In this, the ninth book of The Graham Saga, we return to a Maryland presently torn apart by religious conflict – the hitherto so tolerant approach to various faiths is a thing of the past now that the staunchly Protestant William & Mary sit on the throne, and when Catholic friends of the Grahams end up in danger, Matthew and Alex must ride to the rescue.
Tell us about your latest book
My latest book is called There is Always a Tomorrow and is the ninth book of The Graham Saga. I wasn’t planning on writing a ninth book. To be honest, I am still surprised that first book resulted in an entire series… Anyway, my latest release is set in the 1690s, both in Maryland and in London. A recurring theme throughout the 17th century was religious intolerance, and in this book the religious upheavals in Maryland following upon the Glorious Revolution play a central role. Plus there’s the story of little Rachel, a girl not yet twelve who finds herself in a most precarious situation.
What is your preferred writing routine?
What is your preferred writing routine?
I like writing while my husband is watching TV, preferably one of those action movies he so adores. Bang, crash, boom goes the TV and somehow all that noise makes it easier for me to escape into my own little bubble of concentration. If hubby is not around, I prefer writing in silence.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Write the book you would want to read. Don’t try to capitalise on what may be trending—the one certainty is that what is trending right now will be dead and buried by the time your book hits the shelves.
What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?
What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?
Difficult question! I think the indirect approach—my historical blog— generates a lot of interest. I also use twitter a lot but it is difficult to see a correlation between twitter activity and sales. Of late I’ve started using Amazon Ads. Not entirely easy but it is early days yet!
Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research
Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research
Well, as you know much better than I do, research generally delivers a lot of “aha” moments. I recall when I was trying to find a home town for Matthew Graham and I needed a place three days or so by horse from Edinburgh. I ended up choosing a little place called Cumnock because when I read up on it, it turned out this little town was central to the Scottish protests against Charles II’s persecution of the Scottish Kirk—a central part of my plot. Serendipity, hey? I also remember spending several happy hours perusing the list of Roger Mortimer’s belongings. These were compiled when he was attainted in 1322 and reveal a man with an appreciation for the good life in all things. I also learnt the Marcher Lord liked sleeping on silk sheets. Red silk sheets…
What was the hardest scene you remember writing?
What was the hardest scene you remember writing?
There is a scene in the sixth book of The Graham Saga, Revenge and Retribution, that had me crying every time I rewrote or edited it. My main character was so abused, so humiliated. I also have a couple of scenes in my medieval series that have been quite harrowing to write, usually related to death.
What are you planning to write next?
What are you planning to write next?
I have the fourth book of my series The King’s Greatest Enemy coming out in early spring and I am already toying with the idea of a fifth book. At the same time, I have a WIP set in the 1280’s and another set in the 17th century plus I have the first few chapters of a new timeslip novel. My main problem is not inspiration: it is time.
Anna Belfrage
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About the Author
Anna Belfrage combines an exciting day-job as the CEO of a multinational listed group with her writing endeavours. When she isn’t writing a novel, she is probably working on a post or catching up on her reading. Other than work and writing, Anna finds time to bake (awesome carrot-cake) and drink copious amounts of tea, preferably with a chocolaty nibble on the side. And yes, now and then she is known to visit a gym as a consequence. For more information visit Anna's website http://www.annabelfrage.com
or her Amazon page. You can also visit her blog and follow Anna on Twitter @Anna_Belfrage.
Thank you for inviting me to visit!
ReplyDeleteYou are always welcome on my blog Anna :)
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