{"id":2910,"date":"2013-03-25T06:00:50","date_gmt":"2013-03-25T10:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ChristyEnglish.com\/?p=2910"},"modified":"2013-03-21T13:20:15","modified_gmt":"2013-03-21T17:20:15","slug":"q-a-with-historical-novelist-j-a-coffey-and-a-give-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ChristyEnglish.com\/?p=2910","title":{"rendered":"Q & A with Historical Novelist J.A. Coffey and a Give Away"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"HETAERA\"

Why do I write historical fiction?<\/b><\/p>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve always loved reading historical fiction, especially the gritty versions that illustrate human foibles.\u00c2\u00a0 The stories of women especially interested me, what their lives were like, their loves, their sexuality and their place in society.\u00c2\u00a0 Personally, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m especially drawn to a theme of perseverance and redemption\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwomen who faced adversity and overcame the odds.\u00c2\u00a0 Writing historical fiction is like pulling on a thread in a tapestry\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6you tug and see where the connections are.\u00c2\u00a0 From this, we can track historical records to determine some of the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153where\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153what,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d but the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153why<\/span>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is often left to speculation.\u00c2\u00a0 As an author, I seek to plausibly explain why and how certain events came to pass, based on my research and knowledge of human nature\u00e2\u20ac\u201dto tell the story that history (or HERstory?) neglected.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How my research started:<\/b><\/p>\n

My affinity for Greek and Egyptian subjects was honed by two sources\u00e2\u20ac\u201dliterature and art.\u00c2\u00a0 First, my Sicilian Papa, who would tell wondrous tales of Greek mythology and mythos.\u00c2\u00a0 He was an accomplished storyteller; I listened with rapt attention whenever he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d spout one on our little walks.\u00c2\u00a0 So, it was no surprise that I incorporated storytelling as an elementary art teacher. The subject for HETAERA was discovered when pulling a set of children\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s books based on international Fairytales for a second grade arts integration project.\u00c2\u00a0 I read Shirley Climo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s The Egyptian Cinderella<\/a> (she has an entire series on the subject). \u00c2\u00a0Immediately, I was drawn to the story.\u00c2\u00a0 I felt I had to discover if this person actually lived, and how a Greek slave could end up as a queen.\u00c2\u00a0 So, I scoured more scholarly resources and discovered she was Thracian, not Greek and she was a contemporary of Sappho and Aesop (yes, THAT<\/span> Aesop).\u00c2\u00a0 Lo and behold, Strabo and even Herodotus\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 texts alluded to her and are described far more succinctly on the wiki website, here<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 Although Herodotus is often discredited, I found it interesting that Doricha\/Rhodopis was specifically mentioned.\u00c2\u00a0 If she never existed, why should he feel the need to write about her?\u00c2\u00a0 So, I grabbed the thread and started pulling.\u00c2\u00a0 Research for this first book took the better part of a year, before I felt ready to tackle the subject.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Secondly, I made an unofficial study of religions, while in my undergraduate coursework at Baylor University.\u00c2\u00a0 Time and time again, I was struck by similarities in deities and legends.\u00c2\u00a0 Being an art major, I found much inspiration in classical art and that led to my fascination.\u00c2\u00a0 For example, while visiting the Dallas Art Museum, I viewed a classic sculpture of a Babylonian queen who is the subject of my next book.\u00c2\u00a0 She is both demonized or deified, depending on the source.\u00c2\u00a0 Isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t that just like our real life soap operas? Investigating the art and artifacts of ancient people is an eye-opening experience\u00e2\u20ac\u201deverything from painted decorations to sexual aides were saved and housed in museums across the globe.\u00c2\u00a0 And the age of technology has them available for viewing with the click of a button!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How do I begin?<\/b><\/p>\n

Quite often, my research is cyclical.\u00c2\u00a0 I start with a germ of a story element–the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Who\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.\u00c2\u00a0 After I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve exhausted references on the subject, I note their contemporaries, family connections, marriages, political factions, ruling classes\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6all details that are filed away to track down at a later date.\u00c2\u00a0 This leads to somewhat backwards research of specific places, time periods.\u00c2\u00a0 Often, the same person may be known by differing titles or alternately-spelled names (and sometimes names ARE titles!), which also creates some confusion and debate amongst scholars.\u00c2\u00a0 It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the age-old question of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153what to leave in, what to leave out\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.\u00c2\u00a0 I try to represent my stories as honestly as I can, recognizing that it may be impossible to ever know \u00e2\u20ac\u0153for sure\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.\u00c2\u00a0 I must admit, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eerie how the voices in my head accurately represented a scene documented in some obscure research which I stumbled upon after writing!\u00c2\u00a0 I am often asked what was \u00e2\u20ac\u0153real\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and what was fictionalized.\u00c2\u00a0 The fact that the reader has a hard time discerning is high praise indeed. \u00c2\u00a0In my own blog (J.A. Coffey.com<\/a>), I offer some behind-the-scenes insight and discuss some of what were factually represented.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How did my writing develop?<\/b><\/p>\n

I wish I could say that I was an instant prodigy, but sadly, my writing developed on a loooong learning curve!\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been a lifelong avid reader, but the physical act of putting pen to paper was daunting.\u00c2\u00a0 I joined one of the most helpful writer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s organizations\u00e2\u20ac\u201dRomance Writers of America.\u00c2\u00a0 I still owe them a huge debt of gratitude.\u00c2\u00a0 My first completed book was a fantasy romance\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhich nabbed me an agent, but I thought it was somewhat lacking.\u00c2\u00a0 It just didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel like me<\/span>.\u00c2\u00a0 Author Carol Shields said \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Write the book you want to read\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe one you cannot find.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 It seemed like other, much better authors had already written my romance story.\u00c2\u00a0 Repeatedly<\/span>.<\/p>\n

The voices in my head kept tapping my shoulder and speaking of a larger idea.\u00c2\u00a0 I realized I wanted to write historical fiction, my agent asked \u00e2\u20ac\u0153do you know how to write a bigger book?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d\u00c2\u00a0 Well, that was a good question to ask!\u00c2\u00a0 Could I?<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0 I had the story bouncing in my head for some time before I felt I could accurately write it down.\u00c2\u00a0 Once I did, I experienced some successes early on.\u00c2\u00a0 HETAERA was selected as the winning entry in the Writer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Weekend fiction contest (judged that year by Tor editor Patrick Nielsen Hayden) and then as a Golden Heart Award finalist in Romance Writers of America\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s brand new category of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Best Manuscript with Romantic Elements\u00e2\u20ac\u009d for novels that did not fit the traditional mold of a romance novel, but had romantic elements that play a central part of the theme.\u00c2\u00a0 I couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe HETAERA was selected as a finalist that first year!\u00c2\u00a0 Though I ultimately lost out to a mainstream chick-lit novel, editor Mary Theresa Hussey (then with MIRA) later compared me favorably with Mary Renault\u00e2\u20ac\u201done of my favorite historical authors.\u00c2\u00a0 That was enough to keep me going!\u00c2\u00a0 Those early acknowledgements, along with the encouragement of other authors, editors, and agents led me to continue to pursue my dreams of being an author.\u00c2\u00a0 Writing each book is another learning curve, but I finally feel I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m getting it.\u00c2\u00a0 I hope I am!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You can find more about J.A. Coffey at www.JACoffey.com<\/a> or on Twitter by following AuthorJACoffey<\/a> or on Facebook at JA Coffey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

BIO<\/b><\/p>\n

J.A. Coffey has been fascinated with mythos and legend for as long as she can remember.\u00c2\u00a0 She grew up in the Dustbowl of the Midwest\u00e2\u20ac\u201chence her flights of fancy.\u00c2\u00a0 Since then she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lived in all parts of the country and traveled abroad.\u00c2\u00a0 She currently resides in North Carolina with her husband and four large dogs.<\/p>\n

J.A. holds a Bachelors Degree of Fine Art and a Masters Degree of Education in Educational Leadership.\u00c2\u00a0 A popular presenter and conference speaker, she tries to write through the lens of an artist.\u00c2\u00a0 When she isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t writing or\u00c2\u00a0reading, she can be found toiling in her raised bed gardens, painting, or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153feathering her nest\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.\u00c2\u00a0 She dreams of restoring a historic home.\u00c2\u00a0 A former RWA Golden Heart finalist in the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Best Manuscript with Romantic Elements\u00e2\u20ac\u009d category, J.A. is currently working on a Young Adult urban fantasy series and her latest historical novel.<\/p>\n

GIVEAWAY:<\/b><\/p>\n

Win a free copy of HETAERA: Daughter of the Gods and a gorgeous bronze beaded collar necklace suitable for a goddess (US delivery only)! (total value: $100)\u00c2\u00a0 <\/i>This show-stopping necklace is not for the faint at heart!\u00c2\u00a0 You will feel as lovely as a goddess.<\/p>\n

Just leave a comment below to have your name entered into the drawing…<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Necklace

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why do I write historical fiction? I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve always loved reading historical fiction, especially the gritty versions that illustrate human foibles.\u00c2\u00a0 The stories of women especially interested me, what their lives were like, their loves, their sexuality and their place in society.\u00c2\u00a0 Personally, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m especially drawn to a theme of perseverance and redemption\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwomen who faced adversity …<\/p>\n

Q & A with Historical Novelist J.A. Coffey and a Give Away<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[294,293,376,292],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ChristyEnglish.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2910"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ChristyEnglish.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ChristyEnglish.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ChristyEnglish.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ChristyEnglish.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2910"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"http:\/\/www.ChristyEnglish.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2929,"href":"http:\/\/www.ChristyEnglish.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2910\/revisions\/2929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ChristyEnglish.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ChristyEnglish.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ChristyEnglish.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}