Creativity Friday: Interview and giveaway with Catherine Delors, author of For The King

So, you might be wondering, where have I been since June 18th? (Yup, this blog has been dark for that long!) The short answer: I finished my novel THE LILY MAID. The amount of work involved was all encompassing—the final draft came to 113,000 words or 392 pages. The manuscript was handed into my literary agent Monday. Hopefully she’ll like it! So far, she’s only read a synopsis of it.

Since finishing the manuscript, I’ve been engaging in lots of staring at walls and all around decompression and trying not to obsess about What’s Next. Writing THE LILY MAID has been one of the more intense creative experiences of my life. For now, it’s good to have a break to let the creative wells refill before I embark on further book revisions and other projects.

It’s perfect timing that my guest for today’s Creativity Friday is an author who’s been through the novel-writing experience twice—Catherine Delors. She’s generously agreed to answer some of my questions about her creative process. I originally “met” Catherine when my book DOOMED QUEENS was published and she interviewed me on her wonderful blog Versailles and More. I’m thrilled to host her in return.

The focus of my interview today is Catherine’s just-released novel, FOR THE KING (Dutton Books). FOR THE KING takes readers through the dark alleys and glittering salons of post-revolutionary Paris. It is a romantic thriller, a tale of love, betrayal and redemption. On Christmas Eve 1800, a bomb explores along Bonaparte’s route, narrowly missing him but striking dozens of bystanders. Chief Inspector Roch Miquel, a young policeman with a bright future and a beautiful mistress, must arrest the assassins before they attack again. Complicating Miquel’s investigation are the maneuverings of his superior, the redoubtable Fouché, the indiscretions of his own father, a former Jacobin, and two intriguing women. (Full disclosure: I worked with Catherine to create the book video for FOR THE KING. You can watch it on YouTube here.)

We’re giving away a copy of it to one lucky blog commenter. Rules are posted after the interview.

—————————————————–

Kris Waldherr: One of the things which has most impressed me about FOR THE KING is the amazing amount of historical detail you interweave within it. It’s quite astonishing! Your late father was a history professor. I can’t help but wonder about your own research methodology—was it influenced by him? How do you approach researching your novels? Do you do a lot of research in archives?

Catherine Delors: Thank you, Kris! Fortunately, my father lived long enough for us to discuss on many occasions my first novel, MISTRESS OF THE REVOLUTION, before his death. He always emphasized the importance of researching archives. I now realize how right he was on this point. And I would have loved to discuss FOR THE KING with him, in particular what I discovered about Fouché’s involvement in the Rue Nicaise bombing.

KW: As an author, I find that there are certain types of scenes that I find easier to write, others less so—for example, since I’m also an artist, I can get totally lost in writing visual descriptions! What was your favorite part of FOR THE KING to write? Favorite character to write scenes for? (I assume that would be your protagonist, Roch, but maybe not?)

CD: Well, I write descriptions because I cannot help it, but I much prefer writing dialog. In FOR THE KING, my protagonists, Roch and Blanche, were the most difficult to write. I really had fun with two of my villains, Fouché and Short Francis.

KW: You are French yet your novels are written in English. What are the challenges involved in doing this—especially since you’re writing about French history? Do you have a preference for writing in either language?

CD: I write French legal briefs, but have never penned any fiction in my native language! I should like to do that someday.

KW: Both MISTRESS OF THE REVOLUTION and FOR THE KING are set during volatile periods in history, before and after the French Revolution. Like your fellow historical fiction author Sandra Gulland, French history appears to be your métier. Do you have ever have fantasies of writing about a different historical period or even a different country? If so, what and why?

CD: Oh, yes! My next two projects are firmly rooted in the 18th century, but I have a long-cherished dream of writing about certain medieval historical character. A very important, yet now very obscure man…

KW: MISTRESS OF THE REVOLUTION was your first book; FOR THE KING your second. Did you find it easier the second time around? What are the difficulties of writing a second novel? Did you feel pressured after the wonderful reception of MISTRESS OF THE REVOLUTION?

CD: I found my second novel more difficult to write than the first. I believe it is not an unusual experience. Your first novel has a feeling of innocence about it. You simply go for it. With the second novel, you have learned much about both the craft of writing and the business of publishing. You worry whether the readers who loved your first book will follow you with this one. You wonder whether is it as compelling.

To give you an example, Kris, the initial draft of MISTRESS OF THE REVOLUTION was 315,000 words long. I had no idea of standard word counts at the time. (Editor’s note: Publishers expect historical fiction novels to be 90,000 to 120,000 words in length.) In retrospect I feel the novel was better in its long version (but then I love to read very, very long books myself.) Yet, to be blunt, in the real world a debut novel of this length is not publishable. So I had to cut it down to less than half of its length. Some parts may feel rushed now, especially the beginning. So be it, it was the price to pay to get it published.

So with FOR THE KING I paid much attention to my word count from day one. I did not want to have to cut into the flesh of the novel this time around. When I reached 80,000 words, I knew I had 20,000 words to wind down the story, and I stuck to that limit. It was an excellent exercise in writerly discipline for me, though it made it less of a spontaneous adventure. The upside was that, when it landed into my editor’s inbox, there was no more talk of cutting for the sake of cutting.

I am not moaning about the exigencies of publishing, by the way. Arbitrary material constraints have always ruled the business. English novelists in the 19th century were bound, so to speak, by the three-volume format. This did not prevent them from writing works we still enjoy today, long after the triple-deckers were consigned to the trash heap of publishing history.

KW: This is a question that I ask all my author guests: What advice would you give to writers working on novels (specifically historical fiction)? As the saying goes, hindsight is best sight: What do you wish you knew then that you know now?

CD: The only rule a writer needs to remember is to back up her work as often as possible. The best, most successful novels breach the rules you find in “how to” manuals. Once I completed the manuscript of MISTRESS OF THE REVOLUTION and began querying agents, I followed a well-respected site (no names named) for a few weeks, and believed its information, given in a very authoritative tone. Once I secured my own agent and got to know the real world of publishing, I realized how misleading the information was on that site. Yet I see many unpublished writers trust such self-appointed authorities. My advice: forget about “the rules” and concentrate on your writing.

As for historical novelists, they are no different from other writers, except on one point: they must thoroughly research their subject, and present an accurate version of the past.

KW: Another writing question: One thing you’ve also mentioned to me is the difficulties in finalizing a book ending. I know that you mentioned changing the ending to FOR THE KING. Can you tell us a little bit about that process? Were you happy with the final ending?

CD: No, I was not happy. The initial ending was more dramatic, darker than the one I eventually wrote. FOR THE KING explores some rather unsavory corners of the human soul, of politics, of 1800 Paris.  I felt the novel needed a happy ending of sorts to balance that. It simply felt right, it left things more open. Come to think of it, I only did that in my last rewrite, but misgivings about the ending had been lurking on my mind for a long time.

KW: Your “From Unpublished to Published” is a wonderful resource on your website detailing your journey to publishing MISTRESS OF THE REVOLUTION. I especially appreciate that you included the successful query letter that netted you your agent—a very generous gift. Now that you’re a bit further down the road with FOR THE KING, is there any new advice you’d add to this mix?

CD: Oh yes! Unpublished writers focus a tremendous deal of energy on the dream of publication, rightly so. But they should know this is only a first step in a literary career. The hard work begins AFTER your book is completed and you find a publisher.

KW: I follow you on Twitter. Several months ago, you had mentioned that you have two new books underway, just as I do. (Indeed, we joked that it’s like being pregnant with twins!) Is this still the case? Or has one book “won” out over the other? Can you share with us what these books are about? Will they also take place in French history? What can we look forward to reading next from you?

CD: Yes, we are both pregnant with twins. I am writing the prequel to MISTRESS OF THE REVOLUTION. It too is a historical thriller, the story of a serial killer in the mountains of Auvergne, twenty years before the French Revolution. And I am also working on a book on Jane Austen. The latter requires a tremendous amount of sleuthing in far-ranging archives, so the thriller/prequel will probably be completed first.

———————————

Thank you, Catherine, for this wonderfully inspiring and generous interview! As I mentioned above, Catherine and Dutton Books have offered us a delctable copy of FOR THE KING to raffle off here. To win it, simply leave a comment by midnight, July 29, 2010.

The rules: Only one comment per person. Small print: Book can only be shipped to U.S. or Canadian mailing address. Winner will be chosen at random and announced here July 30.

Good luck to all!

• Filed under The Novel, creativity, friends and colleagues, giveaways and raffles, interviews | 12 Responses

The Book of Goddesses: the music composition!

Tomorrow evening marks the world premiere of composer Robert Paterson’s new music composition The Book of Goddesses. It will be performed by by the MAYA trio in a free concert that includes live video by Mark Alan Johnson incorporating images from my book of the same name. (The composition is based on my book of the same name.) There is a free wine reception after the concert — it should be a great evening!

Here’s information about the concert:

Date: Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Time: 8:00pm – 9:30pm
Where: Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South (West 4th St bet. Sullivan and Thompson Sts.), New York, NY

MAYA, the trio of John Hadfield, percussion; Jacqueline Kerrod, harp; Sato Moughalian flute, will be presented by JudsonArts, at 55 Washington Square South, New York, in a program of new works, featuring four world-premiere performances on Tuesday, June 8 at 8 PM. Admission is free.

The concert is a co-presentation of JudsonArts, Michael Conley, Director, and Perspectives Ensemble. Generous support for these commissions came from The New York State Council on the Arts, the Jerome Foundation, the American Composers Forum, and the Spanish Ministry of Culture. Additional support for the performance comes from the Jarvis and Constance Doctorow Family Foundation and The Foundation for Iberian Music.

PROGRAM

different voices together (2010) • Premiere • Yotam Haber
(commissioned for MAYA by the Jerome Foundation) (b. 1977)

The Book of Goddesses (2010) • Premiere • Robert Paterson
(commissioned for MAYA by the NYS Council on the Arts) (b. 1970)
I. Sarasvati
II. Xi Wang Mu
III. Aphrodite
IV. Brigit
V. Estanatlehi
VI. Xochiquetzal
VII. Oya
VIII. Yemayá
IX. The Muses

Theoretical Wall (2010) • Premiere • John Hadfield
Sisters (b. 1976)

ASKLEPIOS (2010) • Premiere • Gabriel Erkoreka
(commissioned for MAYA by the Spanish Ministry of Culture) (b. 1969)
Bolgar Gypsy Horo trad. Hungarian Romani/
Kalman Balogh
Arr. Gregg August/MAYA

——————————-

If you live in the NYC area, I hope you can make it! I plan to attend with my family — exciting!

• Filed under be-mused, events, friends and colleagues, goddesses, the world around me | One Response

Authors at the Gallery: Sharon Lerner reading on June 4, 7pm

Reminder: Tomorrow night is journalist Sharon Lerner’s reading for her new book, THE WAR ON MOMS: On Life in a Family-Unfriendly Nation. Sharon is a fellow mom in my neighborhood, so I can testify from personal experience that she walks the walk as well as talks the talk. Her book has been garnering much attention — this is a hot button issue for many. I’m so pleased to be having Sharon at the gallery!

More about Sharon’s book: THE WAR ON MOMS is battlefield reporting on the widespread, brutal realities facing most American women today: the lack of paid maternity leave, the dearth of decent part-time work options, and the shortage of good, affordable childcare options. While there are many recent books about high-earning professionals mothers, this book focuses instead on the vast majority of women who can’t buy their way out of these dilemmas. It tells the truth that overworked, stressed-out American moms need to hear: that they’re not alone — and they’re not to blame.

Praise for THE WAR ON MOMS:

“A stinging account of how public policy and private businesses have failed to adapt to working mothers. Read it and weep at European family-friendly policies, like Sweden’s guarantee that parents can work reduced hours until their child is 8. Or read it and be grateful, perhaps, that you have it a lot easier than many others.”
— Jennifer Ludden, National Correspondent, NPR

“Sharon Lerner has turned her guns on the futility of the swanky “Mommy Wars” to reveal that the real war on mommies has little to do with wealthy women who opt-out or the quest for the perfect au pair…. Every mom who worries about managing a workload, a home, and a family needs to read this book. The laundry can wait.”
— Dahlia Lithwick, Senior Editor, Slate

Live in the NYC area? Here’s the info to attend the reading:

Friday, June 4, 2010, 7 pm
AUTHORS AT THE GALLERY: Sharon Lerner
Book Event and Author Q&A
Free admission. Refreshments provided.

Kris Waldherr Art and Words studio-gallery
1501 Newkirk Avenue (entrance on Marlborough Road)
Brooklyn, NY 11226
347-406-5811
subway to Newkirk Avenue: Q 0r B train
street parking is available.

If you don’t live in NYC, we’ll be livestreaming this event starting at 7:15 pm EST at this link. We’ll be able to take your comments and questions for Sharon on this important and sometimes polarizing subject.

As a mother of a small child who struggles to balance everything myself, I’m excited that my gallery will be providing a forum for Sharon’s book.

• Filed under events, friends and colleagues, studio and gallery | No Comments

Creativity Friday: Inspiring a Novel*, part 3 ~ and book giveaway winner!

First off, congratulations to Robyn Crosa! She’s won Stephanie Cowell’s CLAUDE & CAMILLE book giveaway. I’ve contacted you by e-mail with instructions on how to claim it. If you don’t receive the e-mail, please leave me a comment on this post. (If you haven’t read my interview with Stephanie yet, you can do so here. It’s especially filled with wonderful inspiration for writers.)

On a related note, we have other author events coming up online and at the gallery. Journalist Sharon Lerner (THE WAR ON MOMS) will visit the gallery June 4th for the next installation of our Authors at the Gallery series. Don’t live in the NYC area? This event will be livestreamed and archived. In July, we’ll have a blog interview and book giveaway with Catherine Delors, author of the upcoming novel FOR THE KING which is already garnering rave reviews. I’m really looking forward to hosting Sharon and Catherine.

——————————————————-

As I mentioned in my previous post, The Novel now has a title, THE LILY MAID. Since it’s set in 1880’s Victorian England during the Aesthetics Movement, I’m having a lot of fun describing the clothes. How did Aesthetic (also known as Artistic) dress differ from the rest of Victorian society? Think of an upholstered sofa and the many permutations they can take on.

You can have this:

Or this:

Now translate these into women’s clothing. Here’s the typical 1880’s Victorian woman’s silhouette, complete with bustle and corset:

And her Aesthetic dress companion:

Costume photographs © Victoria and Albert Museum.

Note the lack of corsets and stays, the loose hair. Imagine how freeing — and transgressive — this must have felt to ladies of that era! They could breathe and move! In many ways Aesthetic clothing was a predecessor to the Rational Dress Society, though the two movements do overlap in time. Interestingly, another inspiration for Aesthetic dress was the Italian Renaissance, which also fed the imagery of the Pre-Raphaelites. Note the high waistline, the drape of the sleeve.

In Victorian England, the foremost purveyors of Aesthetic-style clothing was Liberty & Co, now still in business as Liberty of London. I was deeply amused to recently come across ready-to-wear Liberty of London dresses at Target; I immediately snapped up two of them so I could dress in character as I write. How could I resist?

Here’s a description of Aesthetic dress from THE LILY MAID:

[The gowns] were all cut in the loose, quasi-medieval Aesthetic manner without stays or bustle, like many of the clothes I’d gaped at from afar at Liberty & Co. They were a revelation; I felt as though I could breathe and move unconstrained. Two were decorated with embroidery, mainly of a floral nature. Another bore beading around the necklines and elaborately smocked cuffs. As I viewed myself in the mirror, I felt transformed into another milieu, another class. I felt strange and was mildly embarrassed at my display – I looked more akin to those peacock feathers she kept in a vase than myself.

…. Several ladies ceased their conversation to stare at us. We stared back. Compared to myself and Nessa’s aesthetic-style dress, these women looked like upholstered sofas, tucked and draped and padded from their generous bustles to leg o’ mutton sleeves.”

Next weekend, I’ll be off on a writer’s retreat in an attempt to tie up the remainder of THE LILY MAID’s first draft. I don’t know how successful I’ll be, but I’m excited to try. Wish me luck!

———————————————

* This is part of an ongoing occasional series of posts about inspiration for the two books I’m working on right now. The first is THE LILY MAID, a novel. The second book is a nonfiction follow up to DOOMED QUEENS. Read previous posts here, here, and here.

• Filed under The Novel, events, friends and colleagues, giveaways and raffles, studio and gallery | No Comments

We’ve been featured…

…in Tarot Tips, the official newsletter of The Tarot School. Art and Words is their featured blog for their May 15th issue.

I’m very pleased by this honor! Here’s what was written:

Creator of the Goddess Tarot, The Lovers Tarot, and illustrator of the Anubis Oracle Deck and several new decks on the way, Kris Waldherr is a prolific artist and writer. Her blog and site features her personal journey of the creative process. Very cool for all aspiring authors!”

If you don’t already subscribe to Tarot Tips, you can do so here.

In other news:

~ There’s just one more day to enter Stephanie Cowell’s CLAUDE & CAMILLE book giveaway.

~ Related note: I’ll have reviews of CLAUDE & CAMILLE and DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL on this blog in June. They’re both wonderful novels — I highly recommend them!

~ I’m pleased to have worked with C. W. Gortner on the video for his new historical fiction novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI. It comes out May 25th. Publication day is almost here — congratulations, Christopher! I hope it sells gazillions of copies. (Watch the video on YouTube here.)

~ On the work front, there’s lots going on as usual. My main project right now: I’m hunkered down in an attempt to finally finally finish the first draft of The Novel. Toward that end, I’ll be going away on a writer’s retreat Memorial Day weekend (similar to what I did in January when I went to Montreal). A very generous and kind friend is loaning me her house outside Boston for the weekend. Wish me luck!

~ And The Novel finally has a title: THE LILY MAID. It’s a quote from a poem in Tennyson’s IDYLLS OF THE KING, one of my inspirations for The Novel.

• Filed under The Novel, art and words, creativity, friends and colleagues, giveaways and raffles, tarot and oracles | No Comments