Tanzanite's Castle Full of Books

I am happy to welcome Anne Easter Smith today as part of her virtual book tour for the recently released, Queen by Right, who graciously agreed to answer a few questions.  And make sure you read to the end for a chance to win your own copy!

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


By accident, Daphne. I never had aspirations to be a writer--became an executive secretary after leaving high school and eventually landed in the US at 24 with a girlfriend on a lark for two years. Forty-two years later, I am still here! I have had so many different kinds of jobs, I can’t go into them, but I finally got landed one in Plattsburgh NY at the daily newspaper writing features and went on to become the features/arts editor for ten years there. And so I learned to write. Then my oldest friend from home suggested I write a book about my obsession, King Richard III, and so I tentatively began “A Rose for the Crown” in 1997. In 2004, after finding an agent in New York, Simon & Schuster acquired it and gave me a two-book deal, which meant I had to write “Daughter of York” immediately. It was a bit daunting, to say the least.


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

Being English helped a lot! I grew up with 1,000 years of history all around me (in the London area) and whenever I was in a castle or gothic church I always got the feeling that it was where I belonged. But my more in-depth interest came from a history teacher I had at boarding school in my teens, who turned me on to the people of history, not just the dates, battles and politics.


Queen by Right is your fourth novel set during the Wars of the Roses. What drew you to write about this particular period of history?

When I was 21, my godmother gave me a book by the popular mystery writer of the 1950 and 1960s, Josephine Tey, called “Daughter of Time.” Her detective protagonist “solved” the mystery of the disappearance of the princes in the Tower and “proved” their uncle and usual chief suspect, King Richard III, had no motive to kill them. I was fascinated, because we had always been taught that he was a really Bad King, and so I started to read everything I could about Richard, and, to put it bluntly I became a groupie!! It meant I became very steeped in 15th century English history, and eventually I became obsessed to tell my own story about the real Richard I had discovered in my research.


During your research did you discover anything unusual or unexpected about Cecily Neville?

I knew that my research into the earlier part of the 15th century and Cecily’s youth would lead me to mentioning the Joan of Arc tragedy. But I was stunned to find out that Cecily was actually in Rouen at the time of the trial and burning of the Maid. It lead to me using Joan as a role model for Cecily throughout the book. I had no idea she would turn out to be so important to the writing of “Queen By Right.”


I have a fascination for book covers. What do you think of the cover for Queen by Right?

I am so lucky in my designer at Simon & Schuster and I believe she has created a series of covers that really jump out at you when you go to choose a book at the store. I have to confess when I saw the first draft design for “Queen By Right”--and yes, they are nice enough to ask my opinion--I really wanted a bright yellow banner with the title to match the other “gem” colors of the books, and I thought the white looked a bit ordinary. But now I see the finished product (and the artist won that little battle!), I think it is very classy and just right for Cecily. They gave me several gowns to choose from--and the first few were totally out of period--but I fell in love with this green one. The castle at the top is Raby Castle, where Cecily grew up and which is still lived in by the descendants of Ralph Neville. Every location at the top of the books is real: Ightham Mote in Kent on “Rose for the Crown”, Bruges on “Daughter of York,” and the Tower of London on “The King’s Grace.” You will also notice that there are white roses somewhere on every cover. I was horrified to see red ones on “The King’s Grace” in the draft, but my editor had already spotted that and told the artist: “You’d better change the color on those roses, or Anne will never forgive us!”


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

Oh, I cannot write about a place unless I have seen it, so yes, traveling to all these castles, towns and villages constitutes a huge part of my research. I would say that Ludlow has been the place where I really felt the presence of one of my protagonists the most (Cecily), but Ightham Mote is my most favorite of all English historic houses (it is also featured in Anya Seton’s “Green Darkness” a favorite book of mine). And I can’t tell you how much I fell in love with Belgium while researching “Daughter of York” and “The King’s Grace.”


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

Well, it would NOT be Joan of Arc on May 30, 1431!! This is the first time I have been asked this question and it was the hardest to answer and had me stumped for a while. Lots of people and events come to mind, but finally I thought I would have liked to have been Charles II on May 30, 1660 when he arrived back in London from exile to a wild and warm reception from his subjects after they had had 20 years of Cromwell’s cruel and rigid Parliamentarian rule. They let out all their pent-up emotions on that occasion, and that must have been thrilling for the exile. I’d also like to have been Winston Churchill on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on VE-Day. Another incredible London celebration after many years of war and deprivation.


What do you like to read for “fun”?

Ah yes, reading for fun. It doesn’t happen very often, I’m afraid. I feel guilty while I’m on a deadline for the next book if I’m not reading something on 15th century English history! But I have just lately made myself read a couple of contemporary novels, one of which I really loved “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand.” It was so English and I felt I knew most of the characters from my own village in Surrey. I still read historicals though--I have a Margaret George, Edward Rutherfurd, Ken Follett and Sharon Kay Penman on my shelf unread and giving me “read-me, read-me” vibes!


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

I love movies--love having someone else tell me a story that I can just sit there and let wash over me. But I really am passionate about theater--I’m very involved in our local theater community as an actor and director, and I am chair of the New Works Playwrighting Festival in Newburyport, MA, where I live, as well as a board member of the local arts center.


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

All of my protaganists hold a special place in my heart for very different reasons, but I have to say that Fortunata in “Daughter of York” stole my heart while I wrote that book! Oddly enough Richard of Gloucester in “A Rose for the Crown” ought to have been my favorite leading man because of fascination with him over 40 years, but he isn’t. That honor goes to his son, John of Gloucester in “The King’s Grace,” followed closely by Tom Gower in the same book. There was just enough “bad boy” in John to make his loyalty and honorableness interesting! My least favorite characters are Henry VII in “The King’s Grace” (a weasly man!) and Jacquetta of Bedford in “Queen By Right” (a sly, manipulative woman if ever there was one!). Oh, and Charles the Bold’s nasty bastard sister, Marie de Charn in “Daughter of York,” was right up there too!


Can you tell us what you are working on next?

My first book was about Richard of Gloucester’s mistress, and so the last book in the York series will be about Jane Shore, Richard’s brother, Edward IV’s mistress. W know quite a lot about her, and I have enjoyed researching the London guilds and merchant class for this book. She had quite a dramatic life once she became Edward’s last mistress.

Thank you Anne for being my guest today!
Thank you very much for taking up so much blogging space for my long-winded answers, Daphne! I hope you and your intrepid followers enjoy “Queen By Right.”


About the book:

From the award-winning author of A Rose for the Crown, Daughter of York, and The King’s Grace comes another masterful historical novel—the story of Cecily of York, mother of two kings and the heroine of one of history’s greatest love stories. Anne Easter Smith’s novels are beloved by readers for their ability “to grab you, sweep you along with the story, and make you fall in love with the characters.” * In Cecily Neville, duchess of York and ancestor of every English monarch to the present day, she has found her most engrossing character yet.History remembers Cecily of York standing on the steps of the Market Cross at Ludlow, facing an attacking army while holding the hands of her two young sons. Queen by Right reveals how she came to step into her destiny, beginning with her marriage to Richard, duke of York, whom she meets when she is nine and he is thirteen. Raised together in her father’s household, they become a true love match and together face personal tragedies, pivotal events of history, and deadly political intrigue. All of England knows that Richard has a clear claim to the throne, and when King Henry VI becomes unfit to rule, Cecily must put aside her hopes and fears and help her husband decide what is right for their family and their country. Queen by Right marks Anne Easter Smith’s greatest achievement, a book that every fan of sweeping, exquisitely detailed historical fiction will devour.

Now, for the giveaway:

To enter, please complete the below form by midnight, May 25, 2011.  You must be a resident of the US to enter and the winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected.