Today I'm excited to host fellow The
Wild Rose Press author Christine Elaine Black on her first guest blog
appearance. Her historical fiction romance Maximus released this past
Wednesday, and it sounds absolutely fascinating to me! She's answered a few
questions for us, and you can find the blurb at the end of the
interview.
Kathryn: Thanks for being here
Christine! I'm a big fan of historical romance, and I love the idea of a
setting in ancient Rome. Where did you come up with the idea for this story?
Christine: The idea for Maximus
came from my love of reading ancient historical fiction. I've always been
fascinated by the time period but never found many romance novels set in
ancient times that deal mainly with the relationship of the main characters. I
decided to change that.
Kathryn: It does seem like a
fascinating time period, one which I admittedly don't know a whole lot about.
What books have made an impact on you as a reader and a writer?
Christine: Strangely the books to
impact me the most are not especially romantic. Pauline Gedge writes Egyptian
historical fiction in such a way that I'm transported to her world and care
about her characters within moments of starting the journey. Jack Whyte wrote a
series of novels about the origins of Excalibur and Merlin. He writes with a
mastery and skill that leaves me in awe.
Kathryn: The research part of
writing accurate historical fiction seems overwhelming to me, but I'd like to
try it some day. It sounds like your reading preferences have helped quite a
bit with the research involved for Maximus.
Christine: Yes, I've read many
ancient stories and studied ancient cultures. It feels natural for me to write
about the Roman world. They play a huge role in our daily lives if we stop to
think about it. Roman numerals, calendar months, Latin words morphed into
English, the forum, the senate, etc. I love the phrase 'All roads lead to
Rome'. At one time it was true! I never get tired of reading and writing
ancient stories.
Kathryn: Wow, I never really thought
about that but it's certainly true! So who gave you the most support throughout
this journey?
Christine: I've received support
from many quarters, including online writing groups, but my family have given
me their unfailing support to pursue my writing. Happily my daughter is a
budding writer.
Kathryn: It's so important to have
family behind you, since writing tends to become all-consuming, at least in my
experience. That's great that your daughter wants to follow in your footsteps.
I bet everyone was so excited when you received your contract. Can you tell us about
that day?
Christine: I was so ready to receive
my contract when it came. I'd been tweaking the book for months before sending
in the finalized version and then it became a reality when I opened an email
from my editor saying she wanted to request a contract and shortly after it
arrived. It's a special moment of validation for a writer to have that elusive
agreement.
Kathryn: It's one of the best
feelings in the world - I will never forget my day (Dec. 16, 2011 lol). Are you
interested in trying any other genres?
Christine: I have written other
genres. Maximus is a trequel and book II was accepted by The Wild Rose
Press and will be published in 2013. Yay!! I've dallied into the world of
contemporary romance, 18th century romance, and I've also written a Y/A
fantasy/medieval adventure for my daughter. They're on my future submissions
list.
Kathryn: Wow, that's exciting to
have book II under contract already! I can't wait to read both. Sounds like you
are a very diverse writer...can you tell us a few things about yourself outside
of writing?
Christine: Outside of writing is my
love for musical theatre. My daughter performs in youth theatre and I love to
help costume the cast and assist backstage during the run of the shows. Music
and a sense of humor are important in my daily life.
Kathryn: Nice! I agree, a sense of
humor is an absolute necessity in life. Thanks for sharing with us, Christine.
Enjoy the blurb for Maximus below:
Carissa Valeria distrusts the
handsome soldier who rescues her reckless son from plunging to an early death.
Recalling the man's heartless treatment of her from years ago, she itches to
even the score, but her son hails the rescuer as a hero. When he becomes her
neighbor, her son's friendship with the soldier threatens to uncover old
secrets and place her family and her heart in danger.
Exiled to the countryside by the Roman emperor, Maximus Octavius is confounded by the brittle countenance of the woman he's willing to befriend. She's afraid, and he's determined to find out why. But helping Carissa and her son means confronting the guilt of his long-forgotten past and stirring the silenced passion in his heart.
Can Maximus win Carissa before fear and revenge tear them apart forever?
Exiled to the countryside by the Roman emperor, Maximus Octavius is confounded by the brittle countenance of the woman he's willing to befriend. She's afraid, and he's determined to find out why. But helping Carissa and her son means confronting the guilt of his long-forgotten past and stirring the silenced passion in his heart.
Can Maximus win Carissa before fear and revenge tear them apart forever?
Buy Link Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Maximus-ebook/dp/B00AEFFXNK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1354138659&sr=1-1&keywords=maximus
Buy Link TWRP: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_138&products_id=5049
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