I am very happy to welcome the brilliant, Historical Romance novelist Emma Prince, author of The Sinclair Brother’s Trilogy, Viking Lore Series and Wish Upon a Winter Solstice. So take a seat and let’s get to know Emma. . .
Hi, and welcome to Chicks, Rogues and Scandals. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today. Firstly what five words would you use to describe yourself?
Hi Frankie, Thank you so much for having me! Hmm, only five words? Here we go: stubborn, enthusiastic, introverted, anxious (yep, I’m a worrier), and curious.
I think we can all say we have a bit of all those in us Emma, Especially being a worrier (I know that I can be). Ok, If you could live in any era and place, when and where would it be? And why?
Although I love medieval settings for my romances, I have to admit that I’m not sure how romantic life would be back then. I like modern dentistry and indoor plumbing too much! But I think living in the 19th century would be fun—either in London, where the social and intellectual scenes were electric (and the clothes were nice, too!), or on the American frontier, where women got to carve out a place for themselves through grit and determination. (Fun fact—before I started writing romance, I studied 19th-century literature!)
Ooh! Nice fact Emma, Very interesting, Who was your childhood hero?
I read a lot of fantasy books as a child. One of my all-time favourite series was the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede (the first book is called Dealing with Dragons). Its heroine is Cimorene, a no-nonsense princess who isn’t the typical damsel in distress. She makes friends with dragons and leads her own adventures! I’d definitely count her as a childhood heroine of mine.
What is your favourite time of the year?
Summer! Since I grew up in Seattle, sunshine and warm weather were precious. Now I live in Northern Nevada, where it’s plenty hot and sunny, but I still love summer best because it’s the time of year when I can go hiking and camping. I have also recently started getting into gardening, and I love growing flowers and edible plants (so far just tomatoes, but I have big plans)
That to seem’s sound’s like pure heaven, Out of all your work, who is your favourite character and why?
I’m going to cheat and pick two: Rona from Highlander’s Reckoning and Madrena from Shieldmaiden’s Revenge. I love Rona because she is stubborn and free-spirited. Since I wanted her to have a secret love of falconry, I got to research medieval falconry practices and consider ways to incorporate them into her character—she’s willful, but when a bond is made, she’s very loyal. And I love Madrena because she is incredibly tough. She was so fun to write because she is a fearless warrior, but she has also overcome much pain and has to learn how to let go and love over the course of the book.
I bet researching falconry was very interesting, Your books are incredible, where does your inspiration for them come from?
Inspiration comes from many places for me. As a long-time reader and lover of historical romance, sometimes my imagination runs wild as I’m reading. I imagine the story going in a different way, or what would happen if a character had a different backstory or trait. I also turn to research a lot for inspiration. I love learning about a new time period, a particular aspect of life, or a larger historical event and then building a thrilling and emotional story around it. More broadly, I look for inspiration in every aspect of my life—just the other day I was re-watching the old Disney version of Robin Hood (I’m a sucker for all things Disney) and inspiration for my next series of Scottish romances struck! I can’t tell you what the idea was, though—you’ll just have to wait until my next book comes out! 😉
Ooh, what a tease 🙂 What three tips would you pass on to an aspiring author?
First, don’t wait for everything to be perfect—for your schedule to be clear, for inspiration to strike, for the stars to align, etc. Just start, wherever you are, and with whatever you have.
Second, make a schedule and stick to it. This kind of goes along with the first one—don’t wait for your muse to be singing in your head. Instead set small goals (for me, it’s a daily word count goal) and meet them.
Third, keep going! When you’re stuck, just keep those fingers moving on the keyboard! When you’d rather throw your computer out the window than deal with a tricky plotline or character, keep ploughing forward. You might be surprised at what comes out. Even if it’s no good, it’s better than a blank page.
Wow! those are some really great tips, thank you, Emma, If you were hosting a dinner party what three people would you invite? (They can be real/fictional, dead or alive)
Jane Austen, because she was the master of wit. Willa Cather, is probably my all-time favorite author. And Thor, as portrayed by Chris Hemsworth because…well, that one is self-explanatory.
Can I come too? Haha! Thank you again for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with me today, I have just one more cheeky question, just for fun. . .
What is your all-time favourite naughty but nice food?
Do I only get to pick one? 😉 Though I have a fierce sweet tooth (I eat desert after both lunch and dinner, and sometimes after my afternoon snack, too!), nothing feels more decadent and celebratory than champagne! Thanks so much for having me, and cheers!
Cheers to you too Emma!
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To find out more about Emma and her brilliant book follow the links below
You can find all of Emma Prince’s books at Amazon
Stay up to date with her latest news by signing up for her newsletter at her website: Emma Prince Books
Or by liking her page (Emma Prince, Author) on Facebook
Follow Emma on Twitter:@EmmaPrinceBooks
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