Blog Tour: Victoria Rebels by Carolyn Meyer (Interview + Giveaway)

Victoria Rebels Blog Tour is hosted by Mod Podge Blog Tours.

Today Carolyn Meyers is here at GGB to talk about her newest book, Victoria Rebels. See her interview below, as well as an awesome giveaway!

1) What draws you to the person of Queen Victoria?

When the idea was first suggested (I asked my fans for suggestions, and Victoria got the most votes) I confess that I was less than excited. I had in mind the image of the queen as an elderly and rather sour looking woman and all those stories of Victorian primness. I had no idea when I first began that she would turn out to be such a lively and interesting character. The more I read about her, and the more I read of her diaries, the more intrigued I became. 

2) Tell us a little bit about the research you did for Victoria Rebels.

I began with a quick look at Wikipedia to get her years and her relatives straightened out in my mind. Then I read several biographies, especially those dealing with her early life, since that was to be my focus. Her diaries, kept from the time she was thirteen until the end of her life—even the heavily edited version—were a gold mine. Once I’d figured out the basic story I wanted to tell, I could begin to add the details that are so much fun—what she ate, what she wore, how she danced....

3) How would you say Victoria’s various relationships shaped her?

There were a number of crucial relationships: her mother, who was overprotective and extremely critical of her; her governess, who gave her the emotional support and acceptance she needed; her mother’s advisor, John Conroy, whose overweening ambition kept her isolated and lonely. Beyond this tight inner circle were a number of other players: her older half-sister who was sent away; her uncle Leopold, who supported her but lived too far away to help her; the king who battled with her mother, without success. Not until she became queen was she able to exercise her own will, and she made mistakes in the process.

4) What was the hardest aspect of writing Victoria Rebels- or historical fiction in general?

I always struggle to burrow into the emotions of my character, whether it’s Victoria or Cleopatra or Marie-Antoinette, and then to find a way to reveal those emotions through the voice of the character. History supplies the basic facts, but the feelings are up to me to determine.

5) What message do you want your book to convey?

I hope that readers will discover, as I did, what an interesting and complex young woman Victoria was as she embarked on her difficult role as queen.

6) Can you tell us about what you’re currently working on?

Beauty’s Daughter: The Story of Hermione and Helen of Troy is currently in production, with publication scheduled for fall 2013. Meanwhile, I’m reading and thinking and talking to myself a lot about what I want to do next.

Thanks for chatting with us, Carolyn!

Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of two of Carolyn’s books!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget to check out the rest of the stops on the tour:

 

18th Guest blog @ Inside the Mind of a Bibliophile

19th Interview @ WhoRu Blog

20th Interview @ The Reader's Antidote

21st Guest Blog @ Fantasy's Ink

22nd Character Interview with John Conroy @ Pages From My Thoughts

25th Guest Blog @ Bibliophilia, Please!

26th Guest Blog @ Books Beside My Bed

27th Top Ten: The Victorian Age @ Moosubi Reads

28th Interview @ Beauty But A Funny Girl

1st Character Interview with Fidi @ Bookcase to Heaven

4th Interview @ Gobs and Gobs of Books

5th Guest Blog @ A Dream Within A Dream

6th Character Interview With Prince Albert @ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

7th Guest Blog @ Stiletto Storytime

8th Interview @ Emily's Crammed Bookshelf

11th Interview @ Movies In My Head

12th Top Ten: Victoria's Favorites @ Curling Up With A Good Book

13th Character Interview With Victoria @ The Mod Podge Bookshelf