Review: THE CHALICE by Nancy Bilyeau

Nancy Bilyeau's THE CHALICE (Touchstone, March 2013) offers an engrossing and original take on aspects of the Tudor era that historical fiction seldom explores. The novel presents an enticing blend of history, romance and page-turning suspense that invigorates the discussion of religious turmoil in England and provides an entertaining and convincing escape into an important yet often overlooked stretch of Henry's reign.

When Henry VIII closes religious houses across England, novice Joanna Stafford, daughter of an English nobleman and one of Katherine of Aragon's Spanish ladies-in-waiting, hopes to supplement her meagre pension by establishing a tapestry-weaving business. The day she lugs home the first piece of her new loom, her life changes--but not in any way she'd expected. Her cousin Henry Courtenay, a trusted relation of the king, and his wife Gertrude arrive to invite her to spend time with them in London. A high-ranking family loyal to the Catholic faith, the Courtenays secretly scheme to place the Princess Mary on the throne and restore the true faith in England. Joanna finds herself swept up in a plot targeting King Henry, a plot that hinges on Joanna herself. Years earlier, a seer who tried to prevent Henry VIII's divorce had declared Joanna to be "the one who would come after"--the one who, after hearing the entire prophecy as revealed by two additional seers, would set in motion events that would alter England's history. Joanna's involvement with Gertrude Courtenay, and through her, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V of Spain, propels Joanna to embrace her fate and race to uncover the prophecy before Henry fathers the sons that will ensure the supremacy of the Reformed Faith in England forever.

THE CHALICE places the religious turmoil unleashed by Henry VIII in an international context, capturing the turbulence of a time when Henry seemed to waver in his religious convictions and his opponents nurtured high hopes that Charles V might set things right. The prominence of the Emperor and his representatives in THE CHALICE is a splendid addition to standard Tudor fare. Despite being one of the three preeminent monarchs of the Tudor era, Charles seldom features in historical fiction. Although he does not appear in person in THE CHALICE, his constant menace finds expression through the machinations and relentless persistence of his wily ambassador Eustace Chapuys, with whom Joanna forges a reluctant alliance. THE CHALICE dramatizes how Henry's decision to break with Rome upset the balance of power in Europe and not only placed England in danger of being invaded by Spain and France, but encouraged France to flirt openly with an Ottoman alliance. Joanna's involvement with Imperial agents in an international plot underscores how Henry changed not just the course of English history, but that of all Catholic Europe. I have been immersed in research about Charles V for my own novel, set in France during the same years as THE CHALICE (1538-40), and it is exciting to see another author evoke the complicated contours of this era.

Bilyeau balances this broad political focus with attention to the effects of Henry's actions on the lives of individual believers. The novel's principal characters all confront decisions that pit their personal beliefs against the will of the king. Powerful noblemen must choose between allegiance to their faith or to their anointed monarch; dispossessed nuns must betray their vows and marry in order to survive; defrocked monks consider violence in order to protect holy relics; servants must decide whether to protect or reveal the activities of their recusant employers. Joanna's personal conflicts are many and involve her heart as well as her head. Looming foremost is the question of whether to pursue the prophecy despite her aversion to such practices and what to do with the knowledge once she gains it. With courage and great personal sacrifice, Joanna follows a course of action that offers her Catholic brethren in England continued hope yet does not betray her principles. Convincing in her faith and endearing in her loyalties, Joanna is a heroine to admire. I look forward to following her on further adventures. In THE CHALICE, a stand-alone novel that may be read in conjunction with the author's debut, THE CROWN (2012), Bilyeau has crafted a deft novel that will appeal to readers of suspense as well historical enthusiasts looking for a unique take on a popular era.

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Come back tomorrow to read my interview with Nancy Bilyeau about THE CHALICE. To learn more about Nancy and her books, visit her website.

This review is part of the Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour for THE CHALICE. To read the other reviews and interviews that are part of the tour, see the tour schedule. 

Sixteenth Century Quote of the Week

"The king's bed is always carried with him, when he [François I] hunts, and anon, after that the deer is killed, he repairs to some house near at hand, where the same is set up, and there reposes himself three or four hours, and against his return there is provided for him a supper by some nobleman...whereupon a great number of ladies and gentlewomen used to be in his company be sent for, and there he passes his time until ten or eleven o'clock."

Sir Anthony Browne, after witnessing a royal hunt near Amiens in 1527

Quoted in The French Renaissance Court by Robert Knecht, p. 80

Natural Selection among the Hapsburgs

Philip II of Spain exhibited
the signature Hapsburg
pointed jaw.

Geneticists at a Spanish university claim that the Spanish Hapsburgs evolved to mute the effects of inbreeding. Inbred marriages, such as those between between first cousins or between uncles and nieces, were common in the Hapsburg pedigree and multiplied over time for political and dynastic reasons. Such marriages increased the odds that children would inherit two copies of a recessive mutation that causes disease or disability. Indeed, inbreeding was the probable cause for the high rates of disease in the Spanish royal family.

However,  natural selection might have played a role in weeding out those individuals who bore the worst disabilities so that mutations would not be passed on to subsequent generations. The scientists theorized that natural selection would operate through early death. If natural selection was indeed purging the family of harmful mutations, then early deaths would become less frequent over time. The scientists studied 4000 individuals across more than 20 generations of Hapsburgs and found evidence that there were substantially more deaths among the family's children between 1450 and 1600 than between 1600 and 1800. However, infant mortality rose over time, leading the geneticists to posit differences between the effects of very harmful mutations, which were eventually purged by natural selection, and mutations that caused problems only some of the time.

Other geneticists disagree with the researchers' conclusions. You can read the article here.

Crucifixion

Léonard Limousin (c. 1504 - c. 1577)

French court painter under François I and Henri II

Crucifixion (1553)

Enamel on copper

(Note François's portrait in lower left, his motto lower center, and monograms around the central oval) 

Book Sale Bargains

Book sale day at the local library, and even though my bookshelves are overflowing with unread books, I couldn't resist lugging home a few more. I found five historical novels I've long wanted to read:

Mary by Janis Cooke Newman (2006). The story of the wife of Abraham Lincoln, narrated by herself from the insane asylum where she ended her life.

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan (2007). The story of Mamah Borthwicke Cheney, who carried on a clandestine love affair with Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan (2009). A historical love story that entwines the trials of the couple with the history of the exploitation of Niagara Falls. I'm currently enjoying Buchanan's The Painted Girls and look forward to reading more of her work. This was her debut novel.

The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie (2008). West meets East during the Renaissance as a European appears at the court of the Mughal emperor, claiming to be a long-lost relative born of an exiled Indian princess and a Florentine man.

The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks (2005). A novel that recreates the life of Carrie McGavock, whose Tennessee home became a Confederate hospital and later a massive cemetery where she grieved the soldiers lost in the war.

So many good books, so little time! Have you read any of these? What did you think?

Readers, Writers, and History Buffs: Join Us at the 2013 Historical Novel Society Conference!

Let the countdown commence! 107 days until the 2013 Historical Novel Society Conference kicks off at the beautiful Renaissance Vinoy Hotel in sunny St. Peterburg, Florida.

I don't get out much. I'll admit it. I'm a writer, right? A writer who's paying two college tuitions, parochial school tuition, California sales tax, etc., etc. But I wouldn't miss this bi-annual North American conference for anything, even if I had eat to franks and beans every day for a year in order to get there. If you're a writer or reader of historical fiction, this three-day gathering (remarkably low-priced for all that it includes) is worth every penny. You'll come home with a suitcase full of books, a head full of knowledge, an abundance of eagerness, a roster of new friends and colleagues--and maybe even an agent or editor request to submit your novel!

The HNS Conference is unique in that it draws, and caters to, both readers and writers of historical fiction. Readers adore the conference because they get to mingle with some of the biggest names in historical fiction today--Diana Gabaldon, Margaret George, Susan Vreeland, Michelle Moran, C.W. Gortner, among others, have all attended previous conferences. And when I say "mingle," I mean "chat with," "stand next to," "rub elbows with," "stutter in front of," "spill drinks on," "photograph"--for the authors mix freely with the attendees the entire weekend. They are more than happy to discuss the weather, laugh at your favorite joke and look at photos of your dog, as well as answer questions and sign books. You arrive at the conference a bit star-struck; by the time you leave, you realize that authors are regular people, too, and often incredibly gracious ones at that.

Benefits to writers of historical fiction are too numerous to count, but include:

• Timely and engaging content. The conference offers a wide array of workshops and panel discussions aimed at helping authors become better writers, understand the genre, and navigate the challenging world of publishing. Three sessions run concurrently throughout the day Saturday and on Sunday morning. The difficulty lies in deciding which of these wonderful sessions to attend! Doors always remain open so attendees can slip in and out of sessions that overlap. Click for this year's session schedule.
• Agent and editor contacts. Each attendee may request a free pitch session--a private, ten-minute interview--with two of the twelve agents and editors in attendance. These sessions often lead to invitations to submit partial or full manuscripts for consideration after the conference. If an author does not yet have material ready to pitch, opportunities exist to chat with agents at group events to find out what they're interested in, as well as to get a feel for what it would be like to work with them. Click for this year's list of agents and editors.
• Increased confidence. Being around other writers, from complete novices to best-selling authors, can be a huge confidence builder. Not in the sense of comparing your skills or sales numbers to theirs, but in realizing that every author starts out from the same spot and through persistence and hard work realizes her dreams. Learning how one writer got an agent/multi-book contract/huge publicity budget on her first try proves it can happen, lighting the flame of hope; discovering that another author had five rejected novels in her drawer before she made a sale inspires the courage to continue, despite setbacks. Hearing these different stories and seeing the various paths to publication is both encouraging and reassuring. 
• Inspiration. Historical fiction authors love to discuss history and share facts they have unearthed during their research. In this seething broth of historical lore, seasoned by stimulating discussion and chance acquaintance, new ideas continually bob to the surface. Browsing the conference bookstore will reveal unfamiliar settings, events and eras that might tempt you to future exploration; a comment from a fellow participant at breakfast could spark an idea for a mystery series; hashing out an tangled subplot with a colleague over a glass of wine might lead to the breakthrough you've been waiting for. Listening to other writers describe their work habits and methods can provide you the means and enthusiasm to revitalize your own.
• Connections. Networking, in the best sense of the term, is the primary value of the conference. In a group of three hundred people who share the same passion for history and books, it is easy to make new friends and find knowledgeable new colleagues. Name tags list participants' specialties and preferred eras, facilitating the discovery of other Tudormaniacs or classical buffs! Getting to know other authors, published or not, can lead to blurbs for future novels, introductions to editors or agents, guest posts on blogs, critique partner pairings and the formation of writing groups. But don't be mercenary about it--these connections can lead to friendships that enrich your life beyond the realm of publishing. You'll have wonderful memories to share and new adventures to look forward to as you support your writing friends and become part of each other's lives.

I've attended four of the five North American Conferences and have had a wonderful experience every time. My first conference, in Albany, NY, proved to me that hey, I could do this writing thing; the second, in Schaumberg, IL, allowed me to meet with my fabulous agent, Stephanie Cabot, in person; at my third conference, in San Diego, CA, I clicked with an amazing group of fellow writers who have not only formed a critique group but have grown to become the dearest of friends. Who knows what the 2013 conference might bring?

This year I will be leading a panel discussion entitled "Virtual Salon: The Historical Fiction Blog." Bloggers extraordinaire Heather Webb, Amy Bruno, Deborah Swift, and Heather Rieseck will join me to share tips on creating and maintaining a successful blog and to discuss the future of historical fiction blogging. We hope you'll join us--if not at the discussion, then at the bar, the banquet, the bookshop, or the corridor! Introduce yourself and join the fun--you'll be so glad you did, and we will, too.

Register for the 2013 conference today!

If you're still not sold, you can read my recap of the 2009 conference here.

For other points of view, check the blogs of my writing group partners: Susan Spann, Marci Jefferson, Amanda Orr,  and Heather Webb.

Sixteenth Century Quote of the Week

photo credit

Never was there a greater need to aid poets than now.

Marguerite de Navarre (1492-1549)

Queen, religious reformer, writer

Letter to Anne de Montmorency, 1536

Silk and Spectacles in the Place des Vosges

photo: AINo

Place des Vosges, the centerpiece of the Marais district on the Right Bank of the Seine, was one of the few architectural undertakings of King Henri IV, who ascended to the throne in 1589 and eventually brought an end to France's religious wars. Originally named Place Royale, the square was intended to be a revenue-producing site, dedicated to the manufacture of silks and other textiles. The four-story red brick buildings that line the square were designed to house factories on the second and third floors. The ground floor shops, accessible through sheltered arcades, would sell the goods manufactured upstairs; factory workers and shop staff could live in dormitories and apartments on the fourth floors, under the eaves.

In tandem with its commercial purpose, Place Royale would provide Paris the public setting it lacked for the grand processions and elaborate spectacles that marked important events like royal births and marriages. Accordingly, the square was paved with cobblestones, and two pavilions were built for the royals' viewing pleasure. The Pavilion du Roi,

photo: Bruno befreetv

marked with Henri's monogram,

photo: Bruno befreetv

was erected on the north side of the square, and the Pavilion de la Reine anchored the south.

Construction, begun in 1605, proceeded to a rapid conclusion by 1612. However, the notion that the buildings would house factories died along with the king when Henri was assassinated in 1610. His wife Marie de Médici, regent to his young son Louis XIII, abandoned the manufacturing project and allowed the elegant buildings to be subdivided into residences for the wealthy. Later in the century, an equestrian statue of Louis XIII was erected in the center of the square.

This statue remained in place for 150 years, until it was destroyed during the Revolution--along with the square's royalist name. The new moniker, Place des Vosges, commemorated the first district that raised a volunteer army to repel the Prussian invasion. Fifteen years after the restoration of the monarchy in 1814, a new statue of Louis XIII--the one presently gracing the square--was installed.

photo: Mbzt

Place Royale was built on the site of the Hôtel des Tournelles, a royal residence dating back to the fourteenth century. The residence comprised a collection of buildings and pleasure gardens spread over a twenty acre estate. François I's mother, Louise de Savoie, had lived there, and his mistress Anne de Pisseleu d'Heilly later used it as her Parisian residence. Henri II, François's son and heir, held his coronation there in 1547 and granted its use to his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. It was at the Hôtel des Tournelles in 1559 that Henri II died after a horrific jousting accident. His widow, Catherine de Médici, had the buildings demolished several years after his death. The space was used as a military training ground for many years until Henri IV dedicated it to his innovative project.

Hotel des Tournelles and surrounding area around 1550. Published map of Paris.

[The information about Place Royale's commercial origins comes from Alex Karmel's delightful book,  A Corner in the Marais: Memoir of a Paris Neighborhood (1998).]

Where's the Love? Blog Hop

Love is in the air--and on the pages. Heather Webb of Between the Sheets is hosting a Valentine's Day blog hop. Follow the trail and read love scenes from participants' novels. Here's a contribution from my work-in-progress:

photo: Joseph Kranak

They walked a bit in silence, the unlit windows of the near-empty château withholding both succor and judgment. Their footsteps echoed on the cobbles, rousting pigeons from the eaves and sending mice scurrying to the safety of shadows. Far off, an owl hooted, hungered by the croaking of the pond’s countless frogs. The sweetness of the honeyed wine lingered on Catherine’s tongue, stilling each feeble tremor of caution. When the duke changed direction and led her into the cour de la fontaine, she did not resist.

They stood at the railing and gazed out upon the lake. The moonlight lay like early frost upon the rippled surface. The reedy bank below them exhaled a rich breath of damp earth, while above them the stars winked in complicity.

“A gift from heaven,” Orléans murmured. 

The view, the moment, the day? “Indeed it is, my lord.”

He cocked a brow. “I don’t supposed you’d call me Charles?”

She shook her head. “I dare not presume.” 

Disappointment flashed in his eyes, only to be doused by her murmured disclaimer. “Not aloud, that is.”

He tipped her chin, raising her gaze to meet his. “Then I shall have to imagine the whisperings of your heart.”

"They cannot be difficult to discern.”

He bent then and kissed her, his breath sweeter than the sugared plums, his lips softer than the velvet sleeve beneath her hand. Though they were of one age, she knew nothing of love. Breathless with delight, she closed her eyes and surrendered to the wonder of his exploration.

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Comments and critique welcome. In fact, commenters will be entered into Heather's drawing for FREE CHOCOLATE! Be sure to visit Heather's blog and follow the links to other scenes. Spread the love!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Review: SHADOW ON THE CROWN by Patricia Bracewell

I read an advanced copy of Patricia Bracewell's SHADOW ON THE CROWN (Viking) several months ago and loved it so much I included it in my Best Reads of 2012. I'm happy to say I appreciated it even more upon second reading! Here is my review.

Women, even queens, figure little in the annals of the past, and often it takes a novelist to rescue them from the shadows. Emma of Normandy may have commissioned a book about her life in 1040, but that account ignores her fifteen-year marriage to Athelred II, the king who brought her to England's shores. In SHADOW ON THE CROWN, the first volume of a proposed trilogy about Emma, Patricia Bracewell rectifies this omission with consummate skill, imagining Emma's first marriage with a verve and flair that assure the queen a lasting escape from obscurity.

In AD 1002, Athelred takes foreign-born Emma to wife in order to forge an alliance with her brother Richard, duke of Normandy, against the Danish Vikings, whose raids pose a perpetual threat to England's prosperity. In a moment of pique against his council, Athelred accepts Richard's stipulation that Emma be crowned queen and not simply consort, thereby giving any son of hers precedence over the seven sons of his uncrowned first wife. Emma quickly learns that she will secure her position only by producing a son, a task that proves increasingly difficult once the king, regretting his hasty decision, shuns her bed for that of her English rival. 

Far from home with few retainers, Emma finds herself mistrusted by the English nobles, resented by Athelred's first family, taunted by the woman who hopes to unseat her, and spurned by the king who fears granting her any further power over him. Strengthened by her mother's admonition to show no fear, Emma weathers these struggles with admirable fortitude and grace. Yet Emma's mother never taught her how to steel her heart against love, and the unbidden passion that arises between Emma and a member of the King's household threatens to destroy everything she has struggled to build. When the Danes attack England through the treachery of the King's enemies, Emma becomes both target and scapegoat and must scrabble to retain her throne and her heart.

Bracewell constructs her story around the sequence of events recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, filling in the gaps with vividly imagined, historically plausible conjecture. The story unfolds from the viewpoints of four well-developed, psychologically convincing characters: weary King Athelred, mistrustful of all, haunted to the brink of madness by the specter of his murdered half-brother; Emma, courageous and compassionate, navigating the dangers of a foreign court armed with nothing but her own inner strength; impetuous Athelstan, Athelred's eldest son, who yearns for his father's approval even as he seeks to distance himself from his disastrous policies; and Elgiva, vain and self-centered, ever scheming to snare a king and escape the abusive domination of her father and brother. The point-of-view shifts fluidly yet cleanly between these four characters, often several times within a single chapter, providing a kaleidoscopic and thoroughly engaging view of events and emphasizing the interconnectedness of personal and political aims. 

Enabled by her meticulous research, Bracewell recreates the stark beauty and pervasive brutality of the Anglo-Saxon world. She respects the realities of the era, not the sensibilities of the modern reader. Emma's England is a pagan place, where official Christianity has yet to discredit sway of seers and ease the grip of prophecy. It is a savage place, where kings slay innocents to protect their interests and invaders pillage and rape and kill without qualm. It is a masculine place, where men exploit women for their beauty or their wombs and trade them like pawns on the chessboard of dynasties. Yet it is also a place where love and loyalty and honor flourish, a place where, despite all the obstacles arrayed against her, a determined woman like Emma can use her gifts of mind and body and spirit to carve a name for herself and a future for her children. It was, in sum, a fascinating world I was loathe to quit and to which I look forward to returning. Bracewell's enthusiasm for Emma and her world shines through every beautifully wrought sentence of this masterful debut.

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A few weeks ago, Patricia answered questions about her research and journey to publication in this insightful interview. You can learn more about the author at her website; be sure to check out her blog. You can find SHADOW ON THE CROWN at major booksellers and independent bookstores, or order online from your preferred vendor.

Sixteenth Century Quote of the Week

Rodolph

"There were all manner of shapes, men and women, half men and half horse, sirens, serving-maids with baskets, French lilies and delicate crenellations all round made from dry twigs bound together and the afore-said evergreen quick set shrubs, or entirely of rosemary, all true to the life, and so cleverly and amusingly interwoven, mingled and grown together, trimmed and arranged picture-wise that their equal would be hard to find."

Thomas Platter (1574-1628), Swiss physician, traveller and diarist

Describing topiaries in garden at Hampton Court, 1599

[translated by Clare Williams, 1937]

Author Interview: Patricia Bracewell, SHADOW ON THE CROWN

Today I welcome author Patricia Bracewell to discuss her debut novel, SHADOW ON THE CROWN, coming from Viking/Penguin on February 7. SHADOW ON THE CROWN is the first in a trilogy of novels about Emma of Normandy, whose marriage in 1002 to an English king set in motion events that would culminate in the Norman Conquest of 1066. Publishers Weekly calls it "an enthralling debut," and having read an advanced copy, I can assure you that it is all that and more!

1.  SHADOW ON THE CROWN is based on real events recorded in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. How much did you know about eleventh-century England prior to undertaking this novel? Why does this period appeal to you?

I knew very little about eleventh century England until I started my research. I’d taken a course in British History in college, so I had a vague knowledge of pre-Conquest England but not specifically the details of that eleventh century world. In my literature classes I had studied some of the better known Anglo-Saxon poetry – Beowulf, for example, and The Wanderer, which has always been one of my favorite poems. But I’d been drawn more to the stories of Arthur and the historical era associated with his legend. The century before the Conquest, and the events that led to it, were a mystery to me, and I suppose that mystery was what intrigued me about the period as much as anything else.

2. What was it about Emma of Normandy that inspired you to write about her? 

The more I learned about Emma, the more I realized how significant a role she must have played in the events that occurred in England in the early eleventh century, and how perilous, at times, her position must have been. The bare fact that she was married to two different kings of England and that those two men were mortal enemies is pretty stunning. She must have faced enormous difficulties – physical, emotional, political. The more I learned about her, the more astonished I was that today she is virtually unknown. I wanted to change that.
3. How do you maintain a balance between history and fiction in your books? What principles guide you as you write?

I suppose the image in my mind is of a tree with a trunk and naked limbs. That’s the history. In writing the story, I’m drawing leaves on that tree – filling in the blank spaces, imagining the events, the conversations and the intentions that nobody bothered to write down. Sometimes I come up with questions about historical events that are really very difficult to answer, and I have to make certain that the answers I come up with fit the story and fit the history as well, at least as far as we know it. My guiding principle is to not change the facts that are known, but I may interpret events in a way that adds to the dramatic action. In the end, I am a storyteller, not a historian.

4. Can you give an example of how you re-interpreted an event? 

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states that a certain high ranking nobleman committed a traitorous act. As a result, his son was brutally punished, yet the ealdorman remained on the king’s council with no loss of stature or power. This didn’t make any sense to me, and I decided that there must be more to the story than the annals were telling us. So I made up a back story that put the treachery on the shoulders of the son rather than the father. Is that what really happened? I don’t know, but it works much better in my story.

5. What was something you learned about eleventh-century Europe that surprised you? 

I was surprised by the distances that people and goods traveled. It’s common to think that someone born in a village in England would never stray more than ten miles from home, and that’s very likely how it was for most people. But goods, silk for example, made their way to England from Constantinople. Furs from the north and spices from the south were traded in London, Paris, Rouen and Aachen. Men appointed to the archbishopric of York or Canterbury traditionally journeyed to Rome to receive confirmation of their office from the Pope. In 1027 a king of England made that trip, and he was one among many pilgrims, men and women alike, who went to Rome or to other pilgrimage sites like Santiago de Compostela in Spain or Lough Derg in Ireland. The journeys would have been difficult and hazardous, and may have taken months, but the elite, the clergy and the traders made them. And the Vikings, of course, went everywhere. 

6. What is your favorite scene in the novel? Which scene was the hardest to write? 

My favorite scene is probably the Prologue. It was one of the last scenes that I wrote and was not even part of the original manuscript. It came to me at one sitting – one of those writing moments when you almost feel as if Someone Else has taken control. The hardest scene to write was one that takes place in a tunnel and is seen through the eyes of a viewpoint character who suffers from claustrophobia. I wanted to make it terrifying reading without making it over-the-top melodramatic. Readers will have to tell me if I succeeded.

7. What has been the most difficult part of your journey to publication? The most exhilarating? 

The hardest times were the moments when the writing was going badly or I had received another rejection letter, and I asked myself if I wasn’t merely wasting my time – even wasting my life. Perhaps my time would be better spent volunteering in an after-school reading program or going back into the classroom. My friends, especially my writer friends, helped me through those rough spots. The most exhilarating moments were my visits last fall to New York and London to meet with my agent and my editors. Their enthusiasm for the book was overwhelming.

8. What do you hope readers take away from reading SHADOW ON THE CROWN? 

First of all, I hope that they will fall in love with Emma of Normandy, as I have, and that they will recognize her as a strong female character in a brutal world and in a particularly brutal time. I also hope that they will recognize that England’s history extends back before the Norman Conquest, and that what happened prior to 1066 is every bit as fascinating as what came after. Finally, I hope that they will want to read the next two books in the trilogy and learn more about the characters who have become so much a part of my life.

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Be sure to return on February 7 to read my review of SHADOW ON THE CROWN. In the meantime, visit Patricia's website and view photo galleries of the locations she visited while researching the novel. She recounts her travels and shares fascinating tidbits about life in eleventh century England on her blog.

Sixteenth Century Quote of the Week

"Dancing is practiced to reveal whether lovers are in good health and sound of limb, after which they are permitted to kiss their mistresses in order that they may touch and savor one another, thus to ascertain if they are shapely or emit an unpleasant odor as of bad meat."

Thoinot Arbeau (1515-1595), Canon of Langres

Orchésographie (1589)

Wicked Anne d'Étampes

If you read French, here's an excellent article on Anne d'Heilly, the duchesse d'Étampes, François I's official mistress for over twenty years and protagonist of my current novel. Is Anne's reputation as a "méchante" (wicked one) deserved? The author of this pulp novel certainly thought so... 

The Moan Zone

After watching my alma mater get soundly beaten in the National Championship game Monday night, I was feeling down. Very down. Especially since, on the writing front, I have officially entered the Moan Zone.

The Moan Zone is a specific, generally unavoidable stage in the process of writing a novel. Like the "red zone" on a football field, which covers the last twenty yards before the goal line, the Moan Zone comprises the last quarter of a novel, those final ten or so chapters that precede "The End."

diagram from Sports Morsel

First-time novelists don't expect the Moan Zone, and even seasoned writers forget. After all, you, the writer, have already moved the ball (your manuscript) eighty or so yards down the field. Maybe it wasn't always smooth going, but enthusiasm and discovery powered you forward. Your characters pulled together, your muse juked the best defenders, the refs made all the right calls. You ground out hundreds of pages, pleased with your progress, impressed with your skills. Now the goal line beckons, tantalizingly close. Just a few more plays and you'll score what's sure to be a best-seller.

Then you hit the Moan Zone.

All of a sudden, you feel deflated, exhausted, scared. Those last twenty yards stretch longer than the eighty you've already traveled. The characters who played seamlessly on the trek downfield turn ornery and fumble-prone, misreading cues, dropping passes, flubbing routes. The antagonists loom larger than ever, fused in a chink-free wall, determined never to allow the ball into the end zone. The seats behind the goal post are filled with opposing fans wearing t-shirts that read "Your novel stinks like old cleats!" and "Even your mom won't read it." Your cheerleaders snarl and snark, tossing aside their pom-poms and chanting "Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!" through their megaphones to confuse and dispirit you even more.

The play clock ticks down as you try to devise the perfect play, a clever route past these obstacles. But the game plan that seemed so brilliant, so clear-cut in the first quarter is now a tangled mess of dropped themes, dead-ends and forgotten details. Instead of coalescing, the threads of the novel break formation, zipping about like fans storming the field. You bang your head against your clipboard, cursing your ineptitude. You're convinced you've lost control of the team. There's nothing left to do but punt.

The Moan Zone is a painful, frustrating, messy place to be.

But, if you've done your job right, it's exactly where you want to be.

Look at it this way. You've spent the last three hundred pages making life difficult for your players, complicating their relationships, foiling their plans, lobbing problem after problem at them. You've stumbled onto plot twists you never envisioned--never could have envisioned--when you first stepped onto the field. Motifs and metaphors have bubbled up from your subconscious. Backstory has offered new insight into character. Tangents have multiplied and gained importance. Now you find yourself drowning in possibility, despairing over how to make it all fit together in the final chapters. Don't lose heart! Instead, rejoice in the challenge--the riot of ideas shows you've delved beyond the obvious, the straightforward, the cliched; you've pushed yourself and your material to exciting, provocative places. Of course it's going to take effort to bring everything to an effective close, but that's what makes a great game. If you knew who was going to win before you started, why bother playing?

When you reach the Moan Zone, you must ignore the jeers and groans and listen to the story. The story will offer its solution, but only if you silence the defeatist voices and let it speak.

So buck up and buckle down. If writing a novel were easy, everyone would pen one. Only two teams play in the National Championship, and they didn't get there by freezing at the opponent's twenty yard line.

Best thing is, when you write a book, you get unlimited downs. If a play fails, scratch it and try something else. Go back to previous plays and make adjustments. Repeat the opening kick-off as many times as you need. Unlike a real game, you can do things over and over until you get them right.

If you up your game in the Moan Zone, you'll not only cross that goal line--you might even take home the trophy.

Now crank up the Fight Song and let's play ball.

photo credit: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images