There
is a gigantic canvas for a historical novelist to choose from.
I
am a multi-published, best-selling historical novelist. My novels are set in
the reign of Charles II’s niece, Queen Anne Stuart, who reigned from 1702 to
1714, the ever-popular Regency era, and in Edward II’s reign.
I
chose these periods because each of them affected the course of history. If the
Duke of Marlborough had not won The War of Spanish Succession, and The Duke of
Wellington had been defeated by Napoleon at The Battle of Waterloo, the history
of Britain and that of Europe would be different. Defeat would also have had
far-reaching consequences for the rest of the world. If Edward II had won the
Battle of Bannockburn, it is feasible that he would have conquered Scotland
and, perhaps, as it is claimed, he would not have been murdered.
The
more I read about my chosen eras the more fascinated I become, and the more
aware of the gulf between the past and present. Our ancestors shared the same
emotions as we do, but their attitudes and way of life were in many ways very
different to ours. One of the most striking examples was the social position of
women and children in bygone ages.
My characters are of their time, not men,
women and children dressed in costume who behave like 21st century people. Research
of my chosen eras sparks my imagination. The seeds of my novels are sown, and
from them sprout the characters and events which will shape their lives.
The
themes in each of my historical romances are familiar in the 21st
century. In Sunday’s Child the hero suffers from post-traumatic stress at a time
when the condition had not been recognised. The heroine in False Pretences is
desperate to find out who her birth parents are. The Captain and The Countess
shows the reluctance of an older woman with a troubled pasts to accept a much younger man as a suitor.
I
was born in Kent. As a child, when I was not making up stories, my head was
‘always in a book.’ While
working in a travel agency, I met my Hindu husband. He encouraged me to
continue my education at Westminster College. In 1961 I and my husband, by then a barrister, moved to his birthplace,
Kenya, where I lived from 1961 until 1982. After an attempted coup d’état, four
of my children lived with me in an ashram in France.
Back
in England, I wrote historical fiction, joined the Romantic Novelists’
Association, The Historical Novel Society, Watford Writers and on-line groups,
and am now published by Books We Love Ltd.
Apart
from writing, I enjoy classical Indian literature, reading, visiting places of
historical interest, vegetarian cooking, growing organic fruit, herbs and
vegetables and creative crafts.
My
bookshelves are so crammed with historical non-fiction, which I use to research
my novels, that if I buy a new book, I must consider getting rid of one.
Time
spent with my five children and their families, most of whom live near me, is
precious.
To
find out more about me and read the first chapters of my novels please visit my
website. www.rosemarymorris.co.uk
My
novels are available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, Walmart
and other online bookstores.
Click HERE (and scroll down to 'M') to find our reviews of Rosemary Morris's books on Discovering Diamonds
Our Full
No comments:
Post a Comment
We do not accept comments. If you need to contact Discovering Diamonds go to the CONTACT facility
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.