Author Spotlight/ Interview: Samantha Holt

 Author Spotlight/ Interview: Samantha Holt

This year I found something I have been seeking for a long time. A wonderful writer who writes Romance books set in the medival time period. As a big fan of the time period, it is a lost era to me amongst all the Y.A fiction out there and the imense flood of erotica. So it was fantastic to find an author who delved into the more sensual and passionate side of love and lust. With lots to love I cannot wait to read more of Samantha Holts work. I can garentee you will love it to. For now I would like to welcome Samantha to Bitten by Booklust and for you readers I have a treat.

Interview with Samantha Holt

 

1.       Have you ever considered expanding on any of the partners featured in The One Knight Collection?

I must confess I haven’t. I know you mentioned you would have liked to see more from them but in my mind their stories are very much closed. I would never say never, but at the moment I have too many stories that I want to explore. It would be fun writing a second collection perhaps but I don’t have any plans to currently. I will say that Highland Knight inspired me to think about writing a Highland romance - it was so much fun and slightly more liberating than English medieval stories - so that is something that I will be looking to do next year.

2.       What are your top three writing must have’s?

Coffee (it’s such a cliché but it’s true), a notepad by your bed and an awesome soundtrack.

3.       Do you have a particular band, song, soundtrack or music you listen to when writing?

Most people are surprised to learn that rock and heavy metal are a big influence on my writing - it doesn’t really go hand in hand with romance - but I find it much more powerful than traditional love stories. Shinedown are a band that I always come back to as they have very powerful lyrics, in particular ‘If You Only Knew’. It’s very much a love song and I adore it, though on my play list currently is Breaking Benjamin which are another alternative rock band.

4.       Why do you write medieval romance? What sparked your interest in it?

I’ve always loved romance so it was a given that I’d write romance but I didn’t get into medieval romances until a few years ago. I love history and wanted to be an archaeologist when I was growing up so it seemed a natural thing for me to do. I love to read Regency and Victorian romances, but I have always adored romantic suspense and those eras don’t tend to lend themselves to that genre. Writing medieval romances means I can combine a love of history with a love of suspense. The medieval period was so fraught with dangers and I love that it adds that extra edge. Relationships are so much more powerful when you know that it could all end with one swipe of a sword!

5.       Are there any books [non-fiction or fiction] that have inspired your writing and or that you would recommend to people who are interested in the time period?

‘The Time Travellers Guide to Medieval England’ by Ian Mortimer is a fun and thoroughly informative look at medieval life in the 1300’s. I don’t necessarily use if for reference as I often write in earlier periods, and it’s a little tongue in cheek in places, but it gives you a great feel for life back then without being boring. 

6.       Is there any advice that you would give people already writing or considering embarking in the journey of writing whether that be for pleasure, business or a mixture of both?

Write what you enjoy and that will come across. Listen to other’s advice but don’t get consumed by it - if it feels wrong, then don’t do it. The ‘rules’ of writing are there for a reason but it doesn’t hurt to throw them out of the window every now and then, otherwise we’d all sound exactly the same. And if you want to make a career out of writing, don’t become obsessed with marketing. I’ve seen many, many authors devote hour upon hour to all the various things that you can do and still come up with no sales. Have a website or blog with a newsletter at the bare minimum and a Facebook page if you fancy keeping in touch with readers but seriously, concentrate on writing. The more work you have out there, the more likely it is you’ll get found.

7.       If you could travel to anywhere fictional or real where would you go and why?

I’d like to go to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. I went there as a child and have some amazing memories. I’ve been told it’s changed a lot but I’d still love to go back. 

8.       What are a few of your favorite authors?

Elizabeth Gaskell, Jane Austen, Sue Grafton, Terry Pratchett and many, many Harlequin authors - too many to name, but I have certain books that I’ve adored since my teens and I dig them out every now and then and just devour them.

9.       You write such sensual and romantic scenes, even when they are heated and passionate- what is the one thing that you find incredibly romantic?

I love the whole build-up really - the longing looks, the hammering hearts, the thickening of breath…but I think it’s the thoughts behind those actions that really make them romantic. The most romantic thing for me is when a strong man falls completely, irrevocably in love. I love my heroes to be totally consumed by my heroines.

10.   Do you have any plans to write in any other genre?

I don’t think I could do anything other than romance! I am a big crime and sci-fi/fantasy fan but I don’t think I have the imagination for it. I can’t just pull things out of thin air. That’s the handy thing about historical romance - you can always get your inspiration from solid facts. I do have plans to write a contemporary romance in the future with some fantasy themes but that is about as far as I’m going to expand. 

11.   Which one of your books would you recommend a reader begin with?

Because my writing has naturally progressed through my career I am probably most proud of my latest, The Angel’s Assassin. I’ve been very lucky that my books have all been well received but I will admit that I’ve learnt a lot about writing since The Crimson Castle which was my debut novel. That was very much written for myself so looking back I can see a lot of flaws in it. However, people still seem to love it and I still enjoy the relationship I created between Evelyn and Gabriel. It was probably one of my most powerful relationships. All my books are different from one another so it’s so hard to say but if you enjoy feisty dialogue and flawed characters that grown together then Crimson is probably the best place to start. The Angel’s Assassin is a darker story and is driven more by the emotion and reactions of the characters rather than dialogue but it’s certainly the one that people seem to enjoy the most. 

About Samantha

 

Samantha Holt

Bestselling Medieval Romance Author

Samantha Holt resides in Warwickshire, England, with her twin girls, having followed her soldier husband around the UK for nearly 10 years. Growing up in Hampshire, she was inspired by the authors Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell, both of whom lived and wrote only miles from her home town.

Samantha loves the romance genre and has been devouring romantic literature for as long as she can remember. History is another passion of hers and she loves to combine her love for history and romance into exciting and passionate tales.

Her titles include the bestselling novel, The Crimson Castle, A Summer Siege and The Angel’s Assassin as well as a collection of shorts. 

Links

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008FKHIXY

Website: www.samanthaholt.org.uk

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/romanticfiction

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamanthaHAuthor

Blog: http://www.samanthaholtauthor.blogspot.co.uk