Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
When wearing my other hat I sell Real Estate, but I perceive of myself as a writer of historical fiction. I didn’t know it at the time, but my early obsession with Alexandre Dumas and Sir Walter Scott sent me on a long journey into the past, though the concept of historical fiction didn’t come to me until much later. Once I discovered living history groups, I was on my way! So far I have written two books taking place in 11th century Britain, HEIR TO A PROPHECY (a “sequel” to Macbeth) and GODWINE KINGMAKER, which is part one of the Last Great Saxon Earls series. Part two, THE SONS OF GODWINE is around the corner, and part three, FATAL RIVALRY will come out later in 2016. This series shows us the cataclysmic events leading up to the Norman Conquest.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
GODWINE KINGMAKER tells us the story of the most powerful man in England after the king. When researching my first novel, Godwine’s name kept coming up in my sources, and I didn’t really know much about him. But without him, there would have been no Harold Godwineson, for their origins were obscure and he alone raised his family to power.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Once I learned that Ernest Hemingway did all of his writing standing up, I decided that was a great idea. I set up a second computer at standing height next to my other desk, and find that the freedom to walk back and forth while writing seems to keep the juices flowing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I found “The Three Musketeers” so inspiring that I learned French so I could read it in its original language. That was over 30 years ago. More recently, I was captured by Sharon Penman, and I still consider her “The Sunne in Splendour” to be the master work covering the Wars of the Roses. I also loved Colleen McCullough’s “Masters of Rome” series though I haven’t tackled ancient Rome myself. I bought the first book of her series for $5 at a yard sale which was one of my luckiest finds ever.
What are you working on now?
This year is the 950th anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. THE SONS OF GODWINE and FATAL RIVALRY are dedicated to the proposition that the love/hate relationship between Harold and his brother Tostig are directly attributable to the fall of Anglo-Saxon England. If Tostig hadn’t gone into exile blaming his brother for his downfall, he never would have encouraged Harald Hardrada to invade in the fall of 1066. Fighting Hardrada at Stamford Bridge put Harold in the wrong place at the wrong time and left the country exposed to the Norman invasion.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I wish I had a silver bullet! So far, I’ve been concentrating on building my platform on Facebook and Twitter. I’ve been writing a blog for six years (HistoricalBritainBlog.com) with background articles about the characters and events in my books, and it works best when connecting my posts with Facebook.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t get intimidated by the success of others. If you are good and keep writing, readers will eventually find you.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never mistake motion for action…Ernest Hemingway
What are you reading now?
I’m reading “A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599” by James Shapiro. It’s truly amazing to realize just how much the current events in his life impacted his plays. It helped me realize that there is so much to Shakespeare we don’t understand, because major issues of his time are lost to us. And yet he can still touch us 400 years after his death.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m hoping to move forward in time after my current series. Part of me wants to tackle Richard II, but he’s almost as obscure as Earl Godwine. I’m thinking about jumping to Tudor England which is more popular with readers. Can I do for Cardinal Wolsey what Hilary Mantel did for Thomas Cromwell? Alas, a new century demands years of thorough research, so I had better get it right.
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?
I’d bring my trusty Three Musketeers, for Alexander Dumas still speaks to me. I would bring Tolkein, for I never get tired of his trilogy. And I always found inspiration with Sherlock Holmes.
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