reading

Interview with David LeRoy

elizabethcaulfieldfelt author, books, interview, reading, writing , , , , , ,

Image

Today I’m welcoming David LeRoy to my series of author interviews. David is the author of The Siren of Paris.

Q: Can you give us a brief description of your novel?

A: The Siren of Paris is a story of survival of World War Two, told primarily in the point of view of a young French born, American male who returns to Paris to study art in 1939. World War Two broke out on Sept 1st, 1939. What many do not know is that at that time there were over 30,000 Americans in Paris alone. After Sept 3rd, they would have a terribly tough time getting home, because the Germans sank a British Passenger ship, the RMS Athenia, killing 98 passengers, and 19 crewmen. Nearly all trans Atlantic service stopped after the sinking which trapped many Americans in Europe during the war, including this young student.

Q: Sarah’s Key, I believe is during the same time period. Is Marc Jewish? Is that how he ended up in Buchenwald in the story?

A: Sarah’s Key is during the same time period, but unlike the young girl Sarah, who is Jewish and caught in the round up during 1942, Marc is Catholic. You would think that this would be something of a protection, but that is not the case. Marc ended up in Buchenwald because he was caught up in the arrest of a ring of various Paris underground resistance members in the spring of 1944. The Gestapo and Milice had hired thousands of plain-clothes undercover agents to smoke out the Paris underground, and tragically they were immensely successful. Paris was liberated in the summer of 1944, but at the same time, members of the resistance were being shipped east to concentration camps. The program was called “the fog and the night,” meaning that anyone who resisted the Nazis were sent someplace where they simply disappeared.

Q: How much historical fact is woven into your novel?

A: The Siren of Paris is packed with historical figures and facts of the time period. Better-known figures are Ambassador William Bullitt, Under Secretary Sumner Wells, Sylvia Beach of Shakespeare and Company, and Jacques Lusseyran. There are also lesser-known individuals such as Joan Rodes, know as the Angel of Saint-Nazaire, and Drue Tartiere, another American woman who helped with the underground. The unfortunate victims of the RMS Lancastria sinking on June 17th, 1940 are also within this story. Researching for this book was incredibly challenging. I have books in English, French and even a few in German. One book I have told me district by district in Paris of Nazi collaborative activities, and buildings taken over by the Germans. I tried to incorporate the real events of the time, whenever possible without the text feeling like a history book instead of a dramatic story.

Q: What is the RMS Lancastria? How did Marc get on that ship?

A: The fall of France was a terrifying event. About 10 million people evacuated from the North to the South of France as the German Army swept over the country. Nearly all the roads became clogged with abandoned cars that had run out of petrol, and refugees feeling on foot. Marc became swept up in this hoard of refugees and he boards the ship with a group he was traveling with. He was trying to get back over to England so he could go up to Ireland and catch an American ship home. At the time, American ships would only leave from neutral countries, which made the task of getting home even more difficult. Most of the passengers were from the British Expeditionary Force, but the ship took on civilians along with soldiers. It is estimated the ship took, in all, about 9,000 refugees. Most people do not know of the sinking because the British Government suppressed it during the war. To date, it is the single largest loss of life of any British Ocean liner and still one of the few war wrecks that is not recognized formally by the British Government.

Q: You chose to self-publish your novel as an e-book. Can you tell us how you came to that decision?

A: When I started writing, I had every intention of publishing it through a traditional publisher. It seems like the entire world of publishing is changing daily. The success of many authors in 2011 with self-publishing changed my opinion, and I began to consider self-publishing over a traditional publisher. It is still a lot of work. The most recent events with the DOJ have convinced me that I honestly do not want to sign a contract at this time with an agent or publisher. I can’t imagine signing a long-term contract now with all of the uncertainty out there in the market. Self-Publishing has evolved to the point that it has become a particularly attractive option. Honestly, five years ago I would never have considered Self Publishing, and the way things are going, in five more years this will not even be a question.

Q: So, who is the Siren?

A: You will have to read the book. Do not be so sure you know who the Siren is too early.

Q: Enough of your book—tell us about yourself.

A: I have a day job in the world of communications. My other passion is art. It was the reason I went to Europe back in 2010, and discovered the facts around this story. I was studying the artwork of various European modern artists. For the longest time, I was into large format black and white photography. Then one day, it just was not enough anymore, so I took up drawing and painting.

We’ve now reached the time in our interview for the let’s-get-to-know-the-author-better, nearly-pointless, sort-of-silly, rapid-fire questions:

Coffee or tea? I drink too much coffee and should drink tea.

Ocean or mountain? Ocean, but my friends love the mountains.

Hiking or shopping? Urban Hikes, through malls, or REI, where I can make believe I am hiking as I shop.

Violin or piano? I am in recovery from a classical Piano background.

Mystery or fantasy? There is a difference? I didn’t know.

Hester Prynne or Scarlet O’Hara? Hester Prynne, as a secret lover to Scarlet O’Hara.

Love scene or death scene? Love leads to death, and death of self, leads to love. They are the one and the same.

To learn more about David LeRoy, visit his webpage. You can buy his book here.

Thanks!

Videos and Marketing

elizabethcaulfieldfelt Adele Hugo, books, interview, marketing, reading, Syncopation, writing

Cornerstone Press has created a number of videos, which can be viewed on youtube, to market Syncopation.  I’m going to see if I can imbed some of these videos in this blog.  Wish me luck!

Of course, we should start off with the amazing book trailer:

Next, is Chalk Talk:

The next three are readings from the text:

 

 

 

 

I think I did it!  I hope you enjoyed the clips.

Come back tomorrow for my author interview with Beth Elliot.

 

 

Interview with Linda Collison

elizabethcaulfieldfelt author, books, interview, reading, writing , , , , , , , ,

 

 

 

Today I’m welcoming Linda Collison to my series of author interviews. Linda is the author of the Patricia MacPherson Nautical Adventure Series.

Q: Can you give us a brief description of your books?

A: Stripped to the bone, it’s about a girl pretending to be a man aboard a ship in the 18th century.

The series begins in 1761 during the Seven Years War and is told in first person by Patricia, the illegitimate daughter of a dissolute English sugar planter. When her profligate father dies, sixteen-year-old Patricia finds herself without funds, family or interest. How is she to survive? She chooses to portray herself as a young man and make her living at sea. Living in disguise aboard ship with so many men (and a few women) is fraught with its own risks and rewards and I’ve drawn on numerous historical accounts of 18th century women who really did pass themselves off as men.

Q: How did you come to write this series?

A: My first novel, Star-Crossed (Knopf;2006) was the inspiration for the Patricia MacPherson Series. Knopf originally published it as a stand-alone and they weren’t really interested in doing a series. But Tom Grundner, publisher and senior editor of Fireship Press was! He published Surgeon’s Mate, the sequel, and waited to acquire the rights to Star-Crossed, once I obtained the reversion of rights after it went out of print with Knopf. Tom recognized that Star-Crossed was adult historical fiction, not YA, and he was committed to publishing the series. Tragically, Tom died suddenly last fall, but his publishing company Fireship Press lives on. Star-Crossed will soon be republished as Barbados Bound, the first book of the Patricia MacPherson Nautical Adventure Series, and the third book in the series will hopefully see print early 2013.

Q: In 2007, Star-Crossed was named by the New York Public Library as a “Book for the Teen Age.” Did you write it for adults or teens?

A: Funny you should mention that! I didn’t write Star-Crossed specifically for young adults; I wrote it from the perspective of a young woman, a sort of coming-of-age historical. The character is impetuous and she doesn’t always make good decisions. But she does what she can to survive.

My agent at the time, Laura Rennert, was keen to sell it as YA. She assured me she could attract a big publisher if she marketed it as YA, and she did. I was thrilled to be published by Knopf and to be included on the Books for the Teen Age – but throughout the series Patricia matures, and if the series continues she will grow old –which makes it more of an historical maritime saga than YA. So it’s a “cross-genre, cross-gender” book.

I do write young adult novels. Looking for Redfeather, a contemporary young adult literary novel I’ve recently completed, is represented by literary agent James Schiavone. I’m also working on a YA paranormal thriller set at sea that I’m very excited about.

Q: You studied history in college. How has that influenced you as a writer?

A: I’ve been a life-long student of history but the first time I went to college I majored in nursing to become a registered nurse (there being more jobs for nurses than historians — and I with a family to support!) I worked in acute care for over a decade, specializing in emergency and critical care. At the same time I worked as a freelance writer and had numerous articles, essays and short stories published by various magazines including Ladies Home Journal, Caribbean Travel& Life, Sail, Cruising World, Sailing, Parachutist, Nursing, etc. I wrote two guidebooks with my husband, which were published by Pruett, back in the ‘90s.

Over the years I’ve taken many college level history courses, mostly in history and French. Studying history has helped me examine sources objectively; it has helped me approach my research more efficiently and given me a wider perspective.

Q: How did you come to write historical fiction with a nautical setting?

A: In 1999 my husband and I served as voyage crew members aboard HM Bark Endeavour, an Australian-built replica of Captain James Cook’s 18th century sailing ship. The Endeavour was the closest thing to a time machine I have ever experienced and one of the most accurately reproduced historical ships in existence. We voyage crew members helped to sail her from Vancouver to Hawaii, a crossing that took nearly three weeks. We were expected to stand our watches, climb aloft and go out on the footropes to make and furl sail, take our turn steering the ship and keeping a look-out, as well as other duties necessary to keep the traditional vessel in good working order. We slept in hammocks strung from the deckhead, just as sailors did in the 18th century.

In many ways the experience changed my life. When I got off the ship in Hawaii I had a much better understanding what it was like to have sailed on an 18th century sailing vessel. And I carried inside the seeds for a novel. I had lived the time period, and the setting; I knew the ship intimately. I was getting to know the main character, the cross-dressing surgeon’s mate. But I still had years of research and writing ahead of me before Star-Crossed would be published. What a journey that was! And Star-Crossed was only the beginning. Book three of the series is taking me into the period leading up to the American Revolution where Patricia and her lover will find themselves on opposite sides of the war.

Your whole series sounds fascinating.  I look forward to reading about Patricia.

We’ve now reached the time in our interview for the let’s-get-to-know-the-author-better, nearly-pointless, sort-of-silly, rapid-fire questions:

Q: Coffee or tea?

A: Coffee, black! Except when I’m in England eating scones and clotted cream, then I’ll have tea.

Q: Ocean or mountain?

A: You might think I would choose the ocean because of my nautical books. But that isn’t necessarily the case! I divide my time between ocean and mountain. Today I’m at the ocean but next week I head for the Rocky Mountains. I need them both!

Q; Hiking or shopping?

A: Today I am hiking. Tomorrow I might be shopping. Life is broad!

Q: Violin or piano?

A: How about clarinet or cello? I played them both in high school, but maybe I should have learned piano, it’s so versatile and expressive. I do love piano — Adele, Elton John, Duke Ellington and Frederic Chopin jump to mind.

Q: Mystery or fantasy?

A: What about a mysterious fantasy? Actually, I don’t care for the mystery genre. Literary mysteries, such as Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, now that’s a different story!

Q: Darcy or Heathcliff?

A: Heathcliff, of course!

Q: Love scene or death scene?

A: The best love scenes are usually lovers’ quarrels. It’s all about the conflict! Throughout the series I’m writing, Patricia tries to get together with her lover, and only sometimes are the trysts successful.

Death scenes are the best. “Out, out brief candle!”

Learn more about Linda and her writing at Linda’s website and at the Fireship Press website.

You can also order her books and learn more about her at Linda’s amazon.com page

Thank you, Linda!

 

Interview with Tina Boscha

elizabethcaulfieldfelt author, books, interview, reading ,

Today I’m welcoming Tina Boscha to my series of author interviews. Tina is the author of River in the Sea.

Q: Can you give us a brief description of your novel?

A: This story takes during the German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II. The main character, Leen, is based on my mother.

When a German soldier’s dog bolts in front of Leen’s truck, in a fraction of a second, she must make a choice: brake hard, or hit the gas.

She floors it.

What happens next sets off a chain of events that pitches Leen, just 15, and her family against the German forces when they are most desperate – and fierce. Leen tries to hold her family together, but despite her efforts, bit by bit everything falls apart. And just when Leen experiences a horrific loss, she must make a decision that could forever brand her a traitor, yet finally allow her to live as her heart desires.

River in the Sea is my account of one girl reaching adulthood when everything she believes about family, friendship, and loyalty is questioned by war.

Q: Was it difficult to write a novel based on your own mother?

A: Initially the challenge of writing a novel based on my own mother felt insurmountable. There were a number of issues I wrestled with; first, it’s based on her as a teenager, but obviously I never knew her then (and really, I have always known her as middle-aged or older, as she had me when she was 41). Second, I was convinced I had to stay as true as possible to the way events unfolded. This ended up being quite paralyzing. I wanted to do right by her and my family, but I wanted this to be my book, which felt selfish. Only when I gave my permission to take more control over the story and the character of Leen as I imagined her to be did the writing really flow, and in the end my mom has told me that she feels I got both her and the feeling of what it was like to be a teen at that time exactly right. Of course, she might be biased!

I think sometimes the real person who should be interviewed is my mother – what is it like to have a book written about YOU?!

Q: How much historical fact is woven into your novel?

A: It feels like quite a bit, yet I honestly don’t know. I’ve never felt that this book is historical first, fiction second, nor do I feel like it’s a “war” book. I feel like it’s a coming of age story set against the backdrop of war. Clearly there is a historical element here, as well as the unique setting of Friesland. But when I cut over 100 pages over the course of many revisions, it feels like I cut much of the exposition that gave a lot of precise historical information.

What is on the page, though, was largely gleaned from conversations with my father. He remembered so many amazing details that never would be found in a text. He was able to tell me that electricity was cut nearly right away after the occupation began, even though in my research I thought it was 1943. He waved that off and said, “Oh shit, they cut that right away.” From that point on I trusted him more than anyone else.

He also told me about a girl he remembered who came back from an outing with a Canadian soldier with her entire back covered in yellow daffodil pollen. I found that so evocative and telling that I included that in the novel.

In the end, the historical fact was really about making it feel authentic and less about “here’s the history because it’s important”, if that makes sense.

Q: Your novel has garnered several awards. Tell us about them.

A: I mostly received awards during the writing – I have yet to win an award after it’s been published! (I’m trying, though!) I feel very fortunate to have received a Literary Fellowship from Oregon Literary Arts. That, combined with a research/living expenses grant from the University of Oregon’s Center for the Study of Women in Society, gave me a summer where all I did was write and revise. It was magical. Until that point I really struggled with time and self-esteem and motivation and those awards gave me the resources and more importantly, the confidence, to work on the book. Without them I’m not sure where the book would be.

Q: Enough of your book—tell us about yourself.

A: I have always felt the best description of me is “not quite”. I’m not quite Dutch, but Frisian, really; I’m a mom but a step mom, not a biological one; I’m a college instructor, not a professor; I’m a published author, but not through a traditional publisher. I’m also not quite 6 feet but darn close! I am crazy busy with work, writing my next novel, marketing, and my favorite things to do in the whole wide world are to read, take baths, and walk my dogs in the sunshine. I live for summer!

Q: So when you say you didn’t go the traditional publishing route, does that mean you self-published? How did you come to that decision?

A: I decided to self-publish after I had my last rejection in the Winter of 2010. I almost sold the book to a small press in Canada, and I was so, so hopeful. They turned me down not on the basis of the manuscript, but because I am American and they didn’t want to be the lead publisher. Strangely, that gave me the confidence to go out on my own. It was like a light switch flipped – it wasn’t the book or me, it was the publishers. And of course, we all know that self-publishing is far more viable and respectable now (at least for me). I also just couldn’t stomach shelving the book – something told me, no, it shouldn’t be shelved. And my mom is now 80, and I wanted her to have the book in her hands. So last fall I released it on my own after revising, polishing, editing, proofing, all the things you have to do as an independent author, and I haven’t looked back.

We’ve now reached the time in our interview for the let’s-get-to-know-the-author-better, nearly-pointless, sort-of-silly, rapid-fire questions:

Coffee or tea? Tea, every morning and every afternoon. Tetley and decaf English breakfast!

Ocean or mountain? Mountain. (But I live in Oregon, so in an hour’s drive I can be at either!)

Hiking or shopping? Hiking.

Violin or piano? Piano.

Mystery or fantasy? Fantasy.

Darcy or Heathcliff? Neither! They’re both stuffy jerks.

Love scene or death scene? Love scene!

To learn more about Tina, visit her blog www.tinaboscha.com

You can order River in the Sea as an e-book or  order River in the Sea in paperback 

Thanks, Tina!

World Builders

elizabethcaulfieldfelt marketing, reading, writing ,

Pat Rothfuss, a colleague of mine and a New York Times best selling author, is once again running World Builders, a fundraiser for the Heifer Project. 

Pat, who has become hugely famous because of his fantasy novels The Name of the Wind and A Wise Man’s Fears, has gotten novelists, publishers, and generous individuals to donate books, illustrations, maps, trinkets, and all sorts of really cool stuff. 

For every ten dollars a person donates to the Heifer Project, that person gets one chance at having his name drawn from a hat for a cool, donated item.  ($20 earns 2 chances, etc.)  Although Pat is a fantasy writer and much of the cool stuff comes from the world of fantasy, there are exceptions, including a couple signed copies of The Stolen Goldin Violin.

Other donated items are so desirable that they are not a part of the lottery but instead will be auctioned off. 

If you don’t feel like hoping to win the lottery, and don’t want to bankrupt yourself at an auction, you can visit the very cool “Tinker’s Packs” and purchase cool, donated items straight up.

All proceeds benefit the Heifer Project.  You can visit Heifer to learn more about that organization, but to be a part of the lottery/auction/Tinker’s Packs, you need to donate through the World Builders page.   

I encourage you to visit World Builders, check out the cool stuff, and make a donation today !

Bravo J.K. Rowling!

elizabethcaulfieldfelt reading, writing , ,

I finished the Harry Potter series several years ago but having just watched the last movie, I want to state how much I admire J.K. Rowling.

When Harry Potter first moved into the limelight, everyone loved the series, then of course, the nay-sayers found voice. I don’t want to pretend here that I find the Harry Potter series the best literature I’ve ever read, or that I believe J.K. Rowling to be the most adept wordsmith, but the truth is, what Rowling did is phenomenal. Her story is immense—and because it was being published as she wrote it, she couldn’t go back and fix things. My heart races and sweat drips from my brow at the mere thought of it.

The idea of publishing part of a story before the full story is written terrifies me. In a stand-alone novel, if I get near the end and decide that it would work better if the protagonist didn’t have a brother, I can go back and fix it—or turn him into a sister. If the strange rash that breaks out on her hands in chapter two doesn’t evolve into anything, I can go back to chapter two and delete the whole rash incident. If J.K. Rowling had decided that it would be better for Harry’s …. well, I can’t even think about what she might have wanted to change because she couldn’t “fix” anything. She was forced to work with what she had previously decided, and she was able to make it work. Always. Stupendous!

In addition to being unable to revise those early books, J.K. Rowling was under an incredible amount of pressure. Can you imagine trying to finish a story when you know millions—MILLIONS! of people are waiting to see what you write? And they want you to hurry. What if you don’t feel like writing today? What if the characters stop talking to you? What if the story has become boring to you? J.K. Rowling had to finish, with critics and fans and practically everyone in the world looking over her shoulder.

Phew!

Some people will lean back and rub their fat stomachs and say, “Well, she got paid a lot of money for all that,” as though money causes the creative process to flow smoothly and perfectly. I don’t think money is the recompense so many people seem to think it is.

As much as I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and as much as I’d love to write something that was as beloved as the Harry Potter series, I don’t think I would ever want to write under that kind of pressure.

I realize J.K. Rowling will never read this blog, I will pretend for a moment that she is:

Well done! Brilliant! <insert standing ovation>

Win a Book Contest

elizabethcaulfieldfelt reading

Tell me about your favorite children’s novel–and win a signed copy of The Stolen Goldin Violin.

Do you remember one of your first favorite books? I’m excluding picture books, although there are, of course, wonderful picture books.  I want to hear about that first novel, that first full-length story you fell in love with. Tell me what you remember about it and why you loved it so much.  This contest is open to everyone, so children can tell me about their current favorites, older people can tell me about books they loved as children, or books they discovered by reading to their own children.  I can’t wait to hear your stories!

Email your stories to elizabethcfelt at gmail.com (replacing “at” with the proper symbol and eliminating spaces), or friend me on Facebook and post a description of your favorite children’s book on my wall.

Valid entries must include more than just a title–I want to hear about your connection to the book. One valid entry per person.  For every person who enters, I will write his/her name on a card and put it in my “hat.”  I will draw the winner on August 1.

Have questions about the contest?  Email me or post to me on Facebook.

A Goodreads Giveaway

elizabethcaulfieldfelt reading

Have you discovered Goodreads.com? It’s a free, fun website for people who love to read. I’m excited about the discussion, bookclub, quizzes and many other activities and opportunities this forum provides. (Note: I’ve not been paid to say this.)

I’ve signed up as a Goodreads Author and am offering a free giveaway of The Stolen Goldin Violin.

The Goodreads giveaway details tell you how to sign up and win. Check it out!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

elizabethcaulfieldfelt reading

Last week I was at the library and looking for something light to read and remembered hearing about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Many of you know that Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books. I’ve read it at least a dozen times and seen all the movie versions. Well, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies follows the original: all the same characters, saying the same things (word for word in many places), following the same plot, but every now and then the regular story pauses to accommodate a zombie attack. The Bennet girls have been trained in weaponry and physical combat, so the zombies pose no serious threat to the main characters.

This book is such fun! You know how when you re-read a favorite book, you know what is going to happen, but you re-read anyway because you enjoy the story and characters so much. Well, in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, you get to re-read a favorite and know everything that is going to happen, and you still get to be surprised.

I won’t pretend this book is for everyone. First off, I think you need to be a fan of Pride and Prejudice, and you also need to be open to having silly things happen to the characters in that literary classic.

Silly is sadly under-rated.