Today on the RNA blog we are thrilled to have Karen King interviewing author Juliet Greenwood about her writing life and latest novel The White Camellia. Huge thanks to Karen for asking so many interesting questions and to Juliet for allowing us to take a glimpse into her world.
Your new book, The White Camellia, is published today, 15th September. Can you tell us something about it?
The novel is set around a ladies’ tearoom
in Covent Garden in 1909 called ‘The White Camellia’, and a dilapidated old mansion
in Cornwall. It’s about a woman who has taken the perfect revenge on the family
who destroyed her own – but revenge is never that simple, and now she must find
a way of living with herself and the consequences of what she has done. There’s
love, mystery and danger, and a Cornish mine promising riches, but with a
terrible secret held in its depths…
Definitely the revolutionary role of
ladies’ tearooms in the fight not only for the vote, but also for so many of
the rights for education, work and independence that we take for granted – and the
freedom they gave by providing the first public loos for women! (it really is
the little things that count)
How much planning do you do
before you start to write?
My stories always contain a mystery, with
plenty of twists and turns, and intertwined lives along the way. They are also
set against a historical background, so I need to make sure the story doesn’t
clash with any historical events. This
means I need to do quite a bit of planning before I start. But I don’t like to
be rigid, because so much can change once the characters start to take on a
life of their own, and so many new possibilities appear. I also don’t want
anyone to guess – so I stay open to any fiendish twists that might appear!
When I first start a book, I start
long-hand for the first few pages. It’s my way of finding myself in. It means I
don’t go in cold when I start on the computer – there’s nothing like the stare
of the blank screen! Once I start, however, I type straight onto my ancient Mac
laptop, which I love, and is far too creaky for anything else. I save
everything in a paranoid fashion, I’m terrifying of every machine I own
crashing. I write straight through the first draft without stopping. Characters
appear out of thin air, vanish, and change sex with abandon. It’s getting the
bones down and getting to know the characters – there are always several
further drafts to go until the story goes to my editor, and the final refining
work begins.
I think agents are very important. They
negotiate with the market, have their fingers on the pulse, and are also the
first line of the editing process. When you are starting out, however, there
are plenty of magazines and publishers who don’t require an agent, which is a
good way of developing yourself as a writer, finding your niche, and giving
yourself a chance to become an attractive client. Most writers are in this for
the long haul, very few are an instant success. Like wine, the mature ones are
the best!
Facebook or Twitter? Which is
your preferred promotion tool?
I love Facebook for the friendships and the
sense of community, and because I’m always taking plenty of photographs it
great to share. At the same time I enjoy the quick-fire conversations of
Twitter, which can be great fun, and I find it’s possible to have a much wider
reach – very important when you have a small publisher.
How do you relax when not
writing?
I live amongst the beautiful mountains of
Snowdonia, so I love walking my dog in the hills and on the beaches – and
meeting friends for afternoon tea within the shadow of a medieval castle or so,
of course! I also have a large garden, with a polytunnel holding a grapevine. I
love gardening – and also letting it grow wild and sitting amongst the
lavender, deep in a book.
What’s next for author, Juliet Greenwood?
I’m finishing my next book, set in the
grimy underworld of Victorian London, and there’s also another brewing, so
there’s lots of exciting research planned – but that’s top secret!
Watch this
space …
The White Camellia
1909. Cornwall. Her family
ruined, Bea is forced to leave Tressillion House, and self-made businesswoman
Sybil moves in. Owning Tressillion is Sybil’s triumph
— but now what? As the house casts its spell over her, as she starts to make
friends in the village despite herself, will Sybil be able to build a new life
here, or will hatred always rule her heart?
Bea finds herself in London,
responsible for her mother and sister’s security. Her only hope
is to marry Jonathon,
the new heir. Desperate for options, she stumbles into the White Camellia
tearoom, a gathering place for the growing suffrage movement. For Bea it’s
life-changing, can she pursue her ambition if it will heap further scandal on
the family? Will she risk arrest or worse?
When those very dangers send Bea and
her White Camellia friends back to Cornwall, the two women must finally
confront each other and Tressillion’s long buried secrets.
About Juliet Greenwood
Juliet Greenwood is a UK
historical novelist published by Honno Press. Her books are set in Cornwall,
London and Wales in Victorian and Edwardian times, reaching #4 in the UK Amazon
Kindle store. Juliet lives in a traditional cottage in Snowdonia and has a
passion for history, in particular the experiences of women, which are often
overlooked or forgotten. She loves gardening and walking, and exploring the
upstairs and downstairs of old country houses.
LINKS:
Twitter
Thanks for taking the time to chat to us here on the RNA blog. It is always fascinating to peek into the lives of fellow writers and here about their work. Good luck with The White Camelia!
About our interviewer Karen King
Karen writes sassy, contemporary romance just right for reading on the beach. She also writes YA and children’s books and is a writing tutor.
When she isn’t writing, Karen likes travelling, watching the ‘soaps’ and reading. Give her a good book and a box of chocolates and she thinks she’s in Heaven.
If you would like to be interviewed for the RNA blog please contact us elaineeverest@aol.com
This post was set up by Virginia Heath
