Author Interview with Karleen Koen + 2 Copy Giveaway of Before Versailles: A Novel of Louis XIV

I've been a huge fan of author Karleen Koen's ever since reading Through A Glass Darkly and Now Face to Face and now she is back with a new novel titled Before Versailles: A Novel of Louis XIV that is out in stores today! I recently had the pleasure of reading Before Versailles and it was unputdownable!

Today I am thrilled to bring you an interview with Karleen Koen and with thanks to Random House I have 2 copies of Before Versailles to give away. It was a treat and a pleasure to have the opportunity to interview one of my idols and I hope you enjoy it.

Now, on to the interview....

I see that you dedicated Before Versailles to X and Louise de Vailliere. Is it safe to assume that X is for the Man in the Iron Mask and what made you decide to dedicate this novel to Louise de Valliere?

X isn't for the man in the iron mask, but I love the idea, so now, thanks to you, the man in the iron mask is part of X. I think Louise de la Valliere was so important to Louis XIV's growth as a king. She was the "wing beneath his wings." And she is underrated by history because she was kind, tender hearted, secretly ashamed to be a married man's lover and so not grasping the mistress en titre's power. The nobles were like wolves, waiting for her to fall from the mountaintop, nipping at her, ready to devour. They despised her not being willing to step into the spotlight. They couldn't understand gentleness. Louis XIV was shy, too. The sweetness in their love affair touched me as I did research.

Louis XIV took the unusual approach of governing France as an absolute monarch, unlike his father who relied heavily on his councilors to run the country. Why do you think Louis decided on this course and how did it affect his reign?

He was guided in his formative years by an able politician, Cardinal Mazarin, who asked that a young Louis sit in on council meetings. And Louis was the child of both civil war and war with Spain. I think he grasped early on hu! man natu re and of the corruption of power. I think Mazarin saw his potential and did whatever possible for it to bloom in its time. The combination of Louis's stamina, intelligence and determination was formidable. And don't forget, he was helped by the extraordinary Colbert. Colbert must not be underrated in the creation of an absolute monarchy.

Did you travel to research Before Versailles? If so, what place was the most inspiring that you visited and why?

I've been to Versailles before, but since this novel isn't set there, I went, instead, to the palace of Fontainebleau because that's where Before Versailles takes place, where the actual historical events took place. The king spent the summer at Fontainebleau in 1661.

You've stated that the idea for Before Versailles was in your head for quite some time before you actually wrote it, what was it that made you decide to finally put idea to paper?

When I gave up on writing a Louis XIV (actually a story about the women) and let Alice and Richard have Dark Angels, I took a piece of history, Madame and the treaty of 1670, and used it for the plot in Dark Angels. When Dark Angels was finished, I realized that the reason I couldn't write the Louis! XIV/wom en in his life story was that it was too large. I had to break it in pieces. I had broken a piece off for Dark Angels, which is, oddly enough, the sequel to Before Versailles, only it was written first!

Once I understood pieces, I had my story.

This may be too soon to ask, but what is the next project you are working on? Will it be a sequel to Before Versailles?

Well, as I said above, I have really already written the sequel. But there is more to the story. I think I'm working on another Alice and Richard story set in the 1670s. I don't know how much Louis XIV will be in it, but some because it's set in France. At least, right now, it is.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Read Dwight Swain's Techniques of the Selling Writer. It's the best, most practical writing technique book out there. Remember a draft is exploration. Embolden your imagination. Take chances.

What book would you like to re-read for the first time again?

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Who are your writing influences?

Louisa May Alcott, Mary Stewart, Winston Graham, Daphne du Maurier, Georgette Heyer.

Can you tell us something about yourself that may surprise people?

I'd love to be a florist.

Thanks to Karleen for spending time with us on Passages to the Past!

For more information please visit Karleen Koen's WEBSITE.

ABOUT THE BOOK

SYNOPSIS

Louis XIV is one of the best-known monarchs ever to grace the French throne. But what was he like as a young manthe man before Versailles?

After the death of his prime minister, Cardinal Mazarin, twenty-two-year-old Louis steps into governing France. Hes still a young man, but one who, as king, willfully takes everything he can getincluding his brothers wife. As the love affair between Louis and Princess Henriette burns, it sets the kingdom on the road toward unmistakable scandal and conflict with the Vatican. Every woman wants him. He must face what he is willing to sacrifice for love.

But there are other problems lurking outside the chateau of Fontainebleau: a boy in an iron mask has been seen in the woods, and the kings finance minister, Nicolas Fouquet, has proven to be more powerful than Louis ever thoughta man who could make a great ally or become a dangerous foe . . .

Meticulously researched and vividly brought to life by the gorgeous prose of Karleen Koen, Before Versailles dares to explore the forces that shaped an iconic king and determined the fate of an empire.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

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- Giveaway ends on July 10th.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!