Paul Rushworth-Brown is an Australian author who writes about his English ancestry. His historical novels include Skulduggery, a story of love and religious tolerance in 17th-century England, and Red Winter Journey, a novel about the English Civil War. His novels have been called “authentic and gritty, with twists and turns the reader won't see coming.” Recently, we connected with Paul to chat with him about writing.

History Through Fiction:
What is “The History: Told the Way it Should Be”? When and why did you start it? 

Paul:
I’ve always been a bit of a history nerd. I used to spend hours walking around museums because life at home wasn’t the best. People used to say, ‘What’s wrong with that kid?” Hahah. Well, that kid is now a successful published author haha.

OK, so the website was actually started after the Facebook group. And I was actually just a member of the Facebook group. Until the person who started it contacted me and asked me if I wanted to become an administrator and moderator, and I agreed. Now we've got something like seven thousand members. And it's just taken off. So then I just developed a web page with the same name. Just so that I could write historical articles and send them out in newsletters and promote my books. It's been very popular. Man, it's growing all the time.

History Through Fiction:
Why did you decide to research your family history? What did you discover that led you to write your novels? 

Paul:
I just thought it was really interesting time. After reading about what they had to live through, I really wonder how I am here. Very little is written about the peasants of that time period because, obviously, they were illiterate and there are very few records. Doing my family history, which took me six months, that's another story. I just thought, ‘well, you know, who was this guy? Who was this Thomas Rushworth from 1590? What was his life like? How did he live? How did his kids live?’ Somebody once asked me if I wanted to go back in time, where would I go? I actually said I would love to go back and meet my great grandfather x 10. And really, when you think about it, doing the research and all that for, for my first novel, Skulduggery, that's what I actually did. I actually went back in time and it was, it was fascinating. I also give my readers the opportunity to go back in time with me.

History Through Fiction:
Can you provide a brief synopsis of your novels, Skullduggery and Red Winter Journey?

Paul
My first novel Skulduggery, is a story about a family of copyholders that live each day in isolation from the village. Then, an attack on one of their own puts them all in grave danger. This story carefully navigates the backdrop of the English Reformation populating it with likable and despicable characters and casting them into a real, historical mystery setting. It's a slice of history that's totally, utterly believable, and unbelievable. The twists will surprise, and the ending is totally unexpected, even for the most astute of readers.

Red Winter Journey is about the same family but the next generation. Set in England in 1642, when a bloody civil war breaks out between their king and parliament, families and communities are driven by different allegiances. Red Winter Journey is a sweeping tale of adventure and loss, sacrifice and love with a unique and unforgettable story of a boy becoming a man at its heart.

History Through Fiction:
Why is it important to share the lives of common people of the past? What sources do you rely on to determine what their daily lives were like? 

Paul:
If you look at the Western world, 85% of people actually came from peasant families. Wouldn’t you want to know the problems that your family had to face? When I write my novels, I'm actually talking about the ancestors of a very large percentage of people in the Western world. And I think they deserve a voice, not just the lords and the ladies. So that's why I write. To give them a voice, once lost, but now found.

History Through Fiction:
Reviews often state that you do a masterful job of showing readers what life was like centuries ago. How difficult is that to accomplish? What strategies do you use to bring history to life? 

Paul:
I do a tremendous amount of research using historical databases like JSTOR. I write away to libraries. Mostly I have a good imagination and I write books that I would want to read. Imagine the mini-series Poldark with a bit more of an edge.

When I write I like to place the reader in the time and place. That means my writing is quite descriptive. And obviously, because it's historical fiction, it has to be. When my people read my novels, I want them to feel like they're actually there with the family and with Thomas Rushworth. Like they're standing beside him in these difficult times.

History Through Fiction:
Aside from being drawn in by an engaging story with compelling characters, what message or messages do you want readers to come away with?

Paul:
Well, first of all, I want them to enjoy it. I want them to be perplexed by the twists and turns. And you know, really, that's what I'm known for. And because I don't plan any writing, it allows me to select the twists and turns in there that people won't expect. Most importantly, as I said before, my novels are not sanitized for literary world. My novels have a reputation for being gritty. One review said that

‘My characters are well developed with baddies that you really love to hate. Knowing the story actually happened, or at least loosely based on something that happened somehow. Makes it so much more intriguing and powerful. Rushworth-Brown carefully navigates the backdrop of the English Reformation. The twists, surprises, and the ending were totally unexpected, even for the most student of readers.’

But really, wouldn’t you want to know how your ancestors lived and played, loved, and died? I wanted my kids to know, so now they do.

History Through Fiction:
For you, what are the most enjoyable and least enjoyable parts of being a novelist?

Paul:
For me writing is a form of escapism. It’s also an escape from the clinical depression I suffer from. I  leave my little office here and I travel back to 16th and 17th century Britain. I face the same challenges, problems, and adventures that my characters do. I suppose the only difference is that I cause the challenges, problems, and adventures!

The worst part? The worst part, I think, is having an understanding of where the publishing industry is going. I love to feel paper books in my hands.  But the research shows that more and more people are moving to Audible and ebooks. It’s not as good as a paperback or hardback that you can hold onto. So yeah, that would be the worst part of being a novelist. You spend a couple of years of your life putting this work down on paper. Then you find out somebody has got a hold of it and is selling it for free in Russia. The best thing about Amazon is that anybody can write a book and put it up for sale. The worst thing about Amazon is that anybody can write a book and put it up for sale.

History Through Fiction:
Do you have another novel in the works? What can readers expect from you next? 

Paul:
Yes, I do. My third novel, Dream of Courage, is coming out in November and I know it’s going to sell well! It’s with the publisher at the moment they're going through the editing process. I’ve also started on my 4th novel which is called The 10 Pound Tourist. It's a story of a young man who leaves Yorkshire back in the 50s. He gets into a scheme where the Australian government allows British people to come to Australia if they pay 10 pounds. And they help them find a job etc. There is a show on Netflix called Ten Pound Pommes. I started writing my novel before it came out. I reckon they stole my idea! Grrrr, Just joking.

My father was a 10 Pound Pomme. He was sent out to the Outback in Victoria and lived on a sheep farm back in the 50s. He was only 18 years old. So when you think about it, that young man coming from North Yorkshire, where he had been living all of his life, sitting on a boat for a month waiting to arrive in Australia—it's must have been a culture shock. Just imagine the adventures and issues he had to deal with living in the Outback of Australia.

But once again, this is the key I use when I write my novels. Even though they’re historical fiction, I like to use the names of my ancestors as the characters. And there's always some adventure. As I said before, lots of twists and turns. There's always some sort of love story. Love triangle. But nothing erotic.

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to answer these questions and be a part of your blog.