Barbara G. Tarn's Blog, page 126
August 24, 2014
Sunday Surprise
And it’s words of wisdom, or writers on writing, monthly feature on this blog… stay tuned for the regular programming on this blog…
I shouldn’t have to apologize for being prolific, especially to other people who consider themselves professional writers. But I do apologize in those situations, which is why, more and more, I don’t talk to other writers about writing. In fact, I avoid those discussions as much as I can. I’m “intimidating,” you see. I “should know how uncomfortable it makes other writers” when they see what I’ve done.
My muse isn’t a beautiful spirit who whispers ethereally into my ear—she’s a nagging harpy that grabs me by the throat and screams ‘Do it now’!
- Kevin J. Anderson
Remember that it’s okay to write and publish just to make yourself happy, to make yourself fulfilled. There will be authors out there, readers, publishing experts, and booksellers who say that this outpouring of unprofessional drek is ruining the industry, which makes me wonder if these same people drive through neighborhoods yelling and screaming at people gardening in their back yards, shouting at them that, “You’ll never be a farmer!” Or if they cruise past community basketball courts where men and women unwind with games of pickup and shout at them, “You’ll never make it in the NBA!”
“When you decide to go after a new dream, you need to give less to your current reality and more to your desired reality… Take your energy out of what you don’t want to be doing anymore so you can put it in what you really want to be doing.”
The myth of the single-minded writer who lives to pursue one dream and one only may indeed apply to some. Most of us, however, are not so much single-minded as “multi-faceted.” And I can’t help but believe that, though it can be frustrating at times, it’s also a useful quality. A writer who has many dreams, many passions, and many things going on in life is one who will, ultimately, have a great deal to say!
August 22, 2014
Random Friday
Summer Sale only until Aug.30 – 2014, only at these retailers: Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Apple and Kobo.
Five novels at the very discounted price of 2,99$ only for Kindle, Nook, i-Pad and Kobo e-reader! Only until Aug.30.Welcome to Silvery Earth. Winged beings, water people, shape-shifting dragons and Immortals mingle with Humans as they try to find their place in the world and someone to love.
The five books of the Immortals in one box set for a limited time only. Five centuries of history of Silvery Earth, from the southern kingdoms inspired by India and Persia to the new kingdoms after the fall of the Varian Empire.
Books of the Immortals – Air
Winged Jesminder, a Sila, searches for her Destiny (aka love) as her Human friend, Sarita the sculptor, does the same. Meanwhile Takeshi the soldier flees his country for a murder he doesn’t remember committing. As Takeshi looks for his past, Kumar the adventurer runs away from his –from and his wife, Princess Indira, who he rescued from an evil fate only for money. Their paths converge, leading them to the final confrontation with the Black Dame, High Priestess of the Sect. Winged beings, water people, shape-shifting dragons and the Immortal, Air, which likes to meddle in Human affairs for its own reasons, come together in a story of bitterness and love, darkness and light.
Books of the Immortals – Fire
A half-blood warrior fails to prevent an ambush. Hit by an enemy spell, he sleeps for a century. He wakes up in a future where he doesn’t belong.
He made a mistake. Now he must find a way to undo history to fix it.
Books of the Immortals – Water
Kiss a goddess. Become invulnerable to everything.
Love.
Feelings.
Even death.
Can you ever feel human again?
Books of the Immortals – Ether
Healer. Magic user. Victim. A natural non-human magic user against a minion of a Pond of Dark Magic.
The struggle for power between Humans and Genn is only at the beginning.
Books of the Immortals – Earth
500 years later – has the magic all vanished?
In the last Book of the Immortals the Magical Races are gone. Can Humans deal with the loss?
An actress turned journalist. The legitimized bastard son of a nobleman. A mercenary turned police woman. A runaway prince turned courtesan. Outsiders and witnesses of a hot summer of mysterious royal murders.
Silvery Earth faces its future without magic.
Bundle at the very discounted price of 2,99$ only for Kindle, Nook, i-Pad and Kobo e-reader! Only until Aug.30. The above links are to the US stores, if the retailer has a store in your country, please follow the link anyway and change the country accordingly.
August 20, 2014
Writer Wednesday
And since I’m still in London and offline most of the time, I shall welcome another guest. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Kira Tregoning!
Where do you live and write from?
I live in Beltsville, Maryland and write from home most of the time. My cat tries to help me write, but her version of help isn’t really help!
When did you start writing?
I started writing stories as a kid. My first attempt at a novel started in the 5th grade. I remember staying for hours in my room writing up ideas and working out chapters. I used our old computer, a Gateway, for most of this. That machine seems like a dinosaur to me now, but I loved it and I used it so much I probably ran it into the ground!
What genre(s) do you write?
Mostly fantasy. I’m also interested in historical fiction, which I may try my hand at one day, and fairy tales.
Where do you find your inspiration? Do you put yourself in your stories?
I mostly think of the kinds of stories I would want to read and try to write those. My inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere, but I tend to pull out elements from my own experiences. For example, college. I mashed that up with fantasy and asked the question “What would I do if I had magical powers while in college? What if my friends had powers too?” I just went from there. That tends to be how I start most of my stories—a simple question of What If?
Do you have a specific writing routine?
Not so much. I usually just sit down and write. All I need is either my computer or my notebook and pen. I’ve been known to write anywhere whenever an idea pops into my head.
Outliner or improviser? Fast or slow writer?
Definitely an outliner. I’m a planner. It doesn’t work out too well when I try to improv too much! And I tend to be a slow to medium writer, unless I’m really on a roll.
Tell us about your latest book
My latest book is the second in a series. A Shadowed Soul came out June 2, 2014. This book picks up where the first left off with the continuation of the story about Sita Newbury and her friends Roxie and Ariene. All three have magical powers and met while at college. They found a magical world and became active in the protection of that world. In the second book, their enemies circle around them, waiting for a weakness and a chance to strike. One of their own remains trapped in the Chaos world of Metanoia. And the threat of soul-eating demons called Pur looms ever closer with millions of lives and the survival of two worlds at stake. Sita and her friends Ariene and Roxanne must stay one step ahead of their enemies and find a way to track and defeat the demon Pur. But each of the Aligerai faces their own internal battle. When their enemies strike too close to home, the Aligerai must decide whether to stay together . . . or splinter apart.
You can find A Shadowed Soul on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shadowed-Soul-The-Aligerai-Book-ebook/dp/B00KQPYGHM and on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/444651
My first book is Rise of the Aligerai: http://www.amazon.com/Rise-of-the-Aligerai-ebook/dp/B00ANTA7Z6
Indie publishing or traditional publishing – and why?
I did my research for about a year before I published. I chose to self-publish because when I looked at what was happening in the traditional publishing world, I didn’t get very good feelings about it. It seemed to me from everything I was reading that traditionally published authors were doing the same amount of work as indie/self-pub folks, but earning a lot less from their efforts. Granted, the traditional publishing machines still have a lock on generating buzz, accessing bookstores, and lending credibility—but I see that changing over the next few years. I chose to self-publish for all these reasons and more, and I have yet to regret my decision.
Any other projects in the pipeline?
I’m about halfway finished with the third book in the Aligerai series. I have another book set in the same universe that is about a third of the way finished. I’m also working on an unrelated fantasy novel about a merchant’s daughter who mistakenly goes on a quest for a prize that doesn’t actually exist. What follows in that story is mostly a comedy of errors.
What is your goal as a writer and what are you doing to achieve it?
I suppose my goal is to write the stories I have in me as well as I can. I’m not necessarily writing for fame or fortune—although that would be nice! I’ve always loved books and writing and I see this as my way to contribute. I started writing because I had the stories in my head and my very active imagination and I felt if I didn’t write them down I would burst. I started publishing because I wanted to share my ideas and my stories with others.
Author bio and links:
My name is Kira Tregoning. I’m a language enthusiast, writer, and book lover. I graduated from University of Maryland with degrees in Linguistics and Classics, which I use in writing my novels. I’m also a big UMD Terps sports fan. Go Terps!
I read a lot, and the large number of books I have in my living space is a running joke among my family and friends. Mostly I read fantasy, but I enjoy other genres as well, including historical fiction, science fiction, mythology, and of course the classic novels. I write mostly fantasy books right now, though I have some ideas for expanding into other genres later on.
Website—http://theworldofcora.wordpress.com
Twitter– @KiraTregoning
Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/kiratregoning
Rise of the Aligerai on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rise-of-the-Aligerai-ebook/dp/B00ANTA7Z6
A Shadowed Soul on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shadowed-Soul-The-Aligerai-Book-ebook/dp/B00KQPYGHM
Kira’s on Goodreads, on Smashwords and Amazon Author Central.
August 19, 2014
goodreads giveaway
Didn’t sell them at Loncon and don’t want to take them back. Enter now – UK only.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Star Minds
by Barbara G.Tarn
Giveaway ends August 21, 2014.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
and
Goodreads Book Giveaway
Star Minds Snippets
by Barbara G.Tarn
Giveaway ends August 21, 2014.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
August 17, 2014
Sunday Surprise
And it’s a guest! Remember I said about the Author of the Month? Well, here she is! Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Laurel A. Rockfeller! :D
Where do you live and write from?
Perhaps stereotypically, I am a wandering artist. I was born, raised, and educated in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA where I received my bachelor of arts from the University of Nebraska in stage/film writing via integrated studies, psychology, and history. From there I’ve wandered all over United States. I presently and very temporarily live in western Pennsylvania which I hope to leave in coming months.
By 2016, I plan to immigrate to the United Kingdom and southern England in particular. I write dramatized history and recognize the benefit to my writing that comes from walking the places where my histories actually happened.
I need each of you to help me make that happen.
I will most certainly welcome you to this side of the ocean, athough I live much further south than the British Isles… but then, who knows, maybe by 2016 I’ll also manage to move to the UK and we can meet there! ;) When did you start writing?
There’s really never been a time where I have not written or composed. I grew up in a particularly harsh evangelical Christian home where domestic violence was effectively condoned – no matter how far it went. I coped with the violence (which included rape by my father starting before the age of two) by singing and composing, making up songs, poems, and stories which I told to my pets as a preschooler and which took written form once I entered school.
As far as the published writing goes, my first national publication came in 1991 when the Minas Tirith Evening Star published my sonnet, “Why Bilbo?” in its edition honoring the 100th birthday of J.R.R. Tolkien. I was originally published as a poet and songwriter. In 2001 that evolved into non-fiction history writing for newsletters in the Society for Creative Anachronism. In 2008 Bird Talk magazine published two of my articles about the quirks of raising cockatiels. Finally, in August 2012 I published the first edition of my first novel (now out of print in favor of the extended edition from January 2013) from the Peers of Beinan Series and have been a self-published independent author ever since.
I am impressed… What genre(s) do you write?
With three book series, I am of course multi-genre.
The Peers of Beinan Series is science fiction (set in another galaxy), supernatural/fantasy, clean romance, adventure, and mystery/thriller. Since the stories focus on nobles, royals, and so forth (hence “peers”), there is a lot of political intrigue to the books and novellas.
The Legendary Women of World History Series is a series of biographical novellas exploring the lives of women who have shaped our history. Genre-wise they sit smack in the middle between creative non-fiction history and historical fiction. There’s not enough fiction in them to really consider them fully historical fiction. At the same time, I have to name anonymous historical persons and often invent details and conversations in particular that never made it into the historical record. That established, I stick to documented historical events. For example, we know from Tacitus that Boudicca married King Prasutagus of the Iceni and had two daughters with him who were twelve in 61 CE. In my narrative, you see Prasutagus and Boudicca meet in Camulodunum (now called Colchester), hear Prasutagus’ express romantic interest in her, and finally attend their wedding with them. Are these scenes fiction or non-fiction? That’s really in the mind of the reader.
American Stories ranges from historical fiction to dramatized history. These are stories entirely set in the United States or its historical precursors. Book one looks at Irish immigration to Nebraska in the 1880s. The second book, started on August 1st, tells the story of Charlotte Woodward Pierce, the only attendee at the Convention at Seneca Falls (1848) to live to see women cast ballots for the first time in 1920.
Where do you find your inspiration? Do you put yourself in your stories?
Excellent question. History really is my biggest source of inspiration – not only in who I choose to explore in the biographies, but also with the Peers of Beinan Series as well. Beinarian culture is a fusion of medieval and modern British societies mixed with some Asian cultures and history as well and with an exciting mix of “heritage” and “modern” technologies. That is to say that Beinarian peers will use a heritage (medieval Earth) crossbow as readily as a laser crossbow that shoots plasma quarrels. In this I am grateful to my over twenty years with the Society for Creative Anachronism because I’ve had the opportunity to watch these different weapons in action and sometimes use them on the practice target range. There are several archery scenes in the books. Actually shooting a bow for an afternoon did much to help me write those scenes.
As for putting myself into the stories – I am surprised how much I do that. In chapters one and two of Boudicca: Britain’s Queen of the Iceni, King Prasutagus courts Boudicca much in the way that I wish to be courted someday. Prasutagus was flawed – his bad choices forced Boudicca into her confrontation with the Roman Governor Gaius Suetonius Paullinus – but I would like to think he was also a gentleman in the best sense of the word. So their interactions very much reflect my personality and my desires for the future.
Likewise, I see a lot of different parts of myself in most of the Peers of Beinan Series protagonists.
Do you have a specific writing routine?
Not usually. Ghosts of the Past had the most formal outline I’ve used to date simply because it was the middle chapter of my first trilogy.
Outliner or improviser? Fast or slow writer?
I tend to improvise. With the biographies, obviously I need to follow history extremely closely. But within those constraints, I let the characters/historical persons take me along for the ride.
Tell us about your latest book
My latest book is the second novella in the LWWH Series on the life of Catherine de Valois. If you know your Shakespeare, you’ve already heard of Catherine – she was “Kate” in “Henry V” and married King Henry on 2nd of June, 1420. As I discovered in my research, Shakespeare’s version of her was radically different from the real person, making me wonder how Shakespeare kept his head given that she was King Henry VII’s paternal grandmother through her second marriage to Owen Tudor.
Catherine lived at the heart of extraordinary times. Across her life, civil war tore France apart. Her father, King Charles VI suffered from disabling mental illness and violent paranoid delusions. Adding to this the newly crowned King Henry V of England, seasoned by his wars against the Welsh, used her as an excuse to not only war with France, but commit terrible atrocities against the women and children of Rouen. Fortunately for her, King Henry’s obsession with eliminating all rivals to his claim to the French throne took his life on 31st August 1422, making her the most eligible widow in Europe – one that Parliament was determined to control. What happened next changed the world forever.
It’s a fantastic history that I hope all of you will explore. Like all my other novellas, Catherine is only 99 cents/75 pence, making it very accessible.
http://viewBook.at/Catherine1401
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/452134
Also, if I may, I would like to let everyone know of an upcoming release this month.
All summer long, gifted UK actor Richard Mann has recorded Boudicca: Britain’s Queen of the Iceni into an audio edition. It is with great pleasure that I announce that Boudicca is now in post-production and will be live on itunes, audible, and Amazon websites very soon, so please watch for it. Take a listen to my favorite scene from chapter three at http://www.legendarywomenbooks.com/Boudicca_chapter_three_snippet.mp3
Indie publishing or traditional publishing – and why?
I am an independent author. As to why, I think I was always daunted by traditional publishing. I felt like I had no clue how or where to begin, who to approach, and so forth. So when I learned about independent publishing in 2012, I knew that was the way to go for me.
Any other projects in the pipeline?
I am currently writing FOUR books right now.
For the Peers of Beinan Series, I am continuing work on book three, “Princess Anyu Returns.” Book two, “Ghosts of the Past” ends on a bit of a cliff-hanger, so I know folks are eager for Returns. You can read deleted scenes and chapters from Returns in “The Lost Tales.” I am taking my time with this book because the story and the world building needs to be up to my meticulous standards. Making this book especially complicated for me to write: the exile of Princess Anyu on D425E25 Tertius makes me work from TWO different planetary systems and reference points at the same time. Beinarian units of time, distance, and so forth have to be used even though this alien planet is extremely alien to the princess – with a local solar day being less than 1/5th of a beinor (Beinarian day) long. This is of course very disorienting for her, especially early on, which merits a careful handling.
Once the narrative moves past her exile and we are back on Beinan, I think the writing will go much quicker!
Next, I am writing the third Legendary Women of World History novella, “Empress Wu” which is about the only woman to rule China entirely in her own right. Empress Wu was extraordinary not only for this achievement in the 7th century CE, but she was the first monarch in the world to patronize agriculture as science and academic discipline. Literature written by women thrived through her example and patronage. We really do own a lot to her trailblazing, even though most westerners have never heard of her.
Third, I am working on the second American Stories book with a tentative title of “Charlotte’s Vote.” Charlotte Woodward Pierce was the only signer of the 1848 Declaration of Sentiments from the Convention at Seneca Falls to survive to see women cast their ballots in 1920. Sadly, she was too ill to cast one of her own. Charlotte’s Vote is the story of how American women gained many of the human rights we take for granted. If you know nothing about American women’s history, you will find this an eye-opening read. In the meantime, I suggest Ken Burns’ documentary on Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony called “Not For Ourselves Alone” which is one of the sources I am using for the story.
Finally, I am writing a non-fiction e-book tentatively called “American Poverty: Why American Treatment of the Poor Undermines its Authority as a World Power.” The e-book collects about four essays I wrote for Yahoo Voices on poverty in America, then adds analysis from The Shriver Report and finally draws conclusions about poverty and how this affects America’s reputation abroad.
I have already been labelled a “traitor” by some members of the tea party just for taking on this subject, so I have high hopes it will be as broadly read and debated as Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” was during the American War for Independence. In my humble opinion, it is time we stop ignoring poverty and its effects on our society and start caring again for one another. This is something each of us can do something about and is a dialogue we need to have much more of.
What is your goal as a writer and what are you doing to achieve it?
I want to stimulate the sorts of debates and dialogues that lead to social change for the better. I believe in social justice. I believe we make the future what we want to make it with every choice in every day. We can convert our lawns into gardens and not only provide our own diets with fresher and healthier food, but give that which we cannot eat to those who are struggling to have enough to eat. We can be kinder, more compassionate, and less judgmental. And we can believe again in the future.
If there is a recurring theme across my books, it is HOPE. No matter how dark or how much death and pain is around you, there is always a reason to hope and believe in a better future. So I want to create cultures of hope around the world.
Author social media/website
Find Laurel’s books on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Laurel-A.-Rockefeller/e/B008YVJJFE, on Smashwords at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/laurelarockefeller, and on GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6569976.Laurel_A_Rockefeller or visit her websites at http://www.peersofbeinan.com and http://www.legendarywomenbooks.com, her blog at http://peersofbeinan.wordpress.com/, or on social media.
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/peersofbeinan/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurelworlds
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendarywomenofworldhistory and https://www.facebook.com/PeersOfBeinan
August 15, 2014
Random Friday
So, yesterday I met fellow Wyrd Worlds authors Emma Faragher and Peter Lean – today hopefully we’ll have lunch with the wonderful woman who started it all, Steph Benion! Sorry if this post lacks of links, but I’m writing on a small netbook with Ubuntu, so… sloppy work. Apologies. And I even must hurry since the battery is very low and I couldn’t find an adapter for the plug.
Like I said, I didn’t bring my camera, but smartphones work anyway – so here’s me and Peter Lean, shot by his daughter with his Smartphone! :)
My backpack is already falling to pieces for carrying too much weight (all those PRINTED books are heavy!!!). I’ve met a few interesting people as well – old and new friends – and I’ve bought meself a Loncon T-shirt (but Viv is going to see it first, yay!). A little nervous for tomorrow panel, but it will pass…
Signing off from London now… full report coming when I’m back in Rome, so don’t expect it next week! ;) Scheduled posts coming… have a great weekend!
August 13, 2014
Writer Wednesday
The body switch publication date has been pushed to when I come back from London. Didn’t have time to check the file, correct, format and upload before today, so… in a couple of weeks. Stay tuned. I’m publishing the translation of The Death of Queen Amazonia, and since it has a different cover (and slightly different title, focusing on the protagonists), you might want to have a look at the Italian cover.
Friday I hope to make a live post from Loncon, but if I forget, I’m sure you won’t miss it! ;) I’m not bringing my camera, so unless somebody else snaps pictures, you won’t get any from me. I’m sure there’s plenty of Smartphone and i-pad users out there anyway… I’ll stick to my Nokia C1 and my Kindle Keyboard, thank you! ;)
Writerly links of the week: apparently Amazon has written to KDP authors, but I don’t receive their emails (I obviously unsubscribed to everything but whatever I need to upload to KDP) – which doesn’t change anything, because I’m not jumping in the Amazon/Hachette debacle anyway. I love Neil Gaiman’s response to someone who asked his opinion and if I happen to see him at Loncon, I’ll go shake his hand.
I don’t know. I won’t sign anything for anyone (just FYI – Douglas Preston letter pro-Hachette, and Hugh Howey/Joe Konrath’s letter pro-Amazon), but IMHO if a writer signed with Hachette, it’s Hachette he/she should complain with, not Amazon. But then, I chose not to go the traditional route precisely because I didn’t want to deal with those draconian contracts.
Apparently Hachette (US) CEO Michael Pietsch is sending out a response to the emails he’s getting (not from me, LOL). I’m honestly sick of the whole debacle. But if you’d like to smile at the whole thing, our neighborhood caricaturist (meaning she’s from this planet – you might remember I’m not too fond of borders and anything else artificially created to make us feel like we come from different planets) has made the caricature of Jeff Bezos. Now can we have Mr. Pietsch as well to go with it? ;)
An interesting study on what makes people buy self-published books. For me it’s either I know the author or I like the cover. And here’s why you’ll never find me on Pinterest. Someone pointed out to me that the article is from 2012 – which doesn’t change much. It still doesn’t look like a good way of sharing images – but then, I don’t share many on my Facebook profile either.
Anyhow, here’s a useful chart for photo use. Finally, help a writer with a bad case of plagiarism. Have a great week!
August 10, 2014
Sunday Surprise
My name is Brenda de Zorig and I’m a journalist for the Konigtown Gazette . I’ve been on the road for years as an actress in an itinerant company, but eventually decided to go back to my hometown to start living of the thing I like the most – writing. So while I write my Masterpiece, I took this job at the Gazette and they send me on various assignments… I thought I might as well starting interviewing random people. Since I intend to write fiction, but truth is always stranger than fiction, I’m eager to hear about people out there – on my world or beyond.
Let’s see who we have here today… she looks like a lady to me! Hello, there! Tell me something about yourself.
My name is Catherine de Valois. I was born October 27th, 1401 at the Hotel Saint-Pol in Paris to King Charles VI of France and his queen consort Isabeau of Bavaria. I am famous for my first marriage to King Henry of England, but I did not love him. Instead, I found true love when I defied Parliament to marry my second husband, Owen Tudor.
I knew she was a noblewoman! Describe your appearance in ten words or less.
Fair, regal, French, elegant.
Do you have an enemy or nemesis? If so, who are they and how did they become an enemy?
The enemy of France is my enemy. This Henry king of England insists on warring with France. He slaughtered the women and children of Rouen who surrendered to him. Yes, I hate him, even though the Treaty of Troyes forced me to marry him on the 2nd of June in the Year of Our Lord 1420. Fortunately for me, he died of a camp fever on the 31st of August in 1422, sparing me decades of strife suffered by his foremother, great Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine when she married Henry II.
Would you kill for those you love? And would you die for them?
Enough blood had been shed in France over this monster of a king of England. Neither my death nor the deaths of others can bring the innocent back.
I got that. Even if your kingdom has been at peace for years, doesn’t mean I don’t know about power struggles between noble families and royalty. Where do you live?
I am originally from Paris where I lived until my marriage to King Henry after which I lived in London. Upon my marriage to Owen Tudor, I spent the rest of my years in Hertfordshire where I gave him three sons.
Are you involved in a relationship? If so, with who and what is it about them that you find appealing?
My first husband was King Henry of England. I was forced to marry him on the threat of further slaughter of my people. However, I did find true love with Owen Tudor, defying Parliament in order to marry him. As a noble Welshman, Owen too has suffered much from King Henry’s relentless soldiering. He was forced to move to London as a child after his family lost everything in the last real war of independence against England, so we relate very well to one another.
I get that! What is the biggest challenge you face in the story?
Between my father’s mental illness, King Henry’s wars against my people, and the political intrigue led against me by the Duke of Bedford, it is very hard to choose a “biggest” challenge.
Indeed! Do you have a family? Tell me about them.
My father Charles VI of France suffered violent fits of madness ever since I was born. My mother, Queen Isabeau of Bavaria largely ruled France as regent.
My younger brother Charles became Charles VII while I was queen of England – it was he who was the “dauphin” in the famous stories about Jehanne d’Arc.
I gave King Henry a namesake son who became known as Henry VI, the youngest king ever crowned in England.
I have three sons by Owen Tudor: Edmund, Jasper, and Owen (Brother Edward Bridgewater).
Please give me an interesting and unusual fact about yourself.
In 1422 I gave birth to my son Owen in Westminster Abbey while visiting my oldest son King Henry VI. I was literally talking to the king on one of my rare visits to see him (no thanks to Parliament’s hostility against me) when my water broke and I went into labor.
Ouch! Ah, well, us women are born to suffer… anyhow, I see a gentleman here… let’s see what he has to say! Tell me a little about yourself, sir.
I am Henry, by the Grace of God, King of England. I was born the 16th of September in the Year of Our Lord 1386. I died on the 31st of August in 1422.
*wrinkles her nose* I’ve already heard someting similar, with different names… Describe your appearance in ten words or less.
Strong, athletic, battle-scarred, charismatic, with fire in my eyes.
Ahem! Well, fine. Not bad for a king. What is your role in the story?
As the son of Henry Bolingbroke, cousin of King Edward III, I have been a warrior all my life. Upon my father’s ascent at King Henry IV, I fought the Welsh on his behalf, putting down once and for all the last real challenge against English authority by Prince Owain Glyndŵr.
After becoming king of England, I turned my attention to France, fighting to conquer France starting in the spring of 1415. On the 25th of October I won the Battle of Agincourt and married King Charles VI’s daughter, Princess Catherine de Valois on the 2nd of June, 1420.
So, you’re Catherine’s first husband… Where do you live?
When I am home in England, I live in London. Most of the time, however, I live in France, camping with my armies.
Are you involved in a relationship? If so, with who and what is it about them that you find appealing?
It is my divine right to marry Catherine. That she seems to hate me is irrelevant. She will do her duty in my bedchamber or I will treat her as the French woman that she is.
*snorts* Men. They think they’re so important in our lives… What is the biggest challenge you face in the story?
Catherine’s brothers are still alive and therefore a threat to my claim to the throne of France.
Do you have a moral code?
I am a devout Roman Catholic who does my best to live a pious life.
Please give me an interesting and unusual fact about yourself.
I am the first king in English history to mandate government and court documents be written in the English language since the Battle of Hastings in 1066 instead of French or Latin.
Mmm, interesting. It’s always good to hear about other kingdoms and how they deal with administration and all that stuff! Thanks to both of you for talking to me today… Brenda de Zorig signing off.
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Book(s) in which the character appears and links
Catherine de Valois
http://viewBook.at/Catherine1401
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/452134
Author bio & social media/website
Born, raised, and educated in Lincoln, Nebraska USA, Laurel A. Rockefeller is an amateur scientist and amateur historian known for her lavish world building in her Peers of Beinan science fiction series and her meticulous research across all three book series: the Peers of Beinan, the Legendary Women of World History, and American Stories.
Laurel is the first novelist to index paperback books using QR technology for smartphones, enabling a truly interactive paperback book reading experience.
Laurel’s books are all available in a broad range of digital formats at major retailers including the Kindle store, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and the ibookstore with more limited offerings in paperback, QR interactive paperback, and large print editions.
Gifted British actor and voice actor Richard Mann narrates Laurel’s audio book editions, beginning with “Boudicca: Britain’s Queen of the Iceni” which is coming soon to audible, itunes, and Amazon.
Find Laurel’s books on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Laurel-A.-Rockefeller/e/B008YVJJFE, on Smashwords at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/laurelarockefeller, and on GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6569976.Laurel_A_Rockefeller or visit her websites at http://www.peersofbeinan.com and http://www.legendarywomenbooks.com, her blog at http://peersofbeinan.wordpress.com/, or on social media.
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/peersofbeinan/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurelworlds
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendarywomenofworldhistory and https://www.facebook.com/PeersOfBeinan
