Shannon Selin is a
Canadian writer of historical fiction. Her short stories have
appeared in The Copperfield Review and CommuterLit. Her
first novel, Napoleon in America, which explores what might
have happened if Napoleon Bonaparte had escaped from exile on St. Helena and
wound up in the United States in 1821, is just published and is available on Amazon (link at the bottom). She blogs
about Napoleon-related topics and other interesting things she has come across
in her research at shannonselin.com.
Please
share some of the best memories of your childhood
My father died last
summer, so I have been thinking a lot about my childhood. My best memories are
of family gatherings, when we had four generations together. There was lots of
joking and laughing and eating and story-telling. Children ran around doing
things they weren’t supposed to do, and my great-grandmother would tell my
great-grandfather what to do, and he would sneak off to do whatever he had
planned to do anyway. In the evenings the musicians in the family pulled out
their fiddles and the accordion. We sang and my grandmother danced the Highland
Fling. To a child, these reunions were magical: everything was right with the
world, when you were there with the people you loved.
About your
education
I have a Bachelor of Arts
from the University of Saskatchewan and a Master of Arts from the University of
British Columbia. I majored in Political Science, specializing in international
relations.
What career
did you plan during your education days
Initially I wanted to be
a journalist. However, when I worked for the university radio station, I found
that I was not comfortable interviewing people and did not like speaking on
air. As an introvert, I preferred work that involved more library research and
writing.
What
languages you can speak and write?
English is my first
language. Like many English Canadians, I can read and understand French
passably well, but am much less fluent in speaking and writing the language. I
studied Russian and Spanish at university, but through lack of practice have
mostly forgotten them.
What is
your biggest source of inspiration in life
Books.
What hurts
you most in this world
People being cruel to
others.
What is
your favorite genre and why?
In general I like books
that bring the past to life. I particularly enjoy books that were written
before the mid-20th century, even if they were not written as history or
historical fiction. They provide glimpses into worlds untouched by our present
ways of thinking and writing.
When did
you start writing? What is the purpose of your writing?
I have written for as
long as I can remember. I have poems and stories that go back to when I was
seven years old. Writing has always been my favourite activity. There is no
purpose, other than to amuse myself and feel at ease.
Which of
your work has been published so far? Would you like to share a synopsis of
your work?
My short stories, based
on little incidents in Canadian history, have been published in The
Copperfield Review and CommuterLit. My novel, Napoleon
in America, will be published this month. The synopsis is:
What if Napoleon
Bonaparte had escaped from St. Helena and wound up in the United States?
The year is 1821. Former
French Emperor Napoleon has been imprisoned on a dark wart in the Atlantic
since his defeat at Waterloo in 1815. Rescued in a state of near-death by Gulf
pirate Jean Laffite, Napoleon lands in New Orleans, where he struggles to
regain his health aided by voodoo priestess Marie Laveau. Opponents of the
Bourbon regime expect him to reconquer France. French Canadians beg him to
seize Canada from Britain. American adventurers urge him to steal Texas from
Mexico. His brother Joseph pleads with him to settle peacefully in New Jersey.
As Napoleon restlessly explores his new land, he frets about his legacy. He
fears for the future of his ten-year-old son, trapped in the velvet fetters of
the Austrian court. While the British, French and American governments follow
his activities with growing alarm, remnants of the Grande Armée flock to him
with growing anticipation. Are Napoleon’s intentions as peaceful as he says
they are? If not, does he still have the qualities necessary to lead a winning
campaign?
What are
your future plans?
To continue writing
fiction for as long as I can. I am working on the sequel to Napoleon in
America.
What four
top most things you take care of while writing a book?
1) That it is
historically accurate, to the extent possible.
2) That it is tightly
written, without unnecessary words.
3) That the story keeps
moving forward.
4) That it is something I
would want to read.
Your dream
destination on Earth?
One of the places I would
most like to visit is St. Helena, where Napoleon was imprisoned for the final
years of his life, and where Napoleon in America begins.
I would like to travel there on the Royal Mail ship, before the island airport
is completed, so I can see the approach from the water, as Napoleon would have
seen it.
Your
favorite time of the day?
Early morning, when few
people are awake, the sun’s glow is peeking over the horizon, and the day is
full of potential.
Your
favorite book and why?
I have many favourite
books. They change as I change, depending on the stage of life. One of my
recently read favourites is Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn
Waugh. I love Waugh’s elegant prose, his richly drawn characters, the way he
captures the glory and the sadness of a lost world, the bitter sweetness of
nostalgia.
State your
signature line/ tagline/ best quote
My tagline is “imagining
the bounds of history.”
Links:
Website: http://shannonselin.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shannonselin
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/shannonselin/
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