We historical fiction readers love to discover places, people, and things we didn’t know about. We love to step into someone else’s shoes, boots, or bare feet. Author C. V. Lee’s books, Token of Betrayal and Betrayal of Trust take readers to the Isle of Jersey and this English Channel Island’s role in the War of the Roses. For those “in the know”, they are proud to see the island and history finally brought to the rest of us.  I will attach links to my reviews below.

Let’s hear it directly from C. V. herself.

 

Anne: Your novels are set in the medieval era. What drew you to this time period?

C. V.: I have always enjoyed stories that included beautiful clothes, castles, horses, and knights in shining armor. Somehow it all seems more magical and mystical because it is so different from the world we live in. I cannot say that I chose to write this time period, but rather it found me.

Anne: Will you explain what you mean by that?

C. V.: Like most people, I had thought one day I would write a book, but I don’t know that I seriously believed it would happen. Although I have kept diaries off and on throughout my life, I was never one to write stories. When my middle son was in 2nd grade, the class was assigned a genealogy project. I knew some of the history on my father’s side, but on my mother’s side the past was kind of foggy. I had heard rumblings there was a booklet that gave some of the family history. So now, I finally asked to get a copy. That was when I learned some of my ancestors came from the Isle of Jersey, my great grandmother was married there. I had never even heard of the place. That sparked my interest in learning more. The history was fascinating, but when I searched for non-fiction books about the history, I could not find any. So back in 2001, I got the notion to write a book about the amazing life of Margaret Harleston. This just happened to be the late 15th century, the end of the medieval period. My novel, Betrayal of Trust, tells her story.

Anne: But Margaret is not a character in your first novel, Token of Betrayal. What changed?

C. V.: Initially, she was in the first novel. But as I began to do research, I read about the French Occupation of Jersey in the 1460s. This predates her arrival in Jersey, but I felt this event also belonged in the story. By the time I finished writing my novel, it was over 165,000 words. At that point, I hired two developmental editors. Both thought they would be slashing scenes, but both came back and told me there was very little to cut and some missing scenes that needed to be added. So rather than end up with a 180,000 word book, I decided to split it into two books. Token of Betrayal introduces us to Margaret’s future husband. It also nicely sets up the back story, although it is not necessary to read Token of Betrayal to understand what is happening in Betrayal of Trust.

Anne: You made that decision in 2001, but your first novel about Jersey was not published until 2022. Were you writing the book all that time?

C. V.: No. In fact I had completely forgotten about my intention to write a book. In 2001, I had three young boys and was just starting my career in finance. Working full time with children in sports and music left me with very little time to think of much else. In 2017, with my children now grown, I was sitting around bored one day and remembered that I had thought to write a novel. It was then that I pulled out the little bit of research I had done and began writing with intention.

Anne: You have written a few short stories that feature characters from your novels. What is the inspiration for those?

C. V.: As authors, not all our research finds its way into our novels. For example, my short story, Joanna’s Choice, featured in Unlocked: A Paper Lantern Writers Anthology, allowed me to explore more in depth a secondary character’s backstory and also share a bit of what life was like for the common folk during that time period. The short story I am currently working on has the main character of my third novel as a secondary character. It retells an event from the villain’s perspective. It is my first attempt writing an antagonist’s story, and it has been quite fun actually.

Anne: Have you visited Jersey?

C. V.: I visited Jersey for the first time in April 2019 as a location trip. It is the largest of the English Channel Islands. Although a small isle, it is rich in history and can claim having one of the oldest sites in the world, built during the Neolithic time period. La Hougue Bie is a setting in Betrayal of Trust and the novel includes a retelling of the legend of its origin. The island is beautiful and I am looking forward to returning in the next year or so.

Anne: How do you juggle family and writing?

C. V.: Fortunately, that is no longer an issue for me. I officially retired this year. The only things I am responsible for taking care of are my husband and our new dog.

Anne: Have you always been a dog person? 

C. V.: When I was young, my family had cats, lots of cats. I think I was about twelve when we got our first dog. I don’t really think of myself as an animal person. When my children were young, we had a few cats, but they always ended up running away. I got my youngest son a small rescue dog when his older brothers left for college. Our new dog, Fiona Elizabeth, is also a rescue. I love and enjoy spoiling animals when I have them.

Anne: What are your writing goals for 2024?

C. V.: Currently, I am writing a novella that I hope to finish in the next month or so. After that, I will be working on the third novel in my series. This one is set during the Tudor era and the Protestant Reformation. It is a huge project as it covers over sixty years, starting when Henry VII (Henry Tudor) is king and ends with Queen Elizabeth I on the throne.

 

Thank you, C. V. for this interview and as promised, here are links to my Book Bub reviews:

Token of Betrayal: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/251383628

Betrayal of Trust: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3328827871