“The closest we will ever come to an orderly universe is a good library.”  Ashleigh Brilliant

My love affair with books began at age three.  My mother says I drove her “completely nuts” asking her to read to me all the time, so she decided that the only way to get me off her back was to have me read myself.  This led to me winning a spelling bee in third grade, then winning a reading contest (the most books during the school year) in fourth grade.  Then the obsession started.

I discovered that I not only like reading books, but collecting them, and I’ve been doing so since I was a child.  Yes, I still have all of my old Nancy Drew books.  And my copy of “The Borrowers” that I won from that fourth grade reading contest.

Fast forward a couple of dozen years, and now you  have a woman with hundreds of books of her own who meets and marries a man with hundreds of his own books.  Now throw in a new mother-in-law who is a retired librarian and it can only mean trouble.

My mother-in-law introduced me to the library world.  She gave me a discarded school card catalogue case and taught me how to protect dust jackets in mylar covers, then taught me how to catalogue and shelve books.  My next lesson was in minor book repair.  The next installment of my apprenticeship will be bookbinding, when I have a chance during my writing.

I married into a very biblio-centric family!

Well, as you can imagine, our little family grew.  First it was one cat, then two, now we have three critters.  And the books kept coming, which necessitated putting an addition on the house to hold them all!  So now my darling husband sacrifices his weekends building bookcases to fill the room.

So that explains my love of books.  But how did I start writing?  I guess it was just an extension of book collecting.  Although I love all books, historical fiction has always been my favorite genre, and I was especially moved and inspired by the British historical romance writer Rosalind Laker www.rosalindlaker.com.  One day a story just sort of popped into my head.  A story about a dollmaker who gets herself into all kinds of trouble but does manage to find true love along the way.  Did I mention that in addition to books, I also have a big doll collection?  I shyly told my husband about my story idea and he said in his own indomitable way, “Yeah, with all of those books it’s pretty much a no-brainer for you to write one.”

With that rousing endorsement, I spent the next three years writing my manuscript, which eventually became titled “The Queen’s Dollmaker.”  It took just over two years to sell it, which in the publishing world is lightning speed and for which I am very grateful.

I live in the Mid-Atlantic with my hero of ten years , our three precocious cats, and a collection of about 3,000 catalogued and mylar-covered books (which is growing every day).

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Note:  I won’t sell, rent, or trade your name.  Promise!  I also won’t plague you with e-mail.  Who has time for that?  You’ll just hear from me every once in awhile when I have exciting news to share.

An interview with Heather Reiseck, as featured on The Maiden’s Court - January 2010

I would like to extend a warm welcome to author Christine Trent, whose first novel, The Queen's Dollmaker was released this month. I have had several conversations with her while I was reading the book and she is the nicest person. She has taken the time to answer some questions about her book, future works, and some other interesting questions as well.

Heather:  There are so many details in this book about these dolls and how they were made. Were you able to see any of these types of dolls in person? What type of research did you do in order to find out all of these details about dollmaking?

Christine:  The research on 18th century dollmaking was interesting, mostly because there isn’t a lot out there. Most of the reference materials I found made passing glances at the wooden dolls of Marie Antoinette’s time, and really started their narrative with the wax, porcelain, and composition dolls that gained popularity in the early 19th century. I found myself in college libraries, reading through dusty old volumes of dolls to glean the information I needed. I filled in details on an 18th century dollmaker’s life by simply imagining what it would have been like. My readers will have to judge how well it comes across.

I was very fortunate indeed to see an excellent example of an 18th century wooden fashion doll during a 2006 trip to England. My husband and I visited Lullingstone Castle, which dated from the Tudor era, and was one of those wonderful stately old homes where you’re actually shown around by the family members themselves. Someone had recently found a doll buried in a trunk and shoved up in an attic, and sent it off to the Victoria & Albert Museum to determine its provenance. The museum concluded that because of the family’s relationship to royalty in early times, that the doll may have actually been a present from Queen Anne Stuart herself. Wow! The doll was in wonderful condition. She wore original clothing, and you could tell that it had once been a lovely shade of pink. Unfortunately, she was kept in a glass box, and I was not permitted to use my camera on her.

Although I wasn’t able to take photos of that doll, your readers might be interested in the work of Susan Parris, an 18th century reproduction dollmaker. You can see here an example of her detailed, painstaking work.

Heather:  Regarding your writing process, did you have most of the story planned out or outlined in advance or was it something that evolved as you wrote?

Christine:  Oh, I am a strict plotter. I remember sitting over many a dinner with my poor husband, playing the “What if” game. What if Marie Antoinette had a favorite dollmaker? What if the dollmaker got involved in an intrigue with the doomed queen? What if the dollmaker could be quite successful in her own right? I developed a ten-page synopsis of the story before I ever wrote the first paragraph of the book. I made a few deviations during the writing of the story. For example, the scene where the competing dollmaker’s grandson breaks into Claudette’s shop was an invention long after developing the synopsis, as was the scene between Claudette and William outside the church. But generally, I stick to a detailed script.

Heather:  What was the most challenging part about writing this book? The research, the writing, the publication, etc?

I would have to say that getting the book to publication was the biggest challenge. Because it was a first novel, it was far more difficult to get it noticed among the many, many manuscripts that agents and editors see on a daily basis. And I had to keep a stiff upper lip over many a rejection letter. I was fortunate enough to meet my editor at Kensington Books during a writer’s conference in 2008. I sent her a query, she wanted to read more....and the rest is history. Or, rather, historical fiction.

Heather:  The story of Claudette the Parisian dollmaker was fascinating. What do you have in store for us next?

Christine:  Thanks for asking this, because I’m very excited about my next book, tentatively titled The Wax Apprentice (my editor has assured me the title will change). It follows the adventures of Marguerite du Georges from The Queen's Dollmaker, as she becomes a waxworking apprentice to the great Madame Tussaud. Her new career nearly melts down when she assists the English crown in a scheme to create wax effigies of important political figures to fool Napoleon into thinking that England is negotiating treaties and alliances with other countries, when in fact something else entirely is happening. A French spy catches on to Marguerite's game and Napoleon's long grasp puts her in mortal danger.

The book is slated for release in 2011.

Heather:  I know that you are an avid reader. What are some of your favorite things to read?
Christine:  I am, of course, an avid historical fiction reader. I love anything British set, but also enjoy fiction set in France, Italy, and Spain. Anywhere in Europe, really. I’ve also recently become a fan of novels set in ancient Egypt and Rome. Unfortunately, it seems as though most of the books I read lately are strictly for research for upcoming books, but it doesn’t prevent me from buying the books I see reviewed on blogs like The Maiden’s Court!

Heather:  I noticed on your website that you have been to Madame Tussauds. What were your favorite wax look-alikes?

 Christine:  I’ve actually been to Madame Tussauds in London three times (and counting). I can’t get enough of that place! The most thrilling “room” at the exhibition for me is the one which houses most of the historical royal and political figures. I love the tableau of King Henry VIII surrounded by his six wives, as well as those of Britain’s royal family today.

Just as Marie Tussaud did in the 19th century (and which you will read about in my next book), the wax exhibition changes its figures around regularly to keep it fresh, while making sure to keep its perennial favorites always on display. Sometimes they keep the same figures out, but move them across the room and develop a different setting for them.

As a side note, Madame Tussaud lived to the ripe old age of 89. Her family carried on the business until 1889, when the exhibition was taken over by a group of businessmen. The new company expanded the business to include Amsterdam, Berlin, Hollywood, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, London, New York, Shanghai, and Washington, DC. I highly recommend a visit to anyone who lives near one of these locations.

Heather:  Thanks Christine for those wonderful answers. I look forward to your next release!