Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a lifelong reader and a writer for nearly as long, but it took me until 50+ to finally work up the nerve to put myself and my work out there to be read. My first book, Songbird, was published in November, 2019, and I’m embarrassed to tell how long I worked on it. (Off and on, but still… if it were a child, it would be accruing college debt by now). Historical fiction has been my favorite genre since childhood, and while I might someday write something outside the genre, there are a long list of ideas to get through before that happens.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Songbird is my first book, and it was inspired by a fact I ran across in a biography of Henry VIII – that he once bought a child, off the street, to sing in the royal choir. Since “real” historical people have a distressing tendency to pop up again, I took that fact and built a new story around it, just in case, and created Bess, a girl sold to the King at the age of 10, who builds a life at court as a valued member of the King’s Music, the royal company musicians and entertainers.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My most unusual habit is probably one I’ve acquired recently. Writing, and my other frequent activity, sewing, are sedentary, and I wanted to get more exercise. I started walking, and listening to writing podcasts, but then my characters started to talk to me, and I’ve since learned to dictate into my phone while walking. It needs cleaning up, of course (sometimes a lot), but it’s great for getting down ideas and especially dialogue while they’re fresh in my mind.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Even as a child, I loved historical fiction: Anne of Green Gables, Betsy-Tacy, Little House. I understood from an early age that books not only made the world go away, they could actually transport you to another time. That was a huge influence on my writing life.
Currently, my favorite historical author is Dorothy Dunnett, whose Lymond Chronicles are everything I would like to lay credit to as a writer. I also loved Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall series.
What are you working on now?
My current WIP is centered on Robin Lewis, a secondary character from Songbird. I thought I was done with the character and the period, but a few weeks after turning in my book, Robin spoke up and wanted to set a few things straight. I’m on the second draft of his story now, and it takes in a wider period of Tudor history, from early in Henry VIII’s reign up to the accession of Elizabeth I.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m a big fan of Twitter, which I never thought I’d say, but I’ve made a lot of author friends, and learned a lot, not to mention having sold a few books there. A lot of promotion to me is karma – if I buy, review, or promote another author’s book, it will come around.
I’ve built a decent following on my author Facebook page, and I have a longstanding blog, which has recently been turned into my author website, and I’ve just set up my newsletter signup there. I’d love more subscribers so I don’t feel like I’m screaming into the void.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Your first draft is never going to resemble the shiny idea in your head, but instead of beating yourself up over it, take a breath, let the project rest for a bit, and come back to it and make it better. Bad writing, or clumsy words, or creaky plots – they can all be fixed. Blank pages are just blank pages.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Treat yourself with the same patience and understanding you would give to a friend. Writing isn’t easy, but it’s worth the effort, and we’ll never stop learning how to do it. Don’t expect perfection out of the gate, but don’t try to get out of doing the work, either.
What are you reading now?
I just finished The Mirror and the Light, by Hilary Mantel, and followed it up with the Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker. The first is a book I’ve been anticipating since I finished reading Bring up the Bodies, and the second has been on my Kindle since 2017 and now I’m mad at myself for waiting so long to read it.
Currently I’m reading a bunch of Tudor-themed research books for my WIP, and waiting for a book called Empire’s Reckoning, by Marian Thorpe, which will release later this spring. I loved her previous trilogy, and I’m so happy there’s more to the story.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m continuing to work on my next Tudor novel, tentatively titled A Wider World, and I have a hazy idea for a third book stemming from a character introduced near the end of book two. I’ve also got a Great Depression novel drafted that was put aside for A Wider World. I think when I finish this latest draft, I’ll let it rest and go back to the 1930s for a while.
In addition to actual writing, I want to do more marketing (since my in-person events have all been canceled) and work on building up my social media and newsletter following.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s a tough one, but my four books would probably be Game of Kings (Dorothy Dunnett), Prodigal Summer (Barbara Kingsolver), The Sparrow (Mary Doria Russell) and A Big Storm Knocked it Over (Laurie Colwin).
Can I cut down a palm tree and build a bigger bookshelf?
Author Websites and Profiles
Karen Heenan Website
Karen Heenan Amazon Profile
Karen Heenan’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account
