Thank you for joining us for part two of our conversation with author Sandra Worth, who wrote “Lady of the Roses.” If you missed part one, click here to catch up.
Sandra, may I compliment you on your writing — your tone is smooth, your descriptions are beautiful. Yet I notice your education is in economics and political science. You’ve obviously developed both the right and left sides of your brain. Do they ever war with each other?
First, thank you for the compliment! I’m delighted you feel this way. I think my right-side has atrophied over the years from neglect so they don’t really war with one another. I’ve been quite content to the right-brain stuff to my husband who is an engineer. You might be interested to know that in the past, each time I was hired to do statistical analysis of one kind or another, I ended up being asked to write an article about it! I’m not sure what that means, except perhaps the universe telling me to stick to writing?
What is your writing schedule like?
It was very leisurely on my trilogy, because I didn’t have a publisher or a deadline. That’s changed now and on the last two books, I had to aim to write every day.
I notice that you’re also a lecturer. Can you tell me a little about your lectures, how frequently you give them, and if they’re available to the public, should one of our readers want to attend?
About once a month I am invited to be a guest speaker at private events. So far I haven’t had to repeat the same lecture twice since there are so many facets to the Wars of the Roses and so much material to mine. In many ways, I find this era fascinating because it impacted our modern world so directly, both culturally and politically, since Malory wrote his tales of King Arthur’s court during this period, and King Richard III enacted the legislation that would one day flower into modern Western democracy. I also address book clubs in person or by phone, and am delighted to do so (phone contact information is on my website ) though these groups are far smaller, perhaps twenty people instead of a hundred or more. Then I mostly answer questions readers have about the books.
What advice would you give aspiring historical fiction authors?
Keep reading; keep researching, keep writing; and enter some contests. By gaining credentials you’ll be more likely to interest a publisher. Whether large or small won’t matter. Your book will be out there and somehow find its audience.
Have you had the chance to travel in England to visit the sites you write about?
Oh, yes! Over the years I’ve made a dozen Ricardian trips to England (and to Bruges) to examine the sites I’ve written about. In Bruges I attended a re-enactment of the wedding of Margaret of York to Charles the Bold of Burgundy in 1468. It was spectacular! In London, I obtained privileges at the British Museum and held in my hand books that Elizabeth of York and Richard III of England had once held in theirs. The thrill of that experience is still with me.
Oh, I’m sure it is!
Thank you so much for joining us, Sandra. I have enjoyed talking with you immensely and wish you the best of luck in everything.
If you’d like to visit Sandra’s website and learn more about her, you can do so by clicking here.
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