INTERVIEW with Christine Trent + GIVEAWAY!!

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What a delight for me to have  Christine Trent grace my blog today!

As part of the Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tours for LADY OF ASHES

I had the pleasure of interviewing Christine.  Please read what she had to say and then be sure to enter the Giveaway!

Hi Christine!!! So happy to be on Amy's Tour with you!!

This time around I'd like to ask you about your writing habits, research setting..etc:

1- Christine, please tell us a bit about your writing rituals: how do you prepare to write, where do you write, a favourite time of the day, places to visit for your research...?

I don’t know if anyone else is this way, but in order for me to begin writing, I have to have a clean desk.  In other words, if I have e-mails to answer, calls to make, bills to pay, and so forth, I can’t concentrate.  Needless to say, that means I spend a lot of time in the morning performing “administrivia” before I can begin writing.

Oh, and don’t get me started on how much the Internet distracts me!  Once the administrivia is complete, I troll news sites, check out blogs, and see what’s interesting to buy on my favorite scrapbooking web sites.

I’m lucky if I get started writing by 2pm, and then I might work until 8 or 9 at night.  I don’t recommend this method for any aspiring writer.  I really should learn a more efficient way to write.  What I really need to do is turn off the Internet, but I just can’t imagine the horror of doing that.

As for research, there is the trusty Internet, my fairly large book collection, and my husband and I travel to England about every two years to visit sites pertinent to my books.

2- Is there a person who has influenced you in your writing career- or triggered you to begin your writing career?

Yes.  I first got the idea to write when I picked up an old, tattered book out of a “$1 Any Book” bin at a used bookstore.  That book was “To Dance with Kings,” by Rosalind Laker, a British author, and it was set at the palace of Versailles during the reign of Louis XIV.  I fell in love with it, and for the first time in my life, wrote a fan letter to the author in care of her agent.  I was surprised to get a return letter from the author several weeks later, which began a decade-long friendship.  Ms. Laker encouraged me to write, and was thrilled when I sold my first book.

Ms. Laker passed away in December 2012.  She was a lovely, lovely woman.  I miss her very much.

3- If you could imagine all of your heroines from your books gathering in your living room- what do you think the topic of discussion would be and who would be the main character there? Why?

Interesting question.  I think that if I had Claudette, Marguerite, Belle, and Violet all in one room together, they would each want to know from the other what the biggest obstacle was they had to overcome to make their businesses successful.  They were all outspoken women, so I imagine they would all be competing for air time.  I guess I would need to be on hand to referee.

4- How do you celebrate the release of your novels?

 
I can’t wait to tell my husband you asked this question.  He is very supportive of my writing career, and with each book release, he buys me a little piece of “bling.”  This year’s release is very close to our 15th anniversary, so I’m hoping for a little bling for the finger, but we’ll see what happens.

5- Lastly, this time a question on your wonderful novel Lady of Ashes; in the sequel I am imagining a greater role for Susanna...? Please give us a tiny scoop!

Thus far, I am contracted to do two sequels to “Lady of Ashes.”  I just wrapped up the first sequel, and Susanna doesn’t have much of a role in this one.  However, look for her to have a larger part in the second sequel. 

Thank you for having me, Lucy.  It’s always a joy to visit you.

Thank you Christine:)

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

To Enter to Win a Copy of this book:

1- Leave a comment for Christine!

2-  For Additional Chances, post on FB, Twitter, Linkedin, Blog and elsewhere! Just come back and post your link in comments.

Open to US and Canada

Good Luck!!!