n August 25th The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker hits the bookstores and I for one, will be jumping for joy. Now, while I haven't yet had the opportunity to read the book, I've already devoured the excerpt on Leanna's website and I am champing at the bit to get it in my grubby little hands. Beyond that, Leanna is one of the absolutely most delightful, kind and generous people I've ever met, so I urge all readers to support Leanna, her book, and her tremendous talent by buying her book. :)
Leanna, tell the readers a little about The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker. How did you happen to come by this title?
I’ll start with my cover blurb:
What fortune awaited sweet, timid Percy Parker at Athens Academy? Considering how few of Queen Victoria’s Londoners knew of it, the great Romanesque fortress was dreadfully imposing, and little could Percy guess what lay inside. She had never met the powerful and mysterious Professor Alexi Rychman, knew nothing of the growing shadow, the Ripper and other supernatural terrors against which his coterie stood guard. She knew simply that she was different, haunted, with her snow-white hair, pearlescent skin and uncanny gifts. But this arched stone doorway offered a portal to a new life, an education far from the convent—and an invitation to an intimate yet dangerous dance at the threshold of life and death…
The Title. Well, the title is the work of my agent and I am so grateful for it. I’d had an utterly arcane but gorgeous word as the original title; The Coterie. “The Coterie” says absolutely nothing about the book nor is it particularly engaging, whereas the present title tells you exactly what you’re going to
get when you pick up this book. My editor says this title was a major factor in his first taking a serious look at the book. This is why it’s important to have an agent and an editor, and to trust them and their marketing instincts, they can often see things you cannot see for yourself.
Since this is your debut novel, can you tell us how you sold? Do you have ‘A CALL’ story you’d like to share?
Oh, Lord. I was writing since I could put pen to paper, but 9 years ago this book began keeping me up all night while working exceedingly long hours at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. I kept writing. I changed theatre companies, cities, apartments, freelance jobs, I kept writing and getting rejected. This book is cross-genre and that’s both great and difficult. I’d get “we like it but it’s too much of this” or “not enough of that”.
My favourite rejection note, for my story set in 1888 was “It’s a little too Victorian.” *grin* Thanks, I think… I published plays and articles and then got serious about this book. I knew that meant networking and learning more about a whole new industry. I quit auditioning and my life’s stage directions went as follows over the next few years: Enter author Isabo Kelly who taught me about RWA and life. Enter my agent and the Exceedingly Long Title. Enter Marianne Mancusi who introduced me to her editor, Chris Keeslar, whose favourite movie (at least in the top ten) is Ghostbusters and who happens to work for Dorchester who is no stranger to taking cross-genre risks. Marianne says “Leanna’s writing Victorian Ghostbusters.” Enter a revise and resubmit process. Enter waiting for what felt like eternity. Enter friends with me at the time I got the phone call. (I didn’t cry until I called my Mother and she burst into happy tears when I told her it was a two-book deal, after nearly a third of my life had passed in trying. All this to say, for those reading who are pre-published: never give up. Ever.)
I’ve heard terms like gothic and ghostly used to describe Strangely Beautiful. How would you describe it?
Gothic and ghostly are pretty spot on. *smile* I hope it’s something different yet still an homage to all my inspirations. It has many, dare I say strangely beautiful layers. There’s a feel of “fairy tale” to the book that has been lifted up by several reviewers, to my great delight. I’ve been honored by many beautiful responses thus far. NYT Bestseller, essayist, reviewer and Ingrams buyer Alethea Kontis said The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker is Bulfinch's Mythology and Harry Potter and Wuthering Heights mashed in a blender.” That made me happy. This book is all my favourite things wrapped up in one sweeping saga. Most simply put, this novel is my love-letter to the world.
I love the latter part of the Victorian era. What drew you to that period?
Likely a past life. Honestly. I’m obsessed. I was speaking in a British accent and traipsing about the house in doubled skirts and makeshift corsets somewhere around age 6. That’s just not normal when you’re growing up in rural Ohio. My parents knew they had either an actress, author or career eccentric on their hands- they got all of the above. In college I received a theatre degree and while studying the 19th century, got swept up into all of the Victorian era’s fascinating dichotomies and undercurrents,went on scholarship to London, and began adapting Victorian works of literature for the stage that continued into my professional theatre career. My love-affair with the era has been a gift and I’m unabashedly grateful for the obsession that keeps me coming back for more.
When did you realize you wanted to write historical novels? Would you describe Strangely Beautiful as a romance?
That same theatrical, early age. Historical settings unlocked my imagination like nothing else. I credit my love of 19th century settings to every Gothic novel I could get my hands on and sitting awestruck in historical buildings soaking up atmosphere and detail. I started writing my first Gothic romance when I was 12. (It ended up in the fireplace- suitably dramatic end to a meandering 1,000 page narrative with 20 alternate endings *shudder*)
-Continued-