Author Interview & Book Giveaway: Ginger Myrick on INSATIABLE: A MACABRE HISTORY OF FRANCE ~ L’AMOUR: MARIE ANTOINETTE

This week, we're pleased to welcome author and Unusual Historicals' contributor Ginger Myrick with her latest novel,  INSATIABLE: A MACABRE HISTORY OF FRANCE ~ L’AMOUR: MARIE ANTOINETTE. The novel is available NOW. The author will offer a free copy of Insatiable to a lucky blog visitor.  Be sure to leave your email address in the comments of today's post or Sunday's author interview for a chance to win. Winner(s) are contacted privately by email. Here's the blurb.

In 1770, fourteen-year-old Austrian archduchess, Maria Antonia, left her homeland to marry the most sought after prince in Europe. Upon stepping into France she became Dauphine Marie Antoinette and assumed a fairytale life would follow.

But being the Queen of France is not all masked balls, beautiful dresses, and extravagant living. There are horrifying and unnatural forces at work behind the scenes, a mysterious plague causing a sinister transformation in the residents of Paris. When Marie Antoinette learns the details, she is stunned to find out that France has kept the secret for over two hundred years, and now she will be burdened with one of her own.

Determined to be the obedient daughter of the iron-willed Holy Roman Empress, she agrees to fulfill her commitment to the French Crown, until she unexpectedly falls for the handsome Swedish count, Axel von Fersen. Torn between her husband and her true love, her duty and her desire, Marie Antoinette longs for the day when she can be free to choose her path and follow her heart.

**Q&A with Ginger Myrick**

What do you want people to know about this book?

Although for the most part Insatiable is historically accurate, it’s not straight historical fiction. I don’t want a potential reader to think this book is wholly one thing or the other. I don’t want them to be put off by the horror aspect, because that is only a part of it. Some of the scenes get graphic, but hey! It was a revolution! There is a sweet and touching family depiction and a passionate love story at the core. I also try to give a well-rounded look at the political picture if not a detailed account.

How is Insatiable different from any other work of historical fiction about Marie Antoinette?

This book is a work of alternate history and borderline horror. Although for the most part it is historically accurate in respect to the documentation and timeline, I attribute some of the causes of historical events to the mysterious plague and its victims. I also put a spin on the propaganda against Marie Antoinette, taking the line that some of the assertions were true, even thought there was never any solid proof to back them up

In the past, your books have featured fictional characters. What made you decide on Marie Antoinette?

In my work, the inspiration dictates all. The period was perfect for the premise. There was a lot of upheaval during that time, and the violence and chaos suited my needs. I was actually more drawn to Catherine de’ Medici, but more people are interested in Marie Antoinette. I figured I’d try to hook readers with the big draw—fancy clothes, salacious love story, and the birth of the guillotine—and they’d stay with me through the series.

What liberties did you take with the history?

I stick with the assumption of Louis XVI’s impotence, although I attribute it to a fictional cause. There were also stories by the libelles—basically the National Enquirer of the time—that Marie Antoinette and her brother-in-law, the Comte d”Artois, had an affair. This also plays a major part in the book. I adopt the assertion that she and Axel von Fersen were lovers, which although widely accepted has never been conclusively proven. I also make her enmity with Madame du Barry into something more than a simple clash between personalities.

Who was your favorite character to write?

I really loved Louis XVI. The more I learned about him, the more I liked him. Most historians agree that he was a decent, upstanding man who was dealt an impossible hand. He was handed a country in a dire financial state and just couldn’t figure out how to make it work. He was being pulled in so many different directions, and his biggest downfall was his indecisiveness. He got a raw deal. 

I also loved writing Louis-Joseph, the first Dauphin who died when he was seven. By all accounts he was a sweet little thing, and I can’t even read those scenes without crying. It was heartbreaking. He died at the outset of the revolution, and no one really cared. The revolutionaries didn’t even give Louis the chance to mourn him properly, because they were so intent upon their cause.

Any interesting Google searches this time around?

Definitely! I wanted the pathology of my plague to be realistic, so there are a lot of diseases in my history! This may be giving things away, but I researched anemia, rabies, Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (human mad cow), Kuru, the guillotine, and the list goes on in the same macabre theme. I don’t think I’ll go to jail for this one, though. I couldn’t replicate the diseases to inflict them upon someone, and I won’t be building a guillotine in my backyard any time soon!

What’s next?

This book is part of a series. I originally thought to do only a trilogy but have since revised my opinion. I think I have enough interesting ideas to do at least four books without the premise becoming hackneyed. The next will be about Napoleon and the subsequent one about Catherine de’ Medici. I’m still debating the others. 

Ginger Myrick was born and raised in Southern California. She is a self-described wife, mother, animal lover, and avid reader. Along with the promotion for BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD, WORK OF ART, THE WELSH HEALER, and EL REY, she is currently putting the finishing touches on novel #5. She is a Christian who writes meticulously researched historical fiction with a ‘clean’ love story at the core. She hopes to persevere and show the reading community that a romance need not include graphic details to convey deep love and passion. Look for Insatiable: AMacabre History of France ~ L’Amour: Marie Antoinette live now at Amazon!