Ravenscourt
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He wanted to be gone from the dark enclosing room, with its mocking misery, to be gone from this house of nightmares, of shattered dreams, and discovered secrets which could not be put back in the box.
Venice, 1880.
Alexander, Viscount Dundarran, seeks refuge from scandal amidst the fading grandeur of crumbling palazzos during the infamous Carnival in the city. There he encounters the enigmatic Lady Arabella Pembrook—a young, beautiful widow. Both are scarred by their pasts but find solace in each other and a chance at redemption.
But when duty calls Alexander back to England upon his father's death, a darker journey begins. Travelling to Ravenscourt, the decaying estate once belonging to Arabella’s late husband, Alexander must confront the house’s disturbing legacy which has echoed through the generations. Within its walls lie secrets that refuse to stay buried and will threaten everything he thought he knew. But can Alex uncover the truth in time?
Publisher: Mabel and Stanley Publishing
Pages: 343
Genre: Historical Fiction / Gothic Historical Romance
An interview with Samantha Ward-Smith
What inspired you to start writing?
I have always loved to read but never really been a writer as such. While I was working in the banking sector I got quite bored and as I hadn’t done a degree I decided to do one part time at Birkbeck College, University of London. I did my BA in English which led to an MA in Renaissance Studies followed by a PhD in 16th/17th Century State Letters! My tutor and everyone who heard me talking about my subjects said I talked about them as if I knew these people personally! And I would indeed always try to get inside their heads and contextualise their thoughts and feelings.
Then about thirteen years ago I started to volunteer at the Tower of London and while I stood in the Visitor Services sentry box surrounded by all that history an idea came to me which led me to write my first book Tower of Vengeance. It is set in the thirteenth century and is the first in the Rose and the Raven series. It allowed me to combine my love of history with my imagination.
After I finished the Tower book, I suddenly had an idea for a very different book Ravenscourt and I had to delay the next book to get this one out of my system. Suddenly I had the writing bug!
What was the hardest part about writing this book?
With my first book I had my setting very firmly in my head and all around me. I could go round the Tower at any time and get inspiration. With Ravenscourt the house was fictional and I struggled to immerse myself within its walls. I tried to make a floor plan and design rooms but I am no artist so instead I googled Gothic Victorian houses and I found my perfect house Tyntesfield – a National Trust property just outside Bristol and it really gave the book so much more than I could have done on my imagination alone. I was much happier when I could walk around it and situate my characters within it. The rooms and its history also inspired certain scenes in the book and I was finally in my familiar comfort zone.
Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?
I loved writing Arabella – I can’t give too much away but she was a great character to get my teeth into. You never get her point of view which is very deliberate and she is very multi-faceted. I have genuine sympathy for her as women of that time were controlled by a patriarchal system that literally took away their rights especially when they married. She is very much a woman of her times and it is how she deals with society’s constraints that make her so interesting to write. And she is not a governess!
If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?
This is such a great question as I really didn’t have anyone in mind when I wrote which was unusual as I definitely did for the Tower book. So, I have just done a bit of research and these would be my leading actors:
Alexander, Viscount of Dundarran – Jamie Flatters. The right age range and has the soulful eyes and sharp features of Alex.
Arabella Pembrook – Kaya Scodelario. Stunning with intense eyes, sensual yet haunted. I can really see her as Arabella!
Charles Pembrook – Michiel Huisman. Refined yet has a sensual energy. The right charisma for Charles.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
I wanted to flip the Victorian Gothic on its head so to speak and to challenge the tropes that we are used to but in a way that still kept it immersed in patriarchal control. I really hope readers appreciate the shift and come away with the idea that nothing is what it seems.
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Thank you so much for hosting Samantha Ward-Smith today, with such a fabulous author chat!
ReplyDeleteTake care,
Cathie xx
The Coffee Pot Book Club