Author Interview: Cathie Dunn / The Shadows of Versailles
JMR-Welcome to the Books
Delight, Cathie. Tell our readers where you live, what you do for fun and what
does the perfect day look like?
CD- Hello Jeanie. Thank you so
much for inviting me. I’m delighted to be here.
I’m fortunate to live in an
amazing place, a town of Carcassonne in the south of France. It boasts of a
large citadel that was rebuilt not that long ago. I love living in towns with a
castle on a hill.
One fun thing we do is go up to
‘la Cité’, as it’s called here, and visit one of the many bars and restaurants.
Over a drink or two, we watch people from all over the world go by. It’s so
interesting! I’m a big people-watcher. I also love to read, and to watch
historical series on TV.
My perfect day would start with a
lie-in, as I’m not a morning person, then a coffee out in the garden in the
warm sunshine, then later visiting one of the many medieval castle ruins of the
Cathars that aren’t too far from us. A lovely meal with hubby in the evening
would be the perfect end to the day.
JMR- Okay, I'm officially jealous. You live in one of the most beautiful places in France! It's on my bucket list to visit.
JMR-You are a self-described
history nut. What’s your favorite historical time period? Why?
CD- Oh, that’s a tricky one. I
have to go for The Anarchy, the English civil war that tore the country apart
in the mid-1130s to the mid-1150s. It’s such a fascinating time during which
the Empress Matilda fought for her right to the English throne. But I’m also
interested in other time periods, such as the Wars of the Roses, the Scottish
Wars of Independence, and France under Louis XIV. So many intrigues! Love it.
JMR-Who is your favorite female
historical figure? Why? If you could ask her one question, what would it be?
CD- It has to be Eleanor of
Aquitaine. She was a woman well ahead of her time. A woman with a certain
degree of power in a man’s world. My question to her would be: ‘If you could
undo one event in your life, which would it be?’
JMR- How did you come to be a
writer of historical fiction?
CD- I’ve always loved reading
historical fiction and romance, ever since I first discovered those novels in
my early teens. Daphne du Maurier, Barbara Erskine, Victoria Holt, MM Kaye, and
many others. I love the combination of a historical setting with suspense, a
touch of romance, and the addition of a dark plotline. It has stayed with me
all my life.
JMR-Writers of historical
romance walk a tight line between history and the love story, straying too far
either side can upset the reader. How do you balance the two elements to keep
everyone satisfied or is it even possible?
CD- That’s a tricky point because
characters have a mind of their own. They tell you where they want to go, and
how far! I’ve always tried to include a good portion of the historical setting
in my novels, to give readers a glimpse of life in the past as I think it’s
important to show how my characters lived. Often, a love story has a happy
ending, but not necessarily in my novels, as they are all set in difficult
times, with wars, rebellions, and other intrigues surrounding them. My regular
readers know that, but it can be a surprise – or a shock – to new readers, I
admit.
JMR- Readers love a feisty
female lead. How to you achieve a believable main character while keeping her
within the constraints; familial, religious and societal that keep women in
their place?
CD- We often consider history
from our 21st century mindset, but we should really forget all about it when we
delve into the past. As you say, women’s roles were clearly defined, and
although there were exceptions to the norm, even those had to adhere to the
rules. A believable character is one who is a product of her times, with all
the limitations and insecurities that brings, but she can also show courage in
adversity, and cunning! Women had to find their own ways of influencing men,
and a character has several ways to choose from.
My female characters are quite
different from each other. Those in my early romance novels were less
independent, more reliant on men. In my dual-timeline novel, Love Lost in
Time, Nanthild – one of my favourite
fictional characters – is a brave soul in a time of much upheaval. I loved writing
about her.
JMR-Cathie tell us about you
latest book, The Shadows of Versailles, Book One in the Affair of the Poisons
series.
CD- My new novel, The Shadows
of Versailles, is set in Paris, Franc, and the new palace of Versailles in
the reign of Louis XIV. For years, I’ve been fascinated by the so-called Affair
of the Poisons, an event that saw over 400 people – midwives, alchemists, and
priests – suspected and questioned. It transpired that there was a thriving
trade in love potions, poisons, and clandestine activity of black masses
involving child sacrifices. The poisonous trail eventually led to the door of
the king’s favourite long-term mistress, Madame de Montespan. The Shadows of
Versailles is the first in a series of loosely-interlinked novels. It tells
the tale of Fleur, a young, naïve woman seduced at Versailles. When her newborn
son is taken away from her, it triggers a series of events that see her looking
for revenge.
JMR-What projects do you have
in the pipeline?
CD- I’m currently writing the
second in the Affair of the Poisons series. The Alchemist’s Daughter will be released
in 2021. A long-expected sequel to Dark Deceit is also still in the pipeline,
and then there will be a third novel in the Highland Chronicles series of
Scottish romance novels.
JMR- Tell our readers how to
find you on social media and the web.
CD-I spend too much time on
Twitter, but I’m also on Facebook and Instagram.
Twitter Facebook Instagram Cathie's Blog
JMR- What question were you
hoping I’d ask but didn’t?
CD- Ha! If that isn’t a trick
question! If at all, perhaps about who my favourite fictional character is.
Thank you so much for hosting me
today. I enjoyed all your questions, and I hope your followers enjoy my answers
too.
JMR- Thank you Cathie for stopping by today, we've enjoyed chatting with you and wish you success with your writing and your new book! Readers, I know you'll be interested in checking out Cathie's books, so I've included a link below. (Click on the banner or Amazon button)
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