What inspired Erika Rummel to write a story that takes place during the Inquisition? How many of the characters were real people? Which scene was her favorite? Which one was the most difficult to write? What are her thoughts on self-publishing?
What was your inspiration for this book?
I read the trial records of the Inquisition involving the Malki family (real name “Gonçales”). Both father and son were executed for secretly practicing the Jewish faith. I used the novelist’s privilege to change the course of history and save the son!
How long did it take you to write it?
Normally it takes me about two years to write a novel, but this one had a long genesis because it needed a lot of background reading. Also, the original story was more complex with back stories on Natale and Deodatus, but all my friends advised me to simplify, so I did.
How completely did you immerse yourself in the character of Luisa?
Of course, a writer always puts something of herself into her protagonist. I was a defiant teenager and prone to go against the establishment. And like every young woman I fell passionately in love – several times. Also, I liked (and still like) adventure. Luisa combines all of these features.
What was the inspiration for her character, a young lady living in such tumultuous times when the freedom and choices of women were so limited? I know there was an inquisitor’s niece, but was Luisa Cardosa a real person?
Luisa (unlike Cardinal Cisneros) is not based on a real person. Women were very limited in their choices in the 16th century and were often used like chattel by their families. I suppose I created Luisa because I wished there were women like her, ready to kick against the rules. And no doubt there were many, even if they did not all make it into the historical records and their courage is lost in time.
Juana the Mad, wikimedia commons
You portrayed Juana the Mad as being crazy and having the mind of a child, although she did have lucid moments in your book. I’ve read another historical fiction book (Reign of Madness) that portrayed her in a much different way. Did you portray her this way so that her character fit in with the story you were telling better? Or did your research reveal to you that she really was crazy?
The historical sources are unclear about her state of mind. I chose the characteristics that fit in with my story. Some of the details—her superior education, her love of cats, her clinging to the body of her dead husband, her self-neglect when she was overcome with grief—are based on witness reports. Today we would probably say she was emotionally unstable rather than a “crazy” woman. It may, however, have been politically expedient to label her a madwoman.
Which character was your favorite? Why?
Natale – does that surprise you? Well, I like to inject a bit of satire into otherwise tragic events, and since this is fiction, I wanted to create a world in which the heroes are rewarded and the villains punished. Natale serves as a foil to the upright and loyal Alonso and is duly punished for his treachery.
Was there a character you just didn’t like? Why?
I think if I completely disliked a character, I would write him/her out. I like my characters to have at least one redeeming quality, something I can identify with. For example, Natale may be a weasel, but his love of books and his need to be surrounded by beauty is genuine.
How did you choose the names for your characters? How many of your characters were real historical people?
Cardinal Cisneros, Juana the Mad, and to some extent, the Malki family are historical; Deodatus has certain features in common with the humanist Desiderius Erasmus. The other characters are composites of figures in the historical sources I read. How did I come up with the names “Alonso” and “Luisa”? Hmmm—maybe I like the letter “l”, there is something very soft and smooth about it, like the “l” in love.
Which scene was your favorite? Which scene was the most difficult for you to write?
I loved writing the scene in which Luisa rescues Alonso; the most difficult scene was her wedding night because I wanted to convey both her horror and misery and Deodatus’ suffering and feeling of guilt. It would have been easier to demonize Deodatus and have readers take Luisa’s side, but I want them to sympathize with both because they have both been trapped by circumstance.
How much research did you have to do for this book?
A great deal of research – in fact, it resulted in my writing a biography of Cardinal Cisneros: Jimenez de Cisneros. On the Threshold of Spain’s Golden Age. I was also instrumental in producing a reprint of Lucien Wolf’s excellent book Jews in the Canary Islands, which contains the trial of the Gonçales family. I was on the Board of the Renaissance Society of America at the time, and one of our projects was to revive valuable older books that had gone out of print.
Do you have a set time to write each day? Or do you wait to be inspired?
I am an early riser and write every day in the morning for two or three hours. That’s when my brain and my imagination work best.
How many other books have you written? What are they and what are they about?
I have written more than a dozen non-fiction books on the intellectual and social history of the Renaissance as well as three novels. # 4 is forthcoming this fall. Watch for The Effects of Isolation on the Brain, an immigrant story set in post-war Vienna and Canada in the 60s.
What are your thoughts on self-publishing?
None of my books are self-published, but perhaps this is the future and the way to go since large publishers no longer want to take risks and will accept manuscripts only from agents.
How important do you believe having a good editor is for the success of your book?
It’s wonderful to have a good editor, but I say, rely on yourself and your friends in the first place.
Where can your fans find you on the Internet?
On Twitter @historycracks or on my blog http://rummelsincrediblestories.blogspot.ca//
Recommended Article: The Inquisitor’s Niece – a Review
Amazon Link: The Inquisitor’s Niece
Thanks for reviewing my book! Erika
YOu’re welcome. Your book was awesome!
Thanks for taking part in the tour and hosting Erika!