Priestess with libation bowl; Greek, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art. Credits: Barbara McManus, 1999

Turning a Blind Eye

Marilyn Todd is best known for her series of ancient Roman murder mysteries. Starting with 1995's I, Claudia, they feature Claudia Seferius, a beautiful widow & wine merchant who frequently finds herself amidst bizarre murder investigations.

Now the author begins a new series set in 5^th Century B.C. Greece with the 2007 novel Blind Eye. The heroine this time is Iliona, High Priestess of ancient Sparta.

Marilyn graciously invited The Sibyl & Sleuth into her home in France for the following interview:
 

Marilyn Todd Interview

S&S: Marilyn Todd, thank you so much for speaking with The Sibyl & Sleuth on the publication of your latest book – Blind Eye – the first in a new series set in Ancient Greece, featuring the Spartan High Priestess, Iliona.

MT: Not at all, Kris.  I love talking about writing … and since you’ve managed to capture both aspiring writers and fans of historical fiction in the one place, I’m in 7^th heaven!

S&S: How is Iliona different from your other series character, Claudia Seferius? Do they have any similarities?

MT: The characters are similar, in that they’re both strong, independent women, and both series are very much character-led.  The Greek series shares the same strong plots and sub-plots, too, but where Claudia is heavy on humour and her compassion is masked by a veneer of bitchiness, Iliona’s wit tends to be directed more into observations, plus her perception of events is that much keener.  To quote Kirkus Reviews, this series casts an altogether eerier mood.

S&S: What made you decide to start this new series?

MT: From the first moment I read about the Cyclops and the Minotaur, I’ve been hooked on Ancient Greece.  Really, I suppose, this story — Blind Eye — has been itching to get out from then. 

Also, I particularly wanted to explore how a developed society juggled superstition with science, but even more importantly, I wanted a different kind of adversary for Iliona.  Marcus is great.  He’s funny, sexy, clever and patient, but above all, he’s a gentleman.  Lysander is a man’s man.  He’s cunning and brutal, he’ll do whatever it takes to protect his country, and he uses people without conscience.  As a result, he has a much darker sexual magnetism.  But a sexual magnetism nonetheless!

S&S: Imagine that Iliona and Claudia are having dinner together. What would they talk about?

MT: Men!!  Both girls have to fight their corner in a male-dominated society and though I chose Sparta for the Iliona series, since it gave her greater freedom than the rest of Greece, it’s still very much a man’s world. 

And then again, fraud would probably have cropped up at the dinner table, too.  Claudia wouldn’t let something as trivial as criminal fraud get in the way of her ambition, but Iliona is a humanitarian.  By pretending to have oracular powers, she uses smoke and mirrors to excellent effect, like any good magician.  The difference is, she does it to help other people, rather than to advance her own cause.  It’s this combination of no-nonsense, feminine trickery that makes her so useful to Lysander. 

S&S: Do you have a background in the classics, or mythology?

MT: None whatsoever!  But the origins of the Greek myths have always fascinated me – indeed Dark Horse was written round Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece and Medea’s sorcery.

S&S: How did the Claudia mysteries come about?

MT: Very simply.  I sent an agent my proposal for a manuscript and got back a letter complimenting me on my writing skills, but which made it clear that this wasn’t what they wanted.  So I rang them up and said, What do you want?  At which point, Claudia virtually typed herself.

S&S: Have you published other writings, aside from your two mystery series?

MT: Only short stories, which I publish at the rate of 2-3 a year — including "Death at Delphi" (EQMM, Mar/Apr 2007) in which the famous oracle solves a murder.  Call me twisted, but I do have a fascination for killers and their motives, so I was perfectly content leaping from Ancient Egypt to Victorian Britain, medieval witch-hunts to the trenches of the First World War in short story format, changing viewpoints and writing styles as I went along.  Then Mike Ashley, who edits the Mammoth anthologies, asked me if I’d write him a comic fantasy.  Quite frankly, I had no idea what comic fantasy was and told him so.  But he was convinced I could deliver the goods, and as a result, today I’m as happy writing about lovesick vampires as I am about mad axe-men, shapeshifters and inept illusionists.

S&S: When did you first want to become a writer? And what path did you take to become one?

MT: Like many writers, I used to churn out stories as a child, but what still amazes me is the voice of my characters.  In one that I wrote when I was ten, I was Saint Paul (yes, I know, weird or wot).  But the point is, all these years later and you still can’t see the joins.  In fact, I’m probably the only writer who’s actually got worse…

S&S: What is a typical day in the life of Marilyn Todd?

MT: Living in France means nothing’s routine any more, which was half the attraction of moving.  The other half being the space, the views, the food, this tremendous café society – and oh, did I mention the wine?  But.  In the end, writing’s a job the same as any other, and as much as people might think we spend most of our time checking contracts and banking cheques, in reality writing’s about putting in the hours.  At least I now have wooded valleys and rolling vineyards to look out on, rather than a car park!!

S&S: Do you have a writing routine? (i.e. sit  in a special chair? drink a certain kind of tea? Write first thing in the morning/late at night?)

MT: If there’s a magic formula, I haven’t found it yet.  My routine’s the same old 9-5 that I’ve been used to, but if I do take time out (something we lotus eaters tend to do a lot), I’ll make it up in the evenings and at weekends. 

S&S: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors? 

MT:

1. Edit, edit, edit, edit, and then do it some more.  Good ideas are not enough, you have to hone them to the bone, and that applies to every single sentence that you write.

2. No matter how brilliant your paragraph, chapter even character might be, be prepared to toss it out.  I dumped half a book once – 40,000 words – because it wasn’t working, and although I managed to incorporate these scenes and characters in another book, that wasn’t the point.  By cutting, I ended up with a far, far better story and the proof?  The USA’s Library Journal listed Stone Cold as one of the top five mystery reads of 2003.

3. Grow a thick skin.  I’ve been luckier than most. Apart from that first foray into writing, I’ve only received three rejections in 15 years.  But rejection is par for the course in this business.  And it bloody well hurts.

S&S: What’s on the horizon for Marilyn Todd & have we seen the last of Claudia Seferius?

MT: Right now, I’m busy plugging away on the next Iliona, and when I’ve put that to bed, I want to concentrate on a series inspired by a short story published in Ellery Queen and which has just been selected for the Best British Mysteries of 2006 collection.  Set in Cognac in the rock n’roll era, it revolves around a fiery French heroine and her police inspector husband.  Be-bop-a-lula and an ooh-la-la.

S&S: Do you have any final words for your readers? And how can fans contact you? 

MT: I don’t think readers realize quite how much we value them.  Apart from the obvious – that without their support, I’d be out of business! – there’s enormous satisfaction in knowing I’m making people happy.  It’s great, hearing from fans.  You have no idea!  The encouragement’s terrific.  And if anyone wishes to contact me, the email address is:

 marilyn-DOT-todd1-AT-aliceadsl-DOT-fr

(S&S: To avoid sending thousands of automated spambots Marilyn's way, I've altered her e-mail address slightly. Before writing to her, remove the HYPHENS, replace "AT" with "@", and replace a "DOT" with a ".")

S&S: Marilyn, thank you so much for speaking with The Sibyl & Sleuth. I've read the new book - Blind Eye - and I loved it. Congratulations on all your success!

MT: Thank you, and good luck... 

--------------------------------------
- Kris Swank, interviewer
The Sibyl & Sleuth: Historical Mystery Fiction of Ancient Greece
(personal.riverusers.com/~swanky/greece.htm)