Tell us a little about yourself and your background?
I began publishing poetry in my twenties but never attempted a novel until I was in my 50s, life as a wife, stepmother and social worker having gotten in the way. I’m now 30 books in, attempting my second retirement so I’ll have more time to write! Many of my books were written or started in Ireland, my second home. They range from historical romance to fantasy, fantasy historical romance and science fiction.
How do you make time to write?
Primarily by doing it when I should be sleeping, LOL.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Absolutely. I have learned not to fight it. It will cure itself when it is ready. I think of it as incubation, because when it breaks, I write like a demon. So I know all those books were just churning around in there, unseen.
Tell us a bit about the genre you write and why you love it.
I am a true history geek. My reference library is somewhat staggering. I love writing historical romance because I can draw on some of the more fascinating nuggets I have discovered to craft a story. I say that I write “romance with realism.” Equally, I love fantasy historical romance because I can create my own worlds.
How are you publishing your recent book and why?
My most recent release, “The Eagle’s Lady,” is through a publisher who published its predecessor, “The Eagle’s Woman.” I have also indie published a number of books, most notably The Chronicles of Alcinia. The Chronicles are a continuing project.
Are you an Introvert or Extrovert? How does this affect your work?
Totally an introvert. Because I thrive in solitude, it produces books at a rate that sometimes surprises me.
What is your favorite motivational phrase?
Butt in chair, fingers on keyboard.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Keep doing it! Even when you don’t think it’s good or what you want at the time, keep those scraps in your documents file. You will be surprised how many times they will come out just when you need them.
Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?
Do you have an excerpt you’d like to share with us?
The prologue to The King’s Daughter, Book I of The Chronicles of Alcinia, reflects my writing style:
“I was the King’s daughter once, so many years ago that sometimes now it is hard to remember. Before the tide of time carried away so many things, so many people, it was worth something to be the daughter of a King. Our little island nation of Alcinia was not rich, except for tin mines honeycombing the south. It wasn’t even hospitable. Summer was a brief affair and fall was only a short time of muted colors on the northernmost coast where my father sat his throne at the ancient Keep of Landsfel. Winter was the killing time and spring was hardly better, with frosts that could last into Fifth-Month. But from the south, where men cut thatch in a pattern like the bones of fish, to the north where rock roses spilled down cliffs to the sea, it was my own. One thinks such things will never change, yet all things do.”
The Clog Blog 