The Friday Novel Conversation with Melissa Addey's Character Bao

Join Us Every Friday!
#NovConv

To be a little different from the usual
 'meet the author' 

let's meet
 a character ... 

Wikipedia  Eunuchs carrying the Empress 18th Century
  http://puyi.netor.com/gallery

Bao
from

Q: Hello, I’m Helen, host of Novel Conversations, please do make yourself comfortable. Would you like a drink? Tea, coffee, wine – something stronger? You’ll find a box of chocolates and a bowl of fruit on the table next to you, please do help yourself. I believe you are a character in Melissa Addey’s novella The Consorts. Would you like to introduce yourself? Are you a lead character or a supporting role? 

A: My name is Bao, my lady. I am a eunuch serving at the court of the Qianlong Emperor of China, in the Forbidden City. I believe you would call my time the 18^th century.

Q: What genre is the novel and what is it about?

A: My lady author tells me it is called historical fiction. It is the story of Lady Qing, the concubine I serve. She has been sadly neglected by the Emperor, but through no fault of her own – there are so many ladies at court, you understand, so eager to make their way into the Emperor’s favours and Lady Qing is too soft-hearted and gentle a girl, she does not scheme and plot as those others do. She has made a friend now, a concubine named Lady Ying – a little bold, I must say, but I believe she has a good heart. But even friendships can be used against rivals, when the throne of the Empress stands empty.

© Dan Ma  UnSplash

Q: No spoilers, but are you a ‘goodie’ or a ‘baddie’? 

(Or maybe you are both?)

A: My lady! How could you question my intentions! I have been a loyal servant to my Lady Qing since she came here when she was only thirteen, weeping for her home and family. I promised her then that I would care for her always and I have done so. But I am only a miserable eunuch, how can I protect my lady against the machinations of more powerful ladies?

Q:  Tell me about another character in the novel – maybe your best friend, lover or partner … or maybe your arch enemy!

A: You must be wary of Lady Ula Nara. She came into the Forbidden City unwillingly, rumour has it she had to leave behind her sweetheart and now she has turned bitter. Nothing but the throne of China itself will do for her and she does not care who must be used or hurt to achieve her goal. I am afraid for my Lady Qing…

Q: Is this the only novel you have appeared in, or are there others in a series?

A: I would not presume to appear in more than one novel, my lady. But Lady Qing continues to play a small part in three additional novels. Each novel tells the story of one concubine’s journey through the Forbidden City.

Q: What is one of your least favourite scenes you appear in?

A: Oh my lady, my life is one long suffering! The court ladies have no consideration for those who serve them – they do all sorts and it is always poor Bao who has to take care of everything afterwards. Why, Lady Ying fell in a lake – can you imagine?! And her own household (who should never have let her row by herself) were worse than useless. I had to step in myself and ensure she was washed and dressed and her hair re-done so that she would be presentable again. It is no wonder she spends half her time with my own lady, she knows that I, at least, run a household as it should be run. 

Q: And your favourite scene?

A: I am not sure I can tell you that, my lady, only to say that I promised Lady Qing, all those years ago, that I would make her happy here and at last my promise is fulfilled.

Q: Tell me a little about your author. Has she written any other books?

A: My lady author has completed the stories from the Forbidden City, four in total. And now she has almost finished another four from a very far-off time and place, almost a thousand years before my time, in the sands of Morocco, only imagine! But it seems the ladies of those times were as much of a handful as they are in mine. I thank the Immortals I have the comforts of the Forbidden City to help me fulfil my duties, I have heard whispers these other ladies sometimes lived in tents! 

Q: Is your author working on anything else at the moment?

A: Oh, her rooms are full of books, I have to tidy them constantly, it is a great nuisance. She seems to be reading a great deal about a place called the Colosseum, she tells me men used to fight there for sport. I know nothing of such things. If she would only sit still long enough for me to do her hair properly, but no, she moves too much – picking up one book and then another, I don’t know how many jade hairpins I have lost trying to follow her about.

Q: How do you think authors can be helped or supported by readers or groups? What does your author think is the most useful for her personally?

A: I have seen my lady author all alight with happiness when she sees reviews from people who have enjoyed her work. I take pride in it myself, I keep all her reviews in a scrapbook and admire them from time to time. She has another kind of reader, she calls them beta readers, they read her manuscripts before they are published and she says they are most helpful in ensuring she tells her stories well.

Q: If your author was to host a dinner party what guests would she invite and why? Maximum nine guests – real, imaginary, alive or dead.

A :

The Emperor Qianlong of course, she has written about him so often.

No doubt Lady UlaNara – she is a snake but my lady author finds her very interesting.

Zaynab, a Moroccan queen. Possibly as much of a snake as Ula Nara…

The stage manager/s of the Colosseum – there is no mention of who they were in all her books. But we servants are always forgotten when it comes to writing history books…

Philippa Gregory, a favourite author.  

      

 Stephen King, a wonderful storyteller.

 Terry Pratchett, my lady author wept at his passing.

Mark Dawson, a man who sells books, my lady author follows him with interest.

 My lady author’s husband, so that they can talk about the others when they are gone!

Thank you, Bao, it was a pleasure talking to you. Would your author like to add a short excerpt below? Meanwhile, chatting is thirsty work, would you like a refill of that drink…? I’ll have another Gin and Tonic . . .

Salute! Here’s to writing a best seller!

CONNECT WITH Melissa Addey

Meet Bao and Lady Qing for yourself: you can pick up a free copy of The Consorts on your local Amazon using
http://getbook.at/TheConsorts and a free novella, The Cup, set in Morocco on Melissa’s website, www.melissaaddey.com 

(where you can also view book trailers for all her books).

EXCERPT from The Consorts

Lady Qing talks to Lady Ying, who has just arrived at court

I think of Ying’s home in Mongolia, where they say they have fearsome warrior queens and endless flat grasslands where they can ride at full gallop. “Do you miss your home?” I ask.

She shrugs. “I will never return there, so it’s as well not to think of it,” she says as though repeating something she was told when parting from her family. Her tone is still fierce but her lower lip trembles.

I try to change the subject. “Perhaps we can go boating together,” I find myself offering, although I have never rowed in my life and can only picture Bao’s face at the thought. “It might be easier to row with two of us?”

She brightens at once. “Yes,” she says. “I would like that.” She looks about the room and then at me. “How long have you been at court?” she asks.

“Seven years,” I say.

She nods. “Do you see the Emperor often? I mean as a companion,” she adds, a small blush rising on her neck.

“Not often,” I say.

“How often, though?” she asks, too new to this world to have caught my tone.

Something in me wants to tell her the truth. “Three times,” I say.

“A month?” she asks, no doubt thinking this to be quite a lot considering how many women the Emperor may command to his rooms.

“In seven years,” I say and see her eyes widen at the reality of her possible future here.

Melissa Addey

Author & Speaker
Creative Writing PhD student at the University of Surrey
Winner 2019 Novel London award

The Consorts has been reviewed by
Discovering Diamonds



and has been awarded an 

INDIE BRAG GOLD MEDALLION

https://www.bragmedallion.com/

  NEXT GUEST  >  

(images from Wikipedia or Pixabay unless otherwise stated)