*This is a reprise of an article I was invited to post on English Historical Fiction Authors*
Convict carved milestone.
If, like me, the generations of one’s family in Tasmania can be traced back to Settlement, then it is a fair enough assumption to believe there exists a convict somewhere in the family tree. My great great grandfather was such a man.
It seems odd to have a Red Chair feature so soon after that brilliant last, but I could not ignore the chance of talking to a favourite and highly successful author as he prepares to release his new book.
Those of you who know me will know that Gisborne: Book of Pawns had its first ever free promotion last weekend.
So what, you might say?
Indeed, so what?
It was an enormous thing for me to do as an independent author. The KDP Select programme is a scheme devised by Amazon to potentially give a book high visibility – a chance to advance in the ratings. For the writer, (more so for me because I am essentially an anxious individual) it is quite nerve-wracking because one worries if anybody will download the book to their Kindle. Or if one will have any sort of ranking. Or if any sales will follow-on to other books.
Why the fascination with the Middle Ages?
It’s a question I was asked today and it’s something I’ve wondered about as well.
I think it began in secondary school. I fell in love with historical fiction the minute I had my own library card. At the same time, the beginning of the 60’s, TV had just begun in Australia and so I was beguiled by the black and white historical cinema of the time. I’ve just found a copious list of 300 movies online www.erasofelegance.com/entertainment/medievalmovies.html and went through to find the ones I remembered from my youth:
During this Jubilee week, I wondered why I am such a fan of the Royal Family and indeed why I am a constitutional monarchist.
It goes back to my childhood.
My grandparents established our family connection with the little seaside village in which stands House. My grandfather’s house, further toward the river, was where we all spent our childhood holidays until all we cousins diversified into our own cottages close by. We all live on the spit or by the ocean beach, funnelling out from Pa’s house, now my mother’s, like spokes on a wheel.
Writing a novel in a historical timeframe that is acceptable to readers is perhaps one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But even harder, both in my fantasy writing and in my hist.fict/hist romance writing, is the narrating of a credible love scene.
It’s only a few days till Mothers’ Day here in Australia and it prompts me to think about my own mum of whom I’m so proud and who is a bit of a role model!
My mother went to a small Quaker school called The Friends School for all of her academic life. In her time it was an intimate campus but now it is the biggest Quaker school in the Southern hemisphere. One of her favourite classes at that time was art and she showed some dexterity and facility. The images below are from her sketchbook which takes pride of place in our family treasure chest. I always thought it was such a shame that she never followed up on her ability after leaving school before the war. I think the images speak for themselves.
Melissa Smith’s story sent shivers down my spine. Grief is the most profound emotion. It often features in my novels in various ways and I dig into my soul and recall the feelings I had when Dad died. I think you should just read on and see what she has to say…
This post was prompted by an idea a friend (EA West.com) had for a trip around the feature settings of various novels. She asked me where I would go and I chose a special place from Gisborne: Book of Pawns and decided to write a travel diary…
