Interview with Brandon Wilson, author of ON THE TEMPLAR TRAIL

I'm breaking the mold here at Historical Boys to feature my friend, Brandon Wilson, an amazing world traveler and writer. Though Brandon isn't an historical fiction writer, history permeates his work and I've reveled in his thrilling accounts of his travels through some of our planet's most fascinating places, where the past and the present often collide with unexpected results.

Brandon's fascination with what he calls “deliberate travel” began when he and his wife Cheryl became the first western couple to walk a traditional Buddhist trail from Lhasa, Tibet to Kathmandu. A world adventurer and perpetual pilgrim, Brandon has walked six of the world’s most important pilgrimage trails: the Camino de Santiago and Via de la Plata across Spain, the St. Olav’s Way across Norway, and he was the first American to walk the 1150-mile Via Francigena from England to Rome.

In 2006, he pioneered the 2620-mile Templar Trail, walking a peace pilgrimage through eleven countries from France to Jerusalem along the route of the First Crusades. Brandon's Wilson’s book about that journey is Along the Templar Trail: Seven Million Steps for Peace. He is also the award-winning author of Yak Butter Blues: A Tibetan Trek of Faith and Dead Men Don’t Leave Tips: Adventures X Africa. His story about a year spent living in the Arctic, “Life When Hell Freezes Over,” appeared in They Lived to Tell the Tale: True Stories from the Legendary Explorers Club.

His photos have won awards from National Geographic Traveler and Islands magazines. His 50-photo essay on the Via de la Plata will be featured in Naïve and Abroad: Limping Across Spain, A Pilgrimage Through History by Marcus Wilder.

Brandon, a member of the prestigious Explorers Club, is a walker for peace and human rights. Ti learn more about Brandon and his work, please visit: http://www.pilgrimstales.com/.

1. Congratulations on the publication of ALONG THE TEMPLAR TRAIL. It's an honor to have you with us. You've written two previous books about your incredible travels (YAK BUTTER BLUES and DEAD MEN DON'T LEAVE TIPS) but ALONG THE TEMPLAR TRAIL has special significance for you. Please tell us about how this marvelous story came about and what inspired you to take a journey of seven million steps to peace?
I have been infected with wanderlust for years now. It’s my “sweet addiction.” In 1992, during a walk across Tibet, what began as purely an adventure transformed into a journey with greater meaning. In Lhasa, once we learned that Tibetan people today are forbidden to walk to their sacred sites in Nepal, we vowed to make it in their stead. Walking across the Himalayan Plains became a transcendent experience. I was hooked on slow, deliberate travel, or travel with a purpose. Since then I’ve been fortunate to have the chance to walk many of the early pilgrimage routes across Europe. These trails provide a chance to wallow in history, art, culture, and cuisine. They also nourish a sense of brotherhood, connectedness with nature, physical and mental growth, as well as a Zen-like link to the spiritual.

In 2006, I was surprised by an invitation from an old pilgrim friend. Would I be interested in walking to Jerusalem with him? Although it was an odyssey much longer than I’d ever attempted, I instantly knew the answer. The historic path would take us over 2600 miles across eleven countries and two continents. Our route would follow that of the First Crusades and the first Knights Templar.

From the very start, I was determined to make the trek not only as a personal pilgrimage, but also as a walk for peace. I wanted to talk to folks along the way about the necessity of solving our problems in a more enlightened manner than resorting to war as we had the past millennia. To that end, I eventually hoped my book would re-launch this historic trail as an international path of peace that others could walk in brotherhood, regardless of nationality or religion, much as they follow Spain’s Camino de Santiago.

Eventually thousands will walk this same path each year, sharing blisters, food and conversation. Once they walk together, they’ll discover a connectedness, a personal peace. They’ll return to their families, jobs, communities and countries with greater tolerance and belief in our commonality as human beings. They will embrace the ideal of cooperation on our increasingly fragile planet.

2. You've traveled to some amazing places that most people have only heard of, and your books are full of the wonder of discovering new places, as well as the travails of finding yourself in situations you were totally unprepared for. Of all your experiences in your travels, which has left its biggest impact? What challenges were the most difficult to overcome? What surprising or interesting historical facts did you discover?
Each journey leaves its mark. They have all been transformative. I never return home the same person. Walking across Tibet and doing what the Chinese authorities called “Impossible,” changed my outlook. It enabled me to never again give up—even while pushing the limits of survival. My wife and I were shot at, trudged through a blizzard, slowly starved, never knew where we would spend the night—or if we’d be taken into police custody.

Yet we learned to have faith, faith that the Universe would provide, that we were meant to be there, that there was some greater purpose to it all.

More recently, walking from France to Jerusalem brought us into contact with thousands of ordinary people. Many have struggled for centuries with the devastation of war on their doorstep. Its challenges were plentiful, even though the setting was more “civilized” on the surface. The basic necessities of eating, drinking, and sleeping were always in question as we tried to follow a thousand-year-old map. Weather varied from freezing snow to weeks of rain to months of shadeless terrain with temperatures hovering near one hundred degrees.

Politics turned out to be the greatest unknown. By the time we arrived in Serbia, Israel had bombed Beirut Airport, southern Lebanon was being evacuated, there was a bombing attempt on the US Embassy in Damascus, and Western travelers were gunned down in Amman, Jordan. Oh, and an Ebola-like virus raged in central Turkey.

Still, without exception, in every country, the people were curious and kind when they discovered the reason for our journey. Our message found great acceptance. The people are so very tired of endless war and some were moved to tears when they heard of our quest. Historically, we were reminded time and time again of our cultural connections. In places like Istanbul and divided Cyprus, we were told how Muslims and Christians had historically lived and traded in peace for centuries. Muslims would often add, “We are all descended from the same tree of Abraham, right?”

By the end of 160 days, I felt even more strongly that we all share the same dreams of health, education, opportunity, security, and need of a homeland. When we realize this, we release the fears and prejudice propagated by governments, corporate sponsors of destruction, and religious demagogues. It becomes more difficult to take up arms against each other. Every war becomes a civil war when all men are brothers.

3. You've encountered a series of interesting characters in your travels, in particular that madcap assortment during the first league of your African adventure. Indeed, I find when I read your books that I learn not only about the countries you've been in but also about the foibles and eccentricities of human nature. Whom have you met during your travels that you found most enlightening, and why?
Mark Twain once said, “You never really know whether you love or hate someone until you travel with ‘em.” Traveling as I do puts you into close contact with people—sometimes too close. It wasn’t the Africans we found frustrating. Travel is an intense experience and folks travel for different reasons. We were ready to wallow in the minutiae of African life—while our companions would have been just as satisfied staying at home with cold beer and a warm bed.

Wherever I travel I truly enjoy meeting and sharing with local people and learning about their lives. Ordinary people enlighten me: former monks in Tibet, African villagers, or army officers and Palestinians in Israel. I enjoy sharing their lives however briefly. I am inspired by their strength, faith, optimism and universal hope for peace. If only we can re-channel that fortitude, we can reshape our society, re-prioritize our budgets, and wage a lasting peace. As many reminded me, only our governments stand in the way.

4. Which country would you like to return to and why? Can you tell us about the country that proved most controversial for you as a traveler and writer?
There are many countries I’d like to experience again. Even spending as much as a month at a time in one area, you only begin to scrape the surface of a culture before you move on. It’s always enlightening to go back and see how it (or you) has changed in the years since.

I would like to return to the Middle East, as it has such a vast history and culture. Although it is wracked by tension, it has such great potential to present a positive example to the rest of the world. On the other hand, I have hesitated returning to Tibet. Since the completion of the railroad from Beijing to Lhasa, millions of Chinese visitors have arrived, outnumbering the local Tibetans. Soon, Tibetan culture will become a vestige of the past. Who will be left to give the eulogy? Tibet was the ultimate challenge to me as a traveler and writer. It is disheartening that a nation can be so ravaged while the rest of the world looks away—or worse, is more concerned with making money by peddling soft drinks and hamburgers to a billion Chinese.

3. How do you think your work speaks to today’s reader and/or how does it resonate for today’s world?
I like to believe my books bridge the typical travel genre by infusing a place with adventure, history, culture, the mystical, and social conflict. I avoid using broad brush strokes to describe a place. Readers have grown tired of hearing about another beautiful sunset or charming restaurant. And I can’t blame them.

Traveling slowly, often on a small budget, I experience the good, bad and gritty of each destination. That often brings out the good and bad in people—as well as myself. At the risk of sounding like a terrible person, I strive to expose it all. I keep copious notes. That way, all the ups and downs are remembered, as well as the small triumphs and laughs that make each day unique.

In a world of constant sensory stimulation, I like to remind people about the small joys that still exist in our world. I like to share moments of magic and serenity in secluded places. I like to dispel prejudices by reminding readers how much alike we are when it’s all said and done. I like to inspire others to see the world for themselves without hesitation or fear. I like to challenge them to discover a personal peace, and as Gandhi once said, “To be the change they would like to see in the world.”

4. Please tell us about your next project.
Only the wind knows—but my walking stick is calling to me once again.

Thank you, Brandon! We look forward to reading all about your next trip!

A Valentine's Day greeting from my friend, the poet Joan Gelfand

CUPID
Joan Gelfand


Cupid lies. With a full belly, and half smile
He dreams of the perfect shot, a bulls-eye of love!
A love that lasts a while.

One wing over his chest, one wing in repose,
Even in sleep, he cannot forget the lovers.
In readiness, he clutches his bow.

Cupid, our original baby, eternal angel
Relishes the job, don’t you think?
The challenge:
A skillful game of calculated alignment.

Or, does he dream of darker tasks --
Getting out of the business perhaps?

Oh, Caravaggio, did you really cry for love?
You sketched Cupid and legions of critics
Spent their lives unraveling your dueling passions
For a whore, and paint. Did Cupid do you wrong?
Did his arrow miss its mark?

Here’s the truth, or at least the way I see it.
Cupid was recruited for the job by his maker -- Caravaggio too.
Two destinies, one diabolical feast.

Inspired by “Amore Dormiente” by Caravaggio on display in the Pitti Palace, Florence, Italy
"Cupid" was recently published in "Oakland Out Loud" the PEN Anthology which includes such literary lights as Al Young, Ishmael Reed and Lucille Lang Day. To learn more about Joan, please visit: http://jg.typepad.com/

Interview with Sandra Worth, author of LADY OF THE ROSES

I am honored to welcome Sandra Worth, author of the recently published LADY OF THE ROSES. Sandra has won ten awards for her Rose of York trilogy, including the First Place Prize in the 2003 Francis Ford Coppola-sponsored New Century Writers Award. Her work has been translated for publication in Spain and Russia and she recently signed a two-book deal with Berkeley (Penguin.) A dedicated researcher and writer who brilliantly evokes the complexity of Plantagenet England, she lives in Texas with her husband and their new German Shepard puppy.

1. Congratulations on the publication of LADY OF THE ROSES. It's a delight to have you with us. Set in 15th century England during the terrible years of the Wars of the Roses, LADY OF THE ROSES is a vividly dramatic and romantic account of the lifelong love affair between Isobel Ingoldesthorpe and Sir John Neville, brother of the famous Yorkist leader Warwick, the Kingmaker. Though this period in history is amply covered in fiction, these characters have not been, and the intensity of their relationship offers a compelling contrast with the violence raging around them. You yourself have written about the later years of the Wars in your Rose of York trilogy. What inspires you about this era and why did you choose to write about these characters?

Thank you. It's my pleasure to be your guest. You are correct. I began my career by writing about the later period of the Wars of the Roses. This story takes place earlier, in 1456, six years before the setting of my debut novel, Rose of York: Love & War. It is, in a way, a sort of "prologue." The reason I chose to go to go back in time for this book is that I received quite a few inquiries about John, Lord Montagu, after my debut novel came out. It seems he had touched my readers' hearts and they wanted to know if I was going to do a book on him. At the time, I had no plans since I was occupied with moving forward in the period. However, when the trilogy was completed, I decided to tell John and Isobel's fabulous, untold love story.

2. LADY OF THE ROSES offers meticulous attention to detail, including the daily household management of a manor, as well as a complex series of alliances. What challenges did you encounter while researching this book? What surprising or interesting facts did you discover about your characters and their place in history?

My greatest challenge was unearthing information about John and Isobel. Though he was the greatest military figure of his time and played an enormous role in the events that changed history, he has never been the subject of a biography. As for Isobel, there is even less information about her, simply because women were not really noted by contemporary chroniclers unless they were queens or princesses and played a significant role in politics. I had to creatively fill in the blanks in order to connect the complex historical events that took place. The most surprising-- and hopefully interesting-- fact I uncovered was that John and Isobel are the medieval ancestors of both President FDR and Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill! When you consider they were from the enemy camps of York and Lancaster, it seems a miracle that they were able to wed. It gives me pause to consider the terrible possibilities if FDR and Churchill hadn't been here to defeat Hitler. Our modern world might be a very different, and perhaps quite terrifying place. But Destiny seems to be have worked on our behalf.

3. An interesting storyline within the novel is Isobel’s relationship with Marguerite of Anjou, the Lancastrian queen who became a byword for evil. Is there any evidence to support Isobel's relationship with the queen and why do you think Marguerite of Anjou has been judged so harshly by history?

There is no evidence to support the relationship between Isobel and Marguerite d'Anjou because virtually nothing is known about Isobel. This has been my creative invention. As to why Marguerite d'Anjou has been judged so harshy by history, we merely need to look at her actions. As they say "Actions speak louder than words" even across the chasm of centuries.

5. LADY OF THE ROSES is unique in that your lovers are not star-crossed, but rather often the only anchor in each other's lives during severe tumult and the loss of family members and loved ones. Yet you admit in your afterword that almost nothing is known about Isobel, in particular. Why do you think she has been largely ignored by history?

It's not that Isobel was ignored in particular-- just that women were ignored in general during this time frame of history. Unless they were princesses or queens, and had some impact on policy, no one really bothered to record much about them. Other records that migh illuminate Isobel over the divide of centuries, like letters she wrote, or the will she left, have not survived. Even her tomb is lost.

6. Can you tell us about any methods that you employ to give your characters authenticity?

Research, and more research! What they did, what they said, all these throw light on their character. When such information is missing, as in Isobel's case, I take the events of the period and try to view them from the standpoint of the person I'm writing about and the situation they find themselves in at that moment in time.

7. How do you think your novel speaks to today’s reader or how do the events you evoke resonate for today’s world?

Interesting question! A reviewer wrote that Isobel's story has a contemporary feel. With your indulgence, I quote: "Readers will relate to the highs and lows of the relationship between John and Isobel, the forces beyond their control that act to determine their destinies, and their everyday struggles (including money problems and long periods of single parenthood) in a world divided between Lancaster and York."

8. Please tell us about your next project.

My next novel is entitled THE KING'S DAUGHTER: A NOVEL OF THE FIRST TUDOR QUEEN, coming December 2008 on Elizabeth of York. A remarkable women who was the daughter, sister, niece, wife, and mother of English kings, she led a dramatic life that took her through four reigns. As Richard III's niece, she witnessed the disappearance of her brothers, the Princes in the Tower, and as Henry VII's queen, she was privy to the possible re-emergence of her younger brother in the Pretender. Did she, or didn't she believe the Pretender to be her brother, Richard, Duke of York? And if she believed he was, how did she deal with his execution by her husband, Henry VII? It's quite a tale. I hope you'll read more about her on my website http://www.sandraworth.com/

Thank you, Sandra. We're looking forward to reading your next book!

Interview with Robin Maxwell, author of MADEMOISELLE BOLEYN

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing Robin Maxwell's latest work, MADEMOISELLE BOLEYN, for the Historical Novel Reviews. In this novel, she returns to the subject of her debut bestseller, Anne Boleyn; this time, however, she depicts Anne's life in the court of France before her celebrated rise to power as Henry VIII's second queen. Robin is a delightful woman to correspond with, full of wit and verve, in addition to her extraordinary talent as a writer. She's been a favorite of mine for years and I'm honored to welcome her for her very first blog interview.

Robin Maxwell is the author of six historical novels. A 15th and 16th century history nut who can't seem to stop writing about the historical figures she feels have been overlooked by historians, or have a side of them that hasn't been properly explored, she lives in the rural high desert of California with her husband of 25 years, yogi Max Thomas and two wonderful exotic birds who are her muses. Visit her at: http://www.robinmaxwell.com/

1. Congratulations on the publication of MADEMOISELLE BOLEYN. It's a pleasure to have you with us. Set in 16th century France, MADEMOISELLE BOLEYN is a compelling, imaginative account of Anne Boleyn’s youth in France. This period in her life has hardly been addressed in fiction, compared to her later career as Henry VIII’s most famous wife, though many historians believe it was during her stay at the court of François I where Anne learned about the perils and power of becoming a royal mistress. You have of course written about Anne Boleyn before, in your wonderful debut novel THE SECRET DIARY OF ANNE BOLEYN. What inspired you to return to her as a character and explore this particular time in her life?

Thanks for having me. This is my first blog interview. When I see what's happening with web technology and how little I know about it, I sometimes feel like I'm still living in the 16th century. As for writing about one of my favorite historical personages at this specific period, it was one of those amazing graces -- no historical fiction had been written about Anne Boleyn during that most fascinating period of her life, ages 8-17. The time that she was becoming the Anne Boleyn that everyone knows, or think they know about. Here was a fabulous, sexy world -- the lascivious court of Francois I -- all ripe for the picking. Having a new angle on an oft-told story or character is, I think, one of the keys to a successful historical novel.

Interestingly, I found the same opportunity twelve years ago when I started writing SECRET DIARY. There had been a lull in fiction writing about Anne. Of course I read everything I could get my hands on -- fiction and biography. And it suddenly occurred to me that no one had truly made the connection between Anne and her daughter, Elizabeth I. Maybe a few sentences or a paragraph. But nothing about how that mother affected that daughter's life and choices. The older I get the more it becomes apparent that our parents' influence is with us from birth to death. With Anne and Elizabeth there were limitless possibilities. In MADEMOISELLE BOLEYN, it is the Boleyn sisters' father, Thomas Boleyn, who is the great and terrible influence.

2. MADEMOISELLE BOLEYN offers a fascinating look at the court of France during François I’s early years. What challenges did you encounter while researching this time? What surprising or interesting facts did you discover about the French court and Anne’s place in it?

First of all, I had never been in France (I'd been to England three times). There's so very much you can do with books and the internet. But I was particularly stumped about the feel of Paris in 1515. I mentioned this to my wonderful editor at Penguin, and she told me that her mother had spent a lot of time in France. She gave me her mom's phone number and subsequently she and I had some wonderful conversations. I asked her a lot about geography -- there was only so much I could get from maps from the period -- and she even did some research for me. She found a great website that I hadn't seen. My favorite discovery had to do with how well-loved Anne Boleyn was before she returned to England at age 17 and the whole Henry VIII saga began, a period that was filled with jealous enemies -- ones that eventually saw to it that Anne was beheaded and her reputation besmirched. In the courts of Burgundy and in France she was a little dark-eyed wonder. Precocious and charming. A quick study in French who became, at a very tender age, the English interpreter for Claude, the Queen of France. She also became a favorite of King Francois' sister, the progressive and scholarly Duchess Marguerite. This woman opened Anne's eyes to the "New Religion," Protestantism, and later Anne was the person who first brought these ideas to Henry VIII, and with it the Protestant Reformation to England.

3. An interesting storyline within the novel is Anne Boleyn’s friendship with Leonardo da Vinci, who had come to France to live at François I’s invitation. There is no extant evidence to support Anne’s meeting with Leonardo, so how did you go about creating this situation so that it would fit within the facts of her life?

I was in the process of researching THE DA VINCI WOMAN -- a novel about the Italian Renaissance seen through the eyes of Leonardo's mother -- when I decided to change course and write MADEMOISELLE BOLEYN first. When I saw the places (the French court at Amboise) and the dates I was going to be writing about in the Boleyn book, 1514 - 1522, I realized that several of those coincided with Leonardo living as a guest at the French court, in fact as a dear friend of Francois. I went rushing to my Anne Boleyn biographies, and in three of them, they mentioned that Leonardo Da Vinci was living there at the same time she was. One even suggested that it was likely that they knew each other. That was all it took, and I was off and running. That they became friends is my invention. But there is nothing in the historical record to say that they were not. The "secret passage" between Amboise and Cloux (the manor house Francois gifted Leonardo that I write about) was a discovery I made on a website about Amboise. That was like finding a gold nugget!

4. You have written not only about Anne Boleyn, but also in subsequent novels about her daughter Elizabeth I and Elizabeth’s lover Robert Dudley (THE QUEEN’S BASTARD), the pirate Grace O’ Malley and Essex (THE WILD IRISH), and the disappearance of the princes in the Tower during the time of Richard III (TO THE TOWER BORN). Can you tell us about any methods that you employ to give your characters such marvelous authenticity?

It's a combination of intensive research -- reading EVERYTHING I can get my hands on about an individual, his or her close and not-so-close relationships, and the period and places from history books and biographies and the internet. I do NOT read any historical fictions of the period, terrified of unconscious plagiarism. It's important to look deep in this reading period, because what appears as a tiny fact or a small character, can turn into an important one. A perfect example: during my research for SECRET DIARY OF ANNE BOLEYN, I read one sentence in one history book. It said that Anne had a woman fool. Nothing else. But that struck a chord. I started asking myself who that fool was. How she became a fool (did she come from a family of jesters, did she go to "fool school?"). How she ended up in Anne and Henry's court. I knew that fools were the only people who were allowed to speak the truth in that ruthless, terrifying environment, and that this character would have to be humorous. The one thing Anne's story, especially the last three years of her life as the queen, were as serious as they got, so a fool was a perfect addition. Enter Niniane. She became a wonderful character and has one of the best, most emotional lines of the book.

With THE WILD IRISH, I actually made a 3'x6' chart with every year from 1530 (year of Grace O'Malley's birth) - 1601 (end of the story) down the left hand column. Across the top I wrote the names of Grace, Elizabeth I, Tibbot Burke (Grace's son), the Earl of Essex, Richard Bingham (villain), Hugh O'Neill (arch rebel) and then "all others." Under each heading I made a column. Then I went through every history book and biography I had and filled in the blanks as in "in this year, such and such happened to Grace O'Malley - giving birth to Tibbot, what year Essex left with the English army to fight in Ireland). Then I was able to track and cross-check everything. A story emerged from the chart, one that was as close to the history of the period as possible.

Of course there are giant holes in history, action that was not reported that had to have happened, things that we'll never know about personality, what people actually said in human words to each other, what they were thinking, and especially how they were feeling. All the stuff that takes the information out of the realm of history into the realm of historical fiction. I use extrapolation to help me jump the chasm from the known to the unknown. I have to be a detective or sorts, to read between the lines, and a psychologist to figure out what a person must have been going through emotionally. I have very strong memories of my own relationships and feelings and moments in my own life, so I use them liberally. I try every chance I get to slip into a character's shoes. Say to myself, "If I were facing this person and this situation, considering my background, my history with that person and which side of the bed I got out of this morning, what would I say, what would I do?" I also believe that most of the basic emotions I write about in the 15th and 16th century -- love, lust, hatred, fear, jealousy, humiliation, pride -- are all emotions we still have today. I just try to put them into context and in words that fit the period.
That, I think, is what gives characters their authenticity.

5. Your novel offers a candid and at times difficult look at how women were used as chattel by the men who sought power through them. Both Anne and her sister Mary were exploited by their father to further the Boleyn name and prestige at court. Why do you think Anne proved the exception, in that she took charge of her own destiny, defying the odds to become queen of England? Do you believe that had she not gone abroad at such an early age, her destiny might have been different?

I definitely think that her years abroad are what took Anne from being a provincial girl to being the great woman she became. That is where she got her extraordinary education. In fact, the working title for the novel was The Sexual Education of Anne Boleyn. But of course she got much more than a sexual education. In particular, she got a religiously progressive education from Francois' beloved and indulged sister, Marguerite. Of course I think Anne had the seeds of an exceptional character from the get-go. She was eight when she went to the court of Burgundy, and by nine she had learned the French language sufficiently enough to become a royal translator for Queen Claude.

6. How do you think your novel speaks to today’s reader or how do the events you evoke resonate for today’s world?

I just wrote an op ed piece called "Hillary Boleyn." It compares Anne and Hillary Clinton, showing how it's not so different now and back in the 16th century when it comes to a woman who aspires to great things -- one who refuses to shut her mouth, one who stands up to the male establishment. How badly these women are treated, especially by spin doctors and the press, and the people who are failing to shut them up. Anne Boleyn helped bring the Protestant religion to England. For that, and having too much influence with Henry for too long, she was reviled and ended up headless. Hillary, as First Lady, took on the American "MegaChurch with Two Heads" - the pharmaceutical and health insurance companies -- and she was cut off at the knees. Told to go home and bake cookies. And let's not forget, there are still huge swaths of the world tin which women are bought and sold into marriage and even sexual slavery by their fathers. Some things change. Others don't.

7. Please tell us about your next project.

The DA VINCI WOMAN may become my masterpiece. I had to move to a different era, a different country and learn about all new personalities. I chose the most fabulous of them --- Leonardo Da Vinci, his mother Caterina, Lorenzo "the Magnificent" Medici and his brother Giuilino, Boticelli, Savonarola, Roderigo Borgia, and the members of Florence's "Platonic Academy." I took on not only the Renaissance that everybody knows about (learning about the art and architecture) but also what I call "the Shadow Renaissance," which I think is the true Rebirth. It had to do with science and philosophy, Hermeticsm, alchemy, the occult and esoteric learning. Talk about having to dig! But I found precious gems everywhere I looked (if I looked deep enough). It is an emotional book, perhaps the greatest love story I've ever written between and man and a woman, and the deepest and most beautiful relationship I've written between a parent and child.

Thank you, Robin. We're looking forward to this next novel by one of the genre's most genuine and delightful writers.

THE LIAR'S DIARY, in support of Patry Francis

January 29, 2008

Today is a very special day. Over 300 bloggers, including bestsellers, Emmy winners, movie makers, and publishing houses have come together to talk about THE LIAR'S DIARY by Patry Francis. This is an unprecedented grass-roots effort to showcase the book and give it the attention it deserves on its release day while Patry takes the time she needs to heal from cancer. When I was invited to participate in this event, I didn't think twice. Several of my close friends have battled cancer over the years; and Party's story touched me deeply.

Patry and I share the same literary agency. I've never met her personally, but I have met her agent. This is an agency with soul and I mean it: I'd had four previous agents and been rejected for over twelve years. Trust me, it had to take serious soul to convince me to get back on the bizarre carnival ride that is submissions. My agent Jennifer, however, took me by the hand, just as I imagine Alice took Patry, and two of my books were sold via auction to Ballantine in January of 2007. As I approach my publication date in July of this year, I'm overwhelmed by all the excitement, the hard work, the thousand and one details required of me as an author in today's highly competitive world, where we're all vying for attention and dollars against big budget Hollywood DVDs and extravagantly noisy and bloody video games. I actually feel as if I'm gearing up for a marathon race -- a hard sprint to get the book noticed, to beat the seemingly impossible odds and actually move enough copies to merit another advance, another chance to keep doing what I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember: write. Maybe one day, if I'm really lucky, I'll even get to do it full time.

I can't imagine running this race alone, much less while battling cancer. Like me, Patry's dream came true; but with her dream came an unexpected challenge that puts everything into undeniable focus. Patry is facing it with incredible grace and trust. And look! All around her has bloosomed this community of writers and bloggers who prove that soul exists still in this harsh reality of publishing and surviving. I am truly honored and blessed to have been invited to her party. I don't know her but she's me; she's you; she's all of us, who strive and struggle and believe and never know what tomorrow holds.

Patry Francis worked for years as a waitress and then went home at the end of the day to her husband and four kids, and in those rare minutes of free time, she dared to dream that one day she might write a book. After years of rejection she found the fantastic Alice Tasman at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, who sold her manuscript. Just as her book was due to be released, she discovered she had an aggressive form of cancer.

The effort to get the word out for Patry has made visible a community that is, and has been, alive and kicking - a community that understands the struggle artists go through and rejoices in each other's successes. It's a community made up of many small voices, but - guess what? - those many small voices can create some noise. So while today is for Patry, it's also a symbolic gesture for all of you who work so very hard for little or no recognition, for all of you who keep going despite the rejections, and for all of you who have had illness or other outside factors force your art or your dreams aside. We are in this together.

THE LIAR'S DIARY answers the question of what is more powerful—family or friendship? this debut novel unforgettably shows how far one woman would go to protect either. They couldn’t be more different, but they form a friendship that will alter both their fates.
When Ali Mather blows into town, breaking all the rules and breaking hearts (despite the fact that she is pushing forty), she also makes a mark on an unlikely family. Almost against her will, Jeanne Cross feels drawn to this strangely vibrant woman, a fascination that begins to infect Jeanne’s “perfect” husband as well as their teenage son. At the heart of the friendship between Ali and Jeanne are deep-seated emotional needs, vulnerabilities they have each been recording in their diaries. Ali also senses another kind of vulnerability; she believes someone has been entering her house when she is not at home—and not with the usual intentions. What this burglar wants is nothing less than a piece of Ali’s soul. When a murderer strikes and Jeanne’s son is arrested, we learn that the key to the crime lies in the diaries of two very different women . . . but only one of them is telling the truth.

A chilling tour of troubled minds, THE LIAR'S DIARY signals the launch of an immensely talented new novelist who knows just how to keep her readers guessing. Patry says on her blog: "Though my novel deals with murder, betrayal, and the even more lethal crimes of the heart, the real subjects of [my book] are music, love, friendship, self-sacrifice and courage. The darkness is only there for contrast; it's only there to make us realize how bright the light can be. I'm sure that most writers whose work does not flinch from the exploration of evil feel the same."

You can buy THE LIAR'S DIARY at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Powell's. You can also buy directly from Penguin to save 15% (after you add the book to your cart, just enter the word PATRY in the coupon code field and click ‘update cart’ to activate the discount).
Let's show the world what we can do together! And send all our love and best wishes for a full recovery to Patry!

En vida, Christopher

Guest Interview of Glenice Whitting, author of Pickle to Pie

My good friend in Australia, Wendy J. Dunn, author of an evocative novel about Thomas Wyatt's undying love for Anne Boleyn, Dear Heart, How like You This?, kindly offered to conduct a guest interview on this blog of author Glenice Whitting, whose debut novel Pickle to Pie was recently published.

Published by Ilura Press (ISBN 978-1-921325-02-1) is the story of Frederick Fritschenburg, a second generation Australian of German descent, who is dying in hospital. At eighty years of age Frederick recalls a life torn by two world wars and the Great Depression - a life of uncertainty and anguish, of disappointment, human frailties and estranged relationships, where nothing seems as real as the special childhood bond that existed between him and his grandmother, who raised him. The novel is available at: http://www.ilurapress.com/index.php

1: Tell us, Glen, when did the journey to writing Pickle to Pie begin?

The seeds of the journey were planted long ago in my childhood, but like many other writers, it was an unexpected incident in my life that made me write about a previously forbidden topic. In 1995 I discovered in the family home, a box of postcards dating back to the nineteenth century. The messages were written in Old High German. On translation, they revealed my hidden heritage. During my childhood I was told that in 1885 my Australian born father’s grandparents immigrated from Belgium. Later I discovered that my grandmother was German and our family name had been changed, but by then, I also knew not to ask questions.
In 1997, during a fiction writing class, my short story titled Lilliana, based on the translated postcards, was highly commended in the Judah Waten Short Story Competition. That story became the basis of Pickle to Pie.

2. You say Pickle to Pie started its life as a short story. Did writing that make you decide to write a novel?

I never set out to write a novel, however, every time I wrote I felt myself pulled back to into that particular story. I began experimenting with characters. Lilliana became Frederick, a man at the end of his long life, lost in his memories. Issues of personal courage, the sins of the father, the unknowableness of the past, snatches of remembered stories, family members and funny incidents all made their way onto the page. I became obsessed about the effect of conflicting cultures on following generations and constantly researched and wrote about the German/Australian immigrant experience.

With a name like Fritschenburg many Australians will not accept me. All they have for me is the label Kraut. I am a nothing, a nobody, but I want to feel like I did when I was eight: Before the wars, before the death of the Archduke of Austria, before Germany had ever heard of Hitler. I want to feel special again.

3: When did it begin to solidify into a novel?

I’d lived with this story for years and had two huge folders full of newspaper cuttings, handwritten notes of things I wanted to write about, the outline of a plot, historical references, character descriptions and old German recipes, such as Grossmutter’s Scripture cake and Tomato Jam. After university, I began studying Professional Writing and Editing at TAFE and during that course, I realized that I had the bones of a novel

4. Do you think you were supposed to write this novel? Why?

Looking back I can see two main reasons why I was so passionate and committed to the story. The first is the feeling that dominant cultures can control written history and I desperately wanted to add this minority voice to existing narratives. I wanted to tell the untold story of the children of the Hun. There was also the desire to record and preserve the wonderful German/Australian homeopathic remedies, favourite recipes and nursery rhymes of that era.

Cry baby bunting
Daddy’s gone a hunting

I didn’t discover the other reason until a month before the book was launched. I suddenly realized that researching and writing the novel has been my own personal journey and my way of dealing with the negative whispered background to my childhood and my inability to talk openly about my past. I’m amazed to be able to say that I’m now at peace with myself. I’m finally comfortable in my German/Australian skin.

5: So, Pickle to Pie really made you own your German heritage. Was it difficult to write a novel drawn from family history and turn it into fiction?

In the front of the book I have the inscription, Based on fact, veiled in fiction: a melding of imagination, historical events and scattered memories and feel that this aptly describes what I’ve written. The story is based on family history but it is also part of the historical fabric of Australia. I think I must be mad to even attempt to cover an entire century, two world wars and a depression. An amazing amount of research was needed to cover these historical events. Every little detail had to be checked, and double-checked, but it didn’t seem a mammoth task because I simply researched one chapter at a time. I was also aware that memories and oral histories are often fallible. Every person has their own story and sees an incident or event from his or her own perspective. I became very aware that my perception of the past was different to other members of the family. I didn’t want to hurt anyone so I decided that I would not talk to close family members about my project. At this stage I couldn’t bring myself to even think about publishing the story. I just kept on writing. However, once the story moved into fiction I had the freedom I needed to play with plot and characters while remaining true to the subject. The manuscript shifted from the personal to the historical representation of a minority group and for that reason I became convinced that it should be published.

The book is dedicated to the children of German descent who lived in Australia during the last century and struggled to come to terms with their opposing worlds. I still consider Pickle to Pie as biographically based, but also consider imaginative reconstruction as a valid means of truth. It is the only way to put flesh on the bones. Grossmutter is modeled on my great grandmother who died before I was born. The essential facts are there; that she was a midwife in Footscray and used herbal remedies to help women, but the only way I could bring her to life was to use my imagination.

6: What were the steps towards publication?

There were many small steps that led to the publication of Pickle to Pie. I entered my writing into everything and anything, magazine, literary journals, competitions etc. I applied for funding, and the manuscript was shortlisted with Varuna and also in the 2003 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript. However, two years later I was still sending out the first three chapters to agents and publishers and received enough rejection slips to cover my walls. I was just about ready to put it in the bottom drawer when I heard about a new Masters of Creative Writing course at Melbourne University and decided to give Pickle to Pie one more chance.

My tutor for Writing the Unconscious, Dominique Hecq, sent a class email outlining the details of the 2006 Ilura Press International Fiction Quest and I hastily posted a copy of Pickle to Pie. When told that the manuscript was short listed, I hardly dared to breath. Pickle to Pie had made it to many shortlists but had always just missed out. After much nail biting and hovering over the phone I was overcome with relief when told that the manuscript had co-won, along with English author James Friel, a publishing contract and $5000 advance.

7: How did you find the publishing process?

Fantastic. A wonderful learning experience. I am so lucky to be with Ilura Press. They are a new independent publishing firm that is quite unique, the members of the team are all writers. Can you imagine the joy of having people who understand the writing process, who are considerate and nurturing, in charge of publishing your book? They produce a literary journal titled Etchings featuring essays, art, photography and poetry from writers from Switzerland to Kuwait. To provide an avenue for, as they put it, ‘Creative writers whose work deserves a receptive and willing audience,’ and to launch their move into publishing novels, they ran the 2006 Fiction Quest.

8: Do you think P&P was published in the right moment of time to be appreciated by the reading public?

A Yes, especially with the recent release of the film, Romulus My Father http://romulusmyfather.com.au/about.html The story is about an immigrant family’s struggle to survive and a boy growing up in an Australian county town. I also feel that it is the right time historically. It is over sixty years since the end of the Second World War and it is important that these stories about minority groups within Australia are told.

9: And, finally, are you working on a new book?

Definitely. For at least five years, this story has been simmering alongside Pickle to Pie and I now feel free to put all my energies into it. It is titled Hens Lay, People Lie and is about my chance meeting in 1977 with an elderly American poet at the Burke and Will’s Dig Tree in Outback Australia. For over thirty years our letters have criss crossed the globe. This special relationship has withstood the pressures of time, distance, age and culture. I like to think of the story as being about ‘Two women, two countries, one dream. It is also a comparison between American culture and landscape and that of Australia. The book is based on the five times over the years that Mickey and I have managed to meet and will contain several of her poems. However, once again I’m standing at the crossroads between historical fact and fiction, and can’t wait to see where the future will take me.

Thank you, Wendy. And thanks, Glenice, for visiting us from Australia. This is a marvelous novel from a writer with great promise and we look forward to hearing more from her!

Interview with Geoffery S. Edwards, author of FIRE BELL IN THE NIGHT

Geoffrey S. Edwards' debut novel FIRE BELL IN THE (Touchstone/ Simon & Schuster. 2007. $15.00. Trade paperback. ISBN:1-4165-6424-1) was the first runner-up in Gather.com's First Chapters Contest, which is in of itself an extraordinary accomplishment. In addition, however, Geoffrey Edwards' book is a riveting read, conjuring a sweltering summer in 1850 in Charleston, where a series of allegedly random fire attacks coincide with the trial of a poor white farmer accused of harboring a fugitive slave and the growing divide between North and South. With a a graceful precision and eye of detail, Edwards immerses us in a cauldron of racial unrest and secrets seen through the eyes of an ambitious young reporter from New York, who travels to Charleston to cover the trial and finds himself swept into the dangerous, deceptively genteel world of slave owners -- which might just harbor a lethal conspiracy.

Geoffrey S. Edwards is thirty one years old and a full-time educational editor living with his wife in Chicago, Illinois. A passionate love of history and mysteries led him to write his first novel, FIRE BELL IN THE NIGHT. He enjoys reading, travel, and the Chicago Cubs. I'm honored to feature Geoffrey as my first author in 2008.

1. Congratulations on the publication of FIRE BELL IN THE NIGHT. It's a pleasure to have you with us. Set in Charleston, South Carolina, in the summer of 1850, this novel is a riveting account of a New York journalist who travels to the south to cover the trial of a farmer accused of harboring a fugitive slave and finds himself plunged into the racial and political tensions that led to the Civil War. What inspired you to write about this troubled period in U.S. history?

Thanks so much for inviting me. In response to your question, I have always felt a stronger attraction to the moments just before calamity than the calamitous events themselves. In retrospect, one can see the lead-up to the Civil War etched into the pages of the Constitution. However, I feel that the Crisis of 1850 marked the point of no return for the nation. It was the decisions made, and left undone, that cemented the path to dissolution of the Union. Beyond that, some tremendously mysterious events in Charleston that summer provided excellent fodder for what I hope is a thrilling story.

2. FIRE BELL IN THE NIGHT offers a fascinating look at a southern city in a time when slavery was an economic necessity. What challenges did you encounter while researching Charleston’s history? What surprising or interesting facts did you discover about Charleston and/or the south in general?

In researching the time, it becomes difficult to formulate opinions outside of the context of slavery. Personalities, rivalries, socialization, and even city aesthetics are hard to view outside of that prism. Of course, it was important to create vivid characters that felt they were not defined entirely by the system in which they lived – after all, I believe we all believe our own actions define us and not our place and time. I hope that my characters come across as individuals, not mere caricatures.

As for the surprises, they were around every corner. For example, when I began researching, I had no idea that almost a quarter of all the blacks living in Charleston were free. They operated in a social structure as varied as their white counterparts. In fact, a black “carriage class” existed; one whose members dressed with opulence, traveled by coach, and exhibited sophisticated tastes. Some of the stereotypes are true, of course. As a lot, white southerners drank excessively and were armed to the teeth. But, their opinions were as varied as their northern counterparts. By 1850, the rhetoric was warming up, but it had not devolved to the downright sloganeering that existed just before the start of the war.

3. The heart of the novel is John Sharp’s association with Tyler Breckenridge, a plantation owner with a mysterious agenda. Through them, we learn about the complexity of the relationship between the free and slave states. How did you go about creating fictional characters that fit into this era? Can you tell us about any methods you employ to give your characters authenticity? If you had to choose, which character or characters were the one (s) you most enjoyed creating?

Fortunately for writers of historical fiction, people are very much like they have always been. Therefore, we have a leaping off point into which we can throw the cultural values, morals, and aspirations of the day and blend them all together. The composite result, hopefully, is an authentic recreation of an individual of that time. In the case of Fire Bell, I created a main character from the North who came to the South to report on a trial. His world-view more closely mirrors our own, and I think this allows for an “outsider” perspective into an era into which the reader themself is an outsider. He is in awe of the beautiful mansions, elegant parties, and code of honor, just as he is appalled by the foundation on which all of that was built on: slavery.

Darcy Calhoun was my favorite character in the story. Darcy is the reason for the story, but far from the main character. It is his trial that precipitates all other events. Darcy is a simple man caught harboring a fugitive slave. However, John Sharp, the northern reporter, discovers there is much more to the man that one simple, fated event. Darcy is the one character that neither I, nor my editor, ever touched. Not a line. He exists in the pages of the book the same way he was created. He spoke, and I simply transcribed.

3. Your novel offers a personal, haunting storyline that represents a nation headed for an inevitable and ultimately tragic confrontation. We know the old south was constructed on unimaginable suffering yet we can still be seduced into seeing it as a vanished time of benign plantations and courageous hearts, despite the evil of slavery. Your book offers a fascinating look at this illusory world through the eyes of an ambitious reporter who knows it’s based on lies yet cannot help but be swept up in its vision of itself. Like the world he seeks to expose, John Sharp is a man of secrets and flaws. What is so remarkable for me about your novel is that it goes beyond the obvious clichés to examine the grayer areas of this period of time. How did you go about achieving this? Were you concerned that your analogies might stir controversy, even if it reflects historical reality?

This is the actual dichotomy I was hoping to create, and I’m glad you recognized it. Things are rarely as black and white as they appear to be. For example, even a moral individual born into this system would be hard-pressed to dent the foundation of a society dependent economically, socially, and spiritually on the suppression of another race. I hope the book makes the reader consider their own course of actions in such a system. And to be honest, I consciously tried to avoid the clichés you just spoke of.

Additionally, as with the eve of most catastrophes, no one had any idea of the scope of what was coming. This train wreck that would claim hundreds of thousands of lives would have been fantasy to most. In that respect, it’s important to view individual actions in relation to what they perceived as the possible outcomes, not what we know they were.

I think that my analogies in the book might surprise some. They offer more universal condemnation of the empowered whites in America, and not merely the slave owners. However, if anyone wishes to debate northern complicity or their own entirely unique set of horrors put into place by the advance of industrialization, I would be happy to debate them.

4. Can you tell us about your journey to publication, which is a rather unique one?

About a year ago, while questioning myself and my book for the thousandth time, I came across a blurb for the Gather.com First Chapters Contest. It was a contest that offered publication to the winner but with a different little twist – the public would be the initial judges. I entered without expectations, but with a little bit of hope. That hope began to evaporate when I found out the number of entrants reached 1,600; just slightly above the 250 expected. However, I advanced through round after round of voting until my book and four others were sent to the Big Wigs from Borders and Simon and Schuster for the final decision. That’s when I found out… I didn’t win. But the judges thought 2 books deserved publication. I tell you what, I think I am the happiest Runner-Up ever!

5. How do you think your novel speaks to today’s reader or how do the events you evoke resonate for today’s world?

I did not set out to write a novel that tackled contemporary political issues. Rather, I wanted my readers to look at history from a different perspective. If you consider some of today's significant issues - war, national security, immigration, privacy - people have very different opinions. By the same token, there was no clear consensus in 1850; certainly not on the issues of slavery, the Western territories, or even the value of all the states remaining together as one Union. So, my point with Fire Bell was to transport the reader back in time to when everything was seen the shade of grey you mentioned before. By grasping that it gives the issues more immediacy, which I think allows people to feel more connected, as they do to their present circumstances.

6. Please tell us about your next project.

It’s set in the time just before the American Revolution in Boston. The main character is a ghost writer, or Pamphleteer, who writes inflammatory articles attacking the Crown and her policies using an alias. When things begin to deteriorate, a wild series of real historical events fall into place, and the main character finds himself in the middle of a possible conspiracy…with his life on the line. It will hopefully be a tremendously exciting story with a thrilling, and unexpected ending.

Thank you, Geoffrey, for visiting with us. I'm looking forward to your next book, as are your many readers.

GIVEAWAY! Geoffrey will be interviewed by Kelly Hewitt on LoadedQuestions.com and offering three lucky readers a signed copy of his novel. I'll notify readers here as soon as the contest is underway.

My 2007 Favorites

Happy New Year!

Thanks for helping me launch this blog and for sticking around to read it. I've had a lot of fun with it. I started out with the personal mission that I wanted to feature writers whose books I've read and liked; to my surprise, some of the writers I ended up interviewing found me, instead. It's been an honor to feature their voices. Whether the writer is a woman or a man, published by a large commercial house or an independent, one thing stood out for me: historical fiction writers are some of the most dedicated and passionate people I know.

This also means I stuck to my 2007 resolution, which was to read more than I did in 2006. I managed to finish 34 books this year, 2 more than last year. Some books I reviewed for the Historical Novel Reviews; others, I read for this blog, and others for pure entertainment. I'm not including research books in my resolution, because I'm always doing research and I tend to read from an assortment of different books. While I usually finish almost all the non-fiction I tackle for research, it's done hapharzardly, as I careen from 16th century fashion accessories to buildings to family dynasties and politics, sometimes all within the same day.

Anyway, 2007 ended up being a terrific reading year for me, so I decided to compile my favorite 12 books for the year. This list doesn't include books featured on this blog; while they're also favorites, I wanted to highlight books I haven't mentioned. This list also isn't exclusive to books published in 2007. Hopefully, you'll find something new and exciting here. Also, please feel free to share any book you read in 2007 that kept you up at night, made you miss your bus stop, or consumed an entire afternoon of your life before you knew it. If you can, include a URL, too. As you may have noticed, I'm always on the look-out for new books to buy! And here's to reading more in 2008.

MY FAVORITE 12 BOOKS IN 2007

1) C.J. Samson, SOVEREIGN

I'm a huge fan of the Matthew Shardlake mysteries, and in this third installment we're taken on progress to York, where Matthew must contend not only with the chaos of a royal progress but also the protection of a dangerous political prisoner. There are no anachronisms here: Shardlake's world is claustrophobic, treacherous and at times terribly cruel -- a Tudor England rarely depicted in fiction. Available in hardcover.



2) Patrick McGrath, MARTHA PEAKE

This haunting, gothic tale set during the American Revolution kept me up well into the night. Through the story of a young man facing an eerie legacy, we learn of the legendary Martha Peake, her eccentric, tormented father, and unexpected journey to the American colonies, where she finds herself immersed in the struggle for independence, both outwardly and in her spirit. Available in trade edition.

3) Judith Merkle Riley, THE WATER DEVIL

The conclusion to her bestselling Margaret of Ashbury trilogy was first released in Germany, and it took more than fifteen years to be finally published here - but it was well worth the wait. With her trademark wit and sparkling prose, Ms Merkle Riley launches the resourceful Margaret and her family on a tumultuous, dysfunctional visit to her husband's familial manor, where supernatural events collide into human foibles, often with darkly humorous, spine-chilling results. Available in trade edition.



4) Michelle Lovric, THE FLOATING BOOK

The story of the first printer to set up shop in Venice is only one velvet layer in this evocative novel set in Venice in the 16th century; through the story of a vengeful woman, a poetic printer and the girl who loves him, Ms Lovric combines breathtaking lyricism with an ambitious storyline filled with delicate word gems. Available in hardcover and trade editions.


5 - 8) Pauline Gedge, THE LORD OF THE TWO LANDS Trilogy

THE HIPPOTAMUS MARSH, THE OASIS, and THE HORUS ROAD are three novels that comprise Ms Gedge's epic reconstruction of the Egyptian princes' revolt against the invading Hyskos, which led to the founding of the 18th Dynasty, arguably the most famous of ancient Egypt. This is taut, compelling storytelling; while more military in theme than her other books, Gedge's uncanny ability to immersh you in the fascinating details of a vanished world without resorting to anachronisim is a wonder in of itself. The trilogy is best read in order. Available in hardcover and trade editions.



7) Margaret Ball, DUCHESS OF AQUITAINE

Eleanor of Aquitaine is the Plantagenet poster girl and I'm not often drawn to books about her simply because I've read so many. Ms Ball's novel lanquished for years after it sold before her publisher decided to release it; who knows why it sat for so long, because Ball's take on a young, impetuous Eleanor who's a little pagan in her outlook on life is unexpectedly original. Combine it with a facility for description, and you've got a book worth reading, even if you think you know everything about this charismatic queen. Available in hardcover and trade editions.

8) Patricia Finney, GLORIANA'S TORCH

The conclusion to her trilogy featuring the tormented spymaster Becket and his posse of friends is as compulsively readable, and graphically accurate, as the previous two books. Here, Becket finds himself tracking a munitions plot that may lead to a Spanish attack on England, even as his friend Simon is captured as a spy by the Inquisition and chained to one of the Invincible Armada's galleys. The depiction of the Spanish point of view is rare, and the events surprise, even if the Armada's attack on England is an oft-told tale. Available in hardcover and trade editions.


9 - 12) Alice Borchardt, WOLF Trilogy

Alice Borchardt's death in 2007 was a loss to the historical / fantasy realm. I've had THE SILVER WOLF, NIGHT OF THE WOLF and THE WOLF KING in hardcover for years, but they got buried under subsequent purchases. When I finally unearthed them, I found Ms Borchardt's writing is lush and surprisingly unsentimental, and her tale of shapeshifters in Rome and France during the Dark Ages thrilled me without sacrificing historical detail. For me, these books strike that elusive balance between historical fiction, romance, and the supernatural. The trilogy is best read in order. Available in mass market paperback.

"Signed, Mata Hari" Contest at Loaded Shelf.com

Hi all,
Quick note to let you know that Kelly Hewitt over at LoadedQuestions.com has a new contest. Five lucky readers will win signed copies of Yannick Murphy's new historical novel, Signed, Mata Hari.

The deadline for the contest is December 30, 2007, so check it out. She's also featuring an very interesting interview with the author of the book. Go to:
http://loadedquestions.blogspot.com/2007/12/free-giveaway-and-loaded-questions-with.html

Interview with Thomas Quinn, author of THE LION OF ST MARK and SWORD OF VENICE

Thomas Quinn's The Venetians Trilogy published by Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin's Press, has two books thus far: THE LION OF ST MARK (2005. 336 pgs. 978-0312319083) which introduces us to two feuding mercantile families in 15th century Venice who face a far more dangerous threat: the advancing Ottoman Turks. In his new release, SWORD OF VENICE (2007. 304 pgs.978-0312319106) the story deepens as sons take up their fathers' hatreds and internecine wars threaten Venice's stability, both from within and without. Intrigue, harrowing battle and intelligent drama combine in one of the most glorious of Italy's cities during her most vulnerable moment in history. This is high adventure that echoes the swashbuckling works of Dumas and C.S. Forester, from a talented writer who has clearly done his research.

Thomas Quinn was born in Newark, NJ, and is a Cornell graduate. After a long career with Procter & Gamble in sales and marketing, he became president of an Irish Dairy Board U.S. subsidiary and later was vice president of sales for both Warner-Lambert and CIGNA Healthcare. He now writes full time and lives in West Chester, PA. The Lion of St. Mark was selected as an “Editor’s Choice” by Frank Wilson, book editor for the Philadelphia Inquirer. The second book in the series, The Sword of Venice, was released on December 10, 2007. He is currently working on his third book which will be published in January 2009. To learn more about him his books and his research, please visit Thomas at: http://www.thomasquinnbooks.com/

1. Congratulations on the publication of SWORD OF VENICE, the second novel in your exciting Venetians Trilogy, following 2005’s THE LION OF ST. MARK. It's a pleasure to have you with us. The Venetians series is an adventure-filled, adrenaline-charged look at Venetian Republic when it found itself at the height of its power in the 1400s and facing imminent threat from the Ottoman Turks, who had overtaken Constantinople. What inspired you to write about this vital, complex period on history?

I decided to write about Venice after visiting the city ten years ago. Enchanted, I immediately began to search for a novel like The Count of Monte Cristo set there but couldn’t find one. After reading several histories, including John Julius Norwich’s A History of Venice, I decided to write the book I longed to read. I hope others will think I succeeded. Venice’s past is so rich I knew that if I could create an exciting tale set in these times of great peril for La Serenissima it would make a great read. I was also fascinated by the Ottoman Turks’ siege of Constantinople in 1453. It was truly a turning point for western civilization – a cataclysmic event with relevance for our modern times. That’s why I chose to begin the trilogy at that time.

2. Venice rose to power in a different way than other city-states in Italy. What kinds of challenges did you encounter while researching the city’s history? What surprising or interesting facts did you discover, if any, about Venice?

I suffered through the usual discrepancies in proper names although there has been a great deal written about Venice. My Italian is weak but I persevered. There is a great site which lists every battle during the condottiere wars in amazing detail which was a great help. Google Earth didn’t come online until after I wrote the first book but was a great help for the second. Perhaps the biggest challenge was to make the “historical black holes” seamless. For example, sources disagreed on whether a battle even occurred at the old Roman wall across the Isthmus of Corinth. I had very few details to go on. But then, that’s why it’s called historical fiction. I will state unequivocally, however, that all history in the books is as true and accurate as I could relate it. I’m a stickler about that sort of thing. I discovered that the Venetians were the inventors of many modern business and governmental concepts. You could make the case that in Venice mankind saw the first combination of representative government and capitalism in one state. The other amazing thing I found was that almost without fail, Venice managed to remain united in the face of her enemies – she never suffered from a “fifth column” like so many other states. That, more than anything enabled her to survive, unconquered, for 1,100 years.

3. The heart of your story is a deadly feud between two rival mercantile families—the House of Soranzo and the House of Ziani. Through them and the tumultuous events that envelop the protagonists as they struggle against each other while defending Venice against the Turks, we learn a great deal about Venice’s ruling system, as well as its class structure and the complexity of its trading ties. How did you go about creating your fictional families so that they would fit into this era? Can you tell us about any methods you employ to give your characters authenticity? If you had to choose, which character or characters became the one (s) you most enjoyed writing?

I created an excel spreadsheet listing popes, doges, principal characters, and all significant historical and plot twist events. These were all integrated with hundreds of notes gleaned from research about Venice, the Ottoman Empire and rival Italian city-states. I tried to weave fictional events in the families’ feud into the history and then season it with many interesting facts to make the books entertaining but also interesting. I chose a merchant (shipping) family and a banking family to show their interdependence in a capitalist system. Also, I was highly interested in showing that countrymen who don’t get along – even hate each other – if they’re smart, will cooperate to save their mutual hides when attacked by those who want to destroy them.

My favorite character was Seraglio. He represents that possibility we all encounter in our lives to make a lifelong friend, if only we can look past personal appearances and first impressions and allow that person to demonstrate their worth. What a better world it would be if we could all do as Antonio Ziani!

4. The Venetians series entwines personal and political elements into an intense, action-driven storyline that features both Turkish and Christian characters. Both cultures were equally determined to destroy each other in the name of religion and power, so how did you go about balancing the Christian and Muslim points of view? Were you at all concerned that your depiction of the clash between these two very different peoples might stir controversy? If so, did you make any difficult choices to ensure that the novel reflected historical reality?

I did give that a lot of thought. To each side, the other was the devil incarnate. First, I was determined to make the Turks smart – because they were. They were also much more unified that the Christian West, although not necessarily Venice. This gave them a tremendous advantage. However, I am a historian and history was not kind to the Turks. Their culture, like the tides, rose and then receded. The period of my book was a time of ascendency for the Ottoman Empire – they defeated Venice and seized her possessions in the Eastern Mediterranean. However, they were unable to achieve their primary goal – converting Europe to Islam. Their weakness was their extreme cruelty and obsession with enslaving their victims. The “debate” between Antonio Ziani and Abdullah Ali about the relative merits of their respective religions and cultures in chapter seven of The Lion of St. Mark was extremely difficult but highly satisfying to write.

5. Many people are fascinated by Venice and often see the city as a romantic, benign panorama of fading palazzos, canals, and gondolas. Your books offer a fascinating look at the city when it reveled in wealth and power. In her time, Venice was considered both a glory and a formidable foe when crossed. How did you go about recreating details of life in this period of time for your reader? What were the characteristics that defined a Venetian’s way of life?

I consulted many sources but most of all, I went there and spent time just walking around and breathing in the atmosphere. Venice, more than any other large city I know, retains a feel of the past. No cars, little noise, the aroma of the sea, fascinating people, and gorgeous architecture are unfettered by modernity. Venice is the largest museum in the world.

Business was Venice’s religion. This could explain their continual conflicts with the papacy. Venice also revered education (witness The University of Padua and scores of scuoli – the guilds that ensured Venice’s dominance in the trades). Three things were most important to defining their way of life: (1) Venice was obsessed with adhering to the rule of law, fearing corruption and subversion from within more than aggression by foreign invaders (2) In Venice, a man’s greatest achievement was to devote brave, loyal and honest service to the state. Government workers were the most, not the least, capable (3) Venice provided more opportunity/upward mobility than anywhere else on earth. Consequently, she could attract the most talented people to become citizens, fight in her army and navy and many provinces and towns treasured their dominance by Venice. She suffered few revolts. She welcomed the Jews when other states detested and mistreated them.

5. How do you think your novel speaks to today's reader, or how do the events you evoke resonate in today's world?

We could learn a lot from Venice; in my Author’s Note, in The Lion of St. Mark, I point out some similarities between La Serenissima, the world’ longest lasting republic, and America, the world’s most successful republic. Here are some things that Western democracies could learn from the Venetians:

(1) The Venetians demanded unswerving allegiance to the Republic – with no exceptions. They believed the greatest threat to their survival and freedom was from internal weakness and factionalism. By the way, Washington and Franklin warned of the same dangers.
(2) The Venetians were enthusiastically patriotic. They did not tolerate defeatism or acts that undermined their efforts to oppose their enemies – these were regarded as treasonous and punished severely.
(3) The Venetians trusted their government because the very best men were the government – just like in America when our founding fathers led our country.
(4) The Venetians saw the dangerous world for what it was, suffering no illusions. Good was good and evil was evil. There was no equivalency. They knew an enemy is emboldened by appeasement and that military, economic and diplomatic strength is the only real safeguard of freedom. They wrote the book before Machiavelli (1513: The Prince)
(5) The Venetians diligently passed down to each new generation an understanding and appreciation of what made Venice great; and a desire to preserve their republic and make it better. They also continuously improved their industry to make it the best in the world. They were proud resourceful innovators. Washington wrote that an uneducated electorate would lead to the death of the American democracy.
(6) The Venetians used every advantage they possessed to win; economic, military and diplomatic powers were frequently employed. They never fought with one hand tied behind their back. They worked hard to build alliances but when they were mortally threatened, then recognized, ultimately, that they were responsible for their own survival.

6. Please tell us about your next project.

I’m starting work on the third book in The Venetians Trilogy entitled Venice Stands Alone. It recounts the events that spelled the end of the Renaissance beginning with the discoveries of the New World (1492) and Da Gama’s all-sea route to India (1497) and French King Charles VIII’s invasion of Italy (1494). Specifically, the book recounts the disastrous war between Venice and virtually all of Europe, fighting against her as the papacy-led League of Cambrai (1509-1510). It was La Serenissima’s most valiant hour. It is also the point in history when war changed forever, from noblemen taking each other for ransom to wholesale slaughter at long range by artillery and shoulder-fired gunpowder weapons.

Thank you, Thomas. I'm looking forward to Book 3 in The Venetians Trilogy, as I'm sure are your many fans. To all you adventurous readers out there, please give Thomas's books a try. You won't be disappointed!