I'M BAAAAAAACK WITH AWARD WINNING AUTHOR, LUCINDA BRANT

I've been away for a while ... leaving poor Charli to her own devices ... he he he

What a better way to celebrate being back in the game then doing an author interview? Not just any author, but an award winning author, whose tales continue to inspire me.

As an aspiring author of historical fiction, I am fascinated by the tales of other like-minded authors. In truth, there are never enough hours in the day to write and read to my hearts content, but I do try!

But enough about me ... take your hand off the keyboard for a moment and welcome, Lucinda Brant, Georgian storyteller extraordinaire. Set in the 18^th Century England and France, full of brazen wit and adventure, her tales are a nice blend of romance and mystery, “crimances” if you will, as she so aptly describes her books. Even her covers are breathless!

As a historical writer, I often get sucked down the 'rabbit' hole if you will, whilst researching. One thing leads to another, and before you know it, three hours have gone by. Obviously, I'm fascinated by the period in which I write - Medieval - thus, I wanted to know how important history is to Lucinda. This is what she said:

Essential. When I write about the weather, such as the Thames freezing over in January 1763, the noblemen in government such as Bute, Rockingham and Newcastle, a riot that occurred at the Theatre Royal or of a particular house in a particular square or street in London, Bath or Paris, you can be confident I have done my research. History sets the stage for my characters to inhabit, so it must be just right so they can give their best performance.

As for falling down the rabbit hole ... here is the lady's take:

I guess I have been researching all my life – well, since the age of 11 when I fell in love with the 18^th Century – France and England in particular. I bought Cobban’s History of Modern France 1715- 1799 (rather a serious work for an eleven-year old!) and a pocket French dictionary and I was off and running. I now have a library of books on Georgian England and the France of Louis XV. Of course, these days, there is always the Internet!

Though there are so many things about the medieval era that enthrall me, I wanted to know what intrigued, or drew Lucinda into the Georgian period?

To be honest, at first it was the clothes, not worn by women, but by the men. I was intrigued that males could wear lace at their wrists, red heels, satin and brocade, and still be considered real men. Georgian gentlemen were metrosexuals 250 years before the term was invented. They cared about their appearance, were interested in fashion, went shopping, loved sport and women.

The Georgian period was also an exciting time of discovery – of new countries (Australia) of revolution (the American War of Independence and the French Revolution), of new ideas and free press; a time when people starting taking an interest in nature for nature’s sake, in cultivating rare and exotic plants (pineapples) and designing elegant town squares, building Palladian mansions and filling them with wonderful Chippendale and Sheridan furniture.

Though I'm a liberal woman, who loves her freedom, sometimes, as a historical writer, we cannot quite understand, and therefore, write, how women really were in the past. But to be true to the time period, we must, at the very least, try. With the sensibilities of today, so vastly different from those of the past how does Lucinda reconcile the differences, and find a balance with your characters?

I try to be true to the sensibilities of the 18^th century while writing in a way that is accessible to readers today. I don’t care much for historical romances that have very modern-thinking characters dressed up in period costume.

And of course, I must know, what sparked the author inside her?

I was a voracious reader as a child and once I had read all of Jean Plaidy/Victoria Holt/Philippa Carr’s novels, and the novels of Anya Seton and Taylor Caldwell, I decided to write my own. I wrote my first novel in Middle School during Math class and my best friend would read the installments each lesson. I also wrote to Jean Plaidy and told her – I still have her reply, typewritten with her real name, not her pen names, and address on the envelope. I so treasure that letter – and was thrilled to think she wrote her actual name and address on the envelope so I knew who she really was and where she lived! I was twelve at the time.

As for her characters ... Lucinda "hear(s) their voices, they are real ..." So folks, you've heard it from the best ... she hears voices too! But mostly, she desires nothing more than for her readers to be entertained, and "wholly immersed in the 18th Century."

As voracious readers, Charli and I had to know what was next?

I am busily writing the third novel in the Roxton Series, Autumn Duchess, and also putting the final touches to the second novel in my Georgian Historical crimance series Deadly Affair.

After that... perhaps a fourth book in the Roxton series, telling Evelyn’s story some years after he ran off to Italy with Dominique, the Farmer-General’s daughter, in Midnight Marriage. He returns to England a widower and a broken man, seeking revenge on the person he believes responsible for his incarceration in the dungeon of a small European principality on charges of espionage.

Now before we let her leave, we had to as the customary funnies ...

You are a sandwich, describe yourself on a menu.Roast beef very thinly sliced, a smidgen of French seeded mustard, a slice of crumbling cheddar, a mountain of freshly shredded iceberg lettuce, lots of salt and pepper, between two slices of country-grain bread.

If you could be a superhero, what would your name and power be?

Sir Trevor Time-Traveler. Naturally my power would be traveling back in time – I would stop off in Georgian London for my wardrobe and have my tailor run me up a stupendous velvet frockcoat with silver lacings on the skirts and Chinoiserie embroidery on the cuffs with matching breeches and whacking great diamond buckles to secure the enormous leather tongues of my high heeled shoes. Under all the lace and velvet I have a washboard stomach and massive calf muscles. I am never impolite and always stand up when a lady enters a room. I have perfected the secret art of fighting off a villain with my bare hands without breaking a sweat or one of my carefully manicured and buffed nails.

What is your porno/stripper name? Using the traditional formula take the family pet’s name and the street you grew up on? For instance, Charli’s is Betsy Orchard, AJ’s Ginger King Edward.

Bella Copeland. And with such a classy name I would be the Madam of the establishment!

It was a pleasure to have you, Lucinda! I can't wait to read Autumn Duchess

A.J.

Be sure to visit Lucinda over at

If you'd like to win a copy of one of Lucinda's fabulous books, hop on over to her Facebook page, and click 'Like' as well as leaving a comment below. A winner will randomly be selected, so please leave us your email information. Now hurry ... go like this fabulous author!

Any self respecting historical reader will, so go shoo ...

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lucinda-Brant/158411160851531?v=wall

http://www.lucindabrant.com/

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001367314805