We have talked to Stephanie Burgis about her new book Congress of Secrets, out tomorrow from Pyr Books.
First of all can you tell us a bit about Congress of Secrets? What do you feel is unique about your story?
Congress of Secrets is a historical fantasy novel full of disguises, deceptions, dark alchemy and unexpected romance, set at the Congress of Vienna in 1814.
What new challenges did you set for yourself when you wrote Congress of Secrets?
This book actually started with a challenge for myself: to take the kind of powerful, manipulative woman who’s often portrayed in stories as a villainess and make *her* the heroine of her own story!
Can you give us some insight into your main characters?
Caroline (formerly Karolina) and Michael were both shaped by the same traumatic event in their shared childhood in a radical printer’s shop in Vienna. Now, twenty-four years later, they’re both back in Vienna under new, assumed identities. She’s trying to finally save her father, using the power and opportunities of her new role as an English noblewoman; he’s a conman trying to win himself a future. Neither of them is used to interacting with anyone who knows who they really are, and when their schemes get tangled up, they’re both forced to question everything.
Did you do a lot of historic research for this project?
Yes! Luckily, it was really fun work to do. The Congress of Vienna was a fascinating event in history. Aristocrats and royals and politicians from all over Europe came to triumphantly celebrate Napoleon’s defeat with glittering ceremonies and waltzes and concerts and parties of all types – and in the meantime, behind all the sparkling parties and dances that were reported around the continent, the royals and politicians were quietly busy dividing up the continent all over again. Since Napoleon had conquered so many countries, the strongest countries among his victors thought they might as well turn that to their own advantage and draw some of the new national boundaries the way *they* wanted them, regardless of where they’d sat before – not to mention influencing the new governments placed within them. There was a fabulous dance of negotiation and power going on at the same time as all the glittering social entertainment, and that’s a fabulous setup to work with as an author!
You also have to tell us a bit about the cover.
I love the cover! It’s by Nicole Sommer-Lecht, the same designer who designed my previous book, Masks and Shadows, and I adore her work. I think she’s really captured the tone of the book as well as Caroline’s cool calculation, power and intelligence.
You write both for children and adults, which do you find most challenging? Do you have a different approach to wring one vs. the other?
I love both genres, and they’re both challenging in different ways. My MG fantasies tend to be more lighthearted, more streamlined, and told from the perspective of just one (usually first-person) character; they’re also a lot shorter than my adult books. My adult books so far have been extremely research-intensive, much more romantic (not surprisingly!), and also much darker – they give me a safe space to explore intense themes with much more depth.
How did you start writing? Was there a particular book or moment in your life that spurred you on?
I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was seven years old. In fact, I still remember announcing my amazing new discovery to my mom one day in the car when I was seven: “Guess what? I found something EVEN MORE FUN than reading. It’s writing! I’m going to be a writer!” And I’ve never changed my mind since then, although it took me 24 more years to sell my first book. 🙂
What is your favorite and least favorite part of the writing process, and why?
My favorite part of the process is writing the first draft, when I just get to indulge my wildest imagination and dream up whatever sounds most fun – I’m basically playing on the page (or on the computer screen). It’s creatively joyful! Revision is the stage where writing turns into hard work, and while I do enjoy the challenge (at least on good days!), it’s still the stage where everything turns analytical and critical, a logical puzzle to be solved, which isn’t nearly as fun for me as the initial dreamstage of the process.
What kind of books do you read, any favorite authors?
I read voraciously (obsessively?) across a lot of different genres. In f/sf, some of my favorite authors are Aliette de Bodard, Kate Elliott, Zen Cho, Judith Tarr, Elizabeth Bear, Martha Wells, Sarah Beth Durst, Terry Pratchett and Peter Beagle.
So what do you do when you’re not writing, any hobbies?
I have two small children and only 14 hours a week of childcare right now, so unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of time for solo hobbies at the moment…but I do love visiting castles (luckily, since I live in Wales, there are 2 within 15 minutes’ drive from our house!), and I find playing the piano to be incredibly relaxing.
What’s next? Do you have more new and exciting projects you’re working on?
Yes! I have a new MG fantasy series coming out from Bloomsbury, starting in 2017 with The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart. (A ferocious young dragon is tricked into drinking enchanted hot chocolate…and is horrified to be transformed into a human!) I’m also working on a new fantasy novella for adults, Snowspelled, which I hope will come out by next November at the latest.
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Interview by Dag Rambraut – SFFWorld.com © 2016
