Interview with Deborah Swift, author of The Lady's Slipper

Hello everyone! Today I have the pleasure of hosting Deborah Swift, author of The Lady's Slipper, an intriguing novel of an elusive orchid and the risks one woman takes to claim the orchid for her own purpose (read my review here.) Thank you Deborah for giving us all a deeper look into your delightful novel!

pic. by Jonathan Bean

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When did you first discover The Lady's Slipper orchid and how did its discovery inspire you?

I was out for a walk with a friend and completely by surprise we came across a man in a white tent who was guarding the "Lady's-slipper"orchid. I had never heard of it, for at that time there was just a single flower remaining growing wild. The british conservation agency "English Nature" had put a guard on it whilst it was flowering to deter vandals and collectors. When we stopped in front of it, I was taken with how beautiful and showy the flower was, and it occurred to me that probably generations of people must have stopped exactly where I stood and gazed at it with the same sense of awe at its strangeness and fragility. I thought it so sad that it might become lost to future generations.

At first I wanted to write a poem about it, but then I began to imagine a woman in long skirts standing on that very spot - and the idea for a novel was born! I chose the seventeenth century as it was a time of great conflict in every strata of society.


Ella was such a conniving and manipulative character. Did Thomas ever understand her true motives towards the end?

In the novel I leave this ambiguous, for the reader to decide. My own view is that he did finally come to understand her, but only when it was too late for him to act to repair the damage she had done. And I don't think Ella herself truly comprehends yet why she is so angry with the world and her place in it - it was something I wanted to explore more fully in another book.


At the end of the book, Alice found that her precious orchid was not so rare in the new world. How rare is The Lady's Slipper today?

The site of the original plant is still a closely guarded secret, but scientists at Kew Gardens here in the UK have finally managed to clone and propagate the original plant from seed, after many years of trying. I have followed the process with interest as new seedlings were grown in culture solution in the lab. More recently they have been planted out by lady volunteers (in honour of their name) in carefully assessed limestone habitats. Nowadays though the slugs are as much of a menace as greedy herbalists, and have to be kept away with pellets! By a strange coincidence the trial batch of the new generation of plants began to come into flower the very weekendThe Lady's Slipper was launched in the UK - a very special moment.

So yes, still rare. It will be many more generations before the Lady's-slipper colonies are established enough to look after themselves.


What can readers expect next from you?

My new novel The Gilded Lily will be published by Macmillan in the UK next year. It tells Ella's story directly following the events of The Lady's Slipper. In it we get to know more about Ella through the eyes of her younger sister Sadie. Set in the smoke and coffee houses of Restoration London Ella and Sadie begin in the fashionable world of glitter and glamour. But soon they fall on hard times in one of England's harshest winters, and have to fight their way through a hostile underworld of robbery, prostitution and murder in pursuit of safety, love and happiness.


This being your debut novel, do you have any fresh advice for aspiring authors?

Just to keep writing, that's the hardest part - to keep writing, enjoy what you write and believe in yourself. I loved researching and writing both The Lady's Slipper andThe Gilded Lily, and I am now enjoying writing my third. These days it is hard for new novelists to get published so you might as well love what you write and entertain yourself! Networks of other writers to support you can be helpful too - try She Writes Good luck!

Writers can contact me on my blog The Riddle of Writing www.deborahswift.blogspot.com or find me on my website www.deborahswift.co.uk.

Interview with Carol Carr, author of India Black

Today I am pleased to have Carol Carr, author of the new release India Black, here on Confessions and Ramblings of a Muse in the Fog. India Black can be found in bookstores around the country today! Now without further delay, here is my interview with Carol:

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE INDIA BLACK? IS IT A ROMANCE, A MYSTERY, OR AN HISTORICAL THRILLER? 
It has elements of all those genres. I’d describe it as a caper novel, involving action, adventure, humor, and some episodes of derring-do involving a hero and heroine who shouldn’t be attracted to each other, but are.


YOUR HEROINE, INDIA BLACK, IS SOMEWHAT UNCONVENTIONAL. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO WRITE ABOUT A PROSTITUTE? 
Years ago I read the Flashman series by George Macdonald Fraser, which featured a cowardly, drunken, womanizer as the protagonist. He lived through some of the most interesting events of the Victorian era and through a series of hilarious situations, from which he emerged as a hero, eventually knighted by the Queen. I enjoyed the books so much that the idea formed of creating a female counterpart to Harry Flashman. India Black, however, is not half the scoundrel Flashman was. But she is strong-willed and opinionated, and she is not ashamed to own a brothel, as long as it’s a money-making proposition. She’s also got a thirst for adventure.

Actually, India demanded that I tell her story. Once she appeared in my head, I knew there was no way to get rid of her except to write her out of there.

IS THE PLOT INSPIRED BY ACTUAL EVENTS OR IS IT ENTIRELY FICTIONAL? 
The background of the novel is factually correct. The Turks did massacre Christian peasants who refused to pay taxes, and the Christians in turn massacred their Muslim neighbors. This would probably have not aroused much indignation, as those sorts of things had been going on for centuries in the Ottoman Empire, except the British politician William Gladstone began agitating for an invasion to stop the massacres. This alarmed the Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, who was aware that British investors had invested heavily in Turkish bonds and an invasion would mean the loss of millions of pounds. The Russians didn’t help matters any; they were chomping at the bit to invade to secure a warm water port on the Black Sea. It’s also true that Disraeli publicly committed the British army to fight the Russians, without realizing that the military was hopelessly undermanned. I don’t believe that information was ever stolen from a dead body in a brothel, but India is convinced it was.


WHILE DOING RESEARCH FOR THE NOVEL, DID YOU COME ACROSS ANYTHING UNUSUAL OR EXCITING THAT MADE YOUR DAY? 
I was amused to learn that Gladstone, while being an ardent Christian, spent many nights walking the streets of London trying to “convert” prostitutes. He apparently enjoyed tormenting himself with temptation, and would return to his home (his wife being apparently occupied elsewhere) to write up his accounts of the women he’d met that night, and how many times he’d been “tempted” during their conversation.



INDIA BLACK IS THE FIRST OF A SERIES. WHAT’S NEXT FOR HER? 
The second book in the series is tentatively entitled India Black and the Widow of Windsor. I’ve delivered it to my editor, and I’d anticipate that it will be published sometime in 2012. On her next outing, India must protect the life of a Very Important Person at the castle at Balmoral (subtle hint as to the identity of said VIP), with assistance from Vincent and French.



DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE TO GIVE TO ASPIRING WRITERS? 
First I wrote a book that was so horrible I didn’t send it to any agents. Then my second book (a conventional mystery featuring a female deputy sheriff with a pot-growing mother) found an agent, but no publisher. India Black is my third book. I think the inference is clear: persist. You may not be successful on your first attempt, but you should not let that deter you. The more you write, the more you learn about writing. It may take several attempts to find the story you’re meant to tell, but the only way you will find it is to keep putting the words on paper.

Don’t let rejection bother you. You’ll get a lot of it.

Read the classics and read the classics in the genre in which you write. The more I’ve read, the more I’ve learned about writing.

And finally (and perhaps the most important thing of all), buy the best ergonomically-designed chair you can afford. Your back will thank you.

Thanks, Svea, for giving me this opportunity to talk to your readers. They can visit me at http://www.carolkcarr.com if they would like to learn more about me and India.

Many thanks Carol, for stopping by! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for your next novel!

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Want to learn more about India Black? Be sure to check back soon for my review!

Author Interview: Christy English talks about The Queen's Pawn

Today I am happy to bring you the very talented Christy English, author of The Queen's Pawn, which you can read my review for here: The Queen's Pawn review. 

Thank you Christy, for giving "Confessions and Ramblings of a Muse in the Fog" a deeper look into your exciting novel!

The Queens Pawn is told from both Alais and Eleanor's perspective. Did you enjoy writing from one of their perspectives more? If so, why?
I loved writing from both of their perspectives. They are such different women, coming from such different backgrounds and experiences. Eleanor was born knowing her own strength, while Alais in my novel is just beginning to know hers. Both women kept me fascinated from page one all the way to the end.


What inspired you to write about Alais and Eleanor?
I first saw THE LION IN WINTER when I was in high school, but I didn’t think much about those characters again until I had moved to New York and was wondering what in the world my next book was going to be. That’s when Alais showed up…she tiny, quiet voice said, “Remember the princess from THE LION IN WINTER? I want to share her side of the story.” I sat down the next week and got to work on THE QUEEN’S PAWN. When a character shows up, I listen. Which is why they keep showing up. Thank God.


During the novel, King Henry tells Alais a couple times that she has changed. What change did he see in her and did she realize what it was?
Henry saw her strength beginning to be born. He saw her ruthlessness, and her ability to be a political player at a time when most women sat on the sidelines and did nothing. For Alais to emerge from the convent and strike out on her own, even with some training from Eleanor, made Alais an extraordinary woman.


Eleanor has a very different opinion about religion compared to Alais. What caused this strong opinion and was this a trait Eleanor had in real life?
We do not know for certain what Eleanor of Aquitaine really thought about anything, because if she wrote anything down, nothing of that survived. I took the liberty of making her position on religion the polar opposite of Alais’. I did not do this on my own, though. The character of Eleanor as I conceived her was very clear on the fact that she felt that religion was to control the masses, not for those in power.


While doing research for The Queen's Pawn, did you come across anything special or exciting that really made your day?
Knowing that Eleanor of Aquitaine within her lifetime endowed many monasteries and abbeys. When I found that bit of knowledge, I did not think, “Oh, what a pious lady.” I thought, “Oh, what a fabulous spy network.” That may say more about me than the historical Eleanor.


Is there any advise you can give for aspiring authors?
Keep writing. Stay in the chair until you find your voice. Because no one else can tell your story. You are the only one. Stick with the work, even in the dark times, even when it is hard, no matter what anyone else says, until you are able to tell the story you are given.

Svea, thank you so much for hosting me on your site and for reading my book. These questions are wonderful. I have really enjoyed my time with you.

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If you would like to learn more about Christy and her works, you can visit her website: christyenglish.com

Also, for a chacnce to win this exciting novel, you can enter in my current giveaway here: The Queen's Pawn giveaway!

Author Interview: Kate Quinn talks about Mistress of Rome

I am pleases to announce that today, the wonderful Kate Quinn has stopped by for an interview about her debut novel Mistress of Rome, which you can read my review for here: Mistress of Rome review. 

Thank you Kate, for bestowing Confessions and Ramblings of a Muse in the Fog with insight to your novel! Now without further ado, here is my interview with this talented new author.

What was your inspiration for writing Mistress of Rome?
The spark for Mistress of Rome came when I was about eight years old and I saw Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus – I thought Kirk Douglas was an absolute hunk, and I knew I would write a book with a gladiator someday. It took me a few years to get around to it, but by the time I was a freshman in college the story started percolating and took off on me. I’ve always adored ancient Rome – thanks to my mother’s ancient history degree, my bedtime stories were all Julius Caesar and Augustus and Diocletian, not Grimm’s fairy tales. I knew the Emperors of Rome long before I ever knew the Presidents of the United States.

In Mistress of Rome, there is such a vast difference between all the character personalities. Did this cause you to enjoy writing certain characters more than others? 
My villainess Lepida was great fun to write because she was such an evil shrew – I always grinned whenever I slipped into her head, no matter how awful she was being. I love my other characters, but I did feel guilty sometimes when I wrote about them because I was putting them through so many harrowing problems. But that isn’t an issue with villains because the whole point is to build them up for three quarters of the book, and then knock them flat in the finale. I had a blast building up Lepida into the most devious, callous, backstabbing bitch in the world, because I knew I’d be able to pull the rug out from under her in the end. Wonderful fun.

The gladiator games have a large part in Mistress of Rome. Can you give us a brief history of the “sport” or some interesting facts you found while researching it?
The games were absolutely appalling to research. Thousands of people and hundreds of thousands of animals could die in one festival. The bouts pitted animals against each other, animals against men, men against men – and women too, since there were some female gladiators. The games were considered quite lowbrow in Rome, but they were still immensely popular. What I found the most interesting was how the gladiators themselves were regarded. Whether slaves or freedmen, they were looked on as the absolute dregs of society, but the top men of the profession had privileges like today’s movie stars: fans, fame, groupies, money. The world was their oyster – but they were still the dregs, socially, and they could still get killed.


Arius is constantly plagued by the “demon” in his head. What exactly was this “demon”?
The demon is his own temper. With a nice normal upbringing Arius would have been quite a sweet guy – the type to work out all his aggressions in a rough bloody-nose football game with his buddies, and have a beer afterward with no hard feelings. But he didn’t have a nice normal upbringing; he was enslaved and brutalized for so long that he has no emotions left except rage. And along with the rage comes the urge to lose his temper and let it all go, because it feels so good to lash out. The fact that he can identify his temper as a voice he doesn’t trust is probably what keeps it leashed most of the time. And the fact that he tries so hard not to listen to his own temper is an indication that underneath all the anger there is still a good guy.

Since this is your debut novel, is there any advice you can give to any aspiring authors?
Don’t spend your money on classes and instruction groups. They can be good, but the best way to learn to write is to read all the good fiction you can get your hands on, and keep plugging away at your own writing. You’ll get an ear for what good prose is, and trial and error will teach you how to produce it. Find a few intelligent readers – friends, relatives, anyone you trust to read your work and give you an honest opinion about it – and listen to them. Learn to edit your own work; that sinks a lot of new writers. I think it really comes down to those three things: read, write, re-write. And keep at it! It takes a long time to write a book, a long time to get an agent, and a long time to find a publisher, so don’t get discouraged if the whole thing takes years. Just keep plugging.


What can we expect from you in the future? Is there anything in the works for a new novel?
Actually, I’m working on both a sequel and a prequel for Mistress of Rome. It didn’t start out as a trilogy, but I found myself getting interested in several of the book’s minor characters and wanting to explore their stories. Like Emperor Domitian’s extremely enigmatic wife – how did she end up married to such a man? Her story, along with her sister and cousins, takes place some fifteen years previously during the turbulent Year of Four Emperors. I also got interested in the two children in Mistress of Rome, wanting to see how the streetwise Vix and the quiet Sabina would grow up. Their story will span the reign of Emperors Trajan and Hadrian – lots of criss-crossing adventures.

Svea, thanks for having me!

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If you would like to learn more about Kate Quinn and her works, you can visit her at her website: katequinnauthor.com.

Interested in reading Mistress of Rome? I have you covered, one lucky winner will be chosen at random to receive a brand new copy of Mistress of Rome! You can enter in this great giveaway here: Mistress of Rome giveaway.

Author Interview: Ciji Ware talks about Island of the Swans

I am so excited to bring you a wonderful interview with the very talented Ciji Ware, author of Island of the Swans, which you can read my review for here. Thank you Ciji for your thoughtful answers and honoring "Confessions and Ramblings of a Muse in the Fog" with your presence. 

What inspired you to write about the Duchess of Gordon?

I hail from a long line of professional writers, including my father, Harlan Ware, who was a mid-century popular fiction author, screenwriter, and a co-writer of a (now) long-gone radio show called One Man’s Family.  His office was across the hall from my bedroom and I would wake up to the sound of him pounding on the typewriter from about 5am.  I think I absorbed early on that writing as a profession—not a hobby—took the discipline of putting one’s seat of the pants onto a chair early in the day and one’s hands on the keyboard!

Harlan Ware, circa 1950

We had always, therefore, been big readers in our household, and my dad would take me with him to a wonderful local bookstore where he’d hang out with the owner, and I’d head for the children’s section to read as many Nancy Drew mysteries as I could during the time we were there. 

Later on, I discovered the writers Daphne du Maurier and Anya Seton, and thrilled to such historical novels as The French General and The Winthrop Woman.  Dad and I loved going to see swashbuckling films like The Man in the Iron Mask and The Three Musketeers. 

I realize, now, what a rarified childhood atmosphere that was to grow up in, especially since at an early age my dad read something I’d written for school and declared, “Well, you’ve got that Ware writing gene!  It was a family ‘given’ that someone in each generation--going back to a Ware ancestor, Henry Ware, who published his works in 1802--would carry the torch forward, and I knew that I was probably ‘the one.’

Given my love of history (I majored in it in college); my enthusiastic response to those glimpses of eighteenth century life I saw in all those Errol Flynn films; and the enthusiasm my dad had for “the rich, full creative life” as he called it, I somehow always knew I’d get around to writing books—but only after I made a living as a TV-Radio news reporter and commentator for ABC in Los Angeles, so I could pay the bills.

The final push toward writing my first novel came when I stumbled across a monograph about “The Match-Making Duchess”—Jane Maxwell, 4^th Duchess of Gordon, whom my very dotty great-grandmother claimed was our ancestress.  When I hit forty, I spent five years in my off-camera hours researching and writing the book that eventually became Island of the Swans. 

 

 Jane Maxwell with Son (Left) - Ciji Ware dressed as Jane Maxwell (right)

 I could never prove without a doubt I was from the branch of the McCulloughs of Gatehouse of Fleet (in Ayrshire—the poet, Robert Burn’s territory) that had, indeed, married into the Maxwells of Monreith a few generations before Jane was born.  However, I had a wild ride trying to trace the links and got a novel out of the process—which, when it first came out, I would promote at author conferences and speaking engagements dressed in full duchess regalia!

What do you think the marriage would have been like for the Duke and Duchess of Gordon if Thomas had not been in the picture?

Alexander the 4th Duke of Gordon

This is such a fabulous “what if” question, and one I’ve thought about for a long time.  The Duke and Duchess of Gordon are, of course, historical figures who lived in the second half of the eighteenth century and into the early nineteenth.  That there was a love triangle that went on for nearly three decades between Alexander, Jane, and her childhood love is not in doubt, with very strong evidence in the historical record that one of Jane’s seven children was not by the duke.

From the few family letters that still exist, I think that had Thomas died—as was thought he did for a year—in the Scottish kilted regiment skirmish with Native Americans outside Fort Pitt in Pennsylvania, Jane and Alex would have had a quite exemplary marriage, for I believed love truly existed between them in the early part of their marriage.  Remember, however, that theirs was a “dynastic union” to begin with—with Jane’s mother, an impoverished member of the minor nobility anxious for her daughters to “marry up” and improve the Maxwell standard of living.

  The Duchess of Gordon on horseback recruiting troops

They had all the makings of an extraordinary union.  Alex was a remarkably handsome man in his youth; Jane, a beauty in her day (seen here helping Alex and her brother recruit troops in the Scottish Highlands to fight for the British in the American Revolution)…and together, they were a “Power Couple” on the order of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. 

Jane loved politics and policy debates and became Prime Minister Pitt, The Younger’s social hostess on London, as he was a bachelor.  Alex was the largest landowner in Scotland, an ardent music lover, and wielded tremendous power as an aristocratic.  Without the divisiveness of Jane’s virtual inability to forget her love for another man, I think history, today, would be more aware of their contributions to eighteenth century society.

 I love the rivalry between the Duchess of Gordon and the Duchess of Devonshire. Who do you think was the greatest Duchess and why?

Duchess of Devonshire

Many of us have read the book and seen the movie about the life of the Duchess of Devonshire, Jane Maxwell’s rival.  The Duchess of D supported the Whigs of James Fox retinue; The Duchess of G supported the King, which meant she was a Tory.

One of the most significant contributions she made during the so-called “Madness Crisis of George III (see the film where Helen Mirren played poor Queen Charlotte) was to have been instrumental in finding a doctor who didn’t believe in using leeches and horrible, dangerous “potions” such as mercury when treating ailing King George.

The king wasn’t mad at all, but had a disease called porphyria that caused seizures during which he appeared to “rave.”  Once the new doctor stopped the brutalizing treatments he’d been getting, he made a recovery and remained on the throne for another few decades.  Trust me, what those earlier doctors had done to the poor king would have driven any of us mad! 

At any rate, Jane, I believe, is the far better duchess because she truly had the public’s good in mind as a driving principle for her life’s work. 

Duchess of D Huntington Reynolds

Georgiana, on the other hand, was an addicted gambler, drinker, and very public about the messiness of her private life.  Jane,  whose life also had its chaotic moments, was known not only for her life in the politics of the day, but also for her efforts to provide employment on her husband’s vast lands in northern Scotland through sheep raising and weaving industries that discouraged the wholesale departure to the New World of local inhabitants—a practice that bled Scotland of so many of its “best and brightest” between about 1775 onwards.

What was your opinion of Alexander Gordon as you researched and wrote about him? e.g. Should he be pitied for his jealous nature over his wife or did he cause himself a lot of grief by not accepting his wife for who she was, was the Gordon madness a cause for some of his problems etc.?

An older Alexander

Alex was a product of his breeding and the times in which he lived.  He was “to the manor born”—a bit arrogant and certainly accustomed to having his own way.  As he grew older, his good looks disappeared, and his unhappiness was written on his face for everyone to see.

Sadly, his father had died when he was fairly young and he also had a very dominating, controlling mother who was fearful she would somehow be left in the dust.  She married the second time to an American –not much admired in those times—and was constantly maneuvering to get her slice of the ducal pie!

Alex was, of course, perfectly sane.  The Gordon Madness--which had run through the family for generations due to the fact that aristocrats intermarried far too frequently--always shadowed him throughout his life and made him, I believe, reluctant to take a very public role in the House of Lords.  He’d show up for sessions, but rarely took a position of prominence.

Any little unusual response or action and the tittle-tattles of the day would pounce on it as “evidence” the duke was affected by the family blight, as his brother Lord Gordon certainly was.  It must have been an awful burden to live with.

Alex had many honorable qualities, but his background and the events of his life took him down a road where he simply couldn’t give his wife Jane her due, and in fact, the evidence indicates that he felt increasingly over the years that her gain was his loss in terms of honor, accomplishments, and status.

If Jane and Alex could only have rowed their boat in the same direction, I’ve always wondered what amazing things they could have accomplished together, and I think theirs would have been one of the great love stories of all time. Alas, fate, and the vagarious of the heart determined it would not be so….

 Any advice or suggestions for aspiring authors?

Ciji Ware at fictional signing

Always strive to keep an image in your mind of your work-in-progress between actual covers!  And remember, no one can write the story you are going to write, so don’t worry about “competition.”

I was once half way through a nonfiction book about joint custody kids (I have a dual-track fiction and nonfiction career so I can pay my light bills!) and discovered that the exact, same subject was being covered by a child psychologist.  When I called my editor to wail and whine, he said in a sharp tone of voice, “Look, Ciji, no one brings your particular sensibilities to the subject.  No one is going to choose the words you’re choosing to put on the page.  Forget about it, and just keep writing. Your manuscript is due in two months.”

My two-bit advice?  True professionals just keep writing until they type “The End.” 

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Sourcebooks is republishing all five of Ciji's historical fiction novels. The next one being Cottage by the Sea, available June 2010.

Ciji's is currently working on A Race to Splendor, which will be set in 1906 after the great quake in San Francisco. It will be her newest historical fiction novel in ten years; with an expected release date of April 2011.

Author Interview: C.W. Gortner talks about The Last Queen

I am happy to announce that the talented C.W. Gortner has graciously agreed to answer some questions about his wonderful novel The Last Queen, which you can read my review for here. Thank you Mr. Gortner for taking the time to honor the Muse in the Fog blog with your presence.

What was the most exciting/touching thing you found while researching?

I found it exciting to discover that Juana of Castile was so well traveled for a woman of her era. In the 16th century, most people lived and died without ever setting foot outside their country; even royalty did not travel if it could was not absolutely necessary. Elizabeth I, for example, never set foot outside of England. Juana, on the other hand, traveled to Flanders, France, and England; she crossed the Pyrenees to Spain (on mule!) and sailed on the sea to England (though this was unintentional, as a storm blew the fleet of course.) She therefore saw a much larger part of her world than most of her contemporaries.

How did your opinion of Juana change throughout the course of these 6 years?

I started out with the legend of the mad queen, bereft and unable to deal with her grief; as I researched Juana's life, however, I discovered that she was far more than her legend. Few people, for example, stopped to consider that she was a mother with several children, from whom she was separated for long stretches of time, or that she was the sister of Catherine of Aragon, whom she tried to help during Catherine's time of penury in England. I also had never heard before of Juana's bold defiance of the French king and her valiant struggle to preserve the inheritance left to her by her mother, Queen Isabella. Over time, she evolved for me from a dark and bewildered character to one of immense fortitude and perseverance, as well as personal integrity even when faced with heart-breaking situations. In short, I went from pitying her to admiration.

Portrait of Joanna
done in Flanders, ca 1500

What was your goal in telling Juana's story and did you complete it?

My goal was to allow her to tell her side of the story; after everything I read, all the letters and biographies and essays, few of which seemed to have much sympathy for Juana, I thought it would be interesting to hear her version. All stories have two sides, as we know, and history is no different. History is often written by the victors, not the vanquished, and women's history in particular has been distorted by the male point of view. Juana has always been neglected by Western history, portrayed as either the helpless pawn or demented victim. My challenge was to "allow" Juana to speak through me. So I used an actor's method: by suppressing the ego, you find the essence of someone else’s emotions, even if you’ve never experienced them. There were of course aspects of being a sixteenth century woman I needed to learn about, so I spoke with my women friends about pregnancy and giving birth; tried on a period gown to get a feeling for the weight of the clothing and how to move in it; and of course paid close attention to the psychology of life in an era vastly different from ours. In the end, I do feel I accomplished what I set out to do; I hope readers feel the same.


  Did you have any strong emotions towards some of the characters while writing the novel? e.g. Phillip when he becomes cruel, Juana when she is trapped at La Mota etc.

Yes, of course. I tend to feel strongly for all my characters; as a novelist, you spend a lot of time living with these people in your head and you develop attachments to them, grow to love them as you do friends. I know men like Philip; he was desperate to prove his worthiness, to become something other than a petty prince who owed everything to his father, but I did not like his cruelty, his ambition or his arrogance in the least, and writing the scenes where Juana undergoes his abuse were not easy. But they were important to understand the dynamic between him and Juana, to see her growing hatred for him and her determination to thwart him. It was quite an experience, to realize that this woman who was allegedly driven to madness for love of a faithless husband was in fact a queen hell bent on keeping her throne from him.

Any advise/suggestions for aspiring authors about writing?

Write  what you most deeply care about and pay as little attention as possible to market trends. A book takes time, patience; the real writing is often in the re-writing. You cannot write something you don't feel passionate about, because you have to live with your story day in and day out, and resist boredom and distraction when you hit those inevitable rough patches. Writing is a vocation. It requires practice and focus, as well as sacrifice. Persistence is everything. It’s not just talent that is required to succeed in today’s extremely competitive publishing environment: you need tenacity and an unshakable belief in your own work.

Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog, Svea. I'm honored to spend this time with your readers and hope they'll enjoy The Last Queen, as well as my forthcoming novel The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, which will be in bookstores on May 25, 2010. To learn more about me and my work, please visit me at www.cwgortner.com