HF Virtual Book Tours has another exciting virtual tour for you!
Author Nancy Bilyeau will be touring the blogosphere for the release of
her novel, THE CROWN, from January 5th through March 19th and to start
the festivities Passages to the Past is happy to bring you an interview
with the lovely Nancy Bilyeau and a giveaway of THE CROWN!
THE CROWN will be released on January 10th from Touchstone Publishing.
THE CROWN will be released on January 10th from Touchstone Publishing.
To follow THE CROWN Virtual Book Tour, please check out the tour schedule HERE. There are some fabulous blogs on the tour, you won't want to miss the fun!
And now, I bring you an interview with Nancy Bilyeau...
Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer? And did you always want to write historical fiction?
A: I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was eight years old. My third grade teacher liked a report I did after a field trip and wrote a little sign saying, “Have you heard of Nancy Bilyeau, the World Famous Writer?” and hung it on the wall. Teachers make such a huge difference.
I always liked reading historical fiction, and when I decided to try to write a novel I thought I would attempt a book that was part historical fiction and part mystery/thriller.
Q: Can you please tell us a bit about The Crown and the inspiration behind writing it?
A: I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was eight years old. My third grade teacher liked a report I did after a field trip and wrote a little sign saying, “Have you heard of Nancy Bilyeau, the World Famous Writer?” and hung it on the wall. Teachers make such a huge difference.
I always liked reading historical fiction, and when I decided to try to write a novel I thought I would attempt a book that was part historical fiction and part mystery/thriller.
Q: Can you please tell us a bit about The Crown and the inspiration behind writing it?
A: I wanted to tell an exciting story revolving around a female main character of that time but I didn’t want to write about a royal or a lady-in-waiting. I’ve always been intrigued by nuns. I thought of telling the story of a novice in a priory just when the monasteries were being toppled as Henry VIII tore the country away from Rome.
Q: What type of research did you undertake for the writing of The Crown?
A: I’d been reading nonfiction about the 16th century my whole life so I had a foundation to build on. I read a great many books about the Reformation and the Dissolution of the Monasteries and religious life—my bibliography has more than forty books. I contacted experts to help me, such as the curators of the Dartford Borough Museum, experts on the Tower of London and Malmesbury Abbey. I’ve been to Dartford and seen the remains of the stone wall of the priory, which was of course demolished during the Dissolution. It wasn’t easy to “create” the priory—to decide where the various buildings and gardens would be. I worked hard on that, and ended up with a rough model on my kitchen table, moving the characters around!
Q: What is your favorite part of the writing process? What do you find the most difficult?
A: I love it when the momentum is strong and I’m at my computer, the words flying from my fingers. At those moments, the characters are telling ME what they will do and say. Of course it’s not always like that—in fact, it’s often not like that. Writing is most difficult when you are sitting there knowing what you want a chapter to do but every sentence comes hard. I’ve learned at those times not to be too hard on myself but to get a first pass down and know that I can revise.
Q: What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
A: Workshop your writing, take classes. Listen to other people; you don’t have to change things but do listen. Show, don’t tell. Be sure the story contains surprises. And work hard on your query letter to agents.
Q: What are you working on next?
A: I just finished the sequel to “The Crown.” It’s called “The Chalice,” and it follows Joanna and most of the primary characters from the first book but I add a LOT of new ones. Joanna “encounters” Thomas Cromwell in “The Chalice.” She has a new quest, one more dangerous than that of the first book.
Q: If you could read any book again for the first time, what would it be and why?
A: Daphne du Maurier’s “Rebecca.” I just think it’s a masterpiece of psychological suspense. The twist near the end—why Rebecca sought death—is in a class all by itself. And every time I read it, I am more impressed by du Maurier’s use of first person perspective.
Q: What authors have inspired you?
A: Besides Daphne de Maurier, Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, A.S. Byatt, Edith Wharton, Henry James, Norah Lofts, P.D. James, Mary Renault, Kate Mosse, Katherine Neville, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Shirley Jackson, and George RR Martin.
About The Crown...
SYNOPSIS
An aristocratic young nun must find a
legendary crown in order to save her father—and preserve the Catholic
faith from Cromwell’s ruthless terror. The year is 1537...
Joanna Stafford, a Dominican nun, learns
that her favorite cousin has been condemned by Henry VIII to be burned
at the stake. Defying the sacred rule of enclosure, Joanna leaves the
priory to stand at her cousin’s side. Arrested for interfering with the
king’s justice, Joanna, along with her father, is sent to the Tower of
London.
The ruthless Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of
Winchester, takes terrifying steps to force Joanna to agree to spy for
him: to save her father’s life she must find an ancient relic—a crown so
powerful, it may hold the ability to end the Reformation. Accompanied
by two monks, Joanna returns home to Dartford Priory and searches in
secret for this long-lost piece of history worn by the Saxon King
Athelstan in 937 during the historic battle that first united Britain.
But Dartford Priory has become a
dangerous place, and when more than one dead body is uncovered, Joanna
departs with a sensitive young monk, Brother Edmund, to search elsewhere
for the legendary crown. From royal castles with tapestry-filled rooms
to Stonehenge to Malmesbury Abbey, the final resting place of King
Athelstan, Joanna and Brother Edmund must hurry to find the crown if
they want to keep Joanna’s father alive. At Malmesbury, secrets of the
crown are revealed that bring to light the fates of the Black Prince,
Richard the Lionhearted, and Katherine of Aragon’s first husband,
Arthur. The crown’s intensity and strength are beyond the earthly realm
and it must not fall into the wrong hands.
With Cromwell’s troops threatening to
shutter her priory, bright and bold Joanna must now decide who she can
trust with the secret of the crown so that she may save herself, her
family, and her sacred way of life. This provocative story melds
heart-stopping suspense with historical detail and brings to life the
poignant dramas of women and men at a fascinating and critical moment in
England’s past.
About Nancy Bilyeau
Nancy Bilyeau has worked on the staffs
of Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Good Housekeeping. Most
recently, she served as deputy editor at InStyle magazine. Her
screenplays have placed in several prominent industry competitions. Two
scripts reached the semi-finalist round of the Nicholl Fellowships of
the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Her screenplay "Loving
Marys" reached the finalist stage with Page International Screenwriting
Awards and Scriptapalooza. A native of the Midwest, she earned a
bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan. The Crown is her
first novel.
Some earlier milestones: In 1661, Nancy's ancestor, Pierre Billiou, emigrated from France to what was then New Amsterdam when he and his family sailed on the St. Jean de Baptiste to escape persecution for their Protestant beliefs. Pierre built the first stone house on Staten Island and is considered the borough's founder. His little white house is on the national register of historic homes and is still standing to this day.
Nancy lives in New York City with her husband and two children.
Some earlier milestones: In 1661, Nancy's ancestor, Pierre Billiou, emigrated from France to what was then New Amsterdam when he and his family sailed on the St. Jean de Baptiste to escape persecution for their Protestant beliefs. Pierre built the first stone house on Staten Island and is considered the borough's founder. His little white house is on the national register of historic homes and is still standing to this day.
Nancy lives in New York City with her husband and two children.
For more information, please visit Nancy Bilyeau's WEBSITE.
Giveaway Information
- To enter, please leave a comment below and include your email
address (only comments with email addresses will be entered in the
giveaway).
- Giveaway is open to US ONLY.
- For +5 additional
entries
become a follower of Passages
to the Past. If you are already a follower you will
automatically receive the bonus entries.
- For +3 additional
entries
join the Passages
to the Past FB Page.
- For +1
additional entry
each, please help spread the word by blogging,
posting on sidebar, tweeting or posting this giveaway on
Facebook. You can use the SHARE buttons
below.
-
Giveaway ends on January 15th.Good luck to you all and enjoy the tour!
Please enter me! I've been ogling this book for a long time--even the cover is absolutely gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI've been a follower of Passages to the Past for some time now.
thorntonstephanie at hotmail dot com
Thanks for a great interview and exciting giveaway!
ReplyDeleteCarolyn
rexmoy at gmail dot com.
I salute the author's decision to write about someone other than a royal personage or courtier. I'd love to read about a nun, and am glad she's planning a series.
ReplyDeleteGoogle follower - extra entries.
Thanks lcbrower40(at)gmail(dot)com
Another adventuress!!! And the cover...to die for. Congratulations, Nancy!
ReplyDeletedonna @ donnarussomorin.com
Great interview and wonderful offer. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAlready a follower.
valleau@suddenlink.net
This sounds like a good read!
ReplyDeletejenisareader@gmail.com
Thank you!
I am so excited about the release of this book! Great interview!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the entry!
wendysfictionaddiction(at)gmail(dot)com
+5 Follower via GFC
+3 FB page member
+1 Tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/FctionAddiction/status/154969194075660288
I am a follower already. Thanks for the giveaway and the reviews.
ReplyDeleteAlready a followr. Thanks for the giveaway and the reviews
ReplyDeleteFollower here and on FB - what a fascinating subject! Please enter me.
ReplyDeleteteabird17 atyahoodotcom
Thanks!
another historical novel I will not be able to resist! Thanks for the giveaway. I follow you here and on FB, and I just twittered this post.
ReplyDeleteEmma @ Words And Peace
oops I forgot my email address but you have it already:
ReplyDeleteehc16e at yahoo dot com
this is Emma @ Words And peace
great interview &giveaway.lomazowr@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI, too, LOVE the cover!! I really want to read the book knowing that you've been reading about the time period all your life - I'll bet the details are amazing! Thanks for the great interview and giveaway:)
ReplyDelete+5 and +3: Julie Witt
+1: http://twitter.com/#!/jwitt33/status/154999495552274432
jwitt33 at live dot com
Superb interview and truly fascinating book, which I would love to start reading right now.... !
ReplyDeleteAppreciate if I could be included in the give away opportunity.
Thanks!!!
Marianne
mariannegrem@yahoo.co.uk
This looks like a good read. The premise is interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win a copy!
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
GFC follower
ReplyDelete#1
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
GFC follower
ReplyDelete#2
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
GFC follower
ReplyDelete#3
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
GFC follower
ReplyDelete#4
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
GFC follower
ReplyDelete#5
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
I joined the Passages to the Past FB Page (Cheryl EntryAccount)
ReplyDelete#1
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
I joined the Passages to the Past FB Page (Cheryl EntryAccount)
ReplyDelete#2
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
I joined the Passages to the Past FB Page (Cheryl EntryAccount)
ReplyDelete#3
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
Shared this giveaway on Facebook
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=275295702524453&id=100003246849252
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
What a beautiful cover! Thanks for the great giveaway!
ReplyDelete+5 for being a follower
dsmom2001@hotmail.com
Thank you so much for your interest and kind comments. I am so excited! And I owe a great deal to the wonderful Amy Bruno.
ReplyDeleteI am on twitter as tudorscribe and every day I tweet about a different real person who appears in the pages of The Crown. My main character is fictional but I could not resist bringing in the fascinating people of the 16th century. Today I tweeted about the career and marriages of Thomas Howard, third duke of Norfolk. Tomorrow: the last five years in the life of Catherine of Aragon
How did I miss hearing about this one? I think this would be a very exciting book to read and I could learn a lot too. All I remember is from my high school history books so I would love to learn about this period.
ReplyDelete+5 Follower via GFC
+3 FB fan
+1 Tweeted:
http://t.co/CH0ppjLI
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
Please enter me in your contest. Thank you.
ReplyDelete+5 for being a follower
+3 for following on facebook
+1 posting contest on my blog
+1 twittering about contest
+1 facebooking about contest.
griperang at embarqmail dot com
http://griperangsbookmarks.blogspot.com
I keep hearing things about this one and I can't wait to read it. I'm a follower and at shoshanahinla@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThe story for this story sounds a bit more interesting than some of the historical fiction about this time period. I would like to be included.
ReplyDeleteseknobloch(at)gmail(dot)com
I follow with GFC.
ReplyDeleteseknobloch(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you for hosting this giveaway, just the kind of book my daughter would love.
ReplyDeletewfnren(at)aol(dot)com
This sounds really good!
ReplyDelete5678dancer(at)gmail(dot)com
I follow on Google Reader
What an intriguing concept! I cannot wait to read this book and winning it would be a plus. Thank you for sponsoring this giveaway.
ReplyDelete+5 - GFC follower/Email subscriber
+3 - Facebook fan
What an fascinating interview with Nancy. It sounds as though her intense love and background research of this period has truly made her an expert and I am so looking forward to reading "The Crown." I must add that her third grade teacher was so smart not only to recognize her talent at an early age, but also to promote it. The 16th century was such a tumultuous time in history and I cannot get enough of reading about it. Thanks for sharing this terrific interview.
ReplyDeleteWhat an intriguing novel. Thanks for this great giveaway. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteA captivating interview and interesting book. Thanks for this post. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeletePlease enter me in The Crown drawing, and thanks for a fine interview with Nancy!
ReplyDeleteI love historical fiction/quest/mystery novels. There are not enough of them out there and I was so happy to read this was part of a series.
ReplyDeletePlease enter me in the giveaway.
I am a GFC follower.
ashley.l.mikowski@gmail.com
Oh thats sounds like a awesome book,,,please enter me into the drawing,,I am already a follower and I have requested your fb page,,and I will be posting this on my blog,,thanks for having this,,
ReplyDeleteDevon
hanna_563@msn.com
www.devonstitching.blogspot.com
I'm thrilled to have found your blog. I love historical fiction. I am a new follower on your blog, Facebook & I have a link to your blog, on my blog site. Please enter me in The Crown drawing.Thank you. Great interview with Nancy.
ReplyDeletecmbbaer49@gmail.com
Thanks,
Colleen
Thank you to Devon for her link to your site.
Excellent interview. Sounds like the novel very well researched which is great. Unfortunately, historical fantasy isn't my cup of tea but I bet a lot of people will really enjoy it.
ReplyDeletethank you for the heads-up on The Crown!!!!
ReplyDelete+5 - already follower of blog
+3 - already liked FB page
+1 - shared on my FB wall: www.facebook.com/cyn209
thank you for the giveaway!!!
Good afternoon,
ReplyDeleteFirst visit to your blog. Very nice indeed. Awesome interview with the author. Please enter me into the drawing for The Crown.
Thank you,
Dorothy
dmorton001@indy.rr.com
I would love to be entered for the book giveaway. The book synopsis sounds incredible!
ReplyDeleteThe Crown has been on my TBR list for a while. I'm a follower and thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteRachelhwallen@gmail.com
GREAT interview -- I love Bilyeau's comments on writing and her interest in doing something different in hist fic (for which I'm deeply grateful!). I'm so looking forward to reading this -- and giddy to see a sequel is coming!
ReplyDeleteI have a sample on my kindle, and it is on my wish list at Amazon and, and...I would love to read this book!
ReplyDelete