Hi Nickie! I think this is the first time we've met so I'm looking forward to learning more about you and your work. I wish all the best with your ongoing tour - let's get started!
1)
Did you
set any goals for 2012?
I always try to set some goals. This year, I want to finish
another manuscript and as far as I can judge I’ll manage to get it done in a
couple of months.
2)
What is
the best part of the writing process for you?
Writing allows me to use my fantasy endlessly. It is ever so
nice to be allowed to create characters or situations and having them do what
YOU want – it’s a bit like playing to be God.
3)
The worst
part?
I don’t think there is anything bad about writing. I always feel
good when I’m busy. But I can’t stand people talking to me – I need absolute
quiet to be creative (which doesn’t mean the radio can’t be on, but it simply
doesn’t register as disturbing).
4)
What is
the book you wish you’d written?
Hard question. There are so many great books! But if I have to
make a choice, I’d go for a book that sold millions, like some authors I know
have managed.
5)
Favourite
author/s & book/s?
I read a wide variety of books and genres and again it’s hard to
give only one or two favourites.
In the romance genre, I like to read Karen Hawkins, Teresa
Medeiros, Kathryn Caskie, Mary Jo Putney, Grace Burrowes and Sabrina Jeffries.
In the detective/thriller genre I prefer Harlan Coben, Ann
Cleeves, Peter Robinson, Jeffery Deaver, Christopher Fowler, John Connolly,
Peter Doherty, Tami Hoag, Val McDermid and Richard Montanari.
In the adventure genre my favourites are Clive Cussler and Steve
Berry.
6)
Tell us
about your latest release?
The Gold Crucifix is a novel set in 17th century
England and begins during the Civil War. It then continues into the Restoration
and well into the reign of Charles II.
It tells the story of a young girl, who grows up in a village
inn, and is called Sarah Jennings. When her mother dies, she finds out Amos
Jennings is not her real father.
It unsettles her and even scares her. How is she ever going to
find that long lost father? She only has a name: Davenport – and a description
of his looks. In these circumstances, she meets Walter Carey, who is the heir
of Lord Linfield who used to have the mansion close to her village.
Walter takes an interest in the girl and later on offers her a
position into his household.
More problems arise when his younger brother Richard comes over
for a visit, and he assumes Sarah is Walter’s mistress…
To escape all of these troubles Sarah runs off to London where
in the course of time she becomes one of the first female actresses of the
Theatre Royal at Drury Lane – to much acclaim, even of King Charles…
7)
Tease us
with a blurb/short except
This is where Sarah first meets Richard:
It happened in the
last bend of the lane, just before the clearing where the lawns and flower-beds
of the manor became visible.
All at once Sarah
heard the thundering of a horse in full gallop, and before she could even jump
to safety, she was pushed off the road into the soft grass of the verge. She
was so stunned she did not hear the curse of the horseman and how he pulled his
mount to a standstill.
Slowly, she crawled
to an upright position and immediately noticed the pain in her right knee.
Neglecting the fact that her basket had fallen and its contents were shattered
over the path--some of them trodden on--she started to rub her knee fiercely.
Only then did she notice the man, who had turned his horse and who was now
throwing disdainful looks in her direction.
Suddenly, she
realized what danger she had barely escaped. This notion triggered a fit of
anger, which became so violent she turned hot and enflamed. Returning his
glances with eyes that shot fire, she snarled, "You fool! You could have
hurt me!"
The look in his eyes
remained cold, but the tone of his voice revealed a show of interest.
"In case you
shouldn't know, let me warn you that you find yourself on private
property," he said.
She refused to be
intimidated and was quick to answer. "So right you are. But I am the
housekeeper of the Grange…sir," and she put all her contempt into the
word, "and I have every right to be here. I was walking alongside the road
and you should have been more careful! The least you can do is offer your
apologies to me, and if you're a gentleman, you will help me pick up my
belongings."
8)
What is
your favourite attribute of the hero and heroine?
Sarah is a woman with a strong mind. I like woman who have a
mind of their own and don’t allow others to dictate them.
Richard is a typical male: full of himself, strong but
intelligent enough to realize his feelings also deserve consdideration.
9)
What’s
next?
The new project has the working title The Black Coach. The idea
for this more gothic novel comes from a short story I wrote some years ago. It
was about a black coach which rambles through Pickering village and is said to
be occupied by the Devil… So I wondered, where did the legend originate? What
I’m doing now is set the story two centuries earlier and the black coach indeed
plays an important role in the plot.
10)
Tell me
where you write?
I do my writing wherever I feel good – that can be at home
behind my desk, or even on the train, or at work (!).
11)
Where would
you like your career to be in 5 years?
I would be dishonest if I said it doesn’t matter. I’ve always
hoped to have a bestseller, sooner or later.
12)
Where can
we find you?
I have my own website, www.nickiefleming.com and I’m also present at Twitter and
Facebook. My Twitter account is
linked to my Facebook author page, and there’s a link to it on my site.
I also visit numerous writing forums, like Writing Forums and
Absolute Write.
The Gold Crucifix
by Nickie Fleming
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
England, mid seventeenth century. When young Sarah
finds out that innkeeper Amos Jennings is not her father, she feels uncertain
and scared. Her problems grow bigger when she starts a job as housekeeper and
gets involved with two men who both want her love: the earl of Linfield, and
his younger brother Richard. To escape these problems, Sarah takes off to
London to begin a new life as actress at His Majesty’s Theatre.
Richard cannot forget the young woman her met at his
brother’s. He is determined to find Sarah and make her his own--even his wife,
despite what his family thinks of it. But love never comes easy. Richard and
Sarah will have to face many a storm--even the Great Fire of London--before
they can become one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
As Hart had predicted the performance went smoothly. When Sarah appeared
on the stage, her armpits were wet with transpiration. Nevertheless she said
her first lines without the slightest hesitation and then became fully absorbed
with her role.
She not once looked into the auditorium and therefore was not aware of
the fact that most of the male audience was paying more attention to her than
to the actual play.
In the royal box the king and his brother were more attentive than
normal. Charles looked more than once at the leading actress, to his brother’s
amusement.
“I won’t pretend Shakespeare is my favorite playwright,” the king
whispered into James’s ear. “But this Ophelia… She’s a damned good actress and
a pretty wench as well. Is she a new acquisition?”
“I don’t know,” James answered.
“Her name is Sarah Davenport,” George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham,
interrupted. The duke was one of the gentlemen in the king’s suit. He also was
a frequent visitor of the theatre. “She is one of Hart’s new discoveries and he
thinks rather well of her.”
“Davenport? Interesting,” Charles commented
He kept silent for a while, completely forgetting the presence of the
others. His thoughts lingered away and a secretive smile curled his mouth.
Oh yes, this could become a special occasion indeed…
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
Nickie Fleming was born and raised in the historical
town of Dendermonde, Belgium – home of the legendary Horse Bayard.
She read English Literature at the University of
Ghent, and got her master’s degree in philology. Since then, she has been
working as a high school teacher.
Her interests besides reading and writing are
travelling, skiing in winter and enjoying fine food.
Links:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Nickie-Fleming/222668744458949
Thanks for being here, Nickie!! Great interview :)
Nickie will award two personally autographed print copies of her novel, The Haversham Legacy, to randomly drawn commenters during the tour (international contest).
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/06/virtual-book-tour-gold-crucifix-by.html
Comments?
Thanks for having me over, Rachel!
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting Nickie today.
ReplyDelete