Interview Maria Desrosiers

by

Harley Sachs

1) Why did you choose historical romance as a genre?

I always loved reading historical romance above all other genres and still do. I also have a love for history, it’s fascinating. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era, but then again, I might not have survived such strict society rules. I can be a rebel at times, when the situation suites me. They always say to write what you love, so I write historical romance because that’s my first love above all others stories.

2) If this is your first historical romance? If not, what's your track record in this genre?

This is my first historical romance and it won’t be my last. I have an idea for a Regency that I’ve been mulling over. I’ve started with doing character sketches and some plotting out.

3) What research have you done into the period?

Gosh, this is a hard one... I bought books on this period and have done a lot of research on the internet. I also like to read books from this period and other periods. Though if left to memory, I tend to mix them all up. I sometimes have to stop writing to look up something, but I have to be careful not to get caught up in reading the history or I won’t get back to writing the story.

4) Writing historical fiction demands a great deal of knowledge, in clothing styles and language and manners. The role of women, for instance, was quite different, and social graces and taboos are far different than they are, today. (For instance, underwear is a recent invention. Women then didn't wear panties or bras). What's your expertise in these areas?

Well, I’ve never had the pleasure of wearing a corset or farthingale. I doubt I would find any comfort in either. They seem so restrictive, and also, corsets were laced so tight, that with time they could change the shape of a woman. I saw a program on TV, perhaps the history channel, showing just what damage they could do to a woman’s body. A small waist and a certain shape figure were very important in fashion in those days. To discover what clothes they wore in that period, I purchased a few books and also did a lot of internet research. Google is my best friend.

5) The author of the numerous nautical books that were the background for the film "Master and Commander" was an authority on sailing ships of the period. If anything, his meticulous detail regarding rigging and seamanship could at times be tedious. What do you know about the sailing ships of the period, how they were rigged and sailed?

Honestly, I have never sailed. I had to look up what types of ships they had in those days. What they looked like, if they had square rigging, how many masts and what types of ships were used by pirates, the British navy and merchants. I would love to learn how to sail a ship. I’ve seen the Tall Ships come to Boston. What a beautiful sight.

6) There were two kinds of pirates back then, privateeers commissioned by their rulers to seize and plunder the ships of the enemy and self-employed pirates who robbed, raped, and pillaged their prizes. The former was official, the latter subject to hanging if caught.

Yes, this is very true. Privateers did a lot of work for governments, during war times. My character’s had reasons for being pirates. Ava became one after her parents passed away for a means to stay out of poverty and to pay for her brother’s gaming habits. She also used piracy as a way of finding the pirate who killed her father and seeking revenge. She had an unusual father who went against society in letting her have her own ship. I’m sure he thought she’d just go on pleasure cruises instead of turning to piracy. But desperate people do desperate things.

7) Does seaboard punishment play a role in your book? Does anyone get lashed with a cat of nine tails; keel hauled, or forced to walk the plank?

No, there is no punishment in my story; no walking the planks or being keel hauled. The most violent scene in it is when the villain pirate, engages the heroine’s ship in a battle. The story focuses more on the romance between the hero and heroine than day to day living on a pirate ship.

8) Weaponry was a central part of piracy, both firearms and cutlasses. What do you know about combat with these weapons?

I know a lot more now than I did before I started the book. I never had the first-hand pleasure of engaging in combat with a cutlass, or firing a cannon. All the information I got was from research and books. There’s a surprising amount of information out there on the types of weapons and their uses and the reasons why. It was very interesting looking it all up.

9) What's your writing routine? Do you write all day, mornings, every day? Etc?

I’m very chaotic with my writing routine. I try to write and read each day. Some day’s I only write a few paragraphs and others, when I’m inspired, I can write a few chapters. I write mostly at night when everyone in the house is asleep. I can’t think when I hear the kids fighting or when my husband keeps coming into my computer room and asking me questions. I end up losing my train of thought. I have to have it quiet. I tried to write with music a few times, but end up singing and chair dancing instead.

10) Tell us something about your writing career in general.

I’ve been writing on and off for years, but seriously for the past three years. This is my first book that has been published. I have other stories that I have written, all historical, but consider them practice and learning stories. I used them for courses that I took in fiction writing, characterization and other writing courses. Perhaps someday, I’ll take them out and reread and edit them for submission.

11) What inspired you to write this book?

At the time of writing this story, I was into reading a lot of pirate romances and thought I’d like to try my hand at one. I also have a great fondness for hidden identities. Like Zorro--I just adore Zorro. So I thought what if two people married for convenience and then fell in love under hidden identities as pirates. Next I knew this story was born.