Tell us a bit about yourself.
Oooh, OK, where to begin? I grew up in country Victoria, Australia, before I moved to England, where I was only supposed to stay for two years. Well two years turned into sixteen years! I spent the time soaking up the vibrancy of London and the medieval history of England. I’ve since returned to Melbourne. I come from a family made up mostly of females, very strong ones at that, which is why I tend to write strong female characters. I don’t have any children, or pets. I don’t even have a house plant, because I keep forget to water them and they keep dying on me. When not writing I can be found covered in mud, crawling under barbed wire and hoisting myself over twelve foot walls!
Describe the plot of your new book, Of Love and Vengeance, in a few sentences.
Forced to marry Lord Aymon to ensure her young nephew’s survival, English Lady Laila vows undying hatred for the Norman she holds responsible for the deaths of so many innocents. Discovering Aymon has committed an act of treason gives her the chance to seek vengeance he deserves. But can Laila let Aymon die at the hands of the king once she learns the truth?
A hardened Norman warrior, Lord Aymon has lived through atrocities no man ever should. With the invasion of England over, all he wants is a quiet life and a wife who will give him heirs and obey his every command. Instead, he finds himself wed to feisty and outspoken Laila. But when she learns the truth of his treasonous act, can Aymon count on her to keep his secret?
Your new book, Of Love and Vengeance, is a medieval historical romance. What made you decide to write a book in that genre?
I fell into the time period by accident! It was while I was on a trip to York, northern England, exploring medieval ruins. A snippet of dialogue popped into my head. The characters wouldn’t keep quiet and since they came to me while I was standing in the middle of medieval ruins I knew that was the time period they had to be set it. It was then just a matter of choosing the date.
Who do you think would most appreciate this book?
I think anyone who likes a happily ever after will most definitely enjoy, Of Love and Vengeance.
Laila is a determined, outspoken character. What influences contributed to this character?
My father died when I was very young and so my mother raised four girls on her own. I think coming from a single parent family has taught me to be extremely independent and determined to take care of myself – two things I think we see a lot in Laila. There is a lot of my sisters in Laila. Also, I think I do a lot of people watching (both in real life and via the media) and draw from those people to inject into my characters.
Is there any aspect of writing you don't like?
Yes, having to stop so I can go to my day job – curse the need to eat and put a roof over my head!
Have you ever had writer's block? If yes, how'd you deal with it? If you have not had writer's block, why do you think you haven't?
I’m not sure if it’s writer’s block or just ‘I don’t want to do this today’ – either way, I force myself to sit in front of the laptop and write. Even if it’s a scene that is not in sequence of the book. If it’s in my head and I can ‘see’ it then I’ll write it just so I can have some words on the page. It doesn’t matter if the scene is further along in the book and I have no idea what happens before or after that scene – I just write it. I think when I force myself to write a scene I’m not ready to write or try to make my characters do something they don’t want, then that’s when the writer’s block/I don’t want to do this today comes into play. So while I force myself to get words on the page, I don’t force myself to write something I can’t yet see.
What do you have in mind for your next project?
My current work in progress is tentatively called, Of Love and Betrayal. It takes place roughly fifty or so years after my current release, Of Love and Vengeance. I’m about 170 pages into it and I’m really enjoying writing it. The hero is the grandson of the hero in my current release. I can’t say much more than that.
An excerpt from Of Love and Vengeance:
Laila heard them long before she saw them. Their angry, frenzied shouts and thunderous roars filled her ears. With her hands tied securely behind her, she was dragged up the lane toward Tyburn Gallows, where she was to be hanged for a crime she did not commit. The mob sounded blood thirsty. Large. Frightening.More Information
There was no sign of Aymon. Or Hugh. Had they left her alone to die?
Her chin trembled and her nails dug into her palms.
She suddenly fell to her knees and screamed until she tasted blood at the back of her throat. She kicked out and tried to crawl free as her hair was almost torn from the roots as she was pulled up and shoved along the lane.
Her eyes burned with her tears.
“I am innocent!” Laila screamed.
They came around a corner, and that’s when she saw them. There must have been a least two thousand men, women, and children, hungry for her blood. And when they saw her, they erupted into a wild fever of roars and cries for a slow and painful death. Their thirst had been piqued, and now it must be sated.
Laila was shoved into the center of the clearing.
She glanced wildly around in a desperate search for Aymon’s towering, bulky frame. She could not see him.
But what she could see was the Tyburn Tree. The gallows she was to be hanged from. The executioner, hooded, stood beside the tree as he waited patiently for her. Laila’s mouth suddenly went dry.
Buy the book on Amazon US
Buy the book on Amazon UK
Visit The Wild Rose Press Website
Buy the book for the Nook
Buy the Kobo version of the book
Check out the book on iBooks
Visit the book on Google
Thank you so much for having me on your blog today!
ReplyDelete