Welcome author Ben Leyb

Were you an avid reader as a child?

Definitely. Avid everything: reader, TV-watcher, baseball fan. My favorite books as a kid were the Miss Piggle-Wiggle books about kids who misbehave and get sent to stay with a funny old lady named Miss Piggle-Wiggle, who cures them by letting their bad habits run wild till they reform.

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.  

My novel The Countess de Mondeau is a love story about two people who have to be together, despite all the odds. I enjoy love stories—just a romantic at heart. The book is set in Paris in the tumultuous Romantic era of the 1830s. I’ve always been fascinated by this time. Everything was up for grabs then, from the most intimate ways that women and men relate, to the largest political structures in society. One radical utopian movement predicted the coming of a female messiah, which figures into the book. It was also a time when salons flourished, and reputations were made or destroyed by a witty remark.

How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?

I’ve never been good with outlines. Any time I had to do an outline for school, I froze. I just start writing, and then edit like crazy. I had very good editors at Eirelander Publishing who also helped a lot in shaping the book.

Did your book require a lot of research?  

Tons. I read every book I could find on this historical period. I sat in on classes for fashion design students on the clothing of this time. I found an account written by an English lady who traveled to Paris in the 1830s and complained bitterly about the plumbing, though she loved the cafes and restaurants. I even studied the history of birth control in this era.

If you could have any vice without repercussions, what would it be?  

The radical utopian group in The Countess de Mondeau says there are two types of people it comes to love, the constant nature and the mobile nature. I’m not sure which I am, but I have moments when I think I might be of the mobile nature.

What is the funniest/most embarrassing/scariest story from one of your books signings or events?  

I once took out a big manuscript of work at a reading, and before I could set aside the pages I was going to read, a member of the audience interrupted me and said, “You’re not going to read all of that, are you?” I was pretty bewildered, but managed to recover and say, “Not unless you want me to.”

If you could have been the servant to any famous person in history, who would that be and why?  

Maybe Shakespeare. I’d love to see how he actually composed his plays. After Will went to bed, I’d sneak into his study and read what he’d written or edited that day.

What do you see for the future of publishing and ebooks?

I think ebooks are the way of the future, though personally I do love a beautifully printed book, and the texture of paper, especially paper with a high rag content that has the feel of linen. 

Which of your characters do you love/hate/fear/pity the most and why?  

I like the lovers, Edouard and Amandine, because they care about each other, but also about the people closest to them, and about the world they live in. They are not just interested in their own lives. One of my favorite characters in the book is the Baron de Basse-Rivière, who is a jaded old aristocrat who teaches Edouard about lovemaking. He’s gay, but he ends up helping Edouard in his courtship of the Countess de Mondeau. One of my least favorite characters in the book is Auguste Lepetit, the head of the radical utopian sect. He’s a charismatic and handsome figure, but he ultimately cares more for his own power than for the beautiful ideals he claims to represent.

Do you get along with your muse? What do you do to placate her when she refuses to inspire you?  

I really believe in the muse. I like to create a scene and then let the characters take over, just hear them speak and write down their words. So far I’ve been extremely lucky. My muse has never deserted me, knock on wood.

 Sneak Peek Excerpt from The Countess de Mondeau by Ben Leyb

© 2010 by Ben Leyb

            "Mademoiselle Kerlec, we are grateful for your visit."

            "Her Excellency is kind to invite us." Cecile half-dropped a curtsy.

            "We don't use those ridiculous titles here." The countess waved her hand as if to banish such nonsense from her presence. "Call me Amandine. And have one of these delicious tartes aux fruits that my cook made. No, have two." She stopped the heavy-set, blonde serving-woman who was passing around a silver tray and Cecile selected a tiny apricot dessert in a circle of scalloped paper.

            Edouard couldn't help but notice that the countess had her blue dress cut low all around, exposing all of her lovely pale neck and shoulders. What looked like a mere suggestion of sleeves barely covered a portion of her thin upper arm. The dress allowed a generous decolletage to peek from her neckline. The countess is not at all deficient in that area, Edouard remarked to himself.

            "We'll start the program in a little while," Amandine said, "as soon as people have had dessert and a bit of amaretto to loosen their tongues. I love a good argument, don't you?"

            "I suppose I do," Edouard said, admiring her boldness.

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