Rebecca Rosenberg is a ghost-town hunter, a champagne geek, and best-selling author of historical fiction about real women.
She recently sat down for an interview with Kelly Schuknecht, marketer and book coach with a passion for empowering professional women and entrepreneurs to share their stories and grow their brands.
Kelly: Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want? Why not offer something unique and unexpected?
Rebecca: I believe in offering readers something uniquely compelling. Why choose between originality and satisfying reader expectations when you can deliver both? My approach is to craft stories that break the mold of typical historical fiction.
In Silver Echoes, for example, I've taken the infamous Silver Dollar Tabor and layered her story with the complexities of Dissociative Identity Disorder. This not only sets her apart from other historical protagonists but also creates a thrilling and unpredictable journey through Chicago's gangster underworld.
Kelly: Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Rebecca: Ideally, each book should stand alone, offering a complete and satisfying reading experience. However, I also strive to create a rich and interconnected world within my series. Readers can enjoy each novel independently, yet they'll discover deeper layers of meaning when they explore the series as a whole. My Gold Digger series and Silver Echoes showcase this, as do the distinct but thematically linked stories in my Champagne Widows series.
Kelly: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Rebecca: Yes, I enjoy planting subtle, personal 'easter eggs' within my books. In Silver Echoes, a minor character, Jeff Mink, draws inspiration from my nephew's experiences in the army. It's a hidden layer, a detail that might only be recognized by those who know me well. I find it fascinating to create these secret connections within the story, leaving little breadcrumbs for attentive readers to discover.
Kelly: When writing a series, how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
Rebecca: Keeping a series fresh is a constant balancing act! Thankfully, my series focuses on the remarkable lives of real women, each facing unique and compelling challenges. This inherent diversity provides a rich tapestry of stories. To keep things engaging for both my readers and myself, I delve deeply into each woman's world, uncovering the nuances of her experiences and perspectives. It's like embarking on a new journey with every book, ensuring a fresh and authentic narrative each time.
Kelly: Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special?
Rebecca: If I had to choose a favorite character, it would undoubtedly be Silver Dollar Tabor. She's the most intricate, intriguing, and frankly, infuriating character I've ever created. My longstanding fascination with Dissociative Identity Disorder found a perfect outlet in her. Discovering her letters, where she listed numerous names for her mother, was a pivotal moment. It illuminated the depth of her struggle. Silver Dollar's brilliance and beauty, juxtaposed with her D.I.D., made her a character that stayed with me long after writing her story.
GOLD DIGGER and SILVER ECHOES by historical novelist Rebecca Rosenberg are available now at Amazon
