Writer’s Desk with Elizabeth Camden
Writer’s Desk with Elizabeth CamdenElizabeth Camden is best known for her historical novels set in gilded age America featuring clever heroines and wonderfully romantic storylines. Before she was a writer, she was an academic librarian at some of the largest and smallest libraries in America, but her favorite is the continually growing library in her own home. Her works have been honored with the RITA Award, Christy Award, and Daphne du Maurier Award. With a master’s in history and a master’s in library science, she lives in Florida with her husband, who graciously tolerates her intimidating stockpile of books.
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More about When Stars Light the SkyIn a world on the brink of war, two hearts must navigate shadows of uncertainty.
Inga Klein’s carefree life in New York takes a dramatic turn when she sails for Berlin, Germany, to serve as the secretary for America’s ambassador. Amid the glamour of life at the embassy, she continually finds herself at odds with the straitlaced and imposing Benedict Kincaid, the diplomatic chief of staff who harbors deep misgivings toward the German-born Inga.
As Europe hurtles toward World War I, Benedict’s determination to keep America out of the conflict adds to the already tense atmosphere. Despite their relentless sparring, Inga and Benedict succeed in keeping the embassy afloat through one crisis after another. But when they run out of diplomatic options, a marriage of convenience may be Inga’s only hope of escape from the impending war.
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Q&A with Elizabeth CamdenARCF: Elizabeth, we are so excited to be featuring you and When Stars Light the Sky. Can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind When Stars Light the Sky?
EC: I was inspired to write the novel after reading a memoir written by the American ambassador to Germany during World War I. Ambassador Gerard was a playboy who shared fascinating insight into Berlin’s high society during the twilight years before the war. His rampant socializing made him unpopular with some of the strait-laced American diplomats who worked for him at the embassy, and I knew this was the set up for a terrific novel.
ARCF: When Stars Light the Sky is the second in a planned trilogy. Do readers need to start the series with book one or can they read in any order?
EC: Each book can be read entirely on its own! They all have a satisfying ending and very few overlapping characters, so the books can be read in any order.
ARCF: What was your favorite piece of research you found while researching for When Stars Light the Sky?
EC: The U.S. Embassy in Berlin was housed in a palace once owned by a German princess who fell on hard times. The price of the palace was way beyond what the U.S. government was willing to pay, but Ambassador Gerard was one of the wealthiest men in America, and he wanted that palace! He paid the difference out of his own pocket to get the palace, so I had a fantastic setting in which to place the embassy scenes.
ARCF: When Stars Light the Sky contains a marriage of convenience (which is one of our favorite tropes). How were you able to weave in a marriage of convenience thread in during a 20th century setting?
EC: Great question! It can be hard to make this trope work in a 20th century novel, but I relied on an actual political crisis to create a believable situation. When World War I broke out, the German government prohibited their citizens from leaving the country. Inga, the heroine of the story, was born in Germany and still a German citizen. She was at risk of being trapped in Germany without friends or family after the war broke out, but the wife of an American diplomat would be free to leave. Benedict is a deeply honorable man and agrees to the marriage, which sets them up for a magnificent love story as their reluctant attraction grows in the coming months.
ARCF: You’ve written many different novels in different time periods. Which has been your favorite to write in?
EC: I love the early 20th century because it still has the glamor and gentility of an earlier era, but sensibilities were changing. My heroines can be engaged in interesting careers, which gives me a wider variety of fresh and original plots… Such as in When Stars Light the Sky where Inga is the secretary to the American ambassador and gets to be in the room during meetings with kings and presidents. The technology of the early 20th century lets me to use telephones, railroads, and other forms of technology to speed up the pace of a dynamic plot.
ARCF: In all of the characters you’ve created, which have you found, are most like you?
EC: Oddly, it has been one of my heroes! Trevor from With Every Breath is a studious introvert who is sometimes seen as cold by the people around him, but his natural reserve is how he deals with shyness. Benedict from my current novel has a whiff of the same reserved demeanor.
ARCF: You have a background as an academic librarian — what advice would you give on research for other aspiring historical fiction authors?
EC: Focus on the story and the characters, not the research! Some authors become so dazzled with their research that it gets dumped into the story in long blocks of text that simply isn’t exciting to the reader.
ARCF: What does a typical writing day look like for you?
EC: I’m a morning person, so my best work happens between 8AM until around 3PM when the creativity is flowing. I use the last few hours of the day to handle the marketing side of the business.
ARCF: What is coming up next for you?
EC: The third book in the trilogy is still unnamed, but will be about a World War I fighter pilot who falls in love with a pacifist. That one is almost finished, but I am also working on the first book in a series of wholesome contemporary romances that will be released in the summer of 2025.
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