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Queen Victoria’s personal journals inform this captivating first-person account of one of history’s most prominent female leaders.Queen Victoria most certainly left a legacy—under her rule as the longest reigning female monarch in history, the British Empire was greatly expanded and significant industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military changes occurred within the United Kingdom. To be a young woman in a time when few other females held positions of power was to lead in a remarkable age—and because Queen Victoria kept personal journals, this historical novel from award-winning author Carolyn Meyer shares authentic emotional insight along with accurate information, weaving a true story of intrigue and romance.
by Carolyn Meyer
Topic 1. What made you decide or when did you know that you wanted to write historical fiction for young adult readers?
I always knew that I wanted to write fiction, but I had no idea how to make that happen or what direction it would take. My early short stories were rejected; so were my first novels. Eventually I was advised to try writing for children, and my first efforts were rewarded: how-to books for kids. As I gained confidence and experience, I tried a young adult novel; it was published, and several more followed. More or less accidentally, I wrote a historical novel about a character who interested me. Then an editor suggested I write about British royalty, and I loved it. After all those years, I had found my niche!
Topic 2. Tell one of the funniest or strangest true stories that you found while researching Victoria Rebels.
When I first started working on Victoria Rebels, I knew next to nothing about her--those grim photographs of an elderly woman didn’t give me a clue. Her relationship with her mother bothered me, and I sympathized with Victoria’s efforts to get along with her and wished that she would rebel sooner! Why on earth did Mamma insist that her daughter sleep in the same room, even when Victoria was a teenager? And why must someone always hold Victoria’s hand when she was going downstairs? My own mother was overprotective, and I sensed how hard that must have been on the young princess.
Topic 3. Write about what was one thing that surprised you when you were reading Victoria’s journals.
Her passion! And I mean both physically and emotionally. We have the idea that the Victorians were so tightly buttoned up, but you have only to look at the portrait she had painted for Prince Albert to see the fire blazing!
Topic 4. What was the hardest thing to leave out of Victoria Rebels?
There were a lot of small details that had to go because they slowed down the plot, but the hardest for me to part with was Victoria’s doll collection that she took with her wherever she went until she was almost fourteen years old. She and her governess spent hours creating exquisite costumes for 132 plain but very tiny wooden dolls, and she lived a rich imaginary life through them. The dolls went on exhibit a year ago in England, and I’m sorry I didn’t get to see them—even sorrier that I could keep them in the story.
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About the Author
Carolyn Meyer is as versatile a writer as you will find. Along with historical fiction and realistic novels for young adults she has written nonfiction for young adults and books for younger readers on topics as diverse as the Amish, the Irish, Japanese, Yup'ik Eskimos, a rock band, rock tumbling, bread baking, and coconuts. And ten of her books have been chosen as Best Books for Young Adults by the American Library Association. In her most recent historical novels she has dealt with the young lives of Mary Tudor, Princess Elizabeth, Anastasia, and Isabel of Castilla, Spain.Website | Twitter | Facebook
Follow the Tour
Guest blog @ Inside the Mind of a Bibliophile
February 19th
Interview @ WhoRu Blog
February 20th
Interview @ The Reader's Antidote
February 21st
Guest Blog @ Fantasy's Ink
February 22nd
Character Interview with John Conroy @ Pages From My Thoughts
February 25th
Guest Blog @ Bibliophilia, Please
February 26th
Guest Blog @ Books Beside My Bed
February 27th
Top Ten: The Victorian Age @ Moosubi Reads
February 28th
Interview @ Beauty But A Funny Girl
March 1st
Character Interview with Fidi @ Bookcase to Heaven
March 4th
Interview @ Gobs and Gobs of Books
March 5th
Guest Blog @ A Dream Within A Dream
March 6th
Character Interview With Prince Albert @ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
March 7th
Guest Blog @ Stiletto Storytime
March 8th
Interview @ Emily's Crammed Bookshelf
March 11th
Interview @ Movies In My Head
March 12th
Top Ten: Victoria's Favorites @ Curling Up With A Good Book
March 13th
Character Interview With Victoria @ The Mod Podge Bookshelf
Tour-Wide Giveaway
You can win:
One of four finished copies of Cleopatra Confesses by Carolyn Meyer
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I actually haven't read any of her books before. After reading the overview of the book and topic thoughts, I'm looking forward to reading her books. I'll have to go out and get them and start reading them. Thank you so much for the chance to win this giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Lisa. I haven't had the privilege of reading any of her books. But I'm always looking to branching out into different genres. And I'm just starting to get into Historical Fiction. So any recommendation to new authors is very much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteSome really great historical fiction authors that I personally enjoy are Philippa Gregory, Patricia Bracewell, Ken Follett, Jean M. Auel, etc. I'm still looking for more YA historical fiction authors. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Kayla! Hi Katherina! I have two great Historical fiction series that I just love and highly recommend them!
ReplyDeleteHave you read the Outlander Series by by Diana Gabaldon? Its not YA but its so good!! It does have a great love story that will make you fall in love with it. Also if you haven't read Tatiana and Alexander Trilogy by Paullina Simons? WOW! This one is so good to! It really touched me and it also made me cry. These two series are my most favorite Historical Fiction books ever. Even though they are not YA.