Author Interview-Victoria Lamb-Witchstruck

Today I'm interviewing Victoria Lamb about her new novel Witchstruck which is the debut of a new YA trilogy. When I asked her what was most fun about writing trilogies she said––"Not having to say goodbye to your characters at the end of each book. And having enough space to focus on a different aspect of your story in each novel..."
And here's a little tidbit you may not know both her parents were writers too. Read all about it below.

• ISBN-13: 9780373210978
• Publisher: Harlequin
• Publication date: 9/24/2013
• Series: Tudor Witch Trilogy Series
• Edition description: Original
• Pages: 320

 

Overview:
If she sink, she be no witch and shall be drowned. If she float, she be a witch and must be hanged.
Meg Lytton has always known she is different—that she bears a dark and powerful gift. But in 1554 England, in service at Woodstock Palace to the banished Tudor princess Elizabeth, it has never been more dangerous to practise witchcraft. 

Kirkus Review:
Meg's hang-fire romance is with the character most impossible for her, and the book's villain is over-the-top evil. Full of cliffhanger moments, impossible escapes, dastardly villainy and even a few chase scenes, the story has enough suspense and unrestrained emotion to satisfy romance fans and enough witchy activity for paranormal fans.

Victoria welcome to The Reading Frenzy

Thank you so much for having me here, Debbie!

Tell us all about your new novel Witchstruck.

Witchstruck follows the story of Meg Lytton, an English teen witch during the reign of Bloody Queen Mary, and her efforts to dodge the evil witchfinder, serve the imprisoned Princess Elizabeth, and not fall for the gorgeous Spanish novice Alejandro!

Witchstruck is the first in a new trilogy. What’s the most fun about writing trilogies?

Not having to say goodbye to your characters at the end of each book. And having enough space to focus on a different aspect of your story in each novel. Not just that, but the greater length of a series allows a writer to be truly inventive and creative, if they wish, as well as to find new and exciting ways to continue a theme – like forbidden love - over several books.

So what’s a nice historical romance writer doing in the historical paranormal/fantasy YA genre?

I’ll let you into a little secret. Yes, I also write historical fiction for adults, but I’m a born fantasy writer. My first love as a reader was children’s fantasy novels – we didn’t have the YA category when I was a teen – and later on I moved onto adult fantasy and sci-fi. History was always a big love of mine too, but my main obsessions have always revolved around fantasy and sci-fi.

History felt perhaps more ‘mainstream’ though, and I do see myself as a mainstream writer. So to combine historical fiction with fantasy felt utterly natural - and rather exciting. The Tudor Witch Trilogy has certainly been a very liberating cross-genre series to write.

The YA thing is not such a shocker though. The heroine of my first adult historical, The Queen’s Secret, is only fifteen. And I’m about fifteen in my head. So it all fits.

Victoria, not that you had a choice DNA wise, your mother being the famous Charlotte Lamb a novelist and your father a classical biographer, but what led you to fiction and especially historical fiction?

I wrote my first attempt at a novella when I was about 12 (about a time-travelling caveboy) and had great fun trying faithfully to describe modern objects – like cars and fries and televisions – through the eyes of a teen from caveman times. That was when I realised how much I loved the mechanics of telling stories. Unfortunately, I married young, and got busy raising a family, and although I wrote steadily throughout that time, I didn’t get any big breaks and it was several decades until I saw my first novel published.

I managed to publish some poetry though, so still thought of myself as a writer. Some of my poetry was ‘historical’ – I wrote poem sequences about the history of the Isle of Man, where I was raised, and about Warwick Castle, where I was a local Poet Laureate for a year. And I also translated Anglo-Saxon poetry into verse form. So it wasn’t too enormous a leap to start researching and writing historical fiction in my mid-forties. How did that come about? I was wandering around Kenilworth Castle, near where I lived, and it occurred to me that a novel about Elizabeth I’s legendary visit there in 1575 might make an exciting story. Luckily, my agent agreed!

Victoria what’s the hardest part of having parents who were writers?

Never being able to match my mother’s achievements is an issue. As Charlotte Lamb, she wrote over 150 novels – and since I didn’t start writing until I was in my forties, the chances of beating that figure are slim – and was also a global bestseller. My father worked on The Times before he became a biographer, which was useful as well as stressful, as it means my editing skills are pretty good. But there were downsides too. Try having a Fleet Street subeditor hanging over your homework without picking up a few grammatical rules!

Victoria what are you working on now?

I’m finishing the last book in my Tudor Witch Trilogy this autumn, called Witchrise, and when that’s finished I’ll be looking for a home for the epic YA fantasy series I’ve written with my husband, who’s a sci fi and fantasy editor. Wish us luck!

Victoria you mentioned on your website that you grew up on the Isle of Man surrounded by books.
What type of books do you enjoy as an adult?

I read a fair amount of Regency and contemporary romance, but also fantasy novels and increasingly sci-fi. Not all adult stuff either, but YA and children’s books too. I have fairly eclectic tastes and don’t differentiate between high and low-brow literature. I devour non-fiction at an alarming rate, especially books on languages and/or poetry. I usually have something in Latin on the go next to my bed too, as I dabble in the classics and might have been a linguist of sorts if I had not gone down the writing path.

Victoria, your writing involves more than being a novelist you’re also an award-winning poet.
How do you divide your time between poetry and fiction?

At the moment, I don’t. Which is very depressing. My commitments as a novelist have grown to such an extent over the past two years that I no longer find time to write new poems. I would like to publish a new collection though and am keeping my options open in case an interested publisher comes along. I have a loose translation of Gawain and the Green Knight that I pick at from time to time; that’s about half-done, but it’s a very long poem, several thousand lines. One day I hope to finish it!

Victoria thank you for taking the time to answer some questions. Will you be coming across the pond to celebrate the US release of Witchstruck?

Not in 2013, alas, due to a very tight writing schedule this autumn. But there’s a good chance I’ll get my feet wet next year and hopefully catch up with some US readers then. Maybe you!

Meanwhile though, if anyone wants to chat about Witchstruck, or ask questions about my writing, I’m always only a tweet away … Come say hi!

Thanks for the interview! Vx

Photo by Anna Rybacka

Connect with Victoria Website – Facebook - Twitter