AUTHORS’ CORNER talks to best selling historical novelist Ann Victoria Roberts

Good morning Ann.  Welcome to Authors’ Corner.  You’ve been a successful novelist for many years now, tell us how you came to become a writer.

At the moment I’m completing a memoir, Life & Luck, which answers this question in full. But briefly, as a teenager I discovered a family diary written in 1916 by a young Australian soldier. I was so caught up by the detail – and the tragedy of his death a year later – I went home and immediately started my first attempt at research into WW1. I also started writing a story about him – all this while I should have been studying for exams! 

It was never finished, but twenty years later, when I was married with children and my husband was away at sea, I started writing and researching in earnest. My original idea was diverted by details of the soldier’s background, and it eventually became two novels – Louisa Elliott, his mother’s story set in 1890s York, and Liam’s Story, which takes up the Elliott saga in modern times, while the past comes to life through old photos, letters, and a diary…  A recent reviewer describes the book as, ‘a contemporary love story wrapped around an historical novel’ – such an apt phrase, I wish I’d thought of it!

What is it about writing historical fiction that you enjoy most?

History has always fascinated me – as a child I spent a lot of time in York, where history stands on every street corner, and even road-works become archaeological digs. My reading matter then was largely classic fiction, so you might say I was absorbing history without being aware of it. Nowadays I enjoy discovering what was going on in the world at the time, and how it might impact on my characters and the plot I’m constructing. I feel comfortable ‘in the past’, and my writing style is quite formal, so historical fiction suits me best.

I see that some of your characters are real people - the master of the Titanic for example.  Does that present any problems when you insert them into a work of fiction?

Well, you do need to be sure of your facts. Having started out with real people – my forebears – I found that facts form a skeleton, around which the novelist can build the flesh of possibility. But their lives – and the facts – must be respected. The public figures I’ve written about – Captain EJ Smith in The Master’s Tale, and Bram Stoker in Moon Rising – are fascinating people simply because not a great deal is known about them. Researching their lives was a lengthy process – but I like to think that in reconstructing real events in fiction – and interpreting their actions – I’ve cast a revealing light on them as human beings.

I notice on Facebook that you are republishing some of your books as ebooks.  How has this worked out?

My first two novels are now available as ebooks and will be in print again this year. As I’m now my own publisher, everything is down to me – and I must say it’s far harder work than simply being a writer! The ebooks are selling steadily, and making Liam’s Story free for a few days in January generated about 1500 downloads, mostly from the UK. The reviews are coming in now and I’m hoping that this will generate more purchases of the ebooks, and also the print books to follow. And of course my upcoming memoir, Life & Luck.

In the present climate, an author has to spend as much time marketing their books as writing them.  How do you feel about that?

Marketing is the bugbear! It takes up a lot of time and I’m aware that I’m not good at it. A traditional publisher employs at least half a dozen people to get a book into the marketplace – including editor, cover designer, publicity people, sales team, and marketing experts. And we indie writers/publishers are trying to do the whole lot ourselves!  I employ a cover designer and technical expert already – and feel I should consider employing a marketing person too. But I know nothing about marketing, so it’s impossible to judge quality v cost. Hence still doing it myself – badly!

Which marketing tool have you found the most useful for your books? 

Hard to say, Joan. After many years I’ve just started giving talks again – and I’m sure this is the way forward. It’s getting the word out there in a very personal way. 

Most useful so far, have been blogs on the website – https://www.annvictoriaroberts.co.uk  Currently I’m blogging extracts from Life & Luck, and some traveller’s tales which haven’t made it into the memoir. When the children were young, we spent a lot of time at sea with my husband, and these stories are proving popular. I promote them on Twitter and Facebook, and it’s a good way of interesting people in my writing, rather than just shouting, ‘Buy my Book!’ 

I use Linkedin too, although to be honest, Linkedin feels like a black hole to me. As does Goodreads – I find it a difficult site to navigate. As for joining ‘groups’, I’ve tried that on Linkedin, and am not sure how useful it is. I read and contribute when I have time. Much prefer Facebook to all the media groups – I find it sociable and entertaining. Whether it sells books is another matter!

I can agree with you there.  So where is the best place for readers to look for you?

You can find me on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/AnnVictoriaRoberts# 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ann_V_Roberts# 

So, tell me Ann, what are you working on now?

I’m completing Life & Luck, which I thought was ‘ready to go’ a month ago. But having sent it to reader friends for their responses, I find they want me to include a ‘bad luck’ episode to counterbalance the ‘good luck’ which came with the publication of my first two novels. That’s been a surprise – and a difficult one to address – but I’m including it anyway. Currently re-writing and looking for knock-on effects.


Once the memoir is on its way, I’ll be able to get back to the novel I started over a year ago. It’s an English Civil War novel, set during the Siege of York in 1644. A completely different period for me, so I hope it works out. 

Both books sound fascinating and we can't wait to get a chance to read them.  Thank you for taking the time to talk to us, Ann and good luck with your new books.

A short while ago I received an email from author Karen McCann inviting me to pass the torch for her in “The Next Big Thing".  Karen is the author of Dancing in the Fountain, a fun book about living in and loving Spain. An American, who moved to Spain with her husband in 2004, this is her story of how she fell in love with Seville.  The book is light, informative and very amusing.
“The Next Big Thing” is all about what writers / bloggers are working on, what will be their next big project. The idea is that each week an author passes the torch on to five others for the following week’s “The Next Big Thing."

So here goes :-

What is the working title of your book?

Santiago Tales

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Years ago I visited Santiago de Compostela and was fascinated by its history.  I was also intrigued by the idea of going on a pilgrimage.  In fact I never did do a pilgrimage but decided to send my characters on one instead.

What genre does your book fall under?

Women's contemporary fiction

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Kate Winslett would make a wonderful Beth

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Multilingual and multi-national they come to Santiago de Compostela, hoping to find an answer to their problems, even Beth, who does not believe in miracles.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

It's too soon to say.  I have a publisher, who seems to be interested but if that comes to nothing, then I will self-publish it.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your book?

About three to four months.  Since then there have been numerous revisions.

What other books would you compare this to within your genre?

It's difficult to say because the book has a number of short stories within a main story.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I fancied writing a book along the lines of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, but wanted to put it in a modern setting.  The Camino de Santiago seemed an ideal place to set the action.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It is a very human story about a women who is at a low point in her life and it shows how she manages to overcome her problems and emerge, stronger than ever.  She meets a number of interesting people on her pilgrimage and each one has a tale to tell.


That's all there is to the questions.  Now I list my five authors that have agreed to take up the torch from me.

They are:
JG HARLOND author of  the historical novels "The Chosen Man" and "The Magpie" .  Jane also writes English text books for the OUP, under the name Jane Arredondo.

ANN VICTORIA ROBERTS' latest book, "The Master's Tale", is the story of the ill-fated captain of the Titanic; she has also written a number of historical novels, including the best-seller, "Louisa Elliott".

ANGELA CLARENCE has been a travel writer for the last twenty years.  Lately she has been turning her hand to writing romantic novels.

RICHARD TORNE is a journalist and editor of the English language newspaper Costa Almeria News.  He is also the author of "A Dedicated Maniac", the story of film director David Lean's right hand man Eddie Fowlie.


RICHARD DONOVAN is the author of the exciting novel "Cape Torment".  Based on a true story about a horrific plane crash in Canada, this well researched book cleverly  reveals how a cold blooded killer was responsible for the death of crew and passengers of the Canadian Pacific Airlines DC-3 on


Many thanks to the wonderfully talented authors for taking part in this, please do go and visit their websites and read their books. (Click on their names to go directly to their websites.)

How do you find the time to write?  This is a question that I am often asked.  The answer is simple really: if you want to do something enough then you find the time.  Everyone has a different approach to writing but, whatever that is, you need to stick to it.  A set regime, be it strict or lax, is necessary, otherwise there are always things that will get in your way.  The worst thief of your time these days is the internet and in particular social networking.  I can be typing away merrily, involved in my new character, when 'ping', a message has arrived in my mailbox from Twitter or someone on Facebook wants to tell me about their day.  I could ignore it, and sometimes I do, but out of the corner of my eye I can see the number of unanswered emails incrementing steadily.  In the end I usually cave in and open my mailbox.  Then there is the temptation of a cup of coffee.  I have even been known, when things were not going well, to abandon my writing and do the ironing instead.

In order to minimise the distractions, I set myself specific times for writing.  As I am a morning person I like to write from ten until two, four hours a day minimum.  This leaves me a couple of hours beforehand to check emails, walk the dogs and get any other little jobs out of the way.  If things are going well, or sometimes if they are going badly, I also work for a couple of hours in the late afternoon; this is when I review what I have written, checking punctuation, grammar, context etc.  Sometimes I print out my morning's work so that I can see it on paper; it's easier to pick up the mistakes that way.  

Some writers calculate their output by time: Ann Victoria Roberts, author of The Master's Tale, writes from ten until six, a full day's work; J G Harlond, author of the historical novel, The Chosen Man, has this to say about how she tackles her work:
So it all comes down to the individual and what's comfortable for you.  Some people just write and write, regardless of punctuation and grammar, until they have the whole book in a draft form; then they edit it.  Others, like me, like to edit as they go along.  It is just a question of preference.  What matters is that it is done and that the finished book fulfils your objectives.  

The editing and reviewing process is very important, too important to be left to an editor.  The author must remain in control of the story because only they know where the story is leading.  A good editor, however, can help the writer to see the wood amongst a forest of trees, help them clarify their objectives.  Here are some of the questions that writers need to ask when editing their work:
'What is the book trying to achieve?'
'Who are your readers?'
'Is the genre of the book clear?  Does it sit comfortably in that genre?'
'Is the language appropriate for the designated reader?'
'Who is telling the story?'

Choose your preferred writing style and stick to it.  Plan your work and make yourself a writing schedule.  You will be amazed at what you can achieve.

Q:  Your latest novel, THE MASTER’S TALE, is a gripping account of the life of Captain Edward Smith, the Master of the TITANIC. What inspired you to write this particular story?
A:  In the summer of 2008, just as I was about to start work on a novel about the English Civil War, Captain Smith appeared in my life. As these things often are, it was a matter of chance. 
My husband Peter – a Master Mariner – came home after a routine visit to the Southampton Pilots’ Office with an extraordinary tale about Captain Smith and the Titanic. I was keen to see what he’d been looking at, so the office manager very kindly invited me down. Out of a metal filing cupboard, he brought out a great leather bound volume, the Dock Master’s Log Book for 1912. This official, handwritten document recorded the details of all ships entering and leaving the port of Southampton. 
He opened it to April, and there was Titanic’s name – with that of her Captain – Smith – departing at noon on April 10th.  Knowing what was to happen just five days later, I shivered. But then the pages were turned back to show two previous entries. And what they suggested changed my whole perception of the Titanic tragedy.
On March 30th, at 6 in the morning, just 11 days before Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage, the liner Olympic, with her Captain – Smith – was logged coming into Southampton from New York. 
I couldn’t have said exactly why at the time, but it seemed odd. I remember thinking he hadn’t had much time off before taking command of the new ship. But it was the next entry that set the hairs on my neck prickling.  Just after midnight on April 4th, less than 5 days after arriving from New York on Olympic, Captain Smith was again logged inwards by the Southampton Dock Master. This time the ship he brought in was Titanic – from Belfast.
We checked times and dates again. It didn’t seem feasible at first. But this was a legal document – and the facts were there before us. We worked it out. If Smith left the Olympic as soon as Customs and Immigration had cleared the ship, he could have taken the boat train up to London, the afternoon train to Liverpool and overnight ferry to Belfast, to arrive next morning, March 31st. 
I discovered later that the weather was bad, so the ship’s sea-trials did not take place until April 2nd. At 6 that evening Titanic was accepted on behalf of White Star. Captain Smith brought her back from Belfast, down the Irish Sea and up the Channel, to arrive in Southampton shortly after midnight on April 4th.  He would have been on the bridge for most of that time – some 36 hours, give or take the odd hour’s rest.  6 days later he was sailing again, for New York.
The pressure must have been phenomenal – and all this after a winter spent crossing the North Atlantic. 
 There are moments in every writer’s life when the urge to tell a story comes with a great flash of insight. In the early years of my marriage, I spent long months at sea with my husband, on voyages around the world. I know how bad the weather can be in the North Atlantic – and I know the kind of pressure that can be brought to bear on shipmasters by the companies they work for. So yes, I knew what those log book entries meant.
The evidence in that log book pointed to a man being pushed beyond the limits. And we must remember that at 62 years old, Captain Smith was not a young man. It was disturbing to say the least. Was he fit to take that ship to sea? Was the loss of Titanic his fault?
In any maritime disaster, the Captain must always carry the blame. His, after all, is the ultimate responsibility. But that’s not to say that Captain Smith was a fool.  This man was a professional, with some 45 years’ experience at sea – so there had to be more to it than that. What was going on beforehand? Where did this tragedy start?
I’ve never been a Titanic buff – married to a man who went to sea for a living I’ve preferred not to dwell on maritime disasters. What I knew was mostly based on films and hearsay. But the log book was direct evidence, evidence I could relate to in a very personal way.
I couldn’t get it out of my mind. I started checking – looking at accounts on the Internet to begin with, later borrowing books from friends. It struck me that the tragedy was constantly being viewed in isolation, while facts about Captain Smith were often vague or inaccurate.
After that first flash of understanding, I felt the need to take up the case for Captain Smith. To set his story – and that of the Titanic – in context. If I’d been a biographer, then I’d have written a biography – but as I’m a writer who can’t resist putting words in my characters’ mouths, it had to be a novel. 

Q:  You have obviously had to do a tremendous amount of research for this book. Was the information easy to come by?

A:  Information about the Titanic was easy to find. There have been books without number concerning the ship, the fanfare, the luxury aboard, the experiences of the survivors, and the poignant details of those who lost their lives. But reliable facts about Captain Smith were difficult to come by. He had but one daughter, and she survived her children – so there were no descendants to tell his side of the story. Eventually in Southampton library I discovered a slim biography first written in the late 1990s by an historian from Stoke-on-Trent, Captain Smith’s birthplace. The author had done the Smith family history, and researched Smith’s professional career – details of ships and dates which gave me a short-cut to the facts. 
The author, Gary Cooper, has said since that his motive in writing was similar to mine – to set the record straight. But his knowledge of professional seafaring – like so many of the Titanic historians – was lacking. With the approach of the centenary, the History Press commissioned him to re-write Smith’s biography, and it was published late last year. Mr Cooper and I were in touch with each other while working on our respective books, and in return for his excellent factual information, I was able to correct some nautical errors and give him an insight into Captain Smith’s profession. Both books have benefited, I believe, from this collaboration.
The most vital information I obtained, concerned the court case following the collision between White Star’s Olympic and HMS Hawke. Since time was short, I engaged a professional researcher specialising in maritime history, to obtain transcripts of the trial in which Captain Smith was a key witness. To my mind, that collision, and the subsequent court-case, is where the Titanic tragedy began.

Q:  Your husband is a Master Mariner, I believe. Did he help with some of the technical details?

A:  Yes, he did. Particularly with regard to navigation. But we both sweated blood trying to work out the visual reality of the collision between Olympic and HMS Hawke!

Q:  You have been writing now for quite a few years and successfully published a number of books: LOUISA ELLIOTT, LIAM’S STORY, DAGGER LANE, and MOON RISING, all historical novels. What is it that attracts you to the genre of the historical novel?

A:  I’ve always been fascinated by historical events as well as the history of places – and by the effects of the past upon the present. One of the reasons I felt so passionately about Captain Smith’s story, was because he was gaining his expertise at a time when maritime trade was everything. We imported raw materials from all over the world – and exported manufactured goods. Everything came and went by sea. Victoria’s empire was still building, and seafarers like Captain Smith were the men who put the great in Great Britain. 
On a different level, I was brought up with classic novels, and I guess my style of writing lends itself to the historical genre. Two of my novels, LIAM’S STORY and DAGGER LANE, are set in the present as well as the past, and to be honest I found the present-day sections very much harder to write. Somehow, having done my research, I can imagine myself in the past quite easily. I see the surroundings as they probably were at the time, and write from that perspective.
By the way, there’s an added plus to historical fiction: you don’t have to worry about being politically correct!

Q:  As a wife and mother you must lead a busy life. How do you find time to write? Do you work to a timetable or just write when you feel like it?

A:  When I started writing, my two children were at school and my husband was at sea on long voyages. Six months away with maybe two or three months at home between times. So writing was something which kept me occupied on a daily basis – it was another world, if you like, into which I could comfortably escape when reality got tough!  The children eventually grew up and left home, and in 2000 my husband came ashore to work, which entailed a move from York to Southampton. 
After that, writing fiction took a back seat for several years. I started painting again – enjoying the challenge and the quicker results. But once a writer, always a writer, and about 4 years ago I dug out some old research notes and started thinking about a new novel. I joined a local writers’ group, and have enjoyed the fun and the encouragement ever since.

How do I write? Well, nowadays, once I’ve begun writing, I like to work every day whenever possible, starting about 10 am and finishing about 6, with a short break for lunch. I try not to work at weekends, but if I’m on a roll I just want to keep going. A longish break of a couple of weeks or more can make it hard to pick up the thread, so I have to go back and revise just to get back into it.

Q:  As an experienced author, do you have any advice to give to new writers of historical fiction?

A:  My first completed novel was written in my early twenties – a slice of contemporary fiction that was rejected by at least a dozen publishers and literary agents. I was convinced I wasn’t meant to be a writer. The novel I longed to write (which eventually became LIAM’S STORY) was in my head for years, but all the advice I’d ever read treated history like some kind of quagmire. ‘Write what you know,’ the experts said. ‘Don’t be lured into historical fiction, which requires tons of research and has enormous pitfalls for the inexperienced novelist…’
Quite right. Except if history turns you on, and you’re willing to do the research because it fascinates you, then go for it. It’s what I did – felt the fear (to coin a phrase) and did it anyway. The research was a joy, and led me down paths I would never have trodden otherwise. Research made LOUISA ELLIOTT a big rich book in which 19th century York was almost one of the characters. But the reason for the novel’s success (or so I’ve been told) was that the themes were contemporary. In other words, I was writing about problems which are as relevant today as they were then.
So that is probably the key to grabbing your average reader. Historical fiction is rarely fashionable – but in the end it’s the characters that make a book, and your depiction of those characters must light a reader’s bonfire. 
Another bit of advice from a writer friend of mine, sadly no longer with us: ‘History must be part of the action, part of the characters’ lives. Not a backdrop against which the actors speak their lines…’
Another comment I’ve never forgotten came from a professional while I was still trying to gather courage after that first series of rejections. ‘Like all creative people,’ he said, ‘writers must be driven from within, by an idea that absolutely refuses to go away…’ 
So true. After all, nobody sensible would lock themselves away for months on end, scribbling away at a story that might never see the light of day. 
The satisfaction is in the creating of that other world – publication is just the icing on the cake. Reviews – if you are lucky – are the cherries. But the glowing candles are the letters from real readers, those wonderful people who have read your book, lived in your world for a while, and felt moved to write their words of appreciation. 
Even one such letter makes all the hard work worthwhile.