Amashelle
by Myrrhine
Marie
Nikolaievna is board member of One Last Dance and her home is a treasure
trove of information about not only her character but the whole the last
Tsar's family. She kindly agreed to be interviewed for this edition of
the Pan Historian.
How did you discover Pan and what is it that keeps you coming back?
I was one of the refugees from AncientSites way back when. I came to Pan along with the rest of the displaced members of The Amarna Group which became the Amarna novel here and is one of the novels I still participate in, as Ankhesenpaaten. I don't know what it is that keeps me coming back. A combination of things, I suppose. All the great people, the great stories, and the creativity that abounds in general. I'm thoroughly addicted at this point, you won't be getting rid of me any time soon! I especially blame Olga Nikolaevna for the insane hours I keep online, and also Tia. The absolutely ridiculous (and wonderful!) conversations I've had with those two. . .
When did you become interested in the Romanovs and Grand Duchess Marie in particular? What drew you to their story?
When I was in the 8th grade, a friend of mine got really into the "Anastasia mystery." The whole legend of survival, the impostors and all that. She started reading everything she could find on the topic and passed them on to me. I wasn't very interested in the various pretenders and impostors, but I found myself drawn to the story of the family. I've always found tragedy very compelling and fascinating--as morbid as that may seem!--and I became easily entranced. And the wealth of material that is available on the subject is incredible! Countless books of photos, letters, paintings and drawings by the Imperial children, diary entries! It's so different than my other great love, the Amarna period, in that we know SO much about the personalities involved in the Romanov saga, but next to nothing about what Akhenaten, Nefertiti, Tutankhamen, etc. were like. Marie (Maria in Russian) has always been my favorite, for a number of reasons. Initially I was drawn to her because she is the middle child, and middle children tend to get overlooked. I like to champion the underdog. Aside from that, Marie is just so likable! She was warm, down-to-earth and friendly, and a talented amateur artist. An innocent flirt who loved children, all she wanted in life was to be a wife and a mother someday. And while surely no one is perfect--and Marie is no exception--her family regarded her as "the angel." It's the tragedy of the innocent lives of Maria and her siblings being cut so short that makes the Romanov story so compelling. Certainly they weren't the only victims of the Russian Revolution, but they serve as a poignant symbol for Russia's suffering at that point in history.
Do you have a favourite place to visit outside of your novel commitments? Tell us about it.
At Pan, I love to check in on the reference library and see what's going on there. I contribute when I can, but mostly I just read the great material others have offered. I also like to see what my friends are up to at the other novels they are involved in, for example I enjoy following the adventures of Alexei and Misha (and Clare!) at the Io Effect. Outside of Pan? abebooks.com, ebay. . . I'm always on the lookout for books. A lot of research goes into our alternate history at The Romanovs-One Last Dance, as my checkbook could tell you! With the introduction of spouses for the grand duchesses and the increased contact with the extended family, I've had to brush up on the history of the British, Greek and Belgian royal families, to name a few. All fascinating stuff, but it means long hours scavenging for good books at reasonable prices.
This issue of the Pan Historian is all about music. Is there a piece of music or a song that you are inspired by when you write?
Oh, I couldn't pick just one! I adore music. I have to have it playing constantly. I drive my family nuts because whenever I walk into the room I have to turn on some music. I tend to like indie music and folk, but it's fun to sing along to the occasional cheesy pop song, too! I also like a cappella and acoustic. I don't think I could write if I didn't have music on, I've been known to compile playlists to help me get in the right mood for a post: silly, romantic, sad, etc.
You've won a ticket to any time and any place you choose - where would you go and what would you do?
Oh my. .. this is unfair. You all probably expect me to say I'd go back in time and rescue the Romanovs or something, and while that's certainly on my list of fantasy time travel adventures, I think I'd have to go back to Ancient Egypt. As I mentioned, the Romanov saga is recent enough that we have a lot of material; I'd pick Egypt so I could clear up some of the mysteries of the Amarna period and its aftermath. Perhaps try to figure out what exactly was going on at Tutankhamen's court, what he died of, what happened to Ankhesenpaaten/Ankhesenamen and all that good stuff. Right there you've got a mystery more compelling than any Anastasia legend! No sign of a burial, no body, no references to possible cause of death. . . Queen Ankhesenamen just disappeared from the historical record. But if I had a second ticket, yeah, I would see what I could do for the Romanov family and their four loyal retainers.
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Featured Character Coordinator: Dr. Taniko Kishimoto
Featured Novel & Reference Book Coordinator: Amashelle
Editor: Myrrhine