Today I am delighted to welcome author, Hannah Fielding to Books, Life and Everything to talk about her writing life and her latest romance novel, Song of the Nile, which is published on 14th February 2021.
Welcome to Books, Life and Everything, Hannah.
Would you like to start by telling us a little about
yourself and how you started as a writer?
I’m Hannah, a keen traveller and writer. I’m originally from
Egypt, but after I met my husband in my twenties, I settled in England. These
days I split my time between my homes in County Wicklow, Ireland, and the South
of France, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. My earliest
memories of writing are penning romantic stories, which I would circulate among
my classmates. This made me quite popular with the girls at my convent school,
but far less so with the nuns!
My debut novel, Burning Embers, was published in 2012, and
since then I have published seven more novels.
What are your interests apart from writing?
I collect antiques: Chinese porcelain, Japanese sculptures,
French and Italian glass. You will often find me rummaging in flea markets and
second-hand shops, hoping to discover a treasure. My father was a great
collector. He took me on his hunting escapades and to auctions, which I found
most exciting. He was a subscriber to the Collectors Guide and Apollo
magazines. I spent hours reading about beautiful artworks from around the
world.
I also love cooking using the various produce of our
vegetable garden. Jams, chutneys and stewed fruit for the freezer used for
crumbles in winter. I like to try dishes I have tasted on my travels, some of
which are described in my books: stuffed vine leaves, dolmades, in Aphrodite’s
Tears; big rice balls called arancini in The Echoes of Love; and bassboussa, a
semolina and coconut dessert, in Song of the Nile.
Tell us about your latest book without giving the plot away.
Song of the Nile is my latest novel – a story that is very
close to my heart, for it is set in my homeland, Egypt.
Luxor, 1946. When young nurse Aida El Masri returns from
war-torn London to her family’s estate in Egypt she steels herself against the
challenges ahead.
Eight years have passed since her father, Ayoub, was framed
for a crime he did not commit, and died as a tragic result. Yet Aida has not
forgotten, and now she wants revenge against the man she believes betrayed her
father – his best friend, Kamel Pharaony.
Then Aida is reunited with Kamel’s son, the captivating
surgeon Phares, who offers her marriage. In spite of herself, the secret
passion Aida harboured for him as a young girl reignites. Still, how can she
marry the son of the man who destroyed her father and brought shame on her
family? Will coming home bring her love, or only danger and heartache?
Set in the exotic and bygone world of Upper Egypt, Song of
the Nile follows Aida’s journey of rediscovery – of the homeland she loves,
with its white-sailed feluccas on the Nile, old-world charms of Cairo and the
ancient secrets of its burning desert sands – and of the man she has never
forgotten.
A compelling story of passion and intrigue – a novel that
lays open the beating heart of Egypt.
The novel is available to purchase in all ebook formats and
in paperback on my website, https://hannahfielding.net/.
What are your writing routines and where do you do most of
your writing?
I write every day. Writing is my life and also a job – a
very enjoyable job.
I wake up very early and do my chores first thing. After a
cup of passion-fruit tea, in the morning I start off by looking at my online
marketing for an hour or so. Then most days I sit and write through the day,
with an hour for lunch and errands. When I’m dreaming up a plot, I take some
time in the afternoon for a long walk, or to sit in a café and people-watch.
In the winter, you may find me writing at the kitchen table
at my home in Ireland, cosy in the warmth from the stove and surrounded by pots
and pans, cookbooks and ingredients. In summer, I’m often to be found writing
in the gazebo in my garden in France, which is nestled amid beautiful flowers
and has a wonderful view of the Mediterranean.
How do you go about researching detail and ensuring your
books are realistic?
If I have not already travelled to a location, then where
possible I do so, drinking in the feel of the place. Then, at home, I research
everything from architecture to history and mythology. When I’m researching a
novel and writing it, I try to immerse myself in the culture of the place; I
listen to traditional music, for example, and I try out recipes in the kitchen.
For Song of the Nile, this was easy, of course, for Egypt is my homeland.
Do you believe in writer’s block? What do you do to break
its spell?
One of my favourite quotes about writer’s block is this:
“Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite: ‘Fool!’ said my muse to me,
‘look in thy heart, and write.’” ― Sir Philip Sidney
I have two ways of dealing with writer’s block.
The first one is patience. If you sit there in front of a
blank page – and I’ve done that, sometimes for as much as a couple of hours –
the muse eventually takes pity on you and visits.
The second one is to get into my car and drive to a place
that has inspired me in the past. That also usually works. It might be a garden
overlooking the sea, a meadow carpeted with wild flowers if I’m searching for a
setting for a love scene, or a cafe bustling with people where I can find the
description for one of my characters.
Can you give any hints about any upcoming books you have
planned?
So far, my novels have taken readers to Kenya, Spain, Italy,
the Greek islands and Egypt. I have two forthcoming novels in the pipeline, one
set in Ireland and the other in Camargue, France; both have such stunning
scenery.
Thanks so much, Hannah and good luck with your writing!
About the Author
Hannah Fielding was born and grew up in Alexandria, Egypt,
the granddaughter of Esther Fanous, a revolutionary feminist and writer in
Egypt during the early 1900s. Upon graduating with a BA in French literature
from Alexandria University, she travelled extensively throughout Europe and
lived in Switzerland, France and England. After marrying her English husband,
she settled in Kent and subsequently had little time for writing while bringing
up two children, looking after dogs and horses, and running her own business
renovating rundown cottages.
Hannah now divides her time between her homes in Ireland and
the South of France. She has written eight novels to date and these have won
various awards, including: Best Romance for Aphrodite’s Tears at the International
Book Awards, National Indie Excellence Awards, American Fiction Awards, NABE
Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards and New York City Big Book Awards; Best
Romance for Indiscretion at the USA Best Book Awards; Gold Medal for Romance
for The Echoes of Love at the Independent Publisher Book Awards; and Gold and
Silver Medals for Indiscretion and Masquerade at the IBPA Benjamin Franklin
Awards.
You can follow Hannah here: Website | Facebook | Instagram
Book Spotlight The Song of the Nile
Luxor, 1946. When young nurse Aida El Masri returns from
war-torn London to her family’s estate in Egypt, she steels herself to face the
challenges ahead. Eight years have passed since her father, Ayoub, was framed
for a crime he did not commit and died as a tragic result. Yet Aida has not
forgotten, and now she wants revenge against the man she believes betrayed her
father – his best friend, Kamel Pharaony.
Then Aida is reunited with Kamel’s son, the captivating
surgeon Phares, who offers her marriage. In spite of herself, the secret
passion Aida harboured for him as a young girl reignites. Still, how can she
marry the son of the man who destroyed her father and brought shame on her
family? Will coming home bring her love, or only danger and heartache?
A compelling story of passion and intrigue – a novel that
lays open the beating heart of Egypt.
You can watch a book trailer here.
Book link: https://hannahfielding.net/song-of-the-nile/
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