On Inspiration: The Cameo Keeper by Deborah Swift

Happy 2026 to you all! I hope you enjoyed your festive season and are ready for a new year of creativity and inspiration! I’m delighted to welcome Deborah Swift again. She is the English author of over twenty historical novels, including Millennium Award winner Past Encounters, and The Lady’s Slipper, shortlisted for the Impress Prize. Recent books include the Renaissance series based around the life of the poisoner Giulia Tofana, The Poison Keeper and its sequels including the recently released, The Cameo Keeper. For Harper Collins her latest books are a series set in WW2, the first in the series being The Silk Code. Deborah used to work as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV and enjoys the research aspect of creating historical fiction, something she loved doing as a scenographer. She likes to write about extraordinary characters set against the background of real historical events. Deborah lives in North Lancashire on the edge of the Lake District, an area made famous by the Romantic Poets such as Wordsworth and Coleridge. You can connect with Deborah via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and her website. You can find a list of her books here. The Cameo Keeper is available here.

What or who inspired you to first write? Which authors have influenced you?

I have always loved reading historical fiction – partly because of a natural curiosity about the past, but also because I do love to learn new things when I’m reading. My mother loved historical fiction, so I grew up on her books, but then also discovered books by Mary Renault, Daphne du Maurier, Diana Gabaldon and Philippa Gregory.

What is the inspiration for your current book? Is there a particular theme you wished to explore?

The Cameo Keeper has a theme of the new explorations into medical science that took place during the Renaissance in Italy. I was particularly interested in the new sciences that were becoming popular in Italy during Giulia Tofana’s life, and I realised it was a time when scientific knowledge was overtaking tried and tested women’s remedies for health and healing. I thought this would be an interesting avenue to explore in a book about a female apothecary.

What period of history particularly inspires or interests you? Why?

I am enjoying writing about the 17th Century in Italy, at the end of the Renaissance and encompassing the Baroque period. It appeals to me because I’m a very visual person (I have a degree in Design) and I love the art and architecture which found full flamboyant expression in this era. It was also a time of radical change within Rome and particularly in the Vatican, where the new Pope was assisted by his sister-in-law who became the ‘power behind the throne’. I also love the fact that the glitter and glamour hides a distinctly seedy underworld full of corruption and double-dealing.

What resources do you use to research your book?  How long did it take to finish the novel?

I mostly use books, plus a number of internet tours of the area along with old maps. I read biographies of the real people involved so I can construct a credible timeline. The reading for research goes on for a number of months, but I aim to get a first draft out in 9 months. After that, the refining takes a long time before it goes to my editor.

Is there a particular photo or piece of art that strikes a chord with you? Why?

For this particular period I love this photo of the Piazza Navone. It reminds me that the square is full of all types of people – from courtesans to nuns, from rich men to beggars, all going about their normal business, unaware they are being observed – and that’s the feeling I want to evoke in my books.

What do you do if stuck for a word or a phrase?

I have all sorts of marvellous books on my desk – thesauruses, dictionaries, books on etymology, word origins, on phrase and fable – these are all real hardbacked books – some very old, and these can sometimes be the most useful when working on a period piece.

Do you use a program like Scrivener to create your novel? Do you ever write in long hand?

I’m strictly a Microsoft Word girl. I use no other programme and work only on the one document. I don’t use Co-Pilot or any other AI thing it keeps trying to throw at me. I have notebooks where I’ll scrawl in longhand, but mostly, it’s just me and the keyboard. I tried Scrivener, but it was taking too long to learn, and I wanted to get on with the story, so pretty soon reverted back to the trust simple Word Doc.

What advice would you give an aspiring author?

I’ve been asked this before and there is no easy answer because every author is different. After twenty books, I’d say that the main quality you need is just enthusiasm for the written word, and a willingness to just keep going with dogged persistence. I lose track of the number of times I thought I should give up because a book wasn’t doing well, or I had received a setback – and yet here I am, still at my desk with another WIP in front of me.

Tell us about your next book.

My next book is a completely different kind of book – part of the Survivors of War Series, and it is called The Enemy’s Wife. Its set in Shanghai at the end of WW2, when Shanghai had been invaded by the Japanese. It was a book I found very exciting to read and research! Rome 1644 Remember tonight… for it is the beginning of always ― Dante Alighieri In the heart of Rome, the conclave is choosing a new Pope, and whoever wins will determine the fate of the Eternal City. Astrologer Mia and her fiancé Jacopo, a physician at the Santo Spirito Hospital, plan to marry, but the election result is a shock and changes everything.. As Pope Innocent X takes the throne, he brings along his sister-in-law, the formidable Donna Olimpia Maidalchini, known as La Papessa – the female Pope. When Mia is offered a position as her personal astrologer, she and Jacopo find themselves on opposite sides of the most powerful family in Rome. Mia is determined to protect her mother, Giulia Tofana, a renowned poisoner. But with La Papessa obsessed with bringing Giulia to justice, Mia and Jacopo’s love is put to the ultimate test. As the new dawn of Renaissance medicine emerges, Mia must navigate the dangerous political landscape of Rome while trying to protect her family and her heart. Will she be able to save her mother, or will she lose everything she holds dear? For fans of “The Borgias” and “The Crown,” this gripping tale of love, power, and poison will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Thanks Deborah – how amazing that you switch between murder in medieval times to high drama in WW2! The Cameo Keeper is available here. Haven’t subscribed yet to enter into giveaways from my guests? You’re not too late for the chance to win this month’s book if you subscribe to my Monthly Inspiration newsletter for giveaways and insights into history – both trivia and the serious stuff! In appreciation for subscribing, I’m offering an 80 page free short story Dying for Rome -Lucretia’s Tale.