Marie Laval
Hello all,
Please join me in welcoming Marie Laval to my blog. She is an author from England and her novel "Angel Heart" sounds quiet intriguing. I can't wait to read it.
Thank
you so much Zrinka for welcoming me on your blog today. I look forward to
telling you and your readers a little more about me and ‘Angel Heart’, my debut
historical romance which is now available at MuseitUp Publishing.
1) Can you tell us about your writing
environment?
I
wish I had a large study tucked away in a tower overlooking a park, with mist
curling around tree branches and rolling hills covered with dark, mysterious
forests in the distance. I would be happy even with a tiny basement room, as
long as it was my own space. The truth is that my desk is in my daughter’s
playroom. I write – or try to - among dolls, teddy bears, jigsaw puzzles and
plastic toys spread all over the carpet and to the sound of children singing,
shouting or arguing (more often than not, arguing).
2) You write historical fiction. How
much research do you carry out for your books?
I
enjoy research, sometimes a little too much. It is such an exciting part of the
writing process. You never quite know what gems you’re going to find and how
much they will alter your characters and storyline. I enjoy reading articles
and books, finding out facts and anecdotes, which often send me in a completely
new and unexpected direction. The internet is a wonderful research tool, although
you do have to be careful and sift through information carefully. Without it,
it would have been impossible for me to travel to France ,
Algeria or Malta to find the information I
needed for ‘Angel Heart’ and ‘The Lion’s Embrace.’
In
‘Angel Heart’ I have interwoven facts and fiction. For example most of what I
wrote about the ‘Société Angélique’ which existed in Lyon
from the Middle Ages onwards is based on facts, incredible as they may seem.
Its members, who over the centuries included well-known figures such as artist
Poussin and writers Rabelais and George Sand, really did believe they could
communicate with angels. I loved researching the legendary Count Saint-Germain,
a central figure in the novel even he only puts in an appearance at the end. I
also read about Napoleon and his return from exile in Elba ,
about key political figures of the time such as Joseph Fouché, and the
cuirassiers of course!
All
the locations, including the village
of Malleval and the stories about
bandits who lived there, and the chateau of Arginy in the Beaujolais
region, have been thoroughly researched. I had a great time writing ‘Angel
Heart’ and I hope readers enjoy it too!
3) What is your writing
process?
I
am definitely a ‘pantser’. I usually start with an idea about a character, with
an image, the line of a poem or even a song, and the story develops – or not –
from there. I was very fortunate with both ‘Angel Heart’ and my second
historical fiction, ‘The Lion’s Embrace’ (to be published by MuseitUp
Publishing in February 2013) because I always felt so connected with the
characters that I was happy for them to take the lead and decide the direction
the story would take.
4)
What is the best advice you ever received?
It
has to be something that my mother used to say. She was a very inspiring,
loving and incredibly brave woman, and I miss her terribly. The best advice she
ever told me and my sisters was ‘To get what you want you have to stop moaning
and take the bull by the horns’!
At
times, it seemed that I would never get published. Many people around me
advised me to give up and consider my writing purely ‘as a hobby’ to avoid the
constant disappointment of rejection letters. It took me two years between the
day when I first submitted ‘Angel Heart’ to publishers and agents, and its
publication by MuseitUp Publishing.
Imagine
what I would have missed if I had given up!
About Marie Laval
Originally from Lyon in France ,
Marie Laval studied French History and Law at university there. Marie now lives
in Lancashire, in Northern England , where she
tries to balance her busy family life with her passion for writing and her
occupation as a teacher.
ANGEL HEART is Marie Laval’s first novel.
You can find Marie Laval at http://marielaval.blogspot.co.uk/
‘Angel Heart’ is available at https://museituppublishing.com/
and Amazon Kindle Store at http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/reader/B009YJT194/ref=sib_dp_kd#reader-link
Blurb
Marie-Ange, the young widow of an English officer, accepts an
inheritance in France
only to find that everything in Beauregard is not as it seems. Why is the
sinister Malleval so obsessed with her family? And could her darling
Christopher still be alive? Marie-Ange finds herself trapped in a dangerous web
of lies, intrigue, and mystical possession, and the only person to whom she can
turn for help is Capitaine Hugo Saintclair. Yet the enigmatic Hugo represents a
danger of a different kind …
Angel Heart is a lavish mix of romance, adventure, and a
hint of the supernatural, largely set in France
against the turbulent background of Napoleon’s return from Elba .
Mini-excerpt
The
cutter was sailing too close to the cliffs, heading straight for the Devil's
Tooth. Marie-Ange's cloak billowed in the blustery wind, the hood blew back and
her hair swirled like a golden veil around her. From the cliff top, she watched
the small French ship dancing wildly on the waves, its tricolour and white
ensigns flapping at the top of the mast.
If it carried on its course the ship would be ripped open by the reef…
She unfastened her cloak, pulled her black shawl from her shoulders, and waved
it above her head in the direction of the Devil's Tooth.
Damn this ship. Damn this weather. And
damn Malleval.
Hugo Saintclair clapped his hands together a few times and blew on them to keep
them warm. Around him, the crew shouted orders and heaved on ropes in order to
switch sails and change course before they hit the rocks. The Angel warned them, the sailors said,
heaven was on their side. Shaking his head with impatience, he listened to their
nonsensical chatter. Angels didn't exist, but the woman who waved at them from
the cliff top had saved them from a certain death.
Thank
you very much Zrinka for your kind welcome on your blog. I look forward to
reading comments and answering any questions readers might have. I will forward
a free pdf copy of ‘Angel Heart’ to a visitor selected at random (so please
leave an email address!).
Thank you Zrinca for welcoming me on your blog today. I look forward to reading comments and answering questions about 'Angel Heart' or anything else! There will be a free pdf copy of the book for a randomly selected visitor who leaves their contact details.
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