Author Interview: Juliane Weber / Under the Emerald Sky
Welcome to The Book's Delight. It's Author Interview Tuesday and we have Juliane Weber here to talk about history, writing and her books.
JMR-Welcome to the Books Delight,
Juliane. Tell our readers where you live, what you do for fun and what does the
perfect day look like?
JW-Thanks, Jean. I live with my
husband and two sons in Hamelin, Germany, the town made famous by the story of
the Pied Piper. There are lots of fun things to do here, including going for
nature walks or cycling along the Weser river, but what I particularly enjoy is
playing volleyball. I fell in love with the sport at school and met my husband
at a school volleyball tournament. We both still play it actively, and the kids
have started playing too. So, one type of perfect day would be one where I’m at
a volleyball tournament with my family. Another would be a day spent sitting on
a lounge chair reading and sipping iced coffee – unfortunately, such lazy days
are rather hard to come by!
JMR-What’s your favorite
historical time period? Why?
JW-I don’t have a favorite
historical time period as such, although I do tend to lean more towards pre-industrialization
eras - I like the idea of horses and carriages instead of cars, fireplaces and
candles instead of electrical lights, and so on. But I do read quite widely,
including more modern history, as well as so-called ancient history. As long as
the story is interesting, I have no particular preference for the time period
it’s set in.
JMR-Who is your favorite
historical figure? Why? If you could ask them one question, what would it be?
If you did not choose a female- Who is your favorite female historical figure?
JW-It’s difficult to pick just
one favorite, as there are so many fascinating historical figures to choose
from, including early female scientists, who hold a particular fascination for
me since I’m a scientist myself. But I do find Catherine of Aragon especially
interesting. What I would like to ask her is how she managed to maintain her
dignity in the face of all that she had to endure, from her multiple failed
pregnancies to her treatment by her husband, King Henry VIII.
JMR- You have a PhD in
Physiology. How did you come to be a writer of historical fiction?
JW-During my studies, I found that I have a passion for writing and that I preferred writing about scientific research to doing the research myself. Around the same time, I discovered the Outlander series of books by Diana Gabaldon, who happens to be a scientist turned novelist. That was the first time I ever thought about writing a novel myself. As I was reading mostly historical fiction at that time and figured that I knew how to do the necessary research, I thought that I might manage historical fiction, although it was some time before I actually wrote anything.
JMR- You were born in Germany,
lived in South Africa and now live in Germany, what drew you to set your story
in Ireland?
JW-That was something of an
accident. I had been thinking about writing a novel for several years before I
ever got started. Although I had decided that I would write historical fiction,
I had no idea when or where the story would take place and kept waiting for
inspiration to come. When it didn’t, I finally turned to Google, where I
stumbled upon the Irish Potato Famine. And I thought, why not? I liked the idea
of the 19th century; I liked the idea of Ireland, with its luscious green scenery
and its myths and legends; and I liked the idea of writing about something that
– as far as I knew – hadn’t been written about as much as some other historical
time periods.
JMR- Juliane, tell us about your
new book, Under the Emerald Sky?
JW-Under the Emerald Sky tells
the story of Quin, an Englishman come to Ireland, and Alannah, an Irishwoman
with an Anglophobic brother, as they struggle to find happiness in 19th century
Ireland, a land fraught with hardships and teetering on the brink of disaster.
The book is a tale of love, betrayal, intrigue and rebellion set among the
stark contrasts that separate the rich few from the plentiful poor.
JMR- Would you describe your book
as an historical romance or a romantic historical?
JW-I would say my book is a
romantic historical, as the love story takes place within a detailed historical
setting that allows the reader to understand the social, political and
religious underpinnings of the Great Famine. The historical setting is more
than just a backdrop, it’s a vital component of the story.
JMR- Anglo-Irish relations can be
a touchy subject. How did you balance the perspective to give both side equal
treatment?
JW-I have included English and
Irish characters, characters of different social classes and those in both
groups with different opinions on the benefits or detriments of the English
occupation of Ireland. I hope thus to have created a balanced view of the
feelings of the times.
JMR-What projects do you have in
the pipeline? I believe this is part of a series, tell us about book two.
JW-Yes, Under the Emerald Sky is
the first book in The Irish Fortune Series, which centers around the Great
Famine that spanned several years. I am currently working on the second book,
where we’re going to get to grips with the early years of the famine itself.
There will also be some loose ends from the first book to be tied up, and of
course, there’ll be a good dose of romance, intrigue and adventure to keep
things interesting – a trip to 19th century Dublin and one to London, and perhaps
even an encounter with Charles Darwin or another interesting historical
character. Who knows? I don’t plan out my books in minute detail beforehand,
and I look forward to seeing how the story unfolds as much as my readers!
JMR- Tell our readers how to find
you on social media and the web.
JW-You can visit my website: www.julianeweber.com
Or find me on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/JulianeWeberAuthor
https://twitter.com/UnderEmeraldSky
https://www.instagram.com/undertheemeraldsky/
JMR- What question were you
hoping I’d ask but didn’t?
JW-How do you manage to write
anything with two young boys in the house?
Check out my bookshelves, filled with amazing historical fiction!
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