An Interview with Veronique Wallrapp
Veronique Wallrapp is a traveler, history lover, gardener, beach bum, and dog snuggler. She loves to explore natural wonders and gawk at European architecture.
She dreams of living on a sailboat with her husband and four children. Etched in Stone is the first book in a planned series titled Rise of the Guillotine.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
When I was a child I wanted to be a dog farmer, which essentially just meant I wanted to rescue every dog I could and live on acres of farmland with them all. By the time I was twelve, I knew I wanted to write. Back then my favorite book was Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Eventually I stumbled upon Diana Gabaldon’s work with the Outlander series and fell in love. Historical fiction has long been my favorite genre, but I love a little romance thrown in.
What inspired you to start writing this book?
My dream of writing took a sharp life detour when I had my kids. About two years ago my husband gave me a little nudge and reminded me how much I love it. Around the same time I watched from afar as an author friend of mine wrote and published her debut, Legend of the Wildlings, which was incredibly inspirational to witness.
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
I thought and stressed about my book’s title for the longest time. Fellow authors kept telling me that I would stumble upon it while writing and that’s exactly what happened!
What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?
Some of my favorites from the last year include:
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?
Over the last few decades, there have been a ton of books set during the Tudor era. It would be amazing to invoke more of an interest in French history and their revolution which was heavily influenced by the American Revolution.
I envision my perfect reader snuggled up before a fire with a glass of wine or hot tea.
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