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Saturday, July 26, 2014

Beth Williamson: History buffs unite!

History teaches us many things, not the least of which is that studying history is a way to understand ourselves, our culture and our future. I am a true blue history nut and simply love to read about, hear about and experience history as much as I can.

So as a writer, how can I not love to craft historicals?

There are many popular genres of romance novels, and I’m proud to say that many of the long-standing ones are historical. Yes indeedy, westerns, regencies and medieval (my three favs) are still popular. Why is that, you might wonder? Well for the very reason that people (like me) love history.

It transports us to another place and time, perhaps another country or hemisphere. It allows us to dive into a deep pool of something we will never experience in our lives. Each word, each phrase, and each setting cocoons us, gives us a banquet on which to feast.

Once we’re comfortable, then we can become someone else. Reading a book is like taking a journey through someone else’s eyes. What better person than a woman from another era? Yes, it might have been messy and not so glamorous to be a woman in 1250, 1805 or 1870 but that doesn’t matter a whit.
Magic, pure magic, puts us into her mind, her body and her heart. We experience each tear, laugh and passionate moment right along with her. That, ladies and gents, is romance at its purest form.

Historical romances will never go out of style. No siree, never. Have we ever stopped reading about the Egyptians or ancient Greece? Hell no. It’s the very fact that we can become someone who will never be again and live their lives—that’s the draw.

My next release, THE JEWEL, from Samhain Publishing, transports you back to the 1840s, to the Oregon Trail and the wild, wild west. Life was hard for the pioneers, much harder than any of us can imagine. It’s real, it’s historical, it’s gritty and emotional.  This is the third prequel in the Malloy family series – the family that has defined my writing career.

Exactly where I want to be as a reader and an author.

I love to play the game of “What if” with myself and imagine who I could be if I had a wish. I think, and for those of you who know me don’t fall off your chair, I’d love to be in the wild west. Westerns and the raw, untamed wilderness of the American West call to my soul. Perhaps I was there in a former life, and I had loved deeply enough to draw me back.

*sigh*

Yep, that’s pure romance y’all. So, now everyone else play along with the “what if” game. If you could be anyone and anywhere in history, who and where would you choose?


Post a comment and one lucky person wins a download of choice from my Malloy series, including book 11, THE JEWEL, releasing August 12!

***Beth's winner is Alina P!  Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing details!***

5 comments:

Lory Lee said...

I'd love to be Jane Austen. It's her substance that I really like from her.

Alina P said...

When I was reading your post I couldn't help myself: I kept nodding affirmatively at every sentence. I'd choose to be one of Cleopatra the 7th attendants, she was a fascinating woman and I don't think what we know of her from history is even 10% of everything that happened

erin said...

Thanks for such a fun post! I'd have to say that I'd pick Albert Einstein. He was in the middle of so many innovations :)

dstoutholcomb said...

well, I always think the Wild West or Regency England or the Highlands of Scotland, until I remember--I **need** indoor plumbing and a/c.

Chrisbails said...

I need to catch up on this series. I have only read just the first book from this series. Would love to win. Thanks for the change to win.