Several weeks ago I saw author Alex Beecroft use the subject “work in progress Wednesday” on her blog. I like the concept of a regular update, so I’m going to give it a go.
This week, I’ll start with a meme.
What is the title of the book you’re currently working on?
Battle Scars I: Men of the Cross. Can you picture a medieval sword and a cross on the cover? I can!
Where did the idea come from for the book?
Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to know more facts behind my favorite television shows, movies, books and historical events. Star Trek (yes, Trek, not Wars) led me to learn more about space travel, astronauts, the moon, and planets. Visits to Williamsburg, Mt. Vernon, Monticello, and Revolutionary War battlefields, inspired my love and curiosity about the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Battle Scars came from my reading and research about Richard the Lionheart and the Third Crusade after I saw the BBC television show Robin Hood (2006).
What genre does your book fall under?
Historical fiction/historical romance
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Kit Harington is Henry de Grey. Chris Hemsworth is Stephan l’Aigle.
What is a one-sentence synopsis of the book?
War, political intrigue, and passion… friends… heroes and lovers… and legends…
(I know, I know, that isn’t a synopsis or a logline but it captures the themes of Battle Scars. My book blurb is taking shape, too!)
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
About 9 months.
What other books would you compare this story to in your genre?
Sharon Kay Penman’s Lionheart. Sharon is a master storyteller who captures the essence of life in the Middle Ages in a brilliant telling of the politics, intrigue and people of the time.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I wanted to tell the crusaders journey to and from the Holy Land through the eyes of two knights who served King Richard.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
There are many Robin Hood legends. Some claim that Robin served King Richard during the Third Crusade. A number of novelists have pursued that aspect of Robin’s life, including the popular Outlaw Chronicles series by Angus Donald.
I’d indicated to my writers group that one of my secondary characters was a Robin-type character. They said, “Why not make him Robin Hood?” They encouraged me to do my own twist on the legend. In Battle Scars, readers will meet characters who, one day, will become “Merry Men.” They’ll watch how young men are shaped by the war and by the people around them and see the origins of the legend take shape…well, my version of it.
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