The Accursed King (The Plantagenet Legacy Book 4) by Mercedes Rochelle

6/18/2022

Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Mercedes Rochelle introduces us to the fourth volume in “The Plantagenet Legacy” series, “The Accursed King”:
What happens when a king loses his prowess? The day Henry IV could finally declare he had vanquished his enemies, he threw it all away with an infamous deed. No English king had executed an archbishop before. And divine judgment was quick to follow. Many thought he was struck with leprosy—God's greatest punishment for sinners. From that point on, Henry's health was cursed and he fought doggedly on as his body continued to betray him—reducing this once great warrior to an invalid. Fortunately for England, his heir was ready and eager to take over. But Henry wasn't willing to relinquish what he had worked so hard to preserve. No one was going to take away his royal prerogative—not even Prince Hal. But Henry didn't count on Hal's dauntless nature, which threatened to tear the royal family apart.

I am a big fan of the author. Her books about all of these kings are so good! I confess that I zipped through this stuff in history class and was so happy when it was over. Mercedes has turned that all around for me. I really enjoy historical fiction and stories from history.
She takes the old and withered bones of history and brings them to life in a compelling and dramatic way! Her descriptions of traveling through towns on the way to battle or negotiation are first rate. She accounts for weather, geography and other impediments to human activities whether benign or nefarious.
Some of the historical characters are well known, others not nearly as much. She gives them all their proper due and allows them to be real humans, flaws and all. While the action sequences are quite good, the dialogue is what really locks it in for me.
Whether you like history or a political thriller this book is for you!

51 Comments

Mercedes Rochelle

6/20/2022 01:20:14 pm

I'm so glad you enjoyed the novel! It's gratifying to make history interesting to the uninterested. I fell into that category, myself, even in my college days!

Mark

6/20/2022 02:28:06 pm

You have done a magnificent job of bringing history to life. I love it. This is not your first interview, but we will start with the first questions then we will jump to where we left off before in the promotion for The Usurper King.

First questions so new visitors can get to know a little about you.

Please, tell us more about yourself. Perhaps something a little bit beyond your bio.

Are you a full-time or part-time writer?

6/20/2022 04:08:17 pm

Well, I don't make a living at my writing, if that's the determination. My writing pace is slow and I usually publish one book a year. I have a predilection for choosing lesser-known topics which will guarantee that I never hit the best-seller list. Anyway, in my "real" life I sell Real Estate "full time", which means I am available to work with buyers any time of the day or evening. The same applies to my writing!

I've pretty much reached retirement age anyway, so I've gotten away from the 9 to 5 grind and my wonderful spouse makes enough money to cover our household expenses. What a lucky girl I am! I spend much of my time marketing my books, working in the garden, and doing research. It sounds pretty boring, doesn't it? I live in the country on a few acres, so gardening is also a full-time job! That makes three.

6/20/2022 04:58:08 pm

With your three jobs, I think it would be hard to publish more than one book a year.

I confess I grew up on a hobby farm. We had 35 acres in the hills south of a very small town. Dad enjoyed farming and was good at it. I learned enough as a kid that I knew I didn't want to be a farmer. Years later, I found I enjoyed gardening flowers and vegetables and berries. In Florida, our garden is in pots of various sizes. Everything is so different from the climate in Oregon.

New questions.

How did you celebrate when you published this book?

How many times did you rewrite the first page, the first chapter of this book?

6/20/2022 06:09:05 pm

I'll bet you have a lot of adjustments in Florida! The weather is probably the biggest one.

You know, when self-publishing, there just doesn't seem to be a reason to celebrate, or at least not for me.
That's one of the few things I miss, not using an established publisher--the ego reinforcement. In my mind, I'm already mulling over the next book. It's amazing how quickly the book becomes history (so to speak).

Interesting question about the first page / chapter. This is one of the pages I almost never rewrite. Isn't that odd? The beginning seems to come out of my subconscious. I am convinced that the protagonist has to be on the first page--otherwise the reader might get attached to the wrong character. Its happened to me as a reader and I find it very annoying. So the introduction to my main character is usually worked out in my head.

6/20/2022 06:32:48 pm

The weather in Florida is opposite of Oregon weather in many ways. In Florida, it rains almost daily in the summer months, July and August particularly. In Oregon, that is the dry season and Oregon has a lot of rain most of the rest of the year. Cold rain, very cold rain especially in the winter. In Florida, the growing season is in the winter November, December and January. In Oregon the growing season starts in May or June.

After that first book, you are left to celebrate by yourself for the most part. Planning the next book seems like a good idea to me.

You are blessed. I have heard that many writers struggle over the first page, they labor over each word and phrase seeking for the proper balance to hook the reader, hoping they will keep turning the pages. I specifically request a sample from the middle of the book knowing that it hasn't been examined in such great detail as the front of the book.

I never thought about that. It certainly makes sense to introduce the protagonist on the first page. The first impression is important.

New questions.

Do you have a favorite filler word or two that you have to keep taking out of a story, like just, like really, or like like?

Was there a particular chapter or section that was harder to write than the others in this book?

6/20/2022 08:58:53 pm

Ha! Most of the chapters were hardest to write! This has been the most difficult book so far, partly because there were so many threads. It's my own fault; I like to give some the secondary characters (and events) equal time. Even though he was a bit of a rotten character, I absolutely loved Henry Percy. I still don't know why. He seemed mostly driven by his own self-interest. But he usually landed on his feet!

Anyway, I have the hardest time writing about Parliament, which is too bad because this is where all the important stuff happens. But it's so hard to keep it interesting! There's a cast of hundreds, and a lot of jockeying for position... kind of like our congress! But no action. Ultimately I had to skip a lot of important historical implications because they didn't forward the plot.

I actually keep a list of words that need to be reviewed at the end which I keep repeating. I have a bad habit of using "seemed" and "appeared" and "started to" and "little". All of those are weak and need to be turned into action words. I overuse "but". Oh, the agony! I also do a lot of Turning and Looking, which are what I'm visualizing. I have a lot of drinking. I wish they had cigarettes in those days; it would give my people something else to do!

6/21/2022 09:29:47 am

Trying to give a decent amount of time to a lot of characters has to be quite difficult. A little like juggling 7 or 8 balls instead of the usual 3. Percy never quit trying, he would do whatever it took, at times, to survive and he was good at that.

The issue with parliament would be difficult no doubt. So much political intrigue and trading of favors happened behind closed doors. A single session of parliament could provide fodder for an entire book.

Eliminating those weak words certainly makes for better reading. Nathaniel Hawthorne, a 19th century American novelist, said it well, "Easy reading is damn hard writing". Your fans thank you for all of your work.

Another hands-on activity could be using a knife, sticking it in the table, whittling, or even sharpening it. A greedy person could count the money in his coin purse, and there is always some kind of dice game, a gambler could practice throwing his pair of dice.

New questions.

What was the earliest experience that made you realize that you could influence and change lives with the power of writing?

Do you have a hidden message in your writings for a particular person or group?

6/21/2022 11:28:01 am

To be honest, I'm too much of an introvert to expect to influence people by my writing. My main thought was to leave something of value behind after I'm gone. The first time I looked at the Library of Congress date in my first Library book (1955- ) I said to myself, when that date is filled in, I'll be dead! No kidding. True story. No hidden messagea!

6/21/2022 02:01:54 pm

Seeking a bit of immortality and no hidden messages. Very good. We all want to be remembered after we die. Writing and publishing books is a great way to do that.

New questions.

What is the message, moral, or takeaway that you hope people will get from reading your book?

Is there more than one?

Mercedes Rochelle link

6/21/2022 04:47:37 pm

With Henry IV as well as all of my protagonists, I want to emphasize that none of them are all good...or all bad. Squeaky clean heroes are boring to me, and I don't believe in them anyway. As the old saying goes, "every villain is a hero in his own story" and I really buy into that. I like to try and rationalize an action that we normally condemn (like executing perceived traitors right and left), and give my characters the proverbial benefit of a doubt. They had their reasons; if I do my job right, the reasons might even be convincing. (I had a heck of a time with Tostig Godwineson, but I trust I made his position clear.) Henry IV, with all his failings, still managed to leave a stable country to his heir—not an insignificant factor. Henry V owed a lot to his father, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

6/21/2022 06:21:41 pm

I think you nailed the idea that people are real, they have conflicting desires and emotions and sometimes make mistakes, big ones. Sometimes they make the right decision also. We are not very far removed from our ancestors that lived more than a millennia ago. Strip away our modern trappings and drop us in a hamlet of a dozen farms and most will not last long at all unless they grew up on a farm.

"Every villain is the hero in his story." I have been saying that for years and will keep saying that as long as I am above room temperature. Authors want readers to care a lot about the protagonist, but the reader needs to care about all of the characters at least a little bit. If the characters don't seem alive and breathing, then they are more like a cardboard cutout. The story will suffer a lot.

I think Henry IV was able to rest easy because the country was in better shape.

New questions.

Do you believe that a good book will sell itself?

Do you think good marketing can overcome the limitations of a mediocre book?

6/21/2022 08:25:53 pm

You just asked the million dollar questions! My personal answer to the first question is not really. No matter how good a book is, if the general public doesn't resonate with the topic, it will invariably limp along. Look how many mediocre Tudor books we are inundated with! Everyone loves the Tudors, it seems, and the public's appetite is insatiable. Ditto for "chick lit". Ditto for romances. But try selling a novel about a lesser-known historical character or subject, and only a dose of good fortune will generate a lot of sales. In my humble opinion.

Good marketing will certainly raise a book out of non-existence, but reviews do count (though they are few and far between these days). Word gets around. On the other hand, we do see a lot of mediocre books on the "best seller" list, and aren't they invariably from the major publishers? So maybe the answer to question number two is probably. How much money gets thrown at a best-seller book? For the rest of us, I think we need to rise above mediocre to at least get noticed.

6/22/2022 08:39:43 am

If the reading public doesn't know about a really good book, its sales will reflect that regardless of how good the book is. It will advance over a period of time as 'great' reviews slowly stack up, but it could take years to reach a best-seller status and sales really take off.

Marketing is a huge issue for authors. There are countless blogs written on the topic and a broad topic it is too. There are so many angles that can be used to market and promote a book. Writing and publishing a book seem pretty easy to me when you compare the work necessary to market a book. A writer could spend all of their time promoting their book and never write another. I suggest that an author devote 1 or 2 hours a week, every week or two, out of writing time for marketing books.

People are attracted to a best seller based on that status alone. FOMO can be utilized to leverage more sales if you can define the pool of similar books small enough. Then your book can rise to the top of the pile, it means becoming the big fish in a small pond.

New questions.

What is the biggest myth about writing that would help aspiring authors?

Have your research and writing methods changed much since your first book?

6/22/2022 09:47:48 am

Of course, one person's myth is another person's practice. We already discussed the probability that a book may languish in sales; there's nothing worse than the huge disappointment on publication day when nobody seems to have noticed the new release. There's not going to be a rush to buy your book, unless you're already famous. We've all been there. It takes more than getting the book up on Amazon to make sales. In conjunction with that, my personal beef is the insistence that writers need to write every day. That command starts to make writing a chore. Kudos to authors who have a structured day when a spell of writing is pre-ordained. But for the rest of us, let's face it: if we're not making money at our writing, why torture ourselves? If you have a story to tell, it will come out in its own time. Forcing the words onto the page may start the juices flowing; on the other hand, it might just make you miserable.

I'm sure this makes me sound like a heretic. But once I forgave myself for not writing that day, I started feeling better overall.

When researching my first and second book, there was no internet. That's how long ago I started! There was a 20 year gap between my first two books and the rest of them (yes, discouragement). What a difference the internet made! Now I can find books that have been out of print for a century that might—or might not—have been available at the library. And because of that, I've started paying much more attention to footnotes, which reference books and articles that formerly were impossible to find. Even now, I can't get my hands on many of the sources without breaking the bank, but more often than not the footnotes open up a whole new source of material that enriches my research.

6/22/2022 11:07:16 am

We have talked about how much effort is required to sell books and we have only scratched the surface of all the possible ways to market a book. If you search for 'marketing' or 'promotion' in the search box below you will find that it is likely the largest group of links on my Highly Regarded Blogs page.

Heretical? No. Going against the flow? Yes. But that is the nice thing about writing. Each writer finds their own path on that journey. After two or three books, I think most authors find their groove. Writing is not an isolated activity, in one sense, it relies a great deal on the writer's emotional and mental condition most of the time. I recommend new authors try different frameworks and styles of writing to find what works the best for them. I have also suggested entering short story competitions to tone up their writing. Rochelle, you are in fine writing shape! You have a system that works well for you. You shouldn't change that until you are ready.

That is a great story! The internet made a big difference for both of us! I had a friend who wrote a lot, and he was my only client for years. I tried finding clients on Craig's list and that got me nothing but crickets. When I found Smashwords I was able to start finding new clients and a year or two later I tried Twitter and never looked back.

New questions.

In your experience, which marketing avenues have been the most rewarding or profitable?

What else are planning to do to promote and market your books over the next few months?

6/22/2022 03:54:54 pm

Funny, I never thought about your having to search for clients! But of course... we all have to start somewhere.

As for marketing, that's a loaded question, isn't it? It seems you have to spend money to make money, and even that doesn't always work. I've already tried the Amazon Marketing platform (AMS), but the competition is so fierce nowadays that you can no longer make much progress experimenting with low bids. Is it really worth .50 for a click—or much more? I was content with balancing my expenses with my sales, but that hasn't happened in a long time. I find that most of the services promote you on Twitter, which is so hit-and-miss it's not really worth the money. I do it anyway. I've tried BookBub ads, which at least give me the opportunity to track the click-throughs. (Featured Deals, where the real exposure comes from, are very difficult to land.) Through BookBub I learned that most of my readers reside in England, even though they are a small portion of overall buyers (population-wise). So it helped me to focus on the UK. I like Blog tours, though frankly they don't advance my sales much. But exposure of any kind is good. For the immediate future, I'm not planning anything new. I've thrown so much money at my books that I'm kind of sick of the whole game. I've never gotten any return on investment aside from the occasional BookBub featured deal (International).

6/22/2022 05:54:34 pm

Yes. We all start at the beginning, with a blank page, so to speak. I remember when I started on Twitter, I was very excited and broke the etiquette a number of times. I got blocked and learned the hard way.

So true, unless you are the only person with a particular product, and that won't last long, the world will not beat a path to your door. When it comes to books, the market is flooded with a million new books a year besides the books already out there. It is difficult without a doubt.

Amazon is pretty smart, letting anyone publish a book is one thing but getting the book sold is another and as you point out the bidding war for advertising your book can get expensive when you pay each time someone clicks on your book. There is no guarantee that click will turn into a sale. What is worse, Amazon doesn't tell you where the clicks are coming from.

I would be sick of the rigmarole also if I were a writer.

New questions. We are going to swerve a bit now and talk about your book for a little while.

Henry IV’s health was a big issue in his day. Did he really have leprosy?

Did everyone think the illness was from God?

6/22/2022 06:19:02 pm

Historians have been wrangling about Henry IV's illness for six hundred years and we still don't know whether he had leprosy or not. It’s nearly impossible to diagnose an illness from the past, and there's always the possibility that the symptoms of leprosy have changed over the centuries. The arguments against leprosy were many: most importantly, he recovered after his first couple of attacks. Also, he wasn’t exiled like a leper by his contemporaries. The most significant clue was when his tomb was opened in 1832. Although his face disintegrated quickly after being exposed to the air, enough was seen to determine that his nose cartilage was intact (apparently one of the first casualties of leprosy) and his features were not disfigured. So most modern historians think Henry must have experienced a combination of illnesses, because a skin disease would not account for his episodes of unconsciousness which lasted for extended periods of time. Perhaps he suffered from strokes or serious circulatory problems. Blood clots could explain the sudden pains in his legs. Coronary heart disease or rheumatic heart disease could explain his deteriorating health. And we can’t ignore the effects of stress and—let’s face it—possible guilt over the usurpation and execution of an archbishop.

And this leads us to the second question. Almost all chroniclers state that he had his first attack the very night after Archbishop Scrope was executed. Whether this timing is correct is almost immaterial; it's not a stretch to say that everyone believed that his illness was divine retribution—including, most likely, Henry himself. Leprosy was considered God's punishment for sinners, and the king had sinned big time.

6/23/2022 07:57:49 am

Leprosy has been around for a long time. As far as I know it still exists today. Modern medicine has figured out how to cure it with early detection in the last 50 years.

Stress and guilt can cause a lot of harm psychically and physically.

New questions.

Why were the French in such an uproar?

What do you think about the relationship between Henry IV and Prince Hal? Prince Hal was Henry V?

6/23/2022 02:33:20 pm

In the course of my research I've come to understand that the events of the Hundred Years War had a lot to do with the conflicts within France—all the way back to Edward III. When Charles IV died in 1328, the only surviving heir in the direct line was Isabella, mother of Edward III. The French dug up the Salic law which prohibited the crown to be inherited by the female line and passed over Isabella in favor of the first Valois king (a cousin). As they say, the rest is history.

By the time of Richard II, the crown of France was inherited by a child—just like the crown if England. All might have gone well, but Charles VI had inherited a strain of insanity which manifested itself when he was a young man, after he had married Isabeau of Bavaria. Although they did have a few sons, all were too young to rule and the regency was taken over by Charles's uncles, the Duke of Burgundy and the Duke of Berry, who essentially milked the crown revenues for their own benefit. Charles did have a brother, Louis of Orleans, who was unpopular and met a bad end in 1407—murdered on the order of the Duke of Burgundy. The Orleans heir, Charles, spearheaded an antagonistic faction under the name Armagnac (his father in-law), and the civil war that ensued lasted for decades. The English just couldn't resist getting involved!

Yes, Prince Hal was the young Henry V. There were so many Henrys to deal with! I have a feeling that Henry IV was just never around and didn't bond with any of his children, except for the second son Thomas, who went into exile with him. It seems that the relationship between the King and his heir was always a bit strained, and when Henry IV became ill, his son was chomping at the bit to take over. That didn't sit well with dad! There's an undercurrent that Henry IV would have liked to put Thomas on the throne after him, but that would have probably caused a civil war. Thomas was a fierce warrior but lacked his brother's good sense.

6/23/2022 03:32:55 pm

Fascinating stuff. As the old saying goes, "the devil is in the details" and the devil was certainly busy for a long time.

New questions.

What was Henry IV’s legacy?

How effective was Henry IV’s artillery? It sounded pretty rough in your book.

6/23/2022 04:21:24 pm

Good question. Although most historians gloss over his reign, a couple of important things happened (again...Parliament). He does go down as the first Lancastrian king (and let's face it, aside from Henry V the Lancastrians were pretty much a failed dynasty) and a successful usurper. He can certainly be commended for leaving the country in such a settled state that his son succeeded without a problem. Due to his illness, he is the king responsible for permitting Parliament to meet in his absence; this has never happened before and in 1407 it was put into law. It seems like a minor thing to us, but at the time it was a big deal. He was the first English King to give the coronation oath in English. What else? Not much. He was a true medieval king and didn't practice many innovations. I think his money troubles pushed everything else aside.

And yes, Henry IV was the first English king to use cannons in warfare. There were a few innovations on the Continent, but artillery was clumsy and difficult. But, man, did it pack a punch! It was said that they needed upwards of twenty oxen to pull the largest cannons, which had to be loaded onto wagons because they didn't have wheels yet. But the impact was undeniable; sometimes a fortress surrendered after only a few shots, for the walls could not withstand the bombardment. The cannons often exploded in use; it was a dangerous job and usually German gunners were employed, for they were the first to master the techniques. A cannon could only be fired a few times in a day, so it had to be effective!

6/23/2022 05:56:07 pm

So, Henry IV broke a number of conventions, some on purpose and some not. He changed the trajectory of politics with the emancipation of parliament, that may well be the most important result of him being so sick he couldn't do anything about it.

The cannons are quite interesting. I imagine they had to be cast in one piece at one time and that process is fraught with many difficulties. If you have ever watched Forged In Fire on the History Channel you will know what I am talking about. I am not surprised that many cannons exploded, because the explosive pressures pushing the projectile were tremendous and always seek the easiest release. Waiting for the cannon to be fired must have been terrible psychological pressure for the defenders.

New questions.

I imagine that most of the characters in this book have very little information available about them. A few might have only one or two lines extant. What do you do to bring them to life on the page?

Do you search for someone you know about who could be similar?

6/23/2022 06:41:45 pm

Actually, you'd be surprised how much information is available for this period. One of the easiest sources to search is the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, which is incredibly extensive (60,000 biographies). It's not free, but for $29 you can join for a month and print off as much as you want. Of course, we're talking about England, here. So far, I have discovered a major exhaustive historian for each period I'm writing about. For the Norman Conquest I had Edward A. Freeman (6 vols.). For Henry IV I have James Hamilton Wylie in 4 vols. and again, Wylie wrote about Henry V in 3 vols. For France I had Froissart for the Richard II period, then Enguerrand de Monstrelet for Henry V period in a whopping 13 volumes! I really didn't have to make very much up. Every earl and duke had his own biographer though sometimes you have to search pretty hard. If I do have to improvise, I can usually piece together some sort of characteristics from their actions.

Admittedly, I do run into a dearth of information about the women—even the queens. They tend to have minor roles in the histories which is why so little is written about them. Joanna of Navarre is a case in point (Henry IV's queen); she was a practical lady so few people had anything bad to say about her—except that she was from Brittany. Nobody liked the Bretons. I've seen other authors "diss" her, but I think that's totally gratuitous.

6/23/2022 07:39:54 pm

Quite amazing! You must have a big library at home unless all of these volumes are available on the internet. That is a tremendous amount of reading. Hopefully they are indexed that would make your research so much easier.

That is sad about the queens. They were important in their way and probably had a lot of unrecorded influence.

New questions.

How do you balance the demands on your time as a writer with personal relationships?

Do you have any other passions or creative outlets to pursue if you didn't write?

6/23/2022 08:26:24 pm

Fortunately, both my husband and I are low maintenance! We each have our own office and work independently of each other, which gives us both the time we need. Evenings we tend to have our drink together (!) and watch a little television. Aside from my Real Estate work, my marketing, and my gardening, I have little time for any other amusements. With luck, we take our boats onto the river in the summer on weekends, which is a blast. I live near the Delaware River, which is a gentle run, for I'm not terribly athletic! During the winter, I've got my nose to the grindstone; that's when I do most of my writing. I'm stuck at home, anyway!

6/24/2022 08:07:10 am

It sounds like you have a well-established equilibrium in your home. Gardening and the other activities are great for relaxing and allowing your muse to work in the background.

As a boy, I lived near a cousin, an easy bike ride. He lived on a bluff above the Willamette River and we spent a lot of time together playing and fishing in the river. Good times and good memories.

New questions.

Did you have pieces of the story that were removed from this book? If, so why did you remove them?

Did you save those pieces, if they were substantial in size?

6/24/2022 04:37:53 pm

Actually, my habit is to write the major events first then go back and fill in the segues during the second draft. I almost never take anything out. By the time I get there, I've internalized the story and know what needs to be said. Each event I write about has been researched heavily again and again. That's what I am doing right with Agincourt. No surprises.

6/24/2022 04:40:22 pm

That is a good idea. It certainly works well for you.

New questions.

What type of scenes do you find hard to write and why?

What did your family say when you announced your desire to be a writer?

What do they think now?

6/24/2022 06:35:12 pm

I have difficulty writing love scenes and romance in general. Fortunately, that doesn't come up very often in my sagas. I find that so many romances are "more of the same". Same story, new background. How many ways can you write boy-meets-girl, etc? I find the whole thing terribly tedious.

I remember when I was a kid I fell in love with the book Black Beauty and I told my mother I wanted to be a writer. She pooh-poohed me. That set me back! It wasn't until my fifth grade English teacher really treated me like something special that I got the idea I might actually have some talent. Bless her heart, whoever she is! These days, what's left of my family don't give me any feedback at all. No interest whatsoever. You can be sure they don't get books for Christmas..

6/24/2022 08:49:13 pm

I think that writing a good love scene of any kind requires special thought. The romance genre has specific conventions that readers expect to be fulfilled with a Happily Ever After or at least a Happily For Now. Historical Romance is more of a subset of the Romance genre than it is of Historical Fiction in my mind.

We adults don't think much about what we say to our kids a lot of the time. It is so easy to crush a child's dream. I find I am being more careful of my words around our grandkids than I was with our own children.

New questions.

How do you maintain the excitement for yourself? Your excitement impacts others around you.

Do your friends buy your books? You already mentioned that your extended family has no interest in your writings.

6/25/2022 01:31:55 pm

Excitement for writing? Can I be honest? I don't really feel any. It's more of a chore at times; at other times it's more of a compulsion. If I don't do justice to my characters and their story, nobody will. I find it easier to write on a rainy day or during the winter (that's when most of my writing gets done). The satisfaction comes from finally understanding the story and getting it down. So I guess satisfaction rather than excitement drives me.

No, my friends aren't readers. Neither is my husband (but he pays the bills!). My Facebook and Twitter friends are my peers now, and for that I am grateful.

6/25/2022 03:01:40 pm

Please be honest, it is just you, me and some lurking friends.

Excitement is one of the frothy emotions, it comes and goes dependent upon our emotional state. It can be generated by force of will if the desire is strong enough or you are in an excited crowd. Satisfaction can produce a different heady feeling also, one that lasts longer in my mind. It is not hard for me to think that satisfaction is similar to private excitement.

We both love the writing community on Twitter. I don't spend hardly anytime on Facebook though I know there is a thriving community there also. Proofreading and Twitter use all of my available time.

New questions.

You have participated in period reenactments in the past. Is there a medieval, non-writing skill could you learn that might prove to be useful for writing in the future?

What area of your writing has the greatest need for improvement at this time?

6/25/2022 06:13:50 pm

I don't think I would write nearly as confidently if I had not experienced all those years as a reenactor. There's nothing like observing a field battle with thousands of combatants—even if the "dead" get up and walk away periodically. The noise, the excitement, and the panoramic vista can't be duplicated. I also learned all about arms and armor and weapons styles; I even fenced for a few years, so experienced first hand (sort of) what it was like in a combat situation. Not fearing for my life made it a bit less authentic, but I can accept that! I also lived in period clothing, and experienced life in an encampment (although I admit I appreciated the "porta potties"). There is a limit to how primitive modern people are willing to go. But even though we went home at the end of the day—or the week—the experience deepened my appreciation of an alternative lifestyle.

Need for improvement? I haven't mastered using all the senses yet. I forget to include smells and tactile sensations, though if I'm lucky it'll occur to me in the second or third draft. I think I tend to under-describe people and settings, because I want to get on with the action. Some writers overdo this, so I'm glad I err on the side of paucity, though there is still room for improvement.

6/25/2022 06:48:37 pm

I think you are right, having a lot of that type of reenactment experience gave you a perspective that is not available to non-participants. Your experience colors your writing with a lot of authenticity especially when it came to the camps and battlefield action.

Many authors struggle with incorporating all of the senses into their writing. Seeing and hearing are the low-hanging fruit, taste, feel and smell are not as easy. Many writers are afraid to tackle those even all of us experience those things many times a day.

New questions.

When do you think your next book will be published?

Will you do anything differently with this new book, in terms of publishing?

6/25/2022 08:49:08 pm

If I can stay on schedule, I hope to have it out next April. I never know until winter sets in and I put my nose to the grindstone. During the summer, I spend a lot of time in the garden (and the woods). Why not enjoy the seasons?

Anyway, even though I'll never be a best-seller, nor will I ever earn my income at my writing, I'm content to be an indie writer. I have one book still in the hands of my old publisher, and it sticks out like a sore thumb, price-wise. They won't lower the price. Also, because it's a part of a series, I can't advertise the series until I get it back into my hands. That's more than enough to convince me not to give up my rights ever again—unless one of the Big Five (or is it Big Four, now?) comes knocking on my door. I contacted an agent working for the biggies, and although he really likes my books, he called them "high hanging fruit". It's not worth his aggravation. I get it. I don't like it, but I certainly understand.

6/26/2022 08:12:14 am

Enjoying the seasons is a great idea. Taking a break from writing is smart also. It gives your muse a rest and allows the best parts of the story to percolate and rise to the surface.

Most indie writers won't be able to live off their writing for a long time, if ever. Recent statistics say that most indie writers do not sell more than 1,000 copies of a book. I realize that is an average that covers millions of authors and many millions of books and likely not a lot of marketing. Many writers feel compelled to write and would love to be able to write full time. They will keep writing whether or not they can quit their day job.

Have you thought about rewriting that story? Maybe you can use a different minor character as a fulcrum to keep the story moving. Is that book selling? If the price is relatively high maybe it is not selling. Perhaps there's a reversion clause in the contract that would allow you to reclaim the rights to that book if it is not selling.

New questions.

Have you ever developed a fondness or attachment to one of your characters?

Have you ever killed off a character unwillingly because it fit the plot, within the constraints of the historical narrative?

6/26/2022 11:28:39 am

Actually, I do have a clause in my contract that if the book sells less than 50 copies in a year, I can get my rights back. I think I'm approaching that eventuality; I guess I should be flattered that I haven't reached that point after all these years!

In my old series (The Last Great Saxon Earls), I had a fondness for Earl Tostig, who is everyone's favorite villain. I did my best to defend him in his own words, but of course there's no excusing his invasion of England. But he did have his reasons! King Harold didn't treat him well, as far as he was concerned, and I kind of agree.

In the current book, I had to kill off Henry Percy, which broke my heart. And of course, everyone loved Hotspur, who was killed at the Battle of Shrewsbury in the previous book. I don't know why I favor them; the Percies were a self-aggrandizing clan in an era that supported that kind of behavior. But they were certainly colorful! Of course, it wasn't the plot that demanded their deaths but history itself, so I just have to be satisfied playing God and making their exit as memorable as possible. Though in reality, Henry Percy kind of went out with a fizzle. I think he lost most of his flamboyance after Hotspur's death.

6/26/2022 01:26:26 pm

I imagine the royalty checks have been nice to receive. Have you prepared a request to recover your rights to the book yet or consulted a lawyer?

I liked Tostig, though he seemed a little bit like a whiner at times. Hotspur! What a fitting name, he was always ready to rumble. He seemed like one of those guys who would shoot first and ask questions later. I admit that I have been impetuous and hot headed occasionally.

The Percys lived in a time when if you didn't ask, at least, or grab you wouldn't get. Nothing is steady in the world of politics except change. The Percys fell into the King's favor because Henry, and Edward before him, I think, needed them. As everyone knew then, including the Percys, that everything is permanent until further notice. That doesn't mean the Percys or anyone else likes having the spotlight taken away, but it is a fact of life.

New questions.

Have you read any fiction books that have changed your perception of that genre or style of writing?

How do you deal with a difficult section in a WIP?

Have you ever read that section out loud to sort out the difficulty?

6/26/2022 01:45:34 pm

I'm a late bloomer. I favored the 19th century novel in my college days without even realizing I was reading historical fiction as a genre. I even adored Sir Walter Scott, the father of the historical novel. I just didn't put two-and-two together. It wasn't until I read my first Sharon Penman novel, The Sunne in Splendour, that I was struck by lightning. (I have a first edition, so at least I got the point right away!). Then I went back to my favorite novels, most notably The Three Musketeers, and saw them with a new eye. It wasn't long after that when I started writing my first novel (Heir To A Prophecy). Even that book didn't start out as historical fiction, but it sure ended up that way.

When I get stuck I do walk away for a while. I'm not a fan of beating my head against the wall. I usually go back to my research material and read it again looking for something I've missed. I often find it! Sometimes only a stray sentence fragment will send me off in the right direction. If that doesn't work, I'll force myself to skip that part and address it again in the next draft. Often by then I've worked the problem out without even realizing it.

I read everything out loud in my second draft. It really helps. The first draft is just too chaotic to read out loud. Reading out loud for me is the way I determine whether a sentence flows or not. By then, hopefully, I've sorted out the plot.

6/26/2022 03:07:55 pm

I love how you were discovered by the genre. Wait. I love how you discovered the genre and made it your own.

You have good plans in place to deal with a block about a WIP. Followup research has worked well for you. Also skipping the passage and continuing to write is a technique that I have advocated for a number of years. There is no rule that you can't write the ending before the middle. I actually think it's a good idea for a novelist to write the ending first that provides a clear target for the rest of the book.

Reading a manuscript out loud is a great way to do some self-editing. I use that technique when I am proofreading and come across a passage that doesn't flow well.

New questions.

Do you use music or some other stimulus to cultivate a feeling within that will help you write certain types of scenes?

Do the reviews of your books make an impact on how you write subsequent books or volumes?

6/26/2022 03:55:20 pm

I like to write in total silence. Music is a distraction for me. Since my house has an open floor plan, this can be a challenge at times! Luckily my husband has an office that can be closed off.

As for reviews, I haven't had too much criticism so I provide my own direction

6/26/2022 05:28:48 pm

I am not surprised you work better in silence, I do also. My wife watches a lot of TV she particularly enjoys the BBC productions of Agatha Christie's murder mysteries. Miss Marple, Father Brown and all. They are playing in the background, and I have learned to relegate them to the level of background noise. She startles easily, when she jumps, my attention is diverted to her for a few seconds.

The lack of criticism is a testimony to your writing skill.
Congratulations on that.

New questions.

Are there any secrets people are bound to find when they read your books?

What are the three most important considerations for an independent author to be certain of when self-publishing?

6/26/2022 08:26:35 pm

Secrets? I'm sorry to say I'm not clever enough for that. No hidden messages; no real surprises. I've never been good with whodunnits; I just don't see below the surface.

When self-publishing, aside from keeping your expectations low, at least at the beginning, I would advise an author to produce the best possible cover they can. Money spent here is more important than advertising money. There are too many covers out there that scream "amateur", and it's no secret that the book could very well get overlooked.

Another consideration is to develop your author's platform. When I first heard about this I didn't even know what it was, until the example of Oprah Winfrey was dangled in front of my face. Oprah has the best author's platform out there; people will buy anything that she recommends, so I'm doubly sure they will buy her book. I cringe when I see that an author has no presence on Twitter; that's the best free advertising out there, but it takes an effort to build up your followers.

Along the same lines, when you do use Twitter, don't flood your timeline with post after post about your book. That will deter followers in a hurry. You have to post items of interest and value, and sneak in a post about your book now and then so it's not in their face.

6/27/2022 08:18:00 am

I am not very good about whodunnits also. Most of my guesses are wrong. But I do enjoy reading them and watching them.

That is good advice. Covers are important, perhaps even more than the title by a little bit. The old adage, 'don't judge a book by its cover' applies to many things, even books surprisingly enough. But we all do it. If the cover is not attractive and the title not enticing, then the fraction of a second that we spent on that browsing will remain just that, a fraction of a second. We will never know if the prose is brilliant or silly. We don't have time to read every book.

The author's platform is very important, whether traditionally published or not. Some publishers won't consider publishing an author unless that author has a mailing list of a thousand or more. To the publisher, a percentage of that list represents guaranteed sales. For the self-publishing author that list represents the same thing. In either case, the author is responsible for most of the book marketing, if not all.

A lot of people buy the books that Oprah selects. She has a huge platform that very few authors can hope to approach. Authors need to ask themselves why her audience buys whatever she presents. The number of authors that understand how she does it are increasing, and I applaud those authors.

You are spot on about using Twitter or any social media platform for that matter.

New questions.

Is there any particular time of the day that ideas usually hit you?

Is it hard or easy to connect with your muse, why do you think it is that way?

mercedes rochelle

6/27/2022 09:37:56 am

You know, as much as I say I'm not a creature of writing habit, I admit that I don't like to write in the morning or early afternoon. I reserve that time for my marketing and my "real" job. I start thinking about writing around 4pm after the day's work is over. On my gym days (I do that for my health), I often find myself frantically writing the half hour before I leave the house. Working better under pressure? I wonder, but I hate to admit it.

My muse rarely speaks to me, but it's usually while I've already started writing. Suddenly inspiration kicks in, but it doesn't last long and I usually take a break afterwards. I write in short spurts. A lot of short spurts!

6/27/2022 01:17:18 pm

Every writer has their method of writing including their rhythm of writing. What works for you won't work for everyone else. Some writers are early birds, some are night owls and you are ensconced in the middle somewhere, like a day falcon. Falcons and hawks rule the day. It works for you so don't fight it.

According to many writers the muse won't show up until after you do. I think that is a good way also. Your in the chair and focused on writing. That is the perfect time for the muse to show up. What a wonderfully cooperative muse you have. Many authors would pay money to have a muse like that.

Last questions.

For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks, audiobooks or print books?

What books are you reading at present for your business and for pleasure?

6/27/2022 02:48:51 pm

That depends! I read printed books before bed to rest my eyes. I love audio when I'm gardening and taking a walk. I rely on my Kindle for much of my research which can only be gotten online in scanned format. But I do like Kindle Unlimited for the price!

I do a lot of reviewing and my books of choice are Historical Fiction. No surprise there!

6/27/2022 02:55:14 pm

You are all over the map. You have found a perfect fit for all of those different activities. I love it. I prefer my Kindle for all of my reading. I have all of my devices set for night filter because I am on a screen so much of the day.

Thank you, Mercedes, for being such a fabulous guest on the Word Refiner channel. I have enjoyed our conversation so much. Historical fiction is my third favorite genre and you have supplied so much of it for me.

Our chat is at an end for now. Until next time, keep on writing.

6/27/2022 04:38:56 pm

Mark, it's always a pleasure chatting with you. I'll see you next book!

The Accursed King (The Plantagenet Legacy Book 4) by Mercedes Rochelle

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