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Guest Interviews

Interview with Lynn Cullen, author of Mrs. Poe & Giveaway (US only)

June 12, 2014 by Darlene

I am really excited to welcome one of my favorite authors to the blog today and that is Lynn Cullen who is currently touring with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.   I have been reading and enjoying her books for years and her latest Mrs. Poe further proves what an amazingly talented author she is as I loved it (check back tomorrow for my review).  Lynn was kind enough to take the time to answer my questions today so please enjoy and be sure to enter the giveaway as well for a chance to read this fantastic novel!

 

poe
Great Reads of 2013 –NPR
Books That Make Time Stand Still –Oprah.com
Editor’s Pick—The Historical Novels Review
Best Books of 2013—Atlanta Magazine
Indie Next List Pick
 

1. Welcome to Peeking Between the Pages Lynn! I know you’re an amazing writer but can share a bit about yourself outside of your writing career?

Thanks for having me on board today, Dar! I’m honored to be here and am looking forward to the questions you lob my way. This first one is a doozie, since I have been so wrapped up in writing my whole life that I can hardly picture who I am beyond it. I’ve been writing since I was a kid and in many genres. As you know, I started out writing children’s books when my own kids were young, and have grown, as they grew, into doing the kind of writing that I was always meant to do–“mainstream” historical fiction. (“Adult” fiction sounds a wee bit racy.)

Outside of writing, you could say that I am a historical detective. I travel the world to hunt down clues to my characters and their times. I’ve never let distance or cost scare me away from exploring—I learned early on how to travel on a shoestring. (Hint: In Europe, stay in small B & B’s or clean but no-frills family-owned hotels in historic areas and travel off-season.) I got my start in this direction with Rick Steves’s books on cheap European travel.

2. I’m a huge fan of your novels! Can you tell us a bit about your newest novel Mrs. Poe and what your inspiration for it was?

Aw, thanks. I really appreciate your support over the years! My newest, Mrs. Poe, came about after I took a crash course on Poe, (okay, I read Wikipedia ,) and learned that he wrote ‘The Raven’ in 1845. That same year he was alleged to have had an affair with Frances Osgood, a fellow poet. Upon closer investigation, I realized that in the space of one year, Feb. 1845 to Feb. 1846, Poe went from the pinnacle of the success that he had yearned for his whole life to failure and rejection. What could have caused such a meteoric rise and fall? I wrote Mrs. Poe to answer this question. I believe that Frances Osgood is the key.

3. What challenges did you face in writing Mrs. Poe?

My biggest challenge was to rehabilitate Poe’s personal image to bring it in line with the man he actually was. The commonly held modern view of Poe as an alcoholic creepy guy is actually the result of the worst smear job in literary history. In a bizarre twist of fate worthy of one of Poe’s own stories, in real-life, Rufus Griswold, the very man who hated Poe most in life became the keeper of Poe’s papers after Poe’s death. Griswold began doctoring Poe’s letters the moment he got his hands on them, filling them with falsehoods. He proceeded to write a completely slanderous and false biography of Poe. In Griswold’s hands, Poe became the madman of Poe’s ownstories, with the additional unsavory attributes as drug and alcohol addiction and a tendency toward violence.

In real life, in 1845, when “The Raven” came out, Poe was known to be gentlemanly, polite, and charming, a genuine ladies man. With his wit and excellent manners, as well as his sexy reading voice, he was in demand in drawing rooms all over Manhattan, where he lived at the time. It was only after he fell out of favor with the social elite for having had an affair with one of their own, Frances Osgood, that Griswold could manipulate Poe’s image. Few would step forward to defend Poe after he had become social poison.

This portrait drawn from life shows Poe as he really was in 1845. It was my job in Mrs. Poe to acquaint readers with the charismatic gentleman Poe actually was.

mr poe
4. Of all the novels you’ve written do you have a favorite or has each been a new experience to enjoy and watch unfold as you write?

Novels are like children in that you love each one “the best.” Each one is a favorite because of their uniqueness. I have adored being taken into the worlds of each of my four novels: I am Rembrandt’s Daughter, (centered around the masterpieces of the great painter’s final years and told by his illegitimate daughter); The Creation of Eve (about Sofonisba Anguissola, a student of Michelangelo and painter to the Spanish queen Elisabeth of Valois, Catherine de Medici’s daughter): Reign of Madness (about Juana “the Mad,” daughter of Isabel and Ferdinand and contemporary–and possibly more?–to Christopher Columbus’s son, Diego); and Mrs. Poe. Each book was an immersion course in the history and lives of these famous people, as well as an exploration into aspects of the human condition. Through these books, I have become part Dutch/Italian/Spanish/Belgian/Manhattanite—pretty fun for a girl from a blue-collar neighborhood in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

5. Do you have any set routines of when you like to write or where? Is there a special spot where you do your best writing?

I try to write 8 hours a day, not that they are a productive 8 hours. There’s a lot of snack-eating, bird-watching, plant-watering, dog-petting, and cat-feeding going on. But I do try to devote all day in pursuit of some actual creation of new sentences. The preferred place of action is in my zero-gravity lawn chair on the patio. I’m outside most days of the year until I’m either fried, frozen, or flooded. You’ll notice that birds are often in my books. It’s because I’m usually writing among them. They keep working their way into bit parts.

6. On a personal note… what do enjoy doing most when you aren’t writing?

Savoring the boom of grandchildren in town: I’ve got grandkids ages 4,3,2, and 1. I’m happiest when hanging out with them and my three daughters, who have become my best friends. I love traveling, too, but hate that it takes me away from family, including the four-legged members.

7. A question I always like to ask is what books are on your nightstand right now? I love to know what my favorite authors are reading!

I’m reading a book that’s to debut in January 2015, Before I Go, by Colleen Oakley. It’s about a 27-year old woman with cancer who tries to find a wife for her husband. I love Colleen’s fresh voice.

8. Finally, what’s next on the writing table next Lynn? Do you have another book in the works? ( I sure hope so!). Also, is there anything else you’d like to share with your readers – old and new?

I’m working on a book about Mark Twain. I am wondering what becoming Mark Twain did to the person Samuel Clemens–and what his daughters, wife, and secretary thought about that.

Before I go, may I share one last thing with readers? Friends, thank you for enabling me to pursue my lifelong dream of writing books. Your faith in me and your support humble and awe and delight me. I do not take for granted your trust in me to write as honestly and searchingly as possible. Connecting with you through words is a privilege that I treasure with every fiber of my being and thank you for every time I sit in this writing chair.

 

Thanks so much Lynn for taking the time to answer my questions and spend some time at Peeking Between the Pages!  I will certainly be anxiously awaiting your next novel!

Thank you for this opportunity, Dar, and for your generous support over the years. It was such a treat to chat with you today!

______________________________

 

About Mrs. Poe

A vivid and compelling novel about a woman who becomes entangled in an affair with Edgar Allan Poe—at the same time she becomes the unwilling confidante of his much-younger wife.

It is 1845, and Frances Osgood is desperately trying to make a living as a writer in New York; not an easy task for a woman—especially one with two children and a philandering portrait painter as her husband. As Frances tries to sell her work, she finds that editors are only interested in writing similar to that of the new renegade literary sensation Edgar Allan Poe, whose poem, “The Raven” has struck a public nerve.

She meets the handsome and mysterious Poe at a literary party, and the two have an immediate connection. Poe wants Frances to meet with his wife since she claims to be an admirer of her poems, and Frances is curious to see the woman whom Edgar married.

As Frances spends more and more time with the intriguing couple, her intense attraction for Edgar brings her into dangerous territory. And Mrs. Poe, who acts like an innocent child, is actually more manipulative and threatening than she appears. As Frances and Edgar’s passionate affair escalates, Frances must decide whether she can walk away before it’s too late…

Set amidst the fascinating world of New York’s literati, this smart and sexy novel offers a unique view into the life of one of history’s most unforgettable literary figures.

Other tour stops with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
Read an excerpt
Buy at Amazon, Amazon Canada, B&N, IndieBound, iTunes, Simon & Schuster

Add to Goodreads Shelf

 

About Lynn Cullen

lynneLynn Cullen grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the fifth girl in a family of seven children. She learned to love history combined with traveling while visiting historic sites across the U.S. on annual family camping trips. She attended Indiana University in Bloomington and Fort Wayne, and took writing classes with Tom McHaney at Georgia State. She wrote children’s books as her three daughters were growing up, while working in a pediatric office and later, at Emory University on the editorial staff of a psychoanalytic journal. While her camping expeditions across the States have become fact-finding missions across Europe, she still loves digging into the past. She does not miss, however, sleeping in musty sleeping bags. Or eating canned fruit cocktail. She now lives in Atlanta with her husband, their dog, and two unscrupulous cats.

Lynn Cullen is the author of The Creation of Eve, named among the best fiction books of 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and as an April 2010 Indie Next selection. She is also the author of numerous award-winning books for children, including the young adult novel I Am Rembrandt’s Daughter, which was a 2007 Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers” selection, and an ALA Best Book of 2008. Her novel, Reign of Madness, about Juana the Mad, daughter of the Spanish Monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand, was chosen as a 2011 Best of the South selection by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and was a 2012 Townsend Prize finalist. Her newest novel, MRS. POE, examines the fall of Edgar Allan Poe through the eyes of poet Francis Osgood.

Links for Lynn: Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest

 

Lynn Cullen talks Edgar Allen Poe and Mrs. Poe

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY – US ONLY

*Click Here* and fill out the form

Draw Date June 28/14

Good luck everyone!

(comments are still welcome!)

 

poe bananer

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Filed Under: Guest Interviews, Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tours

Interview with Melissa Douthit, author of The Return & Giveaway (on my blog -eBook only -open Worldwide and Melissa’s blog – an eReader or $75 Amazon gift card)

October 16, 2013 by Darlene

The Return

I’m excited to welcome Melissa Douthit, author of The Return to Peeking Between the Pages today.   Melissa is on tour with Premier Virtual Author Book Tours for the rest of October and all of November so be sure to check out her other tour stops as well.  I ‘met’ Melissa a few years ago when I reviewed her first novel in her trilogy entitled The Legend of the Raie’Chaelia and since we have remained friends having a few common interests like our dogs.  The trilogy begins with The Raie’Chaelia (my review), second is The Firelight of Maalda (my review) and finally the last one is The Return which I was actually to review today but as Sammy injured his eye and I spent a half day at the doggie hospital I am behind in my reading (sorry Melissa) so my review is to come tomorrow so stay tuned.  I will say though that I am halfway through at the time of this post and enjoying it immensely – I’m pretty sure it’ll be my favorite of the trilogy!  Today though I have an interview with Melissa to share with my readers and be sure to check out the giveaway both at my blog and Melissa’s blog (awesome giveaway there!) at the end of the post.

 

1. Welcome to Peeking Between the Pages Melissa! To start off would you like to tell us a bit about yourself.

Well, I’m a software engineer by day and a writer by night. I lived my entire life in California until 2010, when I moved to Salt Lake City. I have a 100 pound, slobbering, baying Coonhound named Copper who likes to take walks and go to the dog park. Winter is our favorite time of year in SLC, when the air is cold and crisp and there is fresh snow to play in.

2. What is your new novel about and can you share with us a bit about your other books?

It’s the final installment of my trilogy, The Legend of the Raie’Chaelia. So, book three. In it, the main character and her friends travel across the country to prepare it for war, making a few necessary stops along the way. The first book was really about Chalice, the main character, finding out who she is and about her world and her relation to it. The second was about her discovering the underground world and then going on a journey to free some very important creatures.

In the third book, Chalice finishes what she started and really pushes the envelope to the point where she finds herself in hot water. Even though I knew where and how the story would end, it was interesting to see where the characters led me. Some of the events that happen in book three were as much a surprise to me as they are to the reader.

The Return really is my favorite book of the whole trilogy because so much happens in it. All the burning questions get answered, the mysteries get solved, and the big reveal at the end ties everything back to the very beginning of the first book. It felt really good to finally finish it.

3. I love the Legend of the Raie’Chaelia series, which The Return is a part of… It’s one of my favorites! Where did you get your inspiration for this series?

I’ve been inspired by several authors. Tolkien and Jordan. I also grew up on Steinbeck and London. I knew I wanted to write a book about a heroine but the idea for the Raie’Chaelia didn’t really hit me until around 2004, when I started writing notes for the story. I don’t really know where the story came from. It just kind of popped in my head, and like Neil Gaiman said on time, “I just wrote what I saw.”

4. Did you face any new challenges in writing this book – the final installment in the trilogy?

I did. I got stuck on a chapter. At first, it wasn’t a chapter I wanted to write at all because at the time, it seemed like boring filler to the story. Also, I didn’t really have a good idea of what exactly was going to happen. So, I set aside my writing for a while. Then, the ideas exploded out of nowhere and I sat down and finished it. It ended up being one of my favorite chapters in the whole book.

5. Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

Definitely! Chalice inherits my determination and stubbornness and Jeremiah, my love of reading, writing, and studying.

6. What were your favorite scenes to write?

One of my favorite scenes to write was when Chalice confronts Vlaad, makes a mistake and gets seen by the False King, then proceeds to escape, burning down Ielieria as she does. I loved that whole chapter. I was listening to the song Burn It to the Ground when I wrote it, so that really helped me visualize what was happening.

Another favorite was when Jeremiah finally loses his cool with Chalice and reprimands her for the stunt she pulls in Ielieria. He is one of the few people in the story to whom she really listens, and his lecture tempers her impulsiveness. It was interesting to see him finally get angry at her. And like I said, in many scenes, I was just as surprised writing them as readers are reading them.

Another favorite was when Duquaine finds out what Chalice did. It was the look on his face in my mind’s eye that got to me. Such pain and confusion. Btw, when I picture Duquaine, I picture Chris Hemsworth in the Dark World. That’s really who Duquaine looks and sounds like.

The last of my favorite scenes was at the very end with Nipha. I will admit, once I finished the last word of that chapter, I broke down and cried. Coming to the end of the story felt like losing a friend. No, actually, it felt like losing several friends — Chalice, Jeremiah, Tycho, Kirna, Buney, etc. I think all book lovers can relate to that feeling.

7. Do you have any set routines of when you like to write or where? Do you have a special spot where you do your best thinking?

Nothing really set in stone. Ideas and words hit me at the most inconvenient times. When I’m driving in the car or when I’m bone tired and just lie down to sleep. Ugh, that’s annoying, but that’s why I always keep my iPhone with me, so I can jot down notes. I usually write in binges. I’ll go for a while without writing and then all the sudden, bam! A flood of words and ideas come to me and I have to write them down before I forget. When I’m in that mode, my favorite spot to write is at the living room table, right next to the fire, with Copper curled up at my feet. He’s my writing partner and gives me lots of advice :), as well as keeping my feet warm.

8. And on a personal note…What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t writing? I bet snuggling Copper is one of them!

It sure is. 🙂 I like to cook while listening to audiobooks. Copper usually sits somewhere nearby, hoping for a scrap of food to come his way, which it usually does. I also like to ski and swim and run Copper around in the snow.

9. Who are your favourite authors and what is on your night-stand right now?

I have a lot of them. Tolkien, Jordan, Steinbeck, London, Rowling, Herbert, Eddings, etc. The list goes on. Right now, I have Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen on my nightstand.

10. Finally, what is in store for your fans next Melissa? Do you have another book in the works?

I’ve had so many ideas for new books. Some came to me when I was finishing up The Raie’Chaelia. Whenever I get an idea for a new book, I write it down and put it in its own file folder on my computer, hoping to revisit it later. I have about 10+ folders like that, so I’m trying to choose which one to pursue first. Right now, it’s a toss up between a love story/fantasy set in the Old Norse world, a paranormal crime thriller, and a teen romance that deals with the serious issues of high school bullying and teen suicide.

______________________________

ABOUT THE RETURN

Chalice is back …

After the fall from the Maaldan cliff, Chalice is reunited with her friends on a journey that takes them to the coastline of Ielieria. Little do Vlaad and his Fierain know what is in store for them as, bit by bit, their plans are thwarted by this blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty.

The small band of rebels then travels across the Realm, preparing it for war, while Chalice herself is brewing plans of her own that may just land her in the hot seat. What will happen when she returns her father to the throne? What will happen when he finds out what she has done? And … what will happen once Dar’Maalda learns of the rebels’ location?

In the third and final novel of the trilogy, The Legend of the Raie’Chaelia, you find out. It is a dramatic finish to an epic story of action, adventure, betrayal, forgiveness and love.

Buy at Amazon, Amazon Canada, and B&N

 

ABOUT MELISSA DOUTHIT

Melissa Douthit_medI grew up in San Diego, finishing college at CSUSM with a degree in Computer Science. In the summer of 2002, I worked at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico. From there my journey took me to the Bay Area to work at NASA Ames Research Center for a year, then at Lawrence Livermore National Lab for four years. It was during this time that I started tossing around the idea of becoming a writer, so I began writing a journal and notes on a story I was developing. My career, after LLNL, took me to the Naval Postgraduate School, where I worked on a government project called JIEDDO. Now I am in Salt Lake City, working as a software engineer.

My career involves scientific and mathematic programming. I write on the side. I find that the two areas of work give me a balance – a balance between exercising my right brain and my left brain. If one side of my brain gets tired, the other takes over. It works well. =o)

As for my hobbies, I have been reading fantasy and science fiction books ever since I was a teenager. I started with the classics: Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Jordan, then moved on from there. I love reading all different genres of fiction and non-fiction. When it comes to reading, I don’t discriminate.

My other hobbies are skiing, swimming, writing, cooking, and drinking wine! 😉

I also love taking my dog to the park where he causes all kinds of mischief. He is a four year-old, 100 pound, baying, slobbering, English Coonhoud.

Melissa’s website, Facebook, and Twitter

 

EditorInChief1

Melissa’s Editor-in-Chief Copper (Isn’t he adorable!)

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GIVEAWAY DETAILS (Worldwide) – eBook only

I have one eBook copy of The Return by Melissa Douthit to share with my readers.  To enter…

  • Leave a comment for one entry to the giveaway.
  • Tweet, share on Facebook, or blog about this giveaway for 2 extra entries.

This giveaway is open Worldwide and I will draw for the winner on October 30/13.  Good luck!

 

…Once you’ve entered my giveaway be sure to pop over to Melissa’s blog for hers…

MELISSA’S GIVEAWAY

Melissa has a fantastic giveaway over on her blog.  She’s giving away a free eReader OR a $75.00 Amazon.com gift certificate.  Now that is definitely awesome!  So be sure to click here and pop on over and enter your info for a chance to win.

Again, be sure to pop back in tomorrow for my review of The Return!

 

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Filed Under: Guest Interviews

Moonrise by Cassandra King: Q&A and Giveaway (US/Canada)

September 12, 2013 by Darlene

Moonrise_FrontCover

Well it’s almost the end of the week folks and today I have a spotlight on a book I’m anxious to read and that is Moonrise by Cassandra King which just released on September 3 and available from Maiden Lane Press.  Moonrise is described as being a novel of dark secrets and second chances.  Needless to say I was hooked after dark secrets!  Today I’ve got a Q&A (prepared) with Cassandra King where she answers a few questions about the research process and writing from multiple viewpoints…

 

Q. Did you find that you had to do more research on this novel than in past works?

A. I believe more research often goes into a good novel than into nonfiction. In nonfiction, usually you’re laying out the facts, reporting, presenting your research as it is. In fiction, your characters actually “use” whatever it is you’ve researched. For example, the butterflies–or more succinctly, the moon garden: If I were writing an article about a nocturnal garden, I’d describe it, present certain facts about it, et cetera. In this book, my characters work in it, walk in it, smell it, feel it–it has to be more real than whatever facts my research uncovered. Even so, I love the research that goes into a novel, and how you then figure out ways to work it into the story. It’s one of the fun things about writing fiction.

 

Q: Because you use multiple narrators, you’re able to explore the arrival of the wealthier summer crowd from Atlanta and elsewhere from the point of view of Willa, a local mountain woman and housekeeper. Which of the multiple voices you used in telling the story was easiest to write? Which voice was most demanding?

A: The use of multiple narrators seemed almost a necessity in this book. The plot centers on Helen’s struggles with acceptance, rejection and self-actualization, so her point of view is essential, but I felt the best way to broaden the conflict between Helen and the group she’s struggling to be accepted into was to allow the reader into their mind-sets as well. And then we have Willa, who offers her unique perspective on both groups. Willa was actually the easiest because she has a brogue–a folksy, simple way of speaking, heavy on idioms, that sets her apart from the other narrators.

 

ABOUT MOONRISE

MOONRISE is a novel of dark secrets and second chances, New York Times’ bestselling author Cassandra King’s homage to the gothic classic Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

When Helen Honeycutt falls in love with a man who has recently lost his wife in a tragic accident, their sudden marriage creates a rift between her new husband and his friends, who resent her intrusion into their close circle. When the newlyweds join them for a summer at Moonrise, his late wife’s family home in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, it soon becomes clear that someone is trying to drive her away, in King’s literary homage to Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

Read the story behind the book
Reading Group Guide
Read the Reviews
But at: Amazon, Amazon Canada, B&N, and IndieBound

 

ABOUT CASSANDRA KING

Cassandra King Photo Credit TamaraReynolds_5x7_300
Photo Credit Tamara Reynolds

 CASSANDRA KING is the bestselling author of four previous novels, Making Waves, The Sunday Wife, The Same Sweet Girls and Queen of Broken Hearts, as well as numerous short stories, essays and articles. Moonrise, her fifth novel, is set in Highlands, North Carolina. A native of Lower Alabama, Cassandra resides in Beaufort, South Carolina, with her husband, Pat Conroy.

Cassandra’s website
Cassandra’s Facebook Page

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have 2 copies of Moonrise by Cassandra King to share with my readers.  To enter…

  • For 1 entry just leave a comment entering the giveaway.
  • Tweet, share on Facebook, or blog for 2 extra entries.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winners on September 28/13.  Good luck!

 

Source:  Giveaway copies provided by a publicist/publisher.  No compensation was received.

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Filed Under: Book Spotlights, Guest Interviews

A Conversation with Patti Callahan Henry, author of And Then I Found You & Giveaway (US/Canada)

April 9, 2013 by Darlene

found

Today, I am thrilled to post a conversation with Patti Callahan Henry, author of And Then I Found You – a novel I absolutely loved!  This novel (my review) is releasing today and it’s also a She Reads book selection for the month of April so be sure to pop over there for more thoughts on the book from some awesome bloggers!  The inspiration for this novel came from within the author’s own family and it really touched my heart.  I highly recommend And Then I Found You and I hope you’ll enjoy the Q&A with Patti – be sure to enter at the end of the post for your chance to win a copy for yourself as well!

 

What is your new novel about?

And Then I Found You tells the story of Kate Vaughan, a thirty-something-year-old woman who years before had placed her child for adoption. When the girl, now thirteen, locates her birthmother, Kate is happy beyond belief. But now what? Kate had spent her adult life trying to contain her emotions. What is she supposed to do now that her heart has burst open? How can she find a way to move forward in her life? When she realizes that she can only do that by confronting the past, Kate has to make some tough choices—and learn to take some chances.

That’s what the book is about. As for what the book does—well, And Then I Found You explores the emotions and extraordinary change that reunions bring to an individual, and to a family. I understand that adoption reunion stories are complicated, and there aren’t always happy endings, so I wanted to examine a few emotional truths inherent in such a situation. Where do we put our faith and our trust? How do we find the courage to be patient amid unbearable uncertainty? And how do the lost become found?

Was the book really inspired by a true story?

Twenty some years ago, my brave and beautiful sister placed a baby daughter for adoption with a hand chosen family. And then three years ago, this daughter, Catherine, found our family through Facebook. It was a life changing event in the best possible way. Of course I had to write about it.

But my sister’s story is not mine to tell, which is why I like to say that the novel was inspired by a true story, rather than based on it. This novel comes out of my experience—how else would I explore all those messy emotions?—and a good bit of speculation. That old what if that is the best tool in any writer’s tool kit.

How did the reunion with your sister’s birth-daughter affect your family?

Each one of us was affected in a different way. I’m sure if you asked my sister about the emotions that went through her as the birth mother she would give a vastly different answer than I would. And my response would be different from the response of my other sister, because our emotions as “birth aunts” were not the same. And yet as a family, we shared a collective sense of relief and love. All those years of unknowing were broken open with the knowledge that in a parallel world to ours, my niece had been living a wonderful life with a family who loved her greatly. She had exactly what we had hoped for her all along. To say we felt grateful and blessed—well, that would be an understatement.

How did this event touch you as a writer?

This real life story inspired me to write a fictionalized version. It had to be fictionalized. I would never presume to write from my sister’s point of view. The real-life facts are for her to tell. But I’m a writer and I need to write, and no way could I turn away from this incredible happening. So I made a character and gave her a situation, and well, things took off from there.

In order to step back from the real-life situation I asked myself a lot of questions, starting with: What happens when the thing we’ve always dreamed of happening, does? That’s a big question, because while things sometimes unfold as we hope, they rarely unfold as we imagine. That was my first question, and it prompted several others, such as: What truth of this story is to be told? What did it and does it mean to me? How do we live a life with the ache of waiting?

Those were the questions that I started with. The book is my attempt at the answers.

Your readers will likely wonder where fact meets fiction in this novel. How did you decide what to include—and what to leave out?

This was the toughest part of the process—deciding what “facts” to include. The novel took many forms before this final draft. In the first writing, I attempted to write the true-to-life-story and found that instead of writing, I was dictating facts—one after the other—in a bullet point list of boredom. Even though the story was full of mystery and synchrony, I realized that it wasn’t enough for something to have happened in real life, it also has to come to life on the page. That’s always the trick, whether you’re cribbing from real life or creating a fully imagined world.

Did you face any new challenges in writing this book?

Oh, yes! Each time I sat down to my computer I imagined my entire family whispering in my ear: “Don’t make me look bad.” “Don’t say that.” “Don’t tell that part.” Of course they weren’t really doing this (and never would), but in my imagination, my mom, dad, sisters, new niece and children stood over my shoulder to make sure I didn’t write them as bad or evil or selfish or confused (which of course we all are). I couldn’t take the pressure – I made them all look/act/think good and virtuous. Essentially, it ended up being a story about boring people doing moderately interesting things and thinking lovely thoughts.

What have been your family members’ reactions to their first read of the novel?

As of this writing, my parents are the only ones who have read the novel. They say that they love everything about it. But let’s remember, these are my parents and they love me, so this would of course be their proper response.

What’s in store for Patti Callahan Henry fans next? Do you have another book in the works?

I do have another book in the works, but as of right now I’ll say exactly what I told someone last night when they asked, “What are you working on right now?” My answer, honestly, was “I’m working on deciding what I’m working on next.” But I’m always finding my way into a new story and right now that story is about a woman who must discover that things aren’t as they appear…

 _________________________

 

About And Then I Found You

Kate Vaughan is no stranger to tough choices.

She’s made them before. Now it’s time to do it again.

Kate has a secret, something tucked away in her past. And she’s getting on with her life. Her business is thriving. She has a strong relationship with her family, and a devoted boyfriend whom she wants to love with all her heart. If Kate had ever made a list, Rowan would fill the imagined boxes of a perfect mate. But she wants more than the perfect on paper relationship; she wants a real and imperfect love. That’s why, when Kate discovers the small velvet box hidden in Rowan’s drawer, she panics.

It always happens this way. Just when Kate thinks she can love, just when she believes she can conquer the fear, she’s filled with dread. And she wants more than anything to make this feeling go away. But how?

When the mistakes have been made and the running is over, it’s time to face the truth. Kate knows this. She understands that a woman can never undo what can never be undone. Yet, for the first time in her life she also knows that she won’t fully love until she confronts those from her past. It’s time to act.

Can she do it? Can she travel to the place where it all began, to the one who shares her secret? Can the lost ever become found?

And Then I Found You gives new life to the phrase “inspired by a true story.” By travelling back to a painful time in her own family’s history, the author explores the limits of courage, and the price of a selfless act.

Read an excerpt
Read the Story Behind the Story
Buy at Amazon, Amazon Canada, B&N, and IndieBound

 

About Patti Callahan Henry

Patti Callahan Henry is a New York Times Bestselling novelist. She has published nine novels (Losing the Moon, Where the River Runs, When Light Breaks, Betweeen the Tides, The Art of Keeping Secrets, a nd Driftwood Summer, The Perfect Love Song,Coming up for Air and the upcoming And Then I Found You –April 2013, St. Martins Press). Patti has been hailed as a fresh new voice in southern fiction, appearing in numerous magazines (Good Housekeeping; SKIRT; The South; Southern Living, etc..).She has been short-listed for the Townsend Prize for Fiction. She has been nominated four different times for the Southeastern Independent Booksellers Fiction Novel of the Year. Her work is published in five languages and all novels are on Brilliance Audio. Two of her novels were OKRA picks and Coming up For Air was an Indie Next choice. Patti is a a frequent speaker at fundraisers, library events and book festivals, discussing the importance of storytelling. Her next novel, AND THEN I FOUND YOU, will be released on April, 9th, 2013 by St. Martins Press. Patti Callahan Henry is a full time writer, wife and mother of three living in Mountain Brook, AL.

Patti’s website
Find Patti on Facebook
Follow Patti on Twitter

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have one copy of And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry to share with my readers.  To enter…

  • For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
  • For 2 entries, follow my blog.  If you already do just let me know and I’ll pass the extra entry on to you as well.
  • Tweet, like on Facebook, or blog this giveaway for 3 entries.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, April 20/13.  Good luck!

 

Interview is pre-done and printed with permission from the Publisher.

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Filed Under: Guest Interviews

Parlor Games by Maryka Biaggio: Q&A & Giveaway (US/Canada)

February 2, 2013 by Darlene

parlor

I hope this weekend finds everyone well and doing something they love.  I’m planning on curling up with a good book today and maybe tackling some laundry.  Speaking of a good book today I have a Q&A with Maryka Biaggio (pre-prepared) featuring her newly released novel Parlor Games.  This sounds like a wonderful historical novel and I hope to be able to read it soon.  For now enjoy the Q&A and don’t forget to enter for your chance to win a copy at the end of the post.

1. When did you first stumble upon the story of May Dugas?

In the summer of 2010 my parents and I were traveling through Menominee, Michigan, and decided to stop at their Information Center. Prominently displayed on a shelf was a pamphlet by Lloyd Wendt entitled Life of May Dugas of Menominee. It started with this line: “She was down in our files as the most dangerous woman in the world.” That got my attention! We straightaway drove to the Menominee Historical Society to purchase the pamphlet. When I expressed interest in May Dugas, the attendant showed me the only memento they had of her—a gorgeous bejeweled black gown. May was not only dangerous—she possessed a sense of style as well as the money to afford the best of attire.

2. What about May intrigued you?

Once I read Wendt’s write-up of May’s life (as told by his Pinkerton detective informant), I knew I had to write about her. The story posed so many questions: How much of a challenge was it for her to break out of societal expectations of the time? What motivated her? How did she feel about the men she extracted money from? Was she a victim of powerful men or did she lure them in with blackmail in mind?

3. Did writing this novel require special research or travel? Have you been to many of the places May visits in the book?

I did a great deal of research online about the period, customs, and events. But I also traveled. For instance, I visited the National Archives in Washington, DC, to search for May’s passport and travel records. While I was in San Francisco, I checked out her stomping grounds at the historic Palace Hotel. In Chicago I studied buildings that were in existence when she frequented the city. I had traveled in China in 1985, not too long after it opened up to outside visitors, and I drew on that experience in portraying May’s sojourns in the bustling cities of Hong Kong and Shanghai. A professional meeting had taken me to Mexico City in the 1990s, so I was familiar with its sights and the surrounding geography. I also arranged a trip to the south of France while I was working on the novel. I paid the requisite fee to enter the exclusive gambling lounge at the Monte Carlo Casino, where I was able to soak up the ambience of the scene—the beautiful, inviting decor, the serious expressions of the gamblers, and the shuffling of chips—just as May did during her visits there.

4. Which place that you haven’t visited would you most like to see?

The Chateau de Pallandt, the country estate of the Dutch Baron who May wed, is still in existence. May and the Baron were married on the grounds and lived there for many years before moving to London. This gorgeous property is now a luxury bed and breakfast owned by Baron and Baroness d’ Hooghvorsis. I would love to go for a stay and gift a copy of my novel to the current proprietors.

5. How much of the novel is based on historical record?

All the key events in the novel are based on actual occurrences as reported in either Lloyd Wendt’s pamphlet or newspaper reports of the time. I wanted to be true to this woman’s fascinating life, which I hope heightens the reader’s interest in her. Of course, the daily events and conversations are my constructions, albeit designed to paint a picture of the larger events.

6. Without giving anything away, what were your favorite scenes to write?

Writing about May was such a delight! Once I found May’s voice, the story flowed rather easily. I especially enjoyed writing about her first big adventure in Chicago. It wasn’t easy going, and she really did need to call on her wits and wiles to avoid the pitfalls that many young women succumbed to in America’s big cities at that time.

7. May is a captivating character and many readers end up rooting for her. Did you want the readers to feel conflicted about May?

Absolutely. In order for May to have successfully traveled the world and entered the circles of so many interesting and wealthy men, she had to have charm and charisma. I wanted the reader to experience that firsthand and contemplate May’s motives for telling her story. Was she trying to dupe the reader or simply confide in and earn the trust and approval of her listeners?

8. May is quite a unique character. Do you see yourself in her at all?

I’d like to think I have a bit of clever resourcefulness about me. My family moved around a great deal during my childhood and adolescent years, so I had to learn to adapt to strange places, meet new people, and foster fresh friendships. Perhaps I gained some measure of adaptability and resourcefulness from that experience. I did have great fun trying to figure out how May pulled off her many exploits, but I myself am too encumbered with a diligent superego to ever attempt such intrigues.

9. How has your background as a professor of psychology helped you in your writing?

I hope that after eight years of study and thirty years of teaching clinical psychology I have translated some of what I know into my writing. Since I am knowledgeable about human development, personality functioning, and diagnostic categories, I tried to bring that understanding to bear in imagining May’s formative years, motives, and some of the self-delusions she may have operated under.

10. Was this your first writing effort outside of academia?

No, from an early age I was fascinated by fiction and have always wanted to write a novel. During my academic career I took some university courses in creative writing and dabbled in short stories. But it wasn’t until the year 2000 that I decided to take the leap into novel writing. I toiled over and submitted three novels for publication before I wrote Parlor Games. I view those novels as my proving ground. With each one, I felt my mastery improve, and I want to keep pushing myself to ever-greater writing challenges.

11. What’s your writing routine like?

I rise early, take a brisk walk, breakfast over articles about writing, and read the daily newspaper. Then I steal away to my study and write all morning, blocking out, as much as possible, the distractions of e-mail, phone, and doorbell, as well as the neighborhood children squealing at the school bus stop. I don’t schedule appointments during this time if at all possible. I like to immerse myself in writing for a good three hours every weekday. That time flies by, and my usually astute stomach sometimes forgets when lunchtime has arrived. I often use afternoons and weekends for research and other writing-related tasks.

12. Are there any authors, writing in either historical fiction or other categories, whom you’ve looked to for inspiration?

Barry Unsworth is one of my favorite authors. I had occasion to meet him at a writer’s conference a few years before his passing. We talked about two of my favorite books by him—Sacred Hunger and Sugar and Rum. He was charming and personable, and I will forever remember the wonderful conversation we shared. Barbara Kingsolver’s novel of a missionary family in the Congo, Poisonwood Bible, influenced me a great deal, particularly the skill with which she captured the voices of her varied characters. One of my favorite books about a real person is Joyce Carol Oates’ Blonde, a fine literary work that brilliantly evokes Marilyn Monroe’s complex personality. It’s my favorite book by Oates and she, in fact, has divulged that it’s one of her favorites as well.

 

About Parlor Games

The novel opens in 1917 with our cunning protagonist, May Dugas, standing trial for extortion. As the trial unfolds, May tells her version of events.

In 1887, at the tender age of eighteen, May ventures to Chicago in hopes of earning enough money to support her family. Circumstances force her to take up residence at the city’s most infamous bordello, but May soon learns to employ her considerable feminine wiles to extract not only sidelong looks but also large sums of money from the men she encounters. Insinuating herself into Chicago’s high society, May lands a well-to-do fiancé—until, that is, a Pinkerton Agency detective named Reed Doherty intervenes and summarily foils the engagement.

Unflappable May quickly rebounds, elevating seduction and social climbing to an art form as she travels the world, eventually marrying a wealthy Dutch Baron. Unfortunately, Reed Doherty is never far behind and continues to track May in a delicious cat-and-mouse game as the newly-minted Baroness’s misadventures take her from San Francisco to Shanghai to London and points in between.

The Pinkerton Agency really did dub May the “Most Dangerous Woman,” branding her a crafty blackmailer and ruthless seductress. To many, though, she was the most glamorous woman to grace high society. Was the real May Dugas a cold-hearted swindler or simply a resourceful provider for her poor family?

As the narrative bounces back and forth between the trial taking place in 1917 and May’s devious but undeniably entertaining path to the courtroom—hoodwinking and waltzing her way through the gilded age and into the twentieth century—we’re left to ponder her guilt as we move closer to finding out what fate ultimately has in store for our irresistible adventuress.

Read an excerpt
Pick up your own copy at Amazon or Amazon Canada

 

About Maryka Biaggio

Maryka Biaggio is a former psychology professor turned novelist with a passion for history. Twenty-eight years after launching her academic career she took the leap from full-time academic to scrambling writer and now splits her time between fiction writing and higher education consulting work. More information about Maryka and Parlor Games can be found on MarykaBiaggio.com, including a discussion guide, historical information, recommended reading and a fun “Parlor Talk” feature. You can also find out more about Parlor Games on Facebook.

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have 2 copies of Parlor Games by Maryka Biaggio to share with my readers.  To enter…

  • For 1 entry leave a comment entering the giveaway.
  • For 2 entries follow my blog.  If you already do let me know so I can be sure to pass the extra entry on to you as well.
  • For 3 entries blog or tweet this giveaway.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winners on Saturday, February 16/13.  Good luck!

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Filed Under: Guest Interviews

Guest Interview with Robin Maxwell, author of Jane & Giveaway (3 copies-US/Canada)

September 13, 2012 by Darlene

Welcome everyone!  Today Robin Maxwell, author of Jane:  The Woman Who Loved Tarzan which releases on September 18, joins us here at the blog with an interview (pre-prepared from publicist) and a fantastic giveaway.  I’m anxious to read this book as I’ll admit to always having a fascination with Tarzan and Jane and can’t wait to read it; not to mention it also comes from an author who I admire (having several of her novels on my bookshelf).  It sounds like a thrilling adventure and I’m excited to tell you about it and be sure to enter for a chance to win one of three copies up for grabs and read it for yourself! Enjoy the interview…

 

1. Tell us about your book.

The story of Tarzan and Jane is the wildest, most primal and overtly sexual iteration of the Romeo and Juliet legend in all of literature and pop culture. These two are buried deep in everyone’s subconscious. In fact, the idea for writing my version of a cultured Edwardian lady falling passionately in love with a naked savage in an African eden came shockingly unbidden to me — “Like magma erupting suddenly from a long-dormant volcano.”

Writing JANE: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan was a journey of discovery in re-imagining the iconic story exactly a century after the debut of Edgar Rice Burroughs’s “Tarzan of the Apes,” the first of twenty-four novels. It was a challenge to retain the period veneer and classic adventure style that were ERB hallmarks, while appealing to discerning modern readers. For this I turned to science and history where Burroughs had employed fantasy and suspension of disbelief. My lifelong fascination with and deep research into paleoanthropology and Darwin’s “missing link” in human evolution were woven into my narrative. I had to revamp my protagonist from a meek, turn-of-the-century “maiden” into a stroppy, fearless young woman with dreams of a scientific career who — for the love of a man like no other — transmogrifies into “Jane, Queen of the Jungle.”

2. What was your inspiration behind this novel?

I didn’t realize it till recently, but my first heartthrob was Tarzan. To a pubescent girl with raging hormones and an out-of-control imagination, what could be more appealing than a next-to-naked, gorgeously muscled he-man? A guy who lived totally free, who feared nothing, and had wild, death-defying adventures in a jungle paradise? The romantic in me adored that he was madly in love with and devoted to an American girl…and had a chimpanzee for a pet. You can’t get much better than that.

My favorite TV show when I was growing up was “Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.” Irish McCalla was incredibly sexy in that tiny leopardskin dress and those thick gold armbands. Sheena had adventures that polite young ladies weren’t supposed to have. I also loved “Jungle Jim” and “Ramar of the Jungle.” And while I’d never read the Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan novels, I’d relished all the Weissmuller/O’Sullivan movies late at night on TV. Though I didn’t realize it then, there was a pattern emerging. The jungle. Fabulous African animals. High adventure and sweaty thighs in skimpy leopard-skin outfits.

I started growing up and Tarzan slipped out of my consciousness. But when I heard about the movie called “Greystoke,” I was first in line on opening night. I loved the beginning, but the second half left me cold. I could not believe that Jane never even made it into the jungle. It was sacrilege! Bo Derek’s “Tarzan the Ape Man” was simply unwatchable. And by the time Disney made its animated feature, I was “too old” for Tarzan, and didn’t bother to go.

What I didn’t realize was that – like people in nearly every country on the planet – I still had Tarzan and Jane jungle fantasies buried in my brain.

So now FLASH BACK to almost three years ago. I had been an historical novelist for fifteen years and had eight published books under my belt. The question arose as to the subject of my next project. My last had been the first novelistic interpretation in all of literary history of that most famous love story, “Romeo and Juliet”.

Riding down the road one day with my husband Max, he wondered if I might want to choose another pair of literary lovers rather than historical characters for my next book. I thought, to myself, “Yeah, that’s a great idea.” And then he asked who they would be. Not three seconds passed before I blurted out, “Tarzan and Jane!” Max’s first reaction was “What!? Really? Where did that come from?” He was very dubious. At the time I had no memory of Sheena, Ramar or Jungle Jim. Or even of the old Weissmuller/O’Sullivan movies. But the images must have been bubbling in the depths of my subconscious like magma waiting to erupt from a dormant volcano.

3. You’ve been a screenwriter for over 30 years. How does your educational and professional background lend itself to your creative work?

I never imagine that my studies in the gross anatomy lab at Tufts University Medical School (when I was training to become an occupational therapist) would ever come in so handy writing one of my novels. But as it turns out, Jane Porter is introduced as a character in England while she dissecting her first cadaver in the gross anatomy laboratory at Cambridge University Medical School where her father is the professor. In those days (1905) women were allowed to audit classes at Cambridge, but not graduate, and Professor Porter has moved mountains to get her into his dissection lab. It was a great way to introduce a strong, stroppy, no-nonsense Edwardian lady at a time when women of her class were expected to enjoy afternoon teas and tennis parties…and never talk back to a man.

Later, when Jane finds herself alone with Tarzan — a near-naked, drop-dead gorgeous savage — she has to balance her instant primal attraction to the wild-haired young man with the social mores with which she’s grown up. So she falls back on her anatomy training, becoming a “scientific observer,” only to realize that she’s just hot for the handsome ape man.

Excerpt from JANE:

Tarzan’s back was a masterpiece of musculature. Under the slightly tanned skin rippled and bulged two mighty triangular trapezii, massive latissimi dorsi running from armpit to waist, a spinal column sunk within a deep canal and bordered on either side by a column of little erector spinae and intertransversarii muscles connecting one vertibra to another. The proud, well-formed head sat atop a powerful neck with its two brilliantly defined sterno-clieto-mastoid muscles, allowing him maximum flexibility and strength.

I could not decide whether I was most fascinated by Tarzan’s arms and hands or his buttocks. The forearms were nearly as large as the upper arms, with the most massive wrists I had ever seen on a human being — even the masons who worked on the Manor rockwork. His hands themselves were living machines that allowed him feats of unbelievable strength, yet were capable of the most extreme dexterity and tenderness. The thought of those hands moving over my body in the Waziri hut made me suddenly weak and giddy, and I admonished myself to concentrate lest I lose my footing and fall to my demise.

A moment later, however, I found myself contemplating Tarzan’s thighs. They were meaty and well-formed, with a quality that hardened them to steel when in use, and softened them when at rest. The feet, and his toes in particular, could curl round a limb and grip with astonishing tensile power. But the man’s arse, I thought, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World…

Well honestly, I must stop these prurient observations! I could tell myself all day long I was studying his magnificent physique “in the name of science,” but that was blatant self-deception, and I was mortified by my prurient motivations.

As for my screenwriting background, I believe that so many years of having to write passages so descriptively and colorfully that an actor, director or film executive reading it can “see it” perfectly as it would be up on the screen, gave me a leg-up in writing novels. Another skill I honed was pacing — keeping the plot moving at a brisk pace. I had a terrific teach (and sometimes co-writer) Ronald Shusett, the writer-producer of “Alien,” “Total Recall” and “Minority Report.” He was a master of pacing and never let me get away with a single lagging moment, especially in the third act. That, he told me, was where you needed almost no dialogue, just fantastic action sequences and a bang-up ending. I really made use of that intelligence writing JANE, the ending of which many of which liken to an Indiana Jones movie.

4. Your last novel, O Juliet, focused on the great love story between Romeo and Juliet. Which do you prefer to write about: literary lovers or historical figures?

When you’re dealing with historical lovers, it’s a double-edged sword. While you’re bound (as good historical fiction authors are) to adhere to the facts that are known about a romance, you are also given the great gift of an already blocked-out story. And it’s been my experience — writing about the likes of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley — that truth is stranger than fiction. In my wildest dreams I could not have come up with a more passionate, dysfunctional, history-changing and bloody love stories than these. Come on! A king who moves mountains (including a break with the Catholic Church and executing his best friends) to divorce his first wife to marry his second. A beautiful, clever non-royal woman who manages to keep the already-scary monarch out of her bed for six thigh-sweating years — only to marry him and have her head chopped off for bearing him a daughter and not a son?! You couldn’t make that up.

I do like literary lovers. Once again I’m provided with a brilliant framework (no less than Shakespeare for O, Juliet and Edgar Rice Burroughs for JANE: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan) but then I can go wild. In both cases, while the original writing was fantastic, there was a huge amount of room for character and plot development. In O, Juliet the protagonists were fourteen and fifteen, and their love affair ending in double-suicide took place over a three day period. I made them eighteen and twenty-three and stretched the story over three months, allowing for more believability and for readers to really get to know Romeo and Juliet, as well as their families and something of the city they lived in – Florence (not Verona — again, literary license!).

In the original Tarzan of the Apes (1912) the first of ERB’s twenty-four Tarzan novels, Jane was written as a swooning, fainting Baltimore belle who actually brings her black maid on a treasure-hunting expedition to Africa. By permission of the ERB estate, I was able to take artistic liberties with the character of Jane, though there were rules that I was forced to adhere to. This was a document called “The Tarzan Universe,” a list of twenty-one rules (such as, “Tarzan may not drink alcoholic beverages” “Tarzan may not harm women” “Tarzan may not be a racist” etc.) so that the dignified Tarzan legacy is preserved.

The one that threw me was #17: “Tarzan may not have elicit sex” (read: “sex outside of marriage”). I put my foot down on that one, insisting to the board of directors that if Tarzan and Jane couldn’t “do the wild thing” in my novel, I wouldn’t write it. We amended #17 to read, “Tarzan and Jane may have sex, as long as it is handled tastefully.” In addition, I had to promise there would be no “throbbing members” mentioned, and I was good to go.

5. Jane, your protagonist, is clearly a trailblazer. Do you think she is largely ignored as a strong feminist example in popular culture? Why or why not?

This requires a complicated answer because it has so many moving parts. The way people perceive the character of Jane Porter in popular culture comes from two sources — the twenty-four ERB Tarzan novels in which she was only a character in eight, and the movies (and to a much lesser degree some short-lived Tarzan TV series). In the earliest books Edgar Rice Burroughs, a product of his times and societal values, wrote Jane as “everygirl,” not a bold suffragette, but a Baltimore belle thrown for a short time into an exotic situation with an even more exotic man. In later books, such as Tarzan the Terrible, Jane has definitely evolved. She has learned “the art of woodcraft,” is resourceful, capable of handling herself alone in the jungle, killing to defend herself, and even leading a group of people through the jungle to safety.

However, most people today don’t read the original novels of ERB. We are left to the movie portrayals of Jane Porter. The most famous was Maureen O’Sullivan’s (including “Tarzan the Ape Man” -1932- and “Tarzan and His Mate” – 1934) who happily donned skimpy and quite fetching costumes and swung around in the jungle with her lover, engaging in rather shocking out-of-wedlock sex. She even did a four-minute long nude underwater swimming sequence with Tarzan that so enraged the nascent Hollywood censors that from then on Jane was forced to cover up in little brown leather dresses…and true Hollywood censorship was born.

Janes of the 50s, 60s and 70s were mere pretty appendages to Tarzan. Bo Derek tried to put the focus (1984) in which Tarzan doesn’t meet Jane (a gorgeous young Andie McDowell) until he’s brought back to England. Their love affair is conducted in an Edwardian mansion, and Jane never even sets foot in the jungle!

For my role model as I was growing up I had “Sheena Queen of the Jungle,” my favorite TV . A beautiful leggy blonde — Irish McCalla — could hunt and fight and survive like her male counterpart, Tarzan.

Since I’m known in my historical fiction writing for strong, ahead-of-their-time females, I knew “my Jane” would be no different. Because she lived much later than my historical heroines and herself had role models (women explorers and adventurers like Mary Kingsley and Annie Smith Peck) I had much more freedom to make her a feminist — what was in those days known as a “New Woman.” These women were feared and hated, much as feminists are today. It was thought that if there were enough of them, they could bring down the British empire.

6. This is the first authorized Tarzan novel written by a woman—what is the story behind receiving approval from the Edgar Rice Burroughs Estate?

I was fortunate that two of my dearest friends had been dealing with the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate on a screen adaptation of the first of ERB’s novels, The Outlaw of Torn, and I knew from their experience that one did not tread anywhere near a Burroughs creation without great peril to one’s self. And of course I desperately wanted the blessings and authorization for my concept from the estate, as much as I needed them.

So, first things first. I got myself a copy of Tarzan of the Apes and read it thoroughly. Of course I was blown away by the storytelling and the astonishing imagery. But lurking behind every banana leaf and every elephant’s ear were, in my writer’s mind, fabulous opportunities for telling this brilliant classic in a new way.

So I revved up my courage and sent a letter of introduction to Jim Sullos, president of ERB, Inc. That very day I got a call from him, and before I knew it he was demanding to know what my “great new idea” for a Tarzan novel was. So I unchoked my throat and told him: “The Tarzan story from Jane’s point of view.” At that point I had only the most basic “beats” of the adventure that would bring Tarzan and Jane together. But I was confident that it was good.

I didn’t have to wait long – maybe 3 seconds – before Jim blurted, “I love it. It’s original. It’s never been done like this before in a Tarzan novel.” And surprising me even more – because at that point I didn’t know Jim from Adam – one of the reasons he liked it so much was because it was a romance. Since then I’ve learned what a big, sweet-hearted guy he is, so now it doesn’t surprise me at all. And funnily enough, when I saw the cover of the All Story Magazine where “Tarzan of the Apes” debuted, there in the bottom right corner, it read: “A Romance of the Jungle!”

It was during this phone meeting that Jim explained that 2012 was the one hundreth anniversary of the All Story publication. We figured it out, and realized that if we timed it properly, my book could be written and published in time for the “Tarzan Centennial Year.” This was fabulous news.

But suddenly I was faced with the prospect of coming up with a detailed outline of my novel, something that Jim could pitch to the ERB, Inc. board of directors. Doing an outline for a novel (especially one with historical elements) is no small task. People think you can just “throw together a few pages.” But that’s not how it works. If you want to get it right, this is the time that you do a good portion of your research. This is the time you develop your characters and fill in the beats of your story. The way I work, I have the beginning, middle and end (and a good idea of everything else inbetween) all blocked out in my proposal. And as it always happens when I’m researching a novel, exactly the right books find their way into my hands. It’s almost like magic.

First I bought the The Big Book of Tarzan (with eight of the early novels all in one doorstop-of-a-book) and about four dozen research books. There were ones on the rape of colonial Africa; missing links in human evolution, Jane Goodall and chimpanzees, Dian Fossey’s gorillas, feral children, Victorian and Edwardian woman, Edgar Rice Burroughs, explorations and big game hunting in West Africa circa 1900, as well as the trbes of Central and West Africa. Being a thoroughly modern researcher, I surfed the web and printed out tons more stuff from that. I even toyed with the idea of dinosaurs in my story, and looked into tales of the fearsome “Mokele Mbembe” along the Ogowe River.

I re-watched the old Weissmuller/O’Sullivan movies. Of course I was blown away by the raw sensuality of the first couple of movies. But after about six I had to stop, because Johnny Weissmuller’s Tarzan never seemed to get any smarter or more eloquent. And Maureen O’Sullivan, lovely as she was – and she was lovely – seemed to have lost her wildness and passion. The early sexy costumes had been replaced with cover-up-everything dresses. We later learned that the censors had had a go at her, which was a real shame. I think I hit my limit in “Tarzan Finds a Son,” when Jane says to their adopted son, “Boy, go down to the river and get me some caviar and we’ll put it in the refrigerator.” The elephant-driven elevator up to the tree hut was final straw.

But the more I read, the more into focus my story became. I knew I wanted to honor ERB, to stay as true to his intentions and spirit as possible. But one hundred years had passed, and I knew from my experience in the publishing world exactly what today’s readers expected and demanded…and what wouldn’t fly. Tastes had changed, and sensibilities, too. The story had to be fresh, relevant, and acciessible to a wide audience.

One of the things that’s been beaten into my head as an author in the last fifteen years is that 70% of fiction readers are women. I think that’s something that’s changed over the last hundred years, but in any event, my publishers are always nagging me to write things from a woman’s point of view. Sometimes I grumble, and argue with them, but in this case I was all for telling the story through Jane’s eyes. That’s what would make it different. And that was exactly what had appealed to Jim Sullos at ERB, Inc.

Of course women, on the whole, were far different a century ago than they are now – their lot in life, the rights they had and didn’t have, and the way they were perceived (especially by male writers). So although I wanted to set my book precisely when ERB set Tarzan of the Apes – turn of the twentieth century – I was determined that my Jane was going to be a forward-thinking, strong-minded, brilliantly educated female of her day. Somebody that would resonate with modern women.

With all of my initial research done and my story blocked out from start to finish, I went back into the Burroughs office and I pitched for five hours to Jim. Though he liked it, he had to get the okay from the estate where my story and characters diverged from ERB’s. It took several weeks, but one day I got the call – a go-ahead with JANE, with all the points that I needed to bring the story up to date and make it my own. Since then, Jim, John R. Burroughs (grandson of ERB) and every employee of ERB, Inc. have been incredibly supportive and have made anything and everything in the amazing Tarzan archives available to me, including one hundred years of Tarzan and Jane images that have proved to be great inspirations to my writing.

7. Who, in your opinion, is your target audience?

The easiest target audience is women and men age 50+. This is because either they read the ERB Tarzan novels or — more likely — were fans of the Johnnie Weissmuller/Maureen O’Sullivan movies. Men had boyhood fantasies of being Tarzan, and girls either wanted to be Jane or they loved the idea of a wild, handsome half-naked boyfriend. When this demographic hears my book is “The Tarzan story from Jane’s point of view” they go nuts. They “get it” instantly, and they say “I can’t wait to buy it!”

My question to you is: are there blogs that are widely read by 50+ fiction readers?

The 35-50 crowd probably never read the ERB novels and was exposed to the inferior Tarzan movies. However, in this group, are many historical fiction readers (and much of my fan base), romance readers (this is a romance novel at its core), and females who read women’s fiction. Here, you’ll also find sci-fi/fantasy/adventure readers, and as you know, JANE is chock full of adventure. You should add sci-fi/fantasy readers as I take license with science, Darwin’s theories and missing links in human evolution. The Mangani as a “living missing link species” is — in my estimation possible. They would be like an isolated tribe of “Bigfoot” creatures (which have never been disproven). But most consider this borders on sci-fi/fantasy.

The youngest readers (18-25) only ever saw the Disney animated “Tarzan,” “Tarzan and Jane,” and “George of the Jungle.” Some don’t have a clue who Tarzan is, and don’t “get” how cool a Tarzan story told through Jane’s eyes is. They might never have heard of Jane! That doesn’t mean I want to forget targeting this audience. After all, both Tarzan and Jane in JANE are fabulous 20-year-olds having an extraordinary adventure and sexy love story. And I have (especially with O, Juliet) been favorably reviewed by YA bloggers.

8. Do you see any yourself in any of these characters?

Of course I want to be Jane, defying a repressive society, traveling to an exotic location and being left entirely alone in paradise with a gorgeous, uninhibited male specimen who can protect me from virtually anything, loves me to distraction and makes wild primal love to me. Don’t you?!

 

About Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan

Cambridge, England, 1905. Jane Porter is hardly a typical woman of her time: the only female student in Cambridge University’s medical program, she is far more comfortable in a lab coat dissecting corpses than she is in a corset and gown sipping afternoon tea. A budding paleoanthropologist, Jane dreams of traveling the globe in search of fossils that will prove the evolutionary theories of her scientific hero, Charles Darwin. Little does she know she is about to develop from a well-bred, brilliantly educated Edwardian young woman to a fierce, vine-swinging huntress who meets and falls in love with Tarzan.

And so begins JANE: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan (A Tor trade paperback; September 18, 2012; $14.99), the first retelling of Tarzan written by a woman and authorized by the Edgar Rice Burroughs Estate. This renowned love story of the ultimate strong female protagonist, by award-winning author and screenwriter Robin Maxwell, deftly entwines real people and events with archaeology and ancient civilizations based on Maxwell’s research into Darwinian evolutionary theory and the historical discoveries of paleoanthropologist Eugene Dubois.

When dashing American explorer Ral Conrath invites Jane and her father to join an expedition deep into West Africa, she can hardly believe her luck. Africa is every bit as exotic and fascinating as she has always imagined, but Jane quickly learns that the lush jungle is full of secrets—and so is Ral Conrath. When danger strikes, Jane finds her hero, the key to humanity’s past, and an all-consuming love in one extraordinary man: Tarzan of the Apes.

Buy at: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, B&N, and IndieBound

 

About Robin Maxwell

ROBIN MAXWELL is the national bestselling author of eight historical fiction novels featuring powerful women, including Signora da Vinci and the award-winning Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn, now in its 24th printing. She lives in the high desert of California with her husband, yogi Max Thomas.

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GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have 3 copies of Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan by Robin Maxwell up for grabs courtesy of the publicist. To enter…

  • For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
  • For 2 entries, follow my blog.  Let me know if you already do so I can be sure to pass the extra entry on to you as well.
  • For 3 entries blog or tweet this giveaway and spread the word!

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winners on Saturday, September 29/12.  Good luck!

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