to
tell me stories about “Mackenzie and the hanging tree”, and when
I was twelve I found a biography of Mackenzie in the school library
and read it until it practically fell apart (then I bought my own
copy). One of the sentences in that biography intrigued me: “Both
Mackenzie’s grandfathers were Highlanders, and both had been ‘out’
in the ‘45.” I went straight to my
parents’ set of encyclopedias and found out what ‘the ‘45’
was, and a year later I saw the BBC documentary “Culloden” at my
local library.
I will also say that the
Vietnam War dominated the news in the 1970s, and it was the first
time young Canadians became aware of the concept of collateral
damage. So when a soldier of 1746, a man with a conscience, walked
into my mind with the blood of civilians on his hands, Coronach
was born.
Q – The characters
are all very complex; to what extent was that your plan or did they
dictate that to you?
They
arise from the circumstances, from history, from life, and they are
who they are: their own experiences have made them, and it’s up to
the writer to find out why. I call this “method writing”.
Like method acting, you have to delve into the psychological
complexities of these people to understand them. And once you
understand, they come to life. They
determine what happens. I am always in control of my own technique,
my craft, but I’m not a puppet-master. And occasionally they shock
me, or break my heart, but this is always inevitable: I see later
that it was always intended to happen.
Q
– Much of the power in Coronach
is embodied in
the explicit descriptions of violence and brutal sex. Were you ever
tempted – or advised – to 'tone it down'? Personally, I felt it
necessary to tell the story properly but not everybody might 'get
it'.
I
lived for more than thirty years with a man who had known war. And,
unlike many people who have experienced war, he was willing to share
his memories of it with me. I learned from him, and I knew what
haunted him, and in Coronach
I say, “This is love, and this is war. And this is what they do to
the human body and the human spirit. These are the truths. These are
the facts, and I will not compromise my integrity by failing to
confront them.” And history is a vast tapestry of unpalatable
truths. What happens in Coronach
is the truth. And no, I was never tempted to tone it down. None of it
is gratuitous. I know the power of every word I use, its impact on
the page and the effect of the image I create in your mind, as a
composer knows the nuances of every note. Only one man was qualified,
in my opinion, to judge the quality of my work, and his approval was
absolute. And I would be sorry if the only impression people take
away from this book is its uncompromising depiction of the horrors of
war. It is, above all, a story of great love. Physical love,
spiritual love, given and received. And of the search for truth, for
peace, for redemption, for God. It’s not an exploitative
splatter-fest.
Q –
It's been said that 'Historians tell, novelists show'; was this in
your mind when you were writing Coronach?
Never
heard that one before, Richard. I understand the point, though. And
yes, there are places in Coronach
where
it’s necessary to set the narrative within the historical context
of the 18th century. But mostly our perspective is from within, and
we experience those events and their consequences as they affect the
characters’ lives.
Q – No spoilers, but
how difficult was it to write what I found to be an unexpected and
most dramatic closing section?
That
was the only way it was going to end. It was not my decision, but it
was inevitable. All I could do was witness it in my mind, allow the
words to speak to me, and sense its appropriateness as the echo died
away.
Q – With Coronach,
you decided to go down the Indie (self publishing) route – what
were the reasons for that and what have you learned from the
experience?
This
is a long and painful story, but, briefly: the agent is the kingmaker
in publishing today, and if no agent will take you on, you have no
access to a ‘traditional publisher’. And Coronach
and
its author refused to conform to requirements. A couple of agents
specified what they wanted. What they wanted would have destroyed
Coronach.
And
as a book like this comes to a writer maybe once in a lifetime, if
ever, I could not allow that to happen. The lessons were many and
bitter. But my purpose has always been to serve the book. And that I
have done.
Q – I'd like, if I
may, turn to the books of your late husband, Douglas Reeman, most
specifically the Richard Bolitho series. Did you have any input into
these during your time with him?
Richard Bolitho brought us
together, and I knew and loved Douglas’s books as if they were my
own. From 1985, I edited them all, helped with the research, prepared
the manuscripts for publication, supplied the epigrams, wrote the
blurbs, wrote articles for the Bolitho newsletter we produced to mark
the publication of every new Kent novel. We discussed plots,
characters, names. I suggested titles. Of the Kent books, Beyond
the Reef, The Darkening Sea, For My Country’s Freedom, Cross of St.
George, Man of War, Heart of Oak and In
the King’s Name are all mine. Of the
Reeman books, I suggested Twelve Seconds to
Live, Knife Edge, Dust on the Sea, Sunset, The Horizon, The White
Guns and For Valour.
I I was there at every event, every book signing, aboard every ship,
at every interview. I interviewed him myself when it was a
question-and-answer session on some one else’s behalf, and wrote
his answers down verbatim. He answered every letter personally, but
he would never touch my laptop, so I dealt with e-mail correspondence
the same way. We were a team. We talked shop all the time. We
were planning to collaborate on a final Kent novel when our time ran
out. We were inseparable to the last second of his life.
Q - Why did
Douglas choose the name Alexander Kent to write under?
In
1967, after ten years as a successful novelist under his own name,
writing modern sea stories, Douglas embarked on a parallel career as
a writer of historical fiction with To
Glory We Steer.
He thought that as it was a completely different genre it would be a
good idea to keep the two authors separate, so he chose the name of
his childhood friend and fellow naval officer, David Alexander Kent,
as his pseudonym. David was killed in the early years of the war.
Q – He was
a well loved and respected writer; how much did you learn from him
and did that influence your writing at all?
He
taught me about men at war: about duty, honour, compassion, courage,
the love of comrades, the brotherhood of the uniform, the habit of
service and of command. As a man, he taught me spiritual grace and
confidence. As a writer, he taught me respect for the readers,
because without them you are nothing. “Always remember their
names,” he said. Kindness, compassion, empathy, sincerity. He lived
by these qualities.
Q – Could you tell me
something about the special sword that appears in Douglas' book,
Sword of Honour?
This
is the Bolitho family sword, described in Douglas’s typed notes as
‘old,
straight-bladed, lightweight, originally made for great-grandfather
David in 1702’. In
this family of naval officers, the sword was by tradition passed from
father to son, but Richard Bolitho has no sons, so upon his death the
sword is given by his lover Catherine to his nephew, Adam, the
illegitimate son of Richard’s older brother, the renegade Hugh
Bolitho.
Q – Finally, I
believe you are planning another book – can you tell me what it is
about and will it be as hard hitting as Coronach?
It’s
set during the Second World War, and like Coronach
it examines the complexities of an aspect of war too often reduced to
cliche. And yes, by its very nature, it will be hard-hitting. To fail
to write the truth would be to betray those who survived it, and the
many who did not. And I will not betray them.
Thank
you so much Kim and good luck with the rest of the tour!
5th
Nov books@nauticalmind.com
Ross Wilson
THE HONORARY CANADIAN
7th
Nov
Sarah Murden All
Things Georgian
THE SECRET WOMAN: THE FIERCE, LONELY LIFE OF DR. JAMES MIRANDA BARRY
* * *
This
week's special guest is Alex Marchant, author of two Young Adult
novels about Richard III and the guiding light behind two anthologies
of short stories about this enigmatic King. The second anthology,
Right Trusty and Well Beloved, will be published on November
1st.
Q
- First of all, I'd like to ask how you first became interested in
Richard III and what made you take the stance that you have on his
character?
A
- Many thanks for inviting me on your blog, Richard. It’s many
years since I found on the shelves of my school library a book titled
Daughter
of Time
by Josephine Tey. I’ve always read voraciously, but might not have
chosen what appears at first glance to be a detective story. But this
one was about history, not just some pedestrian modern mystery, so I
was soon hooked. Through Alan Grant, the detective inspector at the
heart of the story, Tey explores the character and reputation of King
Richard, turning the traditional history (as depicted in
Shakespeare’s famous tragedy) on its head through the employment of
contemporary fifteenth-century sources and policeman’s logic. By
the time I reached the end I was a confirmed Ricardian – someone
who believes that the king was unfairly maligned by later historians.
Q
– How did you feel when Richard's body was found?
A
- Elated. At first, though, I didn’t let myself believe it had
really happened, despite all the circumstantial evidence pointing to
the discovered grave being King Richard’s. The first press
conference about the discovery was in September 2012, with the
promise of further scientific investigations, including DNA testing,
to determine whether it really could be him. Then in February 2013
came the famous announcement that the DNA evidence showed that it was
the king – ‘beyond reasonable doubt’. That caused ripples
around the world and was a turning point for me and my writing.
Q
– You have written two books about Richard aimed mainly at Young
Adults (10+); what prompted you to go for this market and how
suitable do you think the books are for 'full grown' adults?
A
- I had been writing for children/early teens for some time, with a
time-slip book and a half-written ghost-historical book under my
belt. When King Richard was rediscovered, I knew it offered a unique
opportunity to get his real story out to more people, and I wondered
whether there were any books aimed at those age groups – to catch
them before they were exposed to the inaccurate Shakespearean
version. To my surprise there weren’t, so I set out to fill the
gap.
Although
the books are aimed squarely at children, most of my early readers
were in fact adults, some already Ricardians who were buying them for
young relatives, but others new to Richard’s story. Their warm
reception of the books (including by one man in his 80s who said they
reminded him of his own childhood) revealed that they are
‘cross-generational’, something that had been said about my
earlier book, Time
out of Time –
enjoyed by readers of all ages.
Q
– Please tell us something about The
Order of the White Boar,
the first of the two.
A
- The Order tells
King Richard’s story from when he was still Duke of Gloucester,
ruling the north of England on behalf of his brother, Edward IV. As
it’s written for children, the story is told through the eyes of a
young boy, Matthew Wansford, who enters Richard’s service at
Middleham Castle in Wensleydale in the summer of 1482 – about a
year before the events that lead to Richard ascending the throne. The
son of a merchant from York, Matthew becomes a page at the castle
where he makes friends with other children – Alys, Roger and
Richard’s only son, Edward. The friends form a secret chivalric
order like those of the knights they see around them, and the books
tell of their adventures together against the intrigues of the late
fifteenth century.
Q
– And The
King's Man,
the second book….
A
-
The King’s Man takes
up Matthew and his friends’ story at what was perhaps the turning
point of Richard’s own life – the death of his brother, Edward
IV, and the accession to the throne of Edward’s young son as Edward
V. We see what happens next through Matt’s eyes again, as he rides
south with Duke Richard to meet the new king and start a new life in
London. The dramatic events of the next weeks and months play out
somewhat differently to the way Shakespeare would have us believe
they do – heading towards a certain climactic battle and its
exciting aftermath.
Q
– Will there be any more in the series?
A
- Although one of my ‘leading men’ may not make it to the end of
The
King’s Man,
other characters do and I’ve found it impossible not to continue to
tell their story – and that of King Richard’s legacy. So, yes, a
third book is well underway, provisionally entitled King
in Waiting,
which takes Matt’s story on into the early years of the Tudor
regime. The number of readers coming up to me at events to ask when
it will be finished suggests there’s an appetite to read more of
Matthew and his friends’ adventures – even if Richard himself is
no longer directly involved.
Q
– I'd like to turn to the first anthology of short stories about
Richard, titled 'Grant Me the Carving of My Name'. How did this come
about and where does the title come from?
A
- After finishing The
King’s Man,
I rather missed writing about my characters, and one of them made it
into a short ghost story a few months later, ‘The Beast of
Middleham Moor’. It also features a young boy who has just been
diagnosed with scoliosis – the spinal condition which Richard was
shown to have had when his skeleton was examined – so it seemed a
good idea to try to sell the story to raise awareness of the
condition and, at the same time, funds for Scoliosis Association UK
(SAUK). Wendy Johnson, one of the Looking for Richard team who
located his grave, told me she also had written a short story
inspired by King Richard – and together we decided it would be a
great idea to ask other authors to contribute their Ricardian stories
to a charity anthology.
It
was my sister, Marion, herself a writer and poet, who suggested
taking a line from the poem written by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy
that was read at King Richard’s reinterment in Leicester in 2015.
‘Grant Me the Carving of My Name’ seemed very appropriate as
we’re together aiming to re-inscribe Richard’s name more
accurately in English history. (The poem also inspired a key scene in
The
King’s Man
so is rather close to my heart!) We were very grateful to Carol Ann
for her permission to use the line.
Q
– Which authors are featured in this anthology?
A
- The anthology was pulled together quite quickly – the aim being
to publish it in time for Christmas 2018, after only having the idea
in September! But, thanks to the generosity of some wonderful fellow
Ricardian writers, we managed to do it. Twelve authors from as far
afield as the USA and Australia as well as the UK and Ireland
contributed stories, namely Narrelle Harris, Wendy Johnson, Susan
Lamb (Dickon’s
Diaries),
Joanne R. Larner (Richard
Liveth Yet),
Matthew Lewis (the latest biography, Loyalty
Binds Me),
Máire
Martello, Frances Quinn, J. P. Reedman (I,
Richard Plantagenet),
Marla Skidmore (Renaissance:
Fall and Rise of a King),
Richard Unwin (A
Wilderness of Sea)
and Jennifer C. Wilson (the Kindred
Spirits
series) – plus talented Finnish artist Riikka Katajisko supplied
the cover image. To top it off, bestselling author Philippa Gregory,
author of The
White Queen,
dramatized by the BBC in 2013, was kind enough to write a Foreword
for us. Her work has been responsible for bringing many people to
seek a more accurate view of King Richard.
Q
– The anthology was a great success; were you expecting that?
A
- We hoped, perhaps, rather than expected! But we’ve been delighted
by the way it’s been received – and of course the funds we’ve
been able to raise for SAUK.
Q
– In a few day's time (Nov 1st 2019) a second anthology – Right
Trusty and Well Beloved…
– is due to be published. Same questions – How, Who and origin of
the title!
A
- When publication of Grant
Me the Carving…
was first announced, a surprising number of other writers asked if
they could contribute stories. It was too late then, of course, but
it seemed daft not to plan a second anthology for this Christmas to
tap into all that creativity that Richard had obviously inspired.
Rather than simply approach authors for stories this time, we thought
it would be fun to hold a competition – and as entry involved a
donation to SAUK, it was an additional way to raise money!
We
had a remarkable number of entries and selection of the final line-up
was incredibly difficult. But I’m delighted to say that we have
sixteen authors, again from across the globe, who have contributed
their stories and poems this time. As well as yourself, Richard,
other first-time contributors to our anthology are Rebecca Batley,
Terri Beckett, Sue Grant-Mackie, Kim Harding, Kit Mareska, Liz Orwin,
Elizabeth Ottosson, Nicola Slade, Brian Wainwright and Kathryn
Wharton, as well as returning authors Wendy Johnson, Joanne Larner,
Máire
Martello and Jennifer C. Wilson. This time Irish artist Frances Quinn
(also a contributing author to the first anthology) has kindly
donated the exquisite cover image of King Richard and his loyal
knights on Ambion Hill, as well as a beautiful illuminated picture on
velum as the prize for the outstanding story submitted – Kit
Mareska’s ‘The Play’s the Thing’.
This
time the title was chosen in advance, thinking that perhaps authors
might be influenced in their writing by its positive message. ‘Right
Trusty and Well Beloved’ is the way in which monarchs for centuries
have begun their official letters to their subjects. To me it
suggests the ties of loyalty that bound King Richard and his loyal
followers, among whom I think modern Ricardians would count
themselves.
Q
– How much fun was it putting these books together – and how many
trials and tribulations? And please tell how you managed to get
Phillipa Langley to write the foreword for Right
Trusty and Well Beloved…?
A
- I’ve enjoyed editing both the anthologies enormously. Getting to
read the stories and poetry of so many talented writers has been
fantastic, as has been working with all those who made the final
volumes. I’ve been overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity and
energy, which has made producing both the books relatively
straightforward and tribulation-free – once we’d made the
decision to go ahead with them.
And
I have to say, it was pleasantly easy to persuade Philippa to write
the Foreword. I’ve known her through the Richard III Society since
2015, and through having dedicated The
Order to
her and the rest of the Looking for Richard team, so she knew all
about the first anthology. To be honest, I would have asked her last
year for Grant
Me the Carving,
but I hadn’t wanted to impose on her, knowing she’d written
Forewords for a number of other books in the previous year or two. So
I was doubly pleased when she agreed this time.
Q
– Finally, are there any other periods of history that interest you
enough to prompt you to write a novel about?
A
- Oh, all and every other period, potentially! Though it’s likely I
wouldn’t focus on the kings and queens and great events in them. As
an archaeologist by training, it’s always been the lives of
‘ordinary’ people that have fascinated me, the social and
domestic history, if you like, rather than the stories of those men
and women at the top of the tree (King Richard excepted, of course).
Time
out of Time
touches on the lives of regular families inhabiting one house through
several centuries, my half-finished ghost story glances at rebellion
in eighteenth-century Ireland and Scotland, and I also have germs of
ideas for stories set as far afield in space and time as
Roman/Byzantine Turkey, 1940s’ Hull and Germany, and – well, back
again to the 1490s across much of Europe – Croatia, Iberia,
Flanders. As an author, I guess the world (and all of world history)
is your oyster!
Right
Trusty and Well Beloved… will
be officially launched on Facebook on Sunday 3 November between 15.00 and 17.00 GMT and also at York’s central library, York Explore, on 14 December at
2 pm, when several of the contributors will be attending.
Links
https://alexmarchantblog.wordpress.com
* * *
I am delighted to welcome Susan Grossey as my special guest today. Susan is the author and creator of the Sam Plank series set in London in the 1820s, just prior to the formation of the Metropolitan Police.
SUSAN
GROSSEY, Author of the Sam Plank series
Q - Sam Plank, his
wife Martha and William Wilson are three of the most engaging
characters I have met. Can you tell me how you originally formed
them?
I am delighted that you
like my little trio! Sam Plank himself is actually a composite
character: I was researching trial records from the time in which my
books are set (London in the 1820s) and evidence was often given by
magistrates’ constables. They all had a certain way of speaking –
not unlike police officers today! – and I used that as my starting
point. I then made Sam particularly interested in two things that
fascinate me: financial crime, and why people commit it.
But a constable cannot
walk around talking to himself – or at least, not for long – and
I quickly realised that crime-fighters have side-kicks for a reason:
it’s so that they can explain what they are doing and why they are
doing it. And I came up with the idea of a junior constable to whom
Sam could pass on his wisdom about the job and (in latter books)
about life in general.
It was all a bit
masculine and I thought that a woman’s view would be useful. I
wanted Sam to have a good marriage but not a perfect one – so
Martha answers back and pokes fun at him sometimes, and they share
the deep sadness of childlessness. And I am careful not to make
Martha too modern – she belongs to her husband, all the assets and
legal power are his, and it is only in private that they can exhibit
their equality.
Q – Do please tell
me about the books in the series so far.
I never intended it to
be a series! I wrote the first book – “Fatal Forgery” – as a
standalone novel, but by the end of it I had fallen in love with both
Sam himself and the process of writing historical fiction, and so a
series was born. I immediately plotted out six more stories, and I
am in the process now of publishing the sixth of the seven books.
They are chronological, set in consecutive years in the 1820s, but
each can be read in isolation. And each deals with a different
financial crime: banking fraud, investment fraud, bribery and
corruption, art fraud, religious fraud and – for number six –
inheritance fraud. I’m trying not to think about saying goodbye to
Sam in number seven.
Q – Policing in
the time you write in was vastly different than it is today, can you
tell me a little about it?
Oh, it was almost
unrecognisable. If you thought that you had been the victim of a
crime and had some idea of who might have done it, you went to the
magistrate with your complaint. If he agreed with you, he would
issue a warrant for the arrest of the suspect and give it to a
constable – like Sam – to go and find the person. The suspect
would then come in and be dealt with – charged, acquitted, put on
trial, etc. There was no proactive policing at all – no detection,
or fingerprints, or any forensic analysis at all. And bear in mind
that London was the most advanced place in the country!
Q – The Death
Penalty then was a common sentence; what crimes committed then might
be treated very much more leniently today?
The death penalty was
handed out pretty freely – perhaps most barbarically for small
value thefts like a handkerchief, or a slice of bread. And the
concept of childhood was very different: people as young as eight
were hanged for theft.
Q – Sam is very
much a 'local Bobby' – genial, thoughtful, kindly and caring of his
community. Was there ever a temptation, initially, to make him the
exact opposite? A 'hard man'?
Not for one second!
That said, I hope he isn’t too fluffy: in “The Man in the Canary
Waistcoat” we find out why Sam became a constable, and in each book
I try to show that he is respected by other constables (and
magistrates and lawyers) for his realistic approach to justice.
Q – William Wilson
is his protégée and 'grows' from book to book – was this a
deliberate strategy on your part?
Wilson had only a “bit
part” in the first book, but he became a much more interesting
character as time went on. I wanted someone younger and fitter and
stronger than Sam, to show the vulnerabilities of a more mature man,
and to show that being a constable in those days was pretty physical
work – they walk for miles every day. But then I realised that the
two men could have a quasi father/son relationship, although neither
of them would call it that – and as Wilson hits the usual life
milestones – getting married, having children – Sam is able to
watch with pride.
Q – Many of your
plot lines involve financial crime, something I believe you were
professionally involved in (in a good way!). Can you tell me a little
about that work?
My day job involves
running an anti-money laundering consultancy, which means that I
advise clients on how to avoid criminal money: I train their staff
and I write their procedures, as well as articles, blogs and books on
the subject. I find it fascinating that people are – somehow –
able to divorce the money from the crime, as though moving the
profits for a criminal organisation is somehow less vile. My aim is
to make everyone as angry as I am about money laundering!
Q – Sam's 'beat'
is a part of London I know well having worked very close by. How did
you research the locations which will have changed since then?
Ah, you say it has
changed, but much of the change is at street level only: if you look
up, above the shop-fronts, much of Sam’s London is intact. I am a
big fan of doing every walk, every journey that I create for Sam –
my husband calls it “walking the Plank”! I time each walk, and I
look around me to see what Sam and Wilson would have seen. Of course
the smells and sounds are very different, and I try to describe those
for the readers. And I am always consulting a London map from 1827 –
by the famous mapmaker John Greenwood – to check for name changes.
Sam and Martha live in Norton Street, but you can’t find it today –
it’s been renamed Bolsover Street.
Q – What does the
future hold for Sam & Co.?
The Metropolitan
Police. The Met Police swept away the magistrates’ constables in
1829 – just after the end of the sixth Sam book, “Heir Apparent”
– and Sam and Wilson are going to have to deal with that in the
final book.
Q – Are there any
other periods of history that interest you enough to prompt you to
write a novel about?
There are plenty that
interest me, but not enough to write about. I have already plotted a
series of five books featuring a university constable in my home town
of Cambridge, but again, it’s the 1820s. I think he’ll be an old
soldier from the Napoleonic Wars…
Q – I think I have
said before that your books would make a great television series –
if that were to come about, who do you think would suit the main
roles?
As if I would ever
daydream about such a thing… But as you’re asking, I want
Brendan Coyle for Sam, Claudie Blakley for Martha (they were married
in “Lark Rise to Candleford”, so I know they can do it) and
perhaps George MacKay for Wilson. Thank you.
Thank you, Susan, very
much for your time and some great answers!
Susan has a blog,
following the progress of her writing:
And a website too:
https://susangrossey.wordpress.com/
If you’d like a
taster – a free e-book with the first chapter of each of the first
five Sam books, plus a glossary of Regency language – you can
download it here:
And if you’d like a
monthly update containing some of the historical research behind the
Sam books, you can sign up here:
* * *
My Special Guest today is Mercedes Rochelle, author of the Last Great Saxon Earls trilogy, a novel about Macbeth and is embarking on a trilogy about Richard II.
Q - In your first
book, Heir to A Prophecy about King Macbeth,
you say that you write of legends rather than truth – did that make
writing the story harder or easier?
I have to say I think
it made writing the book much easier. After all, since Shakespeare
built his play—actually, his whole premise—around the witches, I
had already thrown history to the wolves by following his lead. Since
the whole Banquo ancestry could be apocryphal, I didn't have much to
lose. It was great fun, though I did feel a little guilty using the
witches to manipulate my plot. I actually found an obscure 17th
century source that gave me an outline of my protagonist's life, but
I had a heck of a time working out his itinerary. The witches helped
him along!
As it turns out, I'm in
the process of re-releasing the novel on my own as we speak (I got my
rights back), and I haven't made as many changes as I expected to.
That's a good thing.
Q – The
Last Great Saxon Earls trilogy is the story of Earl
Godwine and his sons; what piqued your interest about this family?
I had never heard of
Godwine before researching Heir to a Prophecy. Isn't that
amazing? When I stumbled across the event where my hero Walter
arrived in London just as the Normans were fleeing Godwine's
return... well, I had to know more. One thing led to another (even
though Walter didn't like Harold Godwineson very much) and I became
obsessed with the father. Here was a story that needed to be told (I
thought). There is a lot of overlap between Heir and the
trilogy.
Q – History hasn't
been too kind to either Earl Godwine or his son, Tostig. Do you feel
this is justified or not?
Absolutely NOT!!! I
will defend both of them to my dying breath! Ok, I may be a little
dramatic here, but I do think Godwine got a bad rap. A lot of it
sounded like sour grapes to me. As far as the Alfred murder that he
got saddled with, my answer is: what benefit would he have accrued by
perpetrating such a dastardly deed? He had more to lose,
reputation-wise, than to gain. As usual, the "truth" is
muddled by too many conflicting stories. As for Tostig, we must
remember that there were precedents for an earl forcing his way back
into power. Aelfgar Earl of Mercia did it not once, but twice; he
didn’t hesitate to burn Hereford to the ground and he was still
forgiven. Tostig's own father forced his way back from outlawry in
1053. Harold fought a little battle at the same time; on his way from
Ireland he raided Porlock (on the Bristol Channel) for supplies,
killing at least 30 leaders who defended their home (The Sons of
Godwine). I tried to explore Tostig's point of view in Fatal
Rivalry and yes, I was sympathetic.
Q – Tell me what
first attracted you to writing Historical Fiction and this period in
particular?
You know, in my college
days I read all the great "fathers of historical fiction":
Sir Walter Scott, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Tolstoy. In all that
time, I never recognized Historical Fiction as a genre—and I was an
English Literature major. In my mind I was studying the 19th
century novel; no one undeceived me. It wasn't until I discovered
Sharon Kay Penman about ten years later that I realized it was a 20th
century thing, too, and every bit as much a genre as science fiction
or mysteries. What a revelation! The period thing was an accident
too; I discovered the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) and for
the next thirty years "living history" taught me more about
the period than I would have learned from books. I guess I was lucky
to fall into the middle ages.
Q – Do tell me
about your activities as a re-enactor.
It really is an
immersive experience. You can’t be a serious re-enactor without
absorbing information about the time period: dress, weapons, fighting
(I watched), feasting (I did a lot of cooking)—even roughing it. I
designed my own costumes, built three pavilions, watched my boyfriend
learn how to blacksmith, shot archery, and at the same time was
obliged to do research. Without all that activity I think I would
have had a more difficult time figuring out the everyday stuff.
Q – Which authors
have influenced you ?
I adored Alexandre
Dumas; I even learned French to read him the original language. As I
said earlier, I absorbed many nineteenth-century novels. More modern
authors, like Sharon Kay Penman and Colleen McCullough taught me the
value of serious historical fiction.
Q – Your next
series is about Richard II and begins with A King Under
Siege. Please tell me about the story line for this first
volume
Richard had a tough
minority, which lasted all the way until he was 22. Crowned at age
10, he faced one of England’s most perilous threats—the Peasants’
Revolt—when 14 and showed great bravery while his elders seemed
frozen with indecision. But the young king’s early promise was long
forgotten as his jealous magnates sought to control him and remove
his friends and advisors who were dominating his attention and
affection. This struggle finally came to a crisis in 1387,
culminating in the Merciless Parliament where Richard feared for his
throne while his closest friends were executed, outlawed, and driven
away. Little did the perpetrators realize that they were planting the
seeds of their own destruction.
Q – How do you
perceive the character of this particular king?
Richard II is another
of those historical figures whose reputation was blackened by his
usurper. Once again, opinions run the gamut from betrayed to
betrayer, from misunderstood to tyrannical. I see him somewhere in
between: flawed, but mostly unfortunate in that he had no training to
be king—no real role model. He loved his wife and was faithful to
her until she died, so he couldn’t have been all bad. But he was
also a bitter and vengeful enemy. It seems to me that he spent the
last ten years of his life trying to compensate for the terrible
things that threatened him during his minority. And he was always
afraid it could all happen again.
Q - Are there any
other periods of history that appeal to you and might make a further
subject for your writing??
It seems that I keep
following Shakespeare. For some time now I’ve had my eye on the
great bard himself, and I’m thinking about involving him with the
early years of James I—when he wrote Macbeth, of course! The
gunpowder plot and associated mysteries look like a great source of
material.
Q – Do you write
full time and what routines does your “writing day” involve?
As an indie, let’s
face it. Most of us write for some strange kind of emotional
gratification rather than the money, so I’ve learned not to let my
writing interfere with my life. When the weather is gorgeous I work
in my garden. When it’s raining I put my nose to the grindstone. I
do much more writing in the cold weather. I don’t have a routine
except for the ubiquitous social media marketing. Sigh. If I make a
breakthrough, all that might change!
Q – Finally,
taking into account all of your novels, who are the three characters
you are most proud of and who are your favourite villains? And who
might play them in a film?
I absolutely love Earl
Godwine (and I miss him now that I’ve moved on). Sadly, my chosen
actors are gone (or gotten too old)! I still have a bubblegum card
with Charlton Heston as Spaceman George Taylor from “Planet of the
Apes.” He was my Godwine! My other favourite character is poor,
misunderstood Tostig though I was never able to cast him. He was so
deliciously sarcastic in my books. Interestingly, while writing my
Richard II series, I have not been able to shake loose from the BBC
Shakespeare production of Richard II from back in 1978. Derek Jacobi
was a convincing Richard, and I swoon before Jon Finch’s Henry IV.
That helps, since he’s the protagonist of one of my future books.
Villains are harder for me to come by, since I am a firm believer
that almost every historical person has their own point of view (they
are the hero of their own story, right?). The closest I can come to a
villain is Richard II’s uncle, the Earl of Gloucester and the
leading Lord Appellant who persecuted the king during the Merciless
Parliament. He was a harsh, uncompromising fellow but even there, he
retained some popularity with the common people. I didn’t enjoy
writing about him, though. I felt too sorry for Richard.
Great questions! Thanks
so much for asking!
webpage:
http://www.MercedesRochelle.com
facebook:
http://www.MercedesRochelle.net
blog:
http://www.historicalBritainBlog.com
twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/authorRochelle
* * *
Today
my Guest Star is Alison Morton, creator of the the fabulous Roma Nova, a small state 'somewhere in Western
Europe'. It rose from the ashes of the Roman Empire which collapsed
in the 5th C and has grown and flourished
right up to the present day. But the old customs have also been
preserved as well as the old Gods and festivals ….
(all photographs supplied by Alison Morton)
Q -
Roma Nova is possibly the most imaginative concept that I have come
across in Historical Fiction. What was the spark that set the wheels
in motion (if I may mix my metaphors!)?
A. Three
things bubbling away in the background, plus one trigger. Firstly, my
close encounter at age 11 with the fabulous Roman mosaics at
Ampurias, north-east Spain, an important Graeco-Roman port. I was
gripped, fascinated, lost. Thus began my fascination with 1229 years
of Roman history and my clambering all over Roman Europe that hasn’t
stopped yet.
The
second was six years in the military, including cold nights freezing
on the North German plain. The final of the three was reading Robert
Harris’s Fatherland which came out in 1992. You could change
the historical timeline! I didn’t know then it was called
alternative history…
The
trigger was a terrible film; although the scenery including (Ewan
McGregor) was stunning, the dialogue was hackneyed, and the
continuity so chopped up you could hardly follow what story there
was. I whispered to my husband, ‘I could do better than this.’ He
whispered back, ‘Why don’t you?’
Read the
full story here:
https://alison-morton.com/2015/10/11/what-inspired-roma-nova/
Q –
You may remember that we talked quite a while ago about the
'Ruritania syndrome' – making a fictional location believable. How
difficult was that with Roma Nova and how did you go about achieving
it?
Luckily,
I had a background in history and research methodology from studying
for my MA, plus anything Roman, you know…;-) For alternative
history, I strongly suggest researching the boots off the last known
elements from our historical record before jumping into the void. For
me it was pinpointing how changeable and uncertain it was to be Roman
at the end of the fourth century. In the Roman heartland of Italy,
southern Gaul, northern Hispania and Illyricum, things ran along on
classical lines, but the whole Empire was now Christian on pain of
death, senatorial influence had waned, the capital was now
Constantinople, not Rome, vast areas within the empire were populated
by ‘barbarians’.
The keys
to inventing a new world are plausibility, and consistency. Know your
landscape, crops, how people live, their habits and social values,
not just their clothes and food. How do they interact with others?
Who holds the power? Most importantly, get inside their heads and
look at their world through their eyes
Q –
I will admit that Aurelia is my favourite character, please tell me
something about her.
A. Aurelia is a ‘bone-and-blood’ archetype Roma Novan. She
came to life when I was writing
the first Roma Nova book, INCEPTIO.
There, she is the clever, experienced grandmother of Carina, the
book’s heroine, and head of the
influential Mitela family, senator and government advisor, cousin to
the imperatrix. She’s also been a Praetorian officer, spy and
diplomat.
Aurelia’s
values are based on traditional ancient Roman ones; tough, loyal with
a strong sense of duty and fully aware of her responsibilities as
head of a great family. But her desire to keep all the balls juggling
in the air with precise timing leads to her being riven
by guilt if she doesn’t perform a hundred percent, as she
perceives it.
Throughout
INCEPTIO,
CARINA, PERFIDITAS
and SUCCESSIO
which feature Carina, we catch glimpses of Aurelia’s early life,
but even more, a whole range of questions are thrown up. What did
Aurelia do in the Great Rebellion nearly twenty-three years before
the time of INCEPTIO? Why is she so anxious when she compares the
villain in SUCCESSIO
to Caius Tellus, the brutal ‘First Consul’ who instigated the
rebellion all those years ago? Who was the great love of Aurelia’s
life that Carina only learns about in SUCCESSIO?
By the time I was halfway drafting SUCCESSIO,
I was consumed with the need to know
Aurelia’s story so I wrote three more books – AURELIA,
INSURRECTIO and
RETALIO. And now I’ve added a
novella, NEXUS,
set in the mid 1970s to plug the gap between AURELIA
and INSURRECTIO.
https://alison-morton.com/2019/05/16/meet-aurelia-mitela-warrior-diplomat-spy/
Q –
I have a confession; it took me a couple of books to clear the mental
vision of these Roma Novans walking about in togas or traditional
armour while the ladies flounced around in off-the-shoulder gowns –
but was this image ever a problem for you?
A. Ha!
No. I’d been visualising my characters as modern for several
decades of them running around in my head. For the Eboracum Roman
Festival earlier this year, I made up the modern Praetorian indoor
uniform – barrack dress (UK)/service dress (US) – and wore it!
Roma Novans
do wear formal dress for formal occasions – tunic and toga
for the men and stola and palla for married women or tunic and stola
for unmarried girls. Aurelia and Carina both wear a calf-length
belted tunica in the country at the Castra Lucilla farm or on hot
summer days at home. It’s more comfortable!
Q –
One of your characters appeared in the anthology '1066
Turned Upside Down'; was this a 'fun' write and are you
likely to revisit that era with a one-off or even another trilogy?
A.
Probably not! It was a fun exercise in historical
displacement, looking through 11th century Galla Mitela’s
Roma Novan eyes at the arrogant Normans and the more sympathetic
Saxons. And researching that period was so interesting. Galla was not
impressed by the slovenly decline of Gesioracum/Bononia (modern day
Boulogne), once the home of the magnificent Classis Britannica.
Q –
You have written two distinct trilogies, some novellas and the short
story I mentioned above – where next for Roma Nova?
Well,
I’ve also launched a collection of eight short stories called ROMA
NOVA EXTRA at the end of 2018; A Roman intervenes in 1066
was included! Altogether, they range across two millennia and include
some foundation stories, plus a peek into the future. NEXUS,
the new novella after AURELIA, comes out on 12
September.
Q –
Are you ever tempted to write ‘A Short History of Nova
Roma’ but in text book style?
Ha! Not
at the moment. I have to confess there are quite a lot of gaps that I
haven’t sketched out However, on 17 December, the traditional start
of Saturnalia, I’m posting a story as part of Discovering Diamonds
Christmas extravaganza set in the seventeenth century. Boy, do I have
a lot of research to do!
Q –
If it were possible to visit Roma Nova, where would the average
tourist head for?
A. So much to see and do but briefly, you can’t miss the Golden
Palace which the imperatrix, the ruler of Roma Nova lives and works.
It’s not open to visitors but the view upwards from the public park
is breathtaking; the building sits hallway up a hill like a bird
poised to take off.
Of course, you’ll find the usual Roman streetscape – forum, temples, arena, basilica (law courts/public assembly space). And shopping? Don’t miss the individual shops in the Macellum among the international brands. You’ll find the famous Roma Novan silver jewellery, every electronic gadget you could wish for, plus fine glass and the modern version of Samian ware.
Of course, you’ll find the usual Roman streetscape – forum, temples, arena, basilica (law courts/public assembly space). And shopping? Don’t miss the individual shops in the Macellum among the international brands. You’ll find the famous Roma Novan silver jewellery, every electronic gadget you could wish for, plus fine glass and the modern version of Samian ware.
And don’t
miss the Pons Apulius –
a treat for engineers to appreciate and everybody else to gaze at in
wonder! Romans have a long history of bridge building, you know.
;-)
Day passes are available at most gyms which all have traditional Roman baths attached. You can learn just how hard it is to be a gladiator! And chilling off with a glass of famous Castra Lucillan white wine at one of Roma Nova’s restaurants is a must-do. Climbing, horse-riding and walking in the countryside – these are a few of activities available to any visitor. And did I mention the nightlife – clubs, theatres and dancing? A tip: bring your headache pills…
Read Claudia Dixit from the Sol Populi newspaper’s
https://alison-morton.com/roma-nova/claudia-dixits-tourist-guide-to-roma-nova/
which has much more detail.
Q –
You admit to being a ‘Roman nut’, but are there any other periods
of history that interest you and prompt you to write a novel about
(without any Roma Nova influence!)
A.
Nothing in the pipeline, but never say never!
Q –
Finally, taking into account all of your books, who are the three
characters you are most proud of and who are your favourite villains?
And who might play them in a film?
A. Very
unfair question as I love them all. Each character represents a
different aspect of us all. Aurelia and Carina the urge to do their
duty and the willingness to go one step further, in Carina’s case
even further and with more than a hint of recklessness. Aurelia is
more savvy. Conrad is very self-contained, but as we know had a
tragic childhood. His strength and determination, yet his
vulnerability, make him a tough but nuanced character.
Lurio and
Plico were joys to write; both dedicated, gruff and shockingly un-PC.
The enigmatic and amoral Apollodorus is both hero and villain; I love
writing him! Both he and Lurio had a chink in their exterior shells –
their feelings for Carina. And Caius Tellus… Could there be a more
spoilt, arrogant and ultimately tragic villain?
As to who
would play any of them… I leave that to the readers!
Alison,
thank you so much for sharing your world and your writing with me.
It's been a fascinating journey.
* * *
My Guest this week is the wonderful Annie Whitehead who certainly casts light among the shadows of the Dark Ages.
Q - I must admit that I had only just learned about Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, not long before I came across your book, To Be A Queen. When did you first become interested in her and what prompted you to write her story?
A: It was initially her husband, Ethelred, who interested me. I remember my wonderful lecturer, Ann Williams, saying that nobody knew where he came from, and I pictured him just riding onto the pages of history with a mysterious backstory. I worked that backstory into the novel, but obviously quite quickly realised that the real story was Æthelflæd’s, rather than his!
Q – Tell me about Alvar the Kingmaker - I must admit the beginning is quite a hook but absolutely true I believe!
A: Again, I have Ann to thank for this one. Alvar, or Ælfhere to give him his Old English name, was quite a character and Ann gave me a copy of the paper she’d written about him. He comes across as energetic and volatile, but he was the king’s right-hand man, so he must have had some exceptional qualities. I was very drawn to him. As was, it would seem, that king’s wife… Murdered kings, alliances and affairs - Alvar the Kingmaker has them all. I was also intrigued by a widow who was robbed of her land by Ælfhere’s successor in Mercia, land which had once belonged to Ælfhere. Was she his wife? Why no recorded children? I had to write the story. And yes, the incident at the beginning of the book (where a teenage king is found in bed with his wife – and her mother!) is supposed to be true. I highly doubt that all the details are, but it was too good a story to ignore. In fact, although this period was blessedly free from Viking raids, it was, if you believe the chroniclers, a lurid time. The queen was accused of murder and witchcraft and the king had quite a libido. In some ways it’s a very modern story, with scandal and political intrigue, but essentially it’s the story of one man, who puts duty before his own happiness at a time when the monarchy is in danger of unravelling.
Q - In Cometh the Hour you turn your attentions to King Penda. How difficult was it to 'flesh out' his character?
A: There’s very little in the records about Penda, and all of that is written by his enemies. It helped that I had a strong idea of what kind of man I thought he was. Energetic, again, in this case riding up and down to Northumbria to put down kings who kept treading on his toes. Bede, who thought him a violent heathen, said that he was tolerant of Christians. That suggested to me a man of principle who was nevertheless fair. Bede also said that he exacted revenge on a man who deserted his sister. It’s possible that his sister was put aside so that her husband could marry a Christian, and that led me to suspect that Penda attacked other kings for similar reasons: in particular, a king who had once been married to Penda’s cousin. Penda, meanwhile, only appears to have married once and had lots of children. Family clearly meant a lot to him and he despised hypocrisy. These tiny details helped build a picture of the man.
Q – Do you have any more fictional books based on the story of Mercia in the pipeline?
A: I do indeed! I’m currently working on the sequel to Cometh the Hour, and I have ideas for two novellas, both featuring female characters whose stories don’t often get told. One of them will be a ‘spin-off’ from Alvar the Kingmaker.
Q – Given that facts for this period are either scarce or unreliable, do you relish the opportunity to 'make things up' or do you find it frustrating that are so many gaps?
A: I generally find that there are just enough recorded facts and incidents on which to hang a basic plot. They provide enough information for me to use as checkpoints, and then I fill in the gaps. I let my characters go ‘off piste’ a little during those gaps, but they have to make sure they’re back where they’re supposed to be in time for the next recorded incident!
Q – The Anglo-Saxon era is clearly your favourite, but are there any other periods/characters/events – later or even earlier – that interest you to the point of writing a novel?
A: I’ve always liked the seventeenth century, and also studied it alongside the Anglo-Saxon period for my history degree, but don’t feel knowledgeable enough to write a novel set in that period. I am – sporadically – working on a collection of short stories which will see me going off to all kinds of different periods and settings. Quite a distance from my comfort zone!
Q – Your factual book, Mercia, was well received by both your fans and the academia; what is more satisfying to you, a best-selling novel or an accepted history book?
A: All I’ve ever wanted to do was write and each book, be it fiction or nonfiction, is special to me; once they’re out in the world, I worry about their welfare, so if they do well, then I’m happy, and relieved!
Q - Can you tell me whether there are any other factual books in the offing?
A: I’ve recently finished my second nonfiction book, about Anglo-Saxon women (to be published by Pen & Sword in 2020). The first proofs have been done, but I don’t yet have a publication date.
Q - I had the pleasure of meeting you at an event in Tamworth, how much do you enjoy these events (or not, as the case may be!)
A: It was lovely to meet you there! Tamworth was my first such event, so I was nervous beforehand, but I needn’t have worried. The audience was delightful and I had wonderful feedback. A bonus for me was that the Æthelflæd conference was happening at the same time, which meant that I was able to meet up with Ann again, not having seen her since my student days. To have her hug me and wish me luck for my first ever talk was really quite special. I’ve done a few other talks since, and I really enjoy being given the opportunity to talk about my beloved Anglo-Saxons (in fact, I really don’t need much encouragement at all!)
Q - Do you have a 'soundtrack' for your writing, and if so, is it music that fits the period or music that fits the mood of the scene(s) you are writing?
A: I don’t have a soundtrack as such, and often work in silence. I do listen to a lot of music though and sometimes a certain song appears to speak about, or for, the characters. Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol has a sentiment which sums up Ethelred’s plea to Æthelflæd to join him in just forgetting their travails for a while. James Blunt’s You’re Beautiful echoes how Alvar feels about the married woman who has captured his heart. I was writing a really sad scene in Cometh the Hour when Sarah McLachlan’s In the Arms of an Angel came on the radio, and it made writing that scene much more poignant. Sometimes when I’m out walking and listening to music, the message of certain lyrics will suddenly make clear to me the dynamics of a relationship between certain characters: ‘Yes, that’s how so-and-so must feel’ etc.
Q – Finally, taking into account all of your novels, who are the three characters you are most proud of (apart from the main characters in each!!) and who are your favourite villains? And who would play them in a film?
A: Gosh, this is difficult. I’m proud of the two ‘leading female actors’ in Alvar the Kingmaker. Kàta’s development from shy bride to confident woman was something of a revelation to me, as I wasn’t sure how strong she would turn out to be, so she surprised me there. Queen Alfreda, I think, is poignantly flawed. She sort of learns from her mistakes, but not in the right way. Derwena, in Cometh the Hour, has strength, common sense in bucketloads, and a huge capacity to love. I’d want her on my side in any fight. Yes, although the books (apart from To Be A Queen) are ostensibly about the men, it’s the female characters who fascinate me, something which has indirectly led to the new Anglo-Saxon Women book.
I try not to make my baddies pantomime villains. I have a soft spot for Oswii in Cometh the Hour. He’s a terrible man, but I do enjoy watching his frustrations and I hope that at times there is some comedy in his sulks. Dunstan in ‘Alvar’ was interesting. He was Alvar’s nemesis, but I tried to find a kernel of goodness in him and bring that out over the course of the book.
As for film roles, I’m really not sure. All of my characters age by 30-50 years, some from small children, so that would definitely be a casting challenge!
Thank you for inviting me onto your blog!
Well, my thanks to you for agreeing to take part! It was lovely to 'talk' to you.
Website: http://anniewhiteheadauthor.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnnieWHistory
Amazon: http://viewauthor.at/Annie-Whitehead
(Please post any comments in the Box at the very bottom of the page: I apologise for the inconvenience - am working on the fix - R)
(Please post any comments in the Box at the very bottom of the page: I apologise for the inconvenience - am working on the fix - R)
* * *
In this
the first of my Q and A's with some of the great authors I have 'met'
I welcome Helen Hollick, best known for being the author of the Sea
Witch series and many other books too. She is also the founder
and driving force behind Discovering Diamonds Reviews Blogspot, my mentor and friend.
Q –
Capt Jesamiah Acorne is the hero of your Sea Witch Series of books –
how much 'fun' was it creating him?
A –
Hello Richard – and visitors to your new blog – it looks
terrific, and thank you for inviting me as your first guest! I’m
not quite sure that I ‘created’ Jesamiah, he rather found me (on
a beach in Dorset, England, in fact). I enjoyed the first Pirates
of the Caribbean movie when it came out all those years ago
because it was exciting and fun, had an eye-candy hero (Jack Sparrow
played by Johnny Depp) and something a little different to the usual
run-of-the-mill adventure movies aimed at family entertainment – a
realistic-feeling main plot with a fantasy element running parallel
to it. The first India Jones movie had the same kind of feel,
an acceptable suspension of believability that makes a darn good
yarn.
Having
enjoyed that first Pirates movie, and as an avid book lover, I
wanted to read something similar. A fun nautical adventure with that
added touch of fantasy: I found plenty of ‘straight’ nautical
novels, Alexander Kent (Douglas Reeman)’s Bolitho series,
Hornblower, O’Brian’s Jack Aubrey, or Young Adult novels,
which were enjoyable but were missing the ‘adult’ element (if you
get my drift). So I gave up looking and wrote my own. Sea Witch
was the result – and yes, it was great fun to research and write,
although Jesamiah is now turning out to be a hard taskmaster because
he has developed quite a following who can read faster than I can
write!
Q –
Knowing that you and he are very much 'in tune' with each other, how
often did he say things like 'I'm NOT doing that' or something
similar? And who won?
A – Oh
a lot! I have constant grumbles and muttering behind my right
shoulder. (He’s mumbling now: “What do you mean? I don’t
grumble. Not my fault that you keep putting me in ‘situations’ is
it?”)
Who wins?
He does. You don’t argue with a pirate!
Q -
How hard would you find it killing off major characters? And,
following a question posed on your blog with another author, could
you actually kill off Jesamiah? (ducks)
A –
Actually, I already know how Jesamiah dies. I had a very vivid
dream a few years ago, woke up sobbing. I wrote it down straight
away, although I still remember every detail, including the dialogue
– it was like watching a scene in a movie. Will I ever divulge this
scene? Not unless I do, eventually, decide to end the series with his
death. Which is probably unlikely. I will let on that Jesamiah was
older than he is at present (in his early 20s) so there’s a good
few years left in him yet!
I did
‘kill off’ a leading character in On The Account. (No
spoilers, I won’t say which one.) I did this because he asked me to
– he wanted to ‘go off and do other things’. And who am I to
argue with my characters?
Writing
my ‘serious’ historical fiction is another matter entirely, as
the majority of these characters were real people who lived in the
past, ergo they have already died. It is hard ending their lives,
though: ending King Arthur’s life in my Pendragon’s Banner
Trilogy was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. In
the end I wrote that last chapter first, then went back to writing
chapter one, thus bringing him back to life. For Harold The King
(entitled I Am The Chosen King in the US) I wimped out and
didn’t write his actual death scene on the battlefield near
Hastings in 1066.
Q –
When writing a series, how far ahead do you plan future volumes (and
when can we expect the next adventure?)
A –
Gallows Wake, the sixth Sea Witch Voyage is
under construction, but I’ve had other projects demanding my
attention.
I hadn’t
planned on Sea Witch, the first Voyage, being anything but a
one-off adventure (for me and the characters) but Jesamiah refused to
leave my head, so the other adventures have just kept coming. Because
I hadn’t planned a series I haven’t really set out an on-going
plot. This has an up and a down side. The upside is that the plot of
each book is a standalone with back story references, but now that
the series is developing I am slipping in elements that will have
relevance in a future adventure, the casket that Jesamiah is given in
Pirate Code as one example.
Q –
You have written other books, of course; were they periods that you
had a prior interest in or was it the events or people that drew you
to want to write about them?
A–
Until I discovered that King Arthur, IF he had ever
existed, would have been firmly placed in the post Roman Britain era,
I’d had no interest in history (blame that on dreadful
history teachers at school!) I have no interest in the medieval
knights in armour tales of Arthur – I can’t stand Lancelot, and
Guinevere has always seemed such a ninny, so when I read Mary
Stewart’s author’s notes in her Crystal Cave and Hollow
Hills novels which stated that Arthur was more likely to have
been post-Roman, my ears pricked up. I then read a few non-fiction
books about him (mainly Geoffrey Ashe) and that was it, I was hooked,
not only on the Matter of Arthur, but later Roman Britain as well.
All well
and good, but I started developing my own theories and ideas – and
ended up writing my first novel, which turned out, ten years after
starting out, to be enough to make an entire trilogy.
Following
the Trilogy I wanted to write something a little more factual. I had
become interested in Anglo Saxon history because of Arthur – the
beginning of Saxon England, so decided to look into the end of
the Saxon era and the events that led to Hastings in 1066 and the
Norman Conquest. I was also driven by the frustration that so many
history books, back then in the 1980-90s started at the Norman
Conquest, completely ignoring our rich Saxon culture. So I decided to
write the story of Harold Godwineson, our last true English King who
died defending his realm from foreign invasion. He turned out to be
my biggest factual person hero.
Q –
Queen Emma features in two of your books (Harold the King –
I Am The Chosen King in the US and The
Hollow Crown – The Forever Queen in the US) – from
your research what did you think of her as a woman Will there be a
third?
A – At
the moment, no, to a third novel as I have other projects I must
complete, although I have been seriously thinking about Bishop Odo,
Duke William’s half-brother. I think there is much more to him than
we realise. I also quite like him because he rebelled against William
– whom I loathe, so naturally Odo is an OK guy to me!
As for
Emma, she started out as a side-character in Harold, but I
soon realised her importance, to my stories and history in general.
She was a remarkable woman: Norman by birth married as an alliance
agreement to Æthelred II of England at (probably) only 13-15 years
of age, a marriage that seems to have not been a happy one. When
Æthelred died and England was about to be conquered by Cnut of
Denmark (Canute) Emma married him and remained Queen. She ruled as
his regent and after his death, tried her best to ensure that their
son, Harthacnut, became King. Alas, he died, so her firstborn son by
Æthelred, Edward (later The Confessor) was crowned. One of the
reasons I wanted to write her story, in A Hollow Crown/Forever
Queen was because I wanted to explore why she and Edward
apparently hated each other. A good basis for writing a novel!
Had the
Norman Conquest not happened, I firmly believe that Emma would be as
popular and well-known today as is her Norman counterpart, Eleanor of
Aquitaine. It is a scandal that more of Emma is not known or included
in British history. She deserves to be recognised more widely.
Q –
Your take on King Arthur is an unusual one in that most of the
legendary characters are omitted completely; was that a hard task to
do as a writer in the face of such old and loved stories?
A– Not
at all. I set out to not include them. As I said above, I have
never been keen on the Medieval Arthurian tales, I prefer the
original Welsh legends which do not include knights, round tables,
turreted castles or holy grails – in fact, Arthur is portrayed in
these as a somewhat un-Cristian king, which I applauded, for to be an
effective leader he would have had to be a hard war lord, not the
cuckolded king of later stories. MY Arthur would have
cut Lancelot down without blinking, but then, MY
Gwenhwyfar (as I call her) would never had looked twice at Lancelot
in the first place!
I do not
even include Merlin, for he too is a made-up character of later
tales. My sole intention was to write a story of what might
have happened in post-Roman Britain. The warts and all story of
Arthur, the boy who became the man, who became the king, who became
the legend.
Q –
Is there any other person or passage of history that you would like
to write about?
A – I’m
fascinated by the people who used to live in our lovely old farmhouse
here in Devon. It was built in 1769 and we have ‘met’ several of
the resident ‘ghosts’. I’d love to write a novel about them –
who they were, what they did and why. Most of it would have to be
imagined, but I do wonder how much research detail I can pick up.
Beyond
that I want to write a ‘murder mystery’ novel/series as a
spin-off from the Arthurian Trilogy. I have ten chapters of Madoc
The Horseman written. One day I’ll write the rest.
And then
there’s Bishop Odo… and more of Jesamiah.
I’m
going to be busy…
Q –
You have written two factual books (Pirates Truth and Tales
and Smugglers Fact and Fiction) – do you have
plans for any others and how different did you find it from writing
fiction?
A – I
enjoyed writing Pirates, I already had reams of research
notes, and the extra research was highly interesting. Smugglers
was a little more difficult as the publisher changed their mind
about the style and format after I’d written it, so I had to
cut 70,000 words down to just over 40,000. That was OK to do, but the
waste of time and effort was (is) somewhat irritating.
Would I
do more non-fiction? If I was approached again by a good publishing
house then yes, probably, but I’d want to negotiate a water-tight
contract!
Q –
You are known (affectionately!) as the 'Queen of the Indies' because
of your interest in and willingness to help other unpublished
authors – what motivated you to 'go that extra mile' for them?
A – I
think that (a littler red-faced) title which probably belongs to
someone else now, but yes I 100% believe in trying to help new indie
authors to get a foot on the steep and slippery ladder, and maybe a
few rungs up it. Good writers of good books deserve better
recognition than most of them get, and with the ability to
self-publish and thus sidestep the established way of publishing via
the Big Publishing Houses the opportunity for these good writers is
enormous. BUT self-publishing/indie has to be done properly
and professionally. That includes the editing, formatting, cover
design and final publishing. A good, correctly produced indie novel
should be indistinguishable, to a reader, from a mainstream published
novel in looks, feel and content.
I enjoy
helping other authors (including established indies!) because…well,
because I enjoy it!
Q –
Discovering Diamonds is your baby and is now approaching three years
old. What sort of effect do you think it has had on both authors and
readers?
A – I’m
delighted that #DDRevs (as is its hashtag) is doing well. We are, in
fact, approaching our 1,000th submission enquiry. My aim
was to publish honest reviews of good indie historical fiction,
although we do also include mainstream published novels, and
occasionally, non-fiction. My mantra is “A good book is a good
book, no matter how it is published’. We only publish 4 and 5 star
level reviews (very occasionally 3 or 3.5, but these are usually
mainstream novels that, frankly, should never have been published!)
Every novel we review gets a quote and review on Amazon.uk Amazon.com
and Goodreads. My aim is to help good writers of good historical
fiction to get noticed.
However,
I cannot take the credit for Discovering Diamonds. Yes I opened the
blog and do much of the admin but it would not exist without the
wonderful team of reviewers – they are the real stars and I
profusely thank them for their dedication and enthusiasm!
Q –
When giving advice to aspiring authors, it is normal to say 'Do this,
do that etc'. But do you have any 'Don'ts' that might be equally
useful?
A–
Don’t do it wrong!
Don’t
think that you don’t need an experienced editor
Don’t
think that your book will be fine with a scrappy home-produced cover
And one
‘Do’… Do take pride in your book, it probably took you a long
while to write it, so don’t shirk on the production side – don’t
send it out into the world looking shabby, send it out as perfect as
you can get it, and then it will shine.
Q –
Finally, taking into account all of your novels, who are the three
characters you are most proud of (excluding Jesamiah!)? And, your
favourite villains? And who would play them in a film?
A–
Snort of outrage from Jesamiah!
- Gwenhwyfar. She is quick witted, intelligent, loyal and knows how to use a sword to best effect.
- Harold. He deserved better. I firmly believe that he was murdered on that battlefield on the orders of a tyrannical psychopath. (I did say that I loathe Duke William!)
- The third might seem a little strange, it’s a horse. Onager from Shadow Of The King. He was an amalgamation of several horses I have known, and I loved including him, even though he was a mean b*stard of a horse! If I ever get around to writing Madoc, I will have to include Onager!
The villains?
- Blackbeard.
- Duke William of Normandy
- Hengest of Kent
I’m not selecting any actors though… who would your readers of
this blog suggest I wonder?
I will name one, although not a villain.
I’d like Michael Kitchen to play Charles Mereno, Jesamiah’s
father.
Thank
you for your time and contribution, Helen, it has been most
enjoyable.
Helen’s
books on Amazon: (Universal
Link)
Find
out more about Helen:
Website: www.helenhollick.net
Newsletter
Subscription: http://tinyletter.com/HelenHollick
Main
Blog: www.ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com
Twitter:
@HelenHollick
Discovering
Diamonds Historical Fiction Review Blog (submissions welcome)
https://discoveringdiamonds.blogspot.co.uk/
© Helen Hollick 2019
Thank you Richard - I'm honoured to be your first guest (Jesamiah is too, although he's got the grumps today as he's finished all the rum and is awaiting the next 'delivery')
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Helen. My way of saying thank you for your help and support over the years ...
DeleteCongratulations on your new Blog, Richard.
ReplyDeleteYou couldn't have chosen a better beginning with Jesamiah, that irascible yet lovable pirate, and his multi-faceted creator, Helen Hollick.
With best wishes for much success, Inge.
Couldn't agree more, Inge - thank you!
DeleteCongratulations on your new blog, Richard. And, for me, Helen will ALWAYS be Queen of the Indies, lol.
ReplyDeleteAnd, Helen, are you sure it was Jesamiah who finished all that rum? Are you sure it wasn't you during your recent internet blackout? *wink*
Thank you Loretta - and, my lips are sealed ....
ReplyDeleteExcellent start to your new blog, Richard!
ReplyDeleteAnd I love Dickens! The cat. Obvs.
Thank you Alison! I will be in contact about a contribution to this page once I have thought of some questions! Dickens watches over my writing to ensure I don't make mistakes!
DeleteHa!
DeleteGreat interview, and a wonderful new blog!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Annie. Keep your eye on it - the next in the series will be a cracker, I promise you .....
DeleteFantastic in depth interview. Love hearing other writers' journeys.
ReplyDeleteThank you Deborah - as a non-writer (in the established sense) it fascinates me too!
DeleteThanks Deborah! :-)
DeleteRichard - thank you so much for hosting me on your shiny new blog. I very much enjoyed our chat!
ReplyDeleteIt was a real pleasure for me, Annie, thank you for agreeing to take part!
DeleteLovely interview with Annie Whitehead. I truly enjoyed reading her book, To Be a Queen, and am currently reading Cometh the Hour. It's an interesting time period, and one of which I have very little knowledge, so I've learned a lot!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pat - noth really great books. Alvar won't disappoint either, trust me!!!
DeleteSuch kind comment Richard and Pat - thank you!
DeleteEnjoyed the interview with Ann Whitehead. She's an inspiration to write about the era that you love
ReplyDeleteTotally agree - and such a lovely guest too!
DeleteThanks so much!
DeleteGreat interview! I love the Sam Plank books. They are great reads and beautifully produced - I'd love to see a TV series.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Vicky! My original reviews can be found on the Discovering Diamonds (search by author, as can an appraisal that I wrote on the series earlier this year. And, yes, it would be a great TV series!
Deletehttps://discoveringdiamonds.blogspot.com
Thank you for starting Kimberley Jordan Reeman's on-line tour so well Richard. A very interesting interview!
ReplyDeleteThanks Helen - and thank you for facilitating it!
ReplyDeleteDelighted to be a guest on your blog, Richard. Thanks so much for inviting me! ;-)
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Wendy! A great interview!xx
ReplyDelete