Author Interview - Alyxandra Harvey - Haunting Violet

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Alyxandra Harvey

Haunting Violet

I am convinced that Alyxandra Harvey was born in the wrong century and she lives on the wrong continent.  She so totes belongs in Victorian Europe.  Alyxandra and I talk all about it at Reading Vacation today.  You can also read my review of Haunting Violet HERE.

What is your favorite aspect of Victorian Europe?  For me, it would be the fabulous parties.

I love the language and the intricate manners (even if I’d feel the need to break them all). I love the clothing and the long walks in oak groves and the attention to detail. I love the sound of horse-drawn carriage on cobblestones and candlelight. And the idea of someone brining me hot chocolate in bed every morning!

If you were to live in Victorian Europe, what would you miss most from the 21 century?

Hot showers! Working bathrooms! Women’s Right and hummus. I’m not sure there’s a lot of hummus to be had in Victorian London.

I hear that you and Violet have something special in common.  You both love the classics like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre.  Do you wonder if any of the books being written now will become classics someday?

It’s so hard to know what will become a classic. I think really only time can tell...and maybe English professors ;)

On the more personal side, tell me a little about your Victorian home.

Many of our friends who visit, especially the skeptical ones, have stories of having their hair pulled or seeing people where there are none. A few have even refused to come back! Happily, I’ve never seen a ghost (maybe a ghost dog though) since I have to sleep in our house and I already have a rather active imagination.

But what I love best is that when we renovated we found an original fireplace behind the wall from 1860 complete with an iron hook for the cooking pot. I am inordinately fond of that iron hook!

You live in Ontario and I live in Texas.  It gets very hot here, but I cannot imagine dealing with the cold up there.  How do you do it?

I live in the wimpy end of Canada. I am near a snowbelt but not so far up north that we get -40c weather for more than a few days at a time.  Flannel and hot chocolate help, so does a nice fireplace. And luckily I think snow is pretty.  And I don’t have to drive to work.

At the end of the day Ontario has two weather patterns: too hot and too cold! We get -40c but we also get 40+c humidex in the summer. It’s a little manic. ;) 

*photos courtesy of google images*