Author Michelle Cameron

Today and tomorrow we will be visiting with debut novelist Michelle Cameron.

Michelle Cameron is a historical novelist whose debut novel, THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS, will be published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, in September 2009. She is also author of IN THE SHADOW OF THE GLOBE, a verse novel about Shakespeare, published in 2003 by Lit Pot Press. Michelle lives in Chatham, NJ, with her husband and two college-aged sons.

Welcome to PASTimes. Tell us a little about what you write.

I’m a poet turned historical novelist. I find the two go hand-in-hand. Most of my poetry tells a story, often ― as in the case of my verse novel about William Shakespeare ― a historical one. And I certainly call upon my skills as a poet when writing historical fiction, which is the genre I’m primarily focusing on nowadays.

Are you a full-time writer or do you hold a day job? What is the biggest challenge/obstacle you face in protecting your writing time?

My ambition is to become a full-time writer but until I do, I work as Creative Director at a digital agency, creating Web sites and other interactive projects. I’m also a mother and was teaching part time when I tried to finish THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS.

So clearly just finding time to write was an enormous obstacle to me. So much so that when I attended a workshop entitled “Finishing Your Novel,” time was the major reason I cited for not finishing mine. The workshop leader, however, was pragmatic and asked, “How early can you get up?”

Since then, my alarm clock rings at 4:30 AM every weekday morning and I spend a good two hours working before having to get ready for the day job. I find this is the absolute best time to write. There are no ringing phones, no one asking me to stop and do something for them ― nothing between me and the writing.

What historical time periods interest you the most and how have you immersed yourself in a particular time period?

I’m eclectic when it comes to time periods. My verse novel about Shakespeare’s life was set during the Tudor period. THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS is medieval. The book I’m finishing up now is set during the Judean exile to Babylon in 600-500 BCE. And I’m contemplating my next book, which may take place during the Maccabean revolt against the Romans, from 175-166 BCE.

Immersing myself in the time period starts with research, of course. I read everything I can, not just about the events but about how people lived. In addition to that all critical timeline, I generally create a digital “lifestyle” file, that includes as much detail as I can, such as photos, sketches, maps and portraits. I pour over books of art and prop up images and postcards all over the place. I’ve created enormous maps that I can roll out on the floor, to make sure I’m sending my characters in the right direction and know what the cross-streets will be.

I was able to travel to London and Stratford when researching the Shakespeare book, and just walking the same streets as my characters was amazing. Since I couldn’t afford the trip for the more recent books, I head over to the Metropolitan and other museums when I can and spend hours among the artifacts of the period.

Introduce us briefly to the main characters in your most recent book.

Shira is the daughter of Rabbi Shmuel ben Solomon, a widower who runs a yeshiva for Talmud students in the town of Falaise. Shira tries hard to be an obedient daughter and wife, but she finds it difficult to be excluded from the world of learning that surrounds her.

Rabbi Meir ben Baruch is Shira’s husband (and my ancestor). Meir is brilliant, a scholar of renown, who studies throughout Europe before settling down in Rothenberg. Meir is known for his poetry, the wisdom of his responsa (letters) answering questions about Jewish custom and practice, and his unwillingness to surrender the autonomy of his congregation to the dictates of Emperor Rudolph I.

Nicholas Donin is an apostate Jew who becomes a Franciscan monk. He was excommunicated by Rabbi Yechiel of Paris for his heretical thinking. Donin takes his revenge by convincing the Pope to examine the Talmud to decide if the document is detrimental to the Christian majority. This prompts a disputation in Paris in which Donin confronts Yechiel in a wide-ranging debate over the contents of the Talmud. Despite Yechiel’s skill in deflating Donin’s accusations, the Talmud is still condemned to the flames.

What are you working on now?

I have just finished revising a novel set during the 70 years of Judean exile in Babylon. The novel follows a Judean family through three generations, from capture and banishment, to the difficulties inherent in settling “by the waters of Babylon,” to redemption by Cyrus of Persia and the disconcerting feeling of returning to a home that no longer feels familiar.

A reader once asked me this question, and I thought it was a good one. Is there ever a time when you feel like your work is truly finished and complete?

Come back tomorrow for the answer and for part two of the interview with Michelle Cameron. Leave a comment any day this week for a chance to win a copy of THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS. You must leave your comment by this Friday at 8:30AM EDT. Be sure to include your email like this: name at domain dot com