Historical author Autumn Bardot is here to tell us about herself and her female characters.
But before we start the interview, mark your calendars for Monday, Feb. 8th at 6:30PM! Autumn, Xina Uhl, Zenobia Neal and I will be doing a free panel discussion on Loving Historical Romance for the Santa Clarita Public Library. Click here to register for this fun event. Blogger Erin Davies will moderate. Click on the event under Feb. 8th to register.
LM: Welcome, Autumn. Tell me, what do you do for a living? How does writing fit into life?
AB: I teach advanced literary analysis and writing in a world-accredited international program. Yep, I teach the smartie pants. But I also teach regular students too. I have a degree in English Literature, a MaEd, and a teaching credential. I’m a MFA drop out—it was too expensive and seriously cut into my writing time! I write All The Time. It’s my top priority. Writing comes before laundry and all those annoying household tasks. Writing and authoring are my Zen and Happy Place.
LM: What’s your home life like?
AB: Backstory first. I reared four children, attended college, and worked. Learning how to multi-task and stay focused was essential! My once super busy household is now in the past, but those lessons remained. My home is quiet, and I have a supportive husband and a son who cooks dinner.
LM: What are your hobbies?
AB: Besides writing—which is more obsession than hobby—I love to swim and go to the beach. I’m always up for travel and wine tasting.
LM: What’s a dream you have? How are you working toward this dream?
AB: As an author of 10 books, I am almost living my dream. My books are Out There. I’ve met lots of wonderful readers and writers. My books are in bookstores, I’ve been a guest on several podcasts, have articles on notable sites, and a NYC book club featured one of my books. It sure would be nice to earn enough from book sales to quit the day job and live at the beach, but for now I’ll keep pluggin’ along.
LM: Do you have a role model? What quality about this person do you especially admire?
I interned with a fabulous teacher. She was savvy, intelligent, creative, personable, and realistic. We became great friends over the years, and I admired not only her gift for teaching but her grace for handling all those bureaucratic hoops and teaching snafus. Now retired, she decided to pursue her other passions, writing children’s stories and painting. She is a truly good, kind-hearted, and authentic person; one who gives of her heart and talents. Wanting to pay it forward, I decided to begin a YouTube channel.
LM: What historical period is your favorite? Why?
AB: My novels span history, from ancient to the 1800’s, but ancient and medieval history are my favorites. When I write or read a book from those time periods, both the decadence and horrors come alive in a way that stir my imagination.
LM: Tell us a little about your characters and their strengths and weaknesses.
AB: All my novels focus on women who come into their strength and power. Women who struggle with external and internal conflicts. Women who rise up to be their best, most authentic selves. Their strengths emerge through their grit and determination. They don’t just overcome horror and hardship, they become empowered by it. Their weaknesses, like all of us, come from not embracing their true selves, to clinging to restrictive dogmas and cultural expectations.
LM: Will readers like or dislike your characters, and why?
AB: Well, the hope is that readers like them, right? My characters don’t always do the right thing, yet they are very much representative of their time and culture. And often that realistic portrayal no longer aligns with modern sensibilities. But I believe that’s the attraction for many historical fiction readers. They want to experience and appreciate a bygone time.
LM: What’s next?
AB: I finished a modern dramedy (comedy drama) urban fantasy about four goddesses who are fired and made mortal. Publication date to be determined. My current project is a historical fiction about an amazing event I learned about while vacationing in Greece.
Autumn’s Books:
The Impaler’s Wife
A young woman is swept into a life of intrigue, revenge, passion, and betrayal when she falls for the world’s most notorious prince, Vlad Dracula.
Dragon Lady
The triumph of the notorious Zheng Yi Sao is a fierce and unflinching story of how a prostitute became the most powerful and successful pirate in the world.
The Emperor’s Assassin
A young herbalist is forced into a world of decadence and corruption when Nero commands her to become his personal poisoner. The Emperor’s Assassin chronicles the life of Locusta of Gaul, a shadowy historical figure whose poisonous deeds remain only conjectures.
Historical Erotica (Cleis Press)
Confessions of a Sheba Queen
A temptress. A jinni. A queen. A determined young woman pursues revenge, lust, and wealth but instead finds friendship, love, and purpose.
Legends of Lust, Erotic Myths from Around the World
Run wild in your personal Elysian Fields of pleasure with this spicy, irreverent peek into the sensual world of our most beloved gods, heroes, fairies, and shape shifters from every corner of the earth.
She has also written a 4-book urban fantasy series under the pen name L.Z. Marie.
You can find her online at:
Website: http://www.autumnbardot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/autumnbardot
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AutumnBardotAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autumnbardot
Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/autumnbardot
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/autumn-bardot
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/autumnbardot/
YouTube: https://rb.gy/6tsx0e
LM: Xina, tell us about Eletra Yellowsmith.
Reluctant spinster Florance Barton fled to the British Antarctic base to escape a scandalous love affair. Amidst the handful of other women there, Florance is the perfect chambermaid, meek, mild, and forgettable. No one has a clue that she’s also a novice spy.