, which was released on February 1, 2011.It's obvious from reading your book that you did quite a bit of research on the time period. What types of things did you do to learn more about Victorian London?
There is a marvellous book by a journalist (Mayhew) written in Victorian times and called LONDON LABOUR AND THE LONDON POOR. He went around interviewing the ordinary, poor working people and writing down their stories. Absolutely heart-wrenching.
I liked the Dickens cameo in FALLEN GRACE
. Why did you decide to include him in the story?I like to put real people in my books, just to remind the reader that this is a TRUE story and not fantasy. So far I've had King Charles II, Charles Duval the highwayman and Nell Gwyn the king's mistress. In the next (see below) I've got Conan Doyle, the author of the Sherlock Holmes books, putting in an appearance. Of course I have to make sure that the person appearing really was in London (or wherever) at the time and acts as they truly would have done.
Grace and Lily encounter many things throughout the story that are absolutely heartbreaking. How typical was their experience for that time period and why was it important to you to tell that story?
Their experiences are true ones (see Mayhew, above). We can read books about kings and queens and the aristocracy of the day because they left diaries and letters and their lives were documented, so I wanted to give the poor a voice. Also, rags to riches makes a great story!
You mention on your website that you left school when you were 15? What caused you to leave early, and do you regret waiting so long to receive formal education?
Up to about 1970, in the UK you were able to leave school at 15. I was keen to get out into the world and I didn't realise I knew absolutely nothing until later. I don't regret this now because I had great fun going (part time) to University when I was 40 and reading all the books I should have read earlier.
You also mention in your bio on your website that once you began writing historical novels you realized how much you love doing them. What about the historical fiction genre draws you to it?
I wish I knew! I just know that when I began working on my first historical: AT THE SIGN OF THE SUGARED PLUM (about the Great Plague) I had discovered what I liked doing best.
If you don't mind telling, are you working on any projects now?
My next book is called VELVET and is about a girl who takes a job working for a medium in Victorian London. Conan Doyle was a keen supporter of Spiritualism...
Author Bio:
Mary Hooper is a very popular writer for children and young adults. Mary's brilliant historical novels, At the House of the Magician, By Royal Command, At the Sign of the Sugared Plum, Petals in the Ashes and The Extraordinary Life and Times of Eliza Rose have a huge fan base, as do her contemporary novels for teenagers. Mary is very much in demand for her events at literary festivals and schools. She lives in England.
