Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have published 8 novels. The two early ones were science fiction, but my deepest passion is historical-fantasy. A stand-alone novel unfolds in 9th century Norway, while my 5-book series starts in the mountains of northwest England half a century after the time of King Arthur.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Minstrel’s Staff wrapped up my series, the Tapestry of Cumbria. I had stumbled onto a local legend about the brigands of the mountains outwitting Norman forces, spoiling their intent to conquer all of England. About the same time, the Normans tried to establish a textile industry on the coast, but the weavers brought in from Flanders complained about the “barbarous” locals. A simmering situation perfect for my heroine!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I need solitude and silence. Writers block at the keyboard? Pen and paper and a long bus ride do the trick.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Tolkien swept me away! Peter S Beagle and Patrick Rothfuss spin words like magic. Connie Willis does fantastic mash-ups of comedy with tragedy, science fiction with medieval. Philippa Gregory opens a window into history, tinted with magic. Guy Gavriel Kay, Ursula K Le Guin, too many more to name!
What are you working on now?
I’m doing a dramatized history of my ancestors in Norway, imagining details to fill in the blanks between names, dates, and places. It’s a cozy read compared to the high tension of a novel, but it has its share of stress and disaster: many trials in the early 1800s with drastic climate cooling, crop failures, and financial woes as the industrial age ramps up.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve tried Facebook and Pinterest, but have yet to find the route that works for me. I need to spend more time on my blog, and network from there.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
– Most accomplished creators have a success rate of about 1 out of 5. Four paintings, meh. The fifth grabs your eye. The same goes with writing. Most of what you write won’t be fit to publish. That’s okay! Go ahead and write the lackluster stuff. It’s the only way to get the good stuff to appear.
– When you’ve finished a wonderful piece of writing, celebrate! Then put it away and work on something else for a while. When you come back to the masterpiece later, flaws will show that were invisible before. Pick the worst ones, fix them, and repeat.
– In my case, writers block means there’s something off with the writing or structure just previous, so I compare the basic elements of plot and character against the template I like: “The Writer’s Journey.” I don’t write by formula, but formula comparison helps find flaws.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Six vital steps to becoming a compelling writer: Read. Read. Read. Write. Write. Write.
What are you reading now?
I just revisited Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, science fiction published 25 years ago. His “desks” sound a lot like smartphones! I have a book on hold at the library by Connie Willis, sequel to one of my all-time favorites.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I need to change hats and dig into promoting, although some readers want me to get back to my sci-fi trilogy which has been waiting a long time for the third book.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Desert Island Survival Skills (does such a book exist?), seafood cookbooks, and blank journals!
Author Websites and Profiles
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