Romantic Novelists' Association Blog: Interview with Beth Elliott

Interview with Beth Elliott

Beth Elliott was already making up stories before she could read. Later, the only girl in a tiny Lancashire village, she read ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and so began a lifelong love of Jane Austen. Beth says that writing her own tales set in the Regency era is much more fun than her previous career of teaching modern languages. So tell us, Beth, what is it about the regency period that so excites you, and how do you set about your research? 

I was twelve when I first read Pride and Prejudice. It opened the door into a world I found entrancing, perhaps because there is still so much evidence of that period all around us. For research I read biographies, visit stately homes and museums, study pictures - and enjoy all the Austen films. I’ve paced out my characters’ journeys in Bath, Brighton and London and even in Istanbul! I love travelling and where I go, so do my characters. Tourism is not just a modern phenomenon. After reading about Byron’s travels in the eastern Mediterranean, I set my latest story in Constantinople.

Are you ever inspired to write about real people in your historicals?

I love doing that. It’s an exciting challenge to put real people in my stories and blend them in, while respecting what we know about them. The Prince Regent appears in The Rake’s Challenge; in fact, the heroine nearly poisons him. And Lady Hester Stanhope plays a vital role in the story I’ve just finished.

Much as you may love writing, what do you do when the going gets tough?

It’s essential to keep writing through these sticky patches and not put it off. The characters won’t leave me alone, anyway. Mostly, writing seems like going away on holiday with my characters. But when they dig their heels in I get so frustrated. After a brisk walk and a bit of bad language I write what I hope is the next scene - and sleep on it. In the wee small hours I wake up, knowing that it’s all wrong. So I try a different viewpoint or an alternative place or reason. One hero was left with his elegantly booted foot on the fender for nearly three weeks until the way forward was suddenly obvious.

Tell us about your latest book, and what inspired you to write it.

THE RAKE’S CHALLENGE is set in Brighton in summer 1814. The idea for the story began when I saw a magazine advert for a costly leather jacket. The model’s pose was so arrogant, I knew at once who he was. And at an open day at Chawton House, someone demonstrated the language of the fan, which gave me a plot idea. I also wanted to have a poisoning in the story, so why not make the victim the Prince Regent? My arrogant rake, bored with London, is on his way to Brighton when he is obliged to rescue a damsel in distress. But she’s one hell of a determined damsel and so for once he has to exert himself for another person - and she takes a lot of keeping out of trouble. It’s obvious where it’s going, but it’s the journey that makes it an enjoyable story.

Have you ever won or been short-listed in any competitions or awards, and do you think they help with a writer’s success?

My first story, THE WILD CARD, (which went through the NWS and was bought at once by Robert Hale), was shortlisted that year for the RNA Romance Prize. And the second one, IN ALL HONOUR, got into the final for the RedRosesforAuthors Christmas Award. I think it helps a lot for an author to be nominated and especially to win an award. It’s a big recommendation to the public and to publishers, as well as a huge boost to the writer’s morale.

So who is your favourite hero? 
Am I only allowed one? Apart from Mr Darcy and John Ridd, it’s Rupert Carsington in Mr Impossible. Tall, strong, too handsome for anyone’s good, irresistibly attractive, practical and always fights fair.

What was your favourite book as a child? 

The Hills of Varna by Geoffrey Trease. It was set in about 1510, and had a marvellous there and back quest across Europe, with a bold, brave heroine. No wonder I love travel and languages.

I loved Geoffrey Trease too. He wrote such exciting stories. Apart from writing, of which accomplishment are you most proud? 

My metallic bead embroidery, because I love all the sparkle and the gold thread. Each piece takes months to do and I make it all up as I go along. Here’s one called ‘East-West’.

Which authors do you choose to read for pleasure?
Loretta Chase, she’s so witty; Mary Balogh; Roisin McAuley; Wilkie Collins; Jane Austen, I can always find something new in there.

Lastly, if you could escape somewhere, to write, where would it be?

Ax-les-Thermes in the foothills of the Pyrenees would be a good place. Beautiful scenery, walking through history, local cuisine - plus the spa when needed. And the chateau which features in my new novel- Scandalous Lady - is close by. 

 

Thank you so much for sharing your pleasures in writing with us today, Beth. I’ve so enjoyed talking with you, and wish you every success for the future.

To hear more about Beth’s books, you can find her here:

https://www.regencytales.co.uk/

https://regencytales.blogspot.com/

Jane Austen's House at Chawton

Today I paid another visit to Jane Austen's home in Chawton. The village is situated well away from the main road and still has a peaceful old world atmosphere. The road leading to Jane's cottage has not changed much since her time. This row of thatched cottages defines the length and curve of the road.

It was sunny and in all the gardens plants are stretching out green shoots at a miraculous rate. In Jane's garden daffodils and violets are in flower and there is the promise of a fine display of bluebells in another month. New since my last visit is the flowerbed of dye plants. It has ten sections, so ten different plants from which to make dyes for brightening up clothes and ribbons.    

Close to the outbuildings at the back of the house, is a bed of medicinal plants. Looking at these, I respect their virtues but feel a slight shiver at a world without modern medicine. There are also herbs such as rosemary and lavender with their many uses and a very old fig tree.

The various outbuildings served in essential jobs and for storage. The open door leads to the Bakehouse, with its wide chimney and brick oven. It also contains a large copper where clothes and household linen could be washed. The well is right by the door. There is an underground storage room, which would be cool and so provisions like salted pork could be kept there through the winter. [Pork was only eaten when there was an 'r' in the month.]

Coming round the side of the house, there is the main kitchen, a large and airy room, although perhaps when meat was roasting on a turning spit over the open fire the air in there was smoky and little sputters of hot fat made working difficult. This photo was taken on a previous visit, hence the roses.

     In the main kitchen

Inside the main house the rooms are large and the furniture is elegant, although there is only one padded seat - the sofa. The pianoforte is smaller than a modern piano but how essential it was for entertainment. It is easy to imagine the daily life of the family with its household duties. During the evenings as they sat in the drawing room, one of them would read and the others would sew.
The little table on which Jane is supposed to have written her novels, stands by the window in the dining room. It is battered and shabby, yet it is the most respected item in the house, everyone marvelling at it and then at Jane herself, whose existence was constantly bound up in her large family and the daily duties of domestic life, yet her perception of human nature is so profound that the stories she created are loved and admired across the world. That is evident from a glance through the Visitors' Book at Chawton Cottage.

And now, to round off my day, I shall select one of her novels to reread....

Antoine-Ignace Melling

Antoine Ignace (Anton Ignaz) Melling was born in Karlsruhe in 1763. He studied Architecture and Mathematics at Klagenfurt. At the age of 19, he went to Italy, Egypt, and finally Constantinople as a member of the Russian Ambassador's retinue with the aim of drawing pictures for various dignitaries. He was introduced to princess Hatice Sultan, sister and confidant of the Ottoman Sultan Selim III.
At Hatice Sultan's suggestion, Melling was employed as Imperial Architect by Selim III. In 1795 the princess commissioned Melling to design a labyrinth for her palace at Ortaköy in the style of the Danish ambassador Baron Hübsch's garden. Delighted with the result, she asked Melling to redecorate the palace interior, and subsequently, a completely new neoclassical palace at Defterdarburnu. He also designed clothes and jewellery for her.

Melling Pasha's eighteen years as Imperial Architect gave him a privileged opportunity to observe the Ottoman Court. He became more familiar with the Ottoman palace than any Western artist since Gentile Bellini. He made many detailed drawings of the Sultan's palaces, Ottoman society, and vedute of Constantinople and its environs.

The Versatile Blogger Award

                            

My thanks to Suzie Tullett, who nominated my Blog for this Award. But the first condition is to reveal seven random facts about myself.   *gasp*  Can I admit to all this?

1 As a small child I used to fill my pockets with butterflies, grasshoppers, any insect I came across.

2 I love slipping out for a walk in the dark - it feels more private.

3 Once I walked into a restaurant and an unknown length of time later realised I was still standing in the doorway, open mouthed, feasting my eyes on the most attractive profile I had seen in years...it was Alan Rickman. [have used that experience in a novel]

4 I adore Freddie Mercury's songs. To me they're like silk and velvet.

5 My hobby is metallic embroidery. That means stitching down lots and lots of gold thread, pearls, beads and sequins to make a picture. I like it to shimmer, gleam, shine and sparkle.

6 When I'm writing a novel, I get to feel quite ill when the characters revolt against what I want them to do. And then it's so hard to say goodbye to them when there is no more to tell, that I have to arrange some outings to break away from their company.

7 I love flowers of all kinds but prefer to keep them growing in the garden, not cut them and bring them inside.

Now to nominate Blogs that I recommend for this Award.

http://www.margaretblake.co.uk/


http://the-writing-ladder.blogspot.com/


http://Ilovemybusylife.blogspot.com/  


http://vonniehughes.blogspot.com/

Interview with The Wild Rose Press

Growing up in a tiny Lancashire village where the only other children were two boys, I relied on books for companionship. Once I discovered Jane Austen's stories, I always had somewhere to go. It was fun to pretend I was one of the Bennet sisters in 'Pride and Prejudice'. I enjoy many different periods of history but find it easiest to visualize the Regency era and there are so many reminders of that time still in existence to help with accuracy. I visit the places I put in my novels, check on the time it takes to walk the distances, look at the fashions and the objects of daily life.

1 -When and why did you decide you wanted to be a published author?

Books were such a large part of my life as a child that I simply thought writing and reading were the things you did. I told stories to my little brother, and to my friends. At school I wrote long essays and edited the school magazine. A teaching career meant that life was always hectic. It seemed there would never be time to write novels. Then my husband became too ill to work, so to keep him busy I set him to write a quest story that we had been discussing for several years. Each evening I would read his efforts and edit. We laughed a lot over our characters and their adventures. Sadly, my husband died but over that year I had found time for writing in my day and I just kept going. I wrote 'The Wild Card' and sent it to the Romantic Novelists' Association for a critique. Following their advice I edited it, then sent it to Robert Hale, who took it at once. It was shortlisted for the RNA Romance Prize. Robert Hale has just published my fourth Regency tale, 'The Rake's Challenge'.

2 - What is the best and worst thing you have learned from an editor/agent?

When I sent out the quest story, one agent took the trouble to write a helpful rejection letter. She advised me to use more emotion so that my characters would sweep the reader along. It sounds so obvious but I needed that push not to be so buttoned up. Later, another agent warned me that stories must not be just publishable but marketable. She also advised me that Regencies don't sell well in the UK. I have a couple of ideas for stories in different time periods but they are on the back burner for now. I still have plenty of Regency adventures to write. My editors at Robert Hale are very helpful, but I had to learn 'house style'. I only ever argue over historical accuracy.

3 - Favourite authors?

I have been reading and rereading Jane Austen's novels since I was twelve. I always find something new in them. Wilkie Collins and George Eliot are also favourites. Georgette Heyer gave me the idea that the Regency period was elegant and full of adventure, so she has been a big inspiration. Then there's Loretta Chase and Nicola Cornick. And I must mention R D Blackmore and 'Lorna Doone'. Was there ever such a love story? *sigh*

4 - What is your typical day?

It starts when the cat pulls on the back door handle to call me because he's hungry. When Sir is fed I make a cup of tea and go back to bed to read what I wrote the night before. I add and alter and often get carried away by new ideas and rush down to the study to rewrite or develop something.
During the day I deal with general tasks, otherwise I'd disappear under a sea of papers and the hedge would reach the moon. I settle down to write in the evenings. What with background reading and checking details on the internet, it often gets to the wee small hours before I realise that the time has gone. Writing is like going away on holiday - and I don't want to come back.
I also travel a lot, which disrupts my writing, even though there is usually a research element to my journeys. For example, in July I visited a marvellous little palace in Istanbul; and in October I'll be hunting in the Pyrenees for a suitable castle for my hero's family home. They are both for the hero of my wip, an Ottoman Regency. It takes place in 1811 as that is when Lady Hester Stanhope was in Constantinople [Istanbul] and she plays a vital role in the story.

5 - Do you plan your books? Or write it as the dialogue/action comes to you?

Each story starts when I've collected enough faces and places. They come from all over, maybe an inflight magazine, a newspaper or a postcard from a museum. I spread the pictures out on the table and pair them off, adding friends, families and villains. Then I select homes for them all. The story sparks from something in one of those faces. Within an hour or so I'll have an outline plot. Over a few days it develops into a story and some episodes are vivid in my mind. I write this outline down as a guide - but it will only become a detailed plan when I know my characters better. It always seems to happen when I reach chapter 9. So the characters lead me along, really.

6 - What surprised you the most when you became published?

The thrill of holding my first book will remain with me always. Perhaps the greatest surprise was the amount of time and effort that is needed to publicise your books.

7 - Do you have a dedicated writing space? What does it look like?
We have a small study [my husband and I were modern languages teachers] with lots of bookshelves and a big desk that is crowded with papers and pots of pens. I work on a desktop computer. If inspiration fails I look up at the books, photos and pictures to get ideas moving again. To my right is the window, and just outside is a rambling rose bush - with thimble-sized pink flowers, which adds a romantic note. There is also an exercise bike that I use while reading bits of research or the pages I've just printed off.

8 - What’s next for you?

My wip is another Ottoman Regency, with more focus on the oriental way of life this time. My husband was Turkish [and a poet] and we lived in eastern Turkey for some years, so I have plenty of material for the background for my Ottoman stories. Robert Hale has just brought out a Kindle edition of my second story 'In All Honour'. It's exciting to join the ebook world. Then I want to write the next of my Byron books. My heroine in 'The Rake's Challenge' is a devoted Byron fan, like her three schoolfriends. I think they deserve a story as well.

Seductive Supper

In Scandalous Lady, the hero tries by many ways to persuade the heroine into agreeing with his plan. His first method is to woo her with an exotic feast. Chief among the tempting dishes is Circassian chicken.

Would it tempt you? [ but go easy on the red pepper to start with !]

                                       Circassian Chicken /  Cerkez Tavugu

[Chicken with walnut sauce]

Chicken                            1 medium size [1 - 1 1/2 kg ]
Walnuts (halves)                3 cups
Bread (stale)                     5 thin slices
Garlic                                4 cloves
Salt                                   2 teaspoons
Black pepper                    1 teaspoon
Chicken broth                   2 ½ cups
Olive oil                            2 teaspoons
Red pepper                       ½ teaspoon

Instructions for 6 servings

Simmer chicken in water for 35 minutes or until tender; drain. Reserve broth. Bone chicken. Remove skin.
Cut or tear into 5-6 cm (2-2 ½ inch) long and 1-1 ½ cm (1/2-3/4 inch) thick strips.
Arrange in a serving dish. Set aside.

Combine walnuts, bread slices (soaked and squeezed dry) and garlic; mix well.
Place into blender or a food processor. Process until well blended. Add salt, black pepper and chicken broth gradually blending thoroughly until it gets medium white sauce consistency.
Pour over chicken. Heat the oil and stir in red pepper. Remove from heat and sprinkle over walnut sauce.

Serve at room temperature.

The Magnificent Century

A Turkish soap, showing the main events of the reign of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent and his red-haired wife, Hurrem.

It was traditional for all the sons of the Ottoman royal family to learn a practical trade. Suleyman was a goldsmith. In the soap he designs beautiful jewellery for the ladies of his family. Hurrem's emerald and diamond ring has become a best selling item all over Turkey, from genuine jewels in an expensive jewellery boutique to a cheaper version on a market stall.

Hurrem's emerald ring

Prince Mustafa - also with splendid jewels on his turban.