Karen McMillan
Karen McMillan is the author of 22 diverse books, from bestselling novels, The Paris of the East, The Paris of the West and Turbulent Threads, to non-fiction books that inspire and help others: Everyday Strength and Unbreakable Spirit, and the Elastic Island Adventures series for children.
Karen was the resident book reviewer on The Cafe TV3 for two years, and she appears regularly in the media. She has been a speaker at many festivals and events, including the Going West Festival, the Devonport Arts Festival, the Tauranga Arts Festival, and Brisbane Book Week (with thanks to Creative NZ Funding) and Hamilton Book Month. You can find out more about Karen at www.karenm.co.nz
Do you try more to be original, or to deliver to readers what they want?
I am always aware of my readers, so for me, as a writer, it’s about delivering a book that hopefully will engage the lovely people who already enjoy my books.
What is it about your chosen genre that you love?
I love writing historical fiction. I adore diving down the research rabbit hole and popping up the other end having immersed myself in a different era. And then I love the blending of fact and fiction, in hopefully a story that will transport readers to another time. Invariably I throw away most of the research – the story and the characters must come first – but it’s all these elements that make writing historical fiction so enjoyable.
How do you select the names of your characters?
With great care, like they are real-life children. I make lists, I look up their meanings, and I discuss the names with others. I contemplate for a long time before I finally name them!
What was the first book that made you cry?
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis. Even now thinking of Aslan dying makes me teary-eyed.
Have you Googled yourself? Did you find out anything interesting?
I just did this now! I had no idea I would appear in so many places on the Internet, which is very flattering but also slightly disturbing, being a fairly private person. It is all things I know already, but I hope it is vaguely interesting to other people!
How did publishing your first book change your writing process?
It didn’t change my writing process, but it did open many doors for me. My first book, Unbreakable Spirit, a non-fiction book, was translated into Polish and I ended up going on an author tour in Poland. That visit inspired my novel The Paris of the East, and the sequel, The Paris of the West – so I love how my first book influenced some of my other books.
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I currently have five unpublished books all ready to go, that will be published by various publishers in the next few years. I have one unpublished manuscript that I’ve changed my mind about getting published due to the personal nature of the book, and I have about half a dozen books in various stages on my computer.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters of the opposite sex?
Trying to think like a man. I’m married to a wonderful man and I love him dearly, but in many ways, his mind is still a mystery! My husband is a quality person, so trying to delve into the mind of a man who doesn’t have good values is an even larger mystery.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
Yes, I do read my book reviews, and I’m fortunate that the vast majority have been very positive. But I can’t expect everyone to like my books, so for some, I completely understand if it is not their cup of tea. It’s like going to the movies with your best friend and you loved the movie and they didn’t like it at all. It doesn’t mean the movie was bad, just that it wasn’t to your friend’s taste. So that tends to be my attitude to reviews in general.