Part 1 - The Nitty Gritty!
Q - You portray France and French attitudes very well in The Chapel in the Woods, have you lived
in France and if so, where. What did you like and dislike about it?
A - I lived in
France for seven years and I spent three of them in a remote village on the
edge of the Marchenoir forest near Beaugency.
I loved French country living and the way the French celebrate food;
every meal is a ritual carefully prepared for its savour and texture. A Frenchman describing a meal is animated
with such emotion that it could be likened to a piece of theatre. In the
countryside their relationship with food starts at source, either growing or
gathering their food wild and then conserving and storing it and really
capitalising on their surroundings. The
only thing I didn’t like was being so far away from my family – but you can’t
have everything!
Q - What made you write this particular story? It’s very complex – 3
time periods , woven together exceptionally well.
A - In the woods
near my home was a derelict chapel in a clearing of sumptuous grass. Next to the chapel were a natural pond and a
cherry tree that dipped its branches beneath the lily pads. On a walk I wondered why the chapel was built
there and why it was subsequently abandoned.
I asked about it in the village and I was told of a rumour that an
English priest had hidden in the woods when he had escaped from strife in
England. I immediately thought of Thomas
Beckett and his flight from Henry II. Of
course, this rumour is not substantiated but it sowed the seed for The Chapel
in the Woods and I began to wonder who else may have used these woods through
the centuries and my character Hélène Godard, SOE Agent was created. Every part of our world has witnessed thousands
of years of activity well before we existed and I find myself fascinated by
what may have gone before.
Q - The way you described the village and the French was central to my
enjoyment of The Chapel in the Woods.
I know you are to start writing a new novel soon, will this also depict life in
a similar vein?
A - I’ve always been interested in the mechanism of community
and belonging; probably because I have travelled so much in my life and never
really stayed anywhere long enough to belong.
So, yes the new novel is based on a fictitious Cornish seaside village
with its characters and conflicts, habits, beliefs and rituals particular to
the region.
Q -
The Chapel in the Woods is your first novel. Have you written
anything else in the past? Short stories, etc.
A - I’ve been writing all my life but as an adult I have
written a radio play about a Cornish chimney sweep, a handful of short stories
and some poetry.
Q - How long did it take you to write The Chapel in the Woods and was
this on a part-time or full-time basis?
A -CITW was written
for the most part part-time over several years whilst bringing up children,
finishing off my degree and working, but if I put the time spent on it all
together it would have taken 18 months full-time.
Q - Who was your favourite character in The Chapel in the Woods? Why?
A - My favourite
character is Hélène; she is brave and level headed with a no-nonsense attitude
to life. Michaud comes a close second
with his gallantry and solid reliability.
Q - Are there any scenes that you cut? If so, why? Do you wish you had
left them in?
A - CITW has been
through many titles and many edits but every cut I made was the right one and I
don’t regret them.
Q - Did you always know what the ending was going to be? Or did you have
more than one possibility?
A - I didn’t know precisely what the ending would be though I
had several ideas. I decided to rely on
my characters who, as they developed, dictated the twisting and turning of the
plot in line with their hopes and fears.
It was the characters who wrote this story, not I!
Q - Was there any part of The Chapel in the Woods you found difficult to
write? If so, why? Which scenes did you enjoy writing most?
A - Yes, the
execution of Philippe Cottereau was very trying. I read a huge amount about the SOE including
their training manual. I learned the
very basics of the earliest codes used by the SOE to be able to put myself in
Hélène’s shoes to imagine the fear and pressure these brave men and women must
have been under transmitting from hiding places all over France and the courage
they must have had to take another person’s life for necessity.
Q - Can you tell us about your new work? Will it have one or more time
periods? Where is it set?
A - My new work covers
a single time period though it may dot around within that period as and when
information needs to be revealed. All I
can say at the moment is that it has a very Cornish flavour.
Q - When do you anticipate the new novel being ready?
A - I hope to
publish it in March 2013.
Q - Are you likely to write about France in future novels, or indeed any
other countries?
A - Yes, I have
several ideas for further novels set in France and one in Greece.
Q - If you weren’t an author, which other talent do you have/wish you
had and what would you like to do with it?
A - If I wasn’t an author, though I can’t ever imagine not
writing, I would love to try my hand at restoring old properties. I love old buildings and the historical
secrets they hold.
Q - What genres do you like to read, which are your favourite books and
which authors have influenced you?
A - I like to read
a range of genres though I’m not keen on science fiction. I love Joanne Harris and Sebastian Faulks but
my favourite book of all time has to be John Fowles: The Magus.
Part 2 - The Fun Stuff!
Rupert Penry Jones – yes or no? Yes to RPJ!
Which star sign are you? Are you typical of your sign? - Sagittarius. Yes, I think I am a typical one – stalwartly
loyal, adventurous and always land on my feet no matter how close to the wind I
sail.
Favourite French word? Pantoufles (slippers) which I
consider to be almost onomatopoeic for cosiness!
Favourite
French Meal – Langoustine and Crème Brulée win it every time for me.
Favourite place in France - Place des Vosges in Paris is my favourite place in
France; home of Victor Hugo, and lots of stylishly rustic antique shops and
cafés.
Favourite film - I like so many films it’s tricky but I would say
Midnight Cowboy, Amélie and A Good Year.
If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? My problem is that I have to live
in just one place. For me it would be
ideal to have a place in my hometown of Oxford, another in the Western French
Pyrenees and of course one in Cornwall.
Heroes
and heroines – literary and otherwise? Jean Paget
of Nevil Shute’s A Town like Alice is one of my heroines and for a hero I think
it would be Henry from Audrey Niffenegger’s Time Traveller’s Wife.
If you had a time machine,
which era would you go back to? I’d love to go back to the Victorian times to perfect
manners.
Who would you most like to
find seated next to you on a long-haul flight? Jean
Reno!
Describe
your ideal man - Tall, muscular, little round glasses,
an Arran cable knit jumper and an abounding sense of humour and imagination.
Well, thanks to Susan for those detailed answers. We look forward to her new novel and for now, if you fancy experiencing French village life, you can buy The Chapel in The Woods here:-
http://amzn.to/LtkixW (UK) & http://amzn.to/Qy2pfA (US & other .com)
Sounds like my kind of book - fun interview, well done for hosting it, Susan, and good luck with your next novel, Susan Loineau (did you do that on purpose, to confuse us readers?).
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it and I figured Susan Louineau was a good starting point, as she has an excellent name! I like to keep you all on your toes and don't worry about the typo - we all do it!! And we knew what you meant! Sooz
DeleteSorry, I meant Susan Louineau - how embarassing!
ReplyDelete