JO BEVERLEY
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Is there any romance reader out there who has not heard of Jo Beverley or read her work? If so, then you don't know what you're missing! In my most humble opinion, Jo is one of historical romance's reigning Queens! She has quite a distinguished writing career and I'll let the intro to her webpage tell you just how distinguished:
"Arguably today's most skillful writer of intelligent historical romance ..." (Publisher's Weekly, May 1998) Jo Beverley is the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of nineteen historical romances. She holds four Rita awards, two Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times, and is a member of the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame for Regency romance. "... one of the great names of the romance genre." Romantic Times.
I was very lucky to stumble across Jo's work early in my career as a romance junkie. She was one of the wonderful writers who got me hooked with her wonderful medievals and the Georgian Malloren series. With the release of her latest book, SECRETS OF THE NIGHT, the fourth in the Malloren series, we asked if she would consent to give us an interview and she graciously agreed. I hope you enjoy meeting her as much as I did.
Maggie: Please tell us a bit about how you got your start in writing. When did you first decide that you wanted to be a fiction writer?
Jo: I wanted to be a fiction writer from quite a young age (perhaps 10), but didn't think it was something real people did. To me, it seemed like being a pop star or something. Of course now, perhaps my career is as unlikely as being a pop star, but when I started to really try to write (back in the early '80s), it didn't seem so scary.
Maggie: Did you choose the romance genre or did it choose you?
Jo: A bit of both, really. I chose to be a romance reader, because those are the stories I always loved, so it was a natural to write them. My other love is Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Maggie: How did it feel when you sold your first book?
Jo: Honestly, it was sort of, "About time!" It was wonderful, but I'd been feeling on the brink for so long that it was like being 10 months pregnant! But it was definitely a great feeling to know that people other than my critique group would read my work.
Maggie: Did you ever imagine that you'd become a best selling author?
Jo: No, I didn't, and that's why it wasn't scary. I didn't know anything about the business, and I think I still assumed that bestselling authors were in the impossible category, but I could perhaps write novels that a few people would read, and that would be very nice. I didn't even expect to make a living, which was as well, because I sold my first book to a house that does library hardcovers in small quantities.
Maggie: How many books did you finish before you got one published?
Jo: Four, I think.
Maggie: What was your first published book?
Jo: LORD WRAYBOURNE'S BETROTHED.
Maggie: Where do you get your inspiration and story ideas?
Jo: From everywhere. Writing can be an obsession, and suck up all our time, but it's important for a writer to expose herself to a lot of things such as books, movies, art, sports, friends, community, etc., because those are the ingredients that come together to make the magic. It doesn't have to be all of them. It could just be books, but variety. If we only read what we write, in the end it will become stale like breathing recirculated air.
Maggie: Can you tell us what constitutes your creative process? Does it differ from book to book?
Jo: Each book is different, yes, but there are some constants. One is that I don't want to know details about what's going to happen in the book. I don't plot them out. I have characters and a situation, and I start writing, but I discover more about everything as I go along. It's messy sometimes, but it's the way that seems to work for me.
Maggie: Are you disciplined in your writing - that is, do you keep to a planned schedule?
Jo: Planned is the wrong word. I enjoy writing, so unless I get sidetracked, it's not hard to do it. I work best if I go to it first thing in the morning, and then I'll usually work till lunch or later.
Maggie: To my knowledge, you have never written a contemporary novel. Why do you only write historicals? Have you ever considered writing a contemporary?
Jo: I have written two contemporaries, but they're not published. One is unpublishable - a practice book. The other could be, I think, but it's tricky because I don't really want to write any more, certainly at the moment. One problem with contemporaries is that I'm not sure where I am culturally. I'm English and Canadian. I've been away from England so long that I can't really write books set in the there and now, but I still don't feel Canadian enough to write from here. Writing from the States would be even harder.
Another problem is that I enjoy the fantasy element of the sort of historicals I write. A lot in them is based in reality, but the settings are the aristocracy, and at the center of great events, and the characters are often larger than life, too. That aspect of the modern world doesn't appeal to me, however.
A third problem is that all romance has a fantasy element in it, and it's part of the fun, but I find it harder to get into that in our real world. I find myself wanting to charge right into sensitive issues to do with equality and social justice, and I don't want to write preachy novels.
Maggie: How do you go about your research?
Jo: I start with general books, then work to the more specific. For historical fiction, we need to know a lot about how people lived and thought, and that's sometimes hard to find. I like to read as many primary materials as I can, such as letters, diaries, and literature of the time.
Maggie: Do you have a favorite among the books you've written? Are there any characters who are "closer to your heart" than others?
Jo: That's really hard to say. Nicholas Delaney of AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE is special to me because he's the first hero I ever created (even though that wasn't my first book). I have a special feeling for Jehanne in THE SHATTERED ROSE because she's a cool, competent, commanding woman, and it's a bit tiresome that women are supposed to always be "sugar and spice and all things nice." Then, of course, there's the Marquess of Rothgar, who most of the time doesn't feel like a character I created at all!
Maggie: The attitudes of many people toward the romance genre are quite condescending. What would you say, as an author (and, I assume, a reader) of romance novels, to those who belittle the genre?
Jo: Oh, don't get me started! VBG! To begin with, an astonishing number of these condescending people have never read a romance, or they read a couple, years ago. At the best, they are always judging from a small sample. It's surprisingly unsophisticated of them, because I'm sure they think of themselves as sophisticated people. So, the first thing I'd say to them is - go and read at least ten varied romances, and pick award winners of some kind, and then come back and we'll talk.
The second thing is, romance, like other forms of fiction, should be judged on its own merits. Yes, it is about people falling in love. Yes, it does have a happy ending. No, happy endings aren't fantasy. All around, people are meeting, courting, falling in love, having happy endings. There are even people, lots of them, who make it work for 20, 40, even 60 years. No, the books aren't all the same, any more than mysteries are all the same because they involve a crime that is solved.
Romance novels are about men and women falling in love and making it work, and this is a very interesting storyline for a lot of people, especially women, because this subject interests them. Also, of course, romance novels reinforce our belief that men and women can live together, work together, form lasting bonds that enhance their families and communities. That seems to be something that much of our culture attacks, especially literary fiction, which is usually horribly negative and cynical.
Maggie: What do you do when you are not writing?
Jo: Well, there's the research, then there's the admin that goes with running a small business, which is what we writers do. A lot of e-mail. In addition, of course I read. I enjoy my garden, though I don't spend nearly enough time there. I also like to dabble in a variety of crafts. It's a great way to put the brain into neutral, which is when it comes up with great ideas.
Maggie: Are there any plans to start reprinting some of your backlist?
Jo: Yes, at last! Zebra is bringing out the first three Rogues books again. These are AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE, AN UNWILLING BRIDE, and CHRISTMAS ANGEL. It won't be very speedy since they're coming out in December 1999, 2000, and 2001, but they are coming! Also, my current publisher will probably be reissuing my first three historicals, but I don't have details on that yet. They are: LORD OF MY HEART, MY LADY NOTORIOUS, and DARK CHAMPION.
Maggie: What changes have you seen in romance publishing these days and what trends do you see for the future? For instance, aren't books getting shorter as they get more expensive? How do you see the mergers affecting the genre?
Jo: It's very hard to predict the future. I am worried about book prices. I think putting up the prices will be counterproductive in the long run. But I think electronic publishing is going to really change things. Not e-pub so much, since I don't think many people are going to read novels on their computers, but the electronic readers. That should bring cost per book down, and therefore should encourage more variety. Also, the print on demand technology is getting really good, and will soon mean that backlists will always be available. Authors have some concerns about this, but overall, it means our work will be there for readers.
Maggie: How has the internet affected your writing?
Jo: This is hard to say because it's probably subtle. But contact with readers, and with other authors, is very powerful.
Maggie: Has it brought you closer to your fans? Does it help or hinder you in any way?
Jo: There's definitely a lot of interaction with readers, which is wonderful, but I try to remember that it's still a small percentage of my total readership - perhaps 1%. It's a strange thought, really, that there are all those other people out there, buying and presumably enjoying my work, but I don't have a clue about them. I tend to assume they're much like the readers I hear from, but that could be an error.
Maggie: You have some pretty controversial sexual situations in your books. In FORBIDDEN, the virgin hero was raped by the heroine, and in SECRETS OF THE NIGHT, Brand becomes a "sex slave" with a married woman. Is this "pushing the envelope" deliberate or does it "just happen?"
Jo: It just happens, but I let it, which is a conscious decision. I also don't let some things happen. Everything is a decision, actually. In writing a book, at any moment there are infinite possibilities, and the author chooses. For example, the very first draft of Brand's book had Rosa actually drugging and kidnapping him, and it was very tense and hostile. I didn't like where it was going at all, and tossed it to start again.
Maggie: Rothgar is a fascinating character. Most characters in romance novels only appear in one or two books, but you've had four to develop his character. What's it like working with a character with such a history and how has that affected DEVILISH (due out in the year 2000)? Did it make it easier or harder?
Jo: Rothgar has been a wonderful gift to me. I've come to realize that the Malloren series will be five stories, but the overall arc will be Rothgar's story. If I'd thought of that to begin with, I think I'd have been scared off, or I'd have ruined it by trying too hard. It's just happened. Each story has taught him a new lesson, and in each story I've learned a little more about him.
It made DEVILISH easier to write in most ways, but it was scary to finally be doing it. I had to put aside all thoughts about the readers' expectations, and just write the story the way it wanted to be written.
Maggie: I see Rothgar as being quite a dark character. Is he your darkest hero? Do you even see him as dark? What's it going to take to get beneath that iron control of his?
Jo: I'm not sure I see him as dark. It depends how one wants to define that. He's enigmatic. Because of his past, he's very controlled and guarded. He's also dangerous to those he sees as evil or enemies. But he has a powerful sense of duty, and most of his energy is spent on service to his country and his family. As for what it takes, you'll have to wait and read the book. VBG!
I think my darkest character is probably FitzRoger in DARK CHAMPION. My most dangerous hero is Lucien in AN UNWILLING BRIDE.
Maggie: Please give us a peek into the future. Tell us what you can about DEVILISH, when it's coming out, etc., and what other upcoming works are in progress.
Jo: DEVILISH will be out in April 2000, and since my publisher will be on true dating by then, it really will be April. It's about Rothgar and Diana, of course, but I don't want to say more about it yet.
Before then, there are two novellas. "The Wise Virgin" will be in the Christmas anthology from Harlequin Historicals, called THE BRIDES OF CHRISTMAS. It's medieval, but unlike all my other books, I don't specify date or location. It's just not that sort of story. It's almost mythical, or like a fairy tale. Two families have a long-standing feud which is tied to a banner once carried into Jerusalem. One family, the de Graves, has it, and the other, the de Montelans, claims it. As a substitute, the de Montelans reenact the Christmas story every year, welcoming the Holy Family into their castle to show they are superior to everyone else. A lady of the family plays the part of the Blessed Virgin. However, the specified lady unfortunately isn't a virgin, so she persuades her cousin to play the part. Unfortunately again, the de Graves kidnap the Virgin, and find they've got the wrong one. Lord Edmund de Graves, known as the Golden Lion, and hero of song and story, doesn't quite know what to do with Joan of Hawes, who doesn't mind giving even him a piece of her mind.
The other novella is "Day Of Wrath" in a Berkley collection called STAR OF WONDER. This is a millennial collection wrapped around a myth about a jewel, touched by Christ in the manger, which brings special blessings to women at the turning of the centuries. My story is set in 999. The others are 1799, 1899, and 1999. In "Day Of Wrath," the Vikings are raiding Kent and many people think the world is going to end at the Winter Solstice, or Christmas, or at the end of December. Wulfhera of Froxton has entered a convent because the man she's always loved has married another, but with Christmas coming and panic raging, she flees home. There she finds her family in dissaray and Raefnoth, her beloved, in her home. What's worse, apparently his wife was raped and murdered by the Viking raider who seized his home, and only a burning need for vengeance is keeping him from suicidal despair. Hera's sister certainly was seized and violated by Torkil Ravenbringer, but Alfrida is hell bent on escaping to rejoin Torkil and make him her own. Hera certainly needs special blessings to sort this out so everyone can greet the new century in joy and happiness.
After all this? The next book probably won't be out until early 2001, and will be a Regency historical. I can't say any more about it yet.
Thank you so much, Jo, for spending time with us! I, for one, am "Waiting for Rothgar!" Best wishes for your upcoming releases, and we hope you'll come and visit us again soon!
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