Gritty reality of the 16th century in France with love, passion, opulance sits side by side with dirty streets and intrigues is featured in the first historical novel Queen Margot by MBLW.

MBLW has good grip on the facts, writting skills and lightness to tell the story to everyone without knowing too much from history in similar way like David Attenborough.

These are just some of the stellar reviews ‘Queen Margot’ has received. “Game of the thrones written by real history” News New York wrote. ‘Queen Margot’  is the first historical novel by author Marketa B.Linden W (MBLW) that deals with the drama around Margaret of Valois, the daughter of famous Catherine de Medici.

But who exactly is MBLW?

“I am British – Czech natural multitasking woman who loves arts, sports and history and put the interesting part of French history into the book, with rebel princess Margaret of Valois as leading character. It is her story with the backdrop of religious wars in France during 16th century, mother Catherine de Medici, scheming brothers, her arranged marriage to Henry de Navarre. I can promise a lot of drama written by history itself, intrigues, love, passion, murders and life of one extraordinary woman who was able to survive civil war and live her life to full.”

– How did you decide to pursue a writing career?
“I don’t pursue writing career but I was scribbling or penning always something as the child and it came from that. I has expressed myself better in written form once time as a child until I grow up and gained certain self confidence to use my vocabulary, logical sense tongue which became sharp tongue to become good speaker in public eyes. I think good writer is also avid reader and I was a bookworm.

My dream was to be anything else than a writer but I typed a book about small girl as a child and we had school magazine. The first serious writing job is linked with sport newspapers and it was great experience as I get into the radio after long journey when I really grew up into the role. I have had always normal jobs and I saw writing as an outlet for my creative side and it came from there.

One of my teenage dreams was to be like Sarah JP in Sex and the City who was able to type her articles home and go for cup of coffee to chat with the girls. I see it without rose tinted glasses now and I love my normal work routines and busy schedule, normal consenquences of my huge wardrobe and big troubles caused by moving me and the partner together when I was really happy he has no huge wardobe like I have :]]

That’s perhaps one thing I share with Carrie and anything else, no Mr Big and you can type any blog post on the internet. It is up to you and the internet is great outlet for anyone to write. It doesn’t matter if you have just friends reading your work or huge audience.”

– Was getting published hard?
“It is not difficult to be published as self published author but you find out than it is more than just honing your writing skills and talent. It is like big business project and it is unfortunately run on long distance that included marketing and big task is distribution.

Distribution is difficult, not get book published if I don’t speak about rejections by publishing houses what a lot of writers experienced. Writing and publishing is one process and distribution and marketing is other, bigger process which I call post production.

It is like with the movie, you are able to write a script, shoot all scenes, edit it but you need a distribution otherwise you screen the movie to couple of the friends.”

– Are your characters based on people you know?
“No, because I write a historical novel and Margaret of Valois is real person but I guess I write about strong, independent women from history as they are my ideal role models. Of course any writer projects their thoughts to the books and leaves personal footprints on the pages.”

– What genre are your books?
“Historical fiction. Historical novels but they have a lot of real facts and are sometimes more like biographies.”

– Which of your books is your most favourite?
“I penned only one from my genre but I think my the most favourite will be next one – about other Margaret, this time English royal who is also less known person from history textbooks and her name is Margaret Beaufort. She is a grandmother of Henry VIII and she was very interesting woman in times of struggles during War of Roses. It was this lady who united two Houses of Plantagenet Rose.Her great granddaughter Elizabeth I pops out from time to time on the pages of Queen Margot’s book.”

– Do you have a specific writing routine?
“I will say no. I know there are tips how to build dynamic dialogues and action scenes or structured novel, but I type historical novel with real facts and I don’t want to make it harder for the reader. As a person I learnt a lot to write with certain routine and couple of hours each day but I still didn’t settle into certain schedule. I write from the scratch, with no strict plans to pen ten pages each day and I have no certain favourite time during day or night as well as room when and where I write. The collecting of facts and time spent in archives is consuming.

I am working person, not profi writer that’s why I need to adjust my writing to my daily tasks. I think if you want to write a book, you write it. It doesn’t mean you will have a book published or you will be famous but the journey starts with the first step and the first word on the paper or PC screen.

I had a friend who is a lawyer and she has great income, maintenance and child maintenance by former husband but she still moans how she hates her job and she wants to be a writer with published novel. I told her to stop moaning and start writing but she replied she has no time, only in the evening and she doesn’t want to write. I know a lot of people write in the evening but they write.”

– What are your current projects?
“Reading diaries of one countess for my next novel, trying to gain an access to Lichtenstein’s archive for this reason and typing a book about Margaret of Beaufort.”

– What’s next for you?
“A lot of exciting things but I hope there will be time left for relax and private time with the partner. I cannot wait for the spring :]]

I also will see if my grandma who reads just books about horses and her favourite novel is Seabuscuit, will grab my book. She mentioned it but I will wait and see as she is curious mind. If she will do that, I know I succeeded, because I know she isn’t historical buff and she is very strict.

I was able to change opinion of my cousin Chuck who is more like a dad to me, about abstract arts when he got a ticket to White Cubicle gallery for his birthday. He collects loo seats and we have special sense of humour within family and I like to tease him, but I’m not sure about a gran as she is very serious old lady, but often also a mix of Miss Marple and Gossip Girl and she mentioned she cannot wait to see my book.

I am not sure if she will read it, but if she will, I know it was good. It also means it is easy to digest for any reader who has no deep knowledge of history and it will not put them off.”