I have a very special treat to share with you today!! An interview with author of 10 Maisie Dobbs mystery novels and the brand new, stand-alone novel The Care and Management of Lies, JACQUELINE WINSPEAR!! Read what she had to say about the writing experience, her inspirations, and her brand new novel!!
Q: Maisie Dobbs is a strong, independent female character. Was
there someone in your life that inspired Maisie's character?
A: No,
there’s no one in my life that inspired the character – rather I wanted to
reflect the extraordinary generation of women in Britain who came of age in the
Great War. They were the first generation of women to go to war in modern times
in very significant numbers – and after the war so many had to forge a life
alone because so many men had been killed in the war. That generation blazed a trail, and have
inspired me since childhood.
Q: Your mystery novels are continually nominated for and winning
awards. What has the experience been like for you?
A: Very
rewarding you could say! Of course it’s
wonderful when your work is enjoyed by a very broad range of readers, however,
the fact is that you have to get up the next day and write, and as a writer I
want to stretch myself and ask how I can be a better writer.
Q: There are 10 Maisie Dobbs novels right now for readers to
enjoy. You've also said that Maisie will be returning in 2015. What drew you to
writing mysteries and what keeps you writing them?
A: When
I wrote MAISIE DOBBS I did not set out to write a mystery – I simply wrote a
story that was in my head. Many booksellers did not shelve the book in the
mystery section, instead putting it with historical and literary fiction – it
was more “cross genre” given the emphasis on the back story. Then it seemed there were more stories to
tell, but for me the focus is the main character and companion characters –
they are the true mystery.
Q: You have a new standalone novel, THE CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF
LIES, being published in about a month(from the time of the interview). What can readers look forward to in
this new book?
A: It’s
not a mystery and it’s not part of the series. Set in the opening months of the
Great War, it juxtaposes life at the battlefront with life at the home front.
Q: Some of the Maisie Dobbs novels and THE CARE AND MANAGEMENT
OF LIES are set in war time. Particularly, the First World War. What draws you
to write novels set in this time period?
A: In answer to
this question, here’s a excerpt from the “About” page on my website:
Jacqueline's grandfather was
severely wounded and shell-shocked at The Battle of the Somme in 1916, and it
was as she understood the extent of his suffering that, even in childhood,
Jacqueline became deeply interested in the "war to end all wars" and
its aftereffects. As an adult her interest deepened to the extent that, though
she did not set out to write a "war" novel, it came as no surprise
that this part of history formed the backdrop of Maisie Dobbs and other books in the series. The unique and engaging character of
Maisie Dobbs is very much a woman of her generation. She has come of age at a
time when women took on the toil of men and claimed independence that was
difficult to relinquish. It was a time when many women remained unmarried,
simply because a generation of men had gone to war and not come home.
"The war and its
aftermath provide fertile ground for a mystery. Such great social upheaval
allows for the strange and unusual to emerge and a time of intense emotions
can, to the writer of fiction, provide ample fodder for a compelling story,
especially one concerning criminal acts and issues of guilt and innocence.
After all, a generation is said to have lost its innocence in The Great War.
The mystery genre provides a wonderful vehicle for exploring such a time,"
explains Ms. Winspear.
Buy Maisie Dobbs on Amazon.com!
Buy The Care and Management of Lies on Amazon.com!
There you have it readers! The Writing Experience, Maisie Dobbs, and The Care and Management of Lies from Mrs. Jacqueline Winspear herself!
A special thanks to Mrs. Winspear for agreeing to do an interview with See Lizzie Read!
Keep checking See Lizzie Read here and on Facebook for more interviews, reviews, and more!!
Until Next Time,
Lizzie <3
