RomanceEverAfter

Romance Authors Corner

Blythe Gifford

Blythe loves to hear from her readers.  Make sure and stop by and visit her site at  www.blythegifford.com

Photo by Jennifer Girard

What do you find romantic?

While I love champagne and moonlight as much as the next woman, I think the most romantic moments are so personal to the two people involved that they would be way too intricate to explain to anyone else. That said, I'm a sucker for anything that shows that the hero has taken on the heroine's dreams as his own. And vice versa.

I think deep love between two people is as close as we get to heaven on this earth. It's an old story, but still a total mystery how men and women manage to find love together. Each time, it is as unique as the two people involved. How could that fail to be fascinating?

There are many, of course, but one that is unique to historicals is to find that knife edge balance between authentic and accessible. I try to find an emotional truth that also rings true for the period. I love history and I hope to inspire my readers to learn more about it, but I have to be ruthless and include only what is emotionally significant to my characters and the little details that make their world real.

Have you always been interested in the Medieval period? What misconceptions do readers have, if any, about the Medieval period?

I've been interested in the 14th century, the period I write, since I was in eighth grade and read Katherine by Anya Seton. One misconception people have about the Middle Ages is that nothing changed for hundreds of years. Actually, the 14th century was full of change. Not only was there war and a plague, but they were in the midst of a building boom. One scene in THE KNAVE AND THE MAIDEN takes place in the Cathedral in Exeter. I discovered that it was only half built at the time of my story, which helped me create a much more vivid scene.

Explain the unique qualities that you wanted to incorporate into your hero and heroine in The Knave and the Maiden.

I began by wondering: How would it feel to live in the 14th century, when there was so much death? A plague had wiped out a third of the population. A war had gone on for a generation. It made my hero, a mercenary knight, very cynical. He's been betrayed by everything in his life except one man. I paired him with a heroine who would challenge everything he believes about his world. She's been raised in a convent and has the kind of faith that is perfect because it has never been challenged. While I hope their emotions are universal, they spring from a very specific age.

What recommendations would you give to a writer who wishes to pursue becoming a romance novelist?

Write every day and be sure you like the process itself. The work, showing up at the page, is the reality of being a writer. I can also say with conviction that without Romance Writers of America and what I learned there, I would not be published.  

I'd like to invite readers to visit my site, www.blythegifford.com. My fellow Golden Heart finalist and debut Harlequin Historicals author, already a sizzling Blaze and Temptation author, Joanne Rock, will publish her first historical, THE WEDDING KNIGHT, the month after THE KNAVE AND THE MAIDEN. To celebrate, we are running a joint contest, starting in December, to remind readers to start the New Year of 2004 with a KNAVE and a KNIGHT! The prize is a CD of beautiful medieval love music to inspire your own happy ending.