I’m very happy today to introduce you to the wonderful Eliza Knight. I’ve been lucky enough to get to know Eliza through the RWA, and I can happily say that she’s one of the nicest writers I’ve met. And she too writes historical romance! Her novels, including The Highlander’s Reward and A Lady’s Charade, are sizzling good fun. She’s also written several novellas that you can find through her Amazon page.
I asked Eliza a few questions about history, her novels, and writing in general….
What drew you to the time periods in which you write?
I’ve always loved history. I was fortunate enough to grow up with parents who were history lovers and grandparents who lived in France, so I was introduced to kings, queens and castles early on. My other set of grandparents were Irish through and through. My grandfather told me tales of Ireland and sang me Irish songs. It wasn’t until I read my very first Julie Garwood book, The Bride, that I realized a whole other world existed. I soon fell in love with Scotland too.
Do you have any favorite historical figures from that time period? Have you based any of your characters on real historical figures?
William Wallace without a doubt. And he does play a part in my new series, The Stolen Bride Series, although small. My hero, Magnus Sutherland in THE HIGHLANDER’S REWARD, fights alongside Wallace at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Wallace’s bravery and valor at forging a path to freedom for the Scots make him a real hero in my mind, and it saddens me deeply that he was executed by the English king.
If given the chance, would you want to travel back in time and visit the era of your story’s settings? What would you be most interested in experiencing back then?
Oh, most definitely!! I would love to experience life in a Highland castle—but not when they were at war with anyone. I would like to go during a peaceful time.
What are your favorite methods and resources for researching history?
Well, the most obvious would be visiting the sites, but that is not always possible, so I rely on the internet—I visit official pages of places, watch History Channel videos on YouTube, and books of course.
How precise are you with historical accuracy? Are there ever instances where you bend historical fact to fit the story?
For the most part I try to be extremely accurate, but I will bend facts to fit my story if need be, it is fiction after all.
What time period other than what you’re writing in right now would you be interested in setting a novel?
I actually do write in several time periods, so I have all the bases covered! I also write Tudor England, Regency England, the American Wild West, and contemporary.
What was your journey to publication like?
It’s been an interesting journey. I first decided I wanted to write medieval novels for publication seven years ago. I sat down and wrote this horrendous story that I then set aside and every once in a while took it out and rewrote it. In the meantime, I had two little ones and I was working part-time. I discovered writing shorter stories and novellas was a lot easier for me in the time that I had to write. So my first published stories were all novellas and novellettes. Then I came back to my old medieval novel. I got an agent, polished it up and we went out on submission, and I ALMOST sold it… But in the end, the time period—medieval England—was a problem. I went on to self-publish that title, A LADY’S CHARADE. I have continued to write shorter works for my publishers as well, but now find I have more time to work on longer novels. I am now also with my dream agent, and she and I are working on a series of Tudor-era historical fiction novels.
Who are your favorite writers or writing mentors?
Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen, Julie Garwood, Ken Follett.
What’s up next for you as a writer?
I’m continuing to work on the Stolen Bride series as well as my Tudor books, and I’m dabbling in contemporary.
What advice would you give to your fellow writers?
Keep writing. Keep writing. Keep writing. Be persistent, be patient.
Thanks so much, Eliza!
Eliza Knight is the award-winning, multi-published author of sizzling historical romance and time travel erotic romance. She runs the award-winning blog, History Undressed. When not reading, writing and researching she likes to cuddle up in front of a warm fire with her own knight in shining armor. Visit Eliza at www.elizaknight.com or www.historyundressed.com
Merry Farmer 