On one of the questions I am most often asked is, “Why do you write books set in England?”
And considering I am from the midwestern U.S., it is an understandable question!
I truly think what we read as young people has a profound and lifelong effect. When I am asked, “Why is a midwestern girl writing about England?” the answer comes back to the books I read at a young age: The Secret Garden (at about the third grade) followed by and Jane Eyre, which my sixth grade teacher read aloud to us with such emotion and mascara tears.
So, my love of British literature started early.
Why romance and mystery?
Falling in love with the Trixie Belden series solidified my early love of mysteries. And later, the romance of Jane Austen further developed my love of the historical romance genre, and led me to set my first novel in Regency England.
What about you? Which book(s) did you read at an early age that led you to love your favorite genre(s) to read or write now?
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I love what you write and am so glad that you do!
Historical fiction is my favorite genre, but I can’t say why. I grew up being read nursery rhymes first, which I learned and recited. My parents had a set of 12 books called My Book House that came with a set of encyclopedias they bought. There were many magnificent stories in those books – fairy tales, tales from other lands, other time periods, with poems sprinkled in between. My father took us to a children’s library once we started school, and I loved picking out my own books. I read any time period and place setting from ancient history to medieval to Renaissance to colonial to western to WWI and WWII. However, the majority of my reading is in English Regency or Victorian eras.
Looking forward to your next release!
I think this is so true, Julie. I read book series like Little House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, The Black Stallion, and Encyclopedia Brown. I’m not surprised at all that I write historical westerns with an occasional dash of suspense/mystery. 🙂
I read LIttle House on the Prairie, Anne of Green Gables, and anything mystery related, Hardy Boy and Nancy Drew, of course. And I love to write both styles, western and suspense, always with a twist of romance because it makes any story better. 🙂
I keep hearing various readers mention the Trixie Belden series as being instrumental in their early love of reading. I’ll have to see if I can find a copy of one because, until recently, I’d never heard of it. I think my tastes growing up were just as varied as they are to this day. I read a variety of genres and pretty much anything someone put in my hands. There are times when I read for a while within a particular genre (I’m very much a mood reader) but eventually I switch things up.
Oh! Another Trixie Belden fan!!! I think the mystery in those kinled my interest in suspense, today. However, I like many kinds of Christian fiction. In high school I discovered Grace Livingston Hill which led me to Christ and helped develop an interest in romance.
That’s easy – like you, Julie, I love England and historical fiction and mysteries set there. It’s all Anya Seton’s fault – I read “Katherine” in high school and fell in love with all things English. And yes, it’s probably why I love those books you’ve written!