I write with the thought that anyone can gain something from the work, even if certain kinds of readers would be more likely to purchase the book. That being said, readers of historical fiction or romance will find a lot they enjoy about “The Gardens of Byzantium.”
J.F. Hughes – 24 October 2023
The Back Flap
“An evocative, rich portrait of a tumultuous time, in which the main characters must ascertain which of them is indeed the captive of the other; humans reduced to themselves through the vicissitudes of history, and the limitations of landscape, class, and war. Hughes possesses a sense of the past that enables us to see and sometimes even to hear his various subjects, conveying a compelling sense of mystery and inevitability.”
– SUSANNA MOORE, author of In the Cut, The Whiteness of Bones, and The Lost Wife
The year is 622 A.D., and the Persian and Byzantine empires have been fighting a war in the deserts since before she was born…
Asana’s life has been one of turmoil and change. Every year found her uprooted and brought to another foreign land to live an austere life in a garrison with her father, an officer in the Persian Army. But the middle of a war is no place for such a gentle soul.
Before long, she is swept away from her family and forced to flee on the back of her beloved horse. Fate leads her into the hands of a handsome and mysterious Roman soldier who sequesters her in a beautiful palace in the heart of Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine empire.
She begins to fall for him, and at last it seems as though she may have found an oasis of happiness in her war-torn world. That is, until news of a Persian army marching toward the city upends her life again, setting in motion an unstoppable chain of events that bring the story to its breathtaking and tragic conclusion…
About the book
What is the book about?
Vengeance, mercy, love, fate, perseverance. The Gardens of Byzantium tells the tale of a great war between the Byzantine and Persian Empires, and the lives of two star crossed lovers defined by the realities of that war.
A more in-depth summary can be found at www.JFHbooks.com.
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing the book on Black Friday, 2019.
How long did it take you to write it?
Approximately 4 months for the first half of the book, and then several years for the second half. The birth of one of my sons and the necessity of rereading and checking for plot contradictions definitely slowed down my pace.
Where did you get the idea from?
I love studying history, and at the time I was reading a lot about the Eastern Roman empire. While I read, I often listen to instrumental music. I was reading some of the descriptions of the Great Palace in Constantinople, and a serenade by Antonin Dvorak was playing in the background. The music and description of the palace made quite an impression, and I thought ‘that would be a great setting for a romance novel.’
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
The struggle for me is in the technicalities- making sure that there are no contradictions in the plot or contradictions with the known historical events. For example, what language would this character speak, would this character have been alive at the time of a certain event, or how would this character have known about x,y,z… I obsess over the consistency, even though I doubt most readers would examine it that deeply. But there could be that one person who does, and I don’t want to shortchange any Byzantine history experts out there! The general story itself is easy for me, finding creative ways to mold the story into a finished coherent narrative is the challenge.
What came easily?
Being a historical romance, the portions of the plot that came easiest were the historical events. They are set in stone, and that makes it easy. Then the task becomes weaving the story through the background events.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Well, all fictional characters have to draw on the author’s personal experience in some way, right? I would say all the characters are based on multiple individuals rather than on one person.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
Several writers that have always struck me are Albert Camus, Ernest Hemingway, Jorge Luis Borges, Paolo Coelho, Kurt Vonnegut, Robert Heinlein, and many others. Hemingway’s work has a style that always interested me; he often writes very matter-of-factly, like the journalist he was. It seems to lack depth or nuance at first glance. But as the sentences string together you see he very artfully outlines great depth in his characters and his ideas. Albert Camus has this direct, matter-of-fact style in many of his works as well, but similarly achieves great depth of character and idea. Borges has written some of the greatest and most insightful short stories I’ve ever read. Coelho’s The Alchemist is a masterful allegorical work. When I was young, I enjoyed reading nearly everything Kurt Vonnegut wrote. And if you enjoy reading science fiction, you should already know why Robert Heinlein is on this list!
Do you have a target reader?
I understand why books have target audiences, but I try not to write with that in mind. I write with the thought that anyone can gain something from the work, even if certain kinds of readers would be more likely to purchase the book. That being said, readers of historical fiction or romance will find a lot they enjoy about The Gardens of Byzantium.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Typically, the first scene I write is whatever scene first inspired me to turn the story into a book. The second scene I write is the very last scene, in rough form. Then I write the beginning and continue chronologically until I need to skip ahead to add something that must occur later on. I will jump forward and write that section, or at least extensively detail it. Often, I will write short paragraphs or summaries of different plot points and move them around like puzzle pieces until I have settled on the final order of events.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
Yes, I outline extensively, but I outline simultaneously with writing the text. I have also found it very useful to include a list of characters in the outline as I add them and include physical descriptions or background information. This way, I can quickly reference the outline for everything that has been described about the character without having to reread the entire text. I often include research notes in my outline file so I can reference correct dates or events- this is especially important for saving time when writing historical fictions.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
Both. Formatting edits can wait until the text is finished. Proofreading and line-editing should be a constant process.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Yes, I hired two. They had differing strengths and insights, and the work is better off having been reviewed by more sets of eyes.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Yes. Anything without lyrics, since lyrics will often derail a train of thought. I had known in advance I would be incorporating a soundtrack with this book. The playlist is entirely classical music, so I listened to classical music while I was writing, auditioning different songs for each chapter as I wrote them. The playlist is available on Spotify and YouTube through www.jfhbooks.com.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
No.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
With the technology available to the individual, it makes perfect sense to self-publish. It might take more legwork, but there is no longer such a high barrier to entry to become an author. This is perhaps a double-edged sword, but if you are willing to work hard you can self-publish a book that is very high quality.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
Professionally done, and what a great job she did!
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
“Winging it” sounds reckless. “Improvisational approach” is perhaps more accurate. I would say there is always a plan, but it must be flexible, and if it is not working, it must be changed.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Start researching and preparing the self-publishing process at the same time or even before you start writing the book. You will need to become an ‘amateur expert’ in many things to complete the process.
About You
Where did you grow up?
New Jersey
Where do you live now?
New Jersey
What are you working on now?
I always have many books in various stages of completion. I find I have no writers block this way, since I can just switch between different works-in-progress. Some of the things I am currently writing: another Historical Romance set during the aftermath of the Mexican-American war, an allegorical tale about a young man’s heroic evolution after being exiled to Scandinavia in the middle ages, and a science fiction work combining the flood myths and the secrets of the previous civilization it erased.
End of Interview:
For more from J.F. Hughes visit his website and follow him on Twitter.
Get your copy of The Gardens of Byzantium from Amazon US or Amazon UK.