Episode 131: Vanessa Riley, Award-winning author of Historical Fiction
Vanessa Riley is the award-winning author of Island Queen, A Good Morning America Buzz Pick and was also named the 2023 Georgia Author of the Year Awards Literary Fiction Winner for Sister Mother Warrior.
Riley's historical novels illuminate the hidden histories of Black women and women of color, emphasizing strong sisterhoods and vibrant multicultural communities.
She chats with Ashley about Queen of Exiles, which is based on the life of an extraordinary Black woman from history: Haiti’s Queen Marie-Louise Coidavid, who escaped a coup in Haiti to establish her own royal court in Italy during the Regency era. There, she became a popular figure in European royal society.
Vanessa also takes us inside her latest mystery, Murder in Drury Lane, which tells a story based on Lady Abigail Worthing, set in 1806. Portraying the true diversity of the Regency-era and the hidden intrigue of England's abolitionist movement, this vibrant, inclusive new historical mystery features an engaging heroine with an independent streak, a notorious past, and a decided talent for sleuthing.
Books & Links Mentioned:
Queen of Exiles by Vanessa Riley (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
Murder in Drury Lane by Vanessa Riley (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
Island Queen by Vanessa Riley (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
Sister Mother Warrior by Vanessa Riley (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
The Beach at Summerly by Beatriz Williams (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
The Other Princess by Denny S. Bryce (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
The American Queen by Vanessa Miller (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
Full Disclosure: We are part of the Amazon and bookshop.org affiliate programs, which means Lainey or Ashley get a tiny commission if you buy something after clicking through from a link on this website.
Connect with the author:
Transcript:
** Transcript created using AI (so please forgive the typos!) **
Ashley Hasty 0:00
Hello and welcome back to the Best Of Women’s Fiction Podcast. I'm Ashley Hasty, the book blogger behind hastybooklist.com A college fashion and marketing instructor, and as of last November a new mom. I am thrilled to be working with Lainey again this season. We have a fantastic lineup of authors for you. Without further ado, let's see who's up next.
Ashley Hasty 0:31
Best Of Women’s Fiction Podcast is back. Two big things happen during our hiatus. I had a baby and Leni and I finally met in person. We have a great season planned for you. So let's get started. My first interview is with Vanessa Riley acclaimed author of Queen of exiles which Fiona Davis, New York Times best selling author of the Magnolia Palace, and best of women's fiction alarm, described as a sweeping look at the political, social and romantic intrigue surrounding Haiti’s first and only Queen Riley's depiction is Richly Imagined and wholly original. Stay tuned. She's coming up next. Vanessa, welcome. And thank you so much for joining me today on the best of women's fiction podcast.
Vanessa Riley 1:23
Ashley, thank you for having me.
Ashley Hasty 1:25
We have so much to discuss. I know you have a historical mystery coming out called Murder in Drury Lane. But first I want to discuss your more women's fiction focused historical novel queen of Exxon. For those listeners who may not have read it yet, will you share your synopsis?
Vanessa Riley 1:43
Yes, Queen Marie-Louise Coidavid is a woman we should actually know. She's a woman of humble beginnings, who literally becomes a queen one day when her husband decides he's forming a kingdom. She's a beautiful woman. She was a hoteliers daughter. And she's put on the world stage in a position that she never dreamed she was going to be in. But she rises to the occasion, Queen of exile takes you on her journey, how she helped her husband form the kingdom, the heights of the kingdom of Haiti. Many people don't realize that there was a kingdom at one point in Haiti after the revolution when the country splits. And she and her husband are progressive. They're bringing vaccinations to the country. They're doing things to champion women's rights. But there's always this constant conflict of how do we fit into a European centric world, when we have African descent when we are Haitian, and yet still never turn our backs on our history, and what causes us to be liberated, but the kingdom doesn't last, she is forced into exile and she has to basically live the next part of her journey. Who is she then she's an exile The Queen will be accepted, and she has two daughters that she has to protect. So you're going to see a mother bear, a queen and a woman who always remembered her worth, no matter what station she found in life. Once again, Queen Louise is someone we should know, someone we should admire. She should be one of our heroes.
Ashley Hasty 3:09
I love to hear about that initial spark of inspiration that leads an author to spend the time and energy sweat and tears to produce a novel. Do you remember the first time you heard about her and what it was in particular about her story that made you think that's the story I want to tell?
Vanessa Riley 3:27
Yes. And the funny thing is, when I first found it I didn't think that was the story I wanted to tell. I had been doing research for my second historical fiction, which was Sister Mother Warrior, George's literary fiction of the year, by the way, and as one does, you want to get the closest source you can to who these people were doing the liberation. Thomas Madea was a historian who actually published 10 years after the revolution, but he was actually interviewed about the principles and he is literally a couple sentences about a woman named Mary Louise. She's the wife of Henri Christophe, who ends up being the second in command to John's doctors liens. I did more research and I found out that this wife has become the wife of a general, the wife of the second in command, and now she becomes the wife of the president of Haiti. And then she becomes the first and only queen of Haiti, like Wow, what's that look like? And then to find how she changes on the world stage and how she still is a queen, even though she's an exile, even though she's black in a European setting. She's a queen, she's respected, just to know that story. And I take the readers into the ballrooms into the courts, so that you can see everything woman did exist, how she existed, how she made her way. She's a phenomenal woman. And so I'm glad that first impressions are not lasting ones.
Ashley Hasty 4:49
Sadly, and I'm glad that you took that tiny little blip of a sentence and decided to look in further.
Vanessa Riley 4:56
Exactly. Unfortunately for women's history. That's what happens. We always hear about them. But we know in this world there are women that are supporting them that are on the battlefields, in the hospitals in the teaching rooms, there are women everywhere that are making a difference. And so I'm so happy to have found this woman and to bring her back to us because she was great.
Ashley Hasty 5:18
Absolutely. Taking a step back for a moment. I'm curious about your journey to becoming an author. I've interviewed a lot of authors through the podcast and my blog. And I've learned that the path to becoming an author is rarely a direct one. But with your background, which includes a doctorate in mechanical engineering, and an MS in industrial engineering. You name with your word for the biggest careers. How did you go from engineering to publishing dozens of novels?
Vanessa Riley 5:49
It's a journey fraught with love and crazy and fun, but I have to blame my mother. She's the problem here. When I was in school, I'm classic nerd. So I look cool now, right. But I was a nerd nerd with pocket protectors and everything. And I was good at two things. I was good at math. I was good at writing, and also science. I'm the kid that won the gold medallions, but science camp and things like that. But we get to this pivotal point, I've won the governor's essay contest and these types of things. And it's career time. And my mom looks at me and she's like, I know you like to write. But baby, you always need to be able to pay your bills. And at the time, having a full time career being an author as a woman is lightning striking, right? So I went the engineering route. And she was absolutely right. It definitely pays the bills. But on some of the greatest projects, one of my favorites is when I was working with General Motors, and I happened to help fix a high pressure turbine pump. So the reason why your Cadillacs if you drive a Cadillac is quiet, oh my gosh, my my look like the faves. But also we'd get the bosses who were like “Vanessa, this report on diecast manufacturing is really too interesting.” Of course, you don't doubt. When you have a gift, we have a passion, it makes room for itself or you make room for it. I prefer to be in a driving seat. There was a point in my life where I had to sit down and do absolutely nothing for five months, it was a difficult pregnancy. Doctor said, we want this to end well. So you sit down and I'm like, Are you crazy? I can't sit down and my husband lovingly or actually on eggshells, goes up and finds boxes of some of my earlier manuscripts from high school. And I'm like, I know more. I can write this better. And I really didn't know more. So. But here we are. I'm excited and loving every moment.
Ashley Hasty 7:46
Interesting. So as a pregnancy that got you back into pursuing writing?
Vanessa Riley 7:50
Absolutely. So it's my mom and Ellen's fault.
Ashley Hasty 7:55
Drawing from that experience in the past that led you where you are. Now what one piece of advice do you think is most important for writers
Vanessa Riley 8:03
do things you never give up? And to know that your voice is important. Your perspective is different from everybody else's, even if it doesn't look the same or doesn't feel the same as what you've seen someone else do. Your voice is unique to keep going and sooner or later, everything lines up and you get to push through.
Ashley Hasty 8:22
I love that piece of advice because it's really nothing you have to do or talent you have to possess. It's just showing up.
Vanessa Riley 8:29
A lot of people talk about writing a book, very few people actually sit down and do the work, right?
Ashley Hasty 8:34
Absolutely. Lainey and I and of course our best of women's fiction podcast listeners, too, are always looking for new books to add to our TBR piles. I'd love to hear about your reading world. What are you reading right now?
Vanessa Riley 8:48
Beatriz Williams, The Beach at Summerly is beautiful. Denny S. Bryce has a new one that actually releases on October 3, that is The Other Princess, that is exciting. I have read so many arcs of books that are coming out in 24 and 25. Vanessa Miller is coming out with The American Queen. I love that we're living at a time where all voices matter and all experiences are coming to the forefront and available for us to purchase.
Ashley Hasty 9:18
Of course, I don't want to forget to tell our listeners about your upcoming historical mystery. What would you like to tell us about that novel?
Vanessa Riley 9:25
If you love historical myths, and really want to sink into a time period, the book Lady Worthing is set in 1806. So think of a woman of privilege who wants to use that privilege to restart the abolition movement because literally, when Haiti became free in 1804, there's a panic that set out in the world and all the abolition movements really stopped. So William Wilberforce and everybody's sitting on the sidelines. And so Lady Worthing, she's a woman of color, she's of mixed heritage. She wants to get the world started again, but people keep dancing around her and In a murder in a murder injury lane, we're gonna go to the actual Drury Lane Theatre, there are a lot of things happening, but just to say no good deed goes unpunished. What if the man who you believe is responsible for killing people is the vote that's necessary to push the abolition bill through Parliament?
Ashley Hasty 10:24
That's good. That's a great cliffhanger for us. Finally, I want to share how people can find you. What is your website and where do you hang out on social media,
Vanessa Riley 10:33
Vanessariley.com Is the mothership. It's got all the social media because I really love Instagram, I'm getting more and more active on TikTok, X or Twitter. I'm there. And of course think about it but you find everything in my newsletter. There's tidbits, there's recipes, there's what's happening in the world of my crazy world of writing, that's the true center of everything. So make sure you go there.
Ashley Hasty 10:57
I do want to second that because I did a deep dive in your website in order to prepare for this interview. And there, you've published more books. And I realized like it just the list just kept going.
Vanessa Riley 11:09
I've had fun and but till the last two years, it was two jobs. I have a regular job during the day, come home, be the wife and mommy. And then I put them suckers to bed by 10. And from 10 to two I was writing you find the time to do the things that you're passionate about. And I love writing. You'll see my historical world everything is historical history or mystery, historical romance and historical fiction,
Ashley Hasty 11:31
Which is my love. I love the historical, which is why I get to interview you. Thank you. Before we wrap up, is there anything else you wanted to talk about that we haven't covered?
Vanessa Riley 11:43
I think we're pretty exhaustive. Just if the reader is looking to really sink into these worlds, my historicals in all forms do that. I will take you there. I let you inhabit the conversations, the ballrooms, the mystery, the drama and the tomfoolery, because there's lots of time for history.
Ashley Hasty 12:00
Vanessa, thank you again for joining us on the podcast and sharing your books and your experiences and author with our listeners, loved chatting with you. And I have to say again, I just love the suit that you're wearing.
Vanessa Riley 12:15
Thank you so much. I love it. This is gonna be a great day and you have a great day and thank you
Ashley Hasty 12:21
For links to the books mentioned in this episode, the author's social media and more visit best of women's fiction.com. You can also see the video version of this same episode. I'd love it if you'd follow me on Instagram at Ashley hasty. You can also subscribe to the podcast right here and if you enjoy it, please share with your friends