Joining us today is author Jessica Cale so sit back enjoy the interview and then check out her new release.
When did you write your first book?
I’ve been writing since I was a kid, but I started my first book when I
was fifteen. It was a contemporary horror novel, but I didn’t finish it because
I didn’t like the original ending. I’ve been carrying it with me for fifteen
years in case I ever decide how it should end.
Where do you get your information or ideas
for your books?
The ideas are hard to pin-point. Tyburn
began with a dream I had, and the rest of the Southwark Saga has really built
on that. Virtue’s Lady came about
when the supporting characters from Tyburn,
Mark and Jane, became so real to me that they needed a book to themselves. As
for the information, the series is set in the seventeenth century and I
research everything very carefully. My husband is an early modern historian and
me and both of his parents all have history degrees, so our family has a pretty
formidable collection of books! Anything we don’t have can usually be found
through inter-library loan.
What was one of the most surprising things
you learned in creating your books?
The one thing that surprised me the most is how little control I
actually have over the characters. They become almost living, breathing people
with ideas and ambitions of their own, and all I can do as a writer is throw
obstacles as them to see how they react. I just go with it and let them
surprise me!
How many books have you written? Which is
your favorite?
I have completed two, and am currently working on the third book in The
Southwark Saga. My favorite is always the one I’m currently working on. I get
obsessed with it until I feel like it’s finished, then I’m on to the next one
the next day.
Do you hear from your readers much? What
kinds of things do they say?
I love hearing from my readers! I love hearing what they think and which
characters are their favorites. My two most vocal readers are both men, and
I’ve had great discussions with both of them. One just wanted to talk through
it, and assured me he understood why his favorite character died, which I thought
was pretty generous. Tyburn has a
pretty high body count! The other reader had all these incredible emotional
insights into the characters, and it was so great just hearing what he’d taken
from it. The characters had become real to him, too, and that was the greatest
compliment. Other than that, I’ve started getting requests for supporting
characters to get their own books, which is great. There are plenty more in the
works!
What would you say is your interesting
writing quirk?
I used to write in total darkness after everyone else in the house had
gone to sleep. It was almost sensory deprivation. Visualizing the scenes was
much easier with no distractions whatsoever. I don’t need to do this as much
now, but I still like to write in bed. I like to be as comfortable as possible
so I don’t notice how much time is passing.
What do you like to do when you’re not
writing?
I work full-time for a great non-profit company, so I have very little
time when I’m not working or writing. When I do get some time, I love to read
and to spend time with my husband and our friends. I also bake. I’ve been
working on perfecting my macaron recipe and I’m always thinking of new flavors
to try!
Now for Jessica's newest release.
From toiling for pennies to bare-knuckle boxing, a
lady is prepared for every eventuality.
Lady Jane
Ramsey is young, beautiful, and ruined.
After being
rescued from her kidnapping by a handsome highwayman, she returns home only to
find her marriage prospects drastically reduced. Her father expects her to
marry the repulsive Lord Lewes, but Jane has other plans. All she can think
about is her highwayman, and she is determined to find him again.
Mark Virtue is
trying to go straight. After years of robbing coaches and surviving on his
wits, he knows it’s time to hang up his pistol and become the carpenter he was
trained to be. He busies himself with finding work for his neighbors and
improving his corner of Southwark as he tries to forget the girl who haunts his
dreams. As a carpenter struggling to stay in work in the aftermath of The Fire,
he knows Jane is unfathomably far beyond his reach, and there’s no use wishing
for the impossible.
When Jane turns
up in Southwark, Mark is furious. She has no way of understanding just how much
danger she has put them in by running away. In spite of his growing feelings
for her, he knows that Southwark is no place for a lady. Jane must set aside
her lessons to learn a new set of rules if she is to make a life for herself in
the crime-ridden slum. She will fight for her freedom and her life if that’s
what it takes to prove to Mark—and to herself—that there’s more to her than
meets the eye.
Other Books In The Series
Notorious harlot Sally Green fights for survival in Restoration London.
When a brutal attack throws them together, Sally is torn between the tutor who
saves her and the highwayman who keeps her up at night; between new love and an
old need for revenge. Winner of the
Southern Magic Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence 2015.
More About The Author
Jessica Cale is
a historical romance author and journalist based in North Carolina. Originally
from Minnesota, she lived in Wales for several years where she earned a BA in
History and an MFA in Creative Writing while climbing castles and photographing
mines for history magazines. She kidnapped (“married”) her very own British
prince (close enough) and is enjoying her happily ever after with him in a
place where no one understands his accent. You can visit her at www.authorjessicacale.com.
Where To Find Jessica
