Hi Esther, thank you so much for joining me and for inviting me onto your blog tour. Can you tell me about your book, Death At the School of Translators?

Of course! Death at the School of Translators is the first full-length novel in my Rebecca de Toledo mysteries. It’s set in 1193, when Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine recruits Rebecca, a Jewish healer from Toledo, and pairs her with Sir John of Hampstead, a returned crusader with a murky past, to investigate the murder of her spy. The trail leads them into the heart of Toledo’s famed School of Translators (a real institution), where scholars were translating Arabic and Hebrew into Latin—and where secrets lie buried deep within the manuscripts.

What were the challenges you found when writing a novel with historical elements and what advice would you give to someone wanting to write a novel in this genre?

The biggest challenge is balance. You want to be accurate without overwhelming the reader. I love research (sometimes too much!), from medieval medicine to Jewish customs to the exact layout of Toledo’s streets. But at the end of the day, the story has to come first. My advice: choose one or two historical details that matter to your characters and let those shine. Don’t feel you need to include every fascinating fact you uncover. Save some for your author’s notes or your newsletter.

What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?

The one constant in my writing life is my daily Zoom group of writers. We meet Monday to Friday at 10:00 a.m. my time and chat for an hour about our stories, marketing, newsletters, Instagram techniques, webinars we watched, etc. Then, from 11:00 a.m. until about 1:30 p.m., we go silent and work—cameras on, microphones muted. Just knowing others are there, writing alongside me, creates accountability and keeps me focused.

What’s your writing space like? 

On the right of my desk there’s a door opening onto a balcony, where I can see my neighbor’s house and a tall green “Christmas” tree. I keep things simple: a big monitor for my manuscript, a laptop for my daily Zoom writing group, and a mug of water within reach. A few framed artworks hang on the wall. One of them, El Yuntero, reminds me of my years in Argentina. It’s a light-filled, practical space that keeps me focused and inspired.

What’s your favorite word and why?

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