Jean M. Roberts's Blog, page 14

Author Interview with Louise Mangos

Welcome Readers toanother installment of our author interview series. Today we have the pleasureof chatting with Louise Mangos, author of multiple Crime Thrillers and herrecent Historical Fiction novel.

JMR-Welcome to theBooks Delight, Louise. Tell our readers where you live, what you do for fun andwhat does the perfect day look like?

LM-I live in thefoothills of the Swiss Alps and when I’m not writing I love to cross-countryski in the winter and wild swim in the lake in our valley in the summer. Inspring and autumn I also enjoy cycling and hiking in the mountains. My perfectday involves getting up early to write, then doing some form of sport to getthe creative juices flowing, and back to writing again in the afternoon.Settling down to read a good book at the end of the day would round it offperfectly.

JMR-What’s yourfavorite historical time period? Why?

LM-I’ve recentlypublished a historical novel set during the birth of my adopted nation, Switzerland.Back in the fourteenth century the country was a tiny confederation consistingof three cantons or counties, fighting for independence. Researching andembellishing the life of the people who struggled through this period hasbrought the era close to my heart.

JMR-Who is your favoritehistorical figure? Why? If you could ask them one question, what would it be?

LM-Many people believeWilliam Tell was a mythical character. But his stories have been so preciselypassed down through generations in Switzerland, I believe he was a real part ofthe nation’s history. I would love to have asked his son Walter how he felt whenhis father shot the apple off his head with a crossbow, and whether his viewsin any way match those of his character in my novel, as nothing is known abouthim beyond the apple-shooting tale.

JMR- When did you knowyou wanted to be a writer?

LM-As soon as I openedmy first exercise book at primary school and learned to write, I knew I wantedto create stories.

JMR- Your earlier booksare thrillers; why the jump to historical fiction and how different is it towrite than a contemporary thriller?

LM- Although I’vepublished three suspense thrillers, for several years I’ve been researching andwriting this historical novel in between. The narrative is based around asignificant historical European event – The Battle of Morgarten – a battle in1315 that stopped Switzerland falling into the ruling hands of the Habsburgs. Thisgenre involves much more work, especially research and editing, taking particularcare to recount events accurately and avoid anachronisms. But I’ve enjoyed theprocess, and hope to continue a series with these medieval characters.

JMR- Did you visitanyone of the places in your book? Where did you feel closest to yourcharacters?

LM-I’m very lucky tolive in the valley where the novel is set, and have been able to visit thehamlet where Magda grew up. I’ve have touched the walls of the toll tower nextto where she lived, and walked by the lake where she harvested flax to makelinen. I’ve hiked into the forest behind her house where the villagers felledwood for fuel, hunted for boar and deer and were able to strategically defendtheir village from marauders. There are a few scenes that take place in Luzern,my favourite Swiss city. Living in the setting of the book has certainly helpedme to feel close to all the characters.

JMR- Louise, tell usabout your new book, The Secrets of Morgarten.

LM- Magda is abeautiful weaver living in a hamlet next to the village of Morgarten. Shebefriends Walter, the discerning son of the notorious Wilhem Tell. But theirbudding romance is threatened by the arrival of handsome Sébastien, a fugitiveTemplar knight from France. The fledgling nation of Switzerland where Magda andWalter live is under threat from the Habsburgs. But deception and lies are rifeand Sébastien has brought a secret with him. Walter must try to solve themystery of a murder and a stolen relic before a mighty battle with the Habsburgsensues. While the villagers are determined to save the nation, Walter andSébastien are competing for the affections of Magda. It is a medieval mysterywith a little romance and perhaps a little magic – that’s for readers todecide.

JMR-What projects doyou have in the pipeline?

LM-My nextpsychological suspense “Six Fatal Flaws” is currently with beta readers; it willsoon be sent for copy edits and proofreading. It should be published in spring thisyear. I’ve recently finished a humorous crime satire set in the world ofliterary festivals, which is currently being edited. I have several thousandwords written of a fifth suspense thriller and ideas are brewing for the secondin the medieval series.

JMR- Tell our readershow to find you on social media and the web.

LM-Here is a list ofwhere you can find me:

https://louisemangos.com

https://www.facebook.com/LouiseMangosBooks

https://twitter.com/LouiseMangos

https://www.instagram.com/louisemangos/

https://www.tiktok.com/@louisemangos

 

JMR- What question wereyou hoping I’d ask but didn’t?

LM-What fuels mywriting during the day? Tea and chocolate Hob Nobs of course, and I mightsometimes reward my work with a glass of Prosecco at the end of the day ;o)

JMR- Thank you, Louise,for stopping by. Your books look really great! Readers, I’ve included a link toLouise’s books below. Please be sure to check them out.

Coffee Pot Book Tour: Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard; The Beauty Doctor

Welcome to The Book's Delight. Today we are thrilled to host a blog tour for author Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard and her new book, The Beauty Doctor. We have a great excerpt to share with you so grab a cup of something warm and settle in!

The Details:

BookTitle: THE BEAUTY DOCTOR: A NOVEL

Author:Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard

PublicationDate: January 4, 2024

Publisher:Black Rose Writing

PageLength: 327

Genre:Historical Mystery Suspense

Audiobooknarrator: Lisa Bozek 

The Blurb:

ABone-Chilling Mystery-Suspense-Thriller Set in the Edwardian Era

Finalist,Eric Hoffer Book Award

"Beautyis power," Dr. Rome told her. "And with enough power, one can achieveanything."

Straighteningnoses, trimming eyelids, lifting jowls . . . In the year 1907, hisrevolutionary beauty surgery is considered daring, perhaps dangerous. Still,women want what Dr. Rome promises. Neither is his young assistant AbigailPlatford immune to Dr. Rome's persuasive charm.

Abigailonce dreamed of becoming a doctor, though of a much different sort. That dreamended with her father's tragic death from a medical error for which she holdsherself responsible. Dr. Rome, who proudly displays his medical degree fromJohns Hopkins, seems to believe in her. If he were willing to act as hermentor, might there still be a chance to realize her dream of someday becominga doctor serving New York City's poor?

Butsomething feels terribly wrong, as though an insidious evil is closing in.Broken promises, lies, and intrigues abound. The powerful are threatening todestroy the weak, and a doctor's sacred duty hangs in the balance. Abigail nolonger knows who to believe; but with Dr. Rome now her mentor and her lover,she desperately wants to trust him.

Even whenshe discovers that one of their patients has mysteriously disappeared.

Frombestselling author Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard, a suspenseful work ofhistorical fiction grounded in the social and moral issues of the Edwardian erain America. Second Edition with Author's Preface.

 

Excerpt from Chapter Seven of THE BEAUTY DOCTOR by ElizabethHutchison Bernard: 

Dispensing with any semblance of ceremony, Dr. Rome rippedaway the sheet covering the body. There was no way for Abigail to avoid lookingat her, a slender young woman likely only a little older than she was, nakedand clearly dead. There was a fresh cut on her abdomen, from the navel down.Abigail knew enough to recognize an incision for a Cesarean section.

“What happened?” she asked, her voice a whisper.

“Complications of pregnancy. They don’t all make it, youknow.”

“And the baby?”

“I wouldn’t have any idea.”

She raised the back of her hand to her forehead and closedher eyes. She was loath to admit it, but she felt faint. “Why is she here?”

“Because you once complained that you hadn’t spent hours onend studying Gray’s Anatomy for nothing. But the fact is, you can’tlearn anatomy from a book. Tonight you will have a proper lesson.”

He really had done this for her! But did that change how shefelt?

“Dr. Rome—I don’t know what to say. I appreciate it greatly,but—”

“You’re not pleased?”

“I need to know … where did she come from?” Abigail recalledwhat she’d read once about anatomists in earlier times who would buy corpsesfrom professional body snatchers. There were even those who engaged in anatomymurder to get the fresh cadavers medical students used for their dissections.Of course, Shark had not murdered anyone …

“Good God, what’s wrong with you? Where’s your curiosity?Your guts? She was on her way to the potter’s field on Hart Island. Far bettershe should contribute to science.”

Abigail dared to gaze down on the young woman’s face. Hereyelids were closed in repose; her long, dark hair cascaded softly over hershoulders. She was only slightly blue, her body not yet stiff. The odoremanating from her was not unpleasant, almost like a sweetly pungent flower.She could not have been dead for long. Dr. Rome rubbed his palms together, inthat voracious manner of his. “Now, let’s consider this woman’s lips, which arerather thin,” he said, seeming to have moved on from his momentary irritation.“In a few minutes, I’ll show you how to make them voluptuous. We’ll also raisethe angle of the mouth, just to give her a pleasant expression. I’ll let youinject some paraffin all by yourself. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? As for thenose, you’ve seen how I remove a hump. This time, we’re going to elevate thetip—even though she has a perfect nose as it is.” He ran a finger down thebridge. “A shame, really. She wasn’t at all bad looking.” He brushed his handalong her neck. “There’s something else I want to try—a way to lift the neckthrough incisions inside the mouth. I’ve read about it. Novel, but apparentlythere are some problems. We’ll see. You need to understand that operating on acorpse isn’t quite the same as working with living tissue, but often we need tomake do.”

She was trying to listen, to focus on what he was saying,but all she could think of was the poor woman laid out on the table. Did shehave a family somewhere? Was there a man who loved her? And her baby—what hadhappened to it? She wondered if the young mother had even known whether herchild lived or died.

“Miss Platford!” Dr. Rome had paused his lecture long enoughto notice she was not paying attention. “I hope you realize that our time islimited. A fresh cadaver, especially one as nice as this, is a precious thing.”

Abigail pulled her eyes away from the woman’s rippedabdomen. “It’s sad. She’s so young.”

He sighed, coming over to her and laying his hands on hershoulders. “You’ve never seen death before?”

An image of her father’s face, devoid of life, flashedbefore her eyes. She mustn’t think about it now, not when Dr. Rome expected herto act like any ambitious student should: eager to take the knife, to make thefirst cut.

He gave her an encouraging pat on the arm and took a stepback. “I suggest you ready yourself, and we’ll get started.”

 

 

Buy Links: 

Thistitle is available to read on #KindleUnlimited. 

UniversalBuy Link: https://books2read.com/u/316BAr

 

Author Bio: 

 Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard is the authorof bestselling historical novels. Her 2023 release, Sisters of Castle Leod,is an Amazon Kindle #1 Bestseller (Historical Biographical Fiction, HistoricalLiterary Fiction), winner of the 2023 Maxy Award for Historical and AdventureFiction, and an Editors’ Choice of the Historical Novel Society. Herbiographical novel Temptation Rag (2018) was hailed by PublishersWeekly as a “resonant novel . . . about the birth and demise of ragtime . .. in which romance and creative passions abound.” Elizabeth’s 2017 historicalmystery-suspense-thriller, The Beauty Doctor, was a finalist for theprestigious Eric Hoffer Book Award. The book’s re-release (Jan. 4, 2024)features a stunning new cover and an Author Preface with insights into socialand moral issues of the Edwardian era that frame this shocking fictional storyset in the early days of cosmetic surgery. Before becoming a full-time author,Elizabeth was executive editor of an international aesthetic surgery journal,and senior consultant to the National Cosmetic Network in conjunction withJohns Hopkins University’s plastic surgery educational program. Learn moreabout Elizabeth and her books at www.EHBernard.com.

 

 

Author Links:

 

Website:https://www.ehbernard.com

Twitter:https://www.X.com/EHBernardAuthor

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/EHBernardAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EHBernardAuthor

AmazonAuthor Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Elizabeth-Hutchison-Bernard/author/B072N681MZ

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16953486.Elizabeth_Hutchison_Bernard

Author Interview with F.X. Regan

Welcome Readers toanother installment of our author interview series. Today we have the pleasureof chatting with FX Regan, author of a novella series on the mysterious Area51.

JMR-Welcome to theBooks Delight, F.X. Tell our readers where you live, what you do for fun andwhat does the perfect day look like?

FXR- Thanks forallowing me this opportunity. I split time between the Washington, D.C. areawhere I am a rare native, and Florida – depending on the weather. I’m still alicensed Private Investigator though I only take a few cases a year – it has tobe something really interesting. Most days, I write in the morning, and work onmarketing efforts in the afternoon. I also enjoy road biking, exercise, andreading. My bride of 40 years and I have seven grandchildren in three states,so we try to keep up with them too.

JMR-What’s yourfavorite historical time period? Why?

FXR- I’d have to saythe 1980s – it’s when I got my start in law enforcement, and while technologyhas certainly made life more efficient, there was something about working outproblems without it. Today, young people can’t tell time on a clock or navigatewith just a map. There was a post-Vietnam peace, the economy was good, and by1989, we won the cold war.

JMR-Who is yourfavorite historical figure? Why? If you could ask them one question, what wouldit be?

FXR- Picking one isREALLY hard. Going back to the previous question, I’ll say Ronald Reagan. Hewas the president the country needed at the time and led the nation with acombination of sunny optimism and strength. If you’ve never been to the ReaganPresential Library, I highly recommend it. As for a question: “Did you everconsider backing down from your strong position (especially on the issue of StarWars,) with Gorbachev at Reykjavik?”

JMR- You spent yourcareer in law enforcement; how did you come to be a writer?

FXR- I was a lifelongreader, especially fiction when I was young. I transitioned to reading mostlyto non-fiction for years in my early adulthood, except the classics like TomClancy and anything by Joseph Wambaugh. I’m now back to mostly fiction. Lawenforcement is not conducive to good writing – it’s 100% passive voice - thirdperson – “just the facts ma’am” (IYKYK.) But I always had an interest inwriting. And some of the things I’ve seen and done during my career cry to beput into stories.

About ten years ago Ipenned an autobiography. I was determined it would not be like a lot of the badlaw enforcement autobiographies I’d read, (my first day at the FBI Academy, myfirst big arrest, etc.,) but it was still awful. Since I had already fictionalizedseveral of the characters to protect the guilty (that’s a joke J,) and the locationswhere they happened, I decided to turn some of those stories into fiction. Inmy CJ Hawk thrillers (not out yet,) and Kiki Diaz thrillers, (one book out,)almost all the action comes from real events that have been fictionalized.

JMR- Did you visitanyone of the places in your book? Where did you feel closest to yourcharacters?

FXR- Almost everythingin all my books (so far,) takes place in the Washington, D.C. area because it aplace I know so well. (And it’s conducive to conspiracy and intrigue.)  While I’ve never been to Area 51 per se, I’vebeen to a classified facility nearby. If I told you about it, I’d have to killyou, or the FBI would not be happy with me. Probably the latter.

JMR- FX, tell us aboutyour novella series, Area 51: Project Series.

FXR- So, I wrote twofull-length CJ Hawk - FBI Thrillers featuring an FBI agent who is (wrongly)dismissed from the Bureau and becomes a high-end PI in Washington, D.C. He getsretained to, off-the-books, help solve a number of high-profile homicides, andhe runs into rogue government operations and other challenges. They wereloosely based on actual homicide cases in the area.

I’ve spent a couple ofyears with editors and agents on these books, and there is some interest fromsmall publishers so far, but nothing I’ve pulled the trigger on. It also takestime for me to get books about the FBI, even fiction, through the required FBIpre-publication review process. I promise one of these books will come out in2024, one way or another.

In the meantime, Istarted writing these kitschy novellas about murders at Area 51 in 1955, 1963,and 1969, and a D.C. homicide detective, John “Black Jack” Morrison, who can’tstay out of the dog house with the chief of detectives. As punishment, BlackJack gets sent back to Area 51 to secretly solve the murders. There are three novellasso far, plus a volume that incorporates all three in one book, and there is anAudiobook version. They have been a ton of fun to write and easy toself-publish on Amazon. A fourth novella will come out in 2024.

JMR- Why do you thinkreaders are still fascinated by Area 51 after all these years?

FX- Because for years,the government refused to acknowledge it even existed. Technically, they stilldon’t acknowledge it, but there has been so much that has come out in the openpress that there is a lot known about it. Whether we acknowledge it or not, American’slove a conspiracy. I highly recommend Annie Jacobsen’s book, Area 51: AnUncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base for further background.

JMR-What projects doyou have in the pipeline?

FXR- I am working inthree series: The CJ Hawk – FBI Thrillers I talked about above, The AREA 51novellas, and a new series I just published the first book in. That latestbook, Rosslyn Station – A Detective Kiki Diaz Thriller features a FairfaxCounty, Virginia Police Detective Sergeant and the travails she goes throughsolving complex investigations. Book 1 dropped in December, and I’m working onBook 2, Fairfax Station – A Detective Kiki Diaz Thriller right now. Look forthat in late spring/early summer.

As I noted, at leastone CJ Hawk – FBI Thriller will come out this year sometime, maybe two – we’llsee. The first is Department Echo – A CJ Hawk – FBI Thriller, the second isZulu Center – A CJ Hawk – FBI Thriller and I’m working on the third, WashingtonField – A CJ Hawk – FBI Thriller.

And, as I said, thefourth AREA 51: Project Series novella, this one, Project Gemstone, will be outsometime in 2024.

Since that might not beenough to keep me busy, I also write a Substack column called The ReganRevolution every two to four weeks. It’s fact/opinion and concerns crime, thepolice, and the FBI.

JMR- Tell our readershow to find you on social media and the web.

FXR- Sure – the bestplace to see everything is my website, www.fxregan.com.You can sign up for the newsletter while you’re there. Whether you sign up forthe newsletter or The Regan Revolution, I tend to send out everything under thelatter. You can go right to https://fxregan.substack.comto see that and sign up. I’m on X (Twitter) and Instagram at @fxregan. TheAmazon links for the books are https://amzn.to/482pxjg(eBook, paperback, and Audiobook,) and https://amzn.to/4aA1r0K(eBook, paperback, Audiobook is in production.)

JMR- What question wereyou hoping I’d ask but didn’t?

FXR- Who are my favoriteauthors today: A. - Joseph Wambaugh (though he hasn’t written anything new fora while, but he remains the patron saint of cops turned authors,) MichaelConnelly (who learned the police culture with 14 years on the police beat as ajournalist,) Jack Carr, Don Bentley, Don Winslow, Alma Katsu, George Pelecanos,and Isabella Maldonado. I shouldn’t have gone down this road because I’mleaving too many great writers off the list.

JMR- Thank you, FX, forstopping by. Your books look really great! Readers, I’ve included a link to FX’sbooks below. Please be sure to check them out.

 

Interview with Author Laury Silvers

 

Welcome Readersto another installment of our author interview series. Today we have thepleasure of chatting with Laury Silvers, author of multiple historical fictionbooks with a Medieval Islamic setting.  

JMR-Welcome tothe Books Delight, Laury. Tell our readers where you live, what you do for funand what does the perfect day look like?

LS- A perfect dayincludes a very long walk in one of Toronto’sbeautiful ravines. It is called a city in a park for a reason. My mind gets towander, finding a peaceful place, and I get much-needed exercise. Time to writeor think about writing, as well as small tasks associated with writing, areessential to this perfect day. Then come the other essentials: good coffee,good food, good company, and a good book. If my grandson lived nearby, and Icould add seeing him daily to this mix, that would be the cherry on top.

JMR-What’s yourfavorite historical time period? Why?

LS- The earlymedieval period in Islamic civilizations is my favourite. It's the time beforeinstitutions of learning and other forms of social and political authority weregaining traction. I particularly love the early period and just after it whenreligious ideas, rituals, and legal practices were still taking shape. Thediversity of thought and practice, including gender roles, was still evolving.I adore researching the time before an accepted truth was considered true atall – just one position among many, sometimes under wild dispute for the mostinteresting, and sometimes banal reasons

JMR-Who is yourfavorite historical figure? Why? If you could ask them one question, what wouldit be?

LS- "This isa challenging question for me to answer. When it comes up in conversation, Itypically bow out. As a believing Muslim, I would, of course, say the ProphetMuhammad. The chance to sit with him, to learn directly from him, and simply tobe in his presence would be the culmination of so many hopes to understand myreligion and my place in it.

However,if I were to choose a secular figure, it would be the 9th-century 'renaissanceman,' al-Jahiz. He was a great man of letters of African and Arab descent, afamed raconteur, scientist, essayist, and humorist who wrote numerous books.Some engaged with earlier Greek sources, such as his 'Book of Animals,' whileothers were hilarious compendiums of the shortcomings of his contemporaries,like 'The Book of Misers.' He seems like he would be a heck of a lot of fun.

JMR- How did youcome to be a writer of historical fiction?

LS- I retiredfrom academia, where I was a historian of early medieval Islam. Despite leavingthe formal world of academia, I found that I still had stories to tell aboutthe period and its people. Encouraged by my family and friends to pick up thepen, here I am.

JMR-Historicalfiction and murder mystery seem to be a popular pairing. Why did you choosethis subgenre as opposed to a purely historical novel?

LS- I have alwaysloved mysteries and would read and discuss them with my mother. It was she whourged me to bring my two loves together. Mysteries, I've found, are the perfectform to explore the big questions about history and humanity without gettingbogged down. The search for 'whodunit' keeps the story moving and thehistorical baggage light.

JMR- Did youvisit anyone of the places in your book? Where did you feel closest to yourcharacters?

LS- I have neverhad the opportunity to visit Baghdad, unfortunately. I still hope to gosomeday. However, I did live in Fez, Morocco. Its old city is not dissimilar toaccounts of medieval cities further east. I always imagined the people Istudied as living, breathing individuals with all the possible weaknesses andstrengths. Some of them did live in Fez, and their tombs were there or nearby.Their traditions lived on, allowing me to imagine them in a way I could neverhave done had I not had that opportunity. When I began to bring them to life infiction, it all came together.

JMR- Laury, tellus about your new book, The Peace: A Sufi Mystery.

LS- The Peaceis the final book in my Sufi Mysteries Quartet. Each novel is a mystery untoitself, but collectively, they unpack particular historical questions about theperiod. The first, The Lover, explores the fate of early pious and Sufiwomen. The second, The Jealous, delves into gender roles, ideals,freedom, and enslavement, especially within legal systems. The third, TheUnseen, focuses on early Shia communities and their relationship with theSunni caliphate. Despite the distinct mysteries, all the books narrate thestory of twins, Zaytuna and Tein, as they navigate the spiritual and emotionallegacy of their famed mystic mother—from trauma and pain to eventual peace. ThePeace, as the final installment, delves into the history of the Quran andQuranic scholarship, exploring debates around manuscripts as they finally cometo order. The narrative also brings a spiritual and emotional resolution to thecharacters' journeys.

JMR-What projectsdo you have in the pipeline?

LS- I have anovella out in a collection entitled Revenge in Three set in aalternative history medieval world. All three of the novellas are based on TheCount of Monte Cristo. Mine, Rat City, is a noir story with apost-menopausal hard-boiled detective. Rat City is a semi-finalist for aspeculative fiction award. I’m waiting on the announcements for finalists.

Next, I am takingone of the characters from The Sufi Mysteries Quartet, Ammar, the formerfrontier fighter and investigator for Baghdad’sGrave Crimes Section, and giving him his own series: A Ghazi Ammar MedievalMystery. In this new venture, Ammar is now a private investigator. While majorcharacters from the first series do play a role, they take a backseat toAmmar's narrative. This new series is intentionally lighter in every way. Itwill be less historical, with history moving into the background to make roomfor more straightforward mysteries. The focus will be less on the religiouslives of its characters, but it will still vividly bring medieval Baghdad tolife.

JMR- Tell ourreaders how to find you on social media and the web.

LS- I am rarelyon the former Twitter anymore, but my account there is @waraqamusa. On allother platforms I am laurylsilvers. But the best place to find me is mywebsites www.llsilvers.com

JMR- Whatquestion were you hoping I’d ask but didn’ t?

LS- I love thequestion about the audience. While I initially hoped that my first series wouldbe read more broadly, I quickly realized its appeal was primarily to historynerds—specifically, those interested in exploring beyond Western Civilizationbasics. So, that narrowed down my audience significantly. With this nextseries, I'm aiming for a broader appeal, going for a 'Cadfael in Baghdad' feel.I hope there are readers out there looking for just that.

JMR- Thank you,Laury, for stopping by. Your books look really intriguing! Readers, I’veincluded a link to Laury’s books below. Please be sure to check them out.

 

I will add abutton and link to the book.

Interview with Louise Fein: Author of The London Bookshop Affair

 

 

JMR-Welcome to theBooks Delight, Louise. Tell our readers where you live, what you do for fun andwhat does the perfect day look like?

LF- Thank you so much,I’m delighted to be here! I live in a small village in Surrey. For me, it’s theperfect location as we are surrounded by beautiful countryside but still withineasy reach of old market towns like Guildford and Farnham, and our localstation has great links with London so I can get my culture fix whenever I needit! I love going to the theatre, museums and art galleries, so I am regularly inLondon for that and to visit friends. As for fun, that would be having a rowdydinner with friends, skiing in the Alps on a cold, sunny day, walking in thebeautiful English countryside with my dog Bonnie and spending time with mythree almost grown-up children. As for my perfect day, it would start with alarge mug of tea and a ramble through the countryside with the dog beforesettling down with an equally large mug of coffee to write. Writing in themorning is definitely when I’m freshest and raring to go! After perhaps threeto four hours of very productive writing, a late lunch (naturally magicallyprepared with no effort on my part), I might meet a friend or two for a coffeeand a natter and perhaps go for a run before gathering with the family for theevening meal (again conjured by fairy dust) following which we would all settledown and read a good book or watch a movie. It definitely wouldn’t involveschool runs, tackling the dirty washing piles, arguing with teenagers, preparingmeals and the like. The reality is usually somewhere between the two!

JMR-What’s yourfavorite historical time period? Why?

LF- Oh gosh, that is atough question. There are so many time periods in history I find fascinating, butif I have to pick one, I guess I would have to choose the twentieth century. Somuch tumultuous change, affecting every aspect of human life over a relativelyshort period of time. Of course, there were two devastating wars, the like ofwhich had never been seen before, and which altered the world order. But therewas so much more than that. From women’s liberation and the breakdown of classand race barriers to the impact of radio, television and mass media; the demiseof colonialism to the rise in globalisation and mass migration; from industrialto technological and information revolutions, the impact of the developments ofthe 20th century and the speed of change are unprecedented inhistory. It makes for rich pickings for historical novelists.

JMR-Who is yourfavorite historical figure? Why? If you could ask them one question, what wouldit be?

LF- Again, it is veryhard to narrow it down to one person! I love exploring the stories of those whohave rather been forgotten or misaligned by history, and there are so many. Fortoday and Books Delight, I’m going to choose an extraordinary young French womancalled Jeannie Rousseau who I have used as inspiration for one of my charactersin my soon-to-be-released novel, The London Bookshop Affair. Jeannie wasa talented linguist blessed with a fierce intellect and a photographic memory.She was recruited to the French resistance during WWII and gathered intelligencefor the Allies under the code name Amniarix. Playing the ‘silly girl’ she frequentedthe bars in Paris where Nazi officers hung out and she was both charming and discreetand managed to coax from them in astonishing detail, information about theGerman’s secret work on the V-1 rockets. Pretending she didn’t believe them,she managed to get them to draw plans of the rockets which she memorised andrecreated to be sent back to London. These led to the British raids onPeenemünde, where the V-1 and V-2 rockets were under development, resulting indelays and saving thousands of lives. She was eventually captured and sent tothree Nazi concentration camps, none of which could break her. She survived andlived to the age of 98. She died in 2017. As for the question I would have forher, I would like to ask her about what it was that kept her going during her tortureand incarceration by the Nazis. Her mental strength must have beenextraordinary.   

JMR- You previouslyworked in the law and banking; how did you come to be a writer of historical fiction?

LF- Writing has alwaysbeen a passion but as most writers will attest, it is not, except for the veryfew, a way to earn a decent living. I needed a career to be able to supportmyself and after leaving university, becoming a lawyer seemed like a sensibledecision at the time! I moved sideways into banking, working for many years onthe risk side of the business. But I always wrote as a way to de-stress and tolose myself in something I loved. I would write on my commute home – shortstories, poems, beginnings of novels, but I hoped that once I had more time, Iwould be able to write more seriously. That day came when I saw anadvertisement for a master’s degree in creative writing at St Mary’s universitywhich was close to where I lived then. It was specifically geared to writingyour first novel. At that time, I was running my own consultancy businessbecause I had had to take a step back from working in the City of London as myyoungest daughter had been very ill. My husband urged me to sign up for thecourse, and it was during my time studying there that I began working on thenovel which became by debut, People Like Us (entitled Daughter of theReich) in the USA.

JMR- Did you visitanyone of the places in your book? Where did you feel closest to yourcharacters?

LF- If at all possible,I love to visit the settings of my novels. Being historical, these places willalways have changed, but there will often be something remaining of interestand relevance – history is all around us if we choose to look! The LondonBookshop Affair is set primarily in London, and my main protagonist, Celia,lives in Southwark, South London in 1962. Southwark has changed a good dealsince then, but I walked the streets none-the-less, and everywhere there areremnants of the past, from old pubs and warehouses to railway bridges,Victorian cottages and churches. Of course, I also looked at many oldphotographs, studied maps of the streets and records. I also had the benefit ofstories from my grandmother and my mother who lived in Southwark before, duringand after the war. It is always important to research from a number of sources,but nothing beats walking the streets without rushing and finding hidden gems youmight otherwise miss. Celia works in an antiquarian bookshop on the Strand in centralLondon. It is easy to picture her there, loving the smell and feel of those oldbooks. I think that has to be the place I feel closest to her.   

JMR-Louise, tell usabout your new book, The London Bookshop Affair.

LF- TheLondon Bookshop Affair is a dual timeline novel, set primarily in London in theearly 1960’s, with another thread set in 1942. It is the story of Celia, anordinary girl from Southwark in south London, who longs for a career and a bitof excitement in her life, but with no qualifications she is stuck working in adusty old bookshop. The day a handsome American walks into the shop, she thinksshe might have found just what she is longing for. But then she stumbles upon adevastating family secret.

 

In1942 war-torn Paris, nineteen-year-old Anya Moreau, an agent of the SecretOperations Executive, was dropped behind enemy lines, tasked with sendingmessages back to London via wireless transmitter. Cruelly betrayed, her legacyand the injustices done to her were buried to protect others.

 

AsCelia begins to unravel the hidden truths of the past, she becomes unwittinglydrawn into a murky world of espionage, uncovering furious efforts, both pastand present, to protect state secrets. With the world on the brink of nuclearannihilation, and her new romance taking a surprising turn, will Celia riskeverything she holds dear, in the name of justice?

 

JMR-What projects doyou have in the pipeline?

LF- I am working on myfourth novel which is my most ambitious yet! Unfortunately, it’s much too earlyto say anything about it, but I am very excited by this novel. It is requiringa lot of research as it is partly set in a very different time period for me, andlocations I need to become more familiar with. I shall be doing much walking ofstreets in the coming months! But I love the research and it is a great voyageof discovery for me.

JMR- Tell our readershow to find you on social media and the web.

LF- I have a website withdetails of all my books. You can sign up to my (infrequent) newsletters for newsand giveaway goodies, as well as the odd free short story! You can find me at: https://www.louisefein.com I am also on X(Twitter): https://twitter.com/FeinLouise/status/1731374355945295956, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisefeinauthor/and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louisefeinauthorI can also be found on BlueSky, Threads and Ticktock all under Louise FeinAuthor.

JMR- What question wereyou hoping I’d ask but didn’t?

LF- I was hoping youwould ask for some historical fiction book recommendations! You didn’t, but Ishall offer some anyway! This year I have read some truly wonderful historicalnovels, but I shall just mention a few here. First up is The UnspeakableActs of Zena Pavlou, by Eleni Kyriakou. This novel is inspired by a truecrime in the 1950’s and by the second to last woman, a Greek Cypriot, to beexecuted in England. I absolutely loved it – so beautifully written and anuanced take on the perpetrators of crime, the victim and justice. It was alsoa BBC pick for Between the Covers – they have good taste and I highly recommendit! Another wonderful, evocative read was Elizabeth Freemantle’s Disobedientwhich is the fictionalised account of the 17th Century artist,Artemisia Gentileschi. Written in exquisite prose, it's an unapologetically brutalaccount of the artist’s fight to be recognised for her talent rather than as amere chattel to be passed from father to husband. Continuing the feministtheme, I also adored Weyward by Emilia Hart – a wonderful debut novel withthree timelines from the 1600s, 1942 and 2017 – tricky to pull off, but she hasmanaged with aplomb – with a dash of magical realism. It is, however, a storyof women and their treatment through the ages by unscrupulous men being all toogrounded in reality.  

JMR- Thank you Louise for stopping by! Good luck with your new book! Readers, Louise's can be found on Amazon. I've included a link below for you to check it out!

Author Interview: Mark Jonathan Runte

 

JMR-Welcome to the Books Delight, Mark.Tell our readers where you live, what you do for fun and what does the perfectday look like?

MJR- I live in Canada with two small dogs forcompany. Hobbies, and what I like to do – I enjoy traveling at least once ayear – haven’t done South America yet but Greece and Rome are higher on mylist. My perfect day is one where I get a good hour or two of writing downwithout interruption.

JMR-What’s your favorite historical timeperiod? Why?

MJR-  Nothingspecific, it depends on the story and the story’s needs. I’ve written for the Revolutionary War already. At some point I would like to have something setduring the Salem Witch Trials, and ninth or tenth century England in my work.

JMR-Who is your favorite historicalfigure? Why? If you could ask them one question, what would it be?

MJR- Again, I don’t have a specific person in mind –it just depends on the setting and who happens to be around during that periodof time.

JMR- How did you come to be a writer ofhistorical fiction?

MJR- I just kind of fell into it I guess. My momcollects Diana Gabledon’s Outlander series when they come out in hardcover.

JMR- Did you visit anyone of the placesin your book? Where did you feel closest to your characters?

MJR- Not yet, it’s somewhere on my travel plansthough. At present, I can only visit those places through my writing.

JMR-Mark, tell us about your new book, Neverbe a Saint: A Mythos Novel.

MJR – It’s a Revolutionary War story spread across afew years before and after the Declaration of Independence, with a third of it takingplace in contemporary US. I’m cautious about revealing too much but it alsodeals with LGBTQ themes.

JMR-Your book blends mythology andhistory, which is your favorite god? Greek or Roman? What does mythology add tothe flavor of your story?

MJR- Good question. Choosing my favorite god wouldbe as hard as picking a specific time period – I find all of them fascinating,too much to say just one of them.

JMR-What projects do you have in thepipeline?

MJR- Too many to list but that’s apparently how mybrain works. My primary focus is on Song for Dalriada, a fantasy echo of theAnglo-Saxon period in history. But I’ve also got Shieldmaiden and Little Beautyas connective works to my Eve book. Last but not least, a non-canon retellingof a pair of werewolf twins, if they’d stayed in Russia and grown up there,rather than their home in London.

JMR- Tell our readers how to find you onsocial media and the web.

MJR- I’m on twitter and Instagram, with a muchsmaller platform on facebook and Bluesky. I prefer twitter more than anythingelse. While I do have a website – it hasn’t been updated in a while. If you’relooking for my books in particular, Amazon is the best place to find them.

JMR- What question were you hoping I’dask but didn’t?

MJR- None, this was a very well put togetherinterview. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. 😊

 JMR- Mark, thanks for stopping by and telling us a bit about yourself and your writing. Good luck with your new book, Never Be A Saint! Readers, I've included links to the books, just click on the book cover. 

   

Author Interview with Stacy Townend

 

Welcome Readers toanother installment of our author interview series. Today we have the pleasureof chatting with Stacy T. Townend, author of two historical fiction books.

JMR-Welcome to theBooks Delight, Stacy. Tell our readers where you live, what you do for fun andwhat does the perfect day look like?

STT- I live inHuddersfield, West Yorkshire. I enjoy reading and supporting other authors.Spending time with my wife after a busy working week. We enjoy going for a walkwith our little Westie & maybe calling for a beer at a local pub. Spendingtime planning our holidays. 3 booked so far for 2024. The first of which isthis month for my birthday.

JMR-What’s yourfavorite historical time period? Why?

STT- I have a few, ofcourse I love the era I write about with Mercia, Northumberland and Vikingraiders scouring the lands. I also enjoy reading books around the Romanconquest of Britain. I still have a tender spot for the Napoleonic era thebattles and fights of the wars.

JMR-Who is yourfavorite historical figure? Why? If you could ask them one question, what wouldit be?

STT- Wooo greatquestion, I think I would like to meet Lord Wellington & ask him about hisearlier military career during India. Particularly the battle of Assaye, inlater life he claimed it was his finest battlefield accomplishment.

JMR- How did you cometo be a writer of historical fiction?

STT- By pure accident.I have been fortunate to support authors new and established with advancereviews and beta reads. This provided me with a new set of online friends andsome great reading. One author MJ Porter whose series I was currently readingasked me if I could pick a character from the book for another series who wouldI pick. I provided some notes and plot idea. MJ liked it and said why don’t youhave a go yourself. I laughed to myself sat on the idea for around 6 monthsthen decided to have a go. 10 months later I had my first book ready and withsupport from MJ had it formatted and a book cover.  It was a joy writing the 1st book.I never realized how much work a writer had to do to bring the joy of a storyto readers. I had never considered writing historical fiction. I used to makeup stories for my children and have a couple written down, though I have neverprogressed them.

JMR- How does your ‘dayjob’ impact or influence your writing?

STT- I have worked formy local council 21 years and held the role of Electoral Officer I currentlywork as a Recycling Officer, within this role I undertake talks &presentations to schools and adult community groups. I also have to writereports and create workshops & presentations. I think my current role hashelped me become more confident and aware of my own skill sets which gave methe boost to actually try and write my first book. Writing is a very difficultjourney with high & low points, targets to meet and accuracy. My currentrole is similar with deadlines on reports that must be accurate. Intense busyperiods with normal duties and meetings late at night. Getting used to my rolemade planner my writing schedule so much easier.

JMR- Did you visitanyone of the places in your book? Where did you feel closest to yourcharacters?

STT- I visited asection of Offa’s Dyke last summer near Chirk (Wales). Close to the border ofEngland and not far from Holt & Farndon which appear in the books. I drovethrough Holt though did not have time to stop. Visiting the dyke and standingon it, looking at how big it was. It was a great feeling and provided me someadditional background and a change in the plot of book 2 “The Revenge”. It alsoprovided me additional work/plot notes for the 3rd installment “TheJustice.” I also visited Gargrave near Skipton which provided some additionalstory notes for book 2. Nothing like standing in an historical place to feedyour imagination. As I stood upon the dyke near Chirk I envisaged myself asOswi with his faithful warriors around him as the enemy attacked screaming andshouting shield, sword, and axe in hand. Visiting locations is very worthwhileand stimulates your writing ideas.

JMR- Stacy, tell usabout your new book, The Revenge.

STT- The Revengecontinues with the story of Oswi a loyal warrior of Merica. The action startswith King Offa, Oswi and his warriors heading south to battle King Wattus andthe Heastingas tribe who are invading the Sussex lands. The story moves on andis focused on Oswi, Afan of Powy’s & Healfden of the raiders. The threestrands are all seeking Revenge from the battles and deaths in The Betrayal(Book 1). Other new characters are drawn into the fray. Who will survive andwho will get the revenge they seek.

JMR-What projects doyou have in the pipeline?

STT- I am currentlytrying my hand at a small novella. The story will focus one of the newcharacters of The Revenge. It will be a stand-alone story but, in the timeline,fits easily between Book 2 & 3. Book 3 will be started in spring of thisyear and will continue with the adventures of Oswi and his family & friendsas the construction of the dyke begins. The story will focus on Oswi and hiswarriors along with Afan of Powy’s.  Ihad originally planned on three books for the series The Mercian Tales. ThoughI have some additional ideas to expand the series should they prove successful.I am currently undertaking some research about the dyke before I start thewrite.

JMR- Tell our readershow to find you on social media and the web.

STT- I can be found onFacebook & X via my name Stacy Townend. I am also on Threads/Discord/Goodreadsunder my name.     https://t.co/AWghDTeU6GThis is the link to my account on WordPress. I use all of the above to reachout about my books.

JMR- What question wereyou hoping I’d ask but didn’t?

STT-

JMR- Thank you, Stacy,for stopping by. Your books look really great! Readers, I’ve included a link toStacy’s books below. Please be sure to check them out.

 

 

Interview with Author Penny Haw

 

Welcome Readers toanother installment of our author interview series. Today we have the pleasureof chatting with Penny, author of two historical fiction books.

JMR-Welcome to theBooks Delight, Penny. Tell our readers where you live, what you do for fun andwhat does the perfect day look like?

PH-Thank you, Jeanie.It’s pleasure to be here! I live in a fishing village called Hout Bay, which islittle over 20 kilometers from Cape Town on the southern tip of South Africa.It’s a gorgeous spot where the Atlantic Ocean crashes against the mountains,except where it’s tamed by sandy, white beaches. Every morning my husband and Iwalk our three dogs along the track above the sea. The views never get tired.I’m a lover of the outdoors and animals so my days are incomplete without ahike with my hounds. Sometimes we head down the mountain to allow the dogs toromp on the beach. I also run—neither fast nor far, but regularly—to try andcounterbalance the many hours I spend upon my butt at my desk. I enjoy cookingand, of course, like most writers, I am a great reader. The perfect day? A runin the cool of the morning, a dog walk, a swim (in summer) and then anuninterrupted day of writing in my office followed by a good meal and a fewhours with a book.

JMR-What’s yourfavorite historical time period? Why?

PH-My books are set inthe late 19th Century and early 20th Century. I’mfascinated by the true lives of relatively unknown women who thrived duringthese years despite the odds stacked against by the patriarchy, church, andreligion. The main characters in my novels—Aleen Cust, Britain and Ireland’sfirst female veterinary surgeon, and Bertha Benz, one of the world’s earliest motoringentrepreneurs—were trailblazers in professions dominated by men. Their livesare inspirational, and I absolutely loved researching and writing about them.

JMR-Who is yourfavorite historical figure? Why? If you could ask them one question, what wouldit be?

PH-Because I loveanimals and once dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, Aleen Cust is my favorite.My novel, The Invincible Miss Cust describes the extent of her passionand determination to live a life of purpose in the Victorian era and to workwith animals. She was extraordinary. If I could ask her anything it would be toconfirm the source of her determination. In my version of her life, I reasonthat she was driven by her love for animals and her desire to do more with herlife than be an aristocratic wife and mother. I’d love to know if I was right.What did I get wrong? What don’t I know? Of course, Bertha Benz—the focus of mynovel, The Woman at the Wheel—is also a favorite. I’d ask her how shemanaged to juggle the roles of wife and mother of five with her deepinvolvement with the invention and business of the Benz motorwagen.     

JMR- How did you cometo be a writer of historical fiction?

PH-It happened bychance! I’d written contemporary fiction and was planning another, which Ithought I’d set in a veterinary practice. This led me to researching when womenfirst became veterinary surgeons. That’s how I came across Aleen Cust. Herstory was gripping. I couldn’t believe that no one had written historicalfiction about her. I couldn’t resist and one thing led to another.

JMR- You worked as ajournalist and columnist for newspapers and magazines, how did this impact or helpform your writing style?

PH-Having had a longcareer as a writer means that I am disciplined about my work. I’m accustomed toworking to deadlines and, even when they’re self-imposed, have great respectfor them. It seems like the luckiest thing to me that I love writing. I can’timagine doing anything else. However, as much as I enjoy it, I don’tromanticize writing and wait for the muse to appear. I’m pragmatic andbusinesslike about the process. Also, my work as a journalist prepared me forthe process of research. I enjoy it but have learned not to allow it to takeover the job. On the other hand, I’ve had to learn to adjust certain thingsabout my style since trying my hand at fiction. As a journalist, one doesn’tleave readers guessing. I’m still learning not to over-explain in my fiction.But isn’t that one of the joys of writer? The fact that we’re always learningand can always improve?

JMR- Did you visitanyone of the places in your book? Where did you feel closest to yourcharacters?

PH-I’ve visited severalplaces in Ireland, Scotland, and England (where The Invincible Miss Custis set) and Germany (where The Woman at the Wheel is set). Iparticularly love the Irish countryside and can imagine Aleen Cust riding herwhite Arabian stallion, Nasser across the green fields. The Black Forest areain Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, where Bertha lived, is alsomagnificent. It was easy to picture her and Carl there, particularly in thepicnic scene, when they meet.

JMR- Penny, tell usabout your new book, The Woman at the Wheel.

PH- TheWoman at the Wheel is based on the true story of BerthaBenz, who was the wife of the man known as the “Father of the Automobile”, CarlBenz. Bertha lived largely in Carl’s shadow but when, while working as ajournalist, I read about a journey Bertha and her teenage sons made in the Benzmotorwagen in 1888, I realized that there was more to her than most accountslet on. My research proved as much. She was inventive, entrepreneurial,adventurous, astute, and as much an extraordinary visionary as Carl was. TheWoman at the Wheel celebrates Bertha’s foresight, wisdom, and manycontributions to the development of the world’s first commercially producedmotor vehicle. It is also a story of perseverance, resilience, family,friendship, and love.

JMR-What projects doyou have in the pipeline?

PH-I am joyfullycontracted to write two more works of biographical historical fiction for mypublisher, Sourcebooks. I’m busy with the edits on the first of the two now. Itis about archaeologist and paleoanthropologist, Mary Leakey and is setprimarily in East Africa. It’ll be published early in 2025. The next—also basedon the life of a woman from history—will be published in 2026.

JMR- Tell our readershow to find you on social media and the web.

PH-https://pennyhaw.com/

https://twitter.com/PennyHaw

https://www.instagram.com/pennyhaw/

https://www.threads.net/@pennyhaw

https://www.facebook.com/PennyHawAuthor

JMR- What question wereyou hoping I’d ask but didn’t?

PH-Oh, I love thisquestion and my response is based on something I’ve been thinking about a greatdeal recently as I recognize how challenging the book publishing business is.The question one might ask is: “What motivates you to write?” My answer? I doit for the enjoyment I get from storytelling and the process of writing, andthe fact that I will never stop learning as long as I write. As others havesaid, books are the closest thing to magic we have. As authors, we createsomething out of nothing and that something takes readers on journeys to placesin the world and in their minds that they might otherwise never visit. That’swhat motivates me to write. 

JMR- Thank you, Penny,for stopping by. Your books look really great! Readers, I’ve included a link toPenny’s books below. Please be sure to check them out.

 

Interview with author Elisabeth Grace Foley

 

WelcomeReaders to another installment of our author interview series. Today we havethe pleasure of chatting with Elisabeth Grace Foley, author of numeroushistorical fiction books.

 

JMR-Welcometo the Books Delight, Elisabeth. Tell our readers where you live, what you dofor fun and what does the perfect day look like?

EGF-Thank you so much for having me! I currently live in upstate New York, where Iwas born and raised. In my life as it looks right now, a perfect day wouldinvolve putting in a few good hours writing, a good amount of time spentoutside walking or gardening, some time spent reading a good book, and timespent with my family.

Besidesreading and writing, some of my hobbies include music, crocheting, genealogy,and watching old movies and German football.

 

JMR-What’syour favorite historical time period? Why?

EGF-Broadly speaking, it’s late 19th-century and early 20th-centuryAmerica. I went through a Civil-War-buff phase as a teen and I go on a bit of aWorld War II kick from time to time, and those two events kind of bookend myera of interest. My special interest is the American West during that period,simply because the history of it fascinates me. I think when most people thinkof “westerns” they tend to think of the 1870s-1880s, the era of the greatcattle drives and most of the famous (or infamous) lawmen and outlaws; butsince I’m very fond of the general popular culture/fashions/ambience of theEdwardian period and the 1930s-1940s, I love exploring what the West was likeduring those decades in my fiction.

 

JMR-Whois your favorite historical figure? Why? If you could ask them one question,what would it be?

EGF-This is always a hard question for me because I’ve never really had onehistorical “hero” or one specific historical figure I was obsessed with! I’d bemore likely to want to pick the brains of my favorite authors. Jane Austen, forinstance—though I don’t know what one question you could ask her beyond “whatis the secret of your genius?” I can imagine having some fascinatingconversations about literature and philosophy and history with some of myfavorite mystery authors: Josephine Tey, Ellis Peters, Elizabeth Daly—and MaryRoberts Rinehart, who also did a lot of traveling in the American West (but forsome reason never took it into her head to write a murder mystery set there!).

 

JMR-How did you come to be a writer of historical fiction?

EGF-I started writing stories for my own amusement pretty much as soon as I learnedhow to write, and by my pre-teen years I was thinking about being an authorwhen I grew up. All through my childhood I was always most drawn to books andstories with a historical setting—I grew up with the Little House series,Marguerite Henry’s horse books, the original American Girl books, and lots ofother historical fiction and older children’s classics. Historical has alwaysjust felt like home to me. When I began getting serious about writing andbecoming a published author, that was what I wanted to write.

 

JMR-Many of your books are set in the American West; what is it about that regionthat draws you to it?

EGF-I think it began with being a horse-crazy little girl! I always liked Westernmovies and TV shows growing up, and I’m sure it was partly because of all thehorses. Aside from that, I was always drawn to stories with an Americanfrontier/pioneer setting, and I think it was because the sense of adventureabout them—the beauty combined with the challenge and dangers of the frontierlandscape. In my teens I began reading more Western history and early Westernfiction, and to focus in more on the era as a special interest. I’m stillfascinated by that beauty and sense of adventure about the land, thecattle-ranching industry and culture, and by the spunk and resilience and thecolorful human variety of the ordinary people who settled the frontier.

 

JMR-Did you visit anyone of the places in your book? Where did you feel closest toyour characters?

EGF-I have never actually been west of the Mississippi! For my Western fiction I’vebasically just immersed myself in the setting through lots of reading and throughphotographs. So many of the actual landscapes are still the same, in a way thatdazzles me a little bit when I see present-day photos; but for things liketowns, roads, buildings and so forth, it’s always neat to find historicalphotos that fit with the scenes I’m imagining in my head (for my Mrs. MeadeMysteries series, for instance, I’ve been able to find a lot of neat picturesfrom turn-of-the-century Colorado).

 

JMR-Elisabeth, tell us about your novel Land of Hills and Valleys.

EGF-Lena Campbell never knew her grandfather, but she always dreamed of visitingWyoming, where her mother was born and raised. When she receives word that hergrandfather is dead and his Wyoming ranch belongs to her, she jumps at thechance. Only later does she learn that her grandfather was murdered, and themurder is still unsolved.

Inspite of this shadow hanging over her, Lena thrives in her new life—and fallsin love. But when new evidence about the McKay murder emerges and implicatesthe man she loves, she’s assailed by frightening doubts. Only figuring out thereal truth of her grandfather’s murder can save her from losing everything shecares about.

Setin the mid-1930s, Land of Hills andValleys is stylistically very much inspired by Mary Stewart’s vintageromantic-suspense novels: narrated by a spunky yet vulnerable young heroinethrown into new surroundings and the tangles of an unsolved crime. It’s alittle less formally structured than a traditional whodunit, but the murdermystery is still very much at the heart of the story. While Stewart’s heroinesusually had their adventures in glamorous European locales, this is a veryclassic Western ranch setting that also has a Depression-era small-town flavorand a bit of courtroom drama thrown in.

 

JMR-Whatprojects do you have in the pipeline?

EGF-I am tentatively planning to release a new collection of Western short storiesthis year. I’ve also been writing some companion short stories for the Mrs.Meade Mysteries (the first one just published in November, and available freefor your e-reader!), and will probably publish another one or two as I writethem. I have a few “big” projects in the works going more slowly—anotherWestern mystery novel similar to Land ofHills and Valleys, this time set in Montana just after World War II, and acouple other historical novels in slightly different subgenres than anythingI’ve done so far. No exact timeline yet for any of them, but they’ll be along.

 

JMR-Tell our readers how to find you on social media and the web.

EGF-You can find me and all my books on my author website,where I also have a (sporadically updated!) blog. On social media, I’m mostactive on Instagramand Twitter;and if you like to keep up via email you can sign up for my quarterly newsletter(I offer a free novella as a thank-you to new subscribers!).

 

JMR-What question were you hoping I’d ask but didn’t?

EGF-Well, I honestly love to talk about how my books combine the tropes andcharacteristics of classic mystery and romantic-suspense novels with anAmerican, and particularly a rural/western American, setting. It’s a niche thatthere doesn’t seem to be too many authors working in! The Golden Agemurder-mystery novels of the mid-20th century are what I read mostof myself, and I think British authors really carry off the trophy for the bestbooks in the genre; but since I feel most at home writing an American historicalsetting, I’ve really had fun locating mystery plots there and developing astyle inspired by classic mystery authors from across the pond. I drawinspiration from some more obscure corners of American literature, too—forinstance, the Mrs. Meade Mysteries were partly inspired by the books of AnnaKatharine Green, one of America’s earliest mystery authors and creator of notone but two fictional femaledetectives, Miss Amelia Butterworth and Violet Strange.

 

JMR-Thank you, Elisabeth, for stopping by. Your books look really great! Readers,I’ve included a link to Elisabeth’s books below. Please be sure to check themout.

 

Interview with Author Ronnie Ashmore

 

Welcome Readers toanother installment of our author interview series. Today we have the pleasureof chatting with Ronnie Ashmore, author of Western Novel and Crime Fiction.

JMR-Welcome to theBooks Delight, Ronnie. Tell our readers where you live, what you do for fun andwhat does the perfect day look like?

RA- I live inStephenville, Texas. Fun for me is either travelling, playing golf, or justhanging out and smoking a good cigar.

JMR-What’s yourfavorite historical time period? Why?

RA- I have a deeppassion for the 19th Century, the old west era, and I think it's because I likethe history of that time period and the people that lived in that world.

JMR-Who is yourfavorite historical figure? Why? If you could ask them one question, what wouldit be?

RA-Way too many toconsider, but off the top of my head I would say Bill Hickok. His lifefascinates me because it is hard to separate fact from fiction. Often he wasthe one telling the lies. My question would be, "Why didn't you just gohome to your wife?"

JMR- How did you cometo be a writer of historical fiction?

RA-Well, I don'tconsider myself a historical fiction writer, I consider myself a western and acrime writer. While i do include and am respectful and truthful with the factsh,my people aren't tied down to those facts.

JMR- Western Fiction isa subgenre of Historical Fiction. Other than setting, what are key elementsthat set it apart from standard HisFic.

RA-Historical fiction,at least to me, others may disagree, is the historical parts dictate thefictional parts. The people are bound to follow the historical trail with nodeviations from the facts. Westerns have the history, location, settings, andsuch, but the people are still free to move within those boundaries to tell astory.

JMR- It’s stillpossible to find faint traces of the old West. Have you visited any locationsthat gave you inspiration for settings in your books?

RA-Most of my storiesare set in Texas. So, I am familiar with some of the places I write about.Other places are fictional towns wholly made up.

JMR- Ronnie, tell usabout your new book, Lawman: A Jim Long Western.

RA-It is the 2nd bookin a series about Jim Long. A man who returns to his Leon River area home andfinds things to be different than he expected. Lawman is Long being the law forhis town and what he must do to protect the people, whether he wants to or not.

JMR-What projects doyou have in the pipeline?

RA-I always havesomething working, whether it be a western or a crime mystery, which I enjoywriting about too.

JMR- Tell our readershow to find you on social media and the web.

RA-I'm on Facebook,Instagram and Twitter. ronnieashmorebooks. also, email me atronnieashmorebooks@gmail.com I always love to hear from and interact with otherfolks.

JMR- What question wereyou hoping I’d ask but didn’t?

RA-Nothing. Iappreciate the chance to do this and thank you for letting me take part.

JMR- Thank you, Ronnie,for stopping by. Your books look really great! Readers, I’ve included a link toRonnie’s books below. Please be sure to check them out.