Author Interview with Rosemary Hayes, Author of The King’s Command: For God or Country

Available from Amazon UK and Amazon US

16 year old Lidie Brunier has everything; looks, wealth, health and a charming suitor, but there are dark clouds on the horizon. Lidie and her family are committed Huguenots and Louis XIV has sworn to stamp out this ‘false religion’ and make France a wholly Catholic country.

I'm pleased to welcome author Rosemary Hayes to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your latest book

The King’s Command is based, very loosely, on the experience of my Huguenot ancestors who fled persecution in Louis XIV’s France and came to England in 1692. Here’s a bit about the story.

16 year old Lidie Brunier has everything; looks, wealth, health and a charming suitor but there are dark clouds on the horizon. Lidie  and her family are committed Huguenots and Louis XIV has sworn to stamp out this ‘false religion’ and make France a wholly Catholic country. Gradually Lidie’s comfortable life starts to disintegrate as Huguenots are stripped of all rights and the King sends his brutal soldiers into their homes to force them to become Catholics. Others around her break under pressure but Lidie and her family refuse to convert. With spies everywhere and the ever present threat of violence, they struggle on. Then a shocking betrayal forces Lidie’s hand and her only option is to try and flee the country. A decision that brings unimaginable hardship, terror and tragedy and changes her life for ever.

What is your preferred writing routine?

I don’t really have any particular routine though ideally I like to write in the morning when my brain is in gear! However, if I have a deadline I’m quite disciplined and will make myself keep to it. I have a separate office in my house and if I’m hiding away there I don’t take any notice of all the other things going on around me. I’m good at ignoring boring chores that need doing until they become really urgent!

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Everyone works differently. I tend to plan out a rough plotline before starting a new story but this doesn’t work for everyone and even if you have one, characters often take over and won’t fit into what you have planned for them! It is easy to get discouraged, so make yourself write a little every day, even if you aren’t feeling inspired and you think you are writing rubbish! Push on through those days so that you are progressing the story. You can always come back to these parts later. Don’t try and make everything perfect in your first draft. And when you have finished your first draft, put it away for a few weeks; you will be amazed at how much better you can make it when you come to it with fresh eyes.

Do seek proper editorial advice (not just from friends or family) before you submit to an agent or publisher; you need your story to be as good as it possibly can be before it goes out into the world. You have to pay for this but having professional objective advice is really worthwhile. Also, take time to research the genres handled by agents and published by publishers. Make sure that what you have written will suit their lists. Follow submission guidelines and be patient. Get on with writing your next book while you are waiting for replies.

Many authors self publish but if you go down this route, do have your work properly edited. There is so much badly written stuff out there these days!

What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?

The King’s Command is my first book for adults. For years I have written books for children and young adults and the biggest market for these was schools. Now that I am in the world of adult fiction, I’m working hard at building up my online presence by regular tweeting, writing articles for historical magazines and being part of blog tours. Reviews are helpful, too, and Amazon does take notice when you have a good number of four and five star reviews. I’m also talking to book clubs and other organisations to try and raise awareness of the book.

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research

Probably the most unexpected discovery was the level of hatred between Catholics and Protestants in France during the 16th and 17th centuries and the violence involved. Also the power of the monarchy and the incredible courage and resourcefulness of the Huguenots who refused to deny their faith despite the ever present threat of persecution and torture.

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

I think probably it was the scene describing the death of a child.

What are you planning to write next?

My publisher has commissioned me to write a trilogy of novellas set at the time of the Napoleonic wars, with a flawed ex-military spy as the main protagonist. So – lots more research to do!

Rosemary Hayes

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About the Author

Rosemary Hayes has written over fifty books for children and young adults. She writes  in different genres, from edgy teenage fiction (The Mark), historical fiction (The Blue Eyed Aborigine and Forgotten Footprints), middle grade fantasy (Loose Connections, The Stonekeeper’s Child and Break Out)  to chapter books for early readers and texts for picture books. Many of her books have won or been shortlisted for awards and several have been translated into different languages. Rosemary has travelled widely but now lives in South Cambridgeshire. She has a background in publishing, having worked for Cambridge University Press before setting up her own company Anglia Young Books which she ran for some years. She has been a reader for a well-known authors’ advisory service and runs creative writing workshops for both children and adults. Find out more at Rosemary's website https://www.rosemaryhayes.co.uk and find her on Twitter: @HayesRosemary