On the Celtic Wolves Series
Q. Where did you get your idea for the Celtic Wolves series?
A. At the time I worked in the cataloging department of my library when a book on Celtic artifacts came across my desk. It reviewed findings and theories of Celtic beliefs from Celtic art, with depictions of men shifting into wolves. Intrigued, I dove into researching Celtic mythology and found more material than I could possibly imagine on wolves and shape shifting. Let’s just say my paranormal writer’s radar was dinging loudly. Once the research started my characters demanded a place in this magical world.
Q. Do I need to read the series in order?
A. I have provided a glossary for those of you who haven’t, but I have not reiterated the world building in each book. Also, each couple’s journey begins in Celtic Moon, book 1, especially Elen and Cormack’s.
Q. What’s next in the Celtic Wolves Series?
A. This series has a pretty strong romance theme. Each book focuses on the love story between a new set of characters, but the fantasy story and the war against the Guardians is continual. The second book is Luc and Rosa’s story. Luc is Dylan’s younger brother, also known as the Beast of Merin. Readers get to meet Luc throughout Celtic Moon, and Rosa makes a brief but significant appearance toward the end. I knew who Rosa was, and what her motivations were going to be, but I fell in love with her voice in the very first chapter of book two. Elen and Cormack’s story is next, which is the third book in the Celtic Wolves series. Elen and Cormack are major characters throughout the series. Their personal journeys were interesting to write in the earlier books and getting these two characters together in book three was a lot of fun–but I will warn you I put my sweetest heroine through her worst trail.
Q. Why did you choose to make your heroine a mom in Celtic Moon, and why do you think readers will root for her?
A. Other than the fact that she’s dealing with a shape-shifting husband, Sophie is very normal. She doesn’t have special super powers. Her strength comes from her instinct to protect her child at all costs. I hope that readers will connect with the fact that she’s dealing with each challenge as a typical woman would be forced to deal with them. We all have a natural instinct to protect our children; it will make us do things that we wouldn’t do otherwise. I drew on that motivation for Sophie’s character.
On Writing
Q. Was Celtic Moon the first book you wrote?
A. NO! Celtic Moon was magic number six. I wrote five novels before, and none will ever be published. I know this because I reread them recently. My neighbors may have heard my mortified groans at the time.
Q. What advice do you have for unpublished writers?
A. Read. Finish your book. Read some more. Write in the genre you like to read. Join a writer’s organization like Romance Writers of America. Most states have a local chapter with meetings designed to help writers, and you don’t need to be a published author to join. Maine has a lovely group at Maine Romance Writers! Finally, never give up!