Featured Interview With Rosemary Morris
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I am a multi-published romantic historical novelist from Hertfordshire in the U.K. There is a gigantic canvas for a historical novelist to choose from.
My novels are set in the reign of Edward II, Queen Anne Stuart, who reigned from 1702 to 1714, and the ever-popular Regency era.
I chose those periods because each of them affected the course of history. If the Duke of Marlborough had not won The War of Spanish Succession, and The Duke of Wellington had been defeated by Napoleon at The Battle of Waterloo, the history of Britain and that of Europe would be different. Defeat would also have had far-reaching consequences for the rest of the world. If Edward II had won the Battle of Bannockburn, it is feasible that he would have conquered Scotland and, perhaps, as it is claimed, he would not have been murdered.
The more I read about my chosen eras the more fascinated I become, and the more aware of the gulf between the past and present. Those who lived in the past shared the same emotions as we do, but their attitudes and way of life were in many ways very different to ours. One of the most striking examples was the social position of women and children in in bygone ages.
My characters, are of their time, not men, women and children dressed in costume who behave like 21st century people.
Research of my chosen eras sparks my imagination. The seeds of my novels are sown, and from them sprout the characters and events which will shape their lives.
I was born in Kent. As a child, when I was not making up stories, my head was ‘always in a book.’
While working in a travel agency, I met my Hindu husband. He encouraged me to continue my education at Westminster College. In 1961 I and my husband, by then a barrister, moved to his birthplace, Kenya, where I lived from 1961 until 1982. After an attempted coup d’état, four of my children lived with me in an ashram in France.
Back in England, I wrote historical fiction, joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association, The Historical Novel Society, Watford Writers and on line groups, and am now published by Books We Love Ltd
Apart from writing, I enjoy classical Indian literature, reading, visiting places of historical interest, vegetarian cooking, growing organic fruit, herbs and vegetables and creative crafts.
My eight foot by twelve foot is so crammed with historical non-fiction, which I use to research my novels, that if I buy a new book I have to consider getting rid of one.
Time spent with my five children and their families, most of whom live near me, is precious
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
My fascination with books began before I could read. My mother told me I memorised my favourite stories, opened my books and turned the pages as I recited them. After I learned to read and write I wrote poetry and stories for my own amusement until I wrote my first novel in my early twenties.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I have too many favourite authors to list. Some of them are Elizabeth Chadwick, Bernard Cornwall, Barbara Erskine, Agatha Christy, Georgette Heyer, Elizabeth Goudge, Mary Stewart, Sir Walter Scott, Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen.
I read more historical fiction than any other.
Historical non-fiction inspires me. For example, I wrote Yvonne, Lady of Cassio after delving with great enjoyment into books about the early fourteenth century. What, I asked myself, was it like for a couple in an arranged marriage who disliked each other and, apart from their rank, had nothing in common?
Tell us a little about your latest book?
Saturday’s Child, which will be published in July, 2020, is the last stand alone novel in my series, heroines born on different days of the week. In the words of the nursery rhyme ‘Saturday’s child work’s hard for a living.’
The child in my novel is Annie, who was born in Portugal during the Napoleonic Wars. After her mother died, Annie continued to ‘follow the drum’ with her father a hussar. After the battle of Waterloo he was discharged. Unemployed, he and Annie are on the brink of starvation when he begs for help from Mrs Tarrant, daughter of an officer he served under. Life forces Annie to deal with may trials during which she works hard for a living.
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