A medieval prayer book, an Irish saint’s prophecy of the last pope, and a forgery that changed the church—forever.
A murdered priest and a 1,200 year old church relic set Father Michael Romano on a search for the truth—about his personal beliefs and his past. His quest to discover the reason for his friend’s death leads him to an ancient story of forgeries and an epic history of medieval war to control the church. Some would rule for their own ambition and others for the sake of the people. Still, there are those who would commit any wickedness to ensure the secrets are never told.
Targeted Age Group:
30 to 65+
Research is the key to writing historical fiction. I outline extensively using Excel spreadsheet to work out the chapters, plot, characters, etc. One column is dedicated to the historical event described in the chapter and the research material I used. Of course, authors have to get the events right; but it’s just as important to capture the personalities of the people who lived the history, as well as their motivations for doing the things they did. Naturally, writers bring their own views to a novel, but I try hard to be transparent so the characters can express themselves in their own words—or at least, as I interpret what those words might have been.
What Advice Would You Give Aspiring Writers?
A fellow writer gave me some good advice and I’ll pass it on: ‘Give yourself permission to write rubbish.’ It’s liberating to write scenes without judging your work, and easier to be creative in a sort of stream-of-consciousness way. The magic comes in the editing, anyway. Then, after all the marvelous creativity, edit, edit, edit and focus on getting it right. If the words don’t say what you mean in the way you want them to, mold them, like clay, until they do.
Author Bio:
I read the 300 Spartans by John Burke when I was in grade school and decided that I loved historical fiction. When I was a teenager, I read The Egyptian by Mika Waltari, and was fascinated by how he adeptly wove a historical event into an Action/Adventure fiction, filled with philosophical reflections.
History fascinates me, particularly how historical events shape who we are. That has a major impact on my blog posts and stories, and it’s a fundamental theme in The Psalter. When I read a novel, I want to be entertained, of course, but I also want to learn something historically, philosophically, or be provoked. Umberto Eco’s character opined in The Name of the Rose, “Books are not made to be believed, but to be subjected to inquiry. When we consider a book, we mustn’t ask ourselves what it says but what it means…” That’s what I ask when I finish a book; and when I write, I want it to mean something.
After I sold a business, I took some time off. That hiatus gave me time to reflect, and it dawned on me that if I didn’t try to write a novel, I would never know if I could. I live in the Sierra Nevada’s and spend a lot of time in Paris. I have a degree in French literature and admit to being a closet banjo picker.
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?The seed for The Psalter likely began in Junior High School, sitting at lunch every day with a pretty young girl arguing about religion. The Dead Sea Scrolls and Nag Hammadi Library commentaries were just being published. Those debates made me wonder who hid the ancient scrolls and why. That girl is now my wife and our debates have become lively discussions throughout the thirty-four years of our delightful marriage.
In high school, I was an exchange student in the French countryside and heard about a medieval religious forgery, likely created in a monastery north of Paris in Corbie, not far from Amiens. I read the research over the years, and realized how dramatically it shifted church supremacy, in a dramatic power play that changed the church forever. It was that religio-political fight I wanted to write about.
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