Jonathan
Hopkins is an accomplished historical author, and his novel, "The Walls of Jericho" is fabulous! Recommended reading! Jonathan's characters jump off the page! I felt every horse stride and galloped with every character.
What was your
inspiration for writing this wonderful historical novel?
Gina,
you're very kind, but I don't consider myself accomplished after one novel -
maybe after four or five! I never intended to write a book, and how it
came about is a long story which shows how dangerous a thing 'inspiration' can
be. A few years ago, my wife got the grumbles. I'm sure most
long-married men have heard the same complaints - about not being romantic anymore,
never buying flowers etc etc. And...they were probably warranted. So I had a
brainwave. For our wedding anniversary, which was five months hence, I'd
deliver her flowers on horseback...as a 19th century hussar! What could be more
romantic than that, thought I? Unfortunately, I'd reckoned without the
difficulty of getting hold of kit. You can't just pop into your local gents
outfitters and buy a Napoleonic cavalry uniform and saddlery. As it turned out
I found a re-enactment uniform on eBay, but I had to make the saddlery myself
and there are no patterns available. It meant I was forced into searching high
and low for descriptions and pictures. I hunted through non-fiction books about
British cavalry of that time - lots of them. And what struck me most was the
amount of criticism leveled at those men from just about every historian and
his dog. They couldn't possibly have been that bad, could they? The more
campaign histories and diaries I read, the more frustrated I got at what I
believed were unfair interpretations of many of the cavalry actions. Someone
needed to speak up for the British horsemen who fought Napoleon in Spain and
Portugal. But I'm no historian so, for my sins, I wrote a novel. To tell the
story of what their lives were really like. And the wedding anniversary?
That went fine, thank you. Especially since I'd also organized a carriage ride
to lunch.
What was your inspiration for character development?
Georgian
society was highly polarized. The industrial revolution, which grew the
middle classes, was in its infancy. But the wars against Napoleon threw the
very rich and grindingly poor together in a way most had never experienced
before, forcing them, in many instances, to endure danger and privation on an
equal footing. I was interested in exploring how such relationships worked in
real life, and whether it ultimately affected the way men dealt with their
social opposites on a day-to-day basis. So my two main characters are a prince
and a pauper, so to speak. And to make life even more difficult for them, they
are childhood friends, brought together by a shared love of horses.
You are working on a sequel to your novel. When will it be released?
Ah - an
awkward question! Well, the draft is almost finished but I'm one of those
people who is never satisfied and will edit and edit and edit. My main problem
is the new story has to be better than the first. I'm hopeful it'll
be ready in the Spring.
Do you have any suggestions for beginning writers who would like to write historical fiction?
Don't be
put off by those who tell you crime fiction, sci-fi and horror are the only
genres that sell. A good historical novel will always find readers, and the
market is growing. Try to find a period that interests you and a niche within
that period which no-one else has covered. Read as much as you can, both
fiction, so you can see what's popular in style and content, and books by
'proper' historians. I buy non-fiction secondhand and on eBay because textbooks
are so expensive and specialist works hard to find at the local library.
But most importantly, write about your characters: what they see and hear, how
they feel, how they live. The historical backdrop to their lives is important
but that's all it is - a backdrop. Readers buy books to find out what happens
to the people in them. And if they fall in love with your characters they'll
want to read more and more about them.
Do you write everyday?
No - I
should, but I don't. I'll find some reason not to unless I force myself. I've
tried sitting in front of the screen and just typing any old rubbish, but I
just can't do it. So I don't write for a couple of days and then type madly for
the next few. One thing I make sure of is to do something
writing-related every day without fail. Just making a simple note is enough -
anything to drive the writing forward. That might be an idea for a new story, a
new fact to include, a change or addition to an existing outline; even a line
of dialogue for a character.
How do you keep and maintain ideas and thoughts for manuscripts?
I use a
really simple system. I just have a file on the laptop with ideas and outlines
that I add to or change every day. It gets backed up with the rest of the
system so I don't lose it, as I once did with three chapters of Walls of Jericho thanks to a
hard-drive problem. You all back your files up, don't you? But I also
keep a voice recorder in the car - just in case I get caught short when I'm out
and about!
What is it like to live in South Wales?
I love
this area. We live in the Vale of Glamorgan which is greener and more
agricultural than the once-industrialized valleys further north. It's
right on the coast so we have countryside and sea in close proximity, but with
capital city Cardiff just a few miles to the east we're not too far away from
the bright lights either.
You are an equestrian as well as a writer. Your equestrian abilities certainly shine through in your writing. What is your favorite personal horse story?
There are
loads! The best one's on my blog but it's very long winded, so as a shorter
anecdote...I was in a showjumping class and my old horse was having an off-day.
He ran out at one fence and when re-presented did exactly the same thing. Both
times I came off over his right shoulder but luckily landed on my feet. The
commentator announced, "I'm afraid that's elimination for, er...let's be
kind and say 'two dismounts'".
Do you currently own a horse? Where do you like to ride?
I
inherited a cast-off from my daughter - he's a nice old stick but she found him
a bit sharp for her. Unfortunately, it wasn't until I started riding him we
discovered he doesn't like men! One problem with the area we live is the lack
of off-road riding. There are a few forestry tracks, and permit-only riding on
a sand-dune system to the west of us, but you have to box the horses to get
there. Most of the ancient cart tracks were metalled as roads, before the
railways arrived, so there are few bridlepaths...hey - maybe there's a novel in
that somewhere.
Who are your favorite authors?
Bernard
Cornwell, Clive Cussler (but growing out of love with him), Wilbur Smith, CC
Humphreys, the late Dick Francis, MM Bennetts.
What is your favorite equestrian quote?
"A horse is uncomfortable in the middle and
dangerous at both ends." - Ian Fleming
What are your future goals as a writer and a rider?
As a
writer - I want to carry on as long as possible. I have outlines and ideas for
a possible fourteen cavalry stories, so increasing my output might be a good
idea! As a rider - I want to carry on as long as possible. No -
seriously, it would be nice to get back to competing before my joints and
ligaments start protesting too much. I once had ambitions to wear a tailcoat at
dressage - that'd be Medium level and above in the UK - but I think it's
probably beyond me now. So a few Riding Club One-Day-Events and some
showjumping will suit me fine.
Follow Jonathan:
http://www.amazon.com/Walls-Jericho-Jonathan-Hopkins/dp/1849230307/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322950437&sr=1-10
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/32464
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/walls-of-jericho-jonathan-hopkins/1015115906?ean=9781849230308&itm=4&usri=walls+of+jericho
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/32464
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/walls-of-jericho-jonathan-hopkins/1015115906?ean=9781849230308&itm=4&usri=walls+of+jericho
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