Feature on Eliza Redgold, Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva & #Giveaways

This week's Feature on Author is on Eliza Redgold  and her latest release, Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva.

By day a mild-mannered university lecturer with a PhD, by night she is a wild-mannered writer of historical fiction and romances. “Writing makes me braver. It has inspired adventures (and misadventures!) in travel, nature, art, literature and even gastronomy. I hope my books will inspire you too! They’re for people who love a good story, but want to discover new things. They also feature adventurous heroines who are prepared to take risks in life and love. Though in life and in love, of course, things never go quite as planned …”

Eliza Redgold on the web:

Website             Facebook      Twitter      Author Page

    

1. How do you keep coming up with fresh characters and stories?

Fresh characters often lead me to fresh stories. Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva is the first in an historical fiction trilogy that brings back the story of a ‘Legendary Lady’ to tell it from her point of view and twist her tale. I’ve already written the second Lady of Legend story and will be revealing her name very soon … A clue is: Lost voices. Lost lore. Lost love. Let me know if you got it right!

2. What do you like to read?

Top of my list? Fairy tales. I love them and have a Cabinet des Fées, the old French name for a special bookshelf dedicated to fairy tales, in my home. Fairy Tales are full of wisdom and wonder. On my Facebook Page I run ‘Fairy Tale Fridays’. Each week I post the first sentence or two of a fairy tale, and people guess the story. The next week I post the answer and an old illustration of the tale. Too easy? It’s harder than it sounds – come by and try!

3. What's your favorite place to read?

I read everywhere. My favourite part of the day when I grew up was walking home after school, open book in hand … I’m lucky not to have walked into a tree J

4. What are some of your reading pet peeves?

Too many books, not enough time J

5. Do your characters stick with you after you've finished a book and if so, how do you handle it?

They sure do! And they stick around for others too! I have a wonderful friend who is also a writer and she’s helped a lot in preparing for the book release. She lives on the other side of the country but she said to me a while back: “I think Leofric (Godiva’s husband in Naked) is hanging around my house …”

6. How do you handle writer's block?

I take a break, or I write something else.

7. What motivates you to write your books?

The re-telling of old legends and creating new stories.

8. Tell us a little about your book...

We know her name. We know of her naked ride. We don’t know her true story. We all know the legend of Lady Godiva, who famously rode naked through the streets of Coventry, covered only by her long, flowing hair. So the story goes, she begged her husband Lord Leofric of Mercia to lift a high tax on her people, who would starve if forced to pay. Lord Leofric demanded a forfeit: that Godiva ride naked on horseback through the town. There are various endings to Godiva’s ride, that all the people of Coventry closed their doors and refused to look upon their liege lady (except for ‘peeping Tom’) and that her husband, in remorse, lifted the tax.

Naked is an original version of Godiva’s tale with a twist that may be closer to the truth: by the end of his life Leofric had fallen deeply in love with Lady Godiva. A tale of legendary courage and extraordinary passion, Naked brings an epic story new voice.

 

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A Kindle copy giveaway of Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva to one commenter!