THE BLISS OF PEACE AND QUIET

My guest is historical fiction author, Alison McQueen. She spent twenty years in corporate advertising and now writes fascinating stories set in India. Alison's topic highlights the frustration of many writers trying to write while balancing a job and raising children.  It's never easy to find time. Recently, she discovered the bliss of writing in a quiet house sans children.

The holiday season is over, the house now empty, and I feel as though I’ve been waiting for this moment for over 20 years. Every writer out there who is also a mother, perhaps a wife too, will understand what I’m talking about.

I always knew this day would come, although I didn’t quite believe it. That’s the trouble with raising a family. When you’re right in the thick of it, it feels like it will never end. And if you’re trying to write a novel while simultaneously making the dinner and refereeing arguments about who broke the hair straighteners and why you can’t go out looking like that, then you have my deepest sympathy.

My daughters are now in their twenties. They still argue, but these days it doesn’t usually involve throwing things at each other and slamming doors so hard that the house shakes. One of them now lives an hour away with her boyfriend, so the other one has nobody to yell at most of the time anyway. From where I’m sitting, it’s bliss. I can actually hear myself think.

Right now the loudest thing in the house is the tap-tapping of my keyboard. There is a little part of me that is still in deep shock. I keep waiting for a problem to come marching in, or for someone to demand to know where their favourite jeans are, or why there’s no food in the fridge.

Friends say to me, “Don’t you miss the kids?” and “I just don’t know what I’ll do when mine grow up and leave.” And I find myself making noises which can be interpreted either way. It seems so wrong to punch the air and give a victory whoop. There were times in the past when I used to get so frustrated at not being able to write that I would shut myself in the bathroom for a cry. Those days seem far off now.

I live in a small English village with thatched cottages, narrow country lanes and an old parish church with a towering spire. Nearby are miles of canals, ancient woodlands, stately homes and historic family seats, including that of the Spencer family at Althorpe, two villages away. It’s a peaceful place, perfect for writing.

So all I have to do now is write the new novel. There is no excuse not to. No noise, no distraction, no interruptions, yet I find myself staring at the page and wondering what the next sentence is, the next word. It’s torture, and I do it to myself every time. The draft is still at an early stage which means that my house is awash with scraps of paper and cryptic messages that I will have no hope of understanding when they eventually surface.

I’d like to complain to somebody, to sit with a cup of coffee and have a good old moan about how lonely and agonizing the business of writing can be, but there ain’t nobody here but us chickens.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, INDIEBOUND,
CHAPTERSINDIGOca

UNDER THE JEWELLED SKY

A breathtaking story of forbidden love and devastating consequences...

The moment Sophie steps onto India's burning soil, she realizes her return was inevitable. But this is not the India she fell in love with ten years before in a maharaja's palace. This is not the India that ripped her heart out as Partition tore the country in two. That India, a place of tigers, scorpions, and shimmering beauty, is long gone.

Drawing on her own family's heritage, acclaimed novelist Alison McQueen beautifully portrays the heart of a woman who must confront her past in order to fight for her future. Under the Jeweled Sky deftly explores the loss of innocence, the urgent connection in our stars, and how far we'll go to find our hearts. Excerpt

                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Born in the sixties to an Indian mother and an English jazz musician father, Alison McQueen grew up in London and worked in advertising for twenty years before retiring to write full time. In 2006 she was selected from an impressive longlist to join The Writers' Circle - a group of 8 top writers chosen to be groomed by the UK film industry as the new generation of British screenwriters. An award-winning blogger, she is also the author of a series of popular novels (published by Macmillan) under a pseudonym. Alison lives in a quiet English village with her husband and two daughters. Her novel, The Secret Children, was selected by The Independent for their alternative 2012 Booker list. You can find Alison: Website & Blog, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook. 

The Historical Writer’s Dilemma: How Accurate Must You Be?

My guest is historical author, Anne Cleeland. Fascinating lady and one who writes an excellent tale of adventure, danger, spies, and suspense set in regency England. Today she shares some of her thoughts on research and writing historicals. 

I am lucky enough to have two series debuting this summer—and neither of them draws from personal experience. I’m a lifelong California native, but I’m writing a Regency adventure series and a British detective mystery series—that features an Irish heroine, no less. It almost goes without saying that precise accuracy will be abandoned in the interest of telling a good story, but how much license should be taken, and at what point do you run the risk of having the reader abandon your implausible ship?

There are no easy answers, but along the way I've attended a few panels on the knotty problem of how accurate you should be when writing historicals, so for those of you who read or write historical novels, I thought I’d pass along what I've gleaned.
 

In the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice, neither Elizabeth Bennett nor Mr. Darcy wear gloves to the formal Netherfield ball—an omission that would have been unheard of at the time; both would have gone home rather than attend bare-handed. In Downton Abbey, one of the streets in the town has a double yellow line—not exactly Edwardian. The movie Braveheart tells us that the future Edward III was the product of a liaison between William Wallace and Isabella of France.  The problem is, Wallace was executed seven years before Edward was born, and Isabella of France was nine at the time Wallace was executed.

Are the stories any less compelling? The answer probably depends on your perspective. If you teach history—or are just a purist in general—these liberties are unacceptable and your disbelief is no longer suspended.  On the other hand, if you are not familiar with the era, you may not even notice these types of errors, but you may also come away with a distorted view of historical fact.   The trick to writing a story from an earlier time period is to find the right balance between dry-as-dust history and an engaging story, and how accurate you need to be—at least in my opinion—depends on your target readership.

If, for example, you are writing “hot” Regencies, strict accuracy is necessarily abandoned unless you write about the demi-monde, because nice young ladies didn't fool around (and were never given an opportunity, even if they were so inclined.)   I know some may want to argue about this point, but remember that Jane Austen served as a reporter at the scene, so to speak, and in her books it was a scandal if an unmarried woman wrote a letter to a man she was not yet engaged to. “Nice” women of the time were chaperoned within an inch of their lives until they were handed over to a husband with the correct pedigree.

So it seems that the question is not whether to take liberties with historical accuracy, it is how much liberty to take. My own rule of thumb is to never write anything that would “jolt” the average reader out of the story’s time frame—not the average history professor, just the average reader.

Here are some things to ask yourself: 

Link Opens to an other page.

   

• How much accuracy do you like to see from your favorite historical writers? Can you think of any other examples where an anachronism “jolted” you out of the story?

                                                                                          
                                                                                                                      

BUY: AMAZON, B&N,INDIE BOUND

TAINTED ANGEL Anne Cleeland

A Deadly Game of Deception...

Notorious and beautiful, Vidia Swanson works as an "angel," trying to coax incriminating secrets from powerful men who may or may not be traitors of the Crown. Her latest target is suspected of stealing gold from Wellington's troops, but matters take an alarming turn when Vidia realizes that her spymaster thinks she is the one who is tainted—a double agent working for Napoleon.

Backed into a corner, she can only hope to stay one step ahead of the hangman in a race to stop the next war before it destroys her—and destroys England. Tainted Angel offers up a compelling game of cat and mouse in which no one can be trusted and anyone can be tainted. EXCERPT 

"A world of spies and traitors where no one is quite what they seem and the truth is only true for a moment...a thrilling take that will keep you guessing until the very last page."—Victoria Thompson, author of Murder in Chelsea

                                                                                                                                                       



Anne Cleeland holds a degree in English from UCLA as well as a degree in law from Pepperdine University, and is a member of the California State Bar.  She writes a historical fiction series set in the Regency period as well as a contemporary mystery series set in New Scotland Yard.  A member of the Historical Novel Society and Mystery Writers of America, she lives in California and has four children.

Writing Historical Fiction--Susan Higginbotham

My guest is the award winning historical fiction author, Susan Higginbotham. Susan writes biographical historical fiction.

I've always loved history. Some of my favorite authors (Roberta Gellis, for one) could keep me enthralled for hours happily visiting medieval Europe. Those sort of epics completely immersed me in the culture of the times. I remember something Roberta Gellis once said about historical fiction. To para phrase, she said that history is a beautiful tapestry, rich with characters and events. The skilled author merely weaves a story in the existing threads of history.

So what’s the difference between an author who writes historicals and biographical historical fiction? I asked Susan that very question. I was curious what drew her to this type of fiction. She indulged my curiosity, with the following:   

All of my four historical novels have been biographical historical fiction—that is, historical fiction centered around actual historical figures, as opposed to fiction that’s set in the past but where the main characters are entirely fictional.


So what draws me to biographical fiction? For one thing, for the lazy plotter, it’s a godsend. The outline of my story is there; all I have to do is add the fun stuff—the dialogue, the motivations, the characterizations. For another, it gives me a chance to go where the responsible historian dare not tread: I can resolve unsolved mysteries, choose which conflicting account of an event to believe, explain a character’s actions where the historian can only speculate.

There are two other reasons that writing biographical fiction especially appeals to me, however. First, through biographical historical fiction, a novelist can bring to life a little-known historical figure—one who might not be important enough to merit more than a line or two in history books, but whose life was fascinating or inspiring. For instance, my first novel, The Traitor’s Wife, features Eleanor de Clare, the niece of Edward II and the wife of his notorious favorite Hugh le Despenser the younger. Eleanor survived her husband’s horrific execution, her own imprisonment in the Tower, and the forced veiling of her daughters; she was also the subject of litigation challenging the validity of her second marriage. How did she find the strength to endure these ordeals, any one of which might have overwhelmed a lesser woman? The Traitor’s Wife allowed me to answer this question. In doing so, I hope it shed some light not only on Eleanor’s courage, but on the incredible strength of medieval women in general. They were no damsels in distress, waiting for their shining knight in armor.

Another reason for writing biographical historical fiction is the chance to portray a maligned figure in a sympathetic light. Margaret of Anjou, the heroine of The Queen of Last Hopes, has been vilified by everyone from her Yorkist opponents to modern novelists. Yet when I encountered her in researching my third novel, The Stolen Crown, I got a picture of a very different woman: a woman who struggled against overwhelming odds to uphold the rights of her husband and her son to the English crown. Only when all was lost did she give up—and even then, her fight laid the foundation for the Tudor dynasty.

Writing this biographical novel about Margaret allowed me to share my own view of the woman I had come to deeply respect and to admire—and, I hope, to change the minds of those who have seen her portrayed in fiction only as an insanely vengeful, twisted she-wolf.

But if those aren’t good enough reasons to write biographical historical fiction, I can suggest five more:

• 1.  If your hero is riddled with angst, it'll be because someone is trying to overthrow him, not because he is having a mid-life crisis.

• 2. You can buy all sorts of books in your field of interest and tell your spouse that they are for research purposes.

• 3. You will not have to write 400 pages about a woman who is juggling her family and her career.

• 4. You can kill off your main character once you get tired of him or her, and blame it all on history.

• 5. You’ll never be at a loss as to what to name your main characters.

~*~*~*~

The Queen of Last Hopes--Story of Margaret of Anjou

When fifteen-year-old Margaret of Anjou journeys from France to marry England’s Henry VI, she hopes that her wedding will mean a lasting peace between England and France. Instead, England’s losses of French territory infuriate the people, resulting in the horrific murder of Margaret’s first friend in England, William de la Pole.


Pregnant at last after eight years of marriage, Margaret places her hopes in her coming child. Then the worst happens: the gentle, ineffectual Henry suddenly goes mad and cannot even recognize his longed-for son. As feuding nobles rush to exploit the situation, Margaret determines to protect the rights of her husband and her child.


Undaunted by exile, poverty, danger, and the slanders of her enemies, Margaret remains loyal to her cause even as those around her falter in their allegiances. For the man and the boy she loves best, she will risk everything—her reputation, her safety, and the future of England itself. Excerpt

"A beautiful blending of turbulent history and deeply felt fiction, Susan Higginbotham, brings alive an amazing woman often overlooked or slandered by historians...a gift to treasure." 

Buy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million

So which do you prefer, historical fiction about real historical figures or historical fiction about purely fictional ones?
 
 

Susan Higginbotham's meticulously researched historical fiction brought to life by her heartfelt writing delights readers. Higginbotham runs her own historical fiction/history blog and is a contributor to the blog "Yesterday Revisited." Susan has written four historical novels, including The Traitor's Wife and The Stolen Crown.

Susan has awarded for her historical fiction: Gold Medalist, Historical/Military Fiction, 2008 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Silver Award, Historical Fiction, ForeWord Magazine's 2005 Book of the Year Awards.

She has worked as an editor and an attorney and lives in Apex, North Carolina, with her family.

You can visit Susan's blog: Medieval Woman, Website, Facebook

Ideal Writing Day?

I'm pleased to have Libby Malin visiting Over Coffee again with her latest romantic comedy, My Own Personal Soap Opera. Libby writes both YA (as Libby Sternberg) and humorous Women's Fiction.

Libby leads a very busy life as many authors do these days. She's a wife, a mother of three, and a professional writer. She has worn many hats in her professional life, a Spanish gypsy, a Russian courtier, a Middle-Eastern slave, a Japanese Geisha, a Chinese peasant, and a French courtesan – that is, she sang as a union chorister in both Baltimore and Washington Operas. She's been an education reform advocate, done stints on Public Radio, and then turned to writing, working in a public relations office and then as a freelancer for various trade organizations and small newspapers.

• Given her busy schedule I asked her, What is your ideal writing day? Have you ever had one?

I’ve been doing a lot of crazy blog posts during this virtual book tour, so my first inclination when I get asked this question was to dream up an extravagantly luxurious day involving pools, pool boys, masseuses, bon bons, pedicures, manicures, martinis and gauzy peasant-style clothing that I wear while typing on my laptop in a gazebo amidst flower-scented warm breezes.

But I won’t go there.

Instead, I’ll the truth. :-)

A realistic ideal writing day for me is actually one where I feel I have the freedom to write as long as I want, the inspiration to stick with the writing and an ironclad surety that what I write will be published. Rarely does an author experience that.

But here’s the closest I have come to that ideal—writing virtually nonstop all day because I’m on fire to tell a particular story, resentful of any interruptions (phone calls, meals!) and eager to get back to my characters, reasonably sure I can sell what I’m writing.

I think those moments are rare for most authors because of the need to work at other jobs and also because of the unsteadiness of the market. Few authors are sure these days that their next book will sell.

I’ve been very fortunate because I also work as a freelance writer and editor. For several organizations, I write articles and other publications. And for two publishing houses, I am a copy editor. This work is very fulfilling, keeps my bank account from growing too anemic, and also helps me polish skills I use as a writer of fiction. But this work—especially the copy editing, which usually has a tight deadline—can interfere with writing fiction. So I have learned to discipline myself to write, even when inspiration or a whole lot of creative energy isn’t there.

Most beginning writers have to learn that lesson very quickly because often, writers are working full-time before or even after they sell their first novel. Somehow, you find the time and the energy to make it happen. If writing is what you really want to do, nothing can stop you!

I’d be happy to answer any questions about the writer’s life or about writing comedy, in particular.

My Own Personal Soap Opera is my third humorous women’s fiction book. I’m very fond of its characters, particularly the protagonist, Frankie McNally, who is also a writer—the head writer for a soap opera.

I had a lot of fun researching this book by reading autobiographies of soap stars and interviewing some folks who’ve been involved in soap opera work. The head writer of As the World Turns was particularly kind and patient with me, and I really appreciated her help. Of course, I take liberties with the real information I unearthed, but I hope the book creates a realistic-enough feel that even those in the industry will find it entertaining!

• Any questions about comedy or writing, thoughts, or comments? 2 copies of My Own Personal Soap Opera. 2 winners, US and Canada only. Be sure to leave me a way to contact you.

Back Cover Blurb:

Is life stranger than fiction, or vice versa?

Frankie McNally has found the perfect solution for life’s perplexing problems: as head writer for the daytime soap Lust for Life, she works them out on the air!

Meanwhile, Frankie’s being courted simultaneously by the dashing older man sent in to save the show’s sagging ratings and by the soap’s totally hot leading man. And just when Frankie thinks the plot couldn’t get more complicated, a jewel thief starts copying the show’s storyline-a development that could send the show’s ratings soaring, if it doesn’t get Frankie arrested first...

Can Frankie writer her way out of this one? And can she put make believe aside long enough to discover the truth of her own heart?

First Chapter Excerpt Download

In her signature blending of the hilarious with the poignant, Libby Malin’s latest light-hearted novel combines the best of life and of fiction into an entertaining and incredibly satisfying read.

~*~*~*~

Libby Malin is published in women’s fiction, including the books Fire Me, My Own Personal Soap Opera and Loves Me, Loves Me Not. Writing as Libby Sternberg, she is also an Edgar nominated YA mystery writer. As Libby Sternberg, she has an adult historical mystery offered exclusively on Kindle called Death Is the Cool Night. Her first print adult historical, Sloane Hall (inspired by Jane Eyre and set in old Hollywood), will be released in September.

Libby has worked in public relations, as an education reform advocate, and was a member of the Vermont Commission on Women. She is the proud mother of three children and lives with her wonderful husband in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

• For more information please visit http://www.libbysbooks.com/ or her blog, http://www.libbysbooks.blogspot.com/.

• You can drop her a note at mailto:LibbyMalin@hotmail.com if you’d like to be put on her email list.

• Also, you can friend her on Facebook at Libby Malin Sternberg.