Ask the Author: Cindy Burkart Maynard
Answered Questions (9)
Cindy Burkart Maynard
What a great question. First, thanks so much for reading "Finding the Way." Hope you don't mind a long answer. The year I walked the Camino, 200,000+ people walked. Most did not walk the full 500 miles, but there were LOTS of people. Along the way I learned in the mid 1200s over 200,000 people walked the Camino. I thought "Wow, what would that have been like?" I love history and "Finding the Way" was my third historical fiction, So down the rabbit hole I went. I researched what was going on in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain did not exist yet) during that time. The Moors ruled most of Spain, but not in the Basque country at the foot of the Pyrenees. The Basque country, where my walk began, is one of the most unique and interesting places I've ever been. They tenaciously maintain their singular identity, going so far as to print street signs in their indecipherable Basque language (it's a language isolate - no related languages exist). They resisted the onslaught of Christianity and the Church used their resistance against them, prosecuting their healers as witches. That was the impetus of the story. I have been a volunteer naturalist for Boulder County for 20 years and have a long and deep love of the natural world. Since there were no "medical doctors," as we know them, at that time the herb women were the de facto healers. So off I went. Many of the characters are based on the people I met along the Camino. Thanks for asking. The sequel, "Esperanza's Way," was published this past June.
Cindy Burkart Maynard
Exactly how and why did my brother die? Did his wife have a hand in his untimely demise? No one knows exactly what happened.
Cindy Burkart Maynard
Right now I'm reading the Whisper Network by Chandler Baker, and City of Girls by Blair Brown. I just finished Once Upon a River by Diane Stetterfield. It was a breath of fresh air, simply delightful. I'm always digging into research for whatever current project I'm working on. Most of those are non-fiction. But a couple "research" books were lots of fun: The Physician by Noah Gordon, and By Fire By Water by Mitchell James Kaplan
Cindy Burkart Maynard
I usually have a few project ideas in the works - a large book project and simple history/natural history articles for a local magazine. Reverting to writing something non-fiction and simple generally gets the juices flowing. Also, I love doing the research. If I lose my way, I'll bury myself in research and reading. That will usually suggest directions my story might go.
Cindy Burkart Maynard
The selfish answer is that it gives me a great deal of satisfaction to immerse myself in a meaty project and just forget about the rest of this insane world.
Cindy Burkart Maynard
No one else may agree with me, but my advice is just write for yourself. Write something that really flips your switch and cast your fate to the wind.
Cindy Burkart Maynard
Right now I'm caught in the throes of creating another historic fiction. Set in 1250 in the Basque Pyrenees of northeastern Spain, it's the story of a young Basque girl, caught in the personal and cultural friction between traditional folkways and Christianity. Her devastating personal tragedy propels her to undertake a quest along the Camino de Santiago. So far I'd characterize it as a cross between an action/adventure novel and a Canterbury Tales
My previous historic was a three generational historic fiction about the lives of three women who lived southwestern US, four corners area, prior to European incursion. It was published in March 2019.
My previous historic was a three generational historic fiction about the lives of three women who lived southwestern US, four corners area, prior to European incursion. It was published in March 2019.
Cindy Burkart Maynard
So far inspiration has not been a problem for me. Something usually reaches out and grabs me by the throat and insists that I write it.
Cindy Burkart Maynard
This story is based on the life of my great-great grandmother, Anastasia Burkart. I wove together the historical facts and what I knew of her story. Names, dates, births, deaths etc are all factual. Thanks for asking!
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