Illuminations of the Heart

Today I have the honor of telling you all about Joyce DiPastena’s newest book, Illuminations of the Heart. I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy to review and it’s with the greatest pleasure that I can tell you that I loved reading this book. Not only did I get to have the treat of reading it, I was also able to interview the author. I’ll be sharing all of that with you today!

Sirrol de Calendri has precious few things left to her; a loyal handmaiden, a father’s legacy for the art of illumination, and her brother’s final request. Siri is bid to go to Pouitou, France and place herself into the guardianship of her late brother’s trusted friend, Triston de Brielle.

And what a reception she has!

“Clothilde.”
He spoke the name on a breath like a prayer. Then he lowered his head and kissed her.

The only problem is, her name isn’t Clothilde!

 Illuminations of the Heart is a historical romance set during the middle ages. Lest you think it’s all swooning and kisses, let me illuminate (pun intended) some things I particularly enjoyed about this book.

The story is woven seamlessly with the time period. It is so organically done that one almost doesn’t notice—though the attention to detail and fact is there. I learned things about history that I didn’t know but in such a way that it didn’t feel like it intruded on the story.

As if that wasn’t enough, this romance is blended with mystery, suspense, and action. The plot doesn’t just move forward, it propels. I couldn’t stop reading.

The characterization is rich and satisfying. The characters live and breath from the page. Their histories, individual stories, and interactions blend in such a way that one would not be surprised to discover that they actually lived long ago.

If you enjoy historical fiction (heck, if you enjoy fiction at all) I know you’ll enjoy this book. You can click the link above to order online.

Now for a real treat! Joyce was gracious enough to grant me an interview and here’s what she had to say:

L.T.:  What inspired you to write this book?

JDP:  My idea for Illuminations of the Heart came from a character I'd created for my first published novel, Loyalty's Web. His name was Triston, and his part of the story ended very sadly in that first novel. But he'd captured my imagination, and even more important, my heart, and I longed to find a way to give him a happy ending. Whether he finds such an ending or not, you'll have to read Illuminations of the Heart to find out. ;-)

L.T.: Who was the hardest character for you to identify with?

JDP: Lord Fauke and Osanne were sort of the "stock" villain and villainess in the story. They each had the least depth, so although they both had important parts to play, I never developed the kind of attachment to them that I did to the other characters.

L.T.: Why did you choose this time period to write in?

JDP: Because I love the Middle Ages and I love Henry II of England. I wanted to write a story set against the background of his reign. Originally, I assumed that meant my settings would be in England, since, after all, he was "the King of England". But he also ruled over a large portion of what later became France, and the more I studied him, the more I realized that all the interesting "action" was taking place in his continental territories. So I decided to follow the action and place Illuminations of the Heart, along with its predecessor, Loyalty's Web, in the county of Poitou, where Henry II's son, Richard (the future Richard the Lionheart) was supposed to serving as a sort of sub-ruler under his father.

L.T.: How long did it take you to write this book?

JDP: Oh, don't ask me that! This is actually a very old book that was repeatedly rejected by national editors for (1) not following the romance genre's "rules", (2) being too long, (3) being set in France ("No one will buy a romance set in France!" one editor told me), and (4) being too "mainstream" for a romance (meaning, it had "too much plot" and it didn't have the requisite sex scenes for a nationally released "historical romance"). I stuffed it away for years, pulling it out periodically to tinker with it (if you think it's long now, you should have seen my first draft!). Each time, I tinkered it got a little better. Distance and time really do open one's eyes to flaws you just can't see immediately after a first or second draft. I have a record of at least 8 drafts of Illuminations of the Heart, although by the time I polished it up for Walnut Springs Press, I think you could count my drafts as 9. The lesson? If you've got a good story that you believe in, never give up on it. (Keep polishing, but never give up.)

L.T.: What was the hardest part of this journey for you?

JDP: Finding a publisher who was willing to take a chance on this book. (Thank you, Walnut Springs Press!)

L.T.: What scene was the most fun for you to write?

JDP: I think it was the final scene with Triston and Siri and Raynor in the inn. Raynor did something I never expected him to. I love it when my characters surprise me!

L.T.: And finally, what's in store with these characters and what are your future writing plans?

JDP: You'll definitely see some of them again. I'm currently working on a romance for one of the secondary characters from Illuminations. As for the future, I have this "grand idea" of eventually reuniting all of them (at least, the men) during an important future historical event that will challenge their various loyalties, but whether I'll ever be able to actually pull that off or not, only time will tell.

Thank you very much, Joyce, for answering all of those! Aren’t her answers awesome? Don’t forget, to purchase your own copy of Illuminations, click the link above to order online or check with your local bookseller.

Until next time,

L.T.