Interview with Carol Carr, the author of India Black -- and giveaway!

As you may recall, I had posted my review of India Black, the new book by Carol Carr.   She had very nicely agreed to let me interview her, and also let me know that she would provide a copy of her book for a giveaway, as well --- how cool is that?   So without further adieu...  I present Carol Carr!!    

 What was your favorite part of writing this book?  I love the character of India.  I had such fun writing her.  She has felt like a real person to me from the moment I conceived the idea of her.  Someone asked if she is my alter ego, and to a certain extent she is.  We're both opinonated and oppositional, prone to be a little cynical and a bit mouthy.  She is more amusing than I am, though, and a lot more adventurous.

 

How did you first come up with the idea for the story?  India appeared in my head before the story.  I was toying with several ideas for a plot that would feature her, and I found the genesis of the story in a joint biography of Gladstone and Disraeli that I was reading.  Disraeli had committed publicly to fighting the Russians if they made good on their threat to attack the Ottoman Empire, and he'd done so without realizing that the British army was severely undermanned.  I starting thinking about how valuable that information would have been to the Russians, and then what might have happened if a man carrying a memo with that information had died while visiting India's brothel.

What did you find most helpful in researching the Victorian Era?  I relied on old fashioned books for a lot of the background-military and political histories and biographies and such that I've read over the years.  By far the most useful tool was the Internet.  There are so many questions that pop up while you're writing - what would India's Webley Bulldog revolver look like?  What kind of derringer would someone carry in 1876?  Do Russian aristocratic names differ from ordinary Russian names?  What's the difference between a landau and a brougham?  And you can find the answers on the internet without ordering a dozen reference books.  I shudder to think what it would be like writing historical fiction without the Internet. 

What's the best part about being an author?  It's going to be awhile before I feel that I've earned that title.  But I can say that by far the most satisfying feeling is connecting with people who enjoy the book.  It really exceeds the euphoria of finding an agent and a publisher.  I thought that was as good as it gets, but hearing from people who like India is fantastic!

What are you working on now?  Can we expect another India book?  Yes, you can.  I've delivered the second in the series to my editor, and I'd expect it will be published sometime in 2012.

What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?  That's a hard one!  I might like to be asked if there was anyone in particular who had sparked my interest in reading.  Then I could answer that my mother and grandmother were both avid readers, and they passed on their love of books to me.  It would be nice to give them some recognition for introducing me to one of the joys of life-reading.

And here's a random one --- what's your favorite dessert?  Warm blueberry pie and vanilla bean ice cream.  Mmmm.

Thank you, Carol!!!   If you'd like to learn even more about Carol, and her book, please visit her website.  The official publication date for India Black is tomorrow, January 4th  ---- and one lucky commenter will receive a copy of the book!    All you need to do is leave a comment, please, along with your email address (so I can contact you and get your full mailing address).    The giveaway is limited to the U.S. and Canada (sorry!) -- and ends on Wednesday, January 5th at Midnight.