What sort of book do I write?

The short answer is historical fiction. I want to tell a good yarn but do far more as well. Sometimes I say that I write 'intelligent good reads'. Sometimes I say, ‘rigorously-researched historical novels’. My favorite compliment was that one of my novels was 'literature that reads like a thriller.' But none of that feels like quite enough to explain all those hours at the computer asking myself , ‘but would she really…?’ or sunk in library stacks trying to fill the gap between facts. It doesn't feel like enough to explain the vivid delight of exploring the secret corners of old houses or staring at Elizabeth the First's crumpled stocking, still nobbly from her toes. Or my sense of 'being there'. Often I start out replying ‘Historical novels, but…’.

As I say in my biography, I care passionately about truth. Wrong details can build up into big lies, and I want my reader to be able to trust what I say about our shared past. I love to read thrillers and try to give my books the tension of a thriller. I write about politics (which don't seem to change all that much over time). I write about love in all its complexities’, which I believe comes close behind staying alive and food as a human priority. I’m fascinated by how terrifyingly familiar much of the past is. My books are about recognisable people who nevertheless wear odd clothes and differ from us in very particular and fascinating ways – ways that it’s my job to try to understand and explain through an imagined story.

Every book you write is a learning curve. I’m still working on making each new experience for my readers even more gripping, more moving, more informative and more fun. As time goes on, I'll try to tell you more about my favorite periods in history and how I go about trying to get 'inside' them.