INNOVATIVE ONLINE BOOK TOURS: Interview with Mary Hart Perry, author of The Wild Princess

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The Wild Princess,

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Mary Hart Perry

Please join me in welcoming author Mary Hart Perry to A Night's Dream of Books!   Her new novel, The Wild Princess, promises to be a fascinating historical read--one that I'm really looking forward to immersing myself in!

Thank you Maria, for inviting me to visit your beautiful blog.

You're very welcome, and thanks for your compliment.  Now on to the interview!

1.      What is your background as a writer?

 

I didn't start out wanting to write fiction. But I loved reading and decided to try my hand at writing short stories for children. It was harder than I thought, but I was hooked. Story telling is addictive. I kept at it for 12 years before my first novel was published. I've written for children, teens and adults and have had over 40 novels published under various pen names, including Kathryn Johnson, Kathryn Jensen, K.M. Kimball, and Nicole Davidson.

2.      Did you do any research for The Wild Princess in England, on the Internet, or both? 

Both, actually. I've been to England and so have used my personal travels there but also use the internet a lot. The two methods pair beautifully for filling in details and giving an author a realistic sense of a place.

3.      What other resources, if any, did you use?

I enjoy using the resources of the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, but whenever I'm researching a novel I also buy a ton of books on the history and people, as well as use maps and travel guides.

4.      What attracted you to the Victorian period, as opposed to the Regency or Tudor periods? 

Part of the attraction is that less has been written about the Victorian period, so it's a convenient niche for a writer today. But I mostly love the innovations and growth that made the Victorian period so exciting. Suddenly people could travel faster than they ever could on horseback. Steam engines sped through villages and linked remote areas. Factories produced items only made by hand in the past. Women were fighting for their rights and beginning to be given freedoms they hadn't enjoyed before--like owning property and businesses. Of course the hats and dresses were amazing, and I'd love to have a few Victorian outfits for costume events.

5.      How do you balance fact and fiction in this novel?

I use the facts and realistic details to give the story a basis for the plot and for color. Whatever is real and works with the plot stays. If I need to create characters, additional places or events--then I do so. That's what's so great about fiction--you get to imagine what might happen and what people might have said to each other.

6.      Who are your literary influences? 

There are so many! But I read a lot of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories when I was a teenager, and I think my love of Victorian stories started there. They were romantic, in a way, but also had those great settings in foggy London...and the danger, too. Very intense.

7.      When can we expect the next novel in this series, and who will it be about?

I'm working on the next book now. It will feature Princess Beatrice, the baby of the family. and she'll be involved with not one but two men who are pursuing her. One of whom is definitely up to no good. Ha!

8.      What are some of your writing habits; i.e., do you go into a study and close the door, allowing no interruptions, play music as you write, go out into nature and sit under a tree, use a computer, or write in a notebook?

I try to keep my writing mobile. If you stick to a desk with the door closed, then you tell yourself you can't write anywhere else. That means you can't travel or have a normal life. So I write at Starbucks, in the waiting room for a doctor's appointment, in bed, on the couch...wherever. It works!

9.      Was it difficult for you to find a publisher for this, your debut novel? 

This is a debut novel for my new pen name. As I've mentioned above, I've written other books under other names. But I still find it a challenge to find a publisher for each new book or series. In a way, today, I think it's almost easier for new writers to sell a book than it is for a veteran writer--because editors are hoping to find fresh new voices and the next best-seller. Some of my writing students I just know will be published soon--they are so amazing!

10.  Would you advise beginning writers to get a literary agent and find a major publisher, go with a smaller publisher, or simply self-publish?

I'd always advise to try traditional publishing first, and that means getting an agent and submitting to major commercial publishers. For the benefit of a career, it just provides a more professional basis. But if that doesn't work out, small presses can be very supportive of their writers, and self-publishing is certainly a valid option, particularly if the author has the ability and time to promote him/herself.

I've really enjoyed visiting with you and your readers today!  Anyone can follow Mary Hart Perry by liking my Facebook page.  Here's a shortned link to get there: on.fb.me/Kj7hZU, and you can find my website and ways to contact me here at www.maryhartperry.com.  Cheers, Mary.

Thank you so much, Mary, for joining us here today, providing us with some interesting insights into your work!  I know I've enjoyed getting to know more about you and your writing!

The Wild Princess

Mary Hart Perry

Paperback, 384 pages

July 31, 2012

William Morrow & Company

 Historical Fiction

Mary Hart Perry Online:

Website http://www.maryhartperry.com/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Hart-Perry/169651376460162

Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/Mary_Hart_Perry

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13064827-the-wild-princess

Goodreads Author Page http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5334470.Mary_Hart_Perry

Here's the complete tour schedule:

6/6Romance Book Junkies /Bio, Synopsis, Excerpt

6/15 My Secret Romance /Interview 6/15 Window on the World /Review 6/18Adventures of Frugal Mom /Review 6/18 Reading Between the Wines /Excerpt
6/19 Red Headed Bookworm /Review and Give Away 6/22Reviewing Shelf /Review 6/27BookSpark /Review and Give Away 6/27 Minding Spot /Review and Give Away
6/30All Things Writing /Review 7/3 Ramblings of an Amateur Writer /Excerpt and Giveaway
7/3 Wonderland Reviews /Review and Give Away 7/3 Ramblings From This Chick /Excerpt 7/5 A Date with A Book /Interview and Give Away
7/6 Soliloquy /Review

7/9 Reviews By Molly /Spot LIght
7/11 A Chick Who Reads /Review

7/13 Bunnys Review /Review and Give away

7/13 A Soul Unsung /Bio, Synopsis, Excerpt 7/16 Books, Books, and More Books /Review 7/16 Jeanz Book Read N Review /Interview
7/17 Bibliophilia, Please /Review and Give Away 7/18 Reader Girls /Excerpt 7/18 The Book Hoard /Excerpt 7/19 I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!" /Guest Post 7/20 A Great Book Is The Cheapest Vacation Excerpt 7/20 Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf /Excerpt 7/23 For The Love of Film And Novels /Review 7/23 Always a Booklover /Review 7/25 Turning The Pages /Review 7/27Lissette E. Manning /Review 7/30 The Lucky Ladybug /Excerpt 7/30 ¡Miraculous! /Review and Give Away 8/3 A Night's Dream of Books /Interview       THE RELEASE DAY ALL-REVIEW BLITZ!!   Simply Ali

My Cozie Corner

Bumbles and Fairy Tales Ali’s Bookshelf Understanding Shae's Story Sapphyria's Book Reviews

A Date with A Book
Acting Balanced
Book Lovin' Mamas

The Lucky Ladybug