Word Wenches

Interview with Janet Gover

Christina here and today I’m delighted to welcome Janet Gover to the blog! Janet is an Australian author who lives in the UK, but writes about her native country. She recently won the RWAust’s Romantic Book of the Year Award – for a mainstream novel with a strong romance running through it at this year’s RWA conference in Sydney with her book THE LIBRARY AT WAGTAIL RIDGE. Wench Anne was present and has kindly provided some photos of the occasion (thank you Anne!)

Janet and Anne

Welcome to the blog, Janet! It’s lovely to have you here. First of all, huge congratulations on winning the award! How did it feel when they announced your name and what does this award mean to you?

This was such a thrill. My journey to being an author started at a RWAust conference in Sydney in 199…  Oh dear. That does make me sound old. Nora Roberts was the guest speaker at that conference. I have always been such a fan of her work. I confess I did have a bit of a fan girl melt-down over her, which was so embarrassing. Meeting so many writers at the conference was such an inspiration. And now, to receive this award from the same organisation really is an honour.

When Tweaking isn't enough!

By Mary Jo

Today I'm happy to have my long-time friend and fellow cat lover Kathy Lynn Emerson here to talk about making an old book new again, and why she's done that in this case.  It's a delicious insight into how authors think, and why we do the things we do.  As for the cats, note the author photo, plus the candid snap below of Kathy and kitty napping together. <G>

First, about Kathy:  Kathy Lynn Emerson (aka Kaitlyn Dunnett and Kate Emerson) has had sixty-four books traditionally published and has self published others. She won the Agatha Award and was an Anthony and Macavity finalist for best mystery nonfiction of 2008 for How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries and was an Agatha Award finalist in 2015 in the best mystery short story category. In 2023 she won the Lea Wait Award for "excellence and achievement" as a Maine writer from the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance. She is currently working on creating new omnibus e-book editions of her backlist titles. Her website is www.KathyLynnEmerson.com.

 

An Interview with Sue Moorcroft

Christina here and today I'm delighted to have Sue Moorcroft as my guest.

Welcome back to the Word Wenches, Sue, it’s such a pleasure to have you here again!

Thank you very much for inviting me. I always enjoy the Word Wenches’ wonderful blog.

You have a new book out tomorrow, An Italian Island Summer, which I absolutely loved! Tell us a little bit about it, please.

Thank you! It’s set in Sicily, mainly on Ortigia, the old city of Siracusa, joined to the main city by two bridges. It’s a gorgeous place, with ruins such as Apollo’s Temple alongside the daily market. Ursula needs a fresh start, and via the mischievous meddling of her bonkers uncle Gerry, secures a morning job in a family-owned hotel to leave her afternoons free to study ceramic art. It’s quite a change from being a tattoo artist in Brighton, but after a drug assault in a nightclub that left her with trust issues, she’s keen to leave behind that life – and her ex-husband Stephan. She settles in at Residenza dei Tringali with Agata, Nanda and baby Marilù, until the son of the household, Alfio, returns home to help his family – only to find Ursula filling the role he’d seen for himself and even ensconced in the room he’d assumed he’d occupy.

Distrust soon turns to desire, but just when their affair is at its height … secrets of the past burst out to threaten their future.

An interview with Alissa Baxter

Mary Jo:

Today I'm interviewing my Regency writer friend, Alissa Baxter. She lives in South Africa so we first met online, but she inspired me to travel to South Africa twice to visit with her and her family, and once to speak to ROSA, the wonderful South African Romance Writers group. Yes, romance really is everywhere!

Alissa is having a very busy year, and will have four new Regencies published in 2023-- and ALL FOUR of the heroines are scientists!

Her first book of the year was The Baronet's Lady Biologist, the third in her Linfield Ladies Trilogy. And that is the author on the cover!  Alissa, can you tell us how you came to be your own cover model?

 

Guest Author Amanda McCabe dishes on Paris, Jazz . . . and Love!

Andrea here, and today I'm delighted to welcome my good friend Amanda McCabe to the Word Wenches to dish about A Manhattan Heiress in Paris, her new historical romance set in the 1920s. (fluttery sigh.) Amanda and I met many moons ago when we were both writing traditional Regency romances for Signet. She had since branched out into a variety of fabulously interesting time periods . . . so without further ado, let's hear what she has to say about how history inspires her writing!

You’ve started in Regency romance but have also written in a number of other time periods—Renaissance, Elizabethan, Victorian, Gilded Age Edwardian and the 1920s! Tell us a little bit about what draws you to exploring different eras.
 
I admit, I’m Amanda and I’m a history junkie!!  I’ve always been fascinated by the past, ever since I found a stash of Jane Austen and various Gothic romances/Heyer titles on my grandmother’s bookshelf.  (she was a history/book junkie, too!).  One author she collected especially was Barbara Cartland, and while even as a ten year old I had scorn for her whispery, stammering, wide-eyed heroines, I loved the historical settings she used.  Elizabethan, Regency, Victorian India, the theatrical world, Monaco casinos, smugglers in Cornwall, she had a bit of everything, and talked about them in author’s notes I devoured.  They sent me to the library to find non-fiction works where I could learn more.  So, strangely, I owe my love of history to—Barbara Cartland!

A Winner!

Anne, here, with a quick Sunday post to announce that Annette N. has been chosen to win the Christine Wells giveaway of her new book ONE WOMAN'S WAR: the story of the real Miss Moneypenny. She has been contacted privately.

Congratulations, Annette.

Thank you to Christine for visiting the wenches.

Thanks also to all those wenchly readers who contributed their suggestions of wonderful books in the discussion that followed Christine's interview.

One of the things I love about the wenchly community of readers is that we often have thoughtful and interesting discussions, and this was no exception. (My credit card thanks you also — so many excellent suggestions.)

If you want to find out more about Christine and her books, you can visit her website, follow her on facebook, or on Twitter.

Christine Wells and One Woman's War

Anne here, and today I'm interviewing Christine Wells, whose latest book, One Woman's War: A Novel of the Real Miss Moneypenny, is coming out next week. You can preorder it here.

Christine's books featuring strong, fascinating women have gained some wonderful reviews. “One Woman's War is a thrilling and suspenseful ride, perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Beatriz Williams and Natasha Lester. Inspired by historic events, this story will have readers on the edge of their seats. Christine Wells’ masterful characterisation and meticulous research have made for one of the best books of the year.” (Kelly Rimmer New York Times Bestselling Author of The German Wife)
Booklist: “An exciting story, well told.”

Anne: Christine, welcome back to the Word Wenches, it's lovely to see you here. (For those who haven't met Christine before, she's been interviewed by Nicola, Andrea, and now me. You can see our earlier interviews with her by clicking on those links.

Christine, after a very successful career writing Regency-era historical romance (as Christina Brooke) you've switched in recent years to writing historical novels, set around WW2. Apart from One Woman's War, there is Sisters of the Resistance: A Novel of Catherine Dior's Paris Spy Network, inspired by the real-life bravery of Catherine Dior, sister of the fashion designer and a heroine of World War II France. The Juliet Code is about a British agent and wireless operator in occupied Paris who was caught by the Germans.

A Winner

Anne here with a quick Sunday post to announce the winner of the giveaway of AM Stuart's book, Evil in Emerald.

The winner is Karin. Congratulations, Karin — there should be an email in your in-box announcing it.

Thank you to all of you who read the post and commented.

We wenches really appreciate our readers.

If you missed the interview with AM Stuart, it's here.

 

AM Stuart—Evil in Emerald

Anne here, and today I'm talking to Alison Stuart, who, as AM Stuart, writes historical crime set in 1910 Singapore, and as Alison Stuart writes Australian historical romance set in colonial Australia, and a variety of other historicals set in different time periods. You can find them listed on her website.

I interviewed Alison when her first historical crime novel, Singapore Sapphire, was published in the USA, and you can read that interview here.  

Her latest book, third in the series, is Evil in Emerald. But if you haven't read any of her books, you might want to start at the first in the series, Singapore Sapphire. 

Anne: Welcome back to the Word Wenches, Alison, and congratulations on the publication of the third Harriet Gordon and Inspector Curran story. The first title contained sapphires, the second rubies, and now we're onto emeralds. What's the significance?

Giving Thanks

by Mary Jo

Thanksgiving is a justly popular holiday because it involves family, friends, food, and no need to shop for presents. <G>  As you probably know, the holiday is a form of harvest festival so the origins are lost in the mists of time.  The difference between a good harvest or a bad one was literally life or death, so it made great sense to celebrate the bounty of the earth. 

I love Thanksgiving because it's secular and can be--and is!--celebrated by everyone, of all religious and ethnicities.  It's a time for families, but also for inviting friends, particularly those who might not have someone else to celebrate with.  Roast turkey is not mandatory. 

 

Farewell Blues

Farewell Blues: An Interview with Maggie Robinson

By Mary Jo

MJP: I'm delighted to welcome Maggie Robinson here today.  She started out in historical romance and is now writing historical mysteries.  She's here to discuss her recent release, Farewell Blues, fourth and last of her historical mystery Lady Adelaide series. 

Maggie, I've been enthralled by this series ever since you first told me the premise for book one, Nobody's Sweetheart Now.  Will you explain the setup of the series?  And tell us about the men in Addie's life!

MR:  I’m delighted to be here! Ah, the set up. It sounds…a little crazy. But I’m reminded of this description of The Wizard of Oz: “Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first person she meets, then teams up with three strangers to kill again.”

Boiled down to its basics, there’s a widowed marquess’s daughter, the ghost of her philandering yet fatally charming husband, and a handsome Anglo-Indian detective. They team up not to kill but find killers through four light-hearted cozy mysteries.  (Nobody's Sweetheart Now, Whose Sorry Now, Just Make Believe, and Farewell Blues.)

An Interview with Susanna Kearsley

Christina here and today it is my very great pleasure to welcome back Wench Emerita Susanna Kearsley to the blog to chat about her new novel, The Vanished Days, which will be published in the US on 5thOctober this year (and in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand next spring). It is a prequel and companion novel to The Winter Sea, and partly overlaps with the action in that book. It goes back in time to the 1680s and introduces the reader to the Moray and Graeme families.

 

I have had the honour of reading an ARC of this book, and as always, I was kept spellbound right to the end – it’s absolutely wonderful! It also gave me a very good excuse (as if I needed one!) to reread The Winter Sea, which is one of my all-time favourite novels.

 

Susanna welcome! Please can you give us a brief summary of what The Vanished Days is about and how you came to write it?

 

An Interview with Clare Marchant

Today it's my very great pleasure to welcome author Clare Marchant to the Word Wenches. Clare is a history addict and author of the USA Today bestseller The Secrets of Saffron Hall, a dual time historical mystery set in the present and the Tudor era. Clare joins us to talk about her new book, The Queen's Spy, history, research, writing and so much more!

Clare, welcome to the Word Wenches! Please tell us more about The Queen’s Spy – where did the genesis of the idea come from?

When I write a book I always do quite a detailed plan before I get started, I don’t like any surprises! But when I was writing The Secrets of Saffron Hall, one day Tom appeared in the still room with no prior warning and I instantly fell in love with him, this silent, solemn child. So when I started researching and planning The Queen’s Spy I knew that I wanted Tom to be the historical protagonist, to explore how his disability could then become his strength.

What drew you to write about the relationship between Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth 1^st?

I find Elizabeth and Mary fascinating. Cousins who never met and yet both with, to their eyes, a valid claim to the throne of England. If Henry VIII hadn’t split from the Catholic faith then the whole relationship between the two queens would have been quite different. But because he did so, the Catholic divisions of the nobility wouldn’t recognise either his marriage to Anne Boleyn nor Elizabeth as a legitimate heir. In their eyes Queen Mary was the successor to the English throne. With this warring backdrop there could only ever be one winner; so Mary was imprisoned for nineteen years, ultimately losing her head.

The hero of the historical thread of The Queen's Spy is Tom who is a deaf mute. It's a very interesting insight; how did you research this in a Tudor setting?

Well of course Tom just appeared as a deaf mute, he was always just a shadow hiding in the corners and it was lovely to be able to continue his story and see him grow into a strong independent man who could use his disability as a talent. I was lucky that whilst researching I discovered a piece of a primary research describing the wedding of a deaf-mute man which was just wonderful and I was able to use the actions described for Tom when he married. This then gave me an insight into how he would have used hand signs and signals in the rest of his life. Also, as I knew that they used wax tablets in Tudor times this was very useful for Tom to communicate! I can’t deny though that when I first started writing The Queen’s Spy I did question my decision on more than one occasion because it meant having to find ways of describing how Tom experienced things by just using the senses he had which made life difficult for me as a writer!

There is a fascinating understanding and knowledge of herbs in your books. Is this one of your own interests?

When I started planning Saffron Hall it was an article about the growing of saffron which first caught my interest and I realised it would be perfect for my story, and this then led on to other herbs and medicinal plants in the sixteenth century. And although I hadn’t known much about it at the time, I then became more fascinated and began to actively seek out monastic gardens where I could find the different herbs and how they were grown. I was delighted to discover that Hugh Morgan, the apothecary to Elizabeth 1^st had introduced vanilla (pictured!) to the Tudor court and who better to have brought it to the palace originally than Tom Lutton?!

Tell us how you research your books.

When I first set about writing a new book, I only ever have a couple of tiny threads of ideas, and I start to weave these together so
they begin to form something akin to a plot. From this I usually have a long list of questions that need answering and I dive into the research books for about two months following rabbit holes as they lead me far away from the original subject! But whilst I am doing that, I slowly begin to piece together little snippets, events and people that form the backbone of the book, and then I can weave my own protagonist into the story. When I was researching The Queen’s Spy, as well as finding the lovely wedding report, I also discovered that during the Babington Plot there was a man in a blue coat who delivered a letter to Babington and is believed to have been one of Walsingham’s men – which is why I gave Tom a blue coat! And the part where Babington hid in Robert Pooley’s house and wasn’t discovered by the guards did indeed happen. For me, using all these real events help to bring the story alive.

Castle Acre priory, in the photo, is one of my favourite places to visit, (the castle at one end of the village and a wonderful monastic ruin at the other!) where they have a lot of information about the monks herbal medications and the ruins of an infirmary, and also a picture of the vanilla flower which has to be germinated by hand in this country because the bees that can germinate them are only found in certain hot parts of the world (hence why Tom couldn't ever manage to produce the pods himself - I really do find out all sorts of weird things whilst researching!).

What is it about writing dual timeline that appeals, and how do I weave the two together to make such a satisfying whole?

I really enjoy both writing and reading dual timeline. I love that the two stories begin with nothing in common but slowly they begin to reveal that even living five hundred years apart they are connected. I do this through both an object that is discovered and also a theme which connects the two timelines. Despite the years that separate the two protagonists, human relationships and emotions are still the same and I enjoy bringing this out in both story lines.

Tell us about your path to publication.

I joined the Romantic Novelist Association in 2016 under the amazing and supportive New Writers Scheme. I then proceeded to absorb all the incredible wisdom and help from the other members until in 2019 I had a 1-2-1 at the RNA conference with an agent who subsequently signed me. Whilst that was all happening, I had submitted The Secrets of Saffron Hall to Avon and four weeks after hitting ‘send’ on the email, I received an offer of a contract! So, I ended up with an agent and a publishing contract in the space of a couple of weeks, and eighteen months later I still have to pinch myself sometimes!

What is your writing process and what does a writing day looks like to you?

I’m very regimented when it comes to writing, it’s my job and I treat it that way. I sit down at my desk between eight and nine o’clock and (if I’m in the writing stage) write 1000 words, have a short break and then write another 1000 words. That usually takes me to about lunchtime, and after lunch there are always bits and bobs to do for social media and often some pieces of research to be done. I don’t like to stop mid flow to look details up, so I make a note and do the research later and add it in.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

The best advice I was ever given is the simple one of sitting down and writing, even if just a little every day. And to keep going even through the bits when you feel like giving up or you’ve had an idea for a new book which suddenly seems all shiny and exciting. By doing this you will eventually have a first draft and then you can start editing, knocking into shape. But you can’t edit a blank page so you need to keep getting those words down first!

Please tell us a little bit about your next book.

I’m now knee deep in writing the new book – what can I tell you about it? We’re back at the Elizabethan court, it’s another dual timeline this time set in both England and Holland. There’s sailing on the high seas, death, danger, and ultimately facing up to fears and truths.

We're looking forward to it very much! Thank you, Clare, for joining us on the Word Wenches today.

Buy links for The Queen's Spy are here:

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3imzoaD

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3xRyGIU

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3ijDNLG 

Waterstones: https://bit.ly/36H2uvY

You can find Clare on social media here:

Facebook: ClareMarchantAuthor

Twitter: ClareMarchant1

Instagram: ClareMarchant1

If you have any questions for Clare about her books, history or writing, jump in and ask!

Clare is giving away a copy of The Queen's Spy to one lucky commenter between now and midnight on Tuesday. Her question for you is, "If you had to choose to support either Mary Queen of Scots or Elizabeth I in the struggle for the throne, which team would you be on? Or would you be the mediator, trying to bring peace to the divided kingdoms?"

 

An Interview with Christina Courtenay!

Nicola here, and today it is my very great pleasure to be interviewing the Word Wenches' very own Christina Courtenay about her new book Whispers of the Runes which is published tomorrow in the UK in print, e-book and audio, and in North America in ebook and audio with the print edition to follow in September.

Christina, welcome to the Word Wenches as a guest rather than a contributor today! It's very exciting to be chatting to you about Whispers of the Runes, which is book 3 in your highly-acclaimed and hugely successful Viking Runes series but also works brilliantly as a stand alone book. It's difficult to choose favourites from among the books in this series because they have all been wonderful but this may be the one I enjoyed the most!

Tell us more about this particular story and how it fits into the series.

Christina: This book features the best friend of the heroine from book 2, and also the middle brother of the hero of that story.

When jewellery designer Sara is propelled back to the ninth century, after cutting herself on a Viking knife she uncovers at an archaeological dig, she is quick to accept what has happened to her because this is not the first she’s heard of time travel. Although acutely aware of the danger she faces when she loses the knife – and with it her way to return to her own time – this is also the opportunity of a lifetime. What better way to add authenticity to the Viking and Anglo-Saxon motifs used in her designs than to study the real thing?

As luck has it, the first person Sara encounters is Rurik Eskilsson, a Viking and fellow silversmith who is also no stranger to the concept of time travel. Agreeing that Sara can accompany him to Jorvik, they embark on a journey even more perilous than one through time. But Fate has brought these two kindred spirits together across the ages for a reason and it takes them a while to figure out what that is …

Your research is amazing, so much depth and fascinating detail that is dropped into the story lightly but enriches it so much. I loved the way that you incorporated such wonderful silversmithing and jewellery design details into the story and the way that their skill and shared interest in jewellery design was such a bond between Rurik and Sara. Please tell us more about that element of the book.

Christina: Thank you! The hero, Rurik, had already appeared in the previous book, and as he was a silversmith, I thought it would be fun for the heroine Sara to be a jewellery maker/designer as well, although obviously she’s used to 21^st century techniques. It gave them something in common, but was also the perfect opportunity for conflict between them as they’ll go about things differently and won’t always agree on the best way. I decided to have her specialise in Viking and Anglo-Saxon designs so that actually ending up in the 9^th century and staying there would be an opportunity she can’t resist. I love jewellery myself and doing research on silversmithing was definitely no hardship! I was supposed to have done a one-day course in order to try it out, but sadly that was cancelled because of Covid. Luckily, the lady running it was able to answer my questions via email instead (and I hope to do the course at a later date). And I might have bought one or two items as well in the name of research …

There were actually many different styles of Viking jewellery, depending on which era they are from. I prefer the so called Urnes
style myself, although that belongs to a later period so unfortunately I couldn’t use that for my characters.

I would agree that buying a few items for yourself is essential research! Your depth of knowledge of the era is one of the reasons your books always create such a vivid historical world. How do you research the Viking background and do you have any favourite discoveries from your research?

Christina: It’s been a long process of collecting all the information I could possibly find about the Vikings – their history, culture, customs, clothing, food, housing etc. I’ve read countless books, watched TV programmes and YouTube videos, spoken to experts and read scientific articles, and I have visited as many museums as I could. I’ve travelled in Sweden, Denmark and the UK, and most recently I’ve been to Iceland as well. There are so many wonderful museums telling the story of the Vikings and highlighting various aspects of their society and I’ve enjoyed them all.

I think my favourite discovery has to do with the Viking ships though – I get terribly seasick but when I took a trip round Roskilde harbour in a reconstructed longship, I found out that it was a very smooth ride and I was absolutely fine. In Iceland, there is another museum dedicated to a reconstructed longship and the information there explained how they were built so cunningly that they could easily cut through enormous waves without becoming swamped. I am in complete awe at their boat-building skills!

Your books shine a light on the role of women in Viking society. Could you tell us some more about this fascinating subject?

Christina: Viking women were valued for being intelligent and hardworking. They were equal partners in running a farm and had charge of all things domestic. If the husband had to go away for any length of time, the wife was trusted to manage everything in his absence. He didn’t leave another man in charge in his stead because that wasn’t necessary.

Most of them expected to marry – not for romantic reasons, but purely practical. Marriage gave a woman social status and economic security, and family connections and kinship on both sides were extremely important in Viking society. If, by any chance, a marriage didn’t work out, the woman could divorce her husband so they had rights that the ladies of other countries had to wait nearly a millennium to gain!

Rurik, the hero of Whispers of the Runes, is no stranger to the concept of time travel and this was a refreshing change in this genre. What do you enjoy about writing timeslip and time travel books?

Christina: With timeslip (or dual time) books, I love the fact that you get two love stories for the price of one. I also enjoy the challenge of trying to connect them and keep the reader invested in both timelines – not always easy! Time travel stories are a bit different and I like that I can have a lot of fun with the characters as they try to adapt to each others’ centuries and ideas (sometimes unwillingly). Throwing a person into a situation where they are completely out of their depth really shows you their true character. There can be clashes on all sorts of subjects, as well as the discovery of shared beliefs and values, which might surprise them.

Would you be open to the idea of travelling in time yourself? If so, where would you go and what would you want to do?

Christina: I would only want to do this if I had a guaranteed way back and it was for a very limited time period. Also, I would need to know exactly what year and where I was going to. No point ending up in Salem, Massachusetts during the witch trials for example! I think that if it actually happened for real, it would be quite terrifying so I’m not sure I’d like to go alone either. And I’d want to make sure I brought enough gold or silver to buy myself out of any sticky situations – being poor in the past was definitely not a good thing.

That's very well thought through - you've obviously considered it thoroughly! Perhaps some of us could form a time travelling consortium and make the trips together! or if not there is always the books...

Can you give us a few hints about the next book in the series?

Christina: Yes, it’s called TEMPTED BY THE RUNES and will be out in December of this year. It’s the story of Maddie, the younger sister of Linnea (heroine of Book 2) and Geir, younger brother of Rurik and the hero of Book 2, Hrafn. When Maddie happens to find a small knife with runes on the handle, she knows exactly what it represents – the chance for her to time travel and have her own adventures in the past. Unfortunately for her, the brief visit turns into a somewhat longer one, and when she meets Geir he becomes determined to persuade her to stay for good ...

Thank you so much for telling us more about Whispers of the Runes, Christina, and very best wishes for publication day tomorrow! You can find out more about Christina's book on her website here. To buy a copy of Whispers of The Runes, click here!

Feel free to ask Christina anything about Whispers of the Runes, her books, writing, research and of course those fascinating Vikings!

Christina's question for you is this: "Are you a jewellery fan? What sort of items are your favourites?" One lucky commenter between now and midnight Thursday will win a signed copy of Whispers of the Runes!

Rita Boucher

The Return of Rita Boucher!

by Mary Jo

Today I'm interviewing Regency writer Rita Boucher.  Rita and I are old friends, fellow Baltimorans as well as being veterans of the golden age of traditional Regencies.  Her books were always charming and original, so I was delighted when she told me she was revising and reissuing her Regencies. (Something I'd advocated for over the years!)

So welcome to the Word Wenches, Rita!  What was it like to revisit and revise your earlier stories? 

RB: Thanks so much for asking me to be here and for urging me to get back to writing. 

It was somewhat scary at first, I admit. I was afraid that the work would not stand up to the test of time, but once I pulled them off my shelf, I was both relieved and happy to find that my books were still fun to read. As I went through the revisions, there were a few tweaks that made them even better, things that I would have loved to do initially but couldn’t, since the publishing process back then was the equivalent of written in stone.

 

WRITING CLOWN SUITS

I’m working on the last book of my School of Magic series, currently under the title of Captivating the Countess (I’m hoping by writing this here I’ll finally commit to a title. Those of you who read my newsletter will note that I’ve been struggling with the previous title of The Duke’s Magic because the marquess is the hero). This book is basically an aristocratic house party in a house as large as Chatsworth—with ghosts. Unlike Christina Courtenay, I have no need to research house plans. I love making up my own, and I’ve visited enough old houses over the decades to have a fairly good knowledge of what goes where, if it absolutely must.  

Meet Alison Stuart

Anne here, introducing Alison Stuart, a fellow Australian writer and a former President and lifetime member of RWAustralia.
After publishing a number of historicals in a variety of time periods and settings, Alison has recently branched into two new areas; Australian set historicals published by Harlequin Mira (Australia) and, as A.M. Stuart, two historical crime novels set in 1910 Singapore, published by Berkley USA.

Anne: Alison, after writing historical romance and historical novels, what drew you to writing historical crime?

Alison: Thank you so much for inviting me to join the wonderful Word Wenches, particularly as the answer to your question is one of your number. I will be eternally grateful to the wonderful Mary Jo Putney for sowing the seed… We were having a writerly chat over dinner and the topic of reading matter came up. Mary Jo asked me what I liked to read and my answer was ‘crime and mystery’… ‘So why don’t you write it?’ came the response. That got me thinking and I realized I had already been writing it in the guise of historical romance (both Lord Somerton’s Heir and Gather the Bones are probably as much mystery as romance) and it was fun so I should probably give it a proper go!

Meet Wench Guest - Helen Hollick!

Nicola here. Today it's my huge pleasure to welcome to the blog historical novelist Helen Hollick. Helen has a rich and varied writing (and life!) experience, summed up in her own words as: “I wrote pony stories as a teenager, moved to science-fiction and fantasy, and then discovered historical fiction. Published for over twenty years with my Arthurian Pendragon’s Banner Trilogy, and the 1066 era book Harold The King (UK title)/I Am the Chosen King (US title), I became a USA Today bestseller with Forever Queen.” Helen also writes the Sea Witch Voyages, pirate-based fantasy adventures, so if you enjoy the Pirates of the Caribbean films, they should be right up your street (or quayside)!

Today, Helen is going to talk about a fascinating subject, the question of what makes writers write. Maybe we all have different answers to this and it will be interesting to see in the comments what everyone thinks. She also speaks up very fervently and persuasively for the hero that was Harold Godwinson and transports us to Saxon England.

Over to Helen, who asks: Why Do We Do It?

Just Make Believe! An interview with Maggie Robinson

by Mary Jo

I'm happy to welcome Maggie Robinson back to the Word Wenches!  Today's blog is not a suggested mental exercise, but the title of her new book, Just Make Believe, third in her delightful Lady Adelaide historical mystery series.  I've been hooked since she mentioned the first Lady Adelaide story to me: Nobody's Sweetheart Now.

Set in the 1920s, the series features Lady Adelaide, the wealthy widow of a philandering war hero, a handsome Detective Inspector who is a half Indian--and Rupert, ghost of Addie's late husband who is trying to work his way into heaven by doing good deeds. He has an annoying tendency to drift into her bedchamber while she's dressing and criticize her choices of costume. <G>

MJP: Maggie, can you tell us more about the series and what you had in mind when you created it?

 

Word Wench Anniversary Ball

Compiled by Mary Jo

This year, we're holding a ball!  Each Wench will bring one of her favorite heroes. (Not the favorite, because how can one choose just one from among so many fabulous men?  <G>)  

I'm wearing the burgundy velvet gown I was married in, but I'm not the star of this occasion!  That would be Lord Ross Carlisle, hero of one of my earlier books, Silk and Secrets, second in my Silk Trilogy.  Though by nature he's rather reserved and scholarly, he's also deeply interested in all kinds of people and distant places.  Which is why he became one of those amazingly intrepid early Victorian explorers who crossed mountains and deserts and dared all kinds of dangers to explore the mysteries of the unknown. 

Ross was on his last expedition to Central Asia when he discovered his beloved, long estranged wife Juliet Cameron.  Together they risk the lethal journey to Bokhara in hopes of rescuing her brother--and in the process they discover each other again.  Ross and Juliet are generally inseparable, but she's starting the evening by joining a group of other wives in the library where they can sip brandy and claret and catch up on each other's news. 

I've now published Silk and Secrets as an e-book and later this year there will be an audio edition narrated by Siobhan Waring.  I chose this illustration from the NAL first edition because it's one of my all time favorite covers  and Ross and Juliet both look so gorgeous,  They are also dancing, though not anything you'd see in an English ballroom!  Ross, endlessly interested in all kinds of people, is looking forward to meeting the tribe of Wenches and our companions!

 

 

We have a winner!

Anne here.

Our most recent guest, Bronwyn Parry, appeared on the blog recently, discussing Regency-era fabrics, costume, and her new book,THE CLOTHIER'S DAUGHTER.

She also offered a giveaway to someone who left a comment. The winner of the book is Janice, who has been contacted privately.

Congratulations, Janice. 

Thank you to all those who visited the blog and read the interview, and thank you to all those who took the trouble to leave a comment. We do appreciate it.

And a special thank you to Bronwyn for visiting the wenches, sharing her knowledge and offering this giveaway.

Meet Bronwyn Parry

Anne here, and today I'm interviewing Bronwyn Parry.
Bronwyn is best known for her romantic suspense novels, published in Australia by Hachette. She's received a swag of awards; she won RWAmerica's Golden Heart, and in 2008 that became her first published novel As Darkness Falls. She's a two time RITA finalist, for Dark Country and Dead Heat, which were also listed in the Daphne du Maurier award for romantic suspense. And three of her novels (Dark Country, Dead Heat, and Storm Clouds) have won an Australian Romance Readers’ award for best Australian romantic suspense novel.

She lives with her husband in rural NSW, and regularly posts photos of costumes, kangaroos and dogs on her FaceBook page.  
Now, Bron has moved into the Regency-era with The Clothier's Daughter, a move that's not a huge surprise to those of us who know about her passion for history and for historical costume — not just how it looks, but how it was made and how it was worn. She volunteers in a small local museum and has conducted several workshops on historical textiles at national RWA conferences in Australia. Bron has also taught herself to pen letters using a quill and will dress up in costume to do so. 

Anne: Welcome to the Word Wenches, Bronwyn. Tell us a little about your passion for costume and what you do at your local museum.

Welcome to the New Wench

Anne here, and today I'm delighted to introduce you to our newest wench — Christina Courtenay.

Christina is an award-winning, bestselling author of sweeping historical romances, regencies, time slip/time travel novels, and young adult novels, among others. She has won several awards, twice winning the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014), and won the Big Red Reads Historical Fiction Award with The Scarlet Kimono.

She also chaired the RNA (Romantic Novelists Association) in the UK from 2013-2015. (Read an interview here.) Naturally she is friends with wench Nicola, but she's also very good friends with our departing wench, Susanna. Here's a photo of the two of them together at an RNA event some years ago.

I first came across Christina's books five years ago, when Nicola mentioned one of her books, saying that it was set partly in Asia, something that always interests me. I bought Trade Winds, read it, and immediately glommed the rest of her backlist. I loved her big sweeping stories where Scottish and Swedish people found love and adventure in Japan and other parts of Asia.

Christina: Thank you Anne, so glad you enjoyed them, and I’m hugely honoured to have been asked to join the Word Wenches! I have been a fan ever since Susanna first told me to seek out this blog many years ago (thank you, Susanna, great advice!) so to actually be a part of it is just amazing.

Anne: Christina, you had something of an adventurous youth yourself; born in England, raised in Sweden and then, when you were sixteen, your family moved to Japan. What was that like?

In Conversation with Christina Courtenay

Nicola here. Today it is my very great pleasure to welcome back to the blog one of our favourite Wench guests: Christina Courtenay. Christina is an award-winning author of historical romantic fiction and in particular time slip and time travel romance in the great tradition of Barbara Erskine and Susanna Kearsley so it's no wonder her books are an auto-buy for me and will appeal to a lot of Wench readers too! Her latest novel, Echoes of the Runes, is set in the present day and in the vivid 9th century world of the Vikings, and she is here today to tell us more about the book.

Christina, welcome back to the Wenches! Echoes of the Runes is getting some wonderful reviews and rightly so! Please tell us about the book.

Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say!  Echoes of the Runes is a Viking timeslip/dual time novel set mostly in Sweden, both in the present and the past. It tells the story of Ceri, a Welsh noblewoman who is taken hostage by a Viking, Haukr inn hvíti (“the White Hawk”), in 869AD. Back in the present day, an archaeological dig at her late grandmother’s home leads Mia Maddox to uncover secrets of the past which will influence her life in ways she could not have imagined. As the present begins to echo the past, and enemies threaten, they will all have to fight to protect what has become most precious to each of them.

Sulari Gentill

Anne here, and today it's a privilege and a pleasure to have the wonderful Australian historical crime writer, Sulari Gentill, visit us for the second time.

Anne:   welcome back to the Word Wenches, Sulari. When you were last here, you were about to embark on a tour of the USA with three other Australian crime writers. (See photo on the right.)  That seemed to go really well, but then you were plunged into the horrors of the recent Australian bushfires, with your home, family and animals at risk, you and your younger son and the dogs evacuated, while your husband and eighteen year old son, both members of the RFS (Rural Fire Service — a Volunteer Firefighters Organization) stayed back to fight the fires. They were on the fire front in trucks that were melting, facing flames that were sixty metres (200 ft) high — in what seemed an endless, impossible battle. (Listen to Sulari describing in her own eloquent words what it was like to live through.)

It must have been an appalling time for you. We Wenches were following your situation on Facebook and elsewhere and, like the rest of the world, felt helpless and horrified. (Read the NYT article about it.)

You've emerged with your family intact, your house smoke-damaged but (just) intact and the rest of the farm burned. And yet, you've gone on to help others with the post-fire clear up, start on the rebuilding and replanting of your own farm, and still somehow managed to keep writing.

Coming on Friday

Anne here. On Friday  I'm interviewing the wonderful Sulari Gentill, writer of excellent historical mysteries. Sulari's books first appeared in our monthly "What We're Reading" posts, then we interviewed her just prior to a US book tour she was doing with three other authors.

She came back home to the dreadful Australian bushfires and faced up to them incredibly close and personal, with the world around her burning and her husband and eighteen year old son fighting the fires for days on end, while Sulari and her dogs were evacuated, having to wait, helplessly, not knowing whether she had a home, or a husband and son. We wenches watched her facebook page in horror as events unfolded.   You might have read about them in the New York Times —that's her husband mentioned in the first line of the article. You can listen to Sulari herself talking about it here. 

Now she has a new book out —TESTAMENT OF CHARACTER—and the Wenches are delighted to welcome her back.

Stay tuned for the interview on Friday. Leave a comment and you'll be in the draw for one of Sulari's books. See you then.

Drawing Writing Inspiration from Family History with Elizabeth St.John

Nicola here. Today I welcome historical author Elizabeth St.John to the Word Wenches. I first met Elizabeth at the Historical Novel Conference in Oxford a few years ago. I confess to stalking her a little (in a completely non-sinister way!) because I knew she had a family connection to Lydiard Park, the glorious 18^th century stately home in Swindon near where I live, and I was desperate to meet her and chat about Lydiard and its history. It’s been a huge pleasure to get to know Elizabeth and discover her writing. Her books are set in the 17^th century, in an intensely turbulent period of English history, and they are intricate, immersive and beautifully-written. I’ve just started reading Written In Their Stars and I am hooked. Elizabeth evokes a rich historical world that draws you in from the very start of the book. Here she is to tell us more about her writing.

Elizabeth, welcome to the Word Wench Blog! Please tell us about your personal connection to the family you are writing about.

The St.John family in The Lydiard Chronicles share a common great-grandmother with me: Margaret Beauchamp, who was also grandmother to Henry VII. The seventeenth century family thought she was a very useful ancestor to increase their standing in society, and didn’t hesitate to use their “royal connection” to further their position. Sir John St.John, the First Baronet, was particularly enthralled, and thus commissioned the Polyptych in 1615, which stands in St. Mary’s Church at Lydiard Park. It’s an extraordinary monument, full of beautiful portraits which inspired my work—plus a gorgeous family tree, complete with Margaret at the top.

A Winner

 

Anne here, with a quick Sunday post, to let you know that a winner had been picked for the Jennifer Kloester boon, JANE AUSTEN'S GHOST.

That winner is Annette N, who has already been notified privately.

Thanks to all of you who read the post and to those of you who also left a comment.

We at Word Wenches really appreciate you. 

Thanks also to Dr Jennifer Kloester for being a Word Wench guest.

Jennifer Kloester and Jane Austen's Ghost

Anne here, and today I'm interviewing a guest, Dr. Jennifer Kloester, who many of you will know as the authorized biographer of Georgette Heyer. She's been on Word Wenches before, here and here and here, but this time she's visiting as the author of a  new novel, Jane Austen's Ghost. It's been described thus "Magic and adventure abound in this genre-bending contemporary-historical paranormal romance with a Regency twist." 

Here's the blurb:

With her life a mess, Cassandra Austin seeks refuge in Winchester with her eccentric great-aunt – but Aunty B has problems of her own. Ghost problems.

Cassie doesn’t believe in ghosts but she’ll do anything to help the only person who’s ever loved her. Besides, a simple spell in the cathedral crypt couldn’t do any harm, could it? Well, except for the two-hundred-year-old curse on Jane Austen, that is. 

Overnight, life is suddenly a whole lot weirder and it’s up to Cassie to save the day with the help of a dour Bishop, two literary geniuses, a couple of wise-cracking geriatrics and the enigmatic Oliver Carling.

Anne: Welcome to the WordWenches, Jen. What inspired you to write a story about Jane Austen's ghost?

Jen: Actually, Anne, in a way it was you! You might remember the Jane Austen conference we went to in Canberra a few years ago. I was sitting beside you when an internal door behind the podium opened for no apparent reason and I leaned over to you and whispered "Jane Austen's Ghost"! You smiled at me and nodded. That night I dreamed about Jane Austen and the following morning I wrote the first half dozen sentences of what is now the first chapter of the book. Of course, it also helps that I love Jane Austen's novels as well as Georgette Heyer's AND so many of the Regency novels that have followed. I think that over the years I've absorbed a lot of Regency storytelling so perhaps it was inevitable that I write a novel with its own special Regency element.

Anne: Tell us about Jane Austen's Ghost.

A winner!

Anne here with a quick Sunday post.

A winner —Margot—has been chosen from all the lovely people who left a comment on the interview with Sulari Gentill. Margot has been contacted privately.

The answer to the "bon bon" question was, as so many knew, Cary Grant.

Archibald Alec Leach was born in Bristol, UK, performed with a theatrical acrobatic troupe, came to the USA at the age of sixteen, touring with the troupe. He stayed on in the USA to perform in vaudeville and in 1931 was signed up in Hollywood to become an actor in the movies—and changed his name to Cary Grant. 

Thanks to all who read the interview and those who also left comments on the blog. And thanks again to Sulari Gentill for being such a lovely guest.