Alexander Xavier
asked
C.W. Gortner:
Hello Mr Gortner, first I have to say that I really like your books. Till now I've read your novel about Isabella of Castile and The Confessions of Catherine de Medici; I really like your style so here is my question; Did you ever consider to write about a male monarch, like Ludwig II king of Bavaria? Or Frederick the Great, king of Prussia? I would really love to see that kind of story :D
C.W. Gortner
I have considering writing about a male monarch, not those mentioned here (though great ideas). Unfortunately, it's tough to interest a publisher in a biographical novel about a male monarch unless he's really well known (think Henry VIII). Studies show that almost 96% of historical fiction readers are women, excluding historical battle / Roman legion-type fiction, and so it's a challenge to get a publisher excited about a male lead character for a historical novel. Hopefully, this will change soon, and I can write about some of men, too.
More Answered Questions
Martin Turnbull
asked
C.W. Gortner:
Hi CW, as both a (big) fan of your work and an historical fiction author myself, I'm curious about your philosophy about the issue of 'historical accuracy' versus 'solid storytelling.' Do you stick to the historical facts all the time? Or do you sacrifice a bit of historical accuracy at the altar of telling a compelling story that is at least emotionally accurate if perhaps not wholly historically accurate?
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