EP 308 - Historical Fiction Inspired by Real People with C. C. Humphreys

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews, actor and writer C. C. Humphreys about his new novel Some Day I'll Find You.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word from this episode's sponsor.

You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

During the interview Mark and Chris talk about:

• Chris's new epic romance saga novel Some Day I'll Find You and how it's partly based on his own parents
• Having to imagine his parents in their early 20s in the precarious situations they found themselves in
• How this novel related to Chris's previous historical novel from the same era, Chasing the Wind
• The common theme of "characters in peril" in Chris's novels
• The consistent question of "what would I have done" during this significant era of history as well as in situations taking place around the world even today
• How the spark for a novel always begins with story and characters
• The various ways that Chris conducts research for different historical periods that he writes about
• The book All the Fine Young Eagles: In the Cockpit with Canada's Second World War Fighter Pilots by David L Bashow which contained beautiful details about Canadian fighter pilots
• The playlist Chris compiled related to songs that were a part of the research he did into that era
• The book launches Chris will be doing when in Toronto (June 7th at Noonan's Pub) and Perth (June 9th at 7 PM at The Book Nook), then at Book Warehouse (Vancouver) on the 14th, as well as the free stage show in Toronto
• Tips Chris would provide for authors who are preparing to do a reading of their work
• How Chris enjoys doing launches at pubs and the live reading Chris did from the 5th oldest pub in England in the summer of 2022
• A potential additional novel idea set in this same universe that Chris has been noodling over
• Chris's fascination with the ambiguity of war
• Advice that Chris would offer to beginning writers
• And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on those historic moments when people had to take a stand, as well as the idea of hosting a book-related event at a pub or other typically non-bookish locale.

Links of Interest:

• C.C. Humphrey's Website
• Some Day I'll Find You (Penguin Random House)
• Noonan's Pub
• The Book Nook Perth
• Episode 32 - Hubrid Publishing with C.C. Humphreys
• Findaway Voices
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
• Best Book Ever Podcast
• Lovers Moon Podcast
• The Relaxed Author
  • Buy eBook Direct
  • Buy Audiobook Direct
• Publishing Pitfalls for Authors
• An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores
• Wide for the Win
• Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books
  • This Time Around (Short Story)
  • A Canadian Werewolf in New York
  • Stowe Away (Novella)
  • Fear and Longing in Los Angeles
  • Fright Nights, Big City
  • Lover's Moon
  • Hex and the City
• The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Chris (C.C.) Humphreys - born in Toronto, raised in London - has played Hamlet in Calgary, a gladiator in Tunisia, waltzed in London’s West End, conned the landlord of the Rovers Return in Coronation Street, patrolled the Sun Hill beat in The Bill, commanded a starfleet in Andromeda, voiced Salem the cat in the original Sabrina, and is a dead immortal in Highlander. He is also a playwright, audiobook narrator, creative writing teacher and award-winning author of historical fiction and fantasy. He has written twenty two novels including The French Executioner, The Jack Absolute Trilogy, Vlad-The Last Confession, A Place Called Armageddon, Shakespeare’s Rebel, Chasing the Wind and his recent modern thriller, One London Day. Plague won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel. He has been translated into thirteen languages. His fantasy work includes The Runestone Saga and the recently published high epic series Immortals’ Blood beginning with Smoke in the Glass. His other fantasy series, The Tapestry Trilogy, has just been re-launched beginning with The Hunt of the Unicorn. This Summer sees the publication of his WW2 thriller, Someday I’ll Find You. He lives on Salt Spring Island, BC. Visit him at: https://www.authorchrishumphreys.com/

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0