It’s a small world,
all right! While chatting with Mary Anne, I found out she was born a stone’s throw from Glastonbury, the fabled Isle of Avalon, and one of my favourite parts of England. My husband’s Aunt
Maisie still lives there, and when we visit her, we take a hike up Glastonbury
Tor, which is quite a workout. Mary Anne is also a huge Ricardian, as I am, and
she’s descended from the Stanley brothers, who betrayed Richard III at the
Battle of Bosworth, which directly resulted in his losing the battle, his
crown, and his life.
Mary Anne is also the
award-winning author of the International Best Selling Series — The Du Lac
Chronicles. Set a generation after the fall of King Arthur, The Du Lac
Chronicles takes you on a journey through Dark Age Briton and Brittany, where
you will meet new friends and terrifying foes. Based on legends and historical
fact, The Du Lac Chronicles is a series not to be missed.
Born in Bath, Mary Anne grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were part of her childhood.
Born in Bath, Mary Anne grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were part of her childhood.
Purchase the Du Lac Chronicles
An Interview with Mary Anne
Hi, everyone. Waves!
Thank you so much, Diana, for inviting me on to your fabulous blog. For those
who don’t know me, my name is Mary Anne Yarde. I was born in Bath, and I grew
up in the south-west of England. I lived a mere 15 minutes from Glastonbury — the
fabled Isle of Avalon. Tales of King Arthur and his Knights were a part of my
childhood.
I am an award-winning author of the International
Best Selling series — The Du Lac Chronicles. This series is set a generation
after the fall of King Arthur. The Du Lac Chronicles takes you on a journey
through Dark Age Britain and Brittany, where you will meet new friends and
terrifying foes.
If
you have 2 hours free time tonight, what would you rather do? Why?
Climbing Glastonbury Tor and watching the sunset
would be a great way to spend 2 hours!
What
kind of books do you love to read? Why?
I am a real bookworm. I love reading, and I get
through a lot of books in a year. My favourite genre is historical fiction, but
I also like fantasy, thrillers, and romance books.
What
type of music do you enjoy relaxing to?
According to my children, my music taste is
appalling, so I must be doing something right! I am a life long fan of Bon Jovi
and Bryan Adams, but I have just discovered For King and Country — much to my
teen’s disgust! I personally can’t see the problem with For King and Country,
and as I am subjected daily to Cryoshell, Nickelback and Avenged Sevenfold, I
think it is fitting to have my revenge and play music that I like occasionally!
Oh my gosh, I just realised how old I sound!
What
is your stress buster?
If I am really stressed, then my Zumba video workout
will be taken out of storage! If I am only a little stressed, then I would pick
up a book — any excuse!
What
is your favorite food? What food do you seek when you’re sad, sort of a comfort
food?
I don’t have a comfort food. But I do drink a lot of
Red Rooibos (Redbush) tea, so I think that
would probably be my comfort food… comfort beverage!
Describe
yourself in one word.
Hopeful.
When
did you write your first book? How long did it take you to write it?
I started writing 15 years ago, but I never took it
seriously until about two years ago. Book 1 of The Du Lac Chronicles was about
12 years in the making. Thankfully Book 2 only took six months!
Where
and when do you write? Tell us about your favorite work place and time. Any
special reason?
I dedicate three hours, Monday to Friday, every
afternoon to writing. I turn off my phone — and depending on what I am going to
write about — I choose some appropriate music to listen to. I tend to listen to
music by the composer James Horner, as it is very atmospheric and helps me visualise
the scenes I want to write.
I don’t have a desk. I find it really uncomfortable
to sit up at a table to write. The posture police would be furious with me
because I write sitting up on my bed. Grimace!
How
do you write? Do your characters come to you first or the plot or the world of
the story? How do you go on from there? Maybe you can give us an example with
one of your books.
The characters come first, and they drive the story
forward. I write Arthurian fiction set in the Dark Ages. So it is a case of
research, research, research, before I even think about writing.
I don’t plan or write down the plot. I know where my
characters are going to end up, I just need to get them there.
Where
do you get your ideas? Do you jot them down in a notebook, in case you forgot?
As I said the characters come first. I then research the era my books are set in.
I am one of those terrible researchers who pens in the margins of factual books
and underline sentences. I also make notes, on random bits of paper, but mostly
I just jot down book and page references.
Have
you ever wanted to write your book in one direction but your characters are
moving it in another direction? What did you do in such a situation?
Oh my gosh, yes! One of my characters, Merton du
Lac, loves to throw me curve balls all the time. I have absolutely no control
over him at all, and if I try to fight him for creative control, it just goes
terribly wrong, and in the end, he wins. Perhaps I should credit Merton as
being the author!
You’re
having a party. What character from any
of your books do you hope attends?
Why? What character do you hope
doesn’t attend? Why?
I would definitely invite Merton —a party wouldn’t
be the same without him. Alden, his brother, would get an invitation too, along
with his wife, because they are both great company. I would be a little
hesitant about inviting Budic du Lac, he is not particularly the party type
person, and he is very moody. He would probably have us all arrested and thrown
in the dungeons.
How
would readers find out more about you?
To find out more about me, all you have to do
is follow the links —
