Saturday 26 January 2013

The PINK SOFA welcomes Pia Fenton

Pia Fenton (writing name: Christina Courtenay)



Pia is a member of the London Chapter of the Romantic Novelists' Association, which is where I first met her. (Yes, I know I don't write romantic novels, but they're a generous bunch and let oddballs like me hang out with them). Pia was kind enough to let me crash her blog to talk about my ebook, so I'm very pleased to return the favour, especially as she has a brand new novel, The Gilded Fan just published. The PINK SOFA asked Pia about her new novel, and to tell us a little about herself and her writing.

'' Many thanks for having me as your guest, Carol, it's great to be here on the PINK SOFA! Nice and squishy, isn't it? (The PINK SOFA just wishes to point out here that it has now got two NEW cushions, with tassels.) 2013 certainly started with a bang for me, with 2 Kindle releases almost within days of each other - one was a Regency novella (Once Bitten, Twice Shy), the other was The Gilded Fan, which will also be available in paperback from 7th Feb onwards.

I'm half Swedish/half English. I was born in England but moved to Sweden when I was only a year old, so my English dad and I learned Swedish together. We also learned to swim together in the summer house by the lake. Fun but pretty cold! I once swam in water that was only 16 degrees C. Brrrr!

As my family has just moved house, I don't currently have a fixed writing place - can't seem to find the ideal place, so I'm moving from room to room and trying different things. I think I need to buy a new desk and chair, then maybe I'll be more settled. Good thing I write on a laptop. One of my favourite parts of the writing process is coming up with names for my characters. I can lose myself in name books or on name blogs for hours on end, happily jotting down possibilities until I stumble on one that's perfect. And I read the credits at the end of films just to pick up new names.

The hardest part of writing for me in actually putting bum on seat. It's so easy to get distracted by social networking and reading other people's blogs, especially if the writing isn't flowing that day.
Pia's new novel

The Gilded Fan is set in 1641 and features what some people would call a 'kick-ass' heroine - a sword-wielding half-Japanese girl, trained in the arts of war.When Midori Kumashiro, the orphaned daughter of a warlord is told she has to leave Japan or die, sh has no choice but to flee to England. 

With atypically Japanese upbringing (being taught self-defence by her father and also the samurai code of honour) tempered by her English mother's foreign ideas, Midori was an interesting character to portray. She thinks herself the equal of any man. That is, of course until she meets the hero, Captain Nico Noordholt, a man like no other she's ever known. He has come to Nagasaki to trade and the last thing he wants is a female passenger, especially a beautiful one.

I have to confess I like alpha heroes and Nico is certainly one of those - big, blond, handsome in a rugged sort of way and capable of holding his own in most situations. He's used to getting his own way and not caring for anyone other than himself. When Midori gets under Nico's skin, he has no idea how to cope, which was perfect for my story. I had great fun writing about these two. Although they clashed instantly, that also had so much in common - I just had to make them realise it!

I'd love to know what other people think of 'Kick-ass' heroines - love them or loathe them? Choc Lit are offering a copy of the prequel The Scarlet Kimono (all about Midori's mother Hannah, another wilful heroine) to the best comment!''

The Gilded Fan (ISBN 978-1-78189-008-0)
Pia's website (including blog): www.christinacourtenay.co.
Twitter: @PiaCCourtenay

Thanks Pia - THE PINK SOFA loves Choc Lit - listen, any publisher with 'choc' in its name is a winner!

Pia will be staying around for a while, so do take a seat, help yourself to Japanese rice crackers and sake, and have a chat.








35 comments:

  1. My granddaughter has an English father and a Japanese mother, will this make her a kick-ass heroine, do you think or is it the wrong combination?

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  2. Pia - I have a question: do you think being of dual nationality gives you a different way of 'seeing' the world? My parents were both German Jews who fled Nazi Germany to come to England. Although I was born here, I've never thought of myself as being 'English'. How does your racial identity colour your work?

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  3. Shogun meets Madame Butterfly; not a particularly accurate analogy, but the best I could come up with during a night with little sleep. Sounds like a fun read.

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  4. Joy - I'm sure that combination would be just as great! Does she want to be a kick-ass heroine? I would! Thanks for your comment :)

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  5. Sounds like fun stuff, and I like the idea of Choc Lit too, so a combination of kick ass heroines, alpha heroes and chocolate..yum! The Pink Sofa always provides great talent. Thanks Carol and Pia! I shall look for these to download.

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  6. Carol - yes I definitely think I see things differently because I have two perspectives on everything! But just living abroad and then coming back to your own country can make you view things in another light. These are themes I have explored in my novels, so yes, it's influenced my work.

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  7. Rochelle - thank you, I hope you're right! :)

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  8. She's only two but certainly seems to be heading in that general direction.

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  9. What a lovely introduction to both you and your work Pia! 'The Gilded Fan' sounds fascinating...I have no doubt it will make a great read, which I shall swiftly add to my ..'Must Read' list! Just as you look at the end of films to read the credits for names...I tend to go to the cemetery...but then I have picnics there too!..;) Anyway, really nice to meet you Pia...:D

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  10. Great interview Pia/Christina.....I've loved your other books so can't wait to read this...:)
    And I agree, Carol, the RNA are a friendly bunch....:)

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  11. Thank you Val!
    Joy - LOL! They're a handful at that age, that's for sure :)
    Lynn - great idea, I'd never thought of going to the cemetery! But I do genealogy so should really go anyway - thanks for the tip!
    Linda - many thanks, so glad you enjoyed them :)

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  12. Christina - I totally agree with you about names. It's a fun part of the writing process, but also a little bit serious because if the name doesn't suit the character, it's almost as if he/she can't quite "come to life". Or maybe I'm just mad!

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  13. Christina - I totally agree with you about names. It's a fun part of the writing process, but also a little bit serious because if the name doesn't suit the character, it's almost as if he/she can't quite "come to life". Or maybe I'm just mad!

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  14. Names are so important for getting the character right - and fun to find down, I agree. When I was 12 we went on a family holiday to New Zealand and at every graveyard we passed I made mum and dad stop the car so I could jot down all the interesting names to use in the book I was writing. I still do that, more than 30 years later.

    Thanks for a lovely insight into your book.

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  15. I hadn't heard of this book before reading this post. It sounds fascinating and I really like the cover. The interview with Pia was very insightful. Thanks so much for sharing!
    ~Jess

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  16. Great interview, Christina! The Gilded Fan sounds like another of your wonderful stories full of Eastern promise.

    And you are not only an RNA member, you are also going to take over as its Chair from this year. Or maybe we should have a rebranding exercise and turn the Chair into the Pink Sofa?

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  17. The new book sounds amazing, the best of luck with that! The swimming, well that sounds like the Baltic in May BRRRRRRR (indeed)!!!! :)

    I can certainly associate with the whole trying to find focus thing too, but you are obviously doing something right as you have got the pages into print! Thank you for a lovely blog :)

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  18. Henriette - no, I don't think you're mad at all! If you can't find the right name, the story doesn't feel right. I had one where I tried five different names for the heroine before I found one that suited her and I couldn't get into the writing before I'd done that!

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  19. Beverley - thank you for your comment! Yes, I definitely must go to some graveyards soon I think :)

    Jess - thank you, so glad you like the cover (and the interview)!

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  20. Juliet - thanks! Good idea regarding the chair, I should definitely have a pink one to sit on (or maybe magenta as that's the RNA's colour) :)

    AV - thank you! Yes, swimming in Swedish lakes is cold for most of the year, but when you live there you kind of get used to it. I was always in and out of the water from about the end of May till end of August as a child, but now I'm afraid it would have to be a very warm day for me to venture in :)

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  21. I love kick-ass heroines! I also want to say that I really like this cover. Very pretty and interesting at the same time.

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  22. Lovely interview. The Gilded Fan is my next read and I can't wait. I have a feeling I've spent more time choosing names for my characters than I did baby names for my boys :)

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  23. Hi, Pia and Carol. Great interview. I can't wait to read the new one! I loved The Silent Touch of Shadows, so I expect we are all in for another treat! xx

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  24. Both of these books are on my Kindle, Christina, but I've just finished The Silent Touch of Shadows (congrats on the RoNA nomintion, by the way) and I haven't quite forgiven you for what you did to Roger!!! I need time to get over it ...

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  25. ラブラブインタビュー、女性。ありがとう.

    Lovely interview. Pia, I hope google translate hasn't let me down!

    Love B Xx

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  26. A very interesting interview, Christina. I loved your other books and I know that I will love this as well.

    I've just started writing a new book, and I gave the heroine a name that I loved - Rose. Every time that I went to write Rose, though, the name Claire came first to my mind. I had to think consciously 'Rose' before I wrote the name. And when I went about in the day, thinking about my heroine, I kept on thinking about a Claire.

    Three chapters in, I did find and replace, and my heroine is now Claire. It's the first time that I've been completely unable to call a character by the name that I wanted.

    Liz X

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  27. Great Interview I can't wait to read the book

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  28. Kelly - thank you, really pleased you like it! Covers are so important, I think :)

    Sarah - LOL, me too! Have so many of those baby name books ...

    Mandy - thank you, glad you enjoyed TSTOS!

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  29. Sue - oh dear, sorry about that! But you know how it is, sometimes you have to be ruthless with your characters :-)

    Thanks, Bex! Will go and see if it can translate that for me!

    Liz - it's so strange how characters have their own minds, but no point fighting it!

    Lisa - many thanks! :-)

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  30. I think its better if the character can look after herself. I like the idea of her following the way of the warrior. Good stuff

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  31. Thank you, Paul! Yes, I wish I was more like my heroine - I'd be useless in a fight :-)

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  32. Love the idea of a kick-ass heroine. Your books are so diverse, Christina - are you sure there's only one of you?

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  33. Yes but can she fly with that fan and does she get to England and that date suggests arriving during The English Civil War and that certainly will challenge all her kick ass qualities. Looking forward to reading it , Pia and what a lovely cover and also fabulous photo of yourself too. Carolx

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  34. Great interview. I've never written a 'kick-ass heroin' into a story. Maybe I should give it a try.

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  35. Sophie - LOL, yes! Thank you, wish there were more so I'd get more done :)

    Carol - thanks, glad you like it! And yep, the Civil War features and does pose a bit of a challenge, to say the least!

    Rosalind - Many thanks! Yes do, it's great fun :)

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