Q&A With Melanie Benjamin 

Melanie Benjamin is the New York Times Bestselling Author of 9 historical fiction books which are Alice I Have Been, The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb, The Aviators Wife, The Swans of Fifth Avenue, The Girls in the Picture, Mistress of the Ritz, The Children’s Blizzard, California Gold, & her upcoming release The Windsor Affair which will be available on June 2^nd! Melanie’s novels have been translated in over fifteen languages & featured in national magazines which are Good Housekeeping, People, and Entertainment Weekly. I’m so honored to be interviewing Melanie! 

Q: Melanie, welcome to Book Notions! Would you please give a brief description of each of your books beginning with your upcoming release The Windsor Affair? 

A: The Windsor Affair – my ninth hist fic – is about the juicy rivalry between Wallis Simpson and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (known as The Queen Mother), starting with the 1936 Abdication Crisis, when King Edward VIII famously abdicated his throne for “the woman I love.” It’s a family drama but it’s a Royal family drama, perfect for fans of The Crown. Since I’ve written eight other novels, I’ll try to make this short:

Alice I Have Been is about the real girl who inspired Alice in Wonderland;

The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb is about thirty-two inches-tall Lavinia Warren Bump, a real celebrity in the 1860s who married the performer known as Tom Thumb and had an extraordinary life as P.T. Barnum’s protegee;

The Aviator’s Wife is about the marriage between Anne Morrow Lindburgh and Charles Lindburgh;

The Swans of Fifth Avenue is about the scandal when Truman Capote betrayed all his famous socialite friends’ secrets;

The Girls in the Picture is about the original girl boss, Mary Pickford, and her close friendship and professional collaboration with Frances Marion, the first woman to win an Academy Award for screenwriting;

Mistress of the Ritz is about the real American Jewish woman married to the manager of the famous Ritz Hotel in Paris during the German occupation in World War II;

The Children’s Blizzard tells the story about a real blizzard that hit the Great Plains in 1888, and the schoolteachers who had to make life-or-death decisions in an instant concerning their pupils; California Golden is a family saga of a mother and two sisters set in the 1960s surfer scene. 

Phew!

Q: I love reading history whether its historical nonfiction, historical fiction and everything in between! What drew you into writing historical fiction & how do you choose a topic or person to write about?

A: I’m an armchair historian, and I’ve never seen a museum or historical marker that I didn’t stop exploring. I understand the past better than I do the present, frankly, and am happier exploring it than I am reading current events. I always find stories of women that were either told by men or haven’t been told at all. That’s what I’m drawn to.

Q: How long does it take you to research and write your historical fiction novels? 

A: Less time than you think. Since I read so much history and biography anyway, I have a ton of knowledge going into any new novel. I only choose time periods I naturally love and have read about, so I’m starting with a pretty good base of research. From there it’s determining what story I’m going to tell and knowing that when writing about a life you must pick only two or three compelling stories to tell in a novel. So, a lot is left out.  Once I’m done researching – usually only a solid month—I can complete a polished, revised draft in about nine months.

Q: What is your advice for anyone wanting to write historical fiction? In your opinion, what are the important ingredients needed for the perfect historical fiction novel? 

A: As counterintuitive as it sounds, don’t get bogged down by the research and details. You must be able to set the stage believably, of course; you can’t have a character in 1960 calling 911, for example. Or wearing pantyhose before they were invented. But the main things you must concentrate on are the characters, creating believable, compelling people with journeys that the reader wants to follow.  That’s far more important than filling the pages with endless historical details.

Q: I believe historical fiction is important because it allows readers to be interested in the story and care about the true events that happened and it will make them want to do more research in the era and the people who lived. What are important lessons you hope readers learn after they read your historical fiction novels? 

A: I think it’s dangerous these days to tell the reader that we expect them to learn a lesson when reading a book. To be frank, most readers these days don’t want to work too hard; they want a book that will be easy to read and provide an escape. I’m not saying I’m one of those readers! I love a big, dense book full of lots of characters and information! But we must understand the current marketplace, and so I would say I wish readers are inspired to go off and learn more about my characters and their historical settings, if they’re so inclined. But the main thing I desire is that readers are entertained and moved. 

I do hope, though, that when they finish one of my books, readers will have a bit more insight into how past lives weren’t much different than current lives, in terms of humanity and emotion and desire.

Q: If you are currently researching and writing your next novel, can you reveal any details or is it too early to discuss at this time?

A: Way too early to discuss!

Q: Congratulations on your novels being on the New York Times Bestsellers List! How does it feel knowing that your books are New York Times Bestsellers?

A: I was very fortunate to have two back-to-back bestsellers in The Aviator’s Wife and The Swans of Fifth Avenue. It’s one of those markers of success in this industry, and I’ll always be able to say that I’m a New York Times Bestseller. So, while it’s very satisfying, the truth is the biggest accomplishment for a writer is a long career, so every new book contract is a bigger marker of success than the Times list.  And nothing is better than knowing readers are eagerly looking forward to what I write next!

Q: What’s it like knowing that your books have been featured in Good Housekeeping, People, and Entertainment Weekly? 

A: Well, to be perfectly honest, it was nice when it happened, of course. But so many of the really nice things that happened to my books eight or ten years ago simply don’t exist any longer, so I must adjust my expectations now. I won’t ever have a book excerpted in Good Housekeeping again because it doesn’t cover books in the same way. I won’t ever be at a front table in every B&N in the country again, because that’s not how B&N operates now. And Entertainment Weekly is online-only. The landscape continues to change for publishing as it does for all the arts, so I think we can only remember the past fondly, then let it go so it doesn’t color or spoil what is possible in the present.

Q: I saw on your website that your novels have been optioned for film! Congratulations Melanie! Are any of them currently in production along with the casting? 

A: Alas, no. None of my novels are currently under option. 

Q: With The Windsor Affair coming out soon, what did you think of the Netflix series The Crown? Did you also hear they are doing a prequel spin off series of The Crown? What are some of your favorite historical period dramas that have been made into film and television shows?

A: Yes, I loved the Crown! I definitely see The Windsor Affair as being perfect for fans of the series. And I know about the prequel, which will cover the same territory as in my novel. I actually really loved the Amazon series of The Last Tycoon years ago, but unfortunately it was canceled after one season. I loved the Cranford series on the BBC that aired long ago, as well. My favorite book adaptation, ever, is the 1992 film adaptation of Howards End. I also love the film of, A Room With a View. I just think the British do these things so much better than the Americans, which makes me sad. I wish more US studios were interested in adapting historical novels.

If you’d like to follow Melanie & Her Work Below are her Social Media Links

https://melaniebenjamin.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100051398344628

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-benjamin-3722287/

https://www.instagram.com/melaniebenjamin_author/

https://substack.com/@melaniebenjamin?utm_source=global-search