As I gear into the home stretch of this draft of THE LILY MAID, I’m reminded how I felt when I was nine months pregnant with Thea: so ready to get it over and also not believing that it would ever be over. This, on top of moving house and studio, makes me a very grumpy and overwhelmed camper. Bah humbug and all that! Regardless, here’s where I’m at right now with my novel:

~ I’ve revised about 320 pages of the manuscript. I have about another 120 to go. So if I revise 30 pages a week between now and my February 1, 2012 deadline, I should be okay. Right?

~ That written, based on the comments I’m getting from my wonderful critique partners, I’ve still a few last refinements to make. Not big deals, but they’ll help immensely with clarifying character motivation, plot arc, and all those important details that push a novel from “why did that happen again?” to “wow.” Hopefully. So I need to allow time for that.

~ I’m also off to England for two weeks in mid-January for my next writer’s retreat/last round of research trip. This time I’ll be staying in the Cotswolds, where a section of my novel takes place, as well as in London. Since daylight is short in the UK right now, I’m figuring I’ll research during the day and write at night. Having uninterrupted time is so useful for my focus at this stage, so I suspect this will speed up the process. But I will miss my family, especially Thea who is at such a delicious age right now.

Aaaannnnd in typing all this up, I’m starting to feel overwhelmed all over again. (Cue hyperventilation. Reach for paper bag.) But I know this is a normal part of the process when finishing up a big creative project—it will pass, the book will get finished, life will go on. On a related note, I was reassured to read via author Sandra Gulland that Sarah Waters (FINGERSMITH, AFFINITY) keeps a bottle of Rescue Remedy by her desk to help with writing anxiety. So I’m in decidedly good company these days.

Other news:

~If you’re in the NYC area, we’re having a studio closing party this Saturday at my “old” space—our last hurrah.So come by, say hello, and take a last gander at the space where I’ve created many projects very happily over the past four years. Children are decidedly welcome.

~Out with the old, in with the new: The new studio space is in the process of being set up. I’m pleased to announce that, instead of a chalkboard door, there will an entire chalkboard wall. I also have a view that goes for blocks—gorgeous! Photos to come soon.

~Finally, amid all this craziness, I was recently interviewed about my publishing career, writing process, and views on storytelling. Here’s some advice I gave for aspiring authors:

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

A: To jump in and not be afraid. To allow yourself to write badly and often—what author Anne Lamott calls a “shitty first draft.” She also advises that “perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people.” It’s so true! I’m convinced that writers who become successful (which I define here as published by an established publishing house, though there are many definitions of what constitutes creative success) are those who allow themselves to do just this. The craft of writing is in the fearlessness of beginning and the tenacious bravery of revising and rewriting. It’s also in the willingness to allow yourself to be criticized and rejected, though of course acceptances and accolades are far more pleasant…”

You can read the rest of the interview here.

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Above: The Lady of Shalott by J. W. Waterhouse, the painting which inspired THE LILY  MAID.

I’m so pleased that internationally acclaimed tarot creator Joanna Powell Colbert is my guest for today. Joanna’s Gaian Tarot has just been published by Llewellyn Worldwide to much critical praise. It was previously published as a limited edition and has been in the works for some nine years.

I plan to post a review of the Gaian Tarot soon. In the meantime, here’s the short version: it’s a stunning and important addition to the tarot world. I adore it! And here’s more good news: one lucky blog commenter will have the chance to try the Gaian Tarot for themself: Joanna is generously offering a giveaway of the newly published Llewellyn edition of the Gaian Tarot. Info on how to enter the giveaway is at the end of this post.

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Kris Waldherr: You’ve been working on the Gaian Tarot over the past nine years—a long period of creative development and dedication! What was your experience of “living” with such a long project? Did you ever lose hope you’d ever finish? What advice would you give other artists undertaking major projects such as yours?

Joanna Powell Colbert: I loved the process so much that, even though I was glad to finish the project, I felt lost without it.  A very strange feeling!  I loved coming up with the ideas for the cards, being inspired on my daily walks, searching for messages in the natural world, finding them and incorporating them into the cards.  It was exhilarating and exciting.  I felt so connected to Spirit and to the earth.

I never really lost hope that I would complete the deck.  I knew I would, because I felt like I had an “assignment” from Spirit to finish it and see it out in the world.  I did despair at times, over how long it was taking.  And I got very, very tired of the medium of photo-realistic colored pencil painting.  In fact, I don’t know that I will ever do another piece of artwork in that particular medium again.

Advice for other artists undertaking major projects like this? Persistence! Take it one step at a time, while keeping the big picture in mind.  Set aside blocks of time in your schedule that are earmarked for working on your project, and keep that time as sacred.  I had to say “no” to a lot of events and activities I would have enjoyed, in order to stay home and make art.  And if your life runs away with you, and you get off course, just get back on course with no shame or blame.

KW: It’s been a pleasure to watch the Gaian develop over the years on your very lovely website at GaianTarot.com. Through it, I became very familiar with the Major Arcana cards. So it was a revelation to spend time with the minor arcana cards. Many of them feel so intimate in their detailed vision of nature—spawning salmon (Ace of Water), shooting stars in a night sky (Eight of Fire). They feel like snapshots into nature’s most precious workings. How did you decide on the images for the minors? Was there any difference in your approach to them than for the Majors?

JPC: For both the Majors and the Minors, I would ask myself:  Where does the voice of Nature appear in the themes of this card?  And I would go for long walks on the island, seeking inspiration.  For the Minors, though, I did a lot of preliminary work on structure.  I made a chart — a spreadsheet, really — with the four elements (Air, Fire, Water and Earth) across the top, and the numbers and people cards down the side.  I got very clear about the meanings of the numbers and the people card qualities.  I also made lists of correspondences and symbols for the elements.  Then I would fill in the boxes on the chart with ideas for images that would bring together the quality of the number with the characteristics of the element.

For example, let’s look at the 4 of Water.  To me, “four” means: boundaries, creating a container or sacred space, a foundation. Water is all about emotions, spirituality, dreams and visions.  So I was meditating on “creating a container for sacred dreams and visions” — and I was struck with the image of a well.  A well is a literal container for water!  And there is a tradition of sacred healing wells in Britain.  I had visited Chalice Well in Glastonbury, and it seemed like a no-brainer to set the 4 of Water there, because it brings in the extra added meaning of healing. In the card, we see a woman kneeling by the well, gazing into it.  I obscured her face on purpose, so that the reader or querent can decide whether she is despondent or at peace, as she gazes into the waters of the well.

KW: In your deck, you’ve corresponded the suit of Pentacles (or Coins) with the element of earth. I think your Five of Earth is one of my favorite cards in the deck, which surprises me; usually the Five of Earth is considered a dire warning of material impoverishment. In your version the journeyer is protected by nature against the elements—a more hopeful vision. Can you tell us a little more about creating this card?

JPC: Sure. I believe that every card in every deck carries a range of meanings from light to shadow. The image on each card usually emphasizes one over the other, but as readers, we know to be aware of the entire range.  I don’t like readings where the querent is left hanging with one of the more dire cards.  I want to help the querent find a way out of their current predicament.  So, my 5 of Earth does indeed depict a survival situation:  the hiker is lost in the woods during a storm.  (This could, of course, be a metaphor for illness or financial stress, among other things.)  But here’s the key: the hiker knows he has the survival skills necessary to wait out the storm and make it out of the woods.  He knows how to build a debris hut for shelter. So even though he is cold and uncomfortable, he is not likely to die during the storm.  He’ll find his way out of the woods once the storm has passed.

The idea for the debris hut came from my nature awareness studies with my friend Chris Chisholm of Wolf Camp & College.  Making a debris hut is one of the earth skills he teaches his students in his wilderness survival courses.

KW: On a related note, what is your favorite card in the Gaian Tarot? Why?

JPC: The Guardian of Water. She is the “Goddess” card in the deck for me. I have a particular affinity for the Ocean Mother, in all the ways she manifests around the world in various cultures. I love this piece because I think it perfectly captures the compassion of Tara and Kwan Yin, pouring out the waters of mercy upon a troubled world.

KW: Now for some publishing questions! The Gaian Tarot is available both as a self-published limited edition and as a traditionally published deck with Llewellyn Worldwide. These days so much of the dialogue in the publishing industry is about the benefits of self-publishing versus traditional house. Some authors prefer the financial benefits and autonomy of self-publishing; others want the stamp of approval of a publishing house. How have these two paths served you?

JPC: I’ve had the best of both worlds, and I’m very grateful for that. In terms of money, I will most likely make more money with the limited edition than I will make with the Llewellyn edition.  But I am very happy that Llewellyn was able to produce the deck in a format that is affordable for almost anyone.  So anyone who wants the deck can have one, and that gives me a lot of joy. Llewellyn of course has great distribution channels, which I could never replicate as a self-publisher.  So the benefits of being published by a house are, as you say, the stamp of approval (Capricorns love that!), and becoming more widely known. [Note from KW: Tauruses love this too!] I am hopeful that people who buy the Llewellyn deck will want to take classes or workshops with me, join my Gaian Tarot Circle online community or book tarot consultations with me.  Like I said, the best of both worlds!  Self-publishing is better for making money and having creative control over the finished product; a publishing house is better for advancing your “fame” and reputation.

KW: Do you have any preference for one mode of publishing over the other? Would you self-publish a deck again in the future?

JPC: I have been sitting with those questions for awhile.  I think I would have to look at each project individually and think about ROI (Return On Investment).  I worked for nearly a decade on the Gaian Tarot with no financial compensation. So it was quite gratifying to finally make a decent chunk of money through sales of the limited edition.  If I can produce other books or decks quickly, I would be more likely to seek a publishing house.  Of course, there’s always the “best of both worlds” scenario, too.  As long as publishers are amenable, I think I’d always like to publish a high-end version along with a mass market version.  Yes, I would self-publish a deck again, if I had plans to create another deck, which I don’t. Not at the moment, anyway!

KW: What advice would you give to anyone looking to publish a tarot deck? Or even just looking to break into publishing?

JPC: Come up with a unique vision for your deck, and stay true to it. Make sure it comes from your heart and the promptings of Spirit. Don’t worry about whether or not your idea is commercial enough for a publisher. You can always publish it yourself.  Learn how to write a killer non-fiction book proposal — take a workshop, or read (and follow) a good book on the topic. Do your market research and create a promotion plan.  Build a platform (online and offline) while you’re creating the deck so you will already have a tribe of “fans” when the deck is published.  Go to tarot conferences and writers conferences, and network with editors and agents.  (Sometimes at conferences you can book a time slot to pitch your project to an editor or agent. Even if they turn you down, you will learn a lot!)

Don’t give up.

KW: Finally, what are you working on now? Do you have future books or decks underway?

JPC: My current focus is on teaching, more than art or writing projects. I teach online courses as well as in-person workshops, on the Gaian Tarot, earth-centered spirituality and manifesting your dreams. I’m currently in the midst of planning my schedule for 2012. One project I’m very excited about is creating a Gaian Soul Retreat for women, with an emphasis on creativity, spirituality and nature.  I’m looking for a venue here in the Northwest, maybe on one of the islands. It will probably be a four day retreat in late summer or early fall of 2012.

I am tossing around the idea of an oracle deck focused on plants and animals, with no humans in it. But so far it is just an idea. I went on a writers retreat in July, and received a “divine download” for a new illustrated book. The working title is “Reading the Book of Nature.” It’s a series of illustrated meditations based on practices I’ve collected from many sources over the years on how to create a deeper relationship with the natural world. I cover some of this same material in my workshops. I’m very excited about it!

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Thanks, Joanna, for a wonderfully inspiring interview! As I mentioned above, Joanna has offered one copy of the Gaian Tarot to raffle off here. To win, simply leave a comment by midnight, October 2, 2011. The rules: Only one comment per person. Small print: Deck set can only be shipped to U.S. mailing address. Winner will be chosen at random and announced here on Monday, October 3rd.

Good luck to all!

To say it’s a busy winter—well, I won’t bore you with the obvious. In the meantime, here’s some news and links.

1. Tarotist James Ricklef recently interviewed me about The Lover’s Path Tarot. It’s part of his ongoing Tarot Creator Forum feature on his blog. Check that out here.

2. In other tarot news, our next Tarot Salon at the gallery is set for February 11th from 7 to 9:30pm. Author and urban shaman Mama Donna Henes and I will be reading. Fran Dunston will be offering massages. Plus red wine! Chocolate! Get the details here. (BTW, Art and Words Editions has published the e-book edition of  Mama Donna’s wonderful THE QUEEN OF MY SELF for Kindle, iPad, and Nook. Learn more here.)

3. I’ve decided to attend the Historical Novel Society conference this June in San Diego on the recommendations of my author-friends Mary Sharratt, C. W. Gortner, and Faith L. Justice. I’ve been to many publishing conventions, but never to a writer’s conference. I’m excited.

4. Related to the above: Big congratulations to C. W. Gortner on the U.K. publication of THE TUDOR SECRET. It’ll be available in the States on February 1st from St. Martin’s Press. Plus the paperback edition of Mary Sharratt’s heart-wrenchingly beautiful novel DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL is now available. Mary graced us with a reading from it last year at the gallery—a very memorable event! Last but definitely not least, my cousin Vicky Alvear Shecter’s new nonfiction book CLEOPATRA RULES! was recently published. Congrats to all!

5. Besides all of this, I’ve been on a reading jag. I’ve finally dived into the novels of Sarah Waters—FINGERSMITH and AFFINITY—and am looking forward to tearing through the rest. I’m speechless on how good they are! Also finally read WATER FOR ELEPHANTS, ANGELS & INSECTS, and THE LADY AND THE UNICORN. And I’m in the middle of THE REAL MINERVA and THE LAST QUEEN. All very inspiring stuff! I also have a pile of biographies awaiting of Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven and Winnaretta Singer (aka Princess Edmond de Polignac). I’ve also pre-ordered Peggy Orenstein’s CINDERELLA ATE MY DAUGHTER, which comes out later this month.

6. On a non-fiction note, my friend Lucy Raubertas has just released her evocatively written blog Indie Perfume for the Kindle. Indie Perfume offers information about independent perfumers and their transcendent creations, inviting us to connect to nature and beauty through the sense of smell. It’s very calming and centering in a Proustian way—just like the lovely Lucy herself. Learn more or subscribe here.

And that’s the latest! More to come once I get a chance to relax and smell the perfume.

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.

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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.

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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!

For today’s Creativity Friday, I’m thrilled to have as my guest acclaimed historical fiction novelist Stephanie Cowell. Stephanie’s luminous novels feature the passions and struggles as well as the intimate daily world of artists, writers and musicians of the past: Claude Monet half a century before he painted the water lilies (CLAUDE & CAMILLE), the unmarried Mozart choosing between four musical sisters (MARRYING MOZART), Shakespeare leaving his resentful family in Stratford to try make it as a playwright in London (THE PLAYERS). She is currently writing a novel about a much-loved writer from the nineteenth century — but more about that below.

Stephanie was also a guest at the gallery last month as part of our as part of our ongoing Authors at the Gallery series. It was so inspiring to meet her in person! (Her reading is available to watch here.)

My interview today is about her just-released novel, CLAUDE & CAMILLE (Crown Books). CLAUDE & CAMILLE relates the not-so-well-known tragic love story of the young, unknown Claude Monet and his great love and muse Camille Doncieux. I thoroughly enjoyed it and think you will too. So we’re giving away a copy of it to one lucky blog commenter. (Rules are posted after the interview.)

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Kris Waldherr: You’ve mentioned viewing the Impressionist paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City as an inspiration for CLAUDE & CAMILLE. Was there a particular “eureka” moment that led you to discovering the story of Monet’s first wife and muse, Camille Doncieux?

Stephanie Cowell: Well, not, actually! I fell in love with the friendships of the men there. Of course my husband-to-be was with me, his hand on my shoulder (which was a most entrancing feeling as we had just recently met), so the feeling of love was in the air. I had a sense Monet had loved passionately but I don’t remember a picture of Camille there. Someone just told me they had “Women in the Garden.” How could I not recall it? I recall the strong feeling that he was about to fall intensely in love.

KW: CLAUDE & CAMILLE is quite the delectable tearjerker — Camille is such a quicksilver, tragic muse of a character! What was the hardest part about writing about her? What did you find most compelling? Most difficult?

SC: Camille was the most difficult character in the book and the last to develop into a full, complex character. In an early version she was just a sweet young thing from a poverty background, but when I learned her background was upper-class it made a difference. When I was in my early 20’s I knew a few girls, one who kept lying because she wanted to appear fascinating and then didn’t know truth from fiction and a few (me too) who threw away good homes to live in poverty and wash diapers by hand, feeling we were among the genuine people. My editor kept coaxing Camille from me during the editorial stage and she just grew into something we both didn’t expect. Her terror of growing older, her secret letters to an unknown man…that sort of all came to flower (so to speak) towards the end of the writing process.

KW: One of the things I loved about CLAUDE & CAMILLE is the visceral sense of nineteenth century Paris you’ve evoked — the artists’ gatherings with their rough red wine, the scrounging for oil paint, the renting of model’s clothing, and so on. It’s all very La Bohéme. Can you describe your research process? How long did it take? Do you research before you begin to write?

SC: Research takes place before, during and then after in a way. You keep adding things. I love to find bits of daily life and stick them in. I guess I was researching the whole time. Various biographers had different opinions of the characters, and of Camille herself there was very little known at all. I worked with old photographs and paintings and many books. I walked the streets of Paris where Claude had walked and I went to Giverny. At one point in the book, I only had Claude young in the years before he had heard of Giverny (he did not rent that house until he was 43, after Camille dies); a close friend said, “You must go there to see what he became.” And I did and oddly…I felt so proud of him! I murmured under my breath, “Claude, see what you managed to achieve with your work!” I hope no one else heard me.

KW: Before you became a novelist you spent years as a singer and musician — I’m sure this must have been useful to you in your previous novel, MARRYING MOZART. For CLAUDE & CAMILLE, was your arts background helpful when it came to writing about visual artists? Or was it a challenge? Did you find yourself making certain assumptions about their artist process that turned out to be not as applicable as you first thought?

SC: I had grown up with art, with the smell of brushes and the shape of the easel against the window, but I had no gift to paint or draw. I have been fascinated all my life with changing light and shadow and perspective. Light across a field or above a river can send me into tears of joys, as can peeled stucco on an old Italian house. In the winter I watch as the stone drinks the light. So I had seen other painters and one day I went to hang out in the Art Students League where my mother had taught and listened to the conversations. I had a few painter friends read the book to make sure nothing was too off. I understood Claude’s compulsion. As to music, I had sung parts of Mimi and Musetta in La Bohéme and particularly the scene where Mimi loses her key and the young writer and seamstress fall in love in the shabby studio to some of the most glorious music ever written for lovers. I wanted to create that kind of unreasonable passionate love.

KW: Mozart and Monet are such iconic men — it’s hard to imagine them as anything but great artists influencing much of European culture. What similarities did you find writing about Claude Monet and Mozart? Differences?

SC: Oh goodness! Well, they were both very impractical about money; they wanted to live like lower nobility or at least, in Monet’s case, petite bourgeois. They both had compulsions. I think Mozart had more of a sense of humor and was used to presenting himself before kings dressed in gorgeous clothes since the age of six. Mozart’s father devoted himself to him and guided his son’s genius.  And in the 1770’s there were good jobs for musicians/composers. Every good church needed one; every nobleman or archbishop had his orchestra and wanted a new symphony for a wedding or something; they needed new operas like we need new movies (and books, one hopes!)  Monet’s father was against his becoming an artist and by then there were no guaranteed places or incomes for new artists. The photograph had come and all the churches were already painted the century before. And Paris was flooded with a thousand artists. There were very few patrons. Mozart had lots of rich patrons; it took Monet until his forties to find any.

Then of course Mozart was surrounded by the happy family of his wife, even though his father wished he had not married. At thirty he was making a fortune and surrounded  by those who loved him. At thirty Monet was near destitute and about to go into exile to London where thing would be worse.

KW: I’ll ask the same question that I asked Mary Sharrett last month: 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?

SC: I wish I had known how hard it was! I mean, what diligence you need and what a challenge the actual business of writing can be. But I’d say if a writer wants to do this, what a joy it can be! Forming a  few characters, a place, a dish, warm weather, a hat, a quarrel maybe and there is something living on the page. And when someone else reads and loves your story, it is indescribable. I have not quite taken it in…and I can’t really, because each reader has their different ways and reasons for loving a story. It’s a shared intimacy.

KW: I’ve heard that your next book is a novel about the Victorian poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. What inspired you to feature a female protagonist after several books featuring male historical figures? How has writing this book differ from writing CLAUDE & CAMILLE? And, finally, when can we expect to read it?

SC: I have wanted a female protagonist for a long time. I found it easier to write about men and maybe more fascinating, as I always like to know what makes each one tick! And in historical times when a woman is brilliant, so much of the book is about her defying the system to express herself.  Of course each book is different than another book, but in CLAUDE & CAMILLE, Camille can’t wait to defy her loving patents and live the life she wants; Elizabeth has a hard time even marrying because she does not want to displease her father or desert her family. And their moral standards! I am dealing with Victorians here where propriety is everything, not the Bohemian French world where they live as their hearts tell them.  When will the novel be expected? With good luck it will be in bookstores in two years. We’ll see!!

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Thank you, Stephanie, for an amazing interview! As I mentioned above, Stephanie has generously given us a copy of CLAUDE & CAMILLE to raffle off here. To win it, simply leave a comment by midnight, MAY 20, 2010.

The rules: Only one comment per person. However, to spice things up, for an extra entry tell me who is one of your favorite artists and why. He or she doesn’t have to be an Impressionist or nineteenth century artist. I’ll start off: Though it’s difficult to choose just one, one of my favorite artists is Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Why? Not because he’s such a great draftsman — his drawings are seriously wonky. Nor are many of his later paintings particularly tasteful (Bocca Baciata anyone?). But I can’t resist the over-the-top passion he brought to his paintings and drawings. I’m also enthralled with the stories associated with him and his Pre-Raphaelite cohort.

Small print: Book can only be shipped to U.S. or Canadian mailing address. Winner will be chosen at random and announced here May 21. Good luck to all!

Here is the first iris of the season. I spotted it during my walk to the studio yesterday morning, nested within a small brick-bound pocket garden. Isn’t it glorious! It reminds me of my wonderful mother-in-law, Joyce Iris Miller, now that she’s been gone these past few months.

I offer this beautiful flower in lieu of a proper post this week. I’ve been backed up in the studio — all good, just  bottlenecked with an unending to-do list — as well as waylaid by the particulars of kindergarten registration. Anyone familiar with school-age children in New York City will understand the time and stresses involved, but the final outcome has been well worth it. I’m pleased with the school Thea will attend, an arts-based magnet school within walking distance from our home. An added plus is that she’ll be attending it with a number of friends, some she’s known since she was a baby.

(As a side note, can you believe that Thea is old enough for kindergarten?)

In blog-related news, I have a special treat planned for tomorrow’s Creativity Friday. I’ll be interviewing author Mary Sharratt about her luminous new novel DAUGHTERS OF THE WITCHING HILL. Mary incorporates history, myth, magic, and folklore into her writing — all the things I love — as well as offers writing advice. Those of you might remember that she stopped by the gallery last month to give a reading, a real treat.

Oh, and there’s a book giveaway involved too! So I hope you’ll stop by. The fun commences at 9 am EST.

PS: We have author Stephanie Cowell’s wonderful reading livestreamed here for her Monet-inspired novel CLAUDE & CAMILLE.

]]> http://kriswaldherr.com/blog/2010/04/out-and-about-in-brooklyn-and-a-giveaway/feed/ 4 http://kriswaldherr.com/blog/2009/09/creativity-friday-interview-with-lisa-hunt-fairy-tale-tarot-creator/ http://kriswaldherr.com/blog/2009/09/creativity-friday-interview-with-lisa-hunt-fairy-tale-tarot-creator/#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:02:02 +0000 kriswaldherr http://kriswaldherr.com/blog/?p=657 I’m so pleased that internationally acclaimed tarot artist and author Lisa Hunt is my guest for today’s Creativity Friday! Lisa’s newest creation Fairy Tale Tarot has just been published by Llewellyn Worldwide to much critical praise.

Lisa and I have been friends for some years now — from before the publication of her first deck, The Shapeshifter Tarot. She’s one of the most prolific artists I know. We joke that tarot deck creators are the marathon runners of the illustration world — anyone who’s ever painted the 78 images needed for a deck understands how much work is involved. Using this analogy, Lisa is a triathlon champion: Besides The Fairy Tale Tarot, her many, many tarot decks include the bestselling Celtic Dragon Tarot and the award-winning Animals Divine Tarot. I don’t know how she does it all — and so beautifully too!

My interview with Lisa is all about The Fairy Tale Tarot, from inspiration to publication. On top of that, she’s offering a giveaway of The Fairy Tale Tarot set accompanied by a beautiful fine art print of Red Riding Hood. Info on how to enter the giveaway is at the end of this post.

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Kris Waldherr: What inspired you to create The Fairy Tale Tarot?

Lisa Hunt: I have always loved fairy tales. They were the first narratives I heard and they are comfort stories I carry with me. I don’t think a day goes by when I don’t think about fairy tales. I always wanted to explore these stories through written narrative and art, but I didn’t see the obvious until many years later. The big aha moment occurred one Friday while sipping margaritas under the light of a full moon. I was talking about my desire to paint and retell fairy tales when my brilliant hubby blurted out: “You should create a fairy tale deck!”. At that moment, the light bulb exceeded full wattage and I was ready to jump into this new adventure.

KW: The deck and book set look like an amazing amount of work! How long did it take for you to bring it to fruition? What did you find the easiest — and the most challenging — about creating this project?

LH: I started working on the project around 2004- early ‘05 and signed a contract (the easiest part of the project) with Llewellyn in the Spring of 2005. The most challenging part was the very beginning. It reminded me of my first grad school colloquium experience when all the expectations for earning a masters degree seemed absolutely insurmountable. I thought: “How will I ever get through this?” But once you get going, you do get through it and you actually start feeding on the very challenges that had seemed so daunting in the beginning. The Fairy Tale Tarot was the same way. I knew I had to write 78 stories with accompanying art within the somewhat limited format of a tarot deck. I mean, each story had to be self-sustaining using only one image and 2 or 3 pages of text. I sat there and thought “How will I ever get through this?”. But once I started, I was hooked all the way.

KW: The art for The Fairy Tale Tarot is unmistakably your style, which is so well known and loved within the tarot community. Yet it also reminds me a little of those wonderful English book illustration from the early twentieth century — Edmund Dulac, Arthur Rackham. Can you tell me a little about the evolution of the art for The Fairy Tale Tarot?

LH: Great question. My decision to adapt my work to reflect a golden age vintage feel was partially an attempt to mirror what I felt about these stories. I wanted the artwork to assume a sort of timeless quality to honor these lasting narratives. And to me illustrators like Rackham, Dulac, Beatrix Potter and even more contemporary fairy tale illustrators like the late Trina Schart Hyman and Lisbeth Zwerger (whose work I adore), had produced work that is proving to stand the test of time. The world is changing so quickly around us—and in ways that are mind boggling and downright stressful. It was my mission to create something that will also stand the test of time and serve as a potential source of comfort and introspection for many years to come

KW: Once Upon A Time, the book which accompanies the deck, is wonderfully written. I especially love the retellings which accompanies each of the 78 cards in the deck. They remind me of an old fashioned fairy tale book, such Andrew Lang’s The Blue Fairy Book. How did you go about matching the tales to the tarot cards? What considerations did you take in mind?

LH: Believe it or not, it was a relatively painless process. I spent an entire summer season reading fairy tale books. And as I read through entire collections including the complete set of Andrew Lang’s books, I instinctively put the puzzle pieces together. I pretty much identified potential stories for inclusion as I was reading along, with very few diversions from the original list. I supplemented the fiction with piles of scholastic support including Maria Von Frantz, Marina Warner, Maria Tatar, Jack Zipes, the inclusion of analytical psychology and the list goes on. Reading unlocked the ideas and by the time I accumulated a dozen note-filled journals, I knew what stories would best represent the card meanings (based on the Rider-Waite system). I will admit that I did get stuck on a few cards, but I simply put them away and revisited them when inspiration struck.

KW: One of my favorite retellings in Once Upon A Time is “Sealskin”, which accompanies the Queen of Cups. It’s about a shapeshifting female seal who is trapped into marriage when a man captures her sealskin; in this instance, the sea symbolizes the need for emotional freedom, for artistic self-expression. Though the seal wife eventually falls in love with her husband and the family they create, she cannot resist returning to the sea when the opportunity arises:

“She took the skin and embraced her offspring. She held them close for along while, smelling the essence of their earthy hair. As much as she ached for her children, she still had a seal heart — and it was pulling her toward the ocean…. She changed into a seal and dove into the waves.”

What I find especially bittersweet about this story is that the seal wife has to sacrifice one for the other — if she stays with her human family, she is denying her seal nature; if she returns to the sea, she has to leave her earth life behind. It’s the typical “can’t win for losing” scenario so many women face as we struggle to balance family responsibilities with personal development. What advice would you give other women struggling with this same conundrum?

LH: Wow Kris, you pretty much nailed it. There has been some resistance to this card—not necessarily in a negative sense, but because of the profound sadness of the tale’s outcome (leaving her human children behind). But on a symbolic level, it’s much more than that. I think it’s about a woman trying to maintain her own individual voice while addressing the needs of loved ones. I think a lot of women grapple with this including myself. We have an inner calling (the sea) to follow our desires, yet our nurturing natures keep us grounded by the shore, so to speak. I think the original telling was way ahead of its time!

But I honestly don’t think it’s good or wise to completely give up one for the other, despite the challenges of balancing both. If we ignore the needs of the soul, then we are denying ourselves a piece of who we are. And without an outlet to help appease those desires, what will become of all that energy? Like Sealskin, we may start languishing and grow deeply unhappy resulting in the very disharmony we were trying to avoid in the first place.

KW: On a related note, what is your favorite story and card in The Fairy Tale Tarot? Why?

LH: My favorite story that I had written (retold) was “The Little Match Girl” — oh, what an emotional tale full of gut wrenching turmoil. I cried the whole time I worked on it. Despite the sadness, writing it was magical and memorable.

It’s hard for me to choose favorite card paintings, but I love The Sorceress (The Lake Maiden) and all the mystery surrounding her. I think in some ways, I associate that card with the creation of the deck.

KW: You’ve created more tarot decks than any other artist I can think of. As such, you’ve been directly involved in the evolution of tarot. After working on so many decks, what do you consider the future of tarot?

LH: I started working on tarot decks 15 years ago and back then, it was still considered a taboo subject for some people. I did not publicly flaunt my way through Shapeshifter Tarot, but kept a very low key profile. That may sound strange, but at the time, there wasn’t the visibility or widespread acceptance (relatively speaking) that decks are now enjoying. And the internet had yet to really take off—which in some ways changed the entire tarot landscape. I feel tarot entered a renaissance around the new millennium followed by a subsequent boom. This resulted in an explosion of deck publications that continues to grow and captivate tarot enthusiasts from all over the world. I don’t know if I was part of the evolution, but I certainly feel lucky to somehow be part of an amazing era.

KW: Finally, do you have any advice for future tarot deck creators?

LH: Have a strong vision, be willing to dedicate years to the task and live and breathe the very deck you’re creating. I also feel strongly that a potential tarot deck creator should follow his/her own unique voice; and not attempt to emulate what has already been done.

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There are two ways to enter Lisa’s giveaway:

1. Leave a comment on her Fairy Tale Tarot blog here.

2. You can also enter on Twitter. The details are here.

Comments and tweets must be left by 11:59 September 18th. Winner will be announced by Lisa on September 20th.

Good luck to all who enter! And, in the meantime, if you have any questions or comments for Lisa about this interview or The Fairy Tale Tarot, please leave them here in the comments section. I know she’ll be stopping by to respond.

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All images © 2009 Lisa Hunt. Used by permission.

(Full disclosure: I was fortunate to be a workshop presenter at Women of Wisdom a few years ago. It was a wonderful experience!)

Women of Wonder: Empowering the Dreams and Spirit of Women reminds me in some ways of Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party, one of my favorite works of art. Just as The Dinner Party showcases the contributions of women throughout history, Women of Wisdom showcases the art and words of the numerous inspiring women who have presented at WOW. Besides Kris, these steller contributors include Isabel Allende, Marion Woodman, Brooke Medicine-Eagle, Nicki Scully, Frances Moore Lappé, Angeles Arrien, Jean Shinoda Bolen, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Judith Orloff and Riane Eisler. Their essays and poems are interwoven with beautiful art and design.

My interview with Kris is all about her experience working on Women of Wisdom; ways women can carve out sacred space to nurture their creative spirits; and her hopes for the future of the Divine Feminine in our society.

You can purchase the WOW book at www.wisewomanpublishing.com. Heads up: some bonus gifts may still be available when you purchase from the Amazon link on their website.

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Kris Waldherr: One of the things which interests me is women’s creative processes, especially when it comes to making books and art. I read that you worked on Women of Wisdom at two writers’ retreats, one of which was in Sicily. Can you tell me about your experience? Were there specific inspirations which arose out of this situations which wove their ways into Women of Wisdom?

Kris Steinnes: I went to Sicily for a sabbatical from Women of Wisdom, and my life in Seattle! I planned to start writing the book and I did begin there. It was inspiring to just be away from everything where I could start to focus on the project. I transcribed a couple of the talks, and I also wrote some beginning pieces about how Women of Wisdom started, etc. It was a place to wind down and look out my kitchen table at the ocean, walk the beach and plan the book. I can’t say anything I wrote there is in the book – it was more what I call pre-writing. Nine months later I attended Christina Baldwin’s writing workshop on Whidbey Island, Washington. That was very inspirational to be with thirteen women writers and Christina is so good at creating sacred space and doing circle work. We met each morning and evening and did writing exercises, but the best part was having 36 hours of silence where we all worked on our writing pieces. I wrote the first chapter there which shares the experience of entering into Women of Wisdom and it just flowed from that sacred space inside of me. I have to say it turned into two-three chapters when the book was actually finished but it felt so good to complete that at the retreat. The last day we each had thirty minutes to share our writings and get feedback from everyone, which focused on the positive aspects of the writing, not a critical critique so we were all validated for our work. Amazing work was completed by everyone in those five days.

KW: A follow up: For women who perhaps don’t have access to writers’ retreats, what advice can you give on creating a sacred space to nurture their creative endeavors?

KS: After my writing retreat with Christina Baldwin life got busy again as it was Women of Wisdom conference time. So I knew I needed to create some space for me to write and get out of my house. I rented a space that was available from a friend and it was in a complex that had gardens around it, so when I took breaks I could be out in nature. I could go just for four hours a day and be away from home, phones and internet so I could really focus on the work. That’s what I knew I had to do. I know not everyone can, so I suggest you find a place in your home away from phones and anything that will disturb you. I’ve heard some advise to do it first thing in the morning before the day gets started. I’m not a morning person, but I know I don’t make it to the gym unless I do it first in my day, so I think writing can be like that. Some people it’s best late at night – it can be quiet then too. Create a place that’s for writing only and create an altar in the room. Turn off the phone if you have to, shut the door, whatever you need to do to focus. I called on the spirit of the Goddess Sophia to be with me and felt she guided me. It took discipline and it helps to have deadlines!

KW: Though your writing is featured in Women of Wisdom, you also shaped the book as editor. The book includes contributions from some major women authors, experts, and leaders, such as Riane Eisler, Isabel Allende, and Jean Shinoda Bolen. What was involved in editing such a stellar group of women?

KS: They were presenters at the Women of Wisdom conference and I chose them to be in the first book as I knew they had powerful messages for women. First we had to transcribe their talks, and then edit them to be the correct length for a chapter in a book, and to take out all the aside comments – people don’t talk as they would write. So I had to focus on what their message was and take out extraneous stories that didn’t support the message, while keeping the essence of their talk intact.

KW: Was it hard to decide what to include in the book? Was there anything you had to leave out because of space constraints that you wish you had been able to include?

KS: It wasn’t hard, but I did have to choose who would be in the first book. Some people I had been in touch with and knew they would want to participate. There were three that didn’t get in that I would have liked to have had, but they weren’t able to edit or approve their chapter in time. They will be in the second book. In the end the book got so large that the ten I have was just enough.

KW: Do you have a favorite contribution in the book? If so, which one and why?

KS: I think they’re all good. They all have a different perspective of the Divine Feminine. I love Angeles Arrien’s talk about finding meaning, magic and enchantment in our lives, and Jean Houston is always so inspiring, I love her work. Jean Shinoda Bolen’s work on the importance of circles is great, and Riane Eisler and Barbara Marx Hubbard give us important information about partnership and co-creating our world. They’re very thought provoking. And one of my favorites is Marion Woodman, who is such an inspiration and spokeswoman of the feminine.

KW: As a book designer myself, I appreciate how seamlessly your book’s text is integrated into its art and design. It’s a real outpouring of creativity and inspiration. What was involved in shaping the book’s design and art? Did you go into this with a clear vision of how the book would look? Or did it evolve gradually?

KS: I wanted it to be a full experience of the feminine and art, poetry, stories have always been an important aspect of Women of Wisdom conferences that I knew I wanted to include that in the book. All these artists, musicians and writers have been involved in the conference, whether a presenter, a participant, or a market vendor and I’m so glad they are a part of the book. It was very synchronistic how I found the book designer, as I received an email from someone from our community recommending Drai just when I knew I needed to find someone to do the book cover. I looked at her website and liked her work, so when I contacted her, I found out she actually had been to Women of Wisdom before, even though she lives in Denver. So she understands who WOW is and was able to create a book that reflects that. I chose the art and poetry to go with each writing so that it fit with the theme of that chapter.

KW: I understand that Women of Wisdom is the first of three books underway from the WOW foundation. What can we expect to see in future books? What role will you take in creating them?

KS: I hopefully will start the second book this next year. I’m getting inquiries from people who have read the book and want to submit their writings on the feminine, which is great. So I see it being more talks from WOW presenters and again art and poetry, and I’ve had experiences since writing the first book, that I’ll write some chapters as well. It will be like the first one, but probably less about the conference and more about the Divine Feminine and our experiences with Her. I’m open to people submitting art, poetry, songs and their stories of the Divine Feminine in their lives to include in the book.

KW: This book is a real labor of love, reflecting your many years of involvement as the founder of the Women of Wisdom foundation. The roots of WOW were founded in a women’s spirituality conference that took place in 1993. To say the least, both the foundation and the conference have grown considerably since then! In your book, you write that Women of Wisdom is “a path of experiences linked together through the commonality of women and spirit on a journey seeking the Divine.” What do you envision to be the future of the Women of Wisdom foundation? How does your book support and play into this vision?

KS: I have always envisioned WOW circles in other cities, and would love to consult with groups in other cities to put on a WOW conference there, perhaps license the conference to others. We receive emails from people who ask where is there a group like yours in my city. The book is supporting this, as now after the Amazon campaign women from all over the country are reading the book and are finding out about the WOW conference. We even have people in Europe who have the book now. That’s just thrilling for me to know this important work is going around the globe. I hope many of them will come in February to the conference. If anyone wants to apply to give a 3 hour workshop they are welcome to. The deadline is August 15th and they can download the application and information from our website – www.womenofwisdom.org. We can’t pay travel for these presenters, but it’s a great way to come to the conference, bring your work to Seattle and share with other women.

KW: My experience has been that our creative endeavors transform us as much as we hope they will transform others. How did working on this book transform you as a creative woman? How do you intend for your book to transform the world?

KS: I’ve been transformed and continue transforming through Women of Wisdom. I find as she grows, I grow and visa versa. I’ve learned so much about myself, the Diving Feminine, the power of a women’s community, women’s circles. I created a circle form of leadership and that’s how we run the organization, through our council circle. I’ve always been creative as I used to work in clothing design but now my creativity is moving in other new directions – being a speaker, consultant, writer, workshop leader, not just an organizer of a conference, so I’m going through a big growth phase with this book. My intention for the book is to bring the feminine consciousness to the forefront in our world so there’s a balance between male and female energies (I’m not speaking about gender here). I want to empower women to find their voices and to lead the life they’ve always dreamed of.

KW: Finally, what is the message you hope women take away from your book?

KS: My wish is for women to feel empowered to speak up and become leaders as we need more women leaders. But most importantly they’re the leaders of their own life so I hope women will take the time to rediscover what their dreams are and realize that they can still achieve them.

Also I feel the most important message is honoring and respecting our feminine gifts. I give workshops for women to find the places inside themselves where they aren’t honoring the feminine within them. We’ve been brought up in a world that doesn’t honor the feminine, and it’s up to us to change that as it begins within. So my hope is women learn to respect and honor their own feminine and know that it’s okay to express it because the world needs it now, our young women need to know the feminine is valued. When we do that we’ll begin to see it reflected in our world, and others will show the respect and honor that the feminine deserves. It’s important to explore when we silence Her and to create a safe place for Her to come forward. We need to share our gifts and our wisdom, and we are more able to do that when we feel validated and honored for our feminine gifts. When that happens we truly will find the freedom to live fully and then there will be the balance that is so needed in our world now.

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Kris has generously offered to raffle off a beautiful copy of Women of Wisdom to one blog commenter—thank you, Kris! To enter the giveaway, the rules are simple. Just leave a comment below by midnight August 2, 2009. The winner will be announced on August 3rd on this blog. Good luck to all!

In addition, here’s information about the upcoming18th Annual Women of Wisdom Conference, which takes place in Seattle Feburary 11 – 15, 2010. Special guests include Joan Borysenko and Donna Eden. Learn more or sign up for their enewsletter at www.womenofwisdom.org. If you have any questions for Kris, contact her directly at her blog or via e-mail: ks [at] wisewomanpublishing dot com.

1. She conceived and illustrated the 22 cards, which were inspired by the major arcana of the tarot.

2. She wrote the 120 page guidebook, which includes all sorts of inspiring meditations and such.

3. She designed the book, cards, and box set. (Look inside it here and here.)

4. She arranged for the printing, distribution, and production of the set. Did I mention that it’s full color reproduction, with a gold ink overlay? In other words, not your usual b/w paperback that you can do at Lulu or Cafepress.

In other words, Pamela self-published Affirmations for the Everyday Goddess—a mighty task indeed to do properly—under the guise of her own imprint. (View some previous posts on self-publishing here and here.) The deck also available as an iPhone app, for those of you who like your oracles digital. My interview with Pamela is all about her experiences delving into this brave new world of artist-entrepreneur. Oh, and there’s a giveaway too—details below.

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KW: What inspired you to create the Affirmations For the Everyday Goddess deck?

PW: It all started with a very challenging portfolio review I did through the Society of Illustrators. I was doing a lot of work as a commercial illustrator at the time and so after years of doing technical illustrations I felt it was time to try something more creative. During the portfolio review I was told I needed to focus on one style that I really loved and felt passionate about. It was great advice but I couldn’t help but wonder if it would pay the bills especially since the first two paintings were an angel and Sophia, the goddess of wisdom!

KW: You decided to self-publish your deck, though I’ve heard you had interest from major publishing companies. What pushed you to make this decision, rather than going the traditional route?

PW: Initially I was approached by a publisher to illustrate a tarot deck set for women. After doing some initial research by calling about 2 dozen tarot artists willing to share their experiences, I decided not to. What I heard didn’t make business sense for me in royalties (income earned) for the amount of time it would take for me to illustrate a complete tarot set in my detailed, illustrative style. Despite this, I continued painting and a few years later I signed a contract with a different publisher. About 2 years into the process they canceled the contract after restructuring the company. So, there I was with finished cards and book and no publisher! I was very disappointed but not discouraged.

Luckily at the same time I was doing design work for a client who contracts with overseas manufacturers and I realized I had most of the skills and the financial resources I needed to publish and market the deck myself – graphic design, illustration, writing, prepress and marketing. I created a business plan and the business plan made sense if I contracted the printing with an overseas printer.

Looking back, I believe the experience of submitting art and copy to publishers gave me some of the creative confidence and quality standards I needed to succeed as a self-publisher.

KW: Can you share a little about your process in creating the paintings?

PW: Great question. I could easily write a full chapter on this as interest and use of the computer as a creative tool expands in both the commercial and fine art markets. But let me summarize my particular approach.

Many are already familiar with photo retouching software such as Adobe Photoshop and painting software programs such as Corel Painter. For those who aren’t, Photoshop software enables artists to assemble photos together in creative way similar to building a collage. This is how I begin my own creative process.

I assemble my own photos together in a compositional collage and once finished, import the photo collage into painting software. Next, I bring up the photo collage on one side of the screen to use as reference for my digital illustration. Then, I bring up a new digital canvas and begin drawing and painting. The actual specific brush techniques I use during the digital painting process have been published in many digital how-to books. My favorite is Cher Penarvis’s Painter Wow! books because she breaks down my painting technique step-by-step. The Wow! book series features many digital artists and digital illustration techniques and is a great reference for those who have an interest in using Corel Painter software.

KW: Besides writing and illustrating your deck, you also acted as designer of it. Affirmations For the Everyday Goddess has one of the most gorgeous production jobs I’ve seen in a while. For example, it’s printed with beautiful gold ink on the cards and box. You’ve also designed lovely details, such as decorative patterns on the inside of the keepsake box. Can you describe what was involved in producing and printing your deck?

PW: Thank you Kris! The project became a labor of love from the time I was told “paint what you love.” I now believe when we combine what we do with love and skills that we earn through study, time and effort, new creative ideas come about.

For instance, during the process of writing the book, I was studying the divine mystical aspects of each of the 22 major arcana cards and I was deeply moved by their profound wisdom. I knew then I wanted to design a package for these wisdom teachings in a way that reflected how sacred they are. But that wasn’t all. From a practical marketing perspective I felt that people would buy a deck set as a gift or collectable as well as for functional (contemplation or tarot readings) and educational (wisdom teachings) reasons. I knew my decision to use the metallic ink was unconventional since it isn’t considered practical in terms of what is known by publishers about the sidelines markets and it is very expensive.

Of course there were many other moments during the process when marketing, financial and production limitations were worked around by creative problem solving.

The design process was planned but also very organic. When I started, I knew I wanted to design a quality product so I made plans based on quality results by paying attention to the details. On the other hand, the details of the box, the frame of the cards and the book came together organically as I was drawn to shapes and colors that worked with the card artwork.

The printing was done in Thailand and even though the overseas printing process was at times stressful, I was grateful about how affordable the printing was. I now have a great appreciation for all the hard-working people overseas since much of the labor for the box-wrap is done by hand.

KW: One of the bugaboos that plague self-publishers is distribution and promotion—ie: getting their publications into stores so it can get sold. Every article about self-publishing usually includes a cautionary example of an author with thousands of unsold books in their garage. How are you solving this dilemma? What promotional tools did you use to get the word out about your deck?

PW: I use all the promotional tools I can especially with the internet becoming such an important aspect of marketing. A successful marketing and distribution strategy these days must consist of both traditional and online channels. For instance, since the deck was released in April 2009 I have sent out online press releases, finished an e-commerce site, placed traditional print ads, mailed out direct mail flyers, participated in artist and women’s events, attended book fairs in New York and London, joined self-publishing book clubs, Facebook and Amazon social networks, produced a free quarterly eNewsletter, sent media kits and advance copies to prospective media contacts and book buyers, contacted book distributors and finally with decks in-hand, spoken to local shop owners about selling the deck set. There is still much more marketing to do!

KW: What surprised you about the process of self-publishing?

PW: I was most surprised to discover I had writing skills. I was also surprised by how time consuming and complex the marketing process could be despite the fact I have career experience and a business degree with a major in marketing. I have learned throughout this process there is nothing taught or written that can fully prepare you for the creative or business challenges of self-publishing. Self-publishing entails a very broad skill set and an honest self-assessment of interests and abilities. The last time I illustrated was over a year ago!

KW: What did you find difficult?

PW: I find sales to be very difficult because I am not a very good networker and like many artists I am more introspective and find it challenging to be momentarily extroverted to sell a book!

KW: Alternately, what do you like about it?

PW: Of course I very much enjoyed illustrating the cards. I have had an interest in marketing for a long time so I also enjoy most of the marketing aspects of self-publishing. Many artists start their formal training with art college or a trade school but I think the delayed art training worked out for me since I had the opportunity to draw and paint with the first Mac and a mouse and then later as the equipment and software improved, a digital stylus and tablet.

KW: What would you do differently next time, if you were to self-publish again?

PW: I would hire another editor to proof the last-minute proof! I introduced a few typos in the last draft. I dare say I think in a year or two I may have a lot more to say about what I would do differently. So, please check back with me and I will have my list!

KW: Finally, any words of advice for other artists and authors who decide to self-publish?

PW: Follow your heart (intuition, passion and love) in what you create and use your mind (skills and intelligence) in what you sell. Being creative births your unique vision into the world. Selling means providing a product or service to other people that improves their lives. If you can put heart and mind together, you will be doing what you love in devotional service to other people and the whole world benefits.

Know yourself. Have a good assessment of what you can do or are willing to learn how to do. Know what you can’t do well or don’t want to do and budget for them in your business plan then delegate those tasks to an expert. I would say that the most important character traits that one needs are persistence and independent thinking.

Finally, develop a unique creative style which embodies your heart-felt message.

KW: What are you working on next? Any future decks or books?

PW: I am working on planning a vacation. LOL.

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Pamela has generously offered to raffle off one beautiful copy of Affirmations for the Everyday Goddess to one lucky blog commenter—thank you, Pamela! To enter the giveaway, the rules are simple. Just leave a comment below by midnight July 1, 2009. The winner will be announced on July 3rd on this blog. Good luck to all!

This Creativity Friday, I am fortunate to have Sandra Gulland as my guest. Sandra is the internationally acclaimed author of the Joséphine B. trilogy, which has sold over a million copies worldwide and been translated into thirteen languages. Her new novel, Mistress of the Sun (Touchstone/Simon and Schuster) was just released in paperback and has already hit the Canadian bestseller lists; it is the focus for my interview today.

As I wrote in my review yesterday, Mistress of the Sun is an opulent treasure of a historical novel. Set in seventeenth century France, Mistress of the Sun is the story of Louise de la Vallière, nicknamed Petite, who is swept into a secret, decade-long affair with Sun King Louis XIV.

In this interview, Sandra generously shares with us her experience writing Mistress of the Sun—an intensive process that took her eight years of research, travel, writing, and editing. It’s an inspiring look inside a writer’s creative process—a real treasure trove for anyone who’s interested in what’s really involved in writing a novel set in a long-ago time. Not only that, but we’re giving away a copy of Mistress of the Sun to one lucky blog commentor. (Details at the end of this post. However, if you can’t wait, you can buy it here from Amazon.)

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Kris Waldherr: One of the things which struck me about Mistress of the Sun was that you pulled off a difficult balancing act: The novel is both impeccably researched and gorgeously written. (Usually historical novels strike me as being tipped one way or the other.) Of researching and writing, which do prefer? And why?

Sandra Gulland: Oh, a difficult question! I love research — love getting lost in it, either in a wandering way, like a child in a toy store, or in a obsessive, focused hunt for information. But I love the writing — the fictional re-creation — even more, I think. Were it simply the research, I could write non-fiction, but it’s “the bringing to life” part of writing a novel that’s the main focus for me, and the reason for my passion for research.

KW: Related question: What is your research process like? Do you research as you write your novel? Or do you do the bulk of it beforehand? How did your research affect your plot choices for Mistress of the Sun?

SG: I try to be systematic about my research, but invariably I fail. I search out books, and buy in great numbers. Right now, because my husband and I are in a city, I’m making exhaustive use of the library system; soon I’m going to be deluged with all the books I’ve requested. (Some of these, I’m sure, I will decide to buy, so that I can freely mark them up.)

I did a great deal of research before writing Mistress of the Sun, but I also researched during and between drafts. Often I don’t know what I need to know until I’m deeply into a novel.

I didn’t run into too many surprises researching Louise’s story: her biographers have done a respectable job, so I had a good foundation. (This was not the case with Josephine.) Often research provides the answer to a problem. I was disturbed by the way Louise’s good friend Nicole simply disappeared from her life, for example. Fiction requires a certain degree of “wrapping-up” and life doesn’t always comply. Therefore I was both astonished and pleased to discover, in a footnote in the Bastille Archives, that Nicole ended up in Louise’s convent. (Learn more about Sandra’s research methods here.)

KW: I read that you discovered Louise de la Valliere, the heroine of The Mistress of the Sun, while researching Josephine Bonaparte for your Josephine B. trilogy. Can you describe the “aha” moment that
introduced you to Louise?

It was an intense “aha” that led almost immediately to writing a feverish short story (a story that ultimately became Mistress of the Sun). What I remember most clearly was finishing that story: my husband’s company was having a sales conference, and, since we lived in the country, some of the reps were staying with us. I remember emerging from my office shaken, and in tears, having just come to the end of the story — and was quite taken aback to discover men in our kitchen sipping herbal tea. As if a murder hadn’t just happened!

KW: In Mistress of the Sun, I loved how you developed the character of Sun King Louis XIV, who becomes Louise’s lover. Louis is a tricky, complex man, with many personal contradictions. Though Mistress of the Sun is primarily the story of Louise’s life as this king’s mistress, it’s also a recounting of how Louis shaped his mythos, as it were, into becoming the larger-than-life Sun King we recognize from history, and how this affected his relations with those he loved. What was involved in writing his character arc? Did you find yourself falling in and out of love with Louis as you wrote about him?

SG: Louis is, at heart, a good person and a good king, but this combination can be challenging for any man. He was born and died on a stage, so he rarely let his emotions show, yet he was a very emotional man (he cried easily). This must have been difficult for him.

KW: I was fascinated to learn that you involved a book club during the eight years that you were writing Mistress of the Sun. What did they do specifically? Were there any dramatic rewrites which occurred after receiving their feedback?

Some of the changes I made were meaty: I cut one chapter, for example. Other changes were subtle. I dropped hints about the true character of a certain unmentionable person (no spoilers here!) so that what happens in the novel didn’t come as a complete surprise, for example, and, too, I allowed our Petite some vindication. These changes were significant, in my view.

KW: Mistress of the Sun is written in third person; your Josephine B. trilogy was written in first person. Which do you prefer? What was it like to switch to third person, after writing three books from Josephine’s point of view? How did writing in the third person free you? Or not?

SG: I find the third person point of view very challenging. It’s elastic and requires discipline (not my strong suit). I think the first person voice is much easier (if you can find that voice), both for the writer and the reader, but it was important to me as a writer to expand my pallet. Too, the voice had to be right for the story. It wouldn’t have worked in the first person.

KW: Your narrator’s “voice” in Mistress of the Sun is opulent, wise but also dryly witty. I found myself laughing out loud at some of your passages; for example, your descriptions of Louise’s new stepfather
are priceless. It seems to me that you’re using humor to pop any illusions the reader might have about the infallibility of royalty—they’re human like us, only more ridiculous at times. After writing four books in which the ruling classes are prominently featured, what’s your takeaway?

SG: I actually think of myself as a bit of a comic writer, in a Winnie-the-Pooh sort of way. I think I tend to poke fun at people of all classes (think of Clorine, Petite’s maid, for example), but I have to admit that it is delicious fun to aim at the royalty. They take themselves so seriously!

KW: I follow you on Twitter and also read your very inspiring writing blog. You’ve been mentioning outlining your new novel and submitting it to your agent. What’s involved with that? Any advice for aspiring novelists?

SG: Outlining my next novel has been an interesting experience for me. I’ve always had some kind of plan, but I’ve never thought it out in such detail before. (And too, I’ve always ignored the plan.) This time I’m sketching it out scene by scene, and thinking in scenes makes a big difference, I think. It remains to be seen if it helps.

KW: Finally, I’m very enticed by the hints you’ve posted about your new novel’s subject matter. Can you tell me more about what we can look forward to? Will this take another eight years to be published. (I hope not!)

SG: I hope not, too! (That’s one of the reasons I’m giving so much thought to the story before I begin to write.)

It’s a very exciting subject, but a challenging one to tackle. Claude des Oeillets, Madame de Montespan’s maid, is the heroine. That seems like a simple subject, does it not? Not so! She was raised by actors, and her mother was a dramatic star, mentored by the great playwright Pierre Corneille. So there’s all that wonderful theatrical world, which was so extremely rich at that time (Corneille, Molière, Racine). Claude was also the go-between between Madame de Montespan and Madame Voisin, the woman who was at the center of the Affair of the Poisons: again, a big subject. And too, she had a child by the King: another dramatic dimension.

A big story, for sure!

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As I mentioned above, Touchstone Books has generously given us a copy of Mistress of the Sun to raffle off here. To win it, simply leave a comment by midnight, May 21, 2009. For a bonus entry, include your answer to the following question:

Is there a king or queen from history you’d have an affair with? If so, who and why?

(As for myself, I know that I would not choose Henry VIII. Too dangerous! But Louis XIV might be a bit more appealing….)

Only one comment per person; book can only be shipped to U.S. mailing address. Winner will be chosen at random and announced here May 22 in our next Creativity Friday. Good luck to all!