The Boleyn Deceit by Laura Andersen

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: March 5, 2014

Henry IX, known as William, is the son of Anne Boleyn and now the leader of England, his regency period finally at an end. His newfound power, however, comes with the looming specter of war with the other major powers of Europe, with strategic alliances that must be forged on both the battlefield and in the bedroom, and with a court, severed by religion, rife with plots to take over the throne. Will trusts only three people: his older sister, Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by Anne Boleyn. But as the pressure rises alongside the threat to his life, even they William must begin to question-and to fear...

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They say confession if good for the soul so perhaps it's best that I just admit I've been avoiding this review. I've allowed Laura Andersen's The Boleyn Deceit to languish in my pending folder for months to circumvent penning what I knew would be somewhat negative commentary, but no more. It's time to bite the bullet and be done with it. 

I realize I'm in the minority here, but I genuinely feel the second installment of Andersen's Boleyn Trilogy lacked the 'oomph' of its predecessor. I know sequels have a hard time of it, but I can't help looking back on this piece and wondering what the hell happened. Consider this your warning folks, there be spoilers ahead.

The love triangle Andersen carried through book one utterly stagnates in book two. It isn't until the final chapters that I felt tangible emotion or movement, at which point the affair felt entirely slapdash. Call me crazy, but I feel Andersen misstepped in neglecting the romantic subplot for so much of the narrative and overcompensated in her attempt to revive it in her build up to book three. 

Having so enjoying Andersen's interpretation of Elizabeth in The Boleyn King, I was bitterly disappointed to see her role much reduced in The Boleyn Deceit. I felt her the strongest of the four leads in Andersen's debut and was frustrated to witness her playing a less astute second fiddle to supporting characters like Dudley and Northumberland this go round.

William is fast becoming a carbon copy of his father which is something I found particularly frustrating. Andersen has the freedom to do anything she wants with this character and she chooses to create a doppelganger of Henry VIII. Creative? Inventive? Imaginative? I think not. 

And while we're on the subject, let's talk about Alyce de Clare’s unfortunate and untimely death. Were readers supposed to be shocked and surprised by the identity of her lover? I mean, it isn't as if poor Alyce is the only Tudor era courtier to take a tumble down a flight of stairs. I told myself from the start that the solution was too obvious to be correct, but no, there it was, staring up at me in prosaic black and white. 

Bottom line, I felt the book rushed, disjointed, predictable and dull. There are moments involving Guildford Dudley, Mary Stuart, Francis Walsingham and Amy Dudley that I greatly enjoyed, but taken as a whole this piece left me disenchanted with the series and is proving a significant obstacle in my effort to rouse enthusiasm for book three.

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Robert raised his eyebrows and lowered his voice that half step that made Elizabeth’s blood warm. “We choose our battles with care—political, religious … personal.”

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The Nightingale Girls by Donna Douglas

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Personal Library/Netgalley

Read: May 7, 2014

Three very different girls sign up as student nurses in January 1936, while England is still mourning the death of George V. Dora is a tough East Ender, driven by ambition, but also desperate to escape her squalid, overcrowded home and her abusive stepfather. Helen is the quiet one, a mystery to her fellow nurses, avoiding fun, gossip and the limelight. In fact she is in the formidable shadow of her overbearing mother, who dominates every aspect of her life. Can a nursing career free Helen at last? The third of our heroines is naughty, rebellious Millie -- aka Lady Camilla -- an aristocrat on the run from her conventional upper class life. She is doomed to clash over and over again with terrifying Sister Hyde and to get into scrape after scrape especially where men are concerned. This utterly delightful novel brings a London pre-war hospital vividly to life.

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Donna Douglas' The Nightingale Girls took me a long time to get into, a very long time. I was actually more than halfway through the narrative before I finally began to appreciate the story and while I will be moving on with the series, I have very mixed feelings about books.

Looking at the jacket description as I compose my thoughts, I realize the word 'delightful' should have tipped me off. There is nothing delightful about working in hospital, especially if you are a student at the bottom of the hierarchical food chain. That said, the adjective is a highly accurate descriptor for the Douglas' work. 

Think historic chick lit because that's really what this is. Douglas spends more time describing Millie's wardrobe, Helen's burgeoning romance, and Dora's sexually abusive stepfather than she does the drudgery of cleaning bedpans, changing bandages or practical nursing and while I eventually accepted the direction and tone of the narrative, I can't deny I'd have liked to see more balance between context and character drama. 

Another thing that irked, the multitude of narrators. The story focuses on Helen Tremayne, Dora Doyle and Millie Benedict, but significant portions of the narrative are told by supporting cast members like Veronica Hanley, Lucy Lane, Nick Riley, and Matron Kathleen Fox. Maybe it's just me, but The Nightingale Girls has a large cast and I personally found the constant rotation between primary and secondary points of view mentally exhausting. 

There is definite potential in some of the subplots, but bottom line, I'd recommend the book as a beach read before passing it to fans of hard hitting historic fiction. 

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Why did she think she could ever be a nurse? Living on the other side of Victoria Park from the Nightingale, she had often seen the young women coming and going through the gates, dressed in their red-lined cloaks. For as long as she could remember she’d dreamed of being one of them. But dreams like that didn’t come true for the likes of Dora Doyle. Like any other East End girl, her destiny lay in the sweatshops or one of the factories that lined the overcrowded stretch of the Thames.

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The Right Fight by Chris Lynch

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Historical Novel Review

Read: March 8, 2014

The author of the acclaimed Vietnam series sets his sights on World War II. There are few things Roman loves as much as baseball, but his country is at the top of the list. So when it looks like the United States will be swept up into World War II, he turns his back on baseball and joins the US Army. Roman doesn't mind. As it turns out, he is far more talented with a tank than he ever was with a baseball. And he is eager to drive his tank right into the field of battle, where the Army is up against the fearsome Nazis of the Afrika Korps. The North African terrain is like nothing Roman has ever known, and desert warfare proves brutal. As Roman drives his team deeper into disputed territory, one thing becomes very clear: Life in wartime is a whole new ball game.

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Baseball is life for professional ball player Roman Bucyk, but love for his country prompts him to trade his uniform for military issue khaki and ship out as part of the African front to fight the German Afrika Korps in Algeria and Tunisia during WWII.

Geared for readers aged ten to fourteen, The Right Fight is a fairly straightforward piece that combines the history of the US campaign in North Africa with more abstract concepts like patriotism, death, loss and loyalty. Though I usually gravitate towards more complex narratives, I actually enjoyed Lynch’s treatment of the material and the authenticity of his story, but was most impressed with his ability to give a multifaceted face to the war through Roman, Pacifico, Wyatt, Hannah, Logan and Cowens. 

A strong and appealing young adult historical, The Rigth Fight sets a high standard for future installments of Lynch’s WWII series.  

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"Now?" I say. "Now I drive you to the field hospital and turn you in. Your mission is accomplished, and you are going home, my friend."

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Interview with Louise Turner, author of Fire and Sword

Author interviews are one of my favorite things to post which is why I am super excited to welcome author Louise Turner to Flashlight Commentary to discuss her latest release, Fire and Sword. 

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Welcome to Flashlight Commentary Louise. Great to have you with us. To start things off, please tell us a bit about Fire and Sword.
Thanks very much for having me! Well, I think I’d describe this novel as a coming-of-age tale set against a backdrop of murder and political intrigue in late 15th century Scotland. The story unfolds in the turbulent period which followed the death of King James III at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488; his eldest son who succeeded him – James IV – is famed as Scotland’s Renaissance king, but his early reign was less than promising. I wanted to explore this period from the perspective of someone who found himself at a severe disadvantage following the regime change, and to follow the way in which Sempill re-established himself in the king’s favour through ingenuity and sheer determination.

John Sempill was unfamiliar to me prior to reading your work. Tell us, how did you come upon his story and what inspired you to adapt it to fiction?
John Sempill (future 1st Lord Sempill) is a well-known figure as far as the local history of Renfrewshire is concerned, perhaps best remembered for his architectural legacy: he built a Collegiate Church, now ruined, which still stands a short distance from my home with John’s tomb still visible within it.  

When I first sought inspiration for a historical novel, I followed that familiar maxim, “Always write about what you know.’ I scoured the local history sources for a potential story, and found one in a historical account which noted very briefly that, following the death of Sir Thomas Sempill defending the King (i.e. James III) at Sauchieburn, Thomas’s son John was made a Lord of Parliament the following year.  While that statement wasn’t entirely correct, John’s changes in fortune were sufficiently dramatic to pique my interest, and the more I delved into his story, the more intriguing he became.  

History can only tell us so much about a man. How did you approach characterizing John for your novel and what sort of impression do you hope he leaves on your readers?
Very little is known about the ‘real’ John – we know he died at Flodden along with King James IV, but most of the detail about his life is unknown and has had to be inferred.  What we do know about him comes from his legal and financial transactions: the ‘real’ John was a builder and a patron of the arts, founding a ‘sang school’ (for choristers) and supporting a harper amongst his retinue.  

He appears to have been the only surviving son in a family of five, and he appears to have been either the nephew or the cousin of a prominent politician at the time - John Ross of Montgrennan -  who was charged with treason in the aftermath of Sauchieburn.  We know that Sempill was Hereditary Sheriff of Renfrew, and what is also clearly evident is that throughout his lifetime, the shire of Renfrew was a comparatively stable and peaceful place. This was unusual in a country which was still being torn apart by violence and feuding on a regular basis. In this respect, he was clearly a man ahead of his time.  

Though this is very much John’s story, there are three prominent feminine figures within your narrative. Can you tell us a bit about Mary, Margaret, and Helen and their role in Fire and Sword? 
Women are notoriously silent in the historical record, and I relished an opportunity to explore what it was to be a woman during a time which comes across as relentlessly misogynistic.  I was inspired by Henrietta Leyser’s book Medieval Women, a book which demonstrates clearly how women at all levels in society weren’t the weak, downtrodden figures that we expect them to be.  Instead, they were expected to play a vital and often valued role in running their households and supporting their husbands in their trades or political careers.  

All three women are powerful in their own way, striving to shift circumstances in their favour even when the world works against them.  Mary is a tenant of the Sempills who is widowed early in the book and must do whatever she can to support herself and her family.  

Margaret, by contrast, comes from a privileged background, but finds herself in a situation where her original expectations are dashed. She was promised a man who was supposed to be a knight and Sheriff and she finds herself instead married to a traitor. While there’s nothing she can do to escape her fate, she makes sure that life is far from easy from a husband who disappoints her in many ways. 

In Helen Campbell, we find a woman of noble birth who is politically astute and a trusted confidante of her husband, Hugh 2nd Lord Montgomerie. Her steady patient character forms an ideal counterweight to a volatile man who loves her dearly and would never do anything to hurt her, but – at his worst - could ruin everything they’ve strived for through rash actions committed in haste. 

Nearly six hundred years separate us from the battle at Sauchieburn and the events that set John’s journey in motion. Where did you start in terms of recreating 15th century Scotland and the society in which his story unfolds?
I started with the music and the literature of the time – we know John Sempill was a patron of the arts, so it seemed a logical way of connecting with him as a human being. Some of the popular literary works that were created in the late 15th and early 16th centuries still survive – Blind Harry’s Wallace (the source for Braveheart) and Barbour’s The Brus spring immediately to mind, along with the works of poets such as Dunbar and Lindsay.  We’re also blessed with the magnificent polyphonic music of Robert Carver, which thankfully survived the predations of the Reformation zealots! 

Listening to live performances of Robert Carver by the Scottish early music group ‘Capella Nova’ provided the inspiration – the rest of the world-building was down to a combination of various sources: there was some primary written evidence available in the form of the Scots Court records, as well as a wide range of secondary sources which cover all aspects of Scottish history as well as the medieval world, not to mention the numerous archaeological burgh surveys and excavation reports which have been published through the years.    

My only difficult was that my chosen time period lay on the cusp of the medieval and the modern worlds, so it was tricky to get the balance right.  I opted for a world where humanism is just taking off, where the old medieval sense of worthlessness and self-loathing is tempered with new optimism brought about through renaissance ideas and ideals, a mindset which James IV himself was to embrace enthusiastically in later life.

You probably have many, but is there a scene you particularly enjoyed writing?
Oh, that is such a hard question, and one I’ve had to think long and hard about, too…  

I think one of my all-time favourite scenes has to be one situated quite far into the book, where we’re in the town of Paisley, watching the arrival of King James IV through Mary’s eyes.  She’s suffered so much at the hands of the king’s men throughout the course of the novel – the loss of her husband, the loss of her livelihood, the loss of her dignity through having to take a lover who can support her through the hard times – and yet she can still find it within herself to believe in James and to hope that their future will be brighter with him at the helm.  As a writer, it was a great opportunity to explore late medieval pomp and pageantry from a modest perspective, to imagine what it would be like to witness the passage of the knights and the king himself in full array as they process through the town.

What scene posed the greatest challenge for you as an author? Why was it troublesome and how did you work through it? 
There were a lot of scenes that were grueling to write, both mentally and emotionally, but they weren’t hard to do, because the characters, in that old clichéd way, tended to just get on with things. It was only afterwards that I’d sit back, blinking, and go, “Wow! What happened there?!?” 

Technically, I’d say it was the fight scene in Renfrew between John’s drunken retainers and the Stewart/Lyle drunken retainers that was most difficult to pull off successfully. There’s just so much going on: we’re looking on from John’s POV, and he’s dazed himself, struggling to take it all in and react to everything that’s going on. Yeah, that kind of melee is always a bit tricky to bring to life in a way that fits in all the action, without sacrificing the pace, because in such circumstances pace is everything…  

Sometimes fiction takes on a life of its own and forces the author to make sacrifices for the sake of the story. Is there a character or concept you wish you could have spent more time with or expanded on? 
I think I ended up completely satisfied with the balance of the novel and exactly how much time was spent with each character.  But right from the beginning, Hugh, 2nd Lord Montgomerie – who’s very much the antihero– was demanding an ever-increasing role.

The first few drafts were written entirely from John’s perspective and it just wasn’t working out, because there were great big swathes that ran along the lines of,  ‘Woke up, brushed the dog. OMG! The garderobe’ s blocked and there’s water coming into the guest range, we need to get it rethatched NOW!!!!’ while the narrative was treading water waiting for something monumental to happen in Edinburgh. I realised then that it would be necessary to look further afield to see things in a broader perspective.  That way, we could fully understand the difficulty of John’s situation. 

By slipping into Hugh’s point-of-view, I was granted an insight into the affairs of court, as well as discovering that the supposedly ‘evil’, borderline-psychotic Hugh was in fact great fun to write and a fantastic character to hang out with, quite unlike John, who can be quite reserved and reticent and serious. Hugh had to be firmly reined in throughout Fire & Sword because this was after all John’s story – but he steps forward in the follow-up to take centre stage.  So I’ve now had ample opportunity to find out lots more about him!

Historical novelists frequently have to adjustment facts to make their stories work. Did you have to invent or change anything while writing Fire and Sword and if so, what did you alter and why?  
I was writing about an individual about whom precious little is known, who frequented a period which can be quite sketchy in terms of its historical record, too.  But I did stumble across one major hurdle during the writing process and that involved contradictory information regarding the marriage of John Sempill’s sister Marion to Robert Crawfurd of Kilbirnie.  Most of the 19th century antiquarian genealogical accounts state this as a fact, so it has become pretty much gospel in many of the sources.  But I stumbled across a document which suggested that it was in fact John’s daughter Isabel who was contracted to marry Robert Crawfurd. The contract, however, was later annulled for some reason and the marriage did not take place. 

I do not know for sure what the facts of this matter actually were, but I suspect the established belief (which I used) is incorrect, and that the generations may instead be completely out. This would suggest that Robert Crawfurd wasn’t John’s contemporary, but was instead part of the succeeding generation.  By the time I’d ferreted out this discrepancy in the sources, my plot was pretty much established and the Robert Crawfurd/Marion Sempill subplot woven deep into the fabric of the book.  So I closed my ears to the advice of my inner historian, and ran with the established and as yet pretty much unchallenged view – though not without much angst and gnashing of teeth on my part.  

If you could sit down and talk with one of your characters, maybe meet and discuss things over drinks, who would you choose and why? 
Oh, I must concede to the whims of my inner historian on this one!  It has to be Hugh Montgomerie. He’s virtually the only male character of his generation who made it past Flodden -  just about everyone else who features in the novel (John, Matthew Stewart, Archibald Campbell, Robert Crawfurd, Robert Colville, William Colville) died with James on the battlefield. 

I do not know how Hugh dodged that particular bullet.  I don’t know whether he fought there but survived, whether he was keeping Ford or Etal Castle in the king’s name, whether as one of the country’s elder statesmen he was holding the fort in Edinburgh, or whether he was posted at Dumbarton or Leith waiting for French reinforcements that never came.  Four Scots monarchs were on the throne during his lifetime (James II-V, plus the early years of Mary), he retired from politics at the grand old age of 78 and the changes he witnessed through the years must have been breath-taking, without even taking into account the fracture in the fabric of Scots society that was Flodden which itself would have left its mark on him mentally, without a doubt…

What do you hope readers take from John’s story? Is there a particular theme you that hope resonates your audience?   
That no matter how desperate things may seem, and however much the odds are stacked against you, you must never give up.  That violence isn’t the answer to everything, and that often it can instead be counter-productive. I hope I’ve also demonstrated that even in late medieval Scotland some enlightened souls like John were well aware of this fact and were determined to do what they could to make their world a safer and more prosperous place.

Okay, we've talked a lot about your book. Let's switch gears and talk a little bit about you. How would describe your writing process?  
I can only work on one project at a time, and I find it virtually impossible to write in silence. I need music, and I need exactly the right music to suit the scene – Robert Carver’s late medieval polyphony provided the inspiration to Fire & Sword, but I wrote the actual novel to a modern Indie rock soundtrack, with some Dead Can Dance tracks thrown in for good measure! I also have to redraft  my MS countless times, often going right back to the beginning and rewriting several times before I finally reach the end so that I can spot the subplots as they emerge and weave them retrospectively into place as necessary. The finished manuscript is then usually way too long so I have to edit, with brutal efficiency.  

In terms of each individual project, I usually have an initial period of research which leads rapidly into the writing of a very tentative first draft, with research/writing taking place simultaneously. The two processes seem to feed off one another nicely, firing my enthusiasm both to learn more and to write more.

Two words: writer's block. How do you deal with it? 
I treat it as a natural part of life.  I’m not one of these people who can sit down and write day in, day out, 1000 words a day or whatever.  It takes me a while to get into a project, but when I get the bit between my teeth, it takes me over completely, and I enter this phase of manic productivity where I can think of nothing else.  I can only take so much of this intensity before I quite literally burn out, and by then I’m too exhausted to be much good for anything. I used to find the terror of this non-productive period incredibly stressful, but it’s happened so often now that I’ve learned to shrug my shoulders and ignore it.  I go for a walk, hang out in the garden, do some blogging, focus on the day job, whatever.  The muse will return when it’s good and ready.

Who are your favorite authors? 
Oh, this is going to sound so predictable, I know, but… I’m a big fan of Hilary Mantel.  My favourite work of hers– and the one which has influenced me most in my own writing – isn’t the obvious one.  I like the Thomas Cromwell novels, but it’s her earlier account of the French Revolution - A Place of Greater Safety - which I consider an absolute masterpiece.  The outcomes never seem pre-determined; instead, earth-shattering events are unleashed by a bunch of individuals muddling along trying to change things without ever really knowing what the outcome will be.  And Mantel writes the most horrific scenes in a dry, objective manner which makes what you’re reading all the more shocking.  The death of Marie Antoninette is a scene that haunts me even now…

I suppose I didn’t really read much historical fiction until I was struggling to find a ‘voice’ through which to write Fire & Sword. My background was in science fiction and fantasy, and this has coloured my reading tastes through the years.  I’m particularly fond of the science fiction writing of C J Cherryh, and in particular her Union-Alliance universe, and I also love the short stories of Ray Bradbury as well as J RR Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  But I’m catching up fast in terms of my historical fiction reading: amongst the writers I’ve particularly enjoyed reading are Dorothy Dunnett, Robert Harris, Mary Renault and Reay Tannahill (whose novel about Mary Queen of Scots, Fatal Majesty, is a masterpiece). 

What are you currently reading? 
The Bull From the Sea by Mary Renault.

What do you like to do when you're not writing? Any hobbies?
Between the writing and the day job (I’m an archaeologist) I don’t have much time for hobbies these days!  But I do enjoy walking, particularly fell-walking in Cumbria (I find the Scottish ‘Munros’ just too extreme!), cycling and horse-riding.  I’m also a keen gardener, and of course I don’t need any excuse to go exploring ancient monuments and medieval buildings, particularly cathedrals!

Where do you stand on the coffee or tea debate? 
Coffee.  Absolutely. No doubt about that whatsoever.

And finally, what's next for you? Do you have a new project in the works?
At present, I’m enjoying a bit of a hiatus between projects.  My second novel (Working Title: The Gryphon At Bay) is now finished and ready for submission – it’s set immediately after Fire & Sword but turns the focus very much on Hugh Montgomerie, chronicling his very spectacular fall-from-grace in the early 1490s. 

I’m currently working on two short pieces of fiction set in the Fire & Sword ‘universe’ for my publisher, Hadley Rille Books (one down, one to go) and after that I’ll be polishing off my third novel (Working Title: A Black Ship Into Hades) which will involve a brief sabbatical away from late 15th century Scotland. Hades is a time-slip/portal novel which tells the story of a young man from Ancient Sparta who finds himself stranded in modern Wiltshire, it’s part romance, part-thriller and part speculative fiction, and so far it has proved great fun to write.  Though because it leaps around chronologically, it’s a devil of a job to get it structured satisfactorily and that’s what will take all the hard work over the coming months and years! 

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Born in Glasgow, Louise Turner spent her early years in the west of Scotland where she attended the University of Glasgow. After graduating with an MA in Archaeology, she went on to complete a PhD on the Bronze Age metalwork hoards of Essex and Kent. She has since enjoyed a varied career in archaeology and cultural resource management. Writing has always been a major aspect of her life and in 1988, she won the Glasgow Herald/Albacon New Writing in SF competition with her short story Busman’s Holiday. Louise lives with her husband in west Renfrewshire.

Website ❧ Blog ❧ Facebook ❧ Goodreads

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Amazon UK (Ebook) Amazon UK (Paperback) Amazon US (Ebook) Amazon US (Paperback)

Format: Paperback & eBook Publication Date: September 19, 2013 Released by: Hadley Rille Books ISBN-10: 0989263134 Length: 454 pages Genre: Historical Fiction

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Check out all the stops on Louise Turner's Fire and Sword virtual book tour schedule!

Monday, May 5
Review at The Mad Reviewer
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, May 6
Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Monday, May 12
Interview at The Mad Reviewer

Tuesday, May 20
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession

Wednesday, May 21
Guest Post at Historical Fiction Obsession

Monday, May 26
Review at The Most Happy Reader

Tuesday, May 27
Guest Post at Book Lovers Paradise (with Kathy Fischer-Brown and Juliet Waldron)

Monday, June 2
Review at Just One More Chapter

Thursday, June 5
Interview at Caroline Wilson Writes

Tuesday, June 10
Review at Princess of Eboli

Thursday, June 12
Review at bookramblings

Monday, June 16
Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews

Monday, June 23
Review at Book Nerd

Monday, June 30
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Interview with Stephanie Thornton, author of Daughter of the Gods

Author interviews are one of my favorite things to post which is why I am super excited to welcome author Stephanie Thornton to Flashlight Commentary to discuss her latest release, Daughter of the Gods. 

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Welcome to Flashlight Commentary Stephanie. Great to have you with us. To start things off, please tell us a bit about Daughter of the Gods. 
I’m so happy to be here! Daughter of the Gods is the story of Hatshepsut, my all-time favorite historical figure and Egypt’s first successful female pharaoh. 

What attracted you to Hatshepsut and her story?
I first did a report on Hatshepsut in junior high and was intrigued by this little-known woman who had been intentionally erased from history. I always wanted to know what made her seize the throne from her stepson, and literally couldn’t get her story out of my head once I’d graduated from college. I think most authors have at least one book in them that they simply had to write; this is it for me. 

History can only tell us so much about a person. How did you approach characterizing Hatshepsut for your novel and what sort of impression do you hope she leaves on your readers? 
The trick with Hatshepsut was to make her ambitious, but not so driven that you hate her. She’s very charismatic, but also terribly flawed. I hope readers walk away with an appreciation for this ancient woman who dared to do what so few women have done in history: seize power and usher in a golden age. Her story is very similar to Elizabeth I, although Elizabeth might have had an easier time since she inherited her throne. 

Hatshepsut develops a searing attraction for Senenmut. Can you tell us about this man and what he represents to your heroine? 
Let’s just start with a confession: I have a crush on Senenmut. He’s depicted as sort of jowly and old in ancient sketches, but this man was brilliant, starting as a tutor to Hatshepsut’s daughter, working as an architect, and eventually accruing over 80 titles, including Superintendant of the Bedroom. (My favorite!) Hatshepsut could have ruled without Senenmut behind her, but why would she want to? He was clever, creative, and her match in so many ways. 

Centuries separate us from Hatshepsut’s Egypt. Where did you start in terms of recreating the ancient world and the society in which her story unfolds?
I’ve been obsessed with Egypt pretty much forever, so I started by reading every book on Hatshepsut and Egypt that I could get my hands on. I was also fortunate to be able to travel to Egypt. Of course, things are different there now than they were in Hatshepsut’s day, but if you take a trip down the Nile and see the farmers and fishermen on the banks, you realize that some things are probably very similar. 

You probably have many, but is there a scene you particularly enjoyed writing?
I love the scene where Hatshepsut and Senenmut get to sneak out of the palace and go to the workmen’s village at Deir el-Medina. That scene crept in during a late draft and surprised me, but it was a place I really wanted to write about, simply because the daily life of regular Egyptians is so perfectly documented there. Also, it was pure fun to get Hatshepsut and Senenmut out of the palace, a sort of field trip from the intrigue of life at court. 

Deir el-Bahari with temples of Hatshepsut,
Thutmosis III and Mentuhotep II, Luxor, Egypt
Image by Ian Lloyd

What scene posed the greatest challenge for you as an author? Why was it troublesome and how did you work through it?  
Without giving anything away, the scene after Hatshepsut and Senenmut return from the valley was probably written and re-written at least 30 times. It had to keep changing based on later plot points, and how much violence I wanted to include. Sometimes it’s hard to throw your characters under the bus!

Sometimes fiction takes on a life of its own and forces the author to make sacrifices for the sake of the story. Is there a character or concept you wish you could have spent more time with or expanded on?
Actually, this book took me three years to write and several more to revise, so there were many times I wanted to throw the whole lot out the window! However, early drafts included several chapters told from both Aset and Senenmut’s viewpoints. I really liked some of those scenes, especially one between Aset and Neferure (Hatshepsut’s daughter). I enjoyed building on their relationship, as Neferure was the daughter Aset never had. 

Historical novelists frequently have to adjust facts to make their stories work. Did you have to invent or change anything while writing Daughter of the Gods and if so, what did you alter and why? 
My only major adjustment was to fill in the gap about why Hatshepsut finally took power after seven years of ruling as regent for her stepson. Some historians believe there might have been an internal coup that allowed her to take the Double Crown, so it wasn’t a large jump, but I did have to fill in the blanks to find an excuse for Hatshepsut to seize the moment. 

If you could sit down and talk with one of your characters, maybe meet and discuss things over drinks, who would you choose and why?
Hatshepsut. (And I’d cross my fingers that she’d bring Senenmut.) Out of all my books, Hatshepsut is the one character I’d want to grill, simply because there are so many mysteries about her. Why did she seize power? Did she and Senenmut really love each other? Did she cut off the hands of dead rebels after the battle in Nubia? Why was she such a rock star?

What do you hope readers take from Hatshepsut’s story? Is there a particular theme you that hope resonates your audience? 
My whole goal in writing DAUGHTER OF THE GODS was to bring Hatshepsut’s story to life, and I hope readers walk away with an appreciation for this absolutely amazing woman. To me, she’s every bit as important as Cleopatra or Queen Elizabeth I, but not as many people know about her or the things she did. And they should!

Okay, we've talked a lot about your book. Let's switch gears and talk a little bit about you. How would describe your writing process? 
Frantic! I usually only have about an hour every night after teaching, grading papers, and hanging out with my husband and daughter, so I have to cram a lot into those 60 minutes. 

Two words: writer's block. How do you deal with it? 
Butt in the chair. I just keep slogging away, one painful word at a time. It helps to have an outline too!

Who are your favorite authors? 
My favorites are Kate Quinn, Kate Furnivall, and Pauline Gedge. Lots of great historical fiction from those ladies!

Beeld van koningin Hatsjepsoet
Maat-ka-Re Hatsjepsoe
Image by Rob Koopman

What are you currently reading? 
I just started THE LION AND THE ROSE by Kate Quinn and am thoroughly enjoying her take on the Borgias. I’m also reading THE LITTLE PRINCESS with my daughter, which is bringing back memories of 2nd grade when I first read it!

What do you like to do when you're not writing? Any hobbies?
More than I have time for! Yoga, running, and travel… I’m headed to Peru this summer!

Where do you stand on the coffee or tea debate? 
Neither, actually, but I’ll take a glass of red wine anytime!

And finally, what's next for you? Do you have any other projects waiting in the wings? 
Coming out in November is my novel THE TIGER QUEENS, about the women of Genghis Khan, and I’m currently writing a novel about the sister, wives, and lovers of Alexander the Great. I’m on a bit of a conqueror kick!

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Stephanie Thornton is a writer and history teacher who has been obsessed with infamous women from ancient history since she was twelve. She lives with her husband and daughter in Alaska, where she is at work on her next novel.

“The Secret History: A Novel of Empress Theodora” is available from NAL/Penguin, and “Daughter of the Gods: A Novel of Ancient Egypt” will hit the shelves May 2014 and “The Tiger Queens: A Novel of Genghis Khan” will follow in Fall 2014.

Website ❧ Facebook ❧ Twitter

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Amazon US Barnes & Noble Amazon UK Book Depository Books-a-Million IndieBound Kobo Books

Format: Paperback & eBook Publication Date: May 6, 2014 Released by: NAL Trade Length: 448 pages ISBN-10: 0451417798 Genre: Historical Fiction

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Check out all the stops on Stephanie Thornton's Daughter of the Gods virtual book tour schedule!

Monday, April 28

Review at Unabridged Chick

Guest Post & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, April 29

Interview & Giveaway at Unabridged Chick

Wednesday, April 30

Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Thursday, May 1

Review & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Friday, May 2

Review & Giveaway at HF Book Muse – News

Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Monday, May 5

Review at Flashlight Commentary

Guest Post & Giveaway at HF Connection

Tuesday, May 6

Interview & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, May 7

Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book

Review & Giveaway at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Thursday, May 8

Interview & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book

Friday, May 9

Review at Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Monday, May 12

Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading

Tuesday, May 13

Review at The Mad Reviewer

Review & Giveaway at The Maiden’s Court

Wednesday, May 14

Review at A Bookish Libraria

Thursday, May 15

Review at Book Lovers Paradise

Review & Giveaway at The Lit Bitch

Friday, May 16

Review at She is Too Fond of Books

Monday, May 19

Review at Tower of Babel

Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Tuesday, May 20

Review at A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, May 21

Review at Manga Maniac Cafe

Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Thursday, May 22

Review at The Most Happy Reader

Review & Giveaway at Griperang’s Bookmarks

Friday, May 23

Review at Jorie Loves a Story

Interview & Giveaway at The Most Happy Reader

Prisoner 88 by Leah Pileggi

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Historical Novel Review

Read: March 10, 2014

What if you were ten years old and thrown into prison with hardened criminals? That's just what happens to Jake Oliver Evans. Inspired by a true account of a prisoner in the Idaho Territorial Penitentiary in 1885, Jake's story is as affecting as it is shocking. Convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to five years, Jake is taken under the wing of a young guard and the kindly warden, as well as a few fellow prisoners. He is taught to read and given a job tending hogs at a nearby farm. In prison, Jake finds a home he has never had in a place most people are desperate to leave. But when he has to make a choice about right and wrong during an explosive escape attempt, Jake jeopardizes his friendships and his security.

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Inspired the by the real life imprisonment of a minor in America’s Old West, author Leah Pileggi’s Prisoner 88 is a fictional account of ten year old Jake Oliver Evans’ incarceration in the Idaho Territorial Penitentiary in 1885. Confined behind bars, Jake grows up quickly, learning value life lessons from his interactions with fellow inmates and prison staff.  

I have no problem admitting this piece caught me off guard. Aimed for readers in the fifth grade, Prisoner 88 is not something I’d usually pick up so I was ill-prepared when it proved impossible to put down. Simply written from the colloquial perspective of an endearing adolescent, Pileggi creates a poignantly honest and revealing rendering of America’s early prison system within these pages. 

Well-researched and detailed, Prisoner 88 is a pragmatic and engaging tale that will appeal to children and parents alike. 

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"Well, I did. They say I shot somebody, though I don't know that's what I really wanted to do. It just happened." Then I shut up. I didn't feel like talking 'bout it no more with Mr. Nance. I just felt like, I don't know, doing nothing.

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