Quarterdeck Novdec 2009

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A Letter from Our Publisher Dear McBooks Friend: For many years McBooks has enjoyed a unique position in the book publishing world. We have been both a respected publisher specializing in historical fiction and a specialty retailer of historical fiction and nonfiction. Through our catalogs, flyers and on-line bookstore, McBooks has offered you the best in action-oriented historical fiction. Some of these titles were published by our own McBooks Press; some were put out by other publishers located both in the U.S. and the U.K. Sadly, after much analysis we have concluded that we must close down the retail portion of our business. Current economic and business factors have reduced profitability so much that we can no longer continue with this business model. Th is means that we will no longer be selling books put out by other publishers. From December 1 to January 19, all books in our Ithaca, NY, warehouse will be on sale at close-out prices. You can access more information about the sale at our website: www.mcbooks.com. These changes also mean that we are discontinuing publication of Quarterdeck, our e-mail newsletter. Editor George Jepson did a superb job writing and designing Quarterdeck. He will continue to entertain and enlighten sea enthusiasts through his articles for Wooden Boat magazine. For the future, we will strengthen our focus on the publishing side of our business. Rest assured, we will continue to produce new books—including exciting historical fiction—and we will keep such popular authors as Alexander Kent, Dudley Pope and Julian Stockwin in print. You will still find McBooks Press original historical fiction at your favorite bookstores and online venues. We will sincerely miss our direct contact with our valued retail customers. You made it a pleasure to do business, and we enjoyed discussing historical fiction with you over the phone or through letters and e-mail. Please continue to look for McBooks Press publications wherever books (and e-books) are sold. And please take advantage of our closeout sale. All the best,

Alexander Skutt Owner/Publisher McBooks Press, Inc.

Quarterdeck

November/December 2009

Quarterdeck is published by McBooks Press, Inc. ID Booth Building 520 North Meadow Street Ithaca NY, 14850 Toll-Free Order Line: 1-888-BOOKS11 (1-888-266-5711) Sketch by Geoffrey Huband

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CONTENTS

www.mcbooks.com

November/December 2009 Our telephone lines are normally open Monday-Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time.

FEATURES 3

BY GEORGE!

4

BOOKSHELF

PUBLISHER Alexander Skutt [email protected]

A sea-change in the book trade.

QUARTERDECK EDITOR George Jepson 269-372-4673 [email protected]

An Ill Wind by David Donachie.

INTERVIEWS 5 8 11

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Jackie Swift [email protected]

DAVID DONACHIE A young Scot’s imagination.

CUSTOMER SERVICE DIRECTOR Robin Cisne [email protected]

MICHAEL AYE The Fighting Anthonys return to the sea.

HARRY TURTLEDOVE

Prices are subject to change without notice.

The king of alternative historical fiction. 5 15

TOM HARPER A new historical mystery.

Cover: detail from a painting of the frigate HMS Amazon by English marine artist Geoffrey Huband.

2

BY GEORGE!

A Sea-Change ...

O

ver the years, Amy and I have been fortunate enough to visit the United Kingdom on several occasions in pursuit of our shared ancestral heritage and in the course of our work in the book trade. Our first visit in May, 1997 was scheduled soon after we had been approached by Richard Merritt in Cedar Rapids, IA, about acquiring Tall Ships Books, then a catalog/Internet shop specializing in used copies of British naval fiction, especially the books of Douglas Reeman/ Alexander Kent, Richard Woodman, and Dudley Pope. At the time, the prospect of running a bookshop featuring nautiThe Jepsons in front of the cal titles seemed like a White Horse public house in pipe dream. As a lifelong Shere, Surrey, England. book lover, owning such a shop had been my fantasy. That first trip to London had been planned a long while prior to Rich’s proposal concerning Tall Ships Books, but the possibility of taking the helm of the shop added a bit of intrigue to our time in the ancient city on the Thames. Riding an early morning train into Victoria Station after a tiring overnight flight, we were bushed and not enamored of the litter and graffiti on the brick walls as our carriage clicked and clacked into the city. The ugly images were not appealing. And then we emerged from the station into brilliant sunlight, under blue skies. A 3

black taxi, with an affable driver at the wheel, whisked us to our hotel. Along the route, the driver’s commentary introduced us to central London. After checking in at our hotel, we opened the door to our rather smallish room, and within minutes were collapsing with laughter, as we kept bumping into one another in the limited space. The compact room was clean, so we decided to stay, and were soon napping. A couple of hours later, somewhat refreshed, we headed for a nearby Underground station, and were soon walking along Piccadilly, seeking Hatchard’s, booksellers since the time of George III. Once we entered the historic shop, our thoughts once again turned to Tall Ships Books. One entire section was devoted to maritime fiction, featuring Kent’s Richard Bolitho, Woodman’s Nathaniel Drinkwater, Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey and Maturin, and, most encouraging, several authors I was not familiar with at the time. Tall Ships Books had been successful, because there was a market in America for the Kents, Woodmans, C.S. Foresters and Popes, which were only available in British editions. McBooks Press had begun to fill the void with its own handsome trade paperback editions of works by these authors, as well as new editions of the Captain Frederick Marryat novels. After perusing the stacks at Hatchards, we embarked on a journey to locate used book shops. Along Charing Cross Road, we were pleased to find shops stocked with used nautical fiction hardcovers – many Continued on page 20

BOOKSHELF

6 - An Ill Wind By David Donachie

“High adventure and detection; cunningly spliced battle scenes which reek of blood and brine ... excitements on terra firma to match.” – Literary Review

I

t is 1793. John Pearce and his Pelicans are going home – to gain their freedom and, using the evidence they have, put the treacherous Captain Ralph Barclay in the dock. But first they must take part in the evacuation of Toulon. With the Republican Army at the gates, the citizens are panicking, trying to flee the bloody guillotine. Confusion reigns and Pearce must keep his wits about him in order to survive. This is not the end of the troubles they face. The ship designated to remove the wounded from Lutyens hospital has been deliberately delayed by Admiral Hotham, the whole situation made worse when it is discovered many of the French ships singled out for destruction have been saved by the Spanish. Was it naive to expect

help from a nation more often an enemy than a friend? Captain Ralph Barclay and his wife Emily are among those on a ship back to England. Pearce must sail in close proximity to both – difficult given his loathing for the Barclay, in contrast to his regard for the lovely Emily. She discovers Pearce has a copy of the lies her husband told at Pearce’s recent court martial, papers that would ruin Barclay’s career and her future security. And then comes that dread thing, a fire aboard a wooden ship of war! Cast adrift, Pearce and his Pelicans find help from an unlikely source, yet still they face a pursuit they cannot outrun, with no idea from where help may come. Finally back on British soil, the Pelicans hope they have reached the end of their troubles, but with the important documents missing the real concerns have only just begun. Emily Barclay holds the key, but do her loyalties lie with her husband or her conscience? UK Hardback | 319 Pages

John Pearce Novels 1- By the Mast Divided | 2 - A Shot Rolling Ship | 3 - An Awkward Commission 4 - Flag of Truce | 5 - The Admiral’s Game | 6 - An Ill Wind

4

David Donachie

A Young Scot’s IMAGINATION B

ritish author David Donachie was born in the storied city of Edinburgh, Scotland, during the Second World War. As a lad, Donachie played in the gardens and narrow alleyways that had seen much history over the centuries. In this interview with Quarterdeck, the author describes how his writing has been influenced by the years of his youth: In an earlier interview, you said you had at least three ideas a day for novels to write. As a boy growing up in post-war Edinburgh, what sorts of activities did you pursue that contributed to the development of your imagina tion?

For those readers who have never been to Edinburgh, I have to tell them it is a city steeped in history. It practically oozed out of the cobbled streets into my young brain, made more telling by listening to the adults around me and reading. First the towering castle that dominates the city, then the buildings, which range from the medieval to classic Georgian, set off by statuary that has seen Edinburgh called the Athens of the North. It’s a place where you feel intimately connected to the past, the domicile of Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment and the habitat of the grave robbers Burke and Hare. You can stand in the gardens below Edinburgh Castle and imagine it besieged, which it was a hundred times, by Scotsmen as often as the English. As boys we used to climb that supposedly unassailable rock with ease, sure that, left to us, it could easily be taken. The Royal Mile runs downhill from the castle to Holyrood Palace, where bloody crime had mixed with regal majesty. And in each of the named dark alleyways, one person wide, that run off that milelong road called a close, it was and still is quite natural to conjure up the devilment and felonies witnessed by the grey, granite 5

David Donachie stones. We Scots are romantics – some excessively so when it comes to nonsense like Braveheart – and we know our tales of triumph and defeat. As a child my friends and I replayed a thousand years of battles in the streets and in the decaying gardens enclosed by high tenements, from Bannockburn to the Battle of Britain, created and staged entertainments on the top of disused air raid shelters. Without television, imagination was king. Given the electronic age youngsters grow up in today with instant stim ulation provided by television, cell phones and video games, are they being ill-served by not having to use their imaginations more?

began as a youngster in Edinburgh (Quarterdeck , January/February 2009). This has been played out in your nautical fiction – The Privateersman Mysteries, the Nelson & Emma Trilogy, and now the John Pearce novels. What motivated your latest work, Mercenaries , written as Jack Ludlow? Quite simply, it is the greatest story never told, as least not in English. I think in the UK there is an overconcentration on the Norman Conquest, to the detriment of looking at that remarkable race, descended from Vikings, who became the most feared warriors in Christen-

suzerain. They came to equal and surpass Duke William of Normandy. Brilliant generals, always outnumbered, leading men whose profession was war, they fought and defeated first the Lombard princes who ruled Southern Italy, then the Byzantine Empire in alliance with the papacy at a place called Civitate, which fixed their place in Italy and took them from paid warriors to titled landholders. The younger brothers beat Byzantium, defied the Holy Roman Emperor and overcame the Saracens of Sicily in what was, in truth, the first Crusade. The next generation, in Bohemund and Tancred (grandsons of the original Tancred), went on to the Holy Land as the finest of the crusaders, respectively becoming princes of Antioch and Galilee. But it was in Southern Italy and Sicily that lay the greatest creation of the de Hautevilles, one that lasted until it was dissolved in the nineteenth century unification of Italy. Although my story stops short of the fact, a grandson of the first Tancred was crowned a king. In less than a hundred years these brilliant warriors had gone from nothing to the purple. The question is not why I saw it as exciting to write about as fiction, but rather why has such a remarkable story never been done before?

“I went into too many houses as a youngster, in which the only book in sight was the one listing telephone numbers.”

They employ them differently and I think in time a good number will come to realize how repetitive are their pleasures. I went into too many houses as a youngster, in which the only book in sight was the one listing telephone numbers. So it’s hard to despair about the next generation of readers – it has always been the case that too few people read, but – and this is the good part – once people discover the magic locked up in books they become rabid. The means of communication may alter, but storytelling will always triumph over thrills. Those cell phones will be used to read great books. Your interest in things maritime

dom. Tancred de Hauteville was poor, no more than the owner of a petty Norman barony, but he had twelve sons, eight of whom, despairing of advancement in their homeland, went to Italy as mercenaries (I say seven in my book, because to avoid confusion I have left one out of the trilogy. Tancred, strangely, named two of his sons William!) Unlike the Conqueror they had no army and no great wealth. What the de Hautevilles had was a fearsome fighting ability and brains married to guile, enough to carve out for themselves lands, titles and a prosperity that outshone their nominal 6

Do you find it difficult to write in two separate historical periods (the late eighteenth century with Pearce

David Donachie and the eleventh century with Mercenaries)? No, though given the competing parties in the Conquest trilogy it was a much more complex tale to tell. Added to that, it is less well known than the eighteenth century and less well-documented. There are no contemporary accounts, only those of monks writing about the exploits of the de Hautevilles long after the events described. One factor is common to both: the profession of arms. The Norman warrior sought conflict with the same alacrity as Nelson’s Navy – it was the only way to prosperity in both cases. How did you research Mercenaries and Warriors in The Conquest Trilogy?

various re-enactment societies – books included Gibbon’s Decline & Fall, the Cambridge Medieval History and a marvellous non-fiction telling of the tale called The Normans in the South by John Julius Norwich. But in the end, it is fiction, with invented dialogue and fleshed out narratives. That requires my normal standby, which is that human nature is immutable – it does not change greatly whatever century we are in. What’s next in The Conquest Trilogy? If the brothers de Hauteville were remarkable, it is even more astonish-

them separate; in terms of thinking whatever you are about to write about is ever present. Eating, walking, sleeping, and even when drinking a nice glass of wine. What can you tell us about John Pearce’s new adventures in An Ill Wind , without spoiling the plot for readers? Be careful who you trust and, when things look to be at their bleakest, good fortune may be just over the horizon. He will meet and talk with the greatest general of the age, find that orders are not always obeyed, do things that do not enhance his reputation amongst his peers, while old enemies can be both cunning and stupid, either of those attributes bringing on deep trouble and great danger.

“When you have monks talking of onehundred and twenty knights defeating thirty-five thousand opponents ... you are in the realms of fantasy.”

As the above answer suggests, with difficulty, and with a very jaundiced eye for exaggeration! When you have monks talking of one hundred and twenty knights defeating thirty-five thousand opponents you know you are in the realms of fantasy. I don’t doubt that the Normans regularly beat many more than they faced, but sheer logic tells you that no one could sustain an army in the field of that number and feed them in a world without an abundance of roads, a world were everything had to be transported by hooves or humans. Apart from the original sources the Internet was good for – details of equipment and tactics, especially the

ing the way the youngsters of the brood surpassed their elder siblings. Without doubt the two greatest of the family were Robert, called the Guiscard, and Roger, the baby of the family known to history as the Great Count. The final book in the trilogy charts their successes, some failures, as well as their sometimes fractious relationship. Do you work on the Pearce novels and your other historical fiction simultaneously or compartmentalize them over a year’s time? In terms of writing you have to keep 7

What’s next for Pearce, after an An Ill Wind ? To answer that would negate the precautions in the previous response. Suffice to say he still has his friends as well as his enemies and the former are as likely to cause him trouble as the latter. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers? Although Conquest does not complete the story of the de Hauteville brothers, I am putting it aside for a bit.

Michael Aye

Swiftly Paced

NAVAL ADVENTURES “I try to find interesting areas that have not already been used by other authors.”

A

merican novelist Michael Aye’s swiftly paced naval adventures about England’s Fighting Anthonys – brothers Gilbert and Gabe – have found a niche in nautical fiction. The fourth title in the series, SeaHorse, has been completed. The author discusses the Anthonys and a new writing venture in this interview with Quarterdeck: Your current novel, SeaHorse , is the fourth title in the saga of The Fighting Anthonys. What does the future hold for the British seafaring family? I expect to see the Anthony brothers continue to do their duty for their country, even if they are somewhat skeptical about the cause and its outcome. I’ve planned for the series to end at the conclusion of the American Revolution, but have also fudged with the outlines, which go forward into the wars with France. The deciding factor will be the fans. If readers continue to buy the series and I continue to receive favorable emails, the series could last ten books beyond the ten currently planned for the American Revolution. Readers have the helm. How do you approach each new novel? Do you outline the story in advance of writing?

Michael Aye

I have looked at actual events that took place during the period, and build my story around those events. When researching for events I try to find interesting areas that have not already been used by other authors. I try to use real characters to be more historically accurate, and I have been surprised by the number of emails I’ve received from fans/readers commenting on this practice. The placement of real people at real events is sometimes more interesting than fiction. You only 8

Michael Aye have to read a few of Jim Nelson’s books to discover this. However, while I try to be historically accurate, with me the storyline has to come first. After all, this is fiction for pleasure reading. From where do you draw your sup porting characters? How do you name them? Good question. And you will probably be surprised at my answer. Since my first book, The Reaper, I had a long list of hunting buddies, patients from our allergy practice and relatives who have asked for me to use their names as characters in my books. Baseball great Ray Knight and his wife, golfer Nancy Lopez, are two people whose names I’ve used. A friend of mine is a descendant from Scottish Lord Raglan, so he’s a character in SeaHorse. I recently read an article about a World War II hero, who was first mate on a crash boat in the Pacific. He is a character in SeaHorse, as well. When I describe a character, I have the real person in mind, and use his or her physical description, but that is as far as it goes. It may be their name, but the character is of my making.

said that, being in medicine, I am totally amazed at how many people survived in spite of the physicians and surgeons doing their best to insure fatal outcomes by using barbaric treatments. I recently purchased and read a book entitled Revolutionary Medicine. One thing was quite evident while reading the book and I’ve used the line in some of my stories. The remedies would either cure you or kill you; either way you quit complaining. Where do you typically write? Do you use a computer? We added on to our house, enclosed

I made and write in longhand. A story would never be written if I had to use either a computer, word processor or typewriter. Do you find writing a difficult? No, writing is not a difficult exercise. Editing is a headache. The folks at my publisher, Boson Books, are great about ensuring things are correct for the era, including dialogue, terms, phrases, spelling and punctuation. I’m the pits with the last two; too many years of abbreviating medical charts, I guess. But, no, writing to me is a joy, a way to relax. It’s a way to take my mind off that wheezing child or that increase in premiums to insure my employees. Writing is a balm for the soul. I turn on the music and let my mind take me where it will.

“... writing is a joy, a way to relax ... Writing is a balm for the soul. I turn on the music and let my mind take me where it will.”

What intrigues you about the period in which the Anthonys lived? Lots of different things amaze me. I love the romance of the era. The attitude that we will overcome, we will be glorious. However, having

the garage and built a new one. My wife now describes the enclosed garage as “Man Land.” I have several paintings from the Age of Sail, a huge ship’s wheel on one wall, a library with hundreds of books – both fiction and nonfiction – and a large rolltop desk. Atop the desk, I have my most common writing references and pipe collection. On a small table I have a CD player. Along one wall, two gun safes and most of my hunting gear are stored in an enclosed area. One gun safe holds a few antique weapons. I do not use a typewriter or computer to write. I turn on a lamp that 9

Is there a time of day that best suits your writing? Yes. Usually my writing is done in the evening. My sales are growing each year, but I still depend on my day job to put bread on the table. I rarely ever watch TV, other than an occasional old movie (I love swashbucklers and westerns) and sometimes college sports. Anyway, my writing is done in the evenings, but I frequently wake up in the wee hours of the morning with a thought, so I go down and write until I get sleepy. This drives my wife to distraction.

Michael Aye What can you tell our readers about SeaHorse, without spoiling the plot?

The Fighting Anthonys

First of all SeaHorse is somewhat of a tribute to the World War II hero mentioned earlier. His boat was the SeaHorse. The original title was to have been HMS Peregrine (which is a type of falcon). When I read an article on this amazing man I knew I had to pay tribute to his memory, so the focus of the story changed to include his character. (My next book will be entitled Peregrine.) SeaHorse begins with the Anthonys back home in England. Gil is enjoying time with his wife and little girl. Gabe is facing a conflict of emotion. His ship is suddenly found to be unseaworthy, which is depressing, while at the same time he’s preparing to wed Faith and begin a new life with his love. Then a needful nation calls. Admiral Lord Anthony has just returned from Gabe’s wedding when the Admiralty’s messenger arrives. Lord Anthony has been given command of His Majesty’s ships in the Windward Islands. He and Gabe set sail with a new squadron to face old enemies, personal tragedies, daring privateers, and the French, who have signed an alliance with the determined American colonies. The book continues to provide action, romance, and humor. Critiques thus far have been very positive with a number of them stating that they like the interpersonal relationships of the characters.

1 - The Reaper

Do you have other writing projects underway in addition to The Fighting Anthonys?

Trade Paperback | 200 Pages |

2 - HMS SeaWolf Trade Paperback | 276 Pages |

3 - Barracuda Trade Paperback | 233 Pages |

4 - SeaHorse Trade Paperback | 192 Pages | (Not yet available.)

www.michaelaye.com tled Malachi Mundy – Book One: Birth of a Nation. It was first turned down by several publishers, who felt that combining two small genres – the Age of Sail and a Christian setting – would limit the marketability and not be cost effective. However, Father and Son Publishing disagreed and plan to go forward encouraged by a positive critique from Dr. Jim McBride, who wrote the screenplays for Facing the Giants and Fireproof. (These movies were produced by Sherwood Pictures of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia and distributed by Sony Pictures.) I have planned nine books in the Malachi Mundy project. Three deal with the Revolutionary War, three feature the Civil War, and three focus on World War II. The series will be written under the pen name Michael “Doc” Fowler. Is there anything else you would like to share with out readers?

Yes. I have completed a book enti10

The sales of my books are donated to a trust fund, in my grandson Michael Fowler’s name, for spinal cord injuries. I feel it is important that readers know their dollars are being funneled into a worthwhile project. I would also like to thank McBooks Press for continuing to provide a marketplace for Age of Sail books, and for publishing Quarterdeck to keep readers informed about what’s happening in the genre. Also, a special thanks to David Hayes and his website (www.historicfiction.com), which also helps to keep the genre well informed, and to Bill Hammond and Jim Nelson for always being available and responsive to my numerous inquiries. I would also like the readers to know that behind every successful man is a good woman: in my case an angel who has put up with me for forty years in December. Without her efforts, there would not be a Fighting Anthonys Series.

Harry Turtledove

Master of ALTERNATE HISTORY N “I think the most important thing in fiction is to remember not to tell too much – only as much as the reader needs to know what’s going on, and no more.”

ovelist Harry Turtledove – known as “The Master of Alternate History” – creates original alternate history scenarios, such as the survival of the Byzantine Empire or an alien invasion in the middle of the Second World War. Turtledove gives fresh and original treatments to themes previously dealt with by many others, such as the victory of the South in the American Civil War and of Nazi Germany in the Second World War. His novels, which have a strong military theme, have been credited with bringing alternate history into the mainstream. Turtledove responded to questions from Quarterdeck regarding his writing career Harry Turtledove in this interview:

After an academic career that led to your PhD, what drew you to write your first novel, Wereblood ? I’d done a first and second draft while still an undergrad. I reworked it at the same time as I was writing my diss [disserta11

Harry Turtledove tion], which made the diss run later than it might have. Had you written any fiction up to that time? I’d sold one story before Wereblood, but the magazine died before it came out (I did get paid for it). I eventually resold that piece. Did you read fiction during your formative years? What types of novels? I read everything that didn’t read me first. Fiction, nonfiction, you name it – if it was in print, I’d waste time with it. I found science fiction when I was eleven or twelve, and read tons of it, which probably doesn’t surprise anyone. I first found out about the Byzantine Empire through L. Sprague de Camp’s marvelous Lest Darkness Fall, and, many years later, had the privilege of telling him so.

What was the most difficult aspect of transitioning from nonfiction to writing novels? I’d started trying to write fiction long before I did nonfiction in my dissertation and the handful of scholarly articles I’ve published. I think the most important thing in fiction is to remember not to tell too much – only as much as the reader needs to know what’s going on, and no more. The “I’ve done my research and you’re gonna suffer for it” syndrome can trap people much too easily. I have an academic friend who tried to write a novel, but couldn’t leave the footnotes out.

How Few Remain sets up what comes afterwards, obviously: the USA’s second humiliation within twenty years at the hands of the CSA [Confederate States of America] and its European allies, and the USA’s concomitant search for European allies of its own. After that, the smaller series within the big series are basically World War I, the interwar years, and World War II. From 1914 on, it’s all one continuous story anyhow. How do you select your protagonists? I try to find interesting people and have them doing interesting things. Don’t know how else to put it.

“I get to tell my kind of story my kind of way. If real historical bits work, I use them ... If they don’t, I get to make things up ...”

Why did you ultimately begin writing alternative historical fiction, rather than playing it straight with known history in your novels? Well, let’s see, I’d been reading science fiction forever. I wanted to write it. I was a trained historian – unemployable, but trained. What’s a would-be science fiction writer with a background like that going to do? Mess with history, right? Seemed so me, anyhow.

He’s a much better administrator than I could ever be, though. What appeals to you about writing fiction, as opposed to nonfiction? I get to tell my kind of story my kind of way. If real historical bits work, I use them or adapt them or whatever. If they don’t, I get to make things up, which is also fun. Your Timeline-191 Alternate History series covers a vast amount of ground. How did the smaller series within the umbrella series evolve? 12

How do you name your characters?

Names need to be true to time and milieu. One trick is to take real surnames from a particular time and place and mix them with different first names from the same period and area. Are your characters based on specific persons from history? Are there any aspects of you or other individuals you know within them?

Some characters are based on real people, yes. There’s a technical term for writers who say they don’t put themselves and people around them into their work: they’re liars. Do you work out your plots in

Harry Turtledove advance, before beginning each novel?

The Timeline 191 Alternate Histories

I usually know where I’m going, but I rarely know how I’m going to get there. Telling myself the story is part of the fun. If I can surprise myself, it’s a fair bet my readers will be surprised, too. Do your characters ever take on a life of their own and influence the direction of your stories? Absolutely. That’s one of the ways you know when they’re really coming to life. How important is historical credibility in creating engaging fiction for readers? It depends entirely on what you’re doing. For the kinds of things I write, it’s usually very important. Disbelief is heavy; you have to work hard to suspend it. Throwing the readers out of period and atmosphere sends that disbelief crashing down on their heads, and you’ve probably lost them. When you are working on a novel, do you find yourself falling into the past? Hard to fall back into the past when it’s so very convenient to Google something and find out what you need to know about it. For living, you can’t beat the present. Not to put too fine a point on it, I’d be dead several times over without modern medicine – and I’m not even talking about all the lives saved through immunization. This is true of most people older than, oh, about

By Harry Turtledove What if Robert E. Lee’s plans for his invasion of the North (known as Special Order 191) had not fallen into Union hands? What if the Confederacy had won the Civil War and maintained the Confederate States of America as an independent country? In Harry Turtledove’s series this is exactly what happens, resulting in an entirely different time line that is chillingly plausible. The USA and CSA exist side by side, engaging in protracted wars with each other, fostering racism and intolerance in their quest for dominance, and making shocking alliances with other world powers. Narrated by an intriguing cast of soldiers, civilians, politicians and revolutionaries – and featuring real historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, George Armstrong Custer, and Teddy Roosevelt – this is an imaginative fast-moving story of a century that might have been. Available in Mass Market Paperbacks

1 - How Few Remain 2 - The Great War: American Front 3 - The Great War: Walk in Hell 4 - The Great War: Breakthroughs 5 - American Empire: Blood and Iron 6 - American Empire: The Center Cannot Hold 7 - American Empire: The Victorious Opposition 8 - Settling Accounts: Return Engagement 9 - Settling Accounts: Drive to the East 10 - Settling Accounts: The Grapple 11 - Settling Accounts: In at the Death

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Harry Turtledove mumblety-three.

Kydd Sea Adventures Collectible

10 - Invasion

Do you write specifically for your readers or do you write the sort of novel you would like to read?

By Julian Stockwin

I write things I find interesting to read. I’m delighted when other people find them interesting, too. It means I can do this instead of having to work for a living, which I’ve done before, and which is much less enjoyable. Would you describe where you write? I’ve got a niche in the master bedroom surrounded on both sides by bookshelves. I do first drafts in longhand, so my work is very portable. I often work downstairs in the library. I come to the Mac when I need to put things into a form other people can read. Do you maintain a reference library? It’s indispensable for the kinds of things I do. Besides, I just like books. What are you currently working on? An alternate history centered on World War II breaking out eleven months early, over Czechoslovakia, as Hitler wanted it to do. The first book in the series, Hitler’s War, just came out from Del Rey. And I’m working up other proposals. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Rumors fly of Napoleon’s planned invasion of England. In France, American inventor Robert Fulton has created "infernal machines" that he claims can wreak mass destruction from a distance. Fulton believes that his inventions – the submarine and torpedo – will win the day for the power that possesses them. But Napoleon is far from convinced, and the English employ a clever scheme to bring Fulton over to their side. The plan calls for Renzi to risk his life contacting Fulton in Revolutionary France and then requires Kydd to help develop the devices in England. Kydd believes that standing man-to-man is the only honorable way to fight, yet he agrees to take part in the crucial testing of these new long-range weapons. He knows he cannot escape the truth: in the end, their fire power just may decide the fate of nations! We are offering a small number of UK first edition sets to collectors of Julian Stockwin's works. The illustration shows the book cover, the signed, numbered, and embossed title page, an enlarged detail of the embossing, and both sides of the signed commemorative postcard. The gold embossed leather bookmark isn’t shown, but will be included. UK Hardcover | 352 Pages Signed by Julian Stockwin (while supplies last)

Just to thank them for being interested in what I do. I couldn’t do it without ’em. 14

TOM HARPER

Connected by

CENTURIES Tom Harper slips between the ancient past and the present to create engaging historical fiction.

T

om Harper is the pen name of British novelist Edwin Thomas, who launched his career with The Blighted Cliffs, the first of three splendid historical mysteries featuring Lieutenant Martin Jerrold of the Royal Navy. What drew you to write your most recent historical mysteries, The Lost Temple and The Book of Secrets ?

The Lost Temple was, in many ways, a reaction to Siege of Heaven. I’m very proud of that book, but it took an enormous effort to write and I was in danger of losing sight of what I enjoy about writing. I was watching an Indiana Jones movie shortly afterwards, with a big smile on my face, and realized that I wanted to create something that gave me the same feeling. I’ve always loved Indiana Jones, so Lost Temple was my loveletter to it. One aspect of The Lost Temple I really enjoyed was piecing together the historical Tom Harper mystery and bringing it into the (almost) (AKA Edwin Thomas) present day. My editor was very keen for me to continue in a similar vein, and suggested a timeslip novel [which is described later] as a way of combining past and present in a single book. I agreed, and started looking for new ideas that would lend themselves to that treatment. 15

TOM HARPER What motivated you to incorporate the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in your two recent novels? My editor was very keen for me to try my hand at a contemporary thriller. A straight modern thriller didn’t appeal, but I’ve always been very interested in the ways the past intersects with the present. I wrote the Crusades trilogy, in part, as a reflection on the current situation in the Middle East, but there’s a limit to what you can do in a pure historical setting. You have to lay out the story and hope that the reader notices the parallels. By bringing the story into the modern day, you can connect the past and the present much more directly: demonstrate how one emerges from the other, and explore the connections.

out that Linear B tied in to the Greek Age of Heroes, the historical period when the Trojan war most likely happened, and thence to the poems of Homer, I had the richest source material imaginable. My wife is half-Greek and we spend a lot of time there, so it was nice to be able to use that heritage in the book. What was the genesis of The Book of Secrets ? Again, chance. I was studying Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte d’Arthur, and got interested in William Caxton, the first printer in England,

anything at all about the Master, except that he was almost certainly the man who invented intaglio printing from copper engraving. The idea that these two geniuses could have collaborated gripped me. I really wanted to explore what their relationship might have been like. What can you share with us about The Book of Secrets without spoiling the plot for readers? The Book of Secrets is a timeslip novel. Half of it takes place in the present day, and half in fifteenth century Germany. The historical strand follows Johann Gutenberg’s extraordinary life as he works towards his crowning achievement, the invention of printing from movable type. The modern strand begins in New York City, when computer researcher Nick Ash receives a desperate message from his ex-girlfriend begging him to save her. The only clue he has to go on is the image of a mysterious medieval playing card. As he follows her trail, first in New York and then across Europe, he realizes that she’s stumbled onto an ancient secret whose roots go back to the dawn of printing.

“... there’s a limit to what you can do in a pure historical setting ... you can connect the past and the present much more directly ...”

What about the ruins of the post-war Mediterranean, the myths and literature of lost civi lizations appealed to you as a basis for an historical mystery? I came to it by chance. I was browsing in a secondhand bookshop, and I happened to pick up a book called The Decipherment of Linear B. It details, very clearly, the brilliant intellectual feat of the two men who figured out how to read the ancient Mycenean script called Linear B, a riddle on a par with the Egyptian hieroglyphs. I’d recently read Neal Stephenson’s Cryptonomicon, which I loved, so code-breaking was very much on my mind. When I found

who printed the Morte. I couldn’t find out much about Caxton, so I thought I’d try Gutenberg. The more I read about Gutenberg, the more intrigued I became by this enigmatic character who produced arguably the most significant invention of the last thousand years. I was fascinated by the idea that he wasn’t only interested in mass-production, but in using technology to create something more perfect than the human hand could manage. The eureka moment was when I discovered a potential link between Gutenberg and an even more mysterious artist known as the Master of the Playing Cards. No-one knows 16

What appeals to you about stand alone novels, as opposed to series fiction, such as the Martin Jerrold stories or your Demetrios Askiates trilogy?

TOM HARPER The Hungarian literary theorist Lajos Egri has this idea that the characters of a drama should be perfectly formulated to that particular story: given the way they are, the story that unfolds is the only possible outcome. I think there’s a lot of truth in that. With series fiction, you have to upend that a bit, because you start with characters who were perfectly formulated for the first book, and then have to find another story that fits those same characters without being repetitive. With stand-alones, I enjoy the process of starting fresh each time and being able to find characters to serve the story I want to tell. Would you consider writing series fiction again?

research than I did on the early Jerrold novels, but at the same time feel more comfortable manipulating the history. I still recoil from putting in anything that’s actually counterfactual or knowingly wrong, but I’ve got a better feel for how to edit the history to serve the story better. Siege of Heaven was a key book in that regard. I wanted the Crusades trilogy to be as historically accurate as possible, but on that book I almost drove myself into the ground trying to figure out a story that would also tell the history. It’s so complicated and tangled it’s just not possible – you have to be selective.

ly able. After the inept Martin Jerrold and the reluctant Demetrios. Askiates, it was fun to work with someone who was less complicated. A friend of mine thought he was reminiscent of Ian Fleming’s James Bond, which I was thrilled by. With The Book of Secrets, Johann Gutenberg was always going to be the protagonist of the historical section. We know almost nothing of his life, only occasional fragments that hint at major dramas just off stage, so I had great fun imagining a history for him that would touch the known bases, while explaining how the son of a Mainz merchant could pull off this incredible invention. Definitely one of the most extreme characters I’ve worked with. For the modern strand, by contrast, I wanted an everyman who would get sucked into an adventure he really hadn’t sought.

“I wanted the Crusades trilogy to be as historically accurate as possible ... I almost drove myself into the ground trying to figure out a story ...”

I certainly wouldn’t rule it out. In fact, I’d have been quite happy to make Sam Grant (from Lost Temple) a series character, but my publisher talked me out of it. On the other hand, I feel a lot more creative freedom at the moment with being able to do different things with every book. It gives me more scope to experiment with different voices and styles, different approaches and characters. Has your approach to writing shift ed since your first published novels about Martin Jerrold? It’s certainly evolved, although a lot of the processes remain similar. Paradoxically, I do much more

It’s a lesson I applied usefully to the Gutenberg story. It covers almost sixty years of his life, whereas the timescales for the previous books range from two weeks (The Blighted Cliffs) to about a year (Siege of Heaven). You have to figure out ways of skipping to the important bits that drive the story forward. How did you select your protago nists in The Lost Temple and The Book of Secrets ? The Lost Temple, as I’ve said, was inspired by Indiana Jones, so in Sam Grant I wanted a hero who’d be dashing and masculine and extreme17

Is there a particular historical period you enjoy researching and writing about? Having spent three books in the early medieval period of the eleventh century, I found I really enjoyed researching the later middle ages of the fifteenth century. So little survives of the earlier period, both textually and materially, that it can become frustrating to research. By the fifteenth century, there’s much more to work with and you can get a better sense of life as it might have

TOM HARPER been, which enriches the fiction. Fifteenth century Europe is really fascinating: there are a lot of aspects we’d recognize today: urbanization, the growth of the middle classes, the importance of trade and the growth of the state; but equally, a strong medieval mindset underlying it all. Since I live in York, researching the fifteenth century is particularly rewarding. I remember sitting in a local library reading about fifteenth century houses, and coming across the information that some of the best-preserved examples in the UK were actually in York. They now house a Chinese restaurant and some shops. I’d walked past them a hundred times and never really registered them. Living here, you don’t need to bury yourself in books: just look around.

Historical Fiction

The Book of Secrets By Tom Harper In a snowbound village in the German mountains, a young woman discovers an extraordinary secret. Before she can reveal it, she disappears. All that survives is a picture of a mysterious medieval playing card that has perplexed scholars for centuries. Nick Ash does research for the FBI in New York. Six months ago his girlfriend Gillian walked out and broke his heart. Now he's the only person who can save her – if it’s not too late. Within hours of getting her message, Nick finds himself on the run, delving deep into the past before it catches up with him. Hunted across Europe, Nick follows Gillian's trail into the heart of a five-hundred-year-old mystery. But across the centuries, powerful forces are closing around him. UK Paperback | 592 Pages

What is next on your writing horizon? I’m currently working on a new stand-alone timeslip novel, The Lazarus Vault, which shifts between twelfth century France and presentday England. The modern strand is about a young woman who goes to work for a mysterious old bank in the City of London; the medieval story centers on the poet Chretien de Troyes. It’s a bit of a departure for me in that the lead character is female; also that the chase element, which has been the hallmark of most of my novels since The Chains of Albion, doesn’t kick in until much later in the book. It’s an interesting challenge trying to build tension working with suspense and threat.

The Lost Temple By Tom Harper For three thousand years, the world's most dangerous treasure has been lost. Now the code that reveals its hiding place is about to be broken. Sam Grant is a disgraced former soldier and an adventurer by trade. But he has a secret: six years ago, a dying archaeologist entrusted him with his life's work – transcripts of mysterious writing found in a hidden cave on Crete. Deciphered, it could lead to one of the greatest prizes in history. But the treasure is as dangerous as it is valuable. The CIA wants it; so does the KGB. Helped by a brilliant Oxford professor, and a beautiful Greek archaeologist with her own secrets to hide, Grant is plunged into a labyrinth of ancient cults, forgotten mysteries and lost civilizations. But time is running out. Secrets of the past may hold the key to the newest threats of the modern world.

Visit Tom Harper online at www.tomharper.com.

UK Paperback | 400 Pages 18

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BY GEORGE! There was a resurgence of interest in the mid-to-late 1990s in nautical fiction among readers and publishers alike. The Heart of Oak Sea Classics, edited by Dean King brought back long out-of-print titles to compliment the modern sea writers Kent, Woodman, David Donachie, Dewey Lambdin, and O’Brian. James L. Nelson launched the Isaac Biddlecomb novels set during the American Revolution about this time. A wave of sea stories swept across America and the United Kingdom. There were also readers from around the world, including Australia and Japan. Tall Ships Books flourished, and publishers looked for new authors in the genre, like Julian Stockwin, whose first novel, Kydd, was launched in 2001. By the midpoint of the first decade of the new century, the market had changed. Small shops were squeezed out by large bookstore chains and Internetdriven booksellers. Historical fiction readers were becoming an older demographic, with fewer members of younger generations reading these books. A seachange was influencing the market. Then came the economic downturn around the world. Exchange rates no longer favored the U.S. dollar, and Tall Ships Books was no longer a viable small business. We closed our doors. Historical fiction readers had McBooks Press to turn toward, but in these economic times previous business models don’t always work. Thankfully for all of us who continue to enjoy going down to the sea in books, McBooks Press will continue to publish titles in the genre. Readers looking for alternatives to purchase books published by McBooks and other publishers can turn to online shops like The Book Depository (www.bookdepository.co.uk) and Amazon.co.uk in the UK, and Amazon.com, and Barnes & Noble (www.barnesandnoble.com) and Borders (www.borders.com) in the U.S. And, yes, there are still a few independents hanging on. Amy and I are grateful for our years as book dealers. I have taken great pleasure in producing Quarterdeck and its predecessor, Bowsprit, over the last decade. It has brought wonderfully talented and interesting authors and marine artists into my life. I continue to read in the genre, and look forward to a winter at sea, from a comfortable chair by the fireside.

Continued from page 3 first editions displayed behind locked glass-doored cabinets. Clearly the English valued their maritime heritage. As we strolled the streets of London over the next couple of days, Amy logged the number of shops we had visited and shot photos of me in front of the signs. It began as a bit of ribbing, but we soon realized that we were being drawn toward Tall Ships Books – a thought both daunting and exciting. Outside of Rich Merritt, we knew no one in the book trade, nor had we any experience in running a shop. A day later, setting aside thoughts of books for a time, we boarded an 8:15 AM train bound for Portsmouth Harbour to tour the Historic Dockyard, Royal Naval Museum and HMS Victory. Fortified with cups of tea and warm scones purchased in the station, we sat back and absorbed the passing countryside. As we sped through Hampshire, looking across the rolling hills, I imagined Jack Aubrey’s Ashgrove Cottage described in Patrick O’Brian’s novels. The train slowed as it approached Portsmouth Harbour, and within minutes we were were walking toward the Dockyard gate, flanked by brick pillars and topped by golden globes. A brisk sea breeze blew across the harbor, ruffling the waters. I couldn’t help thinking that we were following the steps of countless British seamen and officers – including Nelson himself – as we passed the mast pond and warehouses dating back to Georgian times. In the distance, the masts and crosstrees of HMS Victory stood dark and tall against the sky. Along our route, we approached a Dockyard shop. Stepping inside, we encountered shelves of nautical fiction and naval history. So we hadn’t escaped the new theme in our lives, and it was beginning to seem inevitable that Tall Ships Books would soon operate under new ownership. After several days exploring London and the surrounding countryside, we left Big Ben, Windsor Castle, Westminster Abby, and our favorite pub, the Swan, behind. Arriving home, we met with Rich Merritt and finalized details for us to acquire Tall Ships Books. Not long after taking the helm, we were in touch with a fellow called Alex Skutt, owner and publisher of McBooks Press in Ithaca, NY. Without Alex’ foresight in deciding to publish a broad spectrum of sea fiction, Tall Ships Books would have been sailing in the doldrums.

George Jepson 20