Martin Lake's Blog, page 10
September 18, 2013
Talking with Elaine Jeremiah
Today I’m delighted to be talking with Elaine Jeremiah. Her debut novel, ‘The Inheritance’, has just been published on Amazon Kindle.
Martin: Before we talk about your writing I wonder if you could say a little about yourself?
Elaine: I live in Bristol in the UK with my husband and our golden retriever Dug. I work part time for a Bristol-based charity called Sustrans which promotes sustainable forms of transport, particularly cycling. When I’m not writing I enjoy going out for meals with my husband, meeting friends for drinks at cafés, walking my dog and reading. Oh yes and I do watch a bit of TV too, one of my favourites being ‘Downton Abbey’.
What authors and books have had the greatest influence upon you?
I think the greatest influence on me has been Jane Austen and her novels. Yes they were written 200 years ago, but her writing still resonates with us today. The truth is that whilst society may change, fundamentally people don’t and that, I think, is why she’s still so popular today. She understood people and how they interacted with each other. Reading her novels the characters feel real, you almost feel like you know them. I would love to be able to emulate that kind of skill of being able to portray my characters in a life like, realistic way – if only a little.
What made you decide to become a writer?
I’m not sure I ever suddenly thought ‘Right, I’m going to be a writer’. It wasn’t as clear as that. It was more like the realisation gradually dawned on me that writing is what I do best. When I was very young, I would have told you that I wanted to win the Oscar for Best Actress! So much for that dream, but I did enjoy drama for a while. Writing is something I’ve always returned to though and since I finished full time education when I graduated ten years ago, I’ve had more time to devote to it.
Could you tell us about The Inheritance, without giving too much away of course?
It’s about two sisters living on their father’s farm in Cornwall. Whilst the older sister is happy to help out on the farm, the younger sister hates her life there and is desperate to leave, so she demands her inheritance from her father so that she can go off to London to live a life of luxury. It’s basically about the consequences of the younger sister’s decision and how it affects both of them.
If you were to go on holiday with one of your characters who would it be and what would you do?
I think I would go with Emma, the younger sister. She’s very different from me; she’s confident and sassy and I’d like to spend some time with her. I’ve never been to California so I think we’d go there. I wouldn’t be fussed about seeing LA, but she’s the type of person who would. I think we’d have to do a short stop there and do the Walk of Fame and maybe a trip to one of the film studios. Then I’d definitely want to see San Francisco and take a ride on one of their famous trams to see for myself the sights which I’ve seen in so many American movies.
Why did you decide to go down the self-publishing route?
I just felt it was the quickest, easiest way to get my work out there being read by people. With traditional publishing, everything takes such a long time and I’m not a hugely patient person! And as everyone knows, with traditional publishing nowadays you almost always have to have an agent before a publisher will even look at your work. But having an agent is no sure fire way to get a publisher to take you on. So it’s like you have so many hurdles to cross before you’re accepted. With self-publishing you can be your own boss, do things at your own pace and have complete control over your work. Also, I’ve been able to become part of the online writing community which has been a wonderful experience for me. People are so friendly and supportive and I’ve even met some of them. I feel like my writing’s come on in leaps and bounds since I joined Twitter and got in contact with other writers.
What did you do in terms of getting the book ready for publication and marketing it?
Having a couple of beta readers really helped me prepare my book for publication. I was able to see how I could improve my writing and what wasn’t working. Then a friend of mine proofread it for me which was great. I also made sure I read through my book as often as I could to check for any errors. In terms of marketing, I decided to follow the example of my friend and do a blog tour, which this interview is part of. I think it’s a really good way to get publicity for my book and it’s a lot of fun as well. I’ve also ensured that I have a presence on Twitter and Facebook and that I update my blog. I also have a Goodreads page.
Who in your life would be most surprised at your publishing a book?
I’m not sure really because my close family and most of my friends know, so maybe a member of my extended family who hasn’t heard the news via Facebook! I have a large extended family on both my mother and father’s sides and most of them I don’t see that often, so perhaps a cousin who I haven’t seen for a long time might be quite surprised.
You are interested in editing (and copy-edited my book Blood of Ironside). How does the process of editing affect your own writing?
I guess I’ve always been good at spotting errors in text, in magazines and even in published books. Unsurprisingly perhaps the internet is rife with typos and even whole words missing from articles and so on. I find it really annoying! So I try and go through my own work with a fine toothcomb, to iron out any errors such as typos or spelling and grammatical mistakes, or sentences that just don’t make sense. Having said that, I’m keenly aware that I may be making mistakes myself so I think it’s vital to have another pair of eyes on your work before you publish it.
What is your writing process?
I always make a plan before I begin my story. I may not stick to it entirely, but it’s helpful for me to have it there to refer to. I need a definite general outline of the plot in my head before I start, even if I veer from it. Then when I’m writing I refer back to the plan – not constantly but when I feel I’m losing my way a bit. When I actually start to write my story I don’t begin with longhand; I just type straight on to the computer. My handwriting’s not that great and I find it so much easier to use the computer from the beginning. That way I can chop and change things more easily and have multiple versions of my story saved on it.
What have you learned from writing your first novel and what advice would you give to a first-time novelist?
I’ve learned that you really need to have other people look at your work before you even consider publishing it. Even if it’s only a couple of people, this makes all the difference. There’re always going to be typos you miss or sentences you write that just don’t make sense. Having people look at your work means that you can improve on what you’ve written, which is essential when you’re thinking about publishing. You want to make it as good as it can be, so listen to what your beta readers tell you. My advice to a first-time novelist would be to persevere, but also to take any constructive criticism you may have on the chin and learn from it. You’ll only get better as an author if you do.
Tell us about your next writing project?
I’m in the process of writing a novel with the working title ‘Reunion’, though I may actually stick with that title as I like it. It’s more of a straightforward romance than ‘The Inheritance’ and is about a young woman who reluctantly returns with her best friend to the secondary school they were at for a reunion. She was very unhappy there. The story is about what happens after the reunion and how my main character’s life starts to change as a result of having revisited her past.
The Inheritance Links
Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Inheritance-ebook/dp/B00ESLWOW4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8 & qid=1377868191 & sr=8-1 & keywords=elaine+jeremiah
Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/The-Inheritance-ebook/dp/B00ESLWOW4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8 & qid=1377868304 & sr=8-1 & keywords=elaine+jeremiah
Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18400882-the-inheritance?from_search=true
My blog
@ElaineJeremiah
New Facebook Page
I’ve just got a new Facebook page. It’s called, with more economy than creativity, Martin Lake Writing.
I’d be pleased if you hopped over, took a look and maybe ‘liked’ it.
September 14, 2013
Return to Scotland. Blood of Ironside Part 6. #SampleSunday #HistNov
Hog tended to Siward Barn and Godwin while Willard and his men jointed the stag. Godwin was on his feet after a little while, complaining about a headache while helping Freya to light a fire and skewer the venison on sharp sticks.
Siward Barn was more badly injured. He had been severely gashed on his chest and arms and Hog used all the cloth he had to staunch the wounds. The smell of roasting venison revived his spirits but he struggled to eat more than a mouthful.
Athelstan drew me to one side. ‘Hog says that Siward will not be able to walk for several days,’ he said.
‘We cannot leave him here,’ I said.
‘Then we will have to find somewhere to hide.’ Athelstan looked towards the south. ‘I feel sure that William still pursues us.’
‘I will ask Willard to find a place to hide in the morning,’ I said. My heart grew heavy even as I said it. The longer we remained here the more likely we were to be found by Norman soldiers.
The next morning, Siward Barn grew angry at the suggestion that we delayed our journey.
‘I can walk,’ he said.
I stepped back. ‘Go on then,’ I said.
He clambered to his feet and took a few steps before doubling up in pain.
‘I’ll need a stick,’ he said. ‘But I can make it.’
I shook my head. ‘You will harm yourself and slow us down.’
He stared at me for long moments and then nodded his head. ‘You’re right, Edgar. Let Willard find a place for me to hide and I’ll wait until I’ve regained my strength.’
‘I will not leave you,’ I said.
‘But you cannot stay here. Delay will prove deadly.’
‘The you shall have to ride on the donkey,’ I said.
Siward Barn turned to the donkey and shook his head. ‘I shall kill the little beast,’ he said.
‘Better than killing yourself,’ I answered.
Later that day we helped him onto the beast. We laughed at the sight, for his long legs almost touched the ground on either side. He cursed us at first and then joined in the laughter. So it was with lighter spirits that we began the slow trek north to safety.
We had to go further than we hoped for Malcolm was wintering in one of his fortresses at Dunfermline north of the Firth of Forth. We crossed the choppy waters in a couple of wide bellied boats which wallowed so much we thought we would capsize.
We reached the shore at last and hired horses to take us the final five miles to Dunfermline.
It was with mixed feelings that I rode through the gate.
A guard told us that Malcolm was waiting in his hall and wished to see me immediately.
I told the others to wait while Athelstan, Godwin and I followed the guard.
‘Be careful what you tell Malcolm,’ Athelstan said.
I frowned. ‘Why?’
‘When you left his court there were high hopes that you would win back the English throne,’ he said. ‘Malcolm has learnt otherwise. I think you can still trust him. But perhaps not as much as before.’
I nodded and led the way into the hall, followed at a few paces by Athelstan and Godwin.
King Malcolm was waiting for us on his throne. As soon as he saw me, he rose and stepped forward to embrace me, bending from his great height like a sapling.
‘I am glad to see you safe, brother.’
‘I am glad to see you,’ I said.
My sister rose from the throne beside him and clasped me tight. She had never been a great one for affection but now I felt like a little child again.
When she pulled back to look at my face there were tears in her eyes.
‘We have heard such terrible things,’ she said.
‘Whatever you heard would not compare to what took place.’
‘Tell us,’ Malcolm said. Servants hurried over with chairs.
****************
‘Blood of Ironside’ is the third novel in The Lost King series. All of the books are available on Kindle for $3.08, £1.97 or €2.68. You can buy by clicking on the links below, by clicking on the covers to the right (for the UK) or through Amazon outlets in your own country.
Amazon US link is: http://t.co/X4nLHHXnQX
Amazon UK link is: http://t.co/KRNth65wNY
It is also available on Smashwords, Kobo, Nook, Sony Reader Apple, and other devices. Please check out the individual retailer web-sites.
My subscriber list gives you advance notice of my new releases and exclusive access to free stories.
If you’d like to sign up to my subscriber list please look for the link on the sidebar to the right which says Newletter. It’s a little below the pictures of my books. It’s simple to sign up…..
Right click on the URL and open it in a new web page. This will take you straight to the sign up page. 
Alternatively, email me on martinlake dot 14 at gmail dot com and I’ll email you back with a link to sign up. (Sorry about having to code the email address but it helps stop robots, cybermen and Daleks.)
Related articles
The Stag at Bay. Blood of Ironside Part 5 #SampleSunday #HistNov (martinlakewriting.wordpress.com)
Blood of Ironside. Part 4. #Sample Sunday #HistNov (martinlakewriting.wordpress.com)
Blood of Ironside Part 3 #SampleSunday #HistNov (martinlakewriting.wordpress.com)
Blood of Ironside Part 2. #HistNov #Stories (martinlakewriting.wordpress.com)
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September 7, 2013
The Stag at Bay. Blood of Ironside Part 5 #SampleSunday #HistNov
I saw Alric’s arrow hanging from the chest of the stag. The animal was all but spent, its great chest heaving with effort and exhaustion. 
I stared at it. It stared back at me as if it knew its death lay here. I took a step towards it and pulled out my sword. Still it stood there, unmoving and watchful. It was a beautiful beast, with antlers thick and strong. The thought came to me how vile it would be to kill such a creature. I halted in my walk towards it and felt rather than saw Godwin look at me in surprise.
‘We’ll have to kill it,’ he whispered.
‘I know,’ I said and my heart grew heavy.
At that moment the great stag cried out and lowered its antlers. It pawed the ground and sprang towards me. It had allowed me no time.
I flung my sword to the ground and blindly made a grab for its antlers. I caught firm hold but found myself borne backward by the stag’s onward rush. Its breath was hot upon my neck and I saw its mouth open as if to bite me.
How I clung onto the antlers I do not know, pure terror lent me strength, I guess. Godwin leapt upon the stag’s neck, trying to plunge his knife into it. But the beast was too cunning. With one shake of its head it flung Godwin to the ground and I went careering after him.
I glanced at Godwin. His head had smashed against a rock and blood gushed from his forehead. He tried to get up, fumbling for his knife and pointing out the danger. I looked up and saw the stag begin to paw the ground. It lowered its head again and seemed to be weighing up where best to strike. Then, with a bellow, it leapt towards us.
I scrambled to my feet. A death does lie here, I thought, but it is mine and not the stag’s.
I turned my head, not wishing to see my death face on. As I did so I saw a man leap upon the back of the beast.
The stag reared up, throwing the man from its back and turned, seeking out this fresh adversary. It was Siward Barn.
He regained his feet and faced the stag, crouching low and feinting it as if it were an opponent in a wrestling bout. The stag charged and he grasped its antlers. It bellowed with fury and tried to shake him off but he was a man of dreadful strength and held fast to it. I watched in horror as man and beast grappled, the antlers slashing at his flesh while he sought to bend the neck back on itself and break it.
Dirt and dust flew in the air and blood, sweat and spit drenched man and stag. I could not for the life of me see who would be the victor, so matched were they in strength and skill.
I staggered to my feet and plucked up Godwin’s knife. I dodged round the back of the stag, found the spot where neck joined shoulder and plunged the blade in deep.
I felt the stag tense beneath me. It gave a cry, hoarse and shrill. I stepped away, walking as if in a nightmare.
Weary of the battle the stag turned and looked at me. I stared into its eyes and the life began to ebb from them. I watched it stagger to its knees and all the time it gazed at me, never for a moment taking its eyes from my face. Then, with one last keening wail, it crashed to the ground.
I felt like a traitor who had slain a hero.
*****************
‘Blood of Ironside’ is the third novel in The Lost King series. All of the books are available on Kindle for $3.08, £1.97 or €2.68. You can buy by clicking on the links below, by clicking on the covers to the right (for the UK) or through Amazon outlets in your own country.
Amazon US link is: http://t.co/X4nLHHXnQX
Amazon UK link is: http://t.co/KRNth65wNY
It is also available on Smashwords, Kobo, Nook, Sony Reader Apple, and other devices. Please check out the individual retailer web-sites.
My subscriber list gives you advance notice of my new releases and exclusive access to free stories.
If you’d like to sign up to my subscriber list please look for the link on the sidebar to the right which says Newletter. It’s a little below the pictures of my books. It’s simple to sign up…..
Right click on the URL and open it in a new web page. This will take you straight to the sign up page.
Alternatively, email me on martinlake dot 14 at gmail dot com and I’ll email you back with a link to sign up. (Sorry about having to code the email address but it helps stop robots, cybermen and Daleks.)
Related articles
Blood of Ironside. Part 4. #Sample Sunday #HistNov (martinlakewriting.wordpress.com)
Blood of Ironside Part 3 #SampleSunday #HistNov (martinlakewriting.wordpress.com)
Blood of Ironside Part 2. #HistNov #Stories (martinlakewriting.wordpress.com)
Blood of Ironside (martinlakewriting.wordpress.com)
September 6, 2013
Chatting with J.S. Dunn author of ‘Bending the Boyne.’
Today, I’m delighted to be chatting to J.S Dunn, author of ‘Bending the Boyne.’
Could you tell me what types of books do you like to read?
Mostly nonfiction: history, biography, narrative (ex: Tony Horwitz’ Confederates In The Attic), and, humor (like Round Ireland With A Fridge). I do constantly read archaeology monographs and journal articles to stay bang-on with that field. For pleasure, I turn to good historical fiction.
Your book ‘Bending the Boyne’ is about a period which is not often written about, the beginning of the Bronze Age in Ireland. What made you decide to write about this time and this place?
The striking megaliths of Ireland, Wales, and Orkney inspired this novel. No one had written about the great Boyne passage mounds. Bru na Boinn is a UN Heritage site that has had hundreds of thousands of visitors, and is older than the Pyramids and Stonehenge. The story explores why the mounds fell into disuse around 2200 BCE with the coming of metallurgy: Ireland’s first gold rush. The title is a metaphor for change, the early Bronze Age change in Ireland. 
Tell us how you research.
With a microscope! —Figuratively. For Bending The Boyne, I read a great deal of archaeology, stronomy, and some archaeogenetics. I use academic sites and search engines. The website www.jsdunnbooks.com has a bibliography. In addition to the source material in archaeology, I glean bits of what might refer to prehistoric Ireland from the myths, which are Western Europe’s most ancient. This approach can be quite useful. Archaeologist Wm O’Brien used the bit referring to a Lake Of Many Hammers in Irish myth about the ancient smith Lein, to find and excavate the Isles’ oldest copper mine in county Kerry. His find was quite the coup. 
Do you plot your stories or do you have a looser approach?
Have the bones of the story in mind when I begin a project, including the ending. The characters get some free rein after that to drive the story.
What would be a typical writing day for you? Do you have set times, spaces, routines or rituals?
There isn’t a typical day–some days it is an hour or two. At other times, I might be away with the fairies writing over two or three days, eating only yogurt and soup and ice cream and really cranking it out. Sweet oblivion, that’s the best.
Tell us a little about your favourite characters in the novel.
Both protagonists, Boann and Cian, for being gutsy and foresighted and, unlike many modern celebrity and hero types, for being able to delay personal gratification for a higher purpose. Bending The Boyne is definitely not a romance with obligatory happy ending.
You frame your novel with chapters from the present day. Can you say more about your reasons for doing this.
It was hoped the bookends of Prologue and Epilogue would transition the modern reader into the remote setting and after the journey would provide closure. The sole fantasy element occurs in the final pages and with a big nod to Flann O’Brien. 
If you were to give advice to someone thinking of writing a novel what would it be?
Never give up! The research for this novel took ten years; of course I enjoyed many, many travels along Atlantic coasts and the residence in Ireland during that decade.
What is your next writing project?
The second novel is painfully coming forth, set later at 1600 BCE or roughly mid-Bronze Age. A third novel idea percolates now as well. So many books, so little time!
**************
Thanks very much for chatting with me and good luck with your second novel.
Here are some links for you to find out more about the author:
Recent author appearances:
iBAM! 2012, Chicago (USA); History Festival Of Ireland, June 2013 (Ireland); Historical Novel Society June 2013 (USA).
Links:
http://www.jsdunnbooks.com/ —website with Bronze Age info for readers
https://www.facebook.com/BendingTheBoyne — FB page used as a blog
Where to buy in print, ereader, and audio.
USA: Amazon.com, B&N sites; also trade distribution at bookstores.
Ireland and nonUSA: http://www.irishbooksdirect.ie/ ; also Amazon.co.uk;
and Kobo, Sony.
The pictures were from Michael Fox of Boyne Valley Tours.
By the way, if you’d like to have a look at Gordon Doherty’s interview of yours truly, why don’t you head across to his blog: http://www.gordondoherty.co.uk/writeblog
Have a great weekend.
September 4, 2013
Edgar the Outlaw
I love this short film about Edgar Atheling. If you want a quick introduction to him then please take a look. Then, of course, you should read my books about this forgotten man.
September 1, 2013
Blood of Ironside. Part 4. #Sample Sunday #HistNov
Here is another extract from my new book, ‘Blood of Ironside.’
Three days after crossing the Roman Wall we found ourselves scrambling in the depths of wild and windswept country with forbidding hills ahead. There were no cultivated fields and even the trees seemed small and stunted as if they had been defeated by the elements. The land seemed strangely silent. There was no hubbub of men, no calling of cattle. The few straggling herds of sheep seemed to have little energy for noise. Only the occasional cries of birds of prey shattered the silence for a moment. And then the silence took hold once again, like dank mountain fog.
We stopped a passing shepherd who told us we were on the fringes of the Cheviots. It was a bleak and forbidding place. Yet our hearts rose somewhat for we saw that in this rocky place Norman horsemen would lose any advantage over us. We were traversing it slowly but men leading horses would be slower still. We had a good chance of outdistancing any pursuit.
But the next day our bellies grew empty and we began to flag. Despite the danger of Norman pursuit Willard decided that we must halt to hunt for food. If anybody else had made the suggestion I would have laughed. We had no horses, hounds or hawks to aid us in our hunt. But we had Willard and his men and they had lived by their woodcraft and hunting skills for many years.
Willard thought this likely country for boar and deer and threw a screen of his outlaws to left and right. He hoped to drive some game into the uplands to the north where we might be able to trap them.
I was walking with Godwin, Anna, Hog and Freya when we heard a shrill whistle to our right.
Hog raised his hand to his ear and listened to a further round of whistles.
‘They’ve shot a stag,’ he said. ‘It’s wounded but not down.’
‘Where?’ I asked. My heart began to race with excitement.
He pointed to the north. ‘Alric’s arrow hit it in the valley just there. It’s running to the west now.’
‘Then let’s get after it,’ I said. ‘Hog, stay close to Anna and Freya.’
I clapped Godwin on the shoulder and we began to race towards the valley.
We ran hard for a mile and could hear the cries and whistles of the rest of the men as they too chased the stag. We slowed to a halt to ease our aching legs.
‘It must be strong to run so far and fast with an arrow in it,’ Godwin said.
‘I think it’s leading us a merry dance,’ I said.
I scanned the hills ahead. My eyes followed the rise and swell of the hills, the little streams cascading from the higher ground, the clumps of trees and thorn bushes. If I were the stag where would I run?
I grabbed Godwin by the arm. ‘That’s where he’ll be,’ I cried.
I pointed to a cleft in the hills which climbed at a gentle rise to the uplands above. It must have been formed by a narrow stream for it twisted and turned, giving good cover for any creature fleeing through it.
‘Come on,’ I cried, ‘let’s cut it off.’
We forgot our aching legs as we raced towards the cleft. By climbing directly up the hill we were soon above the winding valley. We peered down and there, sure enough, we saw the stag running along the path beside a stream.
‘We’ve got him,’ I cried and leapt down the hill towards the valley.
We slithered down the slope and almost fell the last hundred yards to a space torn out through massive rocks. I signalled Godwin to be silent and hearkened for any sound. In moments we heard the soft footfall of the stag. It almost blundered into us; it must have been too exhausted to exercise much caution.
It scrambled to a halt and lowered its head, pacing backwards to the rocky wall behind it.
************************
‘Blood of Ironside’ is the third novel in The Lost King series. It is available on Kindle for $3.08, £1.97 or €2.68. You can buy them by clicking on the links below or through Amazon outlets in your own country.
Amazon US link is: http://t.co/X4nLHHXnQX
Amazon UK link is: http://t.co/KRNth65wNY
It is also available on Smashwords, Kobo, Nook, Sony Reader and other devices.
My subscriber list gives you advance notice of my new releases and exclusive access to free stories.
If
you’d like to sign up to my subscriber list please look for the link on the sidebar to the right which says Newletter. It’s a little below the pictures of my books. It’s simple to sigh up…..
Right click on the URL and open it in a new web page. This will take you straight to the sign up page.
Alternatively, email me on martinlake14@gmail.com and I’ll email you back with a link to sign up.
Related articles
Blood of Ironside Part 3 #SampleSunday #HistNov (martinlakewriting.wordpress.com)
Blood of Ironside Part 2. #HistNov #Stories (martinlakewriting.wordpress.com)
Blood of Ironside (martinlakewriting.wordpress.com)
August 30, 2013
Talking with Prue Batten
Today I’m delighted to be talking with Prue Batten, Australian author of historical and fantasy novels.
Hi Prue, before we focus on your own writing would you tell us about the authors and books which have had the greatest influence upon you?
Golly, hundreds! But here are a few of the many – Childhood: AA Milne, Kenneth Graham, Rosemary Sutcliffe, Henry Treece, LM Montgomery, Monica Edwards, Jean Estoril. Adulthood: Jane Austen, Dorothy Dunnett, Rosamunde Pilcher, Bernard Cornwell, Georgette Heyer, Elizabeth Chadwick, JRR Tolkein, GRR Martin and for sheer fun whilst I was at university, many years ago, the Angelique series by Sergeanne Golon.
Can you tell us why you started writing?
I’ve always written. When some might have written poetry, I wrote prose descriptions of things that I saw. The next step was to create plots and develop those. I wrote a spy story at high school! I would get into frightful timing issues with pre-university exams in English when part of the paper required creative writing. An hour into a three hour exam and I was writing a novella!
Once my children had reached adulthood, I completed two courses: one in how to use a computer and one on creative writing/editing. I then wrote a YA trilogy – the books one writes as one learns to write and which languish at the bottom of a very deep, dark cupboard.
Finally I thought, ‘Dammit, just do it! Sit and write the book you’ve always wanted to write!’ That was the first of an adult hist.fantasy series called The Chronicles of Eirie. Four books later, a year ago, I finally took the bull by the horns and wrote my first ever hist.fict … it was like walking on hot coals and I loved every minute of it!
How do you research your novels?
I studied medieval history at university; one of my majors was history and post graduation, I trained as a reference librarian and later was a researcher/journalist in the media, so I understand the fundamentals of research. I access whatever printed information is available. I use my local and university libraries, and I access the internet for all the wonderful PH.D PDF’S that have been published. In addition, I belong to an amazing group of English Historical Fiction Authors on Facebook and if I have an information problem, people like Elizabeth Chadwick are very helpful, pushing me in the right direction. I should also add that I have tried where possible to ‘do’ what my characters do, to try and have that underlying veracity in my characters’ lives.
Who are your favourite characters and how do you think they would like to spend a day with you?
Can I take the characters from the hist.fiction exclusively? In Book of Pawns, aside from the narrator of the story, Ysabel, I enjoy the company of Lady Cecilia and of Brother John, Ulric of Camden as well. And in Book of Knights, I am rather taken with the twin minstrels, Tobias and Tommaso Celho. Also Mehmet, the Saracen physician. And I would be lying if I didn’t say I had a huge crush on Guy of Gisborne!
In respect of the second part of the question, it’s a tough one. Ysabel is feisty and reactive. I think she’d love to hitch the folds of her bliaut into her girdle and come out on our boat or the kayak with me and I think she’d love swimming! But Guy of Gisborne would be a challenge. A leader of men of strange and interesting backgrounds and with an instinctive need to source information for kings, I suspect he’d want to meet friends and acquaintances from my old days in the media where he could source truths and untruths. But he loves music and art as well, and plays a mean vielle, so he may like to hop on a ferry with me and travel upriver to Tasmania’s internationally acclaimed Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) … he would be unnerved by the experience, I tell you! 
You write historical fiction and fantasy. Do you believe that the genres you work in cross-fertilise your writing and how useful is this to you?
Oh yes, they do. For a start, medieval backgrounds and settings tend to feature in my fantasies, so the cross pollination is immediate. Even though the later hist.fantasies were set in Middle East and Asian settings, the timeframe is still late medieval.
What would be a typical writing day for you? Do you have set times, spaces, routines or rituals?
I’m absolutely hopeless as I’m addicted to fresh air, sunshine and the great outdoors. My husband and I run a sheep farm here in Australia and we also have a large amount of garden. I love gardening, love working on the farm (in winter) and have two Jack Russells who are my best-est friends. So you can see, my writing happens when conditions are right … dogs asleep and the sky grey and gloomy, which in Australia can be fairly rare. I tend to write between 2-4 hours a day. I love writing in the dead of night and always write in longhand on which I perform the first edit as I transcribe onto the computer. I write on a laptop and sit wherever I have a view of outside. If it’s in the little townhouse, it’s on a couch looking out the window. If it’s away from the city, it’s by the window, overlooking the garden with a door or window open so I can hear the birds and waves. If it’s the middle of the night, I am often in bed with an A4 pad on my knee and a Nanna pillow behind me!
What’s been your favourite moment in your writing career?
I think I have been fortunate enough to have a few and because there have been a number, they are all equal in favour.
1. Being told by a reviewer that my writing has Dunnett-esque moments.
2. Being commissioned by BoPress Miniature Books to write a short story on Guy of Gisborne which continues to sell exceptionally well.
3. Winning the Readers’ Favourite silver medal from the USA last year for A Thousand Glass Flowers
4. In 2013, finding out that the same book and also Gisborne: Book of Pawns have made it to the final judging of another award in the USA.
5. The final moment of joy was in July 2012, when Gisborne: Book of Pawns was ranked #3 on Amazon behind Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
Who in your life would have been most surprised by your writing career and why?
Myself, because I’m a mere independent writer, a Luddite and a marketing ingénue.
What is your next writing project?
The final book in The Gisborne Saga – Book of Kings.
Thank you very much, Prue.
Thank you, Martin, for your hospitality. I always find interview questions tap into parts of a writer that they themselves most often don’t know exist!
Prue’s books are available at:
Amazon.com http://amzn.to/XZsg2y
Amazon.co.uk http://amzn.to/XffvUk
And you may find Prue at these locations…
www.facebook.com/prue.batten.writer
Related articles
Gisborne (hooverbookreviews.wordpress.com)
Gisborne – Book of Pawns (hooverbookreviews.wordpress.com)
Choosing The Right Distributor: Smashwords vs Draft2Digital
Image via CrunchBase
Choosing The Right Distributor: Smashwords vs Draft2Digital.
Take a look at David Gaughran’s excellent post.
