Frequently asked questions
Why did you decide to write about the Nesle sisters?
I stumbled across their story one night as I was trawling Wikipedia, and holy cow was I fascinated! I thought - this is such a crazy, insane story, why is it not part of our cultural lexicon in the way, say, Henry VIII and his 6 wives are? I was already pretty familiar with Louis XV and some of his more famous mistresses (the Marquise de Pompadour and the Comtesse du Barry) but I had never hear of the Nesle sisters. Their story really pulled me in, and researching (and writing) this book was such a dream.
Who is your favorite sister?
This is a toughie, as I love them all. Though I really enjoyed Pauline and her I-don't-give-a-*** attitude, I think I identify with Marie Anne the most, but not because I like torturing small fluffy animals!
What is your writing routine?
As someone who for many years worked in quite stressful, all-consuming jobs (think 10 hour days, working almost every weekend, traveling way too much), there is no greater treat on earth than not to have a schedule or not to have to get up at a certain time. Most days I get up when I feel like it (yay!) and usually spend 3-4 hours working; perhaps a few hours of writing and then, when I start to get tired (I find writing very draining) some research. Best time is definitely the first hour or so in the mornings when I'm fresh. After working for a few hours I go for a walk or chop vegetables, something mindless where I can mull over what I've just written and start refining words, sentences and ideas.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
The best piece of advice I ever read was to "write the book you'd want to read". For me, Sisters is that book - I LOVE it. During the writing process, I would prance around my living room and, if it had been a particularly good writing day, sing like a gweeb: "I love my book, I love my book!"
Completing a book is such a labor of love; it's got to come from the heart and not from some superficial, commercial place. And I've found that piece of advice comes in very helpful as reviews start to come in: Hey, not everyone might love it, but at least I do!
I stumbled across their story one night as I was trawling Wikipedia, and holy cow was I fascinated! I thought - this is such a crazy, insane story, why is it not part of our cultural lexicon in the way, say, Henry VIII and his 6 wives are? I was already pretty familiar with Louis XV and some of his more famous mistresses (the Marquise de Pompadour and the Comtesse du Barry) but I had never hear of the Nesle sisters. Their story really pulled me in, and researching (and writing) this book was such a dream.
Who is your favorite sister?
This is a toughie, as I love them all. Though I really enjoyed Pauline and her I-don't-give-a-*** attitude, I think I identify with Marie Anne the most, but not because I like torturing small fluffy animals!
What is your writing routine?
As someone who for many years worked in quite stressful, all-consuming jobs (think 10 hour days, working almost every weekend, traveling way too much), there is no greater treat on earth than not to have a schedule or not to have to get up at a certain time. Most days I get up when I feel like it (yay!) and usually spend 3-4 hours working; perhaps a few hours of writing and then, when I start to get tired (I find writing very draining) some research. Best time is definitely the first hour or so in the mornings when I'm fresh. After working for a few hours I go for a walk or chop vegetables, something mindless where I can mull over what I've just written and start refining words, sentences and ideas.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
The best piece of advice I ever read was to "write the book you'd want to read". For me, Sisters is that book - I LOVE it. During the writing process, I would prance around my living room and, if it had been a particularly good writing day, sing like a gweeb: "I love my book, I love my book!"
Completing a book is such a labor of love; it's got to come from the heart and not from some superficial, commercial place. And I've found that piece of advice comes in very helpful as reviews start to come in: Hey, not everyone might love it, but at least I do!