AD 2018: Languedoc, southern France
Madeleine Winters discovers ancient female bones under her kitchen floor. How did the woman end up buried, all alone, in that particular spot in the Cabardès hills? And why was her back broken?
Madeleine Winters discovers ancient female bones under her kitchen floor. How did the woman end up buried, all alone, in that particular spot in the Cabardès hills? And why was her back broken?
AD 777: Septimania, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
Seventeen-year-old Nanthild must marry Count Bellon of Carcassonne, a Visigoth, as part of his peace agreement with Charlemagne. As a wise-woman, she continues to visit those in need of her help during Bellon's frequent absences. But dangers lurk on her journeys...
Seventeen-year-old Nanthild must marry Count Bellon of Carcassonne, a Visigoth, as part of his peace agreement with Charlemagne. As a wise-woman, she continues to visit those in need of her help during Bellon's frequent absences. But dangers lurk on her journeys...
Thank you very much, Tony, for hosting me today. I’m delighted to share a glimpse at my work.
I write historical mystery and romance. My novels span several genres: historical fiction, adventures, murder mystery and romantic fiction. I love including historic events, something I always enjoy as a reader. It makes me read up about places and events I didn’t know about, and it’s something I’d like to convey to my own readers: the excitement of discovering something new.
After many years in Scotland, I’m now fortunate to live in Carcassonne, in the Occitanie region in southern France. I’ve always enjoyed living near or in historic places, as it makes research so much easier. Exploring castles and ruins is one of my passions, and I love the sense of time those ancient walls give you. You can imagine people and animals milling about, but also attacks and fights. Both sides of the coin.
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| Carcassonne |
Readers have mentioned that my stories take them to these places, that they get a real sense of the setting. This makes me so happy. And visiting historic sites isn’t exactly a chore, is it?
Now to your questions:
What is your preferred writing routine?
I don’t have one! I probably should have a routine, but I’m not very disciplined. I write mostly in the afternoons, either downstairs in our conservatory overlooking the front garden, or upstairs in the office, from where I can see the walls of the old cité of Carcassonne! Once I start, I find it hard to stop, though.
Before I start a new project, I research the overall timeline, to include some pointers. Then I search for events to add as I go.
What advice do you have for new writers?
Keep writing! Oh, and build up your brand. Yes, an author is a brand, so we need to make sure readers know about us and our writing. And learn as you go. As authors, we never stop learning.
Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research
The idea to Love Lost in Time came to me during a visit at neighbours in a village where we first lived after our arrival in France from Edinburgh four years ago.
It was late in the evening. The village’s annual fireworks on 14th July had just ended. We joined our neighbours for a nightcap (which took three hours, but that’s a different story…). As I was chatting about my love of history, Marie came in with a bundle. She unwrapped what turned out to be a cranium and a couple of other bones, likely from an arm and fingers! They were over 1000 years old! My neighbours had them checked.
You can imagine how intrigued I was. They had found the bones under their kitchen floor during renovations.
You can imagine how intrigued I was. They had found the bones under their kitchen floor during renovations.
There had been a Visigoth graveyard nearby, now beneath allotments, but a little further on, not where our houses stood. So how did those bones end up outside the old graveyard? The plot for Love Lost in Time was born.
What are you planning to write next?
I’m working on a murder mystery series called the Loup de Foix Mysteries set in the Languedoc area, although the first instalment begins in Rome during the Lateran Council of 1215. My main character is Loup de Foix. He was the illegitimate son of Count Raymond-Roger of Foix, a well-known orator and supporter of the Cathars.
I’m also working on the long-overdue sequel to Dark Deceit, and I’m plotting a novel set in Paris during the infamous Affair of the Poisons.
Cathie Dunn
Excerpt from Love Lost In Time:
About the Author
Cathie Dunn has been writing for over twenty years. She studied Creative Writing, with a focus on novel writing, which she now teaches in the south of France. She loves researching for her novels, delving into history books, and visiting castles and historic sites. Cathie's stories have garnered readers' awards and praise from reviewers and readers for their authentic description of the past. is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Alliance of Independent Authors. After many years in Scotland, Cathie now lives in south-west France with her husband, two cats and a rescue dog. Discover more at Cathie's website http://www.cathiedunn.com and Blog https://cathiedunn.blogspot.com and find her on Facebook and Twitter: @cathiedunn
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