Biography
Jo Beverley is one the few authors writing English-set historical romance who is English. She was born and raised in England, and has a degree in English history from Keele University in Staffordshire. She and her husband emigrated to Canada in 1975 where they raised their two children. In 2009, the couple returned to England.
Though Jo started to write as a young child, it was only in the '80s that she began to think that it was something ordinary people could do, and after a talk at a local library, she settled to seriously writing her first historical romance.
Now, she is the author of over thirty romance novels and many novellas, which have garnered several RITAs from the Romance Writers of America, as well as several awards from Romantic Times, including two Career Achievement awards. She is a member of the RWA Honor Roll, and the RWA Hall of Fame.
Good to Know
Some fascinating outtakes from our interview with Jo Beverley:
"I'm English, born, raised, and educated, which has to contribute to the way I write my books."
"My profession -- once upon a time in another world -- was careers guidance, which involved visiting many different workplaces and learning about the jobs done there. This is a great education in the variety and complexity of life."
"I taught women-centered childbirth classes for 5 years, and that comes out in any childbirth scenes in my books.
"I'm a craft-dabbler, and I've tried most of them, including Tenerife lace, tatting, leatherwork, and stained glass, but I've never stuck with any. However, I once was a very good painter and I've recently decluttered all my craft materials to concentrate on drawing and painting as my artistic therapy for a demented author."
"I grew up in Morecambe, Lancashire, which is a 19th-century seaside town, but that's very close to Heysham, an ancient coastal village. They say the pre-Conquest church there is the oldest one in England still in use and there are stone-age tombs as well. We used to play on an Anglo-Saxon hogs-back stone near the church. I'm sure this easy contact with such ancient things tuned my mind to the past. I set my second book, The Stanforth Secrets, in Heysham, and it will be reissued in 2010." "My indulgences are really good cheese, bread, wine, coffee, and dark, dark chocolate (90% Lindt."
Feature Interview
In the summer of 2009, Jo Beverley took some time to talk with us about her favorite books, authors, and interests. What was the book that most influenced your life or your career as a writer -- and why?
I was strongly influenced by Georgette Heyer, who was my favorite author from my teens onward, and also by Baroness Orczy's Scarlet Pimpernel books, but I think the most powerful influence on me as a writer came from Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond books. There are six of these, and a romantic thread winds through them, culminating in the last book, Checkmate. So if I have to pick one book it would be Checkmate, but I don't think a reader would get the full effect of it without having read the other five books.
Dunnett's writing is dramatic, even epic, and rich with detail, both descriptive and historical. I don't think I can come close to matching her in this, but I hope my admiration and frequent re-reading had some effect. In this series, she created a strongly charismatic hero moving center stage through crucial events of 16th-century history. I admire the dynamic power of the character, and also how he is drawn throughout the series mainly through the observations of others, for we are all shaped by those around us.
Above all, however, I was struck by her courageous willingness to put her characters, especially Lymond, in truly challenging situations and not give them a last minute escape. When reading the books for the first time I would often be muttering, "Oh no, she can't...." But she did. Then, when Lymond has had to make the terrible choice, Dunnett makes him accept the consequences an more. Again, I don't have her gritty willingness to be cruel to my characters, but when I'm tempted to provide a soft landing, I remember Dunnett and try to have my characters face hard choices, and above all accept their responsibility for all their actions and live with the consequences, intended or not, with as much grace as possible.
What are your ten favorite books, and what makes them special to you?
Can I start with the six Lymond books? Or is that cheating?
Then I could add most Heyers, but I'll pick a few favorites. My top three would be Venetia, Devil's Cub, and Frederica. Venetia and Devil's Cub often come out top with Heyer fans, which is interesting because they are not what people sometimes think of typical Regency romance -- that is light romps that avoid sexuality. Both have truly dark and dangerous heroes. The Marquess of Vidal, in Devil's Cub, comes close to being sociopathic, but he grabs us anyway. In both books the wicked, dangerous males are matched with ordinary women. Heyer was well aware of the appeal of this, and said something like "and this dangerous man is tamed by an ordinary woman, as it were oneself." These books are classic romantic razor-edge passion. Hey, Mary shoots Vidal! She doesn't just threaten, she does it, and he deserves to be shot. Frederica is a more gentle book, more typical of classic regency style, with a sensible heroine who thinks she's too old for marriage and a solid, responsible hero who's a brilliant catch, but above all it's full of wonderful characters and laugh-aloud humor, and I love humorous books.
Next, on to Terry Pratchett, the fantasy writer. I find his books hilarious, but they're also very clever social satire. Nearly all his novels are set on Discworld, but somehow on this imaginary flat world he finds equivalents to contemporary Earth and digs his scalpel into politics, economics, Hollywood, publishing, and many more subjects. His series of books about witches deals with magic and superstition, but are also with many aspects of women. I'll pick Witches Abroad to represent that group. The Truth tells of when moveable type arrives and the chaos it causes. Maskerade is Pratchett's riff on Phantom of the Opera, but also is a lot to do with identities and truth in relationships, which often underlies my books. And then there's Hogfather -- all about Christmas, and who can forget the omnipresent character DEATH.
As the question is books not novels, I could venture into my favorite research books, but that would be a difficult choice indeed. I'll mention one. The Knight, the Lady, and the Priest by George Duby is a readable and fascinating look at love and marriage in the Middle Ages. Often it was not at all as people think. But then, that's true about the Middle Ages in general. I cannot understand why medieval settings have fallen out of favor in romance. They have it all -- warrior males, strong women, gorgeous clothes, epic drama, sex, religion and violence, and the graces too -- Gregorian chant, troubadours, cathedrals, illuminated manuscripts....
Finally, and as contrast, I'll toss in Janet Evanovitch's Stephanie Plum novels. That's such an alien world to me -- more so, perhaps than Regency or medieval England! -- so I enjoy the visit. And of course, with her zany characters, they're often so funny. As I said, I love humor in a book. And going back to the beginning, Dunnett, despite real history and dramatic plots, is often laugh-aloud funny. To me, that's key. I don't enjoy the company of characters who take themselves and their world seriously all the time, and who can't laugh at themselves now and then. What are some of your favorite films, and what makes them unforgettable to you?
I love period films because they suck me into the past. I remember when young going over and over to The Cid and Ben Hur. There was also the one about Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Claire -- Brother Sun, Sister Moon. I went to a convent boarding school and they took us to it as part of the school day. Such a treat!
When young I also watched a lot of WW II films, in part because my father liked them (he fought in WW I) and in part because we had a movie night at school and those were often showed. These were British films showing the determination of a people to "fight on the beaches..." to quote Churchill, and generally low key, stiff-upper lip, which I'm sure has influenced my own take on heroes. My stories are often about what it means to be a hero. I particularly remember two which were based on real stories. Reach for the Sky is the story of Douglas Bader, an air force pilot who lost both legs in a plane accident and then struggled back into active service during the Battle of Britain, during which the RAF held back and eventually repelled the German attempt to bomb Britain into submission.
The other is The Dam Busters, a more scientific story about the development of a bouncing bomb capable of crippling the hydroelectric dams on the Ruhr River.
I love A Knight's Tale, even though they played games with the Middle Ages. Or perhaps because of that. The wacky world of jousting in A Knight's Tale is probably a lot closer to the way it was than more serious attempts. However, I didn't think it at all believable that our hero could throw off his armor and defeat a fully armored man. That to me was a modern ideal of the hero, inappropriately applied.
Lord of the Rings, of course. Magnificently done.
I've enjoyed the recent Austen films, including Becoming Jane, even if they did mess with her story unnecessarily.
One film I wouldn't normally have chosen, but adored was October Sky, about the boys building a rocket. It was such a great story, and so well done.
I also enjoyed Serenity because I'm a Josh Whedon fan. From a marketing point of view, however, they should have given it a more blood and guts name.
You don't ask about TV programs, but of course Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an all time classic. I enjoy House, mainly for Hugh Laurie who is incredible in that. (And it's so funny to contrast his performance with Bertie Wooster, and also his foppish Prince Regent in Blackadder.) Though I've never taken to another reality show, I never miss The Amazing Race because the situations they put people in are so interesting. I think the key for me is that most of the challenges can be done by anyone, but they require the contestants to adapt to their foreign location and work together.
I'm catching up with Battlestar Gallactica on DVD. Great epic drama. I have watched Babylon V more than once. That was arguably the best SF drama ever made for TV.
My other favorites are British programs. Foyle's War, is about police work on the south coast of England during WW II. Yes, there is a pattern in what I like, isn't there? The wonderful Michael Kitchen plays Foyle with emotion that is the more powerful because of its restraint. He never raises his voice, and shows his feelings by the most subtle facial movements. The time and place create plenty of emotions as the conflicting pressures of law, justice, morality, and national security wind through the whole, entangling everyone.
I've been watching Doctor Who since I was a teenager and I'm thoroughly enjoying the new incarnation. I also enjoy the spin off, Torchwood, though the last series has left me a bit adrift.
I've been watching two '60s-set programs called Heartbeat and The Royal, because they're set around Whitby, where we're going to be living. I also like all those old '60s songs they use as background music.
What types of music do you like? Is there any particular kind you like to listen to when you're writing?
I have varied tastes, but not a lot of modern pop. I still like some '60s artists such as the Beatles, Moody Blues, Beach Boys, and Mamas and the Papas, perhaps largely for nostalgia.
I love the music of Stan Rogers, a Canadian singer who sadly died too young. I suppose his songs could be called folk. I also love Leonard Cohen's work, and also Gregorian chant -- which I actually sang back at that convent boarding school.
For instrumental, my preference is for strings -- guitar, lute and cello. I do like symphonies, but don't often listen to them at home. Perhaps I find them too big for small spaces?
When I'm in the mood, I enjoy Bollywood music. It makes me want to move and dance.
For writing, I have a number of soundtracks I play when I'm writing. Some are period ones, such as medieval and Georgian. For Georgian, I really like the music of Marin Marais, who was a court musician in France during the 18th century. There's something both elegant and disturbing about his music, which to me captures the feel of the times.
I also have some tracks for romantic, passionate and dramatic moods.
What are your favorite kinds of books to give -- and get -- as gifts?
I try to give books I think the recipient will like, but my own taste often creeps in. I will give copies of my favorites, of course, to people I think will enjoy them.
I love getting books with period pictures because I'm a very visual writer. I also have family and friends on the alert for older books related to my settings, especially any written at the time. Primary sources are always best.
Do you have any special writing rituals? For example, what do you have on your desk when you're writing?
I don't think I have rituals, but I like to get to work right after breakfast and in my familiar place. I'm not the sort of writer to take a laptop to a café. I use a very old but still excellent word processing program called XY Write, which I haven't had to update for about 15 years. I use an old 486 computer and DOS, and the screen presents light grey text on a black background, with no page layout. I type in the words and they don't do anything except be there. I like it that way. I have a desk custom made to be lower than normal for a more comfortable angle, and a Herman Miller Aeron chair. That is THE greatest office chair, and incidentally the one that House has on the TV program.
Just to add to the peculiarities, I use the Dvorak keyboard layout instead of qwerty, because it's easier on the hands. That certainly makes it a challenge if I'm required somewhere to use a qwerty one. Hunt-and-peck am I!
Oh, and I have speakers to play that music talked about above.
Many writers are hardly "overnight success" stories. How long did it take for you to get where you are today? Any rejection-slip horror stories or inspirational anecdotes?
I was first published in 1988, so just over 20 years, but I'd say my career started to take off after about 5 years. I've been interested in writing, especially writing historical romance, since my teens, and I still have a medieval romance I wrote in a school exercise book then, passing it around my friends at boarding school. I didn't think writing novels was something real people did, however, so it took me until my thirties to try. Then it took about four years to get published.
I certainly got rejections! We all do. Some were doubtless deserved -- why do we writers always think our first efforts are brilliant? -- but some were odd. One contemporary romance was rejected by one publisher because the hero was too weak, and by another because he was too strong. Then there was the rejection of a historical that went on to be an award winning success where the editor said that not only wasn't it a Regency romance it wasn't a romance at all. That became An Arranged Marriage, which does break a lot of rules, but I think that was a bit blinkered.
What tips or advice do you have for writers still looking to be discovered?
Try to find favor with the gods of luck? Someone said that if we think of publishing as being a casino it begins to make sense. There is certainly a lot of irrationality and apparent unfairness which can eat us up if we allow it. Also, I think it's important to hold onto the joy of writing, because that's the real reward, and in any case, if we have strong positive energy when we write, it will be on the page and be more likely to create excitement in editors and readers.
Other than that, I'd say write regularly and finish books. Yes it might seem like a waste of time, but it's not. We don't really learn unless we complete books and then polish them to the highest standard we can. The bonus is that when a writer finally sells, the publisher wants more books, soon, and there they are. They will probably need more rewriting and polishing, but it's better than starting from nothing.
The way I look at it, a rejection doesn't mean we've wasted time. It means we've built our inventory.
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