Ask the Author: P.J. Royal
Answered Questions (3)
P.J. Royal
Dear Chris,
Thank you for taking the time to leave a question and heartfelt apologies for the length of time it has taken me to respond. I have been negligent in regards to Goodreads and are very excited to delve into it more deeply. It sounds as if your novels cover a marvelous range of periods indeed - I am most impressed! One aspect of the historical past that has always intrigued me has been the colonial period, in South east Asia between the Portuguese, Dutch and British and, of course, in New Zealand in later periods between the Maori peoples and the British. The dynamics of cultural collision are fascinating indeed and might loom on the horizon as a possible book topic! Thank you again for your question and best of luck with your own writing, PJ
Thank you for taking the time to leave a question and heartfelt apologies for the length of time it has taken me to respond. I have been negligent in regards to Goodreads and are very excited to delve into it more deeply. It sounds as if your novels cover a marvelous range of periods indeed - I am most impressed! One aspect of the historical past that has always intrigued me has been the colonial period, in South east Asia between the Portuguese, Dutch and British and, of course, in New Zealand in later periods between the Maori peoples and the British. The dynamics of cultural collision are fascinating indeed and might loom on the horizon as a possible book topic! Thank you again for your question and best of luck with your own writing, PJ
P.J. Royal
Dear Ruth,
Thank you for your marvelous question! Yes, the split face cover was an earlier design - which was suggestive of the double-purpose/conflicted dual life of Jeanne Recamier, or Primrose (the primary female character) but also seemed reminiscent of the divided loyalties that plagued many of the other characters. However, some early readers thought the cover indicative of sci-fi, even horror, and I wanted something more particularly telling of the kind of novel it was - also something that featured not just Jeanne but the moody tension of the novel as a whole. So, working with the Regal House team, we came up with the current cover that you see on Amazon, which I think is fantastic - the back of the French soldier overlooking the dark brooding waters of the Channel. This perfectly encapsulates the theme of the book - the ominous army of the French waiting across the narrow sea to conquer English shores. Thank you for your comment, and for taking the time to read my novel. I am so very thrilled that you are enjoying it!
Thank you for your marvelous question! Yes, the split face cover was an earlier design - which was suggestive of the double-purpose/conflicted dual life of Jeanne Recamier, or Primrose (the primary female character) but also seemed reminiscent of the divided loyalties that plagued many of the other characters. However, some early readers thought the cover indicative of sci-fi, even horror, and I wanted something more particularly telling of the kind of novel it was - also something that featured not just Jeanne but the moody tension of the novel as a whole. So, working with the Regal House team, we came up with the current cover that you see on Amazon, which I think is fantastic - the back of the French soldier overlooking the dark brooding waters of the Channel. This perfectly encapsulates the theme of the book - the ominous army of the French waiting across the narrow sea to conquer English shores. Thank you for your comment, and for taking the time to read my novel. I am so very thrilled that you are enjoying it!
P.J. Royal
I was working with an archaeological organization searching for the vessels that sunk during the Battle of Trafalgar. My interest in the period was further peaked by the non-fictional accounts I was reading at the time; the historical personages of Talleyrand and William Pitt (and of course the legendary Bonaparte!) seemed larger than life itself and perfect to carry a fictional narrative. Then I stumbled across a brief notation in the historical record of how Napoleon had sent a secret missive across the Channel seeking a traitor, an English captain, who might be willing to guide his invading fleet across the treacherous Goodwin Sands. And that was the historical nugget of gold that propelled the formulation of 'Killing the Bee King'.
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