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Interview and Giveaway with Author Judith James
Filed in Giveaways , Interview , Judith James , The HEA Lover Posted on July 30, 2010 @ 6:00 am
49 comments
Today we are very happy to welcome Judith James on Book Lovers,Inc. Judith’s new historical romance Libertine’s Kiss will be released on August 1st! And let me tell you, you don’t want to miss it!!! Bienvenue Judith!
The HEA Lover: Judith can you please tell us a bit about yourself?
Judith: Hi. Thanks so much for inviting me to Book Lovers INC! It’s such a pleasure to be here. Your tag line says it all I think. ‘Bound by the love of books.’ I spent much of my childhood daydreaming or with my head in a book. Books opened up fantastical new worlds I became immersed in and hated to leave, so as soon as I ended one I started another. I developed a love of reading that encompassed history, romance, adventure, fantasy, biography, true life adventure and many other things. It also translated into a deep desire to experience as much as I could of what I read about. For example, Walter Farley inspired a lifelong love of horses. My love of reading didn’t translate to writing until about 5 years ago, but it did inspire me to try many of the things I dreamed of or interested me. I’ve worked as a trail guide, a harness racing trainer, and for several years as a clinical psychologist, a job which took me from maximum security prisons to the high Arctic. I’ve had the chance to talk to elders and shamans and even lived in a very strange house and I’ve been very fortunate in being able to visit some of the places I’ve written about along the way.
The HEA Lover: Describe a typical day of writing? Are you a planner or pantser?
Judith: My favourite time to write for some reason is during rain and snowstorms. When it’s nice out I write on the balcony with a nice coffee or go out to a waterfront café so I don’t feel I’m missing out on the day. I usually start in the morning after a walk and with my favourite coffee. Once I get comfortable and immersed in a story I write for several hours at a time, some days up to twelve hours a day, and when I’m finished I need about a month to recover. I’m not advocating that as a good ways to do things. It’s just how it works for me.
I am definitely a pantser. I usually start with a scene, complete with visuals and dialogue. They tend to come to me while I’m doing something mindless like the dishes or vacuuming; sometimes while I’m listening to music. I drop everything to get it all down before it fades. That scene invariably takes me into a story and much to my delight, the research I do as I explore further takes me into some unexpected directions, as do my characters of course. I have had to learn to plan more though, as I’ve moved from writing and submitting, to writing on proposal.
The HEA Lover: What do you think is the difference between a reader and a real Book Lover?
Judith: That’s an interesting question and open to debate, but for me it is a matter of passion. I see a reader as someone who reads to be informed or entertained. Reading is something they do as a pastime when they are in the mood or attracted to a certain subject. It is one source of information and entertainment among many. For a book lover, a book is a door to other worlds. If you asked then what they’d take to a desert island once their survival needs were met they’d bring a book. In terms of the most important things reading ranks right up there, just behind food, shelter, family, love and might just edge out sleep.
The HEA Lover: This book is set during the Restoration, which is not usual with Historical books. Why did you choose this period as a setting? (FYI After reading the book I’m now completely enthralled by this period, which was a bit obscure to me before). Why did it appeal to you?
Judith: It has to be one of my favorite times in history. Cromwell’s dictatorship was moralistic and repressive. Attempts were made to outlaw much loved entertainments including gambling, theatre, dancing and even Christmas. The Restoration of Charles II resulted in a kind of social rebellion against the last ten years and the hypocrisy that preceded it that reminds me somewhat of the 1960s. Led by the easy going King Charles II, the ultimate survivor and ladies man, it became one of the bawdiest, hedonistic and interesting courts of any country and any time in history. Philosophers such as John Locke were packing local coffee houses, challenging the established order. The Whig and Tory parties were first established, and it saw the beginnings of the Jacobite movement that is a central theme in so many Highland and Scottish historicals popular today. It was also peopled with a host of colorful characters such as John Wilmot Earl of Rochester, who invented method acting, was a master of disguise and wrote surprisingly modern and scathingly satirical poetry; the Duchess of Mazarin, niece of the French cardinal who left her husband and came to England as a spy, taking Charles and London by storm when she arrived in men’s clothing; and the famous or infamous Colonel Blood who switched allegiance twice, and made an audacious attempt to steal the crown jewels from the Tower of London.
As often happens in times of turbulent change, it was a time of greater experimentation and social freedom, at least for the upper classes. Woman had more freedom during this period than they would for many years to come. They took to the stage as actresses and more importantly playwrights. There were well respected female authors, women who led troops and defended their homes during the civil wars etc. There is just so much room to develop characters and so much interesting material to work with including a wealth of firsthand accounts in the form of diaries, memoirs, and letters etc.
The HEA Lover: Will you write again about the Restoration or do you already have another period in mind? (I wouldn’t mind another book set in this period *grin*)
Judith: I am quite happy in the 17th century for now. Libertine’s Kiss is my second book set in this period. The first was Highland Rebel, a love story and adventure which takes place against the backdrop of William of Orange’s coup d’état against Charles’ brother James. I’m currently working on an April release titled The King’s Courtesan, which tells the story of Captain Robert Nichols, first introduced in Libertine’s Kiss, and Hope Mathews, a minor mistress of the king. I am also very intrigued by the character of Colonel Blood who keeps galloping through my imagination, so he may find his way into a story before I leave the Restoration behind.
The HEA Lover: What can you tell us about Libertine’s Kiss?
Judith: Hmm…What can I tell you that’s not in the blurb, won’t give anything away, and I haven’t already said? Well … William de Veres is one of the foremost libertine’s in King Charles’ court. He is a connoisseur of women, a sensual man, very skilled and highly sought after because of it. Lizzy is a widow. A very curious widow determined not to miss out and let life pass her by.
The HEA: Did you research History especially for your books or did you already like History in general? Judith: The answer to that is both. History was one of my favorite subjects in school and I already had a bit of a feel for the times and the big events and characters in them. That being said, I had to do a lot of research as I went. For Highland Rebel I had to research the clan systems of the times, the first battles of the Jacobite wars, and the history of whisky production just to name a few things. For Libertine’s Kiss I needed to know more about Charles’ years in exile, Whitehall Palace, period poetry and John Wilmot. I am always looking up geography, historical towns, maps and roads, recipes etc.
The HEA Lover: Could you imagine to write historicals set in another country and culture?
Judith: You ask a tricky question here. The short answer is yes. Highland Rebel is set in England Ireland and Scotland in a time where Highland and Irish culture was very different from that of the English and lowland Scots. Broken Wing takes place in France, the Mediterranean and North Africa as well as England. I know there are those who say that one shouldn’t write about places and cultures one hasn’t lived in, but if that were so we’d have no historicals set in ancient Rome or Egypt. No fictions about the Aztec Empire or the Mongol conquests. History is a country that none of us has lived in and if any of us were suddenly transported back a thousand years to where our houses stand now, we would not fit in or know our way around, culturally or geographically, something that can be great fun for time travel writers.I think with sufficient research and the standard caveats about works of fiction, I could be comfortable writing about other places and cultures, though the research could be very hard work. I think that’s probably why writers like Colleen McCullough tend to specialize in a certain place and time, such as ancient Rome. I’m not sure I’d be comfortable writing from the perspective of another culture though. In Broken Wing, North Africa is experienced through the eyes of the Chevalier and Gabriel, both of whom come from the same Western European culture I do. I feel writing a POV from another cultural perspective is territory a writer would need to handle, if at all, with great respect, caution and care.
The HEA Lover: In Libertine’s Kiss, Elizabeth is forced into an arranged marriage with a violent husband. Why did you chose this background for her? Does this reflect women’s fate in that time ?
Judith: Neither Elizabeth nor her uncle knew her husband would be a violent man, but women of property seldom had a say in who they married. Her kin would have been more concerned with her husband’s prospects, lands and finances, and in Elizabeth’s’ circumstance, that a prospective husband was of the proper political and religious background. In Elizabeth’s time a married woman was her husbands’ chattel. Family violence was not uncommon. Clean water was scarce, even children drank ale, and alcohol was consumed in enormous amounts by all levels of society, with all the attendant problems. Although Elizabeth’s father was a token Puritan, her husband was not. He was fanatical. It was a severe religion, with harsh punishments, in which a woman was completely subservient to her husband’s will. It seemed to me that a young girl, who had lost both parents, married to a man who was a religious fanatic and somewhat below her in social class, might very well have ended up with a husband like Ben. Living with Ben put Elizabeth in a situation where she had to suffer or act, teaching her to take charge of her life and take responsibility for others (her servants) which also helped her gain the confidence to go after what she wanted in other areas of her life.
The HEA Lover: Can you tell us more about the hero, William de Veres? How did you come up with this character?
Judith: While researching Highland Rebel I came across references to John Wilmot the Earl of Rochester, one of the foremost wits, poets and libertine’s of his time. The first thing that grabbed my attention was his poetry which was satirical, profane, and bitingly funny. He was a fearless social commenter and his most barbed and pointed works were often directed against his patron, friend and King, Charles II. The two of them had a complicated relationship. Although Charles periodically banned Rochester from court, and even from England, he also gave him several sinecures, and when he was sufficiently bored, he always called him back. Wilmot was also over six feet tall, brilliant, devilishly handsome and charming to boot. Historians say he was debauched by the age of 12, and as a child he had difficulty sleeping and other ailments that would make a modern day social worker sit up and take note. As a psychologist curious about the complexities of this fascinating man, that made me go ahh! The connection between his overzealous tutor and his later behavior is mine and hence belongs in the realm of fiction, and due to his lifelong promiscuity and an untimely death at the age of 33 caused by every form of excess, this fascinating man is not himself a viable subject for romance, but he certainly makes one ask “What if?” Hence William and Elizabeth were born
The HEA Lover: There is a lot of poetry in this book and I enjoyed them a lot (and I’m not even a poetry lover). Who are these from?
Judith: All of the poems William writes and recites as his own are in fact, borrowed from John Wilmot. The story is bookended by snippets from Edmund Spenser’s 16th century The Faerie Queene, written for Queen Elizabeth 1, which is a fantasy with two strong female protagonists in Queene Glorianna, the faerie queen, and Britomart, the invincible female knight. Being a poet himself, William also sometimes quotes other 16th and 17th century poets such as Edmund Waller, Richard Lovelace and John Donne
The HEA Lover: Do you enjoy poetry? if so, what/who is your favorite poem/poet?
Judith: I would not say I am a fanatic, but there are several pieces that resonate with me. I would have to say that Wilmot’s poetry has become some of my favourite. He reminds me of the political comedian and commentator John Stewart on steroids. I would also say that some of his poetry is too angry and in your face and makes me decidedly uncomfortable. I am not surprised it was suppressed for several centuries. The first poem I remember loving, and one that has inspired me at times in my life is Robert Frost’s The Road Less Travelled. I also love the hallucinogenic poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge; particularly Kublai Khan, and last but not least, I remember tearing up some years back watching an episode of George R.R Martin’s Beauty And The Beast when Vincent ( the wonderful Ron Perlman) slumps against a wall and recites Shakespeare’s sonnet ‘When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes.’ That remains one of my favourite poems to this day.
The HEA Lover: What is next on your schedule?
Judith: I am currently working on The King’s Courtesan, which as I noted above tells the story of the parliamentarian soldier captain Robert Nichols and the king’s courtesan Hope Mathews. I can’t say much more about it as I am currently offering the cover and blurb as an exclusive peek to people who sign up to my website newsletter. I will be posting both in august though. I’ve yet to decide where I will go after that, though the Colonel keeps calling. Any ideas?
The HEA Lover: Now the mean questions *wink*:
Who is your favorite secondary character? (FWY mine is Tom!)
Judith: I love Tom, and Captain Nichols kept whispering me his secrets until he was just breaking my heart and I knew he had to have his own voice, but for a good time, I’d call Charlie.
The HEA Lover: Can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read your books?
Judith:
If you like complex characters and unconventional heroes who tend to the darker side you will probably like my books
If you like a healthy dose of history and adventure with your romance, or romance with your history and adventure you will probably like my books.
If you miss the multilayered epic feel of 80’s styled romances but not the arrogant and often cruel heroes, you will probably like my books.
The HEA Lover: Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions Judith. I cannot wait for The King’s Courtesan! =)
Judith: Thank you so much for having me today. I look forward to comments and questions.
(My review of Libertine’s Kiss HERE)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*~*Giveaway*~*~
Judith has been very generous with us today one (1) winner will win ALL 3 signed books:
– Libertine’s Kiss
– Highland Rebel
– Broken Wing
All you have to do is ask Judith a question or just leave a meaningful comment about the interview.
This contest is open Internationally.
Please leave us a way to contact you (twitter name or Email addy in blogger profile is enough).
Giveaway ends on Saturday August 14th, we will announce the winner on Sunday.
Bonne chance everyone!
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Thank you so much for inviting me and thanks for the lovely review! I'll be checking in throughtout the day to respond to questions and comments.
I'm very happy to have you over Judith!! I loved Libertine's Kiss and I'm very excited about the King's Courtesan! =)
Is it Spring yet? 😉
Caroline.
The HEA Lover
I've heard a lot about how awesome your novels are, but never had the honor of reading one. So, I would love to win a copy of your latest novels.
My question is, you stated that you didn't start writing until about five years ago. What made you take that leap into writing? Also is their a book that inspires you that made you decide, yes, let me take a chance and write down all these stories in my head? Whether that book was good or bad – LOL! Also, what what are some of your favorite romance authors!
Sorry, it was only supposed to be one question wasn't it! LOL
I have read a few about that time but yes not that common. Sounds like a scary time, cos the country was so divided
I was wondering if there is any time or place you'd like to write about?
Judith- Congratulations on your new release. I haven't read your books before, but now I think I will defiantely have to go pick them up, starting with Libertine's Kiss. Love the cover!
minnchica(dot)bookpusher(at)gmail.com
I have learned more history in historical romance novels than anything I learned in the history books at school! School history books teach dates, names, campaigns, blah, blah, blah. Your stories bring history vividly alive. It's like actually living through the era your writing about when reading one of your novels! Thanks!!
Hey Judith! So far I've joined you on Facebook, on your website, on LibraryThing, I'm also buying your books and giving them to my friends as gifts! If I had a tweeter account, we both would be in trouble! I'm begining to feel like a stalker, or your #1 Fan! I would be OVERJOYED, ELATED, and eve so GRATEFULL to win your SIGNED books! UR "1 FAN Melanie Friedman from IL!
I've heard a lot about how awesome your novels are, but never had the chance of reading one. So, I would love to win a copy of your latest novels.
vidishamun@gmail.com
Wow great questions! I just recently read Broken Wing (on Kristiej's recommendation) I LOVED it! It was very emotional and I found myself tearing up through out it. I loved that you didn't gloss over the psychological & emotional effects of Gabriel's abuse and upbringing. I'm really looking forward to reading more of your work!
bookfaredelights[at]gmail[dot]com
Caroline: Thanks so much. It's spring for me in the 17th century as I write 🙂
Lynette: I worked for a while in the Canadian Arctic and bought a home when prices were low and happened to leave when prices were high. I made enough money on my house to live on for a couple of years. Shortly after that on my birthday my daughter gave me a leather bound journal in which she wrote "Whatever journey you choose to embark on in the coming years here is a place to recount it. I hope it brings you luck." I was just sitting doodling one day when the first scene from Broken Wing came to me and I started to write.
As for favorite romance authors there are too many to list here but I will name a few who influenced me. Dorothy Dunnett for complex characters, deep stories and great history, Ann Stuart for the first really really bad boys I came across, Laura Kinsale and Mary Jo Putney for tackling difficult subjects, Julianne Maclean and Laura Leone for their stories and also for their generosity, kindness and class.
Blodeuedd: Well I am really enjoying the Restoration period but I am also very drawn to France and Europe. Broken Wing took place in Europe and North Africa and I have to say that fascinated me. I have another proposal due in October for a third book and I have to say right now I haven't decided, but I love to travel in the real world and through history so who knows. Any ideas?
Nicole: Thanks for the congrats! I love that cover too. I asked them for a high resolution jpg and I blew it up and mounted and framed it 🙂
DJ: I'm so glad you said that!When I'm writing scenes I do feel I'm there. I get completely lost sometimes and it's great to know at least some of that feeling comes across.
Melanie: That's wonderful! Thank you so much. If you don't win I'm sure we'll meet at a conference or something somewhere somehow and I'd be delighted to sign them for you 🙂
Vidisha: Thanks for the kind words and good luck!
Mollie: I owe a lot to Kristie J. Without her help I don't know if anyone would have found Broken Wing. It was pretty gritty for a romance I guess but I wanted to be honest to the character and show he was still worthy of being loved. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Judith – You're new to me but I was wondering how you choose what time in history you write about? I tend to stick to paranormal but when I was a teen I loved Imogene VanRyker. I can't even remember the authors name but she taught me quite a bit about pirates the South and the Caribbean.
Hi Judith, your passion for history and adventure shines through this very interview.
I, too, love romances that encompasses rich history. I don't think I've ever read a Restoration period romance but the qualities you named of the period parallel my love of turn-of-the-century novels. The dynamic of old ways vs. new ways, changing social mores, people living on the cusp of 'modernity.' It is all so fascinating & adventurous!
Looking forward to reading Libertine's Kiss. William sounds sexy and that doesn't hurt. Thank you! 🙂
jenma76 at hotmail dot com
Hi Judith,
I loved your difference between a reader and a book lover answer, it's so true, reading does rank pretty high in the "most important things in live sort of Top", for me it's like, if I have spare time, and I have to do something else besides finishing that awesome book or starting that other one that has been haunting me, it's wasted time.
jen7waters(at)gmail(dot)com
Fabulous interview and your setting in the Restoration period sounds very interesting since this is the first I've heard about it!
lilazncutie1215(at)yahoo(dot)com
Hi Victoria: I like to read about times and places that are unfamiliar to me and I guess that's why I like to write about them too. It's like visiting a new place but you get to stay a while. I get a lot of ideas from research. For example researching woman warriors lead me to Grania the pirate queen, Boudicca,the Trung sisters who gathered an army of 80,000, trained 36 women to be generals and drove the Chinese out of Viet Nam in 40 A.D( I want to do a fantasy based on that someday). The 17th century is full of interesting characters in both England and France and research has given me a lot of ideas for more stories from this period too.
Thanks Scorpio: I couldn't agree more about the dynamic of changing social mores and yes! William is very sexy 🙂
LOL Jen: I know what you mean. If I was on the show survivor I'd get voted off for sitting on the beach reading all day
Jeanette: Thanks for the kind words. I've never understood why the 17th Century has been so overlooked by historical and romance writers other than the classic ones like Dumas. The Restoration,Charles II, libertines, cavaliers, highwaymen, Louis XIV The Sun King, the musketeers, drama excess, adventure, intrigue…what more can you ask?
Hi Judith! Thanks for introducing me to this site. The reviews and discussions seem just like my cup of tea. I especially enjoyed your descriptions of the atmosphere of the coffee houses in Highland Rebel. I did not know that women in this period were more liberated than the periods that follow, and that really captured my interest because it allows you to give your heroines with the type of independence that may seem anachronistic otherwise.
abbydillon16@yahoo.com
And I just read your comment on the Trung sisters. That's an interesting bit of history from my culture I did not know about. I am going to go look up their story, and hope you do get to write a book about it someday!
Hi Judith!
Which other genres would you like to explore?
Please enter me in the giveaway. Thank you
Misha
mishamary@gmail.com
Hi Judith! I have a passion for historical romance novels and costumes. While I like unusual time periods, I haven't read many books set in the Restoration period. It sounds fascinating! Do you have a favorite research book for this era?
I love the reasons for reading Judith. I enjoy rain and storms as well, as long as they are not sever. I wish I could move to Seattle. 🙂
robin [at] intensewhisper [dot] com
Hi Rosie,
Yes I tend to prefer unconventional characters so I like unconventional times and you must check out the Trung sisters. There is a movie about them too I think but I forget the name
Hi Misha,
I did get two thirds of the way through a dark paranormal but put it aside for historicals for now. I'm alsp interested in writing a fantasy. Not an elf and fairy one but creating my own world is very tempting. I love George R.R Martin's Game of Thrones and would love to try something like that.
Hello Jennifer,
I have quite a few actually. The diary of Sam Pepys, Antonia Frazer's Charles II and A Woman's Lot in 17th century England, The Memoirs of the Compte du Grammont, Restoration London by Laura Picard and Constant Delights are just a few of them.
Thanks Robin,
I love Seattle too
Sounds fabulous! I love historical romance! They just whisk me from the reality for a while and drop me off in the intriguing land from the past… They're so much fun! I can't wait to get my hands on the book! 🙂 Thanks so much for making this international!
You can reach me at luvpinkpanther@gmail.com
Please enter me in the giveaway. Thanks! sowickedlovely@live.com
I love historicals thay take you back in time and some times you even learn some thing.
sasluvbooks(at)yahoo.com
Hi Pink Panther: Couldn't say it better myself.
Jennifer: Thanks for stopping by and good luck
Stacey: I've been hooked on historicals for as long as I can remember and like you, I enjoy the timetravel as well as the romance.
Thanks to Book Lovers Inc for introducing me to this great site and for inviting me to spend some time, and thanks to all of you who stopped by. Great questions and comments and it was a pleasure to visit you. All the best and good luck with the draw!
Judith
Hi Judith! 😀
Thank you for the interesting interview and for making this awesome contest international! 🙂
I'm curious…have you ever been to a poetry slam?
Giada M.
fabgiada (at) gmail (dot) com
Cool interview. The books sound really good. Heroes who tend to the darker side..sounds like my kind of read.
Rachel
Res498(AT)aol.com
Hi Giada,
My books have had quite a bit of international support so it seemed the least I could do 🙂 I'm ashamed to admit I don't know what a poetry slam is. Maybe you could explain it to me.
Hi Rachel,
Yep, the guys are pretty dark but never mean,( I just don't like arrogant bad tempered heroes) and the women tend to be pretty independent too.
I've always loved history, so historical romances have been some of my favorite reads for a long time. I like the fact that you used the Restoration for the setting of Libertine's Kiss instead of some of the more familiar eras, it will be a refreshing change. And of course, the Highlands are always a great choice, no matter what the era, so Highland Rebel sounds fantastic as well.
Barbed1951(at)aol(dot)com
Hi Barbara,
Highland Rebel takes place just after the death of Charles II when his Catholic brother James took over the throne. It almost caused another civil war and did lead to a coup d’état by William of Orange that started the Jacobite movement that led to the Scottish rebellions that are the subject of so many Highland historicals, so it has a bit of the Restoration and the Highlands too 🙂
You're right Judith, book lovers would be the worst reality tv shows contestants, although sometimes I admit I must put quite a show when I'm reading, I laugh and/or cry and/or curse a character out loud, in such a way that usually someone comes to check if I'm alright. And maybe, just maybe, that would give me some kind of audience xD
I love the restoration period, so much UMMPH after the Cromwell restrictions!
The 17th century was the beginning of the period when we began to see a rise in highway robbery, have you ever thought about writing about Highwaymen?
juju221 on twitter
Only me again, I forgot to tick follow up comments… I am a silly Minx
You've been fortunate in your careers and have been able to go many places. Other than writing, if you had to change careers, what do you think you'd want to do next?
meredithfl at gmail dot com
I loved Broken Wing and I'm looking forward to reading your other books. Thanks so much for setting them in a time period that doesn't get that much attention in historical romance.
Jen, I laughed so hard I snorted my morning coffee when I read that 🙂
Minx, Actually…Will in Libertine's Kiss has spent a wee bit of time on the roads and I am thinking of a character that makes it his primary occupation.
Meredith,
Yes I have been very lucky! The quiet me would like to own a cozy bookstore by the ocean but when I first started school I wanted to be an oceanographer or maybe a National Geographic photographer.
JenM, Thanks for the kind words :)Gabe and Sarah will always have a special place for me.
Sorry for that Judith! xD
Deep in my heart I knew someday, somehow, my reading manners would do someone harm.
🙂
The Chillicothe Public Library District LOVEs Judith James books.
I was wondering how she does her research for historical romances.
Thanks! =)
I'd love to be entered. misusedinnocence@aol.com
I just wanted to say that I am tired of mean men. What hero/sexy guy is a real jerk? I want nice guys, not flat out mean ones.
lovemybabysquid at yahoo dot com
I LOVE the cover for Broken Wing! Even before reading the description I want to read it 🙂
throuthehaze at gmail dot com
Hi Judith, I'm intrigued!! I've heard such great things about your previous two books, and I would definitely want to try a book with the epic style of the 80's without the horrid heroes of that time. Sounds like a great mix to me 🙂 Thank you for the contest!!
inthehammockblog at gmail dot com
Anonymous, I LOVE libraries 🙂
Misusedininnocence,
I have a large bookcase full of great general research books about clothing, housing, daily and social life, as well as biographies, diaries etc. Whenever I go to the book store I always check the history bargain bins too. I've found some great books there. I also check the internet of course, and the dictionary for first word usage etc. Then there's maps, weather maps…recipes…After I've found my characters and decided on a time period I usually check out a history timeline to see what was happening around the world,research that, and often weave my story into it.
Cathie,
I agree. I guess some people enjoy the fantasy of being able to win over a verbally and emotionally abusive person through love, but that's too much of a fantasy for me to swallow.
Throughthehaze,
Thanks! I love it too. I've been very lucky with covers so far.I have that one framed and mounted on my wall. The artist is the very talented Arturo Delgado and the cover model was Ryan Young. It turned out being Gabriel, and really captured the essence of the book.
Carrie,
Thanks for the kind words! I always wanted to shake those heroines that followed abusive men around like puppies. What was it about the 80's?
Hi, Judith,
If your books were made into movies, which actors would you pick to play the main character?
marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com
Great interview. Please enter me in contest. What made you decide to start writing. Tore923@aol.com
Hi Marlene, That's a tough one. I like the idea of Heath Ledger, though sadly he's passed, as Gabriel from Broken Wing. Clive Owen might make a great Jamie for Highland Rebel or a young Antonio Banderas, and of course Johnny Depp who played Rochester in the Libertine as William. If you read them you'll have to let me know who you'd choose 🙂
Tore, Thanks so much and consider it done!
Thanks for the fantastic and very generous giveaway Judith!
If you could live for a few days/weeks in a time period/setting of one of your novels, which would you choose?
Thank you!
stella.exlibris (at) gmail (dot) com
Hi Stella, and thanks for popping by. That's a tough question but I think I'd choose Ross and Sarah's Cornwall home from Broken Wing. I'd love to spend a week writing on her balcony overlooking the ocean 🙂
I believe the draw is today so once again, thanks to Booklovers Inc for hosting me. I've had a great time and so enjoyed visiting and answering some very interesting questions. Good luck to you all.
All the best
Judith James