Jessie Mason lives with her nose in the pages of history. But she is discovering that the past is a dangerous place where she doesn't belong, and knowledge alone is not going to save her.
Jessie’s life has become a series of terrible challenges. Now she must lead her friends in the hopeless task Grandfather set them: hunt down and destroy the Time Stones. But her leadership has already failed. Tip has left them and Abe has simply disappeared, while she and Kes are trapped in the heart of an ancient empire in turmoil.
Thrust into a fractured, threatened Mexica nobility, Jessie is immersed in a way of life, fascinating and disturbing in equal measure, yet powerless before the approaching Conquistadors and the impending clash of cultures.
Even as the fabulous city of Tenochtitlan descends into savage violence, Jessie’s determination to succeed is undiminished. But with world history taking a new, bloody direction before her, she is finally forced to decide which is more important: continuing the task or simply surviving.
Writing Interview Questions.
What inspired you to write this book?
For as long as I can remember I have found history fascinating, whether that is visiting buildings, towns or places of interest, watching history play out on the screen, or simply reading it. But the more I read, the more I realized how narrow my knowledge was. So, I expanded the range of my reading and at some point, came across the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Obviously, I knew it had taken place, but I had never read the history. I found it such an inconceivable outcome, that a handful of soldiers, criminals in the eyes of the nearest Spanish authorities, could topple a military empire of millions, that I decided I had to investigate further. I was already working on the first book of the series and felt that this was a story which, despite the tragedy it ushered in, deserved to be more widely understood. Although the book doesn’t cover it, the Spanish conquest of central and south America, was arguably the first step towards the imperialistic capitalism that would dominate the following centuries and laid a path towards our modern world.
Can you share something about the book that isn’t covered in the blurb?
Jessie and Kes are thrown into court life in Texcoco, the second city of the Mexica. Their interactions with Cacamatzin, the king, Tonauac, his secretary, Ixtli, a priest, and the servants in the palace, helps them understand the society they suddenly must navigate. They get to travel across the lake to Tenochtitlan, the capital of the empire, and see it at its most glorious, before it becomes a battleground for a clash of cultures. This position in Texcoco also enables Jessie and Kes to see the frustration and fear within the Mexica nobility as the Spanish approach and see the political divisions and jealousies playing out. At the same time, Tip and Abe are having different experiences, having been dropped into different Spanish camps, and only once the four friends are re-united can they try to extract themselves from a dangerous and escalating situation.
If you had to describe your protagonist(s), in three words, what would those three words be and why?
Jessie is loyal to her friends. Despite them all having been summoned from wildly different cultures and time periods, it is Jessie’s first real friendship group, and her sense of belonging is deeply rooted. They tend to squabble and bicker, which is often due to her stubborn and opinionated view of the world. In Jessie’s eyes, the modern world is the pinnacle of human achievement, although her young age means she has little real knowledge of the modern world, and needs time to appreciate the achievements and societies of the past. Finally, Jessie is brave. Not heroic, she won’t go seeking trouble. But trouble finds them with disturbing regularity, and Jessie faces it when she is finally forced to, with a clear head and decisive action.
What was the most challenging part about writing your book?
I think it was two-fold. Firstly, I wanted to try and capture and explain the events which led to the overthrow of the Mexica, but it was a complex set of events, over an extended period, and the stage of many hundreds of miles. On the other hand, once the conquistadors had been thrown out of Tenochtitlan once, I felt the following 12 months would be somewhat repetitive. By finishing Jessie’s involvement on “La Noche Triste”, I left that story unfinished, but I think it was the correct point for her and her friends to leave.
Also, I had to undertake a lot of background research to understand the structure, beliefs and characters of the Mexica society at the time. They had a complex hierarchy, with a busy pantheon and significant political fissures. I wanted to reflect this as far as possible within the book without it becoming overwhelming, whilst maintaining the narrative. Hopefully I achieved that goal.
Was there anything that you edited out of this book that would have drastically affected the story, should it be left in?
I had strangely different experiences with my first two books. In the first, I think I edited about a third of it out in the end but kept the story mostly intact. Because of the challenges which I mentioned above for the second book, I spent much time with up-front planning. There were changes and adjustments of course, some aspects of Mexica life that I had wanted to show didn’t make the cut. But I had almost a chapter-by-chapter plan, and I stuck closely to it, which meant when I came to the end, I had covered everything I thought was important, and nothing of importance had not made the cut.
What are you currently working on?
I am working on the third book in the series. As I said earlier, there are so many important and interesting places and points in history that get so little coverage; I have thousands of years and the whole world to pick from. But our modern era also has a story to tell, so there is every chance that Jessie and her friends will have an adventure or two here as well.
What would you tell an aspiring author who had some doubts about their writing abilities?
I would say just go for it. At least, if you are able, get a professional editor to take a look. They will give you constructive and useful feedback without any judgement. Within my extended family, there are some avid readers, and each has their own favourite author and author style. There are some very well-respected authors whose style I cannot get along with. On the other hand, I will read books that others will not pick up. So, there is no one correct style to a work of fiction. There are so many ways to get your work to an audience these days. If you have tried the traditional publishing route and had no joy, then try another. If you want your books to be read, at some point you will have to take a leap of faith.
Personal Interview Questions.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Well, I still work full-time, so that is something I (have to) do when not writing. We have been renovating our house slowly over the past 20 years, and there are still jobs pending which I turn to whenever I can muster enthusiasm. I have also started gardening with purpose over the past few years, seeing as it was never high on the list of things to do. That means more reading, as I’m new to it. My mother has always been a keen gardener, so she offers constant advice. Aside from that, I try to go skiing at least once a year; living in southern Germany makes that much easier to achieve. Travel is always welcome. We had a fortnight whistle-stop tour of Ireland in September and plan a few days in Vienna in February. I frequently have more than one book on the go, often nonfiction history as research and background for my books, but enjoying the subject means it is more relaxation than chore.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I never really knew. I think I suffered at school by being a bit of a generalist, generally good at most subjects, but excelling at none. So, there was no obvious job or career path screaming at me. I think I just fell into things. I was born in Australia, and I do remember announcing once, that I would play football for England in the winter and cricket for Australia in the summer. Two other things where I could hold my own but ultimately didn’t excel at.
What’s for dinner tonight? What would you rather be eating?
That is a pertinent question as I’m writing this. We have neglected to defrost the freezer for too long and now the drawers are so difficult to pull out that I broke the front of one earlier this week. Therefore, I need to empty and defrost. Plus, it’s getting late, so I’m afraid it will be a pizza night, and fish and chicken over the coming days – until the freezer is empty. This probably will not sit well with vegan or vegetarian readers, but the best steak I ever had was in a relatively non-descript hotel on the Moselle River near Cochem in Germany. I rarely eat steak, but that was perfect and nothing since then has really compared. I think I would enjoy that meal once again. Or a good curry.
What would be a perfect day?
A hot country, probably in the mediterranean somewhere. Breakfast on the terrace in the sun, then reading for the morning. When it gets too hot, maybe a quick dip to cool off. Then off for lunch and to explore an ancient town or an historic building, or some spectacular view of nature. Then back for a nice dinner, one where you can sit outside in shorts and t-shirt and still be too warm, with no mosquitoes and a walk home so I can enjoy the local wine or beer without having to worry about driving. Then go to sleep knowing the next day holds the same treats.
What is the best part of your day?
Definitely not the morning. Probably after 7pm, especially in winter when it gets dark early. Work is finished, chores are done, meal is eaten and cleared up, so now my time is sometimes my own. Time to relax.
Either or!
Tea or coffee: Morning coffee, afternoon tea
Hot or cold: Hot
Movie or book: Book
Morning person or Night owl: Very late-night Owl
City or country: Country
Social Media or book: Book
Paperback or ebook: Hmm, always paperback except for travelling when space/weight forces my hand.
Books have been an important part of my life as long as I can remember, and at 54 years old, that’s a lot of books. My earliest memories of reading are CS Lewis’, “The Horse and His Boy” – by far the best of the Narnia books, the Adventures series by Willard Price, and “Goalkeepers are Different” by sports journalist Brian Glanville. An eclectic mix. My first English teacher was surprised to hear that I was reading, Le Carré, Ken Follett, Nevil Shute and “All the Presidents’ Men” by Woodward and Bernstein at the age of 12. I was simply picking up the books my father had finished.
School syllabus threw up the usual suspects – Shakespeare, Chaucer, Dickens, Hardy, “To Kill a Mockingbird” – which I have reread often, and others I don’t immediately recall. By “A” level study, my then English teachers were pulling their hair out at my “perverse waste of talent” – I still have the report card! But I did manage a pass.
During a 35 year career, briefly in Banking and then in IT, I managed to find time, with unfailing family support, to study another lifelong passion, graduating with an Open University Bachelors’ degree in History in 2002. This fascination with all things historical inspired me to begin the Time Stones series. There is so much to our human past, and so many differing views on what is the greatest, and often the saddest, most tragic story. I decided I wanted to write about it; to shine a small light on those, sometimes pivotal stories, which are less frequently mentioned.
In 1995, my wife, Michelle, and I moved from England to southern Germany, where we still live, with our two children, one cat, and, when she pays us a visit, one chocolate labrador. I have been fortunate that I could satisfy another wish, to travel as widely as possible and see as much of our world as I can. Destinations usually include places of historic and archaeological interest, mixed with a large helping of sun, sea and sand for my wife’s peace of mind.
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What a fabulous read. Thank you so much for hosting today's tour stop.
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