PG to write about Eleanor of Aquitaine?

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Sun November 21st, 2010, 1:10 am

[quote=""Miss Moppet""]PG said herself in the webchat I linked to further up the thread that her area of expertise was English history and she didn't want to stray from it and thus she wouldn't be tackling any French queens. So it's not entirely logical that she would launch into American history, although there wouldn't be the language barrier there is with France.[/quote]

Yeah, thats what I have issue with. And besides, like I said before she is only a HF author. She isn't a historian. You can read translated books about the French and write a fine HF novel.

[quote=""Perdita""]Ouch!! There are plenty of Americans writing about English history so why can't we write about your history?[/quote]

Oh, you can. That's really not the issue I have. Its her attitude about such things that rubs me the wrong way.

Perdita · Post by **Perdita** » Sun November 21st, 2010, 1:29 am

That's good, cos I was about to ban Brandy Purdy from ever writing about the Tudors again!

Michy · Post by **Michy** » Sun November 21st, 2010, 2:35 am

[quote=""Perdita""]Ouch!! There are plenty of Americans writing about English history so why can't we write about your history?[/quote] You can -- and do -- and do a fine job.

We were just grousing about PG in particular.

Perdita · Post by **Perdita** » Sun November 21st, 2010, 3:17 pm

[quote=""Michy""]You can -- and do -- and do a fine job.

We were just grousing about PG in particular.[/quote]

I misunderstood then, apologies! I'm not really a fan of PG's anymore tbh. These days I find her stuff almost unreadable, it's so repetitive. But - playing devil's advocate here - she's one of the top names in HF and has a huge following so if she did write a novel set in the US it would bring a whole new audience to American history and introduce us to stories and characters that aren't so well known this side of the Atlantic. OK, she'd probably get most of it wrong or invent stuff and I can understand why that would be annoying but it would be an opening for those who wanted to find out more

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sun November 21st, 2010, 3:39 pm

[quote=""Perdita""]But - playing devil's advocate here - she's one of the top names in HF and has a huge following so if she did write a novel set in the US it would bring a whole new audience to American history and introduce us to stories and characters that aren't so well known this side of the Atlantic. OK, she'd probably get most of it wrong or invent stuff and I can understand why that would be annoying but it would be an opening for those who wanted to find out more

[/quote]

Yes it would, just like she got us all started reading historical fiction.

That's good, cos I was about to ban Brandy Purdy from ever writing about the Tudors again!

It didn't fare well over at Amazon UK last time I looked.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Sun November 21st, 2010, 4:06 pm

[quote=""Perdita""]I misunderstood then, apologies! I'm not really a fan of PG's anymore tbh. These days I find her stuff almost unreadable, it's so repetitive. But - playing devil's advocate here - she's one of the top names in HF and has a huge following so if she did write a novel set in the US it would bring a whole new audience to American history and introduce us to stories and characters that aren't so well known this side of the Atlantic. OK, she'd probably get most of it wrong or invent stuff and I can understand why that would be annoying but it would be an opening for those who wanted to find out more

[/quote]

You're right. But I'm gonna venture she's going to do someone hugely popular anyway like a Rockfeller, Vanderbilt or Kennedy and that doesnt really excite me.

But I see your point. However, I wonder if that means a ton of peole will then shift their interest over to American Hist. I dunno. We haven't any queens or royal scandals, and thats the big reason why most people dont like America HF.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Sun November 21st, 2010, 4:35 pm

The point is apt about getting people to read HF. As much as I dislike Gregory, it has opened the doors to many people. At my used bookstore last summer, they had a kiosk filled with PG books. I asked the manager why and he said because she was a popular writer (not really meaning to focus on HF). I asked him to make it a HF kiosk, and suggested many other writers of interest. Over time, I heard many people say PG was their HF first, but as the books on the kiosk became more varied, I saw them fly off the shelves. So did the manager. So now I have him asking me for more suggestions!

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Sun November 21st, 2010, 4:39 pm

[quote=""Ash""]The point is apt about getting people to read HF. As much as I dislike Gregory, it has opened the doors to many people. At my used bookstore last summer, they had a kiosk filled with PG books. I asked the manager why and he said because she was a popular writer (not really meaning to focus on HF). I asked him to make it a HF kiosk, and suggested many other writers of interest. Over time, I heard many people say PG was their HF first, but as the books on the kiosk became more varied, I saw them fly off the shelves. So did the manager. So now I have him asking me for more suggestions![/quote]

Good for you

Only kind of new book stores around here are B&N and Borders, no mom and pops except the UBS's. I've only seen one of them with a shelf dedicated to HF, although there are some great finds in the romance section of my local one. I've spotten Seton, Mary Stewart, MM Kaye there just to name three.

Perdita · Post by **Perdita** » Mon November 22nd, 2010, 11:44 am

[quote=""Divia""]You're right. But I'm gonna venture she's going to do someone hugely popular anyway like a Rockfeller, Vanderbilt or Kennedy and that doesnt really excite me.

But I see your point. However, I wonder if that means a ton of peole will then shift their interest over to American Hist. I dunno. We haven't any queens or royal scandals, and thats the big reason why most people dont like America HF.[/quote]

Ah, but Kennedy would be an amazing topic! There was a book I read last summer which was meant to be based on Laura Bush's childhood and went through her life until she became first lady. It started off in the 1950's so it's sort of HF.. can't remember the title but it was a good insight into recent American history.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Mon November 22nd, 2010, 8:53 pm

Yeah but overall I dislike the Kennedys. Sure they got scandal, money and a few deaths but I'm just tired of hearing about them. They're just a very rich family with the saem problems as everyone else.