The Whispering Women

    1.     How did you become an author? I always wanted to be a writer. I worked in journalism and scriptwriting for years. I also worked as a freelance writer and wrote short stories and essays. But I love novels so eventually (in my 40s) I started writing and publishing novels.

    2.     Tell us about your writing process. Fortunately, I am finally writing full time, so I usually write or editing every day. I prefer mornings for writing and afternoons for reading, marketing, and editing. 

    3.     How would you persuade readers to buy your book(s)? What a good question. It depends which book and what kind of readers they are. For my historical series, I would say that if you like well written, well researched, immersive books about strong, independent women then you will like my books.

    4.     What is your all-time favourite book? What makes it special? My favorite all-time book is Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky because of its deep psychological nature. A more recent favorite is The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, which is funny because I didn’t like it at first but once I got into the story I found it thrilling and compelling. I couldn’t put it down. I felt that way also about Madeline Martin’s recent book The Librarian Spy. I also really love A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.

    5.     What are you reading at the moment? Fifth Avenue Glamor Girl by Renee Rosen and The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn. Speaking of favorite books, The Social Graces by Rosen and The Rose Code by Quinn are two books that I adore and highly recommend. 

    6.     Which author(s) (past or present) would you invite to dinner? Mark Twain, Virginia Wolfe, and Jane Austen. I think that would be an absolute hoot. 

    7.     What do you do when you’re not writing? Do you have any hobbies or passions? My two dogs require a lot of attention — walks in the woods and visits to the beach. My husband and I love to watch period pieces on television. And a recent passion for us is going out to hear my stepson’s jazz performances. He’s an amazing bass player. 

    8.     How important is it to have your historical facts right and are there any instances when you would bend history to fit your story? In historical fiction, the history is what makes it so compelling so you want to be as accurate as possible. It seems from my reading that almost everyone bends it a little when it’s important for the story. For example, in my second book, I changed the date of an explosion by a couple of months to fit my narrative. I’ve seen other writers do something similar. That’s why the Author’s Note can be so useful. It’s important to let your readers know when you’ve altered the facts. In general, though, historical figures should behave the way they actually would have behaved — unless your historical figures are slaying vampires — and historical events should be rendered as accurately as possible. Primary sources such as newspaper accounts and memoirs are key for getting those details right.

    9.     Can you give novice writers some tips (do’s/don’ts)? Follow the history. You’ll find the stories there. 

    10.   What are your future plans as an author? Taped to my wall, I have a list of twenty more historical books that I want to write. When they’re done, I plan to type up my old journals just for the heck of it.