Q and A Session with Rosemary Morris

Today we are joined by Rosemary Morris

My love of history led to writing novels. To research I read non-fiction, visit museums etc. At the moment I am writing Monday’s Child and revising a mediaeval novel. To view book trailers and read extracts from my novels please my website. (I would be happy to hear from you.)

Why does heart-rending pain lurk in wealthy Countess of Sinclair’s eyes? 

Captain Howard’s life changes when he meets Kate, the intriguing Countess. He resolves to banish

her pain. 

When Kate, victim of an abusive marriage meets Edward Howard the air sizzles but she has no intention of marrying again

We put the following questions to Rosemary:

Q. Have you ever thought of writing in another genre?

A. I have considered writing fantasy fiction.

Q. Agent or publisher? What is your preferred route to publication?

A. I am very happy with my publisher, MuseItUp Publishing, but admit I would like to find an agent for some of my future novels.

Q. Did you go through the RNA New Writers' Scheme and what are you views on this support for those writers just starting out?

A. Yes, each of my published novels and my unpublished mediaeval novel which I am revising went through the RNA New Writers’ Scheme. The reader’s reports were very helpful. As a result, five of my novels have been published. The scheme is an invaluable aid for new writers at a very reasonable cost.

Q. Writers have many different ways of working, some in silence and others in complete chaos. What is your preference and why?

A. When I am writing I prefer silence and resent it when someone phones me. I’m sociable but not during the time set aside for working. When dealing with ‘writerly’ matters I often have to switch on the television.

Q. What did you enjoy most about writing your novel?

A. I enjoyed writing about the love that developed between an older lady and a younger man. For those who are unfamiliar with the period, I also enjoyed describing the clothes, food, etiquette etc., in a period in which few novels are set.

Q. Some writers work under different author names. Do you or would you do this?

A. If my mediaeval novel is accepted for publication I might use a different author name because the plot, theme and style are very different to my published novels.                                                                   

Q. What's next for Rosemary Morris?

A. I have nearly finished writing Monday’s Child, a follow-on novel from Sunday’s Child.

Thank you for sharing with us today, Rosemary

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

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Elaine Everest & Natalie Kleinman

If you would like to write an article or be featured on the blog please contact us on elaineeverest@aol.com

Historical Fiction - Ideas and Research

Today we welcome Rosemary Morris – and the rest is history

First of all, thank you very much for inviting me to be your guest.

I am often asked where I get my ideas from. More often than not while I am reading historical non-fiction, something sparks my imagination. For example, I was reading about James II younger brother of Charles II. In my author’s note at the beginning of Far Beyond Rubies I explained. “When the outwardly Protestant Charles II died in 1685, he left a country torn by religious controversy but no legitimate children. The throne passed to his Catholic brother James.

It was an anxious time for the people, whose fears increased when James II, became so unpopular that he was forced into exile. In 1688, James’s Protestant daughter, Mary, and her husband, William of Orange, became the new king and queen of England.

Some English Protestants, who had sworn allegiance to James II, refused to take a new oath of allegiance to William and Mary and, after their deaths, to Queen Anne, and joined him in France. How, I asked myself, did this affect the children of Jacobites, and wrote Tangled Love.

Subsequently, I set two more novels, Far Beyond Rubies and The Captain and The Countess, in the reign of Queen Anne Stuart, 1702-1714, and two novels, Sunday’s Child, and False Pretences set in Regency England.

I like choosing dramatic events as a background. If the Duke of Marlborough had not won The War of Spanish Succession and The Duke of Wellington had not defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, it would have had far-reaching consequences for the United Kingdom and the rest of the world.

At the moment I am writing Monday’s Child the second of a series set in the period before and after the Battle of Waterloo. I am also revising a novel set in the reign of Edward II who was defeated by Robert the Bruce at The Battle of Bannockburn. This battle, in which the last large English mediaeval army took to the field, changed the history of England and Scotland.

I dislike historical fiction in which the characters act like 21^st century people. I don’t think it is possible to get every single detail about the past correct, but my bookshelves and local library bear testimony to my research. Apart from reading, I visit places of historical interest and exhibitions. In recent months, I visited the Georgians Revealed exhibition at The British Library, The Vikings exhibition at The British Library and The Wedding Dress exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and I visited The National Army Museum. I also visit stately homes and gardens. At Hatfield House I saw Queen Anne Stuart’s coronation chair. Elsewhere I viewed palanquins, a gypsy caravan, carriages and much more. Such visits are instructive, bring me closer to the past and always give me ideas.

If you would like to know more about me, view my book trailers and read the first chapters of my novel please visit my website.

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk

My novels are available from MuseItUp Publishing, at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk and elsewhere. Far Beyond Rubies is available as an online e book and print book.

Thank you so much for taking time to share, Rosemary

This blog is brought to you by Elaine Everest and Natalie Kleinman. We are always interested in blog interviews and craft articles. Please contact us at elaineeverest@aol.com