The Boundary Stone
The Stockbridge Series # 1
By- Gail Avery Halverson
Genre- Historical Fiction/Romance
Bound since childhood to an arranged marriage with the restless and irresponsible heir of Houghton Hall, Viscount Miles Houghton; Lady Catherine Abbott, now grown, finds herself torn between duty to her family and her smoldering ambitions. Possessed of a nimble, curious mind, a love of science and the natural world, and a singular talent for illustration, Catherine desperately longs to accomplish something before she resigns herself to a loveless marriage and the idle, aristocratic whirl of parties and social gatherings within the confines of the palatial Houghton Hall.
Banished before his final year of medical training for pushing harder on the boundaries of scientific knowledge than any student at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, the mysterious and driven Simon McKensie has blurred the lines between research and criminality and must now choose between exile to the rural country village of Wells, or the hangman's noose.
When the terrifying Great Plague of 1665 spreads from London to Wells, the town's very existence is threatened and Catherine must confront her fears, her place in the world - and the burning passions she has long held inside.
Author Interview-
What inspired you to write The
Boundary Stone ?
Somewhere
along the line, I read the story about the plague coming to the town of Eyam,
England in 1665. It is said that a tailor brought a bolt of fabric from London
that got wet during the coach ride. The tailor took the fabric to his house and
unrolled it before the fire to dry, but the fabric was infested with fleas and
the tailor died within two days. When the minister of the town realized what
had happened, he convinced the Lord Mayor to quarantine the town so that the
plague would not spread beyond the boundaries of Eyam and further into England.
While nearly 75% of the townspeople died, I was fascinated by the bravery and
self-sacrifice of the townspeople. That story inspired me to write “The
Boundary Stone.”
When or at what age did you know you
wanted to be a writer?
When
I was in the 4th grade, I wrote a story about a little girl caught up in the
1906 San Francisco earthquake. It was full of drama, destruction and death, and
the moment I wrote the last word, I knew I would get an A on the homework. I
don’t remember the exact grade I got on the paper, but I still remember writing
a real tear-jerker of an ending - and it was so much fun! That feeling was
intoxicating and I knew right then that I wanted to write.
What is the earliest age you
remember reading your first book?
I
don’t remember the exact age, but I do remember that in Kindergarten I allowed
into the class supply room during reading lessons to choose any book from the
shelves that I wanted because I could already read. My sister must have taught
me. I thought I was in book heaven!
What genre of books do you enjoy
reading?
Historical
romances, biographies and autobiographies.
What is your favorite book?
“A
Wrinkle in Time,” by Madeleine L’Engle
You know I think we all have a
favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?
There
are far too many to list, but at the top would be (again) Madeleine L’Engle.
Her books, especially “A Wrinkle In Time” were so entertainingly
thought-provoking for young adults, and the lesson of “A Wrinkle In Time,”
absolutely got me through middle school and well beyond. I raised my son on the
lesson (that what people think are your greatest faults are actually your
greatest strengths), too.
If you could travel back in time
here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go
and why?
Fashion-wise,
I would go back to the early 1900’s. I love the menswear styling of the long
skirts, and boater hats, and I would go back to the “Annie Hall”
menswear-inspired looks, as well. I must like the menswear look! Career-wise, I would work alongside Howard
Carter as an archeologist digging in Egypt, or be among the first to fly a
plane. I’ve always told my dad that if I had been alive in WWII, I would have
joined the women’s air corp ferrying planes across the US.
When writing a book do you find that
writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?
Honestly,
some days are easy, and on other days, it’s incredibly hard to write even a
good sentence. I think you appreciate the good days and work like crazy to get
out as much as possible, and go easy on yourself on the hard days. Sticking to
a schedule makes it easier.
Do you have any little fuzzy
friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?
Both
my mother and my father had dogs, but my sister and I were never allowed to
have one. Then, I married a dog-guy and we now have our sweet 14 year old Irish
Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier named Finnigan.
What is your "to die for",
favorite food/foods to eat?
That
changes a lot! Right now, my absolute favorite is Mussels with Chorizo over
pasta. I love shellfish in winter...
Do you have any advice for anyone
that would like to be an author?
Don’t wait to write for the right moment - jump
in! Just picture your story as a movie, then write what you see. No matter what
comes after you write ‘The End,” you can say you did it - which is more than
most people! I would also say to read a few books on how to write, then pick
your favorite and go with it. I loved Janet Evanovich’s “How I Write.”
About the Author-
GAIL HALVERSON is the playwright and composer of musical plays that have been performed for over 250,000 children since 2004. Writing for both theater and television, she holds a degree in English Literature and Communications from the University of California, Davis; and is currently at work on a television pilot for Double Trouble Productions, Inc. She lives in Northern California with her husband and son. The Boundary Stone is her first novel.
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1 comments:
Historical romance is a lot of fun to read. Love the rules of the society.
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