Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

I'm happy to welcome Sandra Worth today as part of her mini blog tour.  Sandra has agreed to answer a few questions and there's a giveaway at the end!

I’m always interested in how authors became writers. How did it come about for you?


It was quite accidental for me. The interest was always there—I had written and illustrated a book of fairy tales by the age of eleven and published some material. But writing a real book had to wait until “the time was right” (as I told myself). The years passed, and the timing was never right. Then came the accident. On a trip to England, I discovered a great miscarriage of justice. I drove my friends crazy talking about it all the time and they told me to write about it---probably to stop me from bothering them anymore! It worked. Writing took up all my free time from then on.

As the writer of historical fiction you must have an interest in history. Was there something in particular that sparked that interest?

Absolutely there was. A novel sparked my passion for history. Anya Seton’s KATHERINE. I adored Katherine de Roet, and fell in love with John of Gaunt, and began researching their descendants. KATHERINE was the key that opened the door to my discovery of the great injustice that planted me firmly on the side of the Yorkists in the Wars of the Roses.


Your first few novels are set during the reign of England’s Richard III. What drew you to tell Richard’s story?

The great injustice I alluded to above centered on Richard III—a king maligned by history for political purposes. He had a passion for justice and passed laws to protect the innocent. His legacy became the legal foundation of our democracy, but few know that. When I picked up my pen to write, THE ROSE OF YORK Trilogy on Richard III was born.


Your latest book, Pale Rose of England, takes place during the early part of the Tudor dynasty. Was this a natural progression in your story-telling or was there another reason for moving in this direction?

It was a natural progression. With PALE ROSE OF ENGLAND I felt I had covered the Wars of the Roses to its conclusion. After the death of “Perkin Warbeck”, the Tudors were firmly entrenched on the throne, and my story had concluded.


Do you have the opportunity to travel to the places you write about and if so, what has been your favorite place to visit?

I’ve been very fortunate to have made numerous trips to England and Belgium researching my novels. I think I’ve been everywhere that I’ve described in my books. For me, that’s a necessity. I have two places that linger in my memory. One is Bamborough Castle, a fortress on the North Sea, where John Neville was constable. The other is St. Michael’s Mount, a tiny island-fortress on the southern coast of England where the so-called “Perkin Warbeck” and his wife, Lady Catherine Gordon, spent the early—and hopeful—days of their invasion of England.


If you could be one person in history for a day, who would it be and why?

I’ve considered who I’d like to meet, given the chance in history, but this one is a new question for me, Daphne—right out of left field! To change places with someone in history is something I find frightening to contemplate. The lives back then were very difficult at best, and the endings were terrible. But--if I were to change places (for only one day, mind you!) it would be with one of my Byzantine ancestors before the Fourth Crusade, when they ruled an empire at the height of its success.


What do you like to read for “fun”?

Oh, I love good detective stories! Ed McBain was always a favorite, and THE HISTORIAN by Elisabeth Kostova is a recent favorite. It’s got detective story qualities, even though it’s historical fiction.


When you aren’t writing or doing research, what else do you like to do?

My husband and I love to travel. We visit museums, support the arts, attend the Symphony and the Opera. I really enjoy my garden, and lunching with my daughters, and I adore visits from my little grandchildren who are so wide-eyed about the world right now.


From your books, who is your favorite character? Your least favorite?

My favorite has always been John Neville, Lord Montagu (LADY OF THE ROSES), and my least favorite is the dreadful and vindictive Elizabeth Woodville whose antics as queen doomed the Plantagenet dynasty.


Can you tell us what you are working on next?

I would love to but I’m superstitious and feel it’s bad luck to discuss a work in progress. What I can say is that it’s set in a colorful era of “New Rome”, known in its time as the Byzantine empire.


Thank you Sandra!

Daphne, thank you so much for having me! It’s been a real pleasure.



Check out the other stops on the tour:
 
Monday, April 11th: Review & Giveaway at Bibliophilic Book Blog

Guest Post at Tina’s Book Reviews

Thursday, April 14th: Interview & Giveaway at Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books
Review at Unabridged Chick

Monday, April 18th: Review at Broken Teepee
Review at Tina’s Book Reviews

Thursday, April 21st: Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick
Review at Tanzanite’s Castle Full of Books

Monday, April 25th: Guest Post & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Now for the Giveaway:
 
To enter, please complete the below form by midnight, April 22, 2011.  Giveaway is open to US residents only.