Interview: Deanna Raybourn

Deanna Raybourn's novel Silent In The Grave was one of my top ten books of last year.  A fantastic Victorian crime caper with large doses of wit.  Great fun.  She has agreed to be the latest victim in this series of author interviews at Me And My Big Mouth.

SP: So, what attracts an American novelist to Victorian London?
DR: I love the fact that Victorian London is so similar to our time and yet so different. There was a wonderful formality and structure to daily life, but many of the attitudes are really accessible to modern readers. For most of us, our grandparents or great-grandparents were alive during the very end of those days, so we aren't that removed even though it seems like it's a world apart. Most Americans don't realize that it was the Victorians who devised shopping malls and arcades and who started movements for workers' rights and suffrage for women and free love. They were really very much like us, but with bustles and deerstalker caps.

SP: Could you tell us a little bit about Lady Julia Grey and what, if anything, was the inspiration for her character?
DR: Julia is extremely autobiographical--not that I am an earl's daughter. Nothing could be further from the truth! But I've said before that if you were to compare Julia's point of view to mine, the perspective isn't all that different. She is a mass of contradictions: she wants to be independent, but she likes security. She wants to try new things, but she likes the comfort of the familiar. I think most people can identify with that.

SP: I suspect you are somewhat attracted to Nicholas Brisbane, women often fall for the dark mysterious types after all.  Am I wrong?
DR: Nicholas has way too much baggage for me, believe me! I think he's extremely attractive, but he's not exactly easy. I prefer to be the difficult one in a relationship. But on the whole, yes, women do love an enigmatic, not-quite-knowable man. I think it's because we like a challenge, and you never quite know where you are with a man like that.

SP: Silent In The Grave features a fascinating sub-plot involving the Romany people.  How did you go about researching this area?
DR: Loads of reading and lots of time cuddling up to Google! There are some fabulous resources on the web, and it can be a tricky area to research because the Roma are notoriously secretive, and with good reason. I tried very hard to stick to sources that were written either by Roma people or with their cooperation rather than books that were further removed. Dr. Ian Hancock of the University of Texas, a Roma himself, has posted some tremendously informative material.

SP: I am particularly fond of the book's opening.  How long did it take you to come up with those lines?
DR: It was instantaneous. I was sitting in a restaurant with my family and we were waiting for our food. I had been noodling over the idea of this book, and suddenly I said, "Hey, do you want to know how my book is going to start?" And out it came. I still think it's one of the single best lines I've ever written.

SP: You are a keen blogger, posting nearly every day, and seem to encourage online interaction with your readers.  What benefits do you think this brings to you as an author and are there any drawbacks?
DR: Well, rather stupidly, I always think no one actually reads it, so I'm always surprised when someone says, "Oh, I noticed in your blog..." I hated blogging at first because it seems so artificial, but once I stopped trying to be really polite and let my guard down a little it became MUCH more fun. I do still censor. The blog is me, but only at about 80%. Since my blog is not anonymous, I try to protect my family's privacy. And since my mother reads it, I rarely swear.

SP: As you know, Silent In The Grave was one of my favourite reads of last year.  How has the book been received in your home country?
Extremely well! People have been very enthusiastic about it, and the reviews were amazing. Readers really seem to enjoy the combination of mystery, history, and a little dash of romance!

SP: What can we expect in the sequel and when is it due out in the UK?
The sequel is called Silent in the Sanctuary, and it is set in Sussex, in a snowbound abbey belonging to Lady Julia's father. Nicholas is back, along with the madcap Marches for more murder and mayhem. I have also just finished writing Silent on the Moor, the third book in the Julia Grey series. I don't know pub dates for the sequels in the UK yet, but I am thrilled that Silent in the Grave is finally coming out. It's been a long wait nibbling my nails! Readers can sign up at my website, www.deannaraybourn.com for updates and they'll be the first to know when the publication dates are announced.

SP: And finally, it would be great if you could recommend a book you love for readers of this blog to check out.
DR: People always ask me this question, and I always let them down badly because I don't have an answer. This time I do! One of the best books I read last year was Eric Jager's The Last Duel. It is a non-fiction account of the very last judicial duel fought in France, which could have been an extremely dull subject, but in Jager's hands it reads like a novel. The book is slender for a non-fiction book, and absolutely absorbing; the fight scene itself is cinematic.

Silent In The Grave is out now from Mira Books and I have seen it in my local Waterstone's and Borders branches so it should be pretty easy to find.  It is a cracking read.  Deanna's blog is also a recommended one to bookmark.  Just check out her writing shoes.

Comments

[Em]

And the cover is amazing, too! Just shows what you can do with swirls and gradients.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silent-Grave-Deanna-Raybourn/dp/0778301370?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199983604&sr=8-2

"I prefer to be the difficult one in a relationship."

Ah. A woman after my own heart. I want to read this one.

[kimbofo]

Thanks for this interview. I am reading the book at the moment -- and I'm absolutely loving it!