Welcome, Marcie...
Can you tell us a little about Torch in the Forest? Thank you for inviting me, Melissa! Sure, I'd love to. Eighteen-year-old widow Eleanor of Strathcombe is stunned to realize she has a powerful attraction to Hugh of Wykeham, the arrogant, neighboring lord returned from the Crusade, who not only asks for the hand of her younger sister in marriage – but feuds with her over the control of their forest boundaries, because poachers are running rampant. As she struggles to keep control of her forests and find the poachers, unsettling feelings confront her when she deals with Hugh, feelings she never felt in her brief, loveless marriage -- feelings she tries to fight, because she knows Hugh to be a cold, harsh man who may have murdered his faithless wife in revenge -- and who trusts no woman. When she finds herself in the midst of a net of intrigue and lies, how can she find the conspirators, save herself and her sister, and battle her feelings for Hugh?
How did you come to be a part of Entangled's new Scandalous line? I'd been reading about Entangled's phenomenal success and their great editors, some of whom had rejected me when they worked for other imprints. [Symbol] I wanted to submit my romance to them, because I knew the editing would be wonderful and their marketing was top-drawer. Luckily, TORCH was acquired, much to my joy!
What kind of research goes into the writing of your historicals? Because I was a medieval history major, I had some basic knowledge, but, in order to write about daily life in 1272, I had to do a lot more research. Reading primary sources and secondary sources and using the internet, I was able to find lots of important details, such as, how did they fasten clothes (not with zippers, but with lacing, tying, and pins), where did they store their clothes (in chests, no closets) how often and how did they bathe (not often!), and how they managed mealtimes (oh, those shared goblets – ick!). Accuracy is very important to me, as it is to all authors of historicals. There's nothing worse than an anachronism, such as Eleanor checking her watch to see what time it is, for example, that pops out and surprises the reader, blowing the whole story out of the water!
Why are historicals your chosen genre? As an author, I love to journey to other times, and, because I'm a medieval history nut, this time period is perfect for me. When I grew up in Europe, I saw castles on a daily basis, and I always wanted to live in one, so writing historicals allows me to do just that! Traveling to Europe and visiting castles, even staying in them, such as in Spain's fabulous paradors, is always a real inspiration to write about that time period. It's such fun to imagine what the people were like, what they feared, and what they hoped for and dreamed about, just as Eleanor and Hugh dream of each other, despite the fact they're sworn enemies.
Do you have any advice for an aspiring writer? A lot of us authors know how important it is to be open-minded about our own work and be willing to revise, revise, and revise again. I read somewhere that an editor acquires a manuscript something like we buy a house: the basic plan is good, but, if we took down a wall here to enlarge a great room, added a powder room off the foyer, exposed the beams in the ceiling…well, you get the idea. Aspiring writers should take heart and keep at it, remembering to stay true to their vision, but, also, be willing to rethink and change. How many times have I put a manuscript away and taken it out later, only to ask myself, "What was I thinking?" Ellen Kozak wrote the First Commandment for Writers: "Thou Shalt Not Fall In Love With Thine Own Words." I love that!
What are some of your favorite books/authors? I love Julia Quinn and Georgette Heyer, and Hilary Mantel writes absolutely stunning books. How I wish I'd be able to write as she does.
Anything you'd like to reveal about yourself that your readers might find surprising? I love country music; the music is wonderful and the lyrics are so much fun…. Yes, it might seem at first glance that country music doesn't quite fit in with Lady Eleanor and Lord Hugh in 1272, but, think of songs like Rascal Flatts's "God Bless the Broken Road That Led Me Straight to You" – and that’s Eleanor's and Hugh's story in a nutshell!
What are you working on now? I'm working on a young adult novel about girl soccer players and their crushes on (gasp!) older men….It's obviously not a historical!
Melissa, thank you so much for inviting me on your blog! *curtseys*
Blurb:
Eighteen-year-old widow Eleanor of Strathcombe is stunned to realize she has a powerful attraction to Hugh of Wykeham, the arrogant, neighboring lord returned from the Crusade, who not only asks for the hand of her younger sister in marriage – but feuds with her over the control of their forest boundaries, because poachers are running rampant.
As she struggles to keep control of her forests and find the poachers, unsettling feelings confront her when she deals with Hugh, feelings she never felt in her brief, loveless marriage -- feelings she tries to fight, because she knows Hugh to be a cold, harsh man who may have murdered his faithless wife in revenge -- and who trusts no woman. When she finds herself in the midst of a net of intrigue and lies, how can she find the conspirators, save herself and her sister, and battle her feelings for Hugh?
About the Author:
Growing up in Europe and seeing castles on a daily basis made me sure I wanted to live back in the Middle Ages. Since that wasn’t likely to happen, being a child of the 20th century, the next best thing I could try to do was to write about this enthralling period in history. Having studied medieval history in college, I loved doing the research about how people really lived and spoke and dreamed and loved, and so TORCH IN THE FOREST came to be, thanks to my dear husband, who encouraged me to write about Eleanor and Hugh.
When I’m not writing, I’m reading, or traveling. I love hearing from readers and am happy to do book club conference calls!
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