Lady
of A Thousand Treasures by Sandra Byrd
It is not just that Sandra writes with skill and
imagination. And it isn’t just that she leads her readers into the Victorian
time period with realistic yet exquisite flair. This writer has a unique voice
that captivated me immediately. I am a fan from the very first page and she
held me securely till the last exquisite word planted her very satisfying
ending.
The story-telling drops off the page as vibrant
characters—those quite likeable and those not so much—intermingle on the page
leading this reader on a journey raptured with intrigue, mystery, and
heart-felt desire to know more. Who can one trust? Will Miss Eleanor Sheffield
discern the false from the genuine concerning the most important relationships and
individuals surrounding her? Much responsibility is laid upon this fine lady’s
shoulders and the hero who’d been silent for so long is questionable to say the
least. Especially when someone with influence—not dampened by the grave—reveals
information that must be considered.
Re-read- most definitely- most desirably. Lady of A Thousand Treasures is a novel
this reader will crave to read. I understand without question that the mood to experience
Sandra’s books will drop upon me and I must seek the treasured tales hidden within
her pages.
If you enjoy historical fiction, which includes actual
people and plants your feet in the time period so naturally that you don’t know
that you’ve been transported, then your will appreciate this first of THE
VICTORIAN LADIES SERIES.
QUESTIONS FOR SANDRA:
Your
novel is lush with historic atmosphere, yet what you paint with words only
accents the story and adorns your characters. What was your favorite scene to embellish
with historic props?
Anything having to do with the house. I love those old
stately homes in England, with their secret rooms and corridors, the back
stairs and the front stairs, the creaking hallways and the walls hung
chock-a-block with pictures. It’s such a
pleasure to bring my readers to those houses!
I
appreciate your main character, Miss Eleanor Sheffield. How did you decide on
her personality? What is the very best quality about Miss Eleanor and the hero,
Henry?
I love that Ellie had many difficulties thrust
upon her, and yet did not allow herself to become a victim. Victorian women had
major constraints, and the heroines in my books cannot just solve their
problems as you or I might—but I love
them the more for that; they are forced to
cleverly use the tools at hand. Truthfully, all of us, then and now, are
constrained in some way from the full self-determination we would prefer, and perhaps
that is one way we identify with them. And yet ...
the human spirit, a strong woman's spirit, faces those challenges head-on, tries to think through what she wants,
and then plots a way toward it. When roadblocks occur, she finds a way over, around,
or through. That was true a thousand years ago, and it is still true, now.
Also—we must all be risk-takers to gain what we want: love, respect, a
meaningful life, and personal fulfillment. Today's readers certainly have that
in common with yesterday's women, my historical heroines. Ellie had to learn to
do all of that and to trust herself.
When she did, life unfolded for her!
Harry is a man after my own heart. I often
find that, in novels, readers want the heroine to have to grow, but they expect
the hero to be nearly perfect from the start.
But that’s not a real man! Harry had to learn to leave behind trying to
please everyone and prove himself and allow himself to be the strong, loving
man that he is. No approval required!
How
did you choose the Sheffield Brother’s evaluator of antiquities business?
My husband and I are devoted fans of British
television and film, and we are especially partial to the early seasons of Jeeves and Wooster. In one episode, the
older men are after one another’s silver collections, stooping to all manner of
shenanigans to acquire them. Wodehouse uses humor, as always (the lowly silver
cow creamer!) to wryly remark on an upper-class habit, the collecting of things
and envy of others’ possessions.
I do admire the many collections the British
have amassed over the years, though. Some are in country houses, as in my book
and the Wodehouse episode, but some are in tiny cabinets of the middle class,
and others consist of large numbers of pieces that have been donated to museums. I have always loved the V & A just for
its sheer size, and I loved learning a wee bit about its predecessor, the South
Kensington, and how some collections came to
partially populate museums.
I think that we are all collectors of sorts. I
moved recently, and one of my friends
noted how many baking pans I had collected—Bundt pans in 10-inch, 9-inch,
8-inch, and 6-inch sizes, for example. Why? Baking is a way I provide affection
to my family, and therefore it wasn’t so much about hoarding as what those pans
meant to me. Jewelry, tea sets, artwork,
even pennies and empty perfume bottles
all carry an emotional value for those of us who treasure them. I wanted to
explore that in the book.
What
was your favorite collection that Miss Eleanor Sheffield worked with?
I loved exploring the difference between what her
mother treasured -the valuable and showy jewelry, and what Harry’s mom
treasured, the pelican pendant, and what it said about each of them. Ultimately, our treasures tell
others a lot about us.
Who
is your favorite troublemaker in this story? Or if you wish not to answer that,
who is your favorite support character?
Marguerite is my favorite support character. Every
woman needs a BFF, no matter what time you live in, someone who is unfailingly
faithful to you but also loves you enough to speak the truth.
What
experience or person triggered the “writing bug” in you?
I was always a
reader; I learned to read and love reading at an early age. It followed, for me, that I wanted to create
stories, too. The many historical books
I enjoyed reading as a child and then as a young woman influenced me, too. I loved American set books such as the Little
House on the Prairie series, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and others like that.
I also fell in love with Jean Plaidy/Victoria Holt and her books definitely
influenced the topics I choose to research and write about.
How
do you like to begin writing a novel?
I think of a main character, and the situation, and the romantic
difficulties. Then I plot in layers. I research extensively, and those learned bits get put on my outline.
Dates, and the mystery’s clues and outcome, are layered on next, and then the
various threads: romance, character arcs, spiritual aspects. When I have the
house framed, as it were, then I feel free to let my creativity loose
because—hopefully—I haven’t forgotten anything.
I don’t think I could write historicals without setting a plot and a
timeline ahead of time. It’s too much for me,
personally, to keep in my head. Then once the math is done, so to speak, I relax and let my
character command the pages.
How
do you wish for your readers to connect with you? I
would love for them to visit me at my website: www.sandrabyrd.com There
is a contact button there if they wish to email me, and links to all of my
social media pages!
