Author Confessions: Heather Webb

With a new book out today, she dishes about protecting your creativity.

As you all know, I’m obsessed with all things London, particularly when it comes to novels. Historical fiction and USA Today bestselling novelist Heather Webb’s latest Queens of London is set in England (score!), but it piqued my interest in the first few lines of the flap copy: “1925. London. When Alice Diamond, AKA ‘Diamond Annie,’ is elected the Queen of the Forty Elephants, she’s determined to take the all-girl gang to new heights.” Girl gang. London. 1925? Yassssss!

Queens of London is out today, and I asked Heather to drop in and tell us about her writing journey, her new book and the best piece of writing advice she ever received.

I love asking authors where the idea for the book came from. Can you tell us how you came up with the idea for Queens of London?
I was actually reading an article about Victorian London for something else entirely and came across one sentence that referenced an all-female crime ring along with its name, the Forty Elephants (also called the Forty Thieves for a time), and was immediately intrigued! I saved the idea in my "Ideas" folder right away.

I love that you have an Ideas folder. I do, too, but it’s less of a formal folder and more of a pinboard with newspaper clippings. Back to Queens of London. What part of the novel did you find the most fun to write? 
It's hard to say. I really loved all four characters and what they brought to the story, but if forced to choose, I think I'd have to say little Hira and her sidekick, Biscuit. I heard her voice long before I heard the others and in a way, she brings all the heart to the story. 

It’s such an incredible feeling when you’re writing to hear your character’s voice. That’s usually when I look up from my screen and say, “Hello.” :) What is the best piece of writing advice you ever received?
Learn to protect your creative life and keep it separate from the business side of things. Publishing is a tumultuous and sometimes-heartbreaking business, but it doesn't have to ruin the joyful act of creating stories. I'm a work-in-progress with this, but I've definitely gotten a lot better at it over time.

Now that you’ve written ten novels, how have you evolved as a writer? Is there something specific you can point to in your writing style, plotting or promotion that has grown/changed?
I’ve written six solo books and four collaborations, as well as shorts for two anthologies. I've learned so much it's hard to encapsulate it here. I'll just say that one of the more important things I've learned is to let the book do its thing! They're almost like a living, breathing entity that has its own mind and requires its own process to be written and born. I find my process changes with each and every book.

Did you ever consider giving up on a novel or have you ever moved on from one? Why did you let it go?
No. The one that I gave up on, I've just revamped the pitch and I've recently sold, so I've been lucky that way! I have let go of several ideas, though, that just didn't have enough meat to them to pursue.

Tell us about your research process for this book. Is there anything that you learned that surprised you?
The research is always a blast. I loaded up on books about the history of the female police in the UK, about Gangland, the Forty Elephants and Diamond Annie specifically, as well as life in London in the 1920s. I also took a couple of research trips to London and walked in the footsteps of both Lilian Wyles, first female in the criminal investigation department at Scotland Yard, as well as Diamond Annie, queen of the Forty Elephants. What a blast that was! There's nothing quite like traveling to a destination to get a feel for it.

Is there a scene in Queens of London that you’re particularly proud of? A piece of dialogue that you feel like really nailed it?
This is hard again! Ha ha. I loved the tit for tat between Alice and almost anyone else in terms of dialogue. She had a sharp tongue and was very clever. In terms of scenes, I had an absolute blast writing the getaway scene after the heist near the climax of the book, but I also really enjoyed writing Hira's first few scenes when she'd run away from home (she's 10 years old) and was out on the gritty streets of London on her own for the first time. 

Lastly, can you tell us a little bit about what you’re working on next?
Yes! I haven't announced it yet, but the working title is called THE HOPE THIEF and it's about the Hope Diamond, the last woman to privately own it, and a grieving fictional jeweler who becomes obsessed with the jewel, its alleged curse, and the woman who owns it. It's very Great Gatsby meets Notes on a Scandal. That book will release in 2026.

Ooh, Heather. That is right up my alley. I love the title, too! If you’re interested in learning more about Heather and her work, visit her at her website.

What is the last historical fiction novel you read? Please share and leave a comment.