Wheel of Fortune

I have the huge pleasure of welcoming Claire Dunn to my blog today, as part of a tour for the first book, Wheel of Fortune, in her new series: The Tarnished Crown. I asked her about how the series came about, and what writing the first title was like.

Why did you choose to set your new series in 15th-century England?

It was inevitable. It stems from a life-long fascination for the Wars of the Roses – the 15th-century conflict that dominated English political life for over 30 years, and was driven by powerful personalities whose names resonate down the centuries. Men such as Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick (the ‘Kingmaker’), George, Duke of Clarence (he of the butt of Malmsey), and Richard III – remembered, unjustly, for all the wrong reasons. Women, too, make it into public consciousness: Elizabeth Woodville – queen to Edward IV – and Margaret of Anjou, Henry VI’s wife. Historical figures are often rendered into bare, memorable essentials – kingmaker, fickle brother, wicked uncle, she-wolf, temptress – stripped of the nuances that make them real people. And it is the real people  and what motivates them that I find interesting. It is too easy to reduce historical figures to their component parts rather than see them as multi-faceted, yet we relate to people, not attributes, not labels.

What did the characters come to mean to you?

One of the reasons I like writing series is the chance to get to know the characters – both real and imagined – really well. When we first meet Isobel Fenton in Wheel of Fortune she is a young girl with limited experience of life. By the end of the book she has encountered people and events that alter her expectations and the way she views herself and the world. She hasn’t changed, but her relationship with the world has. 

Sometimes my own relationship to my characters changes over the course of writing a book. In Wheel of Fortune, I gave the Earl specific – rather unlikable –  traits; but as I grew to know him my attitude towards him shifted. The man became more complex, with his own values, interests, hopes, anxiety and doubts. He became real and, instead of disliking him, I came to understand why he acted the way he did. 

The Earl is a character of my imagination, but the challenge for a historical novelist is to integrate the real with the imagined in as seamless a way as possible so that a character’s situation and experiences represent the reality for many of those living through a period of turmoil like the Wars of the Roses. Good or bad, for all their faults, people were trying to live out their lives as best they could in a time of hardship and uncertainty. Are we not trying to do just the same now? Faced with similar circumstances, how would we react and what decisions would we make?

How did you go about researching such an enormous topic?

Research is something I relish. Not only is it vital to ensure the accuracy of what I write as far as is humanly possible, it can also suggest new plot lines. Research is like travelling down a long corridor lined with many doors behind which lie endless  possibilities waiting to be discovered. Finding the key to those doors is another matter. Research can be a hard slog through primary sources both physical – visiting castles or museums to understand the built environment, for example – and the written and pictorial – manuscripts and paintings, indentures and parliamentary records. Much research, though, is checking on who did what, when and where – not easy in some instances when the historical record contradicts itself. Gaps in knowledge have to be filled, which sometimes feels like a leap of faith.

Could you give us an insight into how you approach your writing?

Writing is a roller-coaster experience with many ups and down along the way. I ‘write’ one way or another every day, whether it is researching, editing or tackling the next chapter. Some days I will manage only a few hundred words, but on others, several thousand.

Writing can be a slog or the biggest high you can imagine, but most of all it requires what the writer Elizabeth George describes as ‘bum glue’ – the ability to sit down and work at the book project, day by day, until it is completed. That is no small task in a busy life where writing is only one aspect of being an author. A writer nowadays also needs to be media savvy, understand marketing, negotiate contracts, attend events…the list goes on. Is it worth it? You bet it is when you hold your new book baby for the first time and it gazes back at you. And then you open the crisp new pages and meet once again all the friends you have made over the preceding months and remember why you are an author in the first place.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book: I share a short review over in the Woman Alive book club Facebook group, which you can access here.

Claire Dunn (C.F. Dunn) is an award-winning English novelist of historical fiction, mystery and suspense. Born in Lincolnshire, Claire spent her childhood moving from place to place with her Forces family, an experience which she believes helped fuel her imagination. It is as a child that she discovered a fascination for the past that led to an abiding interest in the Wars of the Roses and a lifetime of research.

Following a degree in Medieval History she founded and ran a school for neurodivergent children and young people – students whom she describes as inspirational. Embarking on her writing career, she returned to her historical roots with Mortal Fire – the gold medal-winning first book in The Secret of the Journal series (read Claire’s reflections on writing that series here). Claire is currently working on a major new historical series called The Tarnished Crown set during the turbulent period of 15th-century England known as the Wars of the Roses.

She now lives and writes by the sea in Dorset with her family, assorted animals and overworked  coffee machine. 

Book 1 in The Tarnished Crown series – Wheel of Fortune – was launched through Resolute Books in May 2023. Book 2 – Sun Ascendant  – is due for release through Resolute Books in the autumn of 2023.

What I read over the summer

I know I am posting this rather late – but better late than never! I took time off of blogging while my kids were on holiday, and have been busy finishing off a book I am co-writing since they went back to school. But I read some great books during the summer, so wanted to share them with you:

vis-fearful-symmetryFearful Symmetry
By C.F. Dunn
I was so excited that I got to read the final book in the gripping ‘Secret of the Journal’ series before it was officially released, as I am a great fan. It certainly didn’t disappoint, as I was totally engrossed right until the end. Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing the author about her writing process and how she felt having finished the series. I was feeling quite bereft knowing that I wouldn’t be engaging with the characters anymore – it seems she has ways of keeping them alive in her head and getting to know them better! I would definitely recommend this whole series. If you haven’t read them at all, they are quite epic but flow really naturally and draw you in immediately. The series would make a great Christmas present…

the-fragmentjpegThe Fragment
Davis Bunn
This book was sent to me by the publisher the day before I was flying out on holiday, so it made it into my hand luggage. It was a delightful read, very well crafted and full of interest from the off. It is set in 1923, and centres around Muriel Ross, a young American photographer who travels to Paris to document antiques for a US Senator. But all is not as it seems, and she ends up part of a much more dangerous mission… Historical interest, intrigue and romance all interweave with one another seamlessly. I will certainly be looking up some of the author’s other books now.

chosenjpegChosen?
Mel Menzies
Having read Mel’s Time to Shine, I was looking forward to seeing what Evie Adams’ latest clients would reveal and how they would impact on her. I didn’t realise how personal this story would be for the main character, but loved finding out more about her – often at the same time as she did! It was interesting to see how Mel explored the whole concept of being ‘chosen’ – one of the other major characters, Matt, is adopted and the book charts his journey into discovering more about his birth parents and wider family. Through her characters, Mel tussles with the thought of whether being adopted means you are chosen or cheated. One of the other main themes is about being free to make our own choices – both Evie and another character, Sophie, have moments in which they have to decide whether to face both their fears and their own responses to situations and people, or to hide from the truth. Yet again, Mel has used her own knowledge to create a riveting book about some difficult subjects – it is well worth a read.

9781782642053

End of the Roadie
Elizabeth Flynn
I felt I still needed to include this book, even though I interviewed Elizabeth for her official blog tour on my website. She writes great detective mysteries with characters that are likeable and ‘real’. If you like this genre I would definitely recommend the book.

 

 

 

to-everything-a-timejpegTo Everything a Time
Eleanor Watkins
This is a story about a farming family who live in a rural setting, but still fairly close to a town. Centring around the wife, Alison, it is a very honest look at the challenges of raising teenagers and younger children. There are mysteries, misunderstandings, tears and laughter throughout, but it is also a really gentle read full of tenderness. As a farmer’s wife Alison is very aware of the seasons, and the book’s structure is hung on them too, which was a nice touch.

The family’s faith is a thread through the book too, and I like the way that the women of the community learn to share more deeply with one another and support each other through some tough times. Alison also shares times where she really sees God at work in her interactions with people – helpfully sharing her mistakes as well as good decisions 😉

Eleanor is obviously an accomplished writer: I was drawn into the story very quickly and felt like I could really empathise with Alison – as well as draw my own life lessons from those she was learning.

simplifyusejpegSimplify
Bill Hybels
I started reading this as research for the book I’m co-writing on how to deal with burnout, but I soon found it is full of really practical advice helpful for anyone juggling 21st century living. I don’t know why we all rush about so much, filling our time with endless chores – advances in technology haven’t given us the extra time and space we all thought it would (we are now constantly available – if we are allow ourselves to be!). I stopped reading after the first couple of chapters, as I felt it was a great book to work through with my husband. Each chapter ends with questions/reflections for you to apply to your own life and we have found them extremely challenging and helpful.

holyhabitscoverHoly Habits
Andrew Roberts
This book explores the ten ‘holy habits’ we see in Acts 2 (biblical teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayer, giving, service, eating together, gladness and generosity, worship and discipleship making). Andrew, a Methodist minister, uses a mixture of biblical background and real-life stories to put them into context for 21st-century disciples.

I like the fact that a lot of the chapters focus on cultivating and outworking these habit in community, as so many other discipleship books are more introspective. I did find it took me a little while to get into the book – I don’t know whether it is because there are a lot of quotes – and there were a few typos, which are a particular bugbear of mine.

I did like the suggestions for further reflection and action that Andrew provides at the end of each chapter. He facilitates personal and collective reflection and action both at a local as well as global level. He also helpfully provides recommended reading and, where relevant, further resources – the list within the chapter on prayer was particularly helpful as we have a week of prayer coming up as a church! His chapter on worship really got me thinking about how well we cater for everyone during a Sunday morning meeting. There is a lot to ponder in this book…