Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written one and am halfway through a second. Eventually, there will be a series!
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Lotharingia is my first and last. It reimagines the youth of Matilda of Tuscany, the most powerful woman in 11th century Europe. She is still very famous in continental Europe but is somehow not well known in the anglosphere. She is an incredible character, she ruled her lands for fifty years, negotiated between Popes and emperors, and was a discreet driving force behind the First Crusade. I am lucky because the sources are so confusing and inaccurate that I can use them as a starting point and then let my imagination roam. I am a huge lover of relic and prophecy stories in the vein of Foucault’s Pendulum and Indiana Jones, and of political dramas such as The Medicis, Wolf Hall, and Hamlet. I also love heartwrenching love stories with a feminist twist. So what you get with Lotharingia is a blend of political drama, romantic novel, and a bit of mystery.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love writing on the go – on trains and planes. There is something soothing in watching the world from the other side of the screen and then turn your attention to a white page
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The Odyssey
Sarah Dunant’s The Birth of Venus and Sacred Hearts
Bruce Chatwin’s The Songlines
Umberto Eco – The Name of the Rose and Foucault’s Pendulum
Roberto Calasso – The marriage of Cadmus and Harmony
Donna Woolfolk Cross – Pope Joan
James Heneage – The Mistra trilogy
Tom Holland – Millenium
The Greek and Roman historians, Greek tragedy, Shakespeare
What are you working on now?
The sequel to Lotharingia, entitled The Road to Canossa.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far my best results have come from Awesome Gang and The Historical Fiction Press.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write write write.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up.
What are you reading now?
I am almost done with Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls. Then moving on to Lauren Groff’s The Matrix.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Finish the Comitissa Trilogy, and start researching for a series set in the tenth century Holy Roman Empire.
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?
The Odyssey.
A history of mankind.
Poems to read aloud.
Chatwin’s The Songlines.
Author Websites and Profiles
Lara Byrne Website
Lara Byrne Amazon Profile
Lara Byrne’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account