Interview with historical fiction author Emily-Jane Hills Orford

A hearty welcome to novelist Emily-Jane Hills Orford. We’re chatting about her new historical fiction/fantasy novel, Queen Mary’s Daughter.

Bio:

Emily-Jane Hills Orford is an award-winning author of several books, including Gerlinda (CFA 2016) which received an Honorable Mention in the 2016 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, To Be a Duke (CFA 2014) which was named Finalist and Silver Medalist in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards and received an Honorable Mention in the 2015 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards. She writes about the extra-ordinary in life and her books, short stories, and articles are receiving considerable attention.

Please tell us about your current release.

There are so many possibilities that affect the course of history. One change, one small item overlooked, can make a world of difference, not only in a person's life, but in the history and well-being of an entire nation. And then there are those multiple scenarios of what if? What if King James VI of Scotland didn't succeed in amalgamating Scotland with England? What if there had been another heir to the throne of Scotland? One who would secure its independence? Would Scotland have remained free and independent and a nation of its own well into the twenty-first century? And would Scotland, this independent version, make its own decision to join the European Union when its southern neighbor was choosing to pull away?

What inspired you to write this book?

There are so many possibilities that affect the course of history. One change, one small item overlooked, can make a world of difference, not only in a person's life, but in the history and well-being of an entire nation. And then there are those multiple scenarios of what if? What if King James VI of Scotland didn't succeed in amalgamating Scotland with England? What if there had been another heir to the throne of Scotland? One who would secure its independence? Would Scotland have remained free and independent and a nation of its own well into the twenty-first century? And would Scotland, this independent version, make its own decision to join the European Union when its southern neighbor was choosing to pull away?

First and foremost, my grandmother. She and I had a special relationship. When I was old enough, we traveled together. One special trip took us to Scotland where we traced her childhood memories (she was born in Scotland) as well as followed the trail of Mary Queen of Scots. We had been enjoying a number of novels and biographies about the ill-fated queen and my grandmother ignited my interest by telling me about ancestors who helped in her escape from Loch Leven Castle. I always wanted to write about Queen Mary, but it wasn’t until the Brexit debacle and the ongoing desire of the Scottish people to separate from England, that I started looking more closely at the stories around Queen Mary. I knew she had given birth, prematurely, to twins while imprisoned at Loch Leven. History records that the babies died at birth and were buried on the island where the castle sat. An interesting footnote states that the location of the burial and the babies’ remains have never been found. So, I started thinking, ‘what if?’. What if there had been another heir to the Scottish throne and Scotland never did amalgamate with England and Ireland? And my story unfolded.

Excerpt from Queen Mary’s Daughter:

As the wind picked up, blowing her deep red, unruly curls helter-skelter over her face, Mary Elizabeth’s eyes focused on her hands. She stretched out the left hand, revealing the old ring that sat on her baby finger. It was a tiny ring and it only fit on the one finger. At the same time Gran bestowed the heirloom gift on her granddaughter, she had shared her story of the ring, at least as much as she was willing to share. The ring had been in the family for generations and only the firstborn daughter of the firstborn daughter (and so on and so on) could wear it. The ring was her connection to a past she wasn’t sure she believed in, a past that had been shared from one generation to the next. Or was there more? Was there a story her grandmother never managed to share?

What would she find at Loch Leven Castle? The clues had to be there. But the boy said it was mostly ruins, crumbled walls and tumbled stones, except for the tower. Queen Mary’s tower. What could she possibly unearth to collaborate Gran’s story? And she only had two weeks to do it. She couldn’t afford more time away from work. Even though it was a poorly paid entry level job, she didn’t want to risk losing it.

A glow emanated from the ring on her outstretched hand. She felt a warmth spread up her arms. The wind picked up, violently tossing her hair in every direction, swishing her coat ends like laundry hanging loosely on a clothesline. She faced into the wind, allowing its vicious impact to draw her forward. She took a step, then another, until she felt the cold wet of the lapping waves of the loch splash over her feet. The water was cold; it jolted her back to reality. What was she doing walking into the loch? What was the strong pulse pulling her forward? She allowed her eyes to glance out across the loch, now almost obliterated by the darkened storm that raged all around her.

“Miss.” She heard a voice from behind her as the power continued to drag her into the loch. “Miss!” A hand gripped her arm, yanking her back toward the dry shore. “Miss!” The hands tightened their hold as she tried to pull away, tried to return to the loch. A scream pierced the air. She didn’t know where the scream originated. It sounded like it came from across the water.

It also sounded like it came from deep within herself.

Another scream and everything went black.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Several. I just signed a contract with TellTale Publishing for my Middle Grade series, the “Piccadilly Street Series”. Three books are awaiting edits and the fourth is in the initial writing stage. I’m also working on a sequel to “Queen Mary’s Daughter” – “King Henry’s Choice” – and a fifth book to my “Four Seasons” series. I continue to follow my interest in family stories and memoirs and I frequently publish family stories in “The Curious Tourist Guide” and other publications. An avid gardener, I contribute regularly to insteading.com

Exciting stories? I like to think that all my stories are exciting. They are to me, at least.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

As soon as I could hold a pen and knew my letters. I have always loved writing. I grew up in a family of storytellers. We would sit around the dinner table sharing our stories. Being the youngest, I didn’t have much chance to share my stories, so, as soon as I could write, I wrote my stories. I particularly enjoy writing stories about real people, real life and started my writing career in the late 1970s writing for small publications, telling people’s stories and writing about interesting places. I still enjoy writing these types of stories, but my passion for fiction insists that I write novels as well. Who inspire me? My mother and my grandmother. My mother was very creative and she encouraged me to write my stories. My grandmother was a wonderful storyteller, always full of stories to share. I wrote both my mother’s story, “F-Stop: A Life in Pictures” and my grandmother’s story, “Personal Notes”.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I have too many interests to commit to any one thing full time. I write first thing in the morning before puttering in the garden or walking the family dog. I work on my needleart and collage paintings mid-day and return to my writing in the early afternoon when I focus on my book reviewing (I’m a regular reviewer for readersfavorite.com) and short stories and articles. I sometimes write in the evenings, although I prefer to spend the evenings reading. I can’t improve my own writing skills if I don’t study and appreciate what others have written.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Every life has a story and every story needs a writer.

And, as author Diana M. Raab wrote in her book, “Dear Anaïs: My Life in Poems for You”, “I live to write, so I shall never die.”

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A best-selling author. Okay, well, at least I achieved part of that equation and I can boast that my writing has won some awards.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

If I could be anything else other than a writer, I think I would like to be an artist. That being said, I have to admit that I already am an artist, one who masters the craft of working with words, and an artist, one who creates visual works. So, I guess I already am what I want to be: a writer and an artist.

Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

Thanks for being here today, Emily-Jane!