Inspiration with author Val McBeath

As an author, I never had to think about "finding inspiration" - it was always about using what occured to me. My imagination runs wild most days - hardly a day goes by that I'm not inspired by something. But sifting through all my ideas and choosing what to write about is often difficult for me.  I asked author Val McBeath to tell me about what inspires her to write her historical novels. 
“Where do you get your ideas from when writing a book?”

Author VL McBeath

Val:  It’s a common enough question for authors but one with a wide range of answers. In my case, the ideas came long before the writing when I started researching my family history back in 2008. Initially, the intention was to find out whether my ancestors had once been very wealthy. Based on knowledge of my own childhood and that of my parents and grandparents, it seemed highly improbable, but that led to another question. If my ancestors had been wealthy, where did the money go? Did it pass out of the family as a result of a death and re-marriage as we had been lead to believe?

As I picked my way through an assortment of historical records, it appeared that, yes, the family had once been very wealthy, but no, the money did not leave the family as a result of a re-marriage. It was much more complicated than that. As I delved deeper, the story I uncovered astounded me. The more I learned, the more I needed to know, and within a couple of years the idea of turning the story into a book started to build.

Fortunately, I can find no evidence that this was her fate and instead it seems more likely that she was cared for by the family. Eventually, however, she did remarry and it was this second marriage that was the cause of all the success and heartbreak that the family subsequently endured. It was also what led me to write The Ambition & Destiny Series.

All the drama took place in and around Birmingham (UK) between 1840 and 1890, although the aftermath stayed with the descendants for many years after that. It is set against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution, which was a time a great opportunity for those who were able to take it. Following Mary’s second marriage, it seems my family did make the most of their chances and rose from very humble, working-class origins to become part of the influential middle classes.

The Ambition & Destiny Series is written as a novel, where fiction is used to bring the characters to life and to fill in the gaps in the story. Parts 1 and 2 (Hooks & Eyes and Less Than Equals) tell of the family’s rise in wealth and power.

Part 3, When Time Runs Out, is the turning point in the story and covers the years when tensions within the family start to rise until eventually, they come to a head.

Parts 4 and 5 are still to come, but deal with the aftermath of Part 3 and bring the story into the 20th-century.

To mark the launch of When Time Runs Out, the ebooks of Parts 1-3 and a short story prequel (Condemned by Fate) are available for 99p / 99c from 14th - 19th November. 

Parts 1-3 are also FREE on Kindle Unlimited. To get your copies, click here.

Please Note: The books in The Ambition & Destiny Series form one story. Each ends with a cliffhanger and it is recommended that the Parts be read in sequential order. The book is written in UK English.
Links: Ambition & Destiny: http://bit.ly/VLMcBAuth1 Hooks & Eyes: http://bit.ly/HooksEyesAM Less Than Equals: http://bit.ly/AMZLTE When Time Runs Out: http://bit.ly/AMZWTRO Condemned by Fate: http://bit.ly/D2DUniversa