Established in 2018, TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books.
Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in 2-3 sentences?
Behold the Bird in Flight is a coming-of-age story
and a royal love triangle filled with danger and longing and inspired by real
historical figures—Isabelle d’Angoulême, her fiancé Hugh de Lusignan, and King
John of Magna Carta fame. Set in a period that valued women only for their
dowries and childbearing, Isabelle has been mainly erased by men, but the
medieval chronicles suggest a woman who developed her own power and wielded it.
Which character did you most enjoy creating? Why? And,
which character gave you the most trouble, and why?
Isabelle was an absolute delight. I imagined her as a
stubborn young girl with romantic tendencies and let her loose. That
stubbornness served her well in a world where women were disregarded; the
romantic fantasies got her into trouble. I loved watching her grow into a
strong woman capable of acting to save herself and even others.
Isabelle’s betrothed, Hugh de Lusignan, was the most
difficult. He came to me as a dreamer, not a doer, and under the thumb of his
powerful father, but somehow Isabelle had to love him.
Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s
road to publication.
I started the novel in 2009 and began to query in 2014. Several
agents mentioned a problem with Isabelle’s youth, but she was a real historical
figure and I couldn’t just make her older. I set the novel aside to marinate.
When I picked it up again, I decided to show how a medieval girl prepared for
the world earlier than a modern girl. After another round of queries (87 in
all, with seven requests), a friend suggested I try another route. The novel
was accepted by She Writes Press two months after submission, a nanosecond in
publishing time.
What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?
Editing is not rewriting. Polishing the prose won’t fix
structural or character issues. Your words may seem engraved on the page, especially
if you’ve lived with them for years, but be brave: cut, write new, merge
characters. That lesson took me a long time to learn.
My favorite writing advice is “write until something
surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?
I was surprised how entertaining I found King John. His
reputation as the worst English king is probably earned, but in person he was
growly, full of excuses and complaints, oddly insecure, but when he got mad, he
let loose. Not the kind of character I’d written before. I mean, swords and
threats and swearing. As I wrote, I became convinced he really loved Isabelle
and only treated her badly when he felt she didn’t love him alone. Which of
course, she didn’t, at least in my telling.
How did you find the title of your book?
My title came late. Because religion resonated through the
middle ages, I had given each chapter a quasi Biblical quote. Curse Not the
King. Suffer the Little Children. Also, Isabelle always noticed birds,
not only in the sky and woods, but the hawks men carried, a little chicken she
took into her heart. After several misfires, my subconscious handed me Behold
the Bird. I added in Flight for her curiosity about the world and
her need to flee danger. Voila!
Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any
food/s associated with your book? (Any recipes I might share?)
Isabelle has a sweet tooth and loves honey balls. (She uses
them to bribe a skinny guard…) She also loves eels which look like a ball of
black string licorice. I doubt a modern audience would like the latter, but
here’s a recipe to the former, baked not deep fried for ease: https://www.almanac.com/recipe/baked-honey-balls-italian-struffoli
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READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR: https://TerriLewis1.com
ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR OWN TBR STACK: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Behold-the-Bird-in-Flight/Terri-Lewis/9781647429102
SUBSTACK: TerriLewis1.Substack.com
