Juliane Weber uses her background as a science writer to enhance her debut novel set during the Irish Potato Famine.

Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome? How do you work through that?

Yes, I have experienced Imposter Syndrome, especially at the very beginning of my publishing journey. When I suddenly realised that people would be reading what I had written, I started thinking: What am I doing writing a historical novel when I know nothing about history? (I didn’t enjoy history at school!) Those moments still come and go, as does the self-doubt that probably plagues many authors. To work through such feelings of inadequacy, I try to remind myself that I do know how to do research and that I can recognise a good book when I see one. I also try to remember that no matter how much time and effort I have put into researching and writing my book, not everybody will enjoy it and that’s ok.

What do you worry about in your work?

As a writer of historical fiction, I worry about historical accuracy, of course, but I also worry about all the details of the storyline. I spend a lot of time trying to make sure that the little things are explained where necessary, make sense chronologically, are referred to again later in the story if required (and consistently so), and so on. I find that those sorts of details can make quite a difference to my overall impression of a book I’m reading, for example, if some things that are included appear random if they’re not really explained or never mentioned again. So I try to make sure that I’ve covered all those little particulars that are so important to the overall feeling a book evokes in a reader.

What brings you great joy as a writer?

Glowing reviews for my book are obviously great, but what particularly brings me joy is when a reader tells me that they were sorry to bid the characters farewell at the end of the book and that the story stayed with them long after they finished reading. Books that have made me feel that way have ended up being my favourites, some of which I’ve gone on to read numerous times. Being told by a reader that my book had such an effect on them is something really special!

Do you speak a second language? Do you think differently in that language? Does it influence your writing?

I lived in South Africa for most of my life, and so I grew up speaking English, but my mother tongue is German. I speak both English and German fluently and can switch between the two without difficulty, both when speaking and thinking. Which language I use mostly depends on who I’m speaking to or what I’m thinking about. I don’t know if speaking a second language necessarily influences my writing as such, but my upbringing certainly has. I think that experiencing how very different people’s circumstances can be, has given me a greater understanding of and sensitivity to the vast contrasts that defined 19th century Ireland, where my series of books is set, and I hope that comes across in my writing.  

What was the inspiration for your most recent book?

My most recent book is also my debut book, Under the Emerald Sky. I had thought about writing a novel for many years but finally sat down and did it after I had moved with my husband and children from South Africa to Germany. The move was, of course, quite a stressful thing and the writing took my mind off it. As for the inspiration for the book itself, that came from me stumbling upon the Irish Potato Famine when looking for an interesting setting for my would-be novel. I was immediately drawn to this setting as I liked the idea of the 19th century; I liked the idea of Ireland, with its beautiful scenery and its myths and legends; and I liked the idea of writing about a historical event that hadn’t been written about as much as some others. That’s how the idea for Under the Emerald Sky came about—plus, it turned out I wasn’t writing just one book, but a whole series! Who knew?

Juliane is inspired by Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander Series of books, who also happens to be a scientist turned novelist.

Juliane lives with her husband and two sons in Hamelin, Germany, the town made famous by the story of the Pied Piper. 

About Under the Emerald Sky

He’s come to Ireland to escape his past. She’s trying to run from her future.

It’s 1843 and the English nobleman Quinton Williams has come to Ireland to oversee the running of his father’s ailing estate and escape his painful past. Here he meets the alluring Alannah O’Neill, whose Irish family is one of few to have retained ownership of their land, the rest having been supplanted by the English over the course of the country’s bloody history. Finding herself drawn to the handsome Englishman, Alannah offers to help Quin communicate with the estate’s Gaelic-speaking tenants, as much to assist him as to counter her own ennui. Aware of her controlling brother’s hostility towards the English, she keeps her growing relationship with Quin a secret – a secret that cannot, however, be kept for long from those who dream of ridding Ireland of her English oppressors.

Among the stark contrasts that separate the rich few from the plentiful poor, Under the Emerald Sky is a tale of love and betrayal in a land teetering on the brink of disaster – the Great Famine that would forever change the course of Ireland’s history.

 

Website: https://www.julianeweber.com/

Blog: https://www.julianeweber.com/blog

Amazon:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21207265.Juliane_Weber

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulianeWeberAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Writer_JW

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