Alan R. Hall

A PUBLICATION BY LETTRA PRESS

Alan R. Hall www.alanrhall.com

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The Author

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The Book

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Testimonials

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Interview of Alan R. Hall

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The US Review of Books

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Miami Book Fair 2019

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Questions and Answers

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ALAN R. HALL, Author | DIGITAL EDITION

The Author

Alan R. Hall

Alan R. Hall is a North Carolina columnist and theater critic who has plied his trade for over thirty years. He is also a published poet, essayist, short story author as well as a theater enthusiast. Mr. Hall is a graduate of Augusta State University of Georgia and studied literature for performance at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

He has won numerous awards for criticism from the North Carolina Press Association. This is his first full-length novel. Alan has lived in Chapel Hill since 1974. Always a lover of books, he began his career as a bookseller before switching gears and going to work for the University of North Carolina’s Law Library. He went on to become Technical Librarian for the Central Carolina Bank (now Suntrust). He considers himself fortunate to be able to “call North Carolina Home.”

THEATRE REVIEW Alan R. Hall is a Chapel Hill, NC, freelance writer, reviewer, novelist, and poet. He has written theater reviews for the Georgia State University System and the online writers’ network “Themestream.” For 11 years, he wrote reviews of theater, music, dance, and film for The Chapel Hill News. Now celebrating twenty-five years reviewing Triangle theater.

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ALAN R. HALL, Author | DIGITAL EDITION

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ALAN R. HALL, Author | DIGITAL EDITION

The Book The years is AD 1147. King Arthur of Britain is still an unseasoned monarch. He has yet to meet his betrothed, Guinevere, and Camelot is still a little more than an idea in his mind. He is visited at the castle by a gentleman who brings him an astonishing tale of an astonishing woman—the Naked Queen of Tabithia. The man is named Darien, and he is the queen’s son, soon to be ruler of Tabithia. But before he can reign, he must learn the secret behind the singular events that have shaped his life. As the two converse, Arthur begins to understand the truth and the lies associated with the Naked Queen. It is around AD 1120. The Scandinavian realm of Tabithia is in turmoil. Since his ascension to the throne, King Ballizar has embarked on a horrid ritual that seems intent on decimating the maiden population. On the night of each full moon, Ballizar conducts a despicable ritual that puts some poor maiden of the realm to a terrible test. No one yet has been able to withstand it. It is not until the ritual is interrupted by the arrival of a woman named Syrenya that the ritual is finally broken, and by doing so, Syrenya becomes the King’s consort and queen of Tabithia. But on her wedding night, she learns a terrible secret—one that will take all her cunning and intelligence, and the span of a quarter-century, to put right.

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ALAN R. HALL, Author | DIGITAL EDITION

Testimonials The story iterates the Arthurian legend with lots of twists and incredible characters. You’ll be fascinated at how creative the imagination of the author works and plays with the storyline. It’s certainly a hard book to put down, trust me. A story set in the AD just tickles my interest and this one’s filled with astonishing details about horrid rituals and stuff. I’m highly recommending this book to everyone who loves medieval histories and romances.

- Rachel P. Huston

I’ve been delighted with this book. The story has a modern take on the magical and fantasy genre which highlights the different unique characters. Alan Hall has a genuine take on Arthur and Guinevere and the fantastic capital of Arthur’s realm, the Camelot.

Readers will not be disappointed, and I’m looking forward to more books from Mr. Hall.

Hope he gets to write another one!

- Terry G. Miller

For me, the story seemed true enough, and it’s also a mix of the modern setting. The storyline is compelling and very well-written. The plot resonates with those Arthurian stories we’ve all heard but with a unique modern twist. It’s not every day you get to read these types of genres. I’ve always been a fan of fairy tales and knights, so no question why I’m loving this book so much. It’s detailed oriented and I was amused by the characters.

I’m rating this book five stars!

- Elizabeth D. Jenkins

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ALAN R. HALL, Author | DIGITAL EDITION

This one’s a must-read, it’s simply engaging and captivating. The author wrote an imaginative storyline fit for adults and I love this from start to finish. The chapters were well crafted as well and the characters have their attitudes and the story has a very satisfying conclusion. I can only imagine myself retelling this story to my colleagues at work, it leaves the readers wanting for more. Kudos to the author for writing such a story, beautiful indeed.

- Frances45@SheltOn

The tales are historic and it’s explained well. There were some parts of the book that many would find confusing but nevertheless, it’s a great read. The dialogues flow well with the characters and it really felt realistic for me. I wish they made this book into a movie, just wishful thinking, though. The author also made it a point to keep a fast-paced storyline which I absolutely like.

- Christopher E. Perkins

Everything is to be admired in this book. This book should be explicitly marketed ‘coz it certainly deserves a higher rating. Readers would realize how graphic the author in describing the details in the book. It’s a great story to be added to your collection. You won’t be disappointed by this, grab your copies now!

- Heather A. Beagley

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ALAN R. HALL, Author | DIGITAL EDITION

Interview of Alan R. Hall TV Interview of Alan R. Hall

Alan R. Hall on People of Distinction with Benji Cole

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ALAN R. HALL, Author | DIGITAL EDITION

Interview of Alan R. Hall The Naked Queen: A Tangential Arthurian Legend by Alan R. Hall

The Spotlight: Alan R. Hall

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ALAN R. HALL, Author | DIGITAL EDITION

The US Review of Books

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ALAN R. HALL, Author | DIGITAL EDITION

The US Review of Books book review by Gabriella Tutino “Cover me not, but let me remain as I am, and show this whole country— nay, this whole world—how I do belong to thee.”

King Ballizar of Tabithia is afflicted with a strange illness. To try and cure it, he imposes a strange, sexual ritual to which he subjects the women of his kingdom. Members of his court are fearful of the King and his ritual until Syrenya arrives. Naked, she stands before the court and claims that she will conquer the ritual and appease the King. So starts the tale that Darien, a visitor, tells King Arthur and his court. Originally sent with a message to let Arthur know that King Ballizar is dead, Darien continues to regale Arthur with tales of Syrenya and Ballizar as they rule together.

After revealing that he is the Queen’s son, he asks King Arthur for guidance as to the mysteries surrounding his parents’ deaths and hopes to find answers from the wise king.

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A story within a story, this tangential tale borrows characters from Camelot to frame an even more exotic story of a woman and her power. It is a largely erotic novel, with Syrenya’s first trial being Ballizar’s sex ritual, but the author can introduce a plot and storyline that works around the premise. Between war, courtly drama, and even exorcism, the story is full of intrigue, with unexpected twists and turns as to what will happen next in Tabithia. The rehashed story, as told through Darien, allows the author to write in antiquated English, thus giving the story a more classic, older feel. Adding to this is the author’s claim that this book was a found manuscript, translated from Swedish and inspired by real historical figures.

ALAN R. HALL, Author | DIGITAL EDITION

Miami Book Fair 2019

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ALAN R. HALL, Author | DIGITAL EDITION

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ALAN R. HALL, Author | DIGITAL EDITION

1. When did it dawn on you that you wanted to be an historical fiction writer? It never occurred to me. I started out just trying to write a short story about demonic possession; the thing grew and grew until it had taken on a life of its own.

Characters started popping up like weeds. By the time I was anywhere near finished, it was novel length. But intentions? There were none.

2. As a librarian, you surely have read a lot of books. Do you still remember the first historical novel you’ve ever read? Very clearly.

I was in middle school, and this baby was a TOME. I’m talking several hundred pages. It was named “The Casket and the Sword,” but as far as the author is concerned, I have no idea. The book is long out of print now; it’s been forty years since I looked for it again and it was out of print then. But it was absolutely delightful and I couldn’t put it down. I remember my mother saying, “I never thought I would hear myself say this, but could you please put your book down and eat your dinner?”

3. Can you share how being a librarian has made you a better writer? Actually, I was a bookseller before I was a librarian. And learning what people liked and wanted to read was very helpful. Then, later, I was able to take that knowledge and go find these books that everyone was reading, and see for myself what the attraction was. I discovered I was a big mystery fan: Ellery Queen, The Saint, James Bond, analyzing a problem and finding the answer, regardless of how bizarre the actual truth was. But no one held a candle to Sherlock Holmes. I was so enamored of the genre that I actually formed a Scion Society of the Baker Street Irregulars!

5. Do you have a particular approach to research and writing? It’s pretty much a matter of figuring out what the question is, and going to find the answer for it. For example, in the big battle scene, I needed cannon. And if I was going to have cannon, I needed gunpowder.

So I had to prove to myself that gunpowder did actually exist in the 1100’s. Sure enough, with very little time to spare! China first created it, and it spread across Europe and into Scandinavia right around the beginning of the twelfth century.

6. Are you currently writing a prequel or sequel to The Naked Queen? Well, that’s an interesting question. What I’m writing at the moment is a companion piece to The Naked Queen. The events of the new book are not a part of the first book, but they do take place during the same time period, and to the same characters.

It’s more of an explanation of what happens in TNQ than it is a prequel or sequel to it. The terms just don’t fit.

7. You’ve worked as a bookseller for some time.

What do you think are the key selling points of The Naked Queen? What do you think will attract readers to your book? Selling points: well, it is a good adventure story. Above all else, this is the basic theme. But even though this is a book written of the time many other authors have also chosen to write in, this book could never have been written before 2018. There is far too much going on that challenges the time of the novel. It’s not that an author like, say, Arthur Conan Doyle couldn’t have written this book. It’s that ACD could not have conceived of this book. So in that regard, it is a very fresh approach.

8. What’s been the hardest scene to write in The Naked Queen? The exorcism. I knew how it was going to start and I knew how it was going to end. But connecting the two ends was far more difficult than I had imagined. It took many more rewrites than any other part of the book, and it was only one chapter. Shucks, it was only one scene! But I finally figured out that I was missing a character. So Michael was born, simply so he could do exactly what he did in the exorcism. Problem solved!

4. How do you cope with writing the dialogue of times gone by? Frankly, I prefer the structure and color of the older language to today’s AmeriKing’sLish. It’s more fun. It’s subtler. If you thought that diagramming sentences when you were learning your middle school English was bad, try dismantling a sentence that might mean something entirely different from what you intended, simply because your coloring is off!

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ALAN R. HALL, Author | DIGITAL EDITION

9. Writers are often influenced or inspired by their muses. What are your thoughts on that? I was far more influenced by the Muses when I was writing poetry. I haven’t written poetry in years. The only muse one really has in writing a novel is that you get it right. If it’s not right, it’s not finished.

10. I know you have been a theater critic for a long time. How much has that experience helped you write your novel? The art of seeing something, whether it’s on the stage or in your head, and then having to sit down and describe it for someone who has no idea what you’re talking about. That constant necessity to rework, streamline, summarize, and tantalize, and also knowing when to quit (if you give away too much of the play, you’ve created a “spoiler alert”) is extremely good practice for writing a novel. And it does wonders for your characters. If you can imagine your work, and see your characters reading their lines, then you begin to figure out what that character would do in a given situation. It helped my characters “speak to me.”

11. Which characters in this book really spoke to you? Actually, the first one to actually speak to me was one of the more minor characters, Alissa (I bristled visibly when one rather cavalier book reviewer called her “one dimensional”). I was writing a scene and I realized she was on the verge of tears. It took me a little bit of time to figure out why, but the answer to that question made that scene.

12. How important to you is historical accuracy in a work of fiction? That’s the nice thing about fiction. You make it up. Your reality is what you make of it. Especially in a fantasy novel, if you create a world and the parameters for living in that world, then boom! Things start to fit.

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13. Do you want The Naked Queen’s characters to live on the silver screen. Or do you think it’s best to keep it as a book to be read? I can honestly say that I cannot imagine an author saying no to having his book made into a movie. But I don’t have any illusions about it. I fully understand that, by the time the film hits the theaters, it can and probably will be a long way off from the novel that spawned it. But I would love to see a company try to make a movie out of this book; it presents some rather interesting challenges for the movie maker!

14. What’s next for you? Do you have any upcoming book signings? Are you joining literary events? Well, right now, the only thing on the horizon is the annual Miami International Festival of Books, that takes place on the Miami-Dade campus in Florida Nov. 22-24. We are rolling out what I call a new edition of TNQ. It has a new cover, which much more reflects the title, than the original. And it has a lower price! That’s always good news for readers.

I am negotiating some readings and book signings, but these are with individual bookstores, and nothing’s final yet.

ALAN R. HALL, Author | DIGITAL EDITION

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