ℚ♫ A Maiden's Honor: The Woman from Eden [1] - Josanna Thompson

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Josanna Thompson to talk about A Maiden's Honor (13 October 2017, Inkwell Books, LLC, 614 pages), a Historical Romantic Fiction, book one in the The Woman from Eden series.

"This is an epic love story set on the Barbary Coast in the time of Pirates better known as Cosairs. If you love to be transported to another time and place, with all the needed detail supplied for you to feel like you are there - do not miss out on this. The way that everything is set about and linked together makes this book a joy to read."  ~ Amazon Reviewer.

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

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A very warm welcome to Josanna Thompson; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in A Maiden's Honor , or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"I enjoy listening to music. My taste is very eclectic. I can’t listen to music with words while I’m writing. If I did, I would never get anything done. Listening to piano music, on the other hand, puts me in the mood for writing.

The following are just a few of my favorites."

Thank you for sharing those pieces with us. Unfortunately, In the Bleak Midwinter by Dana Cunningham was not available.

What was the inspiration for A Maiden's Honor ?

"People often ask me how I came up with the story for A Maiden’s Honor. It’s a long story, (no pun intended).

Sarah Campbell’s character has been with me for many years. She took several forms in earlier drafts of A Maiden’s Honor. She was a sailor, a daughter of a Scottish sea captain, a governess. None of those renditions captivated me enough to write her story. So, A Maiden’s Honor remained locked away in my mind until I stumbled upon Paul Gauguin’s journal about his life in French Polynesia.

For those of you who don’t know Paul Gauguin, he was a French impressionist painter who left his wife and children in France to live in the South Pacific. He was fortunate enough to find a group of natives who still lived much like their Polynesian ancestors. Gauguin lived as one of them, including marrying a thirteen-year-old girl.

While he was there, he captured the Polynesian life through his paintings. He also wrote a journal about his life with the natives. I was fascinated with his insights about their society. That's when my story began to take form."

Paul Gauguin - D'ou venons-nous

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"I would have to say that my character, Cora Bradley is closest to my personality. She also expresses my attitudes towards people and the world."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for A Maiden's Honor - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"When I was writing A Maiden’s Honor, I had grand visions for my cover. It was a simple design. My main character, Sarah, would be standing by the railing on the Zafirah looking out onto the horizon, or perhaps at the city of Algiers, wearing only her blue paru (a short skirt). All you would see of Sarah was her long flowing burgundy hair hanging loosely down her back and her bare arms and shoulders with the tattoos on her arms. Her head would be turned to the side with her face would be tilted slightly downward, and there would be a white flower tucked behind her ear. That’s it. .

My small publisher informed me that my idea was beyond his budget and I would need to pay someone to design this cover, which was beyond my budget. So I moved on to Plan B.

My designs came about through many trials and errors. My friends and I came up with the current design one month later. .

My cover design odyssey is a very long, and funny story. It’s documented on my website. Click here if you want to read it.

Everything in this cover is symbolic. Here’s a breakdown of the symbolism and its meaning:

Water: Sarah Campbell's Journey
Flower: Sarah's Polynesian heritage (The flower is a silk version of the Tahitian Gardenia)
Tartan: Sarah's Scottish heritage. (This is actually the Campbell tart an.)
Black Pearl: Sarah's rarity. (Black pearls were very rare in Europe during the early 19th century.)
Anchor: Sarah's marriage to a sea captain
Ring: Sarah's Honor

Oh, by the way, I managed to fit Sarah into the image. It’s hidden in the center of the pearl."

Why should we read A Maiden's Honor and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"A Maiden’s Honor is an innovative story. To my knowledge, there are no books like it in the current book market. This book has something for everyone. It's a love story, an epic adventure, a drama. There are also lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the last few paragraphs.

A Maiden’s Honor is also a timely story in today’s era of multiculturalism. Characters come from seven different countries. Each are different from the other, and yet they discover as they interact with each other that they are all part of the human race. They want to be understood and accepted for who they are. In my humble opinion, people in every generation continue to need to learn the lessons portrayed in this story."

Can you tell us something quirky about A Maiden's Honor, its story and characters?

"My protagonist, Sarah Campbell is named after my great, great aunt – Sarah Campbell."

Who would you recommend A Maiden's Honor to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I recommend A Maiden’s Honor to anyone who loves an epic historical adventure.

My story isn’t for everyone. It deals with some serious issues like slavery and rape. Readers can be assured that these issues are portrayed in a tasteful way, i.e. I allude to these experiences, but I never show them through a blow by blow account. "

If you could / wished to turn A Maiden's Honor and The Woman from Eden series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I think aspiring author dreams of seeing their book made into a movie. I’m no exception. Here’s my dream team [the name of the character is the first line in bold, followed by the actor]:

Sarah Campbell
Gemma Arterton
(or Ariel from The Little Mermaid)

Hassan Aziz
Eric Bana

Naa’il Dhar
Arnold Vosloo
(Imoteph from the Mummy)

Cora Bradley
Jessica Chastain
(Sara –The Huntsman: Winter’s War) 

Tess O’Shea
Heather Lind
(Anna Strong from Turn: Washington Spies)

Abigail Randall
Meegan Warner
(Mary Woodhull from Turn: Washington Spies)

Mamnoon
Nonso Anozie
(The Captain from Cinderella)

Jamal Rhamani
Oded Fher
(Ardelth Bey from the Mummy)

Mariam
(Naa’il’s first wife) 
Kareena Kapoor

Samina
(Naa’il’s second wife)
Sibylla Dean
(Anike (Tut’s first wife) – Tut)

Peter Hyatt
Paul Bettany
(The Doctor from Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World)

BashiraLillete Dubey
(Mrs. Kapoor from The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel)

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I love, love, love historical fiction, but I also enjoy contemporary and children’s literature too. I worked in a children’s book store after I got out of college. I was introduced to a lot of wonderful children’s books.

I mostly read historical fiction and straight history these days. I love history books, especially those that provide insight into different worlds."

What is your writing process?

"I write like a painter. I begin by writing a general sketch of my chapter. Then I go back and add the details. I also reread the work that I did the previous day. That helps me to get into the mind-set for the next section. I’m not sure if that’s the most efficient way to write, but it works for me."

What is in store next?

"I’m working on the sequel to A Maiden’s Honor. This is the second instalment of the Woman from Eden series.

This story picks up where A Maiden’s Honor left off. Sarah, Hassan (Nathan) and their friends land in Regency England. This story is the ultimate fish out of water story, except this determined little fish (Sarah) learns to breathe air."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"I have the best summer office!!! I can’t imagine writing anywhere else. I move to our porch once the weather gets nice. I turn on our water feature. I also set out two hummingbird feeders, one feeder is literally an arm’s length from me.

My hummingbirds come up to feed while I’m working. Some brave ones will fly up to me to check me out before taking a drink. It’s a lot of fun. I even manage to get some work done. (Sorry, I don't have any pictures with me and my hummingbirds. They're allusive little creatures!) Looking forward to their return in May!"

Very nice. I wish I could work in a place like that! With hummingbirds flying around! Wow.
Thank you for sharing :-)

Can a Scottish woman, who was raised on a primitive Polynesian island, survive living in a complex Western culture?

A Maiden's Honor
Available NOW!

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