Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Favorite Author and My Guest Today: JUDITH E. FRENCH!

Today I am pleased to have as my guest Judith E. French, winner of the 1999 Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, and the author of more than fifty novels. Her novels, known for strong heroines and authentic research, have sold worldwide.

Judith has been writing professionally since she was seventeen. A country girl and an acknowledged tomboy, Judith grew up on a farm, with loving parents and grandparents. She had a Tom Sawyer childhood, full of ponies, fireflies, and puppies. Books were always a passion of hers, and her fondest memories include afternoons spent reading or listening to her granddad tell ghost stories.

Judith lives with her husband and two spoiled dogs in a restored 18th Century farmhouse on the Delaware-Maryland border that has been in her family since a female ancestor received the land grant from William Penn. Judith is descended from early Chesapeake Bay settlers and Lenape Indians. She has a strong family heritage of oral story telling, a tradition continued in the success of her oldest daughter, bestselling novelist Colleen Faulkner. Two of Judith's grandchildren are aspiring novelists.

Note: Judith has graciously agreed to gift the eBook of SCARLET RIBBONS to three lucky commenters, so be sure we have your email!

The American Revolution as a Setting for Historical Romances, by Judith E. French

I have always wondered why the American Revolution is considered a poor choice for historical writers. Why should Great Britain's wars be of greater interest to romance readers? And why has American history been told through men's eyes? What of the wives, sweethearts, mothers, daughters, and sisters who lived through those turbulent times? Why are their stories pushed to the far corners of the stage and often forgotten?

Maryland's Eastern Shore

My mother's family settled on the Eastern Shore of the hauntingly beautiful Chesapeake Bay Region of Maryland in the 1660's. As a child, I listened to stories of redcoats, smugglers, courageous and clever women, horse thieves, crafty clerics, and pirates. Those fascinating tales led me to a passion for history, and when I began to write seriously, I wanted to tell the true experiences of these unique women and the bold men that they loved.

In dusty libraries, in shaded graveyards, and from oral accounts, I learned that the area known as Delmarva--Delaware, Maryland, and the Eastern Counties of Virginia--was known as the Breadbasket of the Revolution. It was from these farms, these rivers, these forests and kitchen gardens that Washington's starving soldiers were kept alive during the terrible winter at Valley Forge. And when everyone believed the colonials struggle was lost, it was the wives, sisters, mothers, and daughters who made the sacrifice to produce and smuggle those vital supplies through the British lines.

Revolutionary War battle


In 1777, most men between the ages of 20 and 60 were away from their homes fighting for one side or another. Deserters from the Continentals and the British army roamed at will, robbing isolated farms. Ragged bands of rebel vigilantes and Tory raiders threatened the lives and possessions of loyal citizens and those who supported the young American nation alike. Women, children, and the elderly were often victims of the unrest and lawlessness, and Hessian mercenaries made little difference between Tories and rebel sympathizers when it came to seizing livestock, foodstuffs, slaves, or valuables. For the women left alone, it was a perilous time, as dangerous as the conditions of those refugees and civilians we witness in far parts of the world on the evening news.

Gen. Washington addresses his troops on the Delaware

I have to believe that the Delmarva women in 1777 were not much different than today's women. Most must have been frightened and opposed to the war. Some may have been loyal to England's monarch and the mother country, while others, whose husbands and sons had marched away to follow Washington, probably were ardent patriots. But I can't imagine that many of those women would have chosen to see war come to their quiet villages, farms, and plantations. Most women, whatever the color of their skin or origin, instinctively prefer compromise to violence. They want a secure peace to raise their children, operate their small shops, worship as they wish, and interact with friends and family without fear. Most women would not choose to have their homes, their communities, and their loved ones in danger of being lost. Few today or in the 18th century would wish to see their men at risk of injury, imprisonment, or death.

Original cover

In Scarlet Ribbons, I decided to tell the story of these women through the eyes of Sarah Turner, a young mother who operated a country tavern and ferry crossing. On Delmarva, such a woman would not have been unusual. Here, in Maryland, it was common for women to own their own businesses and manage their own affairs. In sharp contrast to the laws of New England or to England, Maryland women had rights. I gave my Sarah Turner a young child, and I gave her a rocky past. I thought that it would be logical that Sarah would be opposed to the rebellion and sought only to survive and provide for her son, something many readers can understand and sympathize with.
New Cover

Yet, I'd started with the idea of writing a romance between a practical, conservative woman and a brave, idealistic man who had joined the Revolution in an effort to create a new form of government, a man who would risk all for honor and a noble cause. My Sarah had never known romantic love, and she had reason to doubt and fear putting herself in a position where a man could have the power to hurt her or her child again. So what would make a sensible, intelligent woman like Sarah throw caution to the wind and take up Forrest Iron's cause? What would make ordinary women from every level of society defy the might of the British military? What or who would change Sarah from a pacifist to someone willing to share in the danger of the American fight for independence?

My task as a writer was to make Sarah's journey realistic and believable to readers while keeping the romance front and center. It is up to you to decide if I succeeded. But regardless of your opinion of Sarah and Forrest's love story, I hope that I've made you think about the sacrifices women like Sarah made so that we might enjoy the benefits of life in a free society today. And I hope that those of you who do like Scarlet Ribbons will go to your favorite e-books site and leave a review. Your opinion does influence the future of publishing and of historical romance in today's market.

Many thanks to Regan for inviting me to share a few thoughts with you today. Wishing you happy reading because readers really do have more fun!

21 comments:

  1. Judith, I don't know why the American Revolution isn't a more widely employed setting, either. I spent my childhood in Westchester County, NY, steeped in Revolutionary history. Oldest Catholic church in NY, oldest burial ground, and my first hometown, Bedford Village, was burned to the ground during the war by the British. The rebuilt town exiled all British loyalists after the war, with warnings of what would happen to any loyalists who remained.

    It's a time of high passions, political ideals, the meeting of old world and new, and opportunities for women to make a difference on both domestic and historical fronts.

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    1. Anna, I've always thought it amazing that Americans can go to Europe and appreciate the living history there while ignoring what's at our back door. I used to teach school, and I was shocked at how little our high school students understood about American's past. I think far too much attention is given to dry names and dates and too little to ordinary people's lives. So many of the young people who gave all for our freedom were so young.

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  2. Judith, your insight into ordinary people caught up in the American Revolution is simply marvelous!

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    1. Parris, Love your name. I used the name as a hero/villain in my
      Alexander the Great trilogy. He was male, but I am greatly in favor of names that are either male or female. Keeps them guessing. I had a new thrill yesterday, re the American Revolution. My mother was a Faulkner, and it is her family line that goes back to 1660 in Maryland. Anyway, on ancestry.com found a William Faulkner, a captain in the Continentals who was badly wounded on Dec 1, 1777, Research ahead to see if he's in my line, but most of the Faulkners are related. My grandfather, William H Faulkner was a "woodpile" cousin to that other Faulkner who was a famous writer. The Faulkners all are storytellers, but that particular Faulkner is in bad repute with my grandfather and great-grandfather, as Mississippi was known for slave holding and the Maryland Faulkners were anti-slavery during the Civil War. I know, I know, but farm people have long memories. My grandfather called him a "woodpile cousin" meaning second or third, close enough to claim kinship and far enough away not to be responsible for his behavior. Judith

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  3. I am so looking forward to reading this book! There really aren't many historical fiction books during the American Revolution. I'm an avid genealogist and always looking for new ancestors who were involved with the AR. To date I've been able to prove 11 of them but I'm always searching.

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    1. Kathy, stay tuned. There will be more and on my Best American Patriotic Romances list I will post later this month, there are 18 set in the Revolutionary War.

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    2. Regan, Thanks so much for posting the new cover for Scarlet Ribbons. I love it.

      Judith

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    3. Kathy, Hi! So nice of you to stop by. I love tracking down ancestors. You never know what you'll find when you turn over a mossy stone. I've found an Irish ancestor who left Galway Bay suddenly after a disagreement about a horse, a genuine pirate ( convicted and nearly hung), tribes of Indians, farmers, watermen, soldiers, and recently to my surprise--Quakers. Amazing grace. Best of all, I've found a whole line of strong women with real values. No royalty, no lords and ladies, but the Faulkners were once falconers to the English Conqueror. I like first hand accounts. You can't trust books and sometimes not even gravestones. Searching for ancestors is great fun. Judith

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  4. I have read (and loved) Scarlet Ribbons. In fact, I don't think there is a Judith French book that I haven't read. She has long been one of my favorite authors. I am so happy to read her spotlight and learn more about her. Thank you, Regan. Judith, you are a fabulous writer. Please, keep writing those swashbuckling tales that I love to read.

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    1. Donna, I consider that a great compliment coming from such a noted author. For those who might not know her, Donna Fasano is a best-selling and award-winning writer of contemporary romance. Thanks so much, Donna. I know you love to read historical romance. There are many to choose from here. So glad you stopped by.

      Judith

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    2. You are most welcome, Donna. I agree Judith's romances are all worthy reads!

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  5. I love historical romances by Judith E French. Ok . . . I may be prejudice because she's my mom and she taught me everything I know about writing and life. I've always loved Mom's historicals, though, because they're not just romances, they're filled with adventure, too.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Colleen! How fun to have Judith as your mom. I, too, love stories with adventure as well as love--it's the kind I strive to write!

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    2. Who would have believed that my daughter would become a writer? And one so talented! Colleen has over 80 novels in print, including suspense, historical romance, contemporaries, women's lit, and mystery. She also has been ghost writing for NYT Authors for years. Does it sound as if I'm proud of her? I am.

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  6. Oh my, Judith, am I ever glad to see this post! I could not agree more with your assessment of historicals being written mainly about European wars and through men's eyes. It is high time we had more historicals about our own history and written through the eyes of our women, no matter their heritage. I don't have the imagination and ideas to be a writer, but dearly love reading, especially of historical romances. I have visited the American historic sites on the Eastern coast twice in my lifetime, once while in Junior High on a trip, and a second time while married and living for a year in Philadelphia. I took so many photos I wore out our camera! And while I have loved reading Regency, Georgian, Medieval and Victorian romances for a long time, I just can't get enough of those written about early American history. There seem to be more of the historic Western romances than those having to do with the Revolutionary and Civil Wars and the times in-between. So it is glad I am to have discovered your books through Regan's blog posts! I thank you for your interview and the background about your Scarlet Ribbons. I can hardly wait to read this newest release of yours. jdh2690@gmail.com

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    1. Janice, So pleased to hear from you. Many thanks to Regan for giving up this opportunity. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a historic brick Georgian that remains in our family. As a child, my grandfather told so many wonderful stories about our past and the people who'd lived on Maryland's Eastern Shore. It wasn't until I was in high school that I realized that "the trouble with with the English" was the American Revolution, or that "the Brothers' War" was the Civil War. As an oral storyteller, my grandfather always told each tale as if it had happened yesterday and to him or/and his parents. I heard stories of Indians, pirates, Confederate soldiers who 'went to Texas' after the war, courageous women, and freed slaves or black free farmers. It was a treasure of colors, pictures, scents, sounds, and texture, and it was all mine. It had happened to my people, so it was important to me. Before he died in his late eighties, my grandfather asked me to make certain that my grandchildren knew the sacrifices that Americans made for us. He said that nothing is new under the sun, and if we remember past trials, we can solve new problems. I believe that he was right, and I've always tried to pass on the treasures he gave me. One problem is that real history isn't the same as what you may read in a history book in school. As a writer, I've always felt that I had to tell the truth. And if the stories didn't happen exactly that way . . . maybe they should have. Judith

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    2. You are most welcome, Judith! thanks for giving us a peek into your rich knowledge of the area and the period for your book!

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  7. Enjoyed your interview with author Judith E. French - just finished her Chesapeake Bay novel, in the Tawes Island series (1 of 2), Blood Kin, 2006 (Love Spell, DorchesterPub).
    Story pulled me right in from the first page, with strong memorable characters, and wove the real history of the area into the story lines - which is something I love. Learned a lot about this area of the country, and looked it up on the Internet for more photos and info. A story that takes me far away for virtual travels along with the suspense is a treasure.

    Would you kindly forward this email/note to Judith E. French? The contents may be useful to her if she later reprints Blood Kin.
    I am a keen reader and caught one small continuity issue in the novel near the beginning - a pork roast on p. 73 becomes a roast chicken on p. 76 in Emma's kitchen in the scene between Daniel and Bailey by themselves - so that took me out of the story for a minute as my mental "nose" adjusted to the savory scents and I looked back a few pages. Small detail, but the kind of thing that lets me suspend my reality and shadow the characters around while I'm reading.
    Looked up the second novel in the series published in 2007 and it looks like there won't be a third, so looking forward to tracking down that one from the library.
    = = =
    Here's a thought that came to me as the novel came to a close:
    Wonder if Judith might consider a short book of Emma's recipes from the first novel - as a closing to the series? I've seen a couple of other writers create character recipe books of the special food incorporated into their stories (if not put the recipes at the end of the novel in an appendix!), and/or publish their own recipes that are incorporated into their novels and they do well. The tactile scents and tastes of food in stories has a great part in making a novel feel "real" to me. In Judith's case, she could arranged recipes by the novel in which they appeared - that would be particularly fun for her long-time readers. Certainly a little history on Emma's chef background, mentioned in Blood Kin, could be expanded upon as just a tie-in to the first novel. Might be fun - though I expect that Judith French is plenty busy moving forward with other series, based on what she's published in the past 7 years since Blood Ties. Prolific!
    Thanks so much!
    ~andrea~

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    1. Andrea,
      I'll be happy to send along your comment to Judith should she not see it here. Thanks for being such an astute reader!

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    2. Andrea, So lovely to hear your comments. I'm so sorry about the roast. Honestly, I can't tell you if the mistake was mine or the copy editor's, so I'll gladly take the blame. It could have easily been me. In my grandmother's kitchen, no dinner (served in mid-day) was complete without an assortment of meats, vegetables, breads, pickles, pies, etc.. And when she stoked up the wood stove, she stuffed that oven with delicious dishes. I'm so pleased that you enjoyed the visit on Tawes. As you've probably discovered, I invented Tawes. I have so many friends and relatives in the area, that if I used a real island, my life wouldn't be safe. :) I agree that such mistakes pull the reader out of the story, and I regret any such errors. I believe that Blood Kin was read by no less than four editors, me, many times, my assistant: three times, and a trusted friend. But the truth is, mistakes slip through. Unfortunately, I no longer own the rights to Blood Kin and can't make the correction. The third book in the Blood Series is set in Ocean City, Maryland, still the Eastern Shore but with a different feeling. I loved writing the island books, and your suggestion about the cookbook is excellent. But I believe the time to have written it would have been after I finished Blood Kin. I continue to write in many genres. I promise that if I ever get Blood Kin back, I'll put that chicken on the back burner. As one reader to another, thank you so much for taking the time to contact me. Writing can be a lonely profession. I'd appreciate it if you'd review Blood Kin and Blood Ties and post the reviews on Amazon, B&N or other sites. It's such a help. Sincerely, Judith E French

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    3. Blood Kin, Blood Ties, Blood Sport, and At Risk were all contemporary suspense novels, not historical romance. And I warn readers, they were graphic in violence. As a writer, my first love has always been historicals, but I do write in other areas, including paranormal. My paranormals are contemporary but the series is set in Atlantis and has many of the same similarities as my historical romances. The paranormals are written as Katherine Irons. Sincerely, Judith E French

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