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| Historical romance author, Mary Wine. |
Today on History Undressed, I'm pleased to introduce you lovely readers to our guest author, Mary Wine. Ms. Wine has been kind enough to allow me the chance to interview her! To read my previous reviews of her work, click here:
Highland Hellcat and
To Conquer a Highlander.
It looks like a lot of your backlist is fantasy, futuristic and paranormal, and that within the last couple of years you've had historicals released. Have you always liked writing historicals? What was the reason for the change?
MW: I love both but Historical wasn’t selling very well in ebook format when I began publishing. It just happened that I sold nine historicals around the same time and I got busy writing them. At this moment, I’m uncontracted so we’ll see what sells. There are days I feel like there are so many stories inside me, they spill over the top of my imagination cup. Okay…it’s a large salad bowl, think double engine fire station size.
LOL, then we know you've got a lot more stories coming our way, fantastic! Your books are very well researched and true to life, but not in a way that readers feel you're trying to teach them a history lesson. Readers get a good taste for history and the real-life settings, but its just a taste and adds to the flavor of the book. What is your research process like? How do you decide what stays and what goes?
MW: That’s always the challenge. I’m a history geek. Reading through old books is something I enjoy and I dream of getting into the recently reopened Vatican library. I’d beg to be allowed into some of the castles in England…okay, you get the point. But I’m also in touch with my character. When I’m writing, I’m seeing things from their view point and I think that allows me to not get bogged down in details. I mean when you are cooking, you don’t think about how the oven works, you turn it on. Sometimes I have to put more details in because I forget to explain how things work.
I'm a history geek too, you are so welcome here! What is your favorite bit of history you learned while researching HIGHLAND HELLCAT?
MW: The Douglas clan history. At this time there are Black Douglas, White Douglas and even Red Douglas. It was fascinating to see how the branches had spread out through marriage alliance and other things and also the way they ended up struggling among themselves.
That is fascinating. In you bio on your website it says you make historical clothing. Tell us about that! Do you have any pics you can share?
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| Mary Wine in costume. |
MW: I do make historical clothing, it’s been my passion for the last twenty years. I wear these dresses quite often and joke about the fact that my most expensive dresses are hundreds of years out of fashion. Getting them through airport security can sometimes be a challenge…they see the wire and steel boning and wonder what I’m doing. It’s a great advantage because many of the stories I write, I’ve worn those dresses for long hours and I know what a corset feels like to wear all day and even through the night.
If I could, I would dress in period all day everyday... maybe without the corset. What piece of advice would you offer to writers in the historical romance genre?
MW: Don’t make the mistake of thinking women were helpless. They were cunning and often educated. Beyond the education we think of today, these women had a full working knowledge of medical remedies. They also had to make just about everything or barter with someone else. Look around your house and ask yourself, could I make half the things I use in a normal day? The lady of the castle had as many responsibilities as the noble lord.
Is there anything you'd like to share with readers? A question you want to pose to them?
MW: If you’re canoeing down an alley, and you hit a speed bump…How many pancakes does it take to cover a dog house?
Sorry…I’m a tad silly. Thanks so much for having me over. Please drop by my website for excerpts and news on what I’ve got coming next. Cheers!
Lol, okay...I'd say 63 blueberry pancakes, 48 chocolate pancakes and 111 buttermilk? Thank you so much for visiting with us! It's been a pleasure.
Two luck commenters will have a chance to win a copy of HIGHLAND HELLCAT! (US and Canada only). Winners will be posted in the Winner's Cube on the right, tomorrow.
HIGHLAND HELLCAT BY MARY WINE—IN STORES OCTOBER 2010
“Hot enough to warm even the coldest Scottish Nights…”
—Publishers Weekly Starred Review of To Conquer a Highlander
He wants a wife he can control…
Connor Lindsey is a Highland laird, but his clan’s loyalty is hard won and he takes nothing for granted. He’ll do whatever it takes to find a virtuous wife, even if he has to kidnap her…
She has a spirit that can’t be tamed…
Brina Chattan has always defied convention. She sees no reason to be docile now that she’s been captured by a powerful laird and taken to his storm-tossed castle in the Highlands, far from her home.
When a rival laird’s interference nearly tears them apart, Connor discovers that a woman with a wild streak suits him much better than he’d ever imagined…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Wine is a multi-published author in romantic suspense, fantasy and western romance; now her interest in historical reenactment and costuming has inspired her to turn her pen to historical romance. She lives with her husband and sons in southern California, where the whole family enjoys participating in historical reenactment. For more information, please visit
http://www.marywine.com/website.
