Mary Ann Bernal
Historical Romance Author
Welcome to my interview with Mary Ann Bernal, author of The Briton and the Dane
trilogy. I'm honored to have her as my guest author this week as we ride aboard a longship. Mary Ann has set up the locale for you: Imagine us aboard a Viking longship, crossing the stormy
North Sea heading towards Britannia, while Prince Erik’s oarsmen battle against
the raging waves, rowing furiously to reach shore before nightfall. We admire the grim countenance of
the flaxen-haired Helmsman, muscled and ferociously determined, as he steers
his proud ship through the towering breakers while we talk quietly of the
momentous events that shaped The Briton and
the Dane.
After the interview, be sure to get in on the drawing because Mary Ann will give away a Kindle copy of The Briton and
the Dane: The Complete Trilogy!
Deanna:
Mary Ann, I'm honored that you've taken time from your busy schedule to be here with our readers this week. Tell us a bit about yourself.
Mary Ann: Thank you for having me this week, Deanna. Being an avid history buff, and obsessed with
the Viking Age, my trilogy is set in Anglo-Saxon Britain during the reign of
Alfred the Great. In addition to my
writing career, I am also a passionate supporter of the United States military
and have been involved with letter writing campaigns and other support programs
since Operation Desert Storm. My
evenings and weekends are filled with supporting my grandchildren’s
activities. You may find me in the
stands cheering on my grandson’s baseball, football and basketball teams or
sitting in the Music Hall for my granddaughter’s dance competitions. Originally from New York, I relocated to
Omaha, Nebraska years ago to spend time with my son and his family, and the
adventure continues.
Deanna:
Grandchildren are fun to be around and I'm glad you're close enough to do that. Mine are 2,000 miles away but I do Skype with them. We all need down time. What do you do to relax?
Mary Ann: Traveling is my favorite relaxation. I have been to the United Kingdom, Ireland
and Rome and will be traveling to Greece later this month. And since I have 8 GB worth of memory cards
for my Canon Rebel, rest assured I will take my 2,000 pictures - yes, that’s
right - my “norm” for these trips.
Deanna: I can only imagine the video library you have that has to include gorgeous pictures! Wow, enjoy your trip to Greece! As
authors, we’ve sometimes been accused of being several people. How many
personalities live in your mind?
Mary Ann: Too many to count, Deanna. Only kidding.
Seriously, however, I do believe that each character harbors some part
of the author’s personality, no matter how slight. Since our characters live in our minds, they
do take on their unique personalities that do incorporate some of the author’s
persona.
Deanna: What is
your strongest area in writing: plotting, character personality, dialogue, etc?
Mary Ann: I tend to enjoy writing dialogue the most
since I love to have the reader delve into the mind of the many characters
involved in my trilogy. Perception plays
a major role in the myriad of themes throughout the trilogy. The intrigue and treachery takes on a new
meaning when you have the villain’s point of view, and suddenly you find that
the issue isn’t clear-cut, which tends to gather sympathy for the character.
Deanna: How
many plots do you include in one of your books?
Mary Ann: I have multiple storylines going on in the
trilogy, which is why the original novel, The Briton and the Dane became a
trilogy. Too many characters demanding
their own storyline, and of course, being sympathetic to my characters, I did
acquiesce. For those who’d like to watch
the book trailer, click the link below but do come back for the rest of the interview!
Deanna: How long does it take you to write a book?
Mary Ann: From start to finish, it takes me about ten
months. This time-frame includes my research and setting up my characters and
storyline. The trilogy did take three
years, but it was a wonderful experience and because I did not wish to leave
King Alfred’s Wessex, my next novel, scheduled to launch in early 2013 is The
Briton and the Dane: Concordia.
Deanna: What is your editing process?
Mary Ann: I edit my work twice, one on the computer
screen, then print that version and read, before sending the manuscript to my
editor. I do, however, have
“work-in-progress” readers who will point out anything that might be confusing,
especially since I know my history and tend to forget the reader might not be
familiar with the time period. This
system has worked well for the trilogy and for “Concordia.”
Deanna: I also use the "work-in-progress' readers who help immensely. Readers like to get a peek into what we do as authors and how we go about writing our books. Tell us about a typical day in your life as a
writer.
Mary Ann: My typical day starts with a morning of
marketing, since published authors need to aggressively promote his/her
work. Once I take off my marketing cap,
that’s it for the day, and after lunch I wear my writer’s cap, until
dinnertime. I do limit my time on the
computer so I won’t go blind or get carpal tunnel syndrome and all the other
ailments associated with prolonged computer usage.
Deanna: Good schedule and it's sometimes hard to take off the marketing cap! Do your books have a common theme or are they
all different?
Mary Ann: All my books are set in Ninth Century
Anglo-Saxon Wessex during the reign of Alfred the Great. However, my short stories are contemporary,
and have been accepted into various anthologies, three of which have been
published and another three are in the process of being published.
Deanna: That's an exciting time period and had to be fun to research as well as being a huge, on-going history lesson. Tell us a little bit about the
characters?
Mary Ann: The first book of the series, The Briton and
the Dane begins with a headstrong girl named Gwyneth whose impulsive nature
gets herself into a lot of trouble, from rescuing a wounded Norseman, named
Erik, on the beach, to being kidnapped by a Danish warrior, Odulf, and brought
to King Guthrum’s encampment, while her father, Lord Richard, brothers, Stephen and David, and her
betrothed, Cerdic, a man twice her age, attempt a rescue. When King Alfred and Gwyneth’s father arrive
at King Guthrum’s camp, both kings learn of Cerdic’s treachery, since the Saxon
had sworn fealty to both kings and had taken a Danish wife, Helga. Throw into the mix unrest in Wales and an
unknown prince rallying support to usurp King Guthrum’s throne, and the epic
adventure begins.
In the second book of the series, The Briton and the Dane:
Birthright, King Guthrum learns that his bastard son, Rigr, is raising an army
to usurp his father’s throne. Treachery
and betrayal affect both courts as the
stage is set for the final battle between father and son.
In the final book of the series, The Briton and the Dane:
Legacy, betrayal and treachery intensifies, and King Alfred faces a new Danish
threat, but he decides to fight the Norsemen at sea, knowing Erik must fight
his brother, Sven. Add excessive storm
tides and fire ships hurled about by excessive winds, and suddenly both sides
find themselves fighting for survival.
Deanna: I've been an historical romance reader for many, many years, Mary Ann. Thank you for adding a few more to my TBR list! Has there been anything unusual or exciting
that has happened to you since you’ve been published?
Mary Ann: Appearing on a local TV talk show was an
adventure. As I mentioned earlier, I am
an avid supporter of the United States Military and my novels are dedicated to
fallen soldiers who have died protecting our freedom. I was interviewed on TV for my volunteer work
with the military programs, and my books were featured on the program, being
displayed on the coffee table, right in front of the camera. One of the best surprises was delivered via
Federal Express when I received a thank you signed by the marines serving
aboard the USS Ronald Reagan along with a lovely blue throw blanket with the
USS Ronald Reagan emblem stitched into the fabric. How cool is that. Mail call is a major morale booster,
especially when letters are written by strangers on a weekly basis without
expecting a reply. In addition to
sending letters, I also donated copies of my novels, which were circulated
amongst the crew, and found myself with many new fans of my work.
Deanna: Wow! That would be a surprise and a thrill! I can't imagine how exciting that had to be for you. Congratulations on receiving such a gift! What is your next project?
Mary Ann: Thank you. The Briton and the Dane: Concordia is set to
launch in early 2013. Concordia comes of
age in this story, and is kidnapped by Saracen pirates while en route to
Rome. Will she be rescued or forced to
live in a country where the penalty for following her religious beliefs is
death. No spoilers...you’ll have to read
the story to find out.
Deanna: I love it! Historical readers, mark down that date! Where can we find out more about you?
Mary Ann: Please visit my webpage and while you're there, please note on the “Resources” tab, I have downloadable pdf
files of the characters and maps for each novel, along with a glossary.
Deanna: Readers, check out that Resoure Tab for sure! Where can we
purchase your books?
Readers, thank you so much for stopping by to read about my books! I love hearing from readers so please don't hesitate to contact me and stop by my blog.
Buy Links
CONTEST: Mary Ann will give away a Kindle copy of The Briton and
the Dane: The Complete Trilogy to one lucky commenter. Be sure to get into the RaffleCopter Contest so we get your email addy. Also, please note in your comment what your favorite historical time period is when you're reading.
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