Volume 4, Issue 6 – December, 2001
Cathy Maxwell: Goddess in Progress
In her latest release, The Wedding Wager, which hit the shelves last month, Cathy Maxwell once again took her readers on a fantastic ride into Regency romance. Featuring a strong-willed heroine who defies tradition, the book draws on the history of the period to tell story about equal partnership rather than domination in the name of love.
For Maxwell, The Wedding Wager caps a successful year that included release of the USA Today and New York Times (extended) bestselling novel The Marriage Contract and a novella, “A Man Who Can Dance,” in the anthology In Praise of Younger Men. Appropriately, all three stories celebrate the goddess-heroine — in Maxwell’s words, “a woman aware of her own power. ” In a conversation with Crescent Blues, Maxwell discusses the meaning of “goddesshood,” and her own professionals and personal journeys.
Crescent Blues: You say that the goddess has re-emerged in modern life. What do you mean by that?
Cathy Maxwell: To me, a goddess is a woman aware of her own power. We live in a patriarchal society and yet, in the past, women yielded great power. I come from a long line of pioneers. My ancestresses came over on the Mayflower, crossed the prairies, and built schools, farms and businesses alongside their husbands. They were strong women.
Then came what I’ve heard historians refer to as the “Cult of Domesticity.” Women were placed on a shelf, like a possession. It was sign of prestige if the woman didn’t work. She may have had rights but she had very little voice, even as educational advances were taking place. Then, during my lifetime, I’ve watched as we’ve attempted to take back what we’d lost.
Our method was to reach for what the men had. And I believe we had to go through that phase. There were — and are — injustices. There were wrongs to right. However, now I sense we are developing an understanding of what true power is. We are not men. We bring different things to the table — our intuition, our sensitivity, our strength and intelligence…so many things. We are equal and yet different and in that difference is our power. And to me, that is what the goddess movement is about. It’s a celebration and acceptance of those differences.
It wouldn’t be hard to describe your career as a journey from domesticity to feminine power. Could you tell us a little bit about how you got started on the road?
I have an adventurous spirit. I’m from Kansas, and still consider myself a Kansan, but I did want to see the world. I wanted travel. I wanted to know things, to experience them first hand. In many ways, I am a voyeur about life. I’m perfectly happy just being present. It used to embarrass me. Now I understand it was the writer in me logging experiences to be used later. As for the diversity in my careers, well, life takes us down winding roads.
Back in high school, I really wanted to go into the Navy, but my mother assured me I wasn’t that kind of girl. I had no clue what she was talking about but figured she must be right (no rebel here). I went to college (Washburn University of Topeka, Ks.) graduated, got a job broadcasting news and sports from a satellite post of a Wichita, Ks., station. Rising on the second year, I was asked to interview for the main station and I took stock of my life. I could see my career in broadcasting: after Wichita there would Omaha, then St. Joe and maybe K.C before I’d be old and washed up at 30.
One night, I made a list of the ten things I wanted to do with my life (yes, writing a book was one of them) and decided I really wanted to go into the Navy. I called the recruiter the next day and have no regrets. I made the right decision. (By the way, Mother was right. I would have been far too naïve to take advantage of the opportunities straight out of high school. I’d been very sheltered. But after college…!)
I’ve traveled a portion of the world that is off the beaten track, met fascinating people, and got to play a bit part in history. I reveled in the experience. One of the hardest decisions was the one I made to get out. However, Max and I had a baby on the way and it would have been tough to fit her in a sea bag. After the Navy, I followed my husband until I decided to write. By the way, I did accomplish all the items on the list I wrote years ago.
Would you compare your courtship with your hubby with that of a perfect romance story?
Max is perfect. He’s funny and bold and brave and wise. But do I write about him? No. My characters come from my imagination. However, there are qualities — a sense of humor, honesty, kindness — that I (and most women) admire in a man, and Max has all three. (He also looked great in Navy dress whites.) Currently, besides his day job, he’s a member of a local improv troupe. He’s the oldest in the company by about twenty years. He started acting eight years ago and I love the fact he continues to stretch himself. I look forward to growing old with him.
What impact has your writing had with your children? Has it brought you closer to your children?
Absolutely my writing has brought me closer to my oldest daughter, although as a family, we’re pretty honest with each other. Still, through my books, I can tell her things she’d not hear if we sat at a table and talked. My youngest daughter is too young for my books…but someday. My son is almost hopeless. He doesn’t enjoy reading. But he is a romantic and even has moments of gallantry, so perhaps something has rubbed off.
You’ve stated that you wish each of your children has lives full of happy endings. What do you say to those who say that you should teach them reality and life’s hard knocks?
Happiness comes from a generous spirit. It’s impossible to be in love and be selfish. Love doesn’t protect my children from life’s challenges, but it does enable them to rise above those trials and to believe in the goodness of Man. And I believe there is room in romance novels, as in any book, for reality. I don’t think what we write excludes the truths of life. I’ve read some remarkable, insightful books in the romance genre that took on serious issues. The writers didn’t flinch, and I gained as a reader.
How do you typically relax or get rejuvenated?
I have down time now that I have horses. I took up riding about a year and a half ago when my youngest developed the passion. I love being away from the computer and the messy house and out in the open air. I own two horses. Champagne and Wishes (Honey) is a Chincoteague pony we purchased for my daughter. It was out of my joy in her — and she is a delight, she used to be in a petting zoo — that I started riding. Last fall, we added Almond Delite (Regal), a buckskin horse whom I am mad about. He’s wise, “been there, done that,” and is a forgiving teacher. The challenge of learning to ride has added zest to my life and to my writing. This month, Regal and I will be in our first show. It will be held at the Tinkerbell Equestrian Center. Can’t you picture me getting my riding butt kicked by a nine-year-old? I’m looking forward to it. Life is grand!
Who or what inspired you to write romance?
Fierce Eden (by Jennifer Blake) opened me to what a romance novel could be. I loved the depth, the passion, the history, the adventure. That book captured my imagination. I’d just had my second child and was mired in the blues. That book helped pull me from an abyss. The characters were wonderfully complex and nothing like the stereotype. It was one of the first books I shared with my oldest daughter when she started reading romances. Over the years, I’ve owned three copies of it. When I met Jennifer Blake for the first time, I could barely speak (unusual for me!) I was absolutely overcome by emotion.
Did your ancestry play a part in choosing to do Regencies?
My family roots can be traced back to the Mayflower and the Revolutionary War. We were Puritans and soldiers and backwoods folks and pioneers. Like many families that have been in this country that long, my ancestry is a mixed bag and I don’t feel any single strong ethnic pull. My immediate family has been multi-cultural for several generations: English, German, Native American, African-American, Scot, and one cousin who is half Asian. We’ve got it all — except for Irish.
Of course, everyone assumes because we are a passel of redheads that we must be Irish. Not that I didn’t milk the red hair on St. Patrick’s Day in my single days. I once had an I.R.A. poet sing to me in Kelly’s Irish Times, a D.C. bar. Max is three-quarters Irish and one-quarter Scot, and I tease him that he has given the kids an ethnic identity (and more red hair).
My ancestry may not influence my writing, but my understanding that beneath the skin we all want the same things does. My historical influences come from a biography series I read in third grade (they were the blue books with the silhouette illustrations; they are still on the shelf today), the great sweeping historicals of the past century, and Georgette Heyer. Jane Austen leaves me cold but Heyer I adore. The heroine in my current manuscript is named Deborah after Deborah Grantham of Faro’s Daughter, my fave Heyer book.
Your debut novel All Things Beautiful garnered a nomination for Best First Book by Romance Writers of America (RWA), Best First Historical by Romantic Times and tied for first place for Best Read of 1994 by the Reader’s Voice. What do you think made All Things Beautiful such a special first book?
I felt vindicated. It was suggested several times that I change the heroine and I stuck to my vision of the book. I also knew how lucky I was it worked out. I knew, even back then, that I was in this business for the long haul. Sometimes things work to your advantage and other times they don’t. I’ve been in theater, I’ve broadcast the news, and I understand that, especially when you are dealing in a creative endeavor, there will be days you eat the bear and days the bear eats you. I prefer the days I do the eating.
Do you visit the U.K for creative sustenance? How often?
I wish I could go every year! I do get over there every two to three years. One of the perks.
Do you think romance novels will take on a more significant role given the events on September 11?
No. I wish they could. Wouldn’t we all like to return to September 10th? What we bickered about seems so trivial now. I believe there are some evils, some horrific events for which there is no balm but justice.
How do you use contemporary news, events, or people in crafting an historical?
I’ll take the motives and the reactions and do that. The world has changed but what drives humans hasn’t.
Do you consider yourself a feminist?
Of course, I’m a feminist.
What views would you like to change of romance and the women who write romances?
But I’m not a “view changer” unless it is through the testimony of my life and success.
Do you have any lingering fears that carried through your writing career? On the other side, were there any myths that you blew up once your writing got underway?
My one fear is of not delivering the best I have to give. As a reader, I am frustrated when a favorite writer doesn’t produce the work I know she is capable of either because she is past her prime or has lost interest. I have a pact with myself that when I don’t have anything more to say, I’ll stop. I don’t want to become an “industry” or a bore. As for myths being “blown up” — I had no expectations. I wrote because I was crazy enough to believe I had something to say. Deep inside, the story wouldn’t let me go. Every day, I invent my own reality.
Any plans to venture into other romance sub-genres?
I don’t know if I will branch out. I respect the genre. My mother, sisters, and I talk about romance novels and writers in the same vein English profs carry on about Dickens and Twain. Plus, writing romance is fun. Five years from now, I suspect I’ll be writing romance in one form or the other. By the way, I’m still an avid reader, albeit a demanding one. I love a good book and don’t watch much telly.
As an author, is it difficult to enjoy romance novels as a reader instead of as an editor or critic?
I love a good tale. I’m not into fantasy, grit or horror, but I’m open to everything else. When I read, I shut the real word out. I suppose I do pick up ideas on style and characterization and, yes, another story has sparked an idea in my own mind, but I don’t believe I do it purposefully. As far as being a critic, I’m a pretty picky reader to begin with but I’m not critical when I’m enjoying a book. Presently, I’m reading A Kiss to Remember by Teresa Medeiros. I just finished Julia Quinn’s An Offer from a Gentleman and had read a book coming out titled The Marriage Masquerade by Cheryl Anne Porter that was a delightful read.
Can reviews offer encouragement as well as bring you down?
I was theater trained and cut my teeth in live television — talk about critics — so I’ve learned to look for meaningful input and ignore the barbs. I do read my reviews. In order to improve, a writer must have feedback. Of course, no one is more critical of my writing than I am. I’ve read glowing reviews that I’ve disagreed with and critical ones that followed my own opinions. I believe just as the reviewers critique us, we should critique them. I trust the opinions of those critics who truly understand the genre. Others are too self-indulgent and I don’t give them much regard. Of course, the critics I really listen to are the readers. Never undervalue the reader. Never believe your own press.
What’s the goal-setting process for you?
I make a list of goals each year and tape it up on my computer beside my list of priorities (family, God, etc.). As long as I’m working on either one list or the other, I’m successful. Bestseller lists and awards don’t hold the allure for me as receiving feedback from a reader who really understood what I was saying in a book. I sense that even amongst ourselves, we dismiss romance as fluff.
What’s a typical day of writing for you?
I get in about three hours of writing a day. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I’m also making lunches, answering the phone, running my business, managing the household (my husband travels), organizing children, and, of course, there are my beloved horses.
What helped the initial writing process?
The writing process was easier for me once I joined a critique group. My first partners were Sherrilyn Kenyon and Donna Whitfield. The three of us met through Virginia Romance Writers and formed our own little group. Within two years of seriously working on our books, all three of us were published. To this day, Sherri is one of the most imaginative writers I know and Donna is one of the best. Our meeting each other was serendipity.
Are there rules for writing romance?
I don’t believe there are “rules.” There is only the story. My sole responsibility is to tell the story by any means available.
Do the characters come before the plot and do they dictate the direction of the plot?
For me, the concept comes before the plot. I catch a glimpse in my mind of what I want to write about and the characters spring from that point.
How do you keep the characters fresh and unique?
It is always difficult to keep characters fresh. I’m even more concerned about plagiarizing myself. Readers have long memories. They don’t want to read the same plot over and over. Consequently, I don’t imbue my hero and heroine with unique characteristics but with universal traits we all recognize in ourselves. Once a story is personalized, when the reader understands motives, needs, desires, then it works.
Do you have a “tried and true” process for character building?
For me it is about layering and working with the characters. I like strong characters and follow Debra Dixon’s Goal, Motivation, Conflict grid to develop them.
Which Hollywood archetypes most closely resemble your heroes?
Archetypes…I use the warrior often. I love the image of the man who is certain being confronted by doubt. I also like the seeker. Of course, all these archetypes change to the lover.
Would you describe yourself as a good listener and open to learning?
Absolutely I’m open. I don’t know how good of a listener I am but I’m open-minded. I learn from other writers, from those who have gone ahead. (And I believe I should credit the author for those pieces of wisdom.)
You’re fond of a quote by French writer and patriot Antoine de Saint-Exupery: “And now here is my secret; a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.” What is essential to you, your view of others or your characters?
When I meet people, I’m looking for soul. The shell is often deceiving. I hear what people say, but I’m more interested in their actions, their commitment to their convictions. How does this affect my characters? Well, I attempt to give them humanity, which means they don’t always react in perfect ways. But their hearts are good; their motives, true.
My characters are often in search of vindication, of righting past mistakes. I think all of us carry the burden of what we wish had done differently at some point or the other and there are those who fear they have sinned so gravely there is no hope. I disagree. I believe one of the things love brings to the table is the ability to heal such fears. Another common theme among my heroines, in particular, is this need to exert themselves in an oppressive society. Of finally knowing that if they are to effect a change in their life they must make the first step. And I believe that is true in reality. All of our major life events stem from each of us individually making the first move or being forced by others out of our comfort zone. No one ever lived fully wrapped up in a cocoon.
Do you think the film industry’s edgier, cynical take on relationships will have a negative impact on romance?
We are selling more books than ever before. I don’t buy Doomsday theories and I’m not a scarcity thinker. Two years ago, everyone was claiming historicals are dead. Now they are back bigger than ever. I don’t want to say what people read is cyclical, but I do think they hunger for fresh stories. They’d glom every lawyer book they can get when they are into lawyers, and then something they’d enjoyed before but now seems new catches their attention, and they hone in on that genre.
Speaking of selling more books, it looks like 2002 will be another banner year for you. Could you give our readers an idea of what to expect?
My next novel, The Lady Is Tempted, a Regency-set historical, is due out from Avon in July 2002. There will also be stories in two anthologies. The first, Western Brides, is due out from Harlequin in June 2001. Pocket plans to release the second anthology, Tea for Two, in August.
Do your heroes cry?
I suppose they could. I’ve written heroes that are lost, betrayed, fearful. One or two has felt the sting of tears but held them back.
How do you keep the hero from overpowering the heroine, given the class and educational limitations of the historical period?
First, I don’t believe one partner overshadows the other in a healthy relationship, and I am writing about a relationship, not politics. That being said, I don’t see the Regency as being a limiting time period. It was the beginning of the modern age. Social revolutions were taking place. It was a vibrant period teeming with all sorts of personalities and ideas. Women were asking for education and taking on the role of political arbiters. There was Mary Wollenstonecraft and her daughter Mary Shelley who wrote Frankenstein. Eccentric women were becoming adventurers and pursuing ideas out of the commonplace.
Yes, there was the protected debutante but she was protected only if she was worth a great deal of money. And after she married and delivered an heir, she was free to pursue her life. There were also women who were running businesses — dressmakers, innkeepers, perfumers — so much more than the usual governesses and nannies. Consider the number of women authors there were during this time period: [Maria] Edgeworth, [Ann] Radcliffe, [Jane] Austen, the Brontes, [Caroline and Mary] Lamb.
I believe there are many wonderful stories in the Regency, stories beyond the duke and the waif. I want to explore those stories. It’s true I push the envelope a bit. Many of my heroines are not conventional “romance” heroines, and the heroes don’t always receive their power from their titles. I understand reader expectation but slowly I’ve been trying to bring my readers on this journey with me and have been since my first book All Things Beautiful, the story of a wealthy merchant and a disgraced debutante.
Talk about friendships in your writing world.
I’d love to go back into marketing. I’ve toyed with the idea of returning for my masters in religious studies. I like the challenge of developing programs from the ground up. I’m an “idea” person who grows bored with the day to day.
What writing organizations have been instrumental in your development as a writer?
Romance Writers of America (RWA). Through the local chapters I belong to, I’ve served my apprenticeship in writing and made my closest friendships.
Are you active in RWA and other organizations?
I’ve held several board positions for RWA chapters I belong to — currently I’m the treasurer of one and conference workshop coordinator of another. I’ve been Advocacy Chairperson for Novelists Inc. I volunteer for RWA national. Locally, I help organize a writing workshop with my county library and enjoy going out and speaking to clubs and readers groups
Are there any parting words of encouragement you’d like to share?
My advice to unpublished authors is to keep the faith. Believe in yourself. There are times in this business when you are the only one who will believe. Don’t look to others for validation. Enjoy the journey. Never rest on success. And above all else, be fearless. There are two sides to the discipline of writing. The first is the plodding journeyman approach to craft and the second is something mercurial. It defies description. It’s unique to you alone, born out of your own inspiration and the insight you’ve gained into others’ souls through your experiences. What you are offering is yours alone to give. And second, never give up. Ever. There is only one direction and that is forward.
Michelle Monkou
Michelle Monkou, author of Open Your Heart, released in November 2002, lives in the metropolitan D.C. area.