Loaded Questions: "World Without End" author Ken Follet

Eighteen years ago Ken Follett wrote a 1,000 page novel based the building of a great cathedral in 12th century Europe, The Pillars of Earth . It was a change of pace from the thrillers that he had written in the past. After the The Pillars of Earth Follett Ken went back to writing the mystery and thrillers that he had previously been known for. Over the years, though, his book based in medieval England continued to sell and grow via word of mouth. It became so popular that people were constantly asking for more. As of a little more than two weeks ago, Ken Follett's sizeable book that could has become an Oprah Book Club selection.

Ironically enough, Oprah's selection came just weeks after Ken had responded to the many requests of his readers to provide a sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, and so we have World Without End. The place is the same, the town of Kingsbridge, but two centuries have passed. The beautiful Gothic Cathedral built in the first book has become a place solely for the elite and wealthy. World Without End has been receiving praise from fans and reviewers alike. I am happy to present, Loaded Questions with Ken Follett.

World Without End by KEN FOLLETT
Oct. 2007, 1024 pages, $35.00



Kelly Hewitt: World Without End takes readers back to the same setting that you wrote about in The Pillars of the Earth but two hundred years later making it, in many ways, a sequel. Some of your readers have noted that World Without End can also be approached as an independent stand-alone novel. Do you think that's the case? What familiar settings, characters, and themes can fans of the first book look to find in the second book?

Ken Follett: World Without End is set in Kingsbridge, the fictional town that is the focus of The Pillars of the Earth. Readers will recognise the cathedral, of course, and the monastery next to it, plus the main streets and the river. The neighbouring town of Shiring may be familiar, and the Earl's seat, Earlscastle. However this story takes place 200 years later, so none of the characters are the same. Nevertheless they are the descendants of characters in Pillars, and sometimes retain inherited characteristics that readers with good memories may recall.

Kelly: It has just been announced that Oprah Winfrey has chosen The Pillars of the Earth as her next book club selection. It is a major success and a tribute to the continued increase in the popularity of this book. What does if feel like to find out that Oprah has selected your book?

Ken: I'm thrilled that The Pillars of the Earth has been selected for Oprah's Book Club. Oprah is a unique cultural leader who has a special place in the hearts of people all over the world, and I have enormous respect for what she has achieved. Her endorsement will bring my work to the attention of her many millions of fans, and for that I am very grateful.

Kelly: You have written some very strong female characters in World Without End. I read another interview in which you said that women largely paid lip service to men in the medieval period and still served in merchant, religious and leadership roles. This English historian in me thought, "Exactly!" How much time have you dedicated to the study of history in the 14th century? Is there a particular piece of history that appeals more to you?

Ken: I have been an amateur enthusiast of medieval history for about 30 years. What interests me most is the building of the great cathedrals--although that interest has led me to study many other aspects of medieval life including, as you note, the role of women.


Kelly: You have written historical novels but have written even more successful thrillers. How does the process of writing the historical novels vs. thrillers differ? Do you intend to return to writing thrillers after having written World Without End?

Ken: A thriller is like a snapshot of a group of a characters taken at a moment in their lives when they are in great danger. A novel like World Without End tells the entire life story of each major character, from childhood to old age. The main difference is that there is so much more that has to be invented!

Kelly: Was there any nervousness on your behalf when it came to World Without End being touted as the biggest sequel of the year?

Ken: I was nervous about writing WWE, because of readers' high expectations. By the time it was published, it had been read and enjoyed by enough people to calm my fears.

Kelly: Is there another historical era or a particular historical character that you could ever see yourself writing another novel about?

Ken: I'm sure I will return to the Second World War. It is still the war we look back on as the great battle of good and evil. There are thousands more stories of real-life heroism to inspire writers such as I.

Kelly: Your two big novels Pillars of the Earth and World Without End are called "epics" do you think that's an accurate way of describing them?

Ken: "Epic" is a word I would take as a compliment!

Loaded Questions: "Dispensation of Death" author Michael Jecks

Dispensation of Death by Michael Jecks
September, 2007 - 416 pages - $24.95


Dispensation of Death takes place in 1325 England amidst turmoil caused in part by the troubled and uncontrollable King Edward II and his unpopular lover Hugh le Despenser. Life if court is already tumoltuous but gets even worse when one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting is found dead along with the body of a mutilated man -- both found hidden behind the throne of the King. On the heals of Edward's demands to be avenged, Despenser hires investigator Sir Baldwin de Furnshill, Jecks' most prominent character. Can anyone find their way to the bottom of the intrigue and scandal?

Trained as an Actuary and then working as a computer salesman for thirteen years, Michael Jecks wrote his very first book in 1993. Since then he has been a prolific historical fiction mystery novelist, Dispensation of Death being is twenty-fourth novel.

Kelly Hewitt: Your website heralds you as "The Master of the Medieval Murder Mystery". I certainly think its true and that you deserve the title, but when did that happen? At what point did someone begin calling you 'the master'?

Michael Jecks: I couldn't honestly tell you when that started - it was such a long time ago now, and I'd have to go back and look through all my cuttings files. However I have been very lucky with the very kind comments that reviewers tend to give me. The only unkind ones I've received have been from people who tend to dispute my portrayal of medieval churchmen and woman. But that's hardly my fault!

The most complaints I've had for a single book came from Belladona Belladonna At Belstone, which was all about nuns. I showed them having sex with servants, keeping pets, ogling the local young priest, and being drunk. But all those came from the visitation records of Bishop Stapeldon and Bishop Grandisson. The cases I mention were all authentic at the time, in the two or three convents which lay in their diocese. Others have complained about my works, too, but generally they are about historical details, and I do spend an inordinate amount of time getting the details right. My books are all based upon actual events, generally, and I conduct much of my research by going through the court records, coroners' rolls, and local history books from the Devon & Cornwall Record Society.

I couldn't make up half the things I read about. In fact usually I have to tone things down.

Kelly: The story of how you became a writer is really interesting (and can be read about here on Michael's website -- link). When you began writing your first novel The Last Templar you were unemployed. You write that you had the support of your wife and family. What was that like? The moment when you told your wife that you were done with computers and were going to write?

Michael: My wife and I had not had a good time. When I began writing in 1994, I'd had a number of jobs and all the firms (bar the last) had gone bust. My wife had enjoyed a stable career, which was good for us both. But then, just after we moved house to a huge mortgage, not only did I lose my own job, she lost hers too. That was a terrible time, and we were forced to take on anything we could for a while. We could not even afford a TV, because we didn't have the money for the annual TV licence.

However, while I was working, I kept sketching out initial chapters as ideas for books. None of them came to much, but my wife was fascinated by them, and it was her enthusiasm for my work that really forced me to consider the idea of taking on the challenge of writing. If it weren't for her, I doubt I'd be writing now. She was enormously supportive, and took on the responsibility of all the household income while I tried to write, and luckily my long-suffering parents backed us up with a guarantee for our mortgage. They too were keen to help me get started as a writer.

So there was no specific moment when I told her I was going to be done with computers. It was more a sort of gradual slide into it, with me trying to write, and then losing another job, and both of us agreeing that if I didn't do it now, I never would. It was much more interesting telling my parents, because they had been abroad on holiday, and every time when they went away, one of their sons would lose a job or something . . .

Kelly: Your books really appeal to me because I study English history and have a real adoration for the landmarks in London and all throughout the country. You have written books that take place all over. Is there a particular region or landmark that you find inspiring or a pleasure to write about?

Michael: My main region is Devon and Dartmoor. All the earlier books - the first twenty one or so - are set in and around Dartmoor apart from a couple where I strayed on to a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Dartmoor is enormously inspiring. It's unspoilt, all rolling hills and craggy rocks with small streams chuckling in narrow beds. There are few places in England where you can go and get a feel for how the land would have looked, smelled and sounded in medieval times, but this fabulous park has it. You can walk over the moors, and almost hear the voices of your ancestors in the old tin workings. There is nothing from the twenty-first century which can intrude. No cars, no planes, nothing. It's wonderful and very evocative, and whenever I want to write, I go to the moors for inspiration.

Kelly: For readers that are new to your novels, what can you tell us about your chief character, Sir Baldwin Furnshill?

Michael: Sir Baldwin de Furnshill was born when I went to a house called Fursdon. Fursdon has remained in the same family for some seven hundred years or more. A small manor house now, once the Fursdons owned vast tracts of Devon, with mining rights and involvement in the politics and law of the area. I went there with my wife in the year before I began writing, and saw a family tree, that showed the first of the Fursdons arriving in the 1200s. It made me wonder where on earth he'd come from. And then I read a book about the Templars, and was struck with the fact that many survived. Some were released into convents after their torture, where they lived out their days. Others were freed and lived as beggars in the streets of Paris, but a few were never arrested, and went to find new lives.

It was the two ideas that grabbed my imagination. I wanted to write about a man who was filled with rage at injustice. He had seen his friends captured for no reason, seen them tortured, some executed, and all because of a shallow and corrupt pair of men, the King of France and the Pope. He would be a man who would be forever looking over his shoulder, who would rail against injustice, and who would distrust politics and politicians, the Church and priests. And yet his own personal faith in God would be unshaken.

The other thing was, he would be an excellent investigator. Being educated, intelligent, well-travelled, he would have a good world-view and understanding of a variety of cultures. And he would be an excellent fighter.

While writing the first book, I knew I wanted to reuse the same character, and began to cast about for a role he could have which would allow him to use his skills. Almost immediately I hit on the idea of a Keeper of the King's Peace. This was a new position. The King had endured many problems with justice, and the old system of the Eyre had fallen into disuse. In its place a system of courts of "trailbaston" were implemented, but these were ineffective. So the Keepers were brought in. Unlike Coroners, who were there to record all the details of a crime for presentation at a later date in front of a court, the Keepers were there to hunt down felons "from vill to vill, hundred to hundred, shire to shire". They were the actual police of the time, and had authority to call out the posse of the county if necessary.

This seemed to me to be the ideal job for my man. And he must be good at it, because in book twenty four in the series, he's rewarded with being elected to the Parliament.

Kelly: Do you ever think that you might write a different genre or literature or a different time period?

Michael: Oh yes. My very first book was a modern day thriller based on a sniper. It had all the things you could want: fast women, tight-trousered men, guns, bombs, sex, drugs . . . and it was snapped up by a major publisher almost immediately. Sadly a couple of days later it was rejected in writing. Why? It was all about the IRA and they'd just agreed their first cease-fire. The second book I wrote was the first of my medieval ones, and I've been involved in them ever since. However I am working on a modern thriller again now, as well as a children's book about the Norman conquest, which may be fun.

Kelly: You latest book, Dispensation of Death, has the infamous King Edward II and his lover Hugh le Despensar. Both of these individuals, real characters in English history, are quite interesting. What's the most shocking thing you've learned about Edward or Hugh?

Michael: Sadly I don't have space to list their full series of crimes.

For the King, probably his worst crime was the punishment meted out to all those who took arms against his lover, Sir Hugh le Despenser. People loathed Despenser, because he was a murderous, brutal thug. When the Lords Marcher rose against Despenser, the King himself forced them to back down, and attacked them at Boroughbridge. And that led to his crime. His own cousin, Thomas of Lancaster, was there. He was led to his execution, shamefully, on a donkey. And from that moment the King went on a murderous spree, slaughtering knights, barons and even lords, up and down the country. It was said that not a town in the realm did not have two gibbets outside its gates with the rotting bodies of those who had incurred the King's wrath. Those bodies were tarred to cure them, so that they would remain dangling for longer. It was only the intervention of the Queen that caused them to be cut down about two years later.

But Despenser - ah, he was evil. One example: the King had a loyal Knight die while fighting for him. This man's widow, Madame Baret, possessed a little money and a small estate which Despenser coveted. He had her captured, and then held and tortured until she agreed to pass her lands over to him. All her limbs were systematically broken, and in
the end she was driven mad. He was not a pleasant character.

Kelly: Okay, you're a prolific writer. Looking down the list of books you've written since 1994 its easy to see that you've been quite busy. How is it that you write so many books?

Michael: I am lucky because my books follow from the history. I have a series of great events happening - Boroughbridge, the War of St Sardos, the escape of the Queen to France, the invasion of England - and my characters are living through these momentous occasions. So I have the background to the books set out. Then I also tend to use actual murders. My stories are culled mostly from coroners' rolls and court records. That is what many readers find hard to accept, that I am less a fiction writer than a translator of actual history. Yes, I do fictionalise things, and I do invent characters and traits for characters, as well as subplots, but what I am doing is embellishing stories which are there already. Such as Sir Roger Mortimer bribing a wizard to make waxen figures of the King and Despenser and try to kill them with black magic (The Malice of Unnatural Death). I didn't invent that story, it's all in the records! Similarly, when I write about the murder of Exeter Cathedral's Precentor, Walter de Lecchelade, that was true. It's all in the court records. My skill as a writer is to pull together the history, take certain fabulously interesting little events, and weave them together into a story. Luckily it's worked so far!

Kelly: Speaking of your prolific writing, what can your readers expect next from Michael Jecks?

Michael: Well, I've just finished the twenty-fifth book in the series, which will go under the title of Prophecy of Death (snappy title, huh!) and will come out next summer. Then there's the latest Medieval Murderers collaboration, "The Lost Prophecies" which will come out at the same time. But generally I'm working on another three Templar series books and one more Medieval Murderers. And then I'll be struggling on with the modern book and the childrens'. Hopefully I'll be able to find time for them . . . won't be easy until I've finished working on a judging commitment. I used to be chairman of the Crime Writers' Association, and one hangover from that is that I have to help judge the CWA, Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for the best thriller of the year. My last year doing that is finishing in March, so after that I'll be able to concentrate a little more!

From Napoleon to the Ladies of the French Revolution

The headline says it all. I was looking my bookshelves the other day and quickly realized that I noticed a theme among five books. They were all focused heavily on the French Revolution, the lives of those who were involved and in the mysteries of Napoleon, the epic figure who arrived at the tale end of a devastating revolution to serve as a centralizing figure for a nation that had lost its very center.

Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich
Thriller Fiction - Paperback - Dec., 2008

Ethan Gage, an American living in Paris at the end of the French Revolution and former apprentice of Benjamin Franklin, wins a curious Egyptian medallion in a poker game. His luck isn't all that great after the medallion comes into his possession as he finds himself attacked by thieves, chased by the police, and worst of all, befriended by Gypsies. Ethan finally finds himself in the hands of a British spy and soon after finds himself joined up in Napoleon's Army heading for Egypt. What follows is an action-packed thriller with semi-naked women, battle scenes, mysteries of the pharaohs, mathematical puzzles, and a whole lot more. Dietrich is known for detailed historical thrillers and Napoleon's Pyramids lives up to all expectations. Stay tuned for an interview with William Dietrich in the near future.

Annette Vallon: A Novel of the French Revolution
By James Tipton
Historical Fiction - Hardcover - Nov., 2007

Inspired by the work of the famous English romance poetWilliam Wadsworth who was writing just as the French Revolution was breaking out, author James Tipton has written a historical fiction centered around Wadsworth's French lover Annette Vallon (1766–1841). There is historical evidence that points to Annette having met Wadsworth as he was leaving France as things were getting kind of sticky but returned as the Revolution was dying down in order to meet his child with Annette, Caroline. I hasten to say any more as I believe this is quite a good novel. It took me a bit of time tracing down the proper publicist in order to get a copy of this book but after looking at it and reading a bit I believe it was certainly worth the time.

The Strange Death of Napoleon Bonaparte by Dr. Jerry Labriola
Thriller Fiction - Hardcover - Nov., 2007

This is another suspense novel tauted for its fiction and rich historical detail. Labriola uses for his central character international treasure hunter, Paul D'Arneau. The action begins to take place when Paul is approached by the Gens de Verite, an ancient and secretive organization formed in France after the fall of Napoleon in 1815. The organization wants Paul's help in looking into one of history's greatest mysteries -- the death of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Was the cause of his death, the organization asks, part of a murder plot or simply a natural affair?


Mirage: Napoleon's Scientists and the Unveiling of Egypt By Nina Burleigh
History - Hardcover - Nov., 2007

Author Nina Burleigh is an accomplished journalist who reported for Time magazine in Iraq in the 1990s. With Mirage she has written a very detailed book about Napoleon Bonaparte's march to Egypt with the French army beneath him (the same instance that has been discussed earlier in the post). The focus of Burleigh's book is upon the band of scholars, astronomers, mathematicians, naturalists, physicists, doctors, chemists, engineers, botanists, artists—even a poet and a musicologist, who travelled with on what ended up being a failed and tragic journey from which many of the scholars and Napoleon's men never returned. The scholars that did return came back with vast amounts of information which they turned into an amazing work that provided a first look at a lost civilization. I certainly recommend reading this book. Burleigh's approach to this historical adventure is refreshing and very approachable -- history for the non historian.



Mistress of the Revolution by Catherine Delors
Historical Fiction - Hardback - March, 2008

This is another one of the upcoming novels that I have been looking forward to. The moment I read the description by Dutton I knew that I had to figure out a way to get a copy and to talk to Delors. Mistress of the Revolution takes place from the vantage point of Gabrielle de Montserrat, a lady in the service of Marie Antionette who suffers for love and finds herself wound up in the decadence that was part of royal life at the French court. Soon, however, the French Revolution begins to unfold, bringing with it new ideas about society and the very notion of royalty and nobility. All of those who spent time at court and operated within court circles find themselves at risk. Gabrielle finds herself before the Revolutionary Tribune with her head quite literally on the chopping block. Serving on the tribune set to make the decision about her life or death? The one man she's loved but was forced to leave for a marriage to a wealthy baron. Reader be warned, this book is no light romantic novel lacking substance. Delors has written a very cunning novel of life at the French court and the tenuous days that took place after the monarchy's fall and a revolutionary fervor takes hold of the nation.

Free Giveaway: Lauren Willig's "The Seduction of the Crimson Rose"

Loaded Question Readers,

I am very happy to announce that Loaded Questions is having its first ever Free Giveaway!

Are you a fan of Lauren Willig's historical spy series that began with The Secret History of the Pink Carnation? Here's your chance to score a free Advanced Proof of the lastest book in the series, The Seduction of the Crimson Rose, due in stores on January 31st, 2008.

Contest Details: Getting yourself entered in the giveaway is easy! There are two ways:

1. See the box in the left margin of the blog? It says "Subscribe to Loaded Questions with Kelly Hewitt". This is a great way to receive email updates whenever new posts are made to Loaded Questions. Enter your email address in order to sign yourself up for the service. You will receive an email verifying you request to be signed up. It's as easy as that. Once you have signed up, your email address will automatically entered in the contest!

OR

2. Email me, Kelly, at KellyHewittLS@gmail.com. Be sure to include "CRIMSON ROSE" in the title. In your email, write a brief statement as to what you enjoy about Lauren Willig's 'The Secret History of the Pink Carnation' series. After sending this email you will be automatically entered in the contest!

The final day to enter in the contest is November 30th, 2007. The contest winner will be announced on December 1st!

Good luck everyone!

Loaded Questions: "The Dog Says How" author Kevin Kling

Loaded Questions with Kelly Hewitt

The Dog Says How by Kevin Kling
Oct. 1st, 2007 - 224 pages - $22.95

The author of this book, Kevin Kling, is a pretty fascinating guy. I look at a lot of author’s websites and I can honestly say that when I discovered his I spent quite a bit of time clicking around and reading (its simple, KevinKling.com). Kling is the kind of author who writes about the absurdity of the human experience and does so in small intricate ways. On his website there’s this quote that I really like. When talking about his writing Kevin says: "I have a small command of the English language so I try to make each word a hero." I like that.

Kelly Hewitt: A reporter from the Denver Post wrote that your "stories fall somewhere between David Lynch's perversity and Garrison Keillor's home-spun humors." How does that statement make you feel? Is that how you would define yourself?

Kevin Kling: I like both of them as artists so I’m flattered. Even though that definition covers quite a bit of real estate hopefully I’m growing and absorbing other artists turf as well.

Kelly: I read on your site that you toured all over the US in a one man show, "Home and Away", in the 1990's. What was that experience like?

Kevin: Incredible. Memoir theater was not yet a popular form so audiences were willing to take the ride. I toured that one all over the place; off-Broadway at second stage theater, the Goodman in Chicago, the Jungle in Minneapolis and the Denver Center. It premiered at the Seattle Rep. and really launched my carrier as a storyteller.

Kelly: I am an NPR junkie. Can you tell us a bit about what your experience and contributions for "All Things Considered" have been like?

Kevin: Another great place. Bob Boilen, the director and music guru, and I have become good friends even though we've never seen each other. I thank my lucky stars for NPR. They’ve been very supportive. Now when I travel there is an audience waiting.

Kelly: In one of the chapters of The Dog Says How you write about discovering that many of the male members of your family, including yourself, have been struck by lightening. Some of your older family members have been struck several times. I am concerned for you! Has anyone else in the family been struck since you wrote that chapter? Are you nervous about having male children?

Kevin: It seems to have abated for a while. Actually mom got blasted through the TV a few weeks back. She immediately called me all excited “I’m in the family.” I have some nephews that haven't been blasted yet, we tell them “If you think the bad knees are a pain, just wait.”

Kelly: When reading reviews of your new book I read that many of your die-hard fans have been going to see you on stage at live appearances. Do you plan on doing some live stage events in conjunction with the release of the book?

Kevin: Yes, I’ve done some book signings at the Fitzgerald theater in St. Paul, Powell’s in Portland, Elliot Bay in Seattle, Tattered Cover in Denver and have a bunch lined up here in Minnesota. I also tour in storytelling festivals around the country, my website lists where I’ll be.

Kelly: How about a hypothetical question? You're in an NPR three-legged race against the Car Talk brothers. Who do you choose as a partner, Terry Gross or Garrison Keillor?

Kevin: I think Terry, Garrison and I would probably disagree on the best way to the finish line .

Kelly: You have written very candidly about a very serious accident you had last year while riding your motorcycle and the experience you had while in a coma deciding, you write, about whether or not you'd come back to your body. It's fascinating and moving. I have heard you talking about it a couple of times on NPR. Was there any hesitance on your part to write about that experience and share it in the book?

Kevin: No. A story has to be ready to be told however. That means one has to be able to look from outside or it becomes therapy and, as I tell students, you may need more help than an audience can provide. That said its empowering to tell about trauma because once you can tell about it you're in charge instead of the other way around.

Kelly: It is also clear from reading The Dog Says How that you are unabashedly Midwestern and that you feel at home in the landscape. What one thing would you tell someone considering a vacation in Minnesota?

Kevin: Try dog sledding, it's the best.

(Interviewer's note: That is Kevin with a dog sled to the left, looking like a pro.)

Kelly: Your book is surely going to leave people wanting more. Do you have any plans to write another book?

Kevin: Thank you, and definitely more in the works. The next one is well on its way.