The following are questions and answers from past issues of The Quizzing Glass. The questions are from the fan club members, the answers from Patricia Veryan.
Question: Did you intend from the first to make Roland Otton the hero he became by the final book of The Golden Chronicles ?
Answer: It was not my original intent, but by the time I finished writing Practice to Deceive, the first book of that series, I found I rather liked Roly, and decided on the eventual metamorphosis.
Question: Who owned Cancrizan Priory before it belonged to Camille Damon (Love's Duet)?
Answer: Camille inherited the Priory from his French mother, whose English grandfather's family had owned the property for two centuries. The Priory was the intended destination for the treasure Roland so assiduously pursued in The Golden Chronicles, and part of that same treasure which did reach Cancrizans was the treasure stolen by Amory Hartwell some seventy years later in DUET. I'm sure you'll remember that most of the Jacobite treasure was successfully concealed in Wales.
Question: What is Damson jam?
Answer: Damson is a small purple plum which is very much enjoyed in England.
Question: When you mentioned Diccon in Give All to Love, did you intend to give him his own book?
Answer: No, not at the time. However, Diccon had other ideas! He became such a source of intrigue that the interest shown by my readers led me to decide to write his story.
Question: Please explain the title, Love's Lady Lost.
Answer: The title Love's Lady Lost is a play on words borrowed from William Shakespeare's Love's Labors Lost.
Question: Is it really necessary to spend a great deal of time researching a Regency or Georgian novel?
Answer: To a great extent it depends on the author's basic knowledge of the periods. I think it vital that the backgrounds, mores, parlance, etc., be fairly accurate. I say "fairly", because if we wrote exactly as they spoke, in Georgians especially, it might be a bit tiresome. However, as I often remark when lecturing, one can overdo research. If you're writing to meet a deadline and it takes you four days to discover one small detail, it might be better to simply write "around it". Also, I was reading a book, in another genre, in which an author (an American with a great love of England) had researched so deeply that she simply couldn't resist passing on her erudition to her readers. There were endless passages on how British names are pronounced quite differently than their spelling - i.e., Featherstonehaugh - Fanshaw. One would have done quite well; and constant references to some obscure monetary differences. Research makes the difference between a believable and a nonsensical tale, but it should never obstruct the main thread of the story.
Question: I've noticed that two people do the illustrations for your hardcover books. What is the process involved in having your books illustrated and do you have any control over the covers of your paperback?
Answer: The author usually has no control over the hardcover or paperback books. When you are sufficiently well-known, you can squawk if they send you a sketch and it is horrid. However, I squawked over the first sketch St. Martin's sent to me for Give All to Love, and although they were kind enough to have it done over, the second version was even worse! Sometimes, I'm not sent a sketch at all. I have requested certain illustrators. For instance, I was pleased with the cover of Some Brief Folly (hardcover jacket) which was painted by Bob Sabin, and I asked for him again, but sometimes artists are no longer doing such work, or have moved and are not available. In my opinion, the best covers I've ever had done were those beautiful paperbacks of The Tyrant, Love Alters Not, and Cherished Enemy, all done by the very talented Elaine Gignilliat. I was so delighted to think Elaine, who knew my people so well, would be the illustrator for The Dedicated Villain, and was desolate to discover that she was no longer working with my editor at Fawcett. That was really a blow. Elaine was kind enough to send me 8x10 negatives of her paintings on Tyrant and Alters Not, and I had them blown up in colour and they are framed in my living room. I must admit the originals were beyond my means. Of course, none of these remarks apply to the big names, such as Danielle Steele or Janet Dailey - I expect those ladies have plenty to say about their covers.
Question: R. Otton spells rotton. Was it your idea that Roland would call himself that for a reason?
Answer: R. Otton does indeed spell rotton, but I'm not quite as fiendishly subtle as I am given credit for being. I didn't even think of that. Consciously, at least!
Several people have asked me (1) whether my characters are taken from life, and (2) how I keep them straight in my mind. (1) No. I will often take a particular characteristic I notice in a real person, and give it to one of my 'people'. But as to straight from life whole characters, no. (2) In addition to the rough cast-list sheet which goes in the front of the folder I make up for each book, I keep a card file on all my characters - one box Regency, one for Georgian. This was initiated in an effort to keep from repeating the same names. However, when the books began to be populated by my 'repertory company' of continuing characters, this became a vital necessity. When I reintroduce a person, I have to go to my card file and do my best to ensure he/she meets criteria already established for that character. Mistakes do happen with such a large group, but I believe they're less apt to happen when I can turn to my cards.
Question: Do you intend to revive Saxon's character in future books? Also, when you began writing Regencies years ago, did you first sit down and consciously decide to have recurring characters and create those characters, or did the idea and personalities evolve naturally? And from which part of Canada did Craig Tyndale hail from? Upper or Lower? York?
Answer: a) Saxon is mentioned in Logic of the Heart, but I have no plans at the moment to bring him back on stage. b) No, I didn't intend to have recurring characters. I was asked to do a series and didn't want to go into multi-generational books, so I decided instead on a sort of stock company. Actually, all of my books - Regencies, Georgians, and even my WWII book - have connecting links of some kind. c) Craig Tyndale grew up in Upper Canada.
Question: Please, how do you properly pronounce Trevelyan? It's been driving me crazy for years!
Answer: Phonetically, Tree-Vel-Yan, emphasis on middle syllable. Also, for those who asked, 'Sanguinet' is pronounced Sang-Win-A (final 'a' as in May). Remember Claude and his kin were French.
Question: In Give All to Love there is a scene near the end of the book (page 327 in the paperback) in which Lavisse informs Guy of his parentage. One statement made by Guy to the effect that Lavisse had been at Moiré on the night of Parnell's death is broken off due to "conflicting loyalties" on Guy's part. I am curious to know what conflicting loyalties Guy could have still had at this point in "The Sanguinet Saga".
Answer: Guy's "conflicting loyalties" arise when he fears that by verifying the fact that Lavisse (Gerard) was present when Parnell was killed, he may also be incriminating the man (Gerard) who has now come forward at some risk, to help him. He is torn between loyalty to his friend, Sir Harry, and gratitude to Gerard.
Question: When you first introduced Roly in Practice to Deceive, were the events in Villain in the back of your mind? Did you know back then how his character would turn out by the end of The Chronicles?
Answer: No. When I first introduced Roly I had six totally separate stories in mind. I found myself rather liking Roly, however, and pondered using him as an occasional villain in other volumes. It wasn't until I'd finished the book and was getting it ready for submission that I decided it might be fun to develop him through the six volumes and give him the end book. Gradually, the plots for all subsequent books were completely changed, and the only thing remaining constant was the idea of the cyphers, and the verses themselves.
Question: In The Dedicated Villain , did y-k-w really go mad or is it some devious ploy of his?
Answer: The individual who goes bonkers in The Dedicated Villain went all the way. He was always off the rails, actually.
Question: How is your last name properly pronounced? Is it Ver' yan or Very' an?
Answer: My last name is pronounced Very' n. The 'a' almost disappears, much as in the final 'a' in 'librarian'.
Question: Please explain Diccon's title of Lord Temple and Cloud - why are there two names?
Answer: Very often a titled man inherited more than one title as in Diccon's case. Simon Cloud, who was briefly mentioned in Lanterns, was Diccon's ancestor at the time of the Crusades and Lord Temple was probably inherited as it came down through the male line.
Question: Do you plan to reintroduce Sinclair Ramsay, who appeared in The Tyrant? I really liked him.
Answer: I'm afraid Sinclair and I had rather lost touch. I'll see what I can do.
Question: My husband and I can't believe you're going to leave Poor Splendid Wings right there! Please - can't you squeeze in a sequel to let us know what becomes of them all? Joe Lane, especially!
Answer: Thanks so much for your interest. Your question is one that's being asked by several readers, and the publishers have twice suggested that I write a sequel. I'm reluctant, however. Firstly, because I rather think that any sequel to WINGS would tend to be anti-climatic. Secondly, because such a book takes an enormous amount of research, and thirdly, because my schedule is so full just now, I simply don't know how I'd be able to find the time. Long ago, however, I did draft a sequel outline, so - who knows . . .?
Question: I am an aspiring author and I would like to know how you plot your stories.
Answer: Wow! I'm afraid it would take quite a while to explain that process. About the best I can suggest is that you keep an "Ideas" file and pop into it any intriguing thought that comes to mind, or any incident that you see or hear, that you might be able to use in a story. Sometimes those notes are invaluable when you've got your tale set down, but it needs something 'extra' here and there. Also, think about your scenes and characters whenever you have a spare moment, and picture what else might - or could happen. Often my first drafts are pretty much 'bare bones', and I'm disgusted with them, but as I read through the chapters I get an idea (from "somewhere") that 'this' might work better if 'that' happened, or, wouldn't it be funny if . . . I might add that I'm extremely grateful to whomever pops those suggestions into my mind. Also, by the time you reach the end of your story, you'll know your 'people' and places better, and will be able to go back and flesh out characterizations and locations.
Question: Is Patricia Veryan a pseudonym?
Answer: Yes. My other is Gwyneth Moore, only as yet used three times, for Harlequin's shorter Regency books. I don't use my real name in connections with my writing.
Question: There is a village named Veryan, in Cornwall, England. Is there any connection? Are you from there?
Answer: No. I was born in the heart of London, and didn't even know there was such a place until a reader sent me a picture of it a year or two ago. I took the name from one of Jeffery Farnol's books and, since my middle initial is V, everyone assumed Veryan was my maiden name.
Question: Have you ever considered setting a story in the World War I era?
Answer: No. It was a fascinating time, I agree. Unfortunately, any work of "contemporary" fiction today more or less necessitates lots of explicit sex, which I'm not willing to do. My WWII tale was refused by many U.S. editors and criticized as "not reflecting today's moral values". It doesn't, of course, since it is set in 1943. (I won't comment on today's "moral values".)
Question: What do you like to read?
Answer: I continue to enjoy (most of) the works of Georgette Heyer and the earlier Jeffery Farnol's. Jane Austen, of course. George Elliot, Elizabeth Cadell, D. E. Stevenson, Eva Ibbotson, E. F. Benson and Miss Read (though perhaps one has to be born British to enjoy the latter two), the Elizabeth Peters "Peabody" stories. I like the lighter mysteries - Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, some of Arthur Upfield. Some of P. G. Wodehouse. I'm presently reading a Christie, a Benson, and one of Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael medieval mysteries, which are marvelously written and researched.