Interview with Author W. C. Little - Awesome Historical Fiction!

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Congrats on releasing your first book! Tell us a little bit about it and what inspired you to write historical fiction.

I wanted my first attempt at writing to cover a monumental period, but one that is rarely covered by writers. The story of Charlemagne – the extent of his great power – and the rapid decline in the authority of his successors, specifically caught my interest. At its zenith, Charlemagne’s empire was very impressive. Equally impressive were the forces around the empire that posed a risk: Vikings, Saracens and pagan tribes of the east meant that the empire was under constant threat.

Also, because of the lack of contemporary histories and accounts of the people and events of the period, there was a lot of blank canvas for me to work with. I felt a freedom in developing several fictional characters to balance those that are documented.

What would be the biggest challenges for someone living in the Carolingian Empire?

Survival. Just the daily struggle for the necessities of life and trying to overcome disadvantages that come with a person’s class. Where am I getting clean water and food? I try to capture the minute details from time to time because the basic elements of survival are ever-present. The common man/woman has to deal with these keys to survival more than those of higher classes. I like to acknowledge as much to my readers.

What are a few of your favorite examples in the genre? Which time period do you enjoy reading about the most?

I enjoy reading Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell the most. They have different writing styles, but the pages seem to turn quickly for me. I particularly liked Conn’s take on the War of the Roses. Cornwell is known for his gritty, battle-focused narratives. I love Cornwall’s series The Last Kingdom and look forward to reading the final book of the series.

What do you have planned for the future? When can we expect to see your next book coming out?

I see The Crown Holder series taking up most of my writing time for a while. I envision the series taking up 5 to 6 books in total. I think that a book a year is a pretty safe average.

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