Ailsa Abraham

Author Name: Ailsa Abraham
Promoting: Alchemy
Where Can You Find Her?: Blog, Facebook, Twitter
Top Writing Tip:Make sure you HAVE to do this. If it is just a passing whim or you think it is a quick buck to be made, forget it. Writing is a slow and painful process to which you have to be dedicated. Highly rewarding when people like your work enough to leave reviews but don’t give up the day job. 


Hi Ailsa, thank you for taking the time to talk with us!

When and why did you begin writing?

At school. When given a reading book I didn’t like, aged about five or six, I went home and re-wrote the ending to please me better. After that kept on to amuse my friends and myself. 

When did you realize that you were Pagan?

Almost impossible to grow up in Cornwall and not realise it. From earliest childhood I was exposed to many different religions and realised that most of them were the same but with different deities. It followed that the natural world around me was the source of all things and therefore the most logical source to go to. Eventually I found a coven within five hours’ drive from me and studied seriously, being elevated to High Priestess before leaving to follow a solo path which is now mainly shamanic, as I am the village healer here. 

Tell us a little about yourself, what are the main life experiences that have led to this book?

I’m nearing OAP status, have lived all over the world including on a boat. I’m insatiably curious about everything. I’ve had more jobs than the Pony Express had horses, which was grand fun. My passion is animals and I was lucky enough to work as a veterinary nurse for four years.  A lifetime of study of religions past and present plus philosophical questions that most thinking people post themselves and a romance element that was drawn from one of my own resulted in the Alchemy series. 

How did the topic of your book(s) come to you? 

Shaman’s Drum was pure inspiration. I saw the first scene like a movie clip in my head while sitting in the garden. I watched a man in monk’s robes come to rescue a woman from a convent who obviously didn’t belong there. I had to go on and find the story behind it. From there it was easy to write the prequel because I already knew their backstory in my own head. 

Tell us a bit about your story, key characters and plot.

Riga is brought to the Black Shamans’ Guild as an unmanageable and untrained strong shaman when she is seven years old. Iamo defies his aristocratic parents to follow the Wiccan path he learned from his nanny, Rowena. A scientific discovery which eliminates the need for fossil fuels makes it possible for the present  established religions to be banned but paganism is overlooked. 

When demons take advantage of a population who no longer have a spiritual focus, the pagans have to come to the rescue. Iamo and Riga must work together although they find each other anathema to start with. 

All the characters are drawn from life and I’m told they are all, in their own ways, very likable. 

Do we see some of you in your book?

Hysterical laughter - oh yes! Riga is me in my younger days. I rather hope she will grow less impulsive with Crone-hood (although I haven’t). 

Do you plan your stories before you begin?

Yes, slightly. I have a faint outline of the whole story. Once I get going the characters take over and kick me to change things or suggest a good twist. If this sounds chaotic, it is. That’s how I live my life and I can’t imagine doing it any other way. I often write in patchwork - when a scene grabs me I write it and then “stitch” the scenes together to make a pretty quilt. 

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block and, if so, how do you overcome it?

Yes, due to loads of health problems and accidents I am often brain-dead. I get around it by writing my blog which is bite-sized chunks of writing and leave my WIP to rest. There’s no other option. If I try to force myself to continue books when I am in a mind-fog I just suffer from terminal frustration and am likely to get violent. 

Is this your first published piece or have you had work published before?

As with everything else in my life, I published Shaman’s Drum first and then due to public demand had to write book one as a prequel. Now I would prefer people to read Alchemy first. Before that, I was published under my brother’s name writing crime fiction mixed with male romance. 

Are you published or self published, and what has been your experience of this process?

Published by two houses and have tried selfies. Will do both again. I’m unusual in that both genres were accepted immediately. I have only ever had one rejection letter from which it was obvious that the woman hadn’t even read the second page properly. 

Who encourages/inspires you?

My characters inspire me. I swear that they live in my house and come for walks with me, chatting about what they want to do next. I even had one of them, a Native American shaman, join me in Quaker Meeting with my aunt and dictate a section of Book Three. 

Where do you go when you need to recharge?

I’m fortunate enough to live in the middle of nowhere in the east of France surrounded by woodlands, young mountains and rivers. I simply call the dog and walk outside. Immediately I am amongst “friends” in spirit. I sit by the river and chat to them or I just lose myself in the beauty around me. Telling jokes to ducks is a goodie - they always laugh. I have a favourite tree who gives me a lot of grounding and strength when I need it so a visit to Uncle Walnut is a must. 

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you most like a writing retreat?

I have a favorite campsite in the Aude by the Canal du Midi. I go there to write when I’m finding things difficult. It’s handy because I can take the dog, cat and old feller with me and I’m still in open country which is essential. I couldn’t write in a big town or city.  I need to be able to get out in the open air to practice my rituals (even just sun-up and sun-down) which usually gives me inner peace to keep going. 

What are your future plans for writing?

I’ve been asked by a publisher to write non fiction on herbs and healing. Alchemy will have at least Book Three if not Four. I am going to take over my brother’s work and develop it with more crime and less sex.  At the moment I am still getting back to writing following a severe motorbike accident that nearly wiped me out and left me in a coma for three weeks. 

*

Thank you again for giving us a glimpse into your passion and process, Ailsa! We wish you all the best with your non-fiction and fiction work!

Kunal Roy

Author Name: Kunal Roy
Best Known Works: Four Weeks - The Beginning
Where Can You Find Him?: Blog, Twitter
Top Writing Tip: I find people mess up stories a lot because they are afraid to explore situations.You can write emotion and creativity into any situation. So, don't be afraid to explore any situation! You can mess up a great story like that!

Hi Kunal, thank you for taking the time to talk to us!

When and why did you begin writing?

I think a lot about what I can do to make the world a happier place and I work every day to get closer to being able to execute my ideas. I recently delivered my first TEDx talk, called Childish Fantasies. The video will be out soon. I want to write stories that can save the world! My book series is my first attempt to do so and I think I've a done a really good job!

Is this your first published piece or have you published before?

I have published research before. This is my first novel!

How did the topic of your books come to you?

I thought I wanted to show that an epic sci-fi story about life and all it's challenges that readers can really connect with, be moved by and be saved by does not have to span over years and years. A lot happens in a day! Hence, I came up with Four Weeks!

Tell us a little bit about your story.

This is a sci-fi that starts out as a story of a man who suddenly discovers that it is entirely up to him to save the Earth from the wrath of a certain alien race, though he is not quite ready for it as he is suddenly left without his love or his family. When his journey leads him to the alien planet, he learns about their not so perfect society, about the trouble makers and the peace keepers, some of the wildlife, the traditions and the games. Though not conscious of it, he slowly becomes too involved. He mingles, he makes a friend and discovers that watching the aliens lets him imagine the society back on Earth, differently. But as the threat of Earth’s destruction still looms, he has to filter through many thoughts to stay focused on the enemy — thoughts about the culture of the aliens, about the overwhelming odds he faces and painful recollections of his love and family. When he gets to the end, he finds out that he has set the stage for a an epic series of events.

Four Weeks – The Beginning, the first book of the series has suspense, comedy, aliens, superpowers, adventure, love, friendship and some insight into human behavior.

The full story plays out over four weeks and reveals a shocking connection between the Earth and the alien planet that binds their fates — a connection that no one knows has existed since the very first of the alien beings started inhabiting their planet. It involves several characters from different time periods. The events of Four Weeks, big and small are set in a variety of geographical locations on Earth as well as on the alien planet to culminate in a heartwarming conclusion that no one will see coming. 

So, I strongly believe that there is something in this story for every to enjoy. It's going to be one of those pick me up stories that tells you how to deal with tough odds and heartache through a super awesome plot.

Are you self published? What was your experience?

I am self published. I used the services of a very good Indian company called Cinnamon Teal and I have no complaints regarding their service. Their process was efficient and the editor assigned to me was fun and gave great insights. 

Who encourages you? Who inspires you?

I first got interested in telling stories when I came across this blog called creativerecall. It isn't active anymore. The author, John Piermarini booked WWE scripts his own way and they were a joy to read! I thought I wanna script storylines! Also, Roger Federer and other tennis stars really inspire me. I've always thought that there is no bigger moment in life than a big moment in the life of a tennis star. It's just such an emotional ride and I really get that! I am a very motivated individual to begin with. Also, lately I read a book called Tiny Instruments by Mitchell Bogatz. That has given me renewed motivation!

What are your plans for future writing?

I plan to write more stories of course! I have a lot of ideas. The main purpose of my writing is to save the world, make it a happy place! Also, I will do academic writing and research. 

*

Thank you Kunal for giving us a glimpse into your passion and your process! We wish you all the best with your science fiction novels and making the world a happier place!

WordPress

Nimue Brown

Author's Name: Nimue Brown

Recent Work: Pagan Dreaming

Where you can find her?: Blog, Website, Twitter

Top Writing Tip: Do it your way. There are any number of people who will tell you how to write, how to structure your time and your story, how to write a bestseller - and most of that information is going to be useless to you. Try anything that sounds worth your bother,  but remember that we're all different and there's no one magical solution to this. Especially not to wtriting a best seller. Also, most of us make very little money writing, so you may as well do something you're going to enjoy. It's easy to devote vast amounts of time to doing a thing you don't like but are sure will tick all the boxes and bring success, only to find you're made yourself utterly miserable and still aren't successful.

Tell us a little about yourself, what are the main life experiences that have led to this book?

I grew up in a broadly Pagan family, so that’s always been part of my reality. There were dream dictionaries around the house when I was a kid. As a child I suffered a lot from incredibly vivid and haunting nightmares, as a teen I had a lot of issues with insomnia, but a rich dream life when I could get there. I've always been interested therefore in how we make sense of dreams. I lost that richness of dreaming in my twenties; sleep deprived and down to a handful of reoccurring nightmares. The last few years have been a journey towards better sleep, and a return of my ability to dream well. Add to that an interest in the science and psychology of dreams, in rewilding, and in wellbeing. Having struggled with dreaming, I want to share what I've learned about how to have a better relationship with sleep and dreams. I’m something of a sleep evangelist –we don’t do it enough, most of us, and it is so very good for us.

When did you realise that you were Pagan?

As a conscious awareness – it came in my mid teens. “Thou, Nature art my goddess” was about the size of it for me then. I had a great interest in mythology and folklore, found my way to the Pagan Federation at 18, which took me to Druidry in my early twenties – the Druid Network and study with The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids followed, and I’ve been following the Druid path ever since.

What, or who, do you enjoy reading?

I’m an omnivore when it comes to books. I like to be surprised though, so I tend to stay away from anything that looks like formulaic genre fiction. I’m reading a lot of non-fiction at the moment – I love Robert MacFarlane. I read a lot of fiction from smaller publishing houses because that tends to be more innovative and one of my current favourites – Matlock the Hare, has just funded it’s third book through kickstarter. Increasingly I’m finding the kinds of stories I want to read just don’t get picked up by bigger houses. Sheena Cundy, Anthony Nanson, Kim Cayer, Bill Jones  – those are the authors on my recent fiction reading list, and they're all at small presses or self publishing.

Is this your first published piece or have you had work published before? 

I’ve a number of Pagan titles to my name – Druidry and Meditation, When a Pagan Prays, Druidry and the Ancestors, Spirituality without Structure and I just have the pleasure of editing the anthology Pagan Planet. Alongside this I write speculative fiction, short stories, poetry, and the graphic novel series Hopeless Maine - all sorts really – I get bored easily if I keep doing the same thing, and I love to experiment.

Have you ever met one of your characters in real life?

More than once. It can be more than a bit creepy. When I was first writing, in my late teens and early twenties, I used a lot more reality in the mix and would, all too often end up writing things that were true, and that I shouldn’t have known. It taught me to deliberatly create a bit more distance, especially if I want an option of killing characters off! As a superpower, slightly predictive writing and the ability to write people I’ve not met yet does not leave me with any urge to stick on a cape and use it to fight crime, so that’s something, at least.

Do we see some of you in your book?

Always in the non-fiction work. I’m not a scholar, and I don’t have any ultimate truth to share. What I’ve got are experiences, and ideas – I make sure that’s clearly personal in no small part to avoid dogma. I want readers to feel free to say ‘well, that’s interesting, I’ll ignore 90% of it and just use this bit’ if that makes sense to them. In my fiction work it’s a different thing entirely because I don’t want to write autobiography (honestly my life has been far too unbelievable for that to work). I draw as widely as I can and bring a lot of influences into the mix to create characters and situations that are as plausible as I can make them, but also firmly fictional.

 Who encourages and inspires you?

Some years ago, I fell in love with one of my cover artists...Tom Brown.  I’d been working with him for a while on the graphic novel series at that point. He’s been tremendously supportive, and is an ongoing source of inspiration to me. I would be entirely lost without him. My publisher at Moon Books – Trevor Greenfield - encourages me and keeps me going, I owe him a lot. Beyond that, I’m blessed with a lot of generous and supportive friends. There isn't space to name check and do them all justice here, but I hope they all know how much I value them. Many of them are highly creative people and its really inspiring just being around them. In terms of other sources of inspiration, hilltops, big skies and the ancient dead remain important to me.

Where do you go when you need to recharge?

Out! I love hilltops, and there’s a lot of those around here, but equally I may head off into the woods, along the canals, or through the valleys. The part of Gloucestershire I live in is amazing in terms of landscape, I always end up seeing wildlife, there’s always something to lift my spirits and clear my head.

Do you socialise with other writers or are you a solitary author?

Most days, there’s an artist right across the table from me. If I go out for a coffee in Stroud, the chances of running into another author, or a poet are really high. It’s part of the reason I moved here – I love being part of a creative community, and there’s all kinds of everything creative in Stroud. I read books my friends have written, and when I can, I make friends with people whose books I’ve really liked. I want to know what other people are thinking, what they’re interested in. It’s easy to retreat to the ivory tower, but its bloody lonely up there, and easy not to notice if you’re saying something that’s old hat, or totally out of touch with the rest of reality. I’m also keen on supporting other authors – it’s not an easy industry to be in, and we all depend a lot on word of mouth advertising, so when I can do that for someone else, I’m very glad to do so.

 What are your future plans for writing?

 There’s definitely more to come on the Hopeless Maine series, as we’ve just moved to Sloth Comics with that. I’m sort of writing a novel at the moment, but I have no idea if it’s working, and sort of writing a short Pagan book. I find it hard to talk about what I'm working on, and need to get over that! I never really know until I finish if a thing is going to come together, and they frequently aren’t the books I thought I was going to create when I started them, which makes me wary of saying too much. I fear offering something I can't deliver, and occasionally big projects fall over part way through and don't happen, or I finish them and they stall for other reasons. 

For example, I wrote a novel called Fast Food at the Centre of the World, and had no idea what to do with it, for years. It ended up as an audio project over at Nerdbong and now Pendle craft magazine are serialising a text version. I never really know how anything might be gonig to play out, and when I think I know, i'm generally wrong. I blog pretty much every day at Druid Life, and I’m experimenting with doing a book on Pagan Pilgrimage in blog posts – I figure if all else fails, I’ve at least written some good blogs! Aside from that, much depends on what people ask me to write, or who asks me to write for them, so it’s often in the lap of the gods.

*

Thank you again for giving us a glimpse into your passion and your process, Nimue!. We wish you all the best with your informational guides and look forward to reading your new graphic novels!

Moon Books

Moon Books

Wren Paasch

Author's Name: Wren Paasch
Best Known Works: Son of the Sun
Where You Can Find Them: Facebook
Top Writing Tip: Find something that you are passionate about, and write that. It's easier when you're excited about what you are writing about!

When and why did you begin writing?

I wrote my first "story" when I was three years old. It was illustrated with stick figure drawings, and went: "Once upon a time there was a happy family with a mommy and a daddy and a big sister and a little sister and a dog. The end." I haven't stopped writing since then. It is as necessary and inherent to my being as breath.

When did you realize you were Pagan? 

I had been devouring anything I could about Celtic history and Druidry for some time, like a person who has just crawled through the desert might guzzle water, filling a hole I hadn't previously realized needed filling. I made it "official" when I self-initiated on Beltaine of 1999 with a ritual of my own design. It would be years before I met another Druid in person, though I read every inch of the OBOD's website and was very active on their message boards for many years.

What were the main life experiences that led to this book?

I have been rather obsessed with the Ulster Cycle since before I even truly considered myself Pagan, when I was just beginning to learn our history. It started with Red Branch by Morgan Llewellyn and the album A Celtic Tale by Mychael and Jeff Danna. Historical fiction novels, and music as well, for me, often prompt me into further research because I want to know more (and what was muse for that writer/musician and what was "canon"). It would be an honor to me if my novel did that for someone else, especially as I wrote it from Laeg's perspective and so explanations that he would not have known, I did not detail.

Is this your first published piece?

Yes. This is the first book I've ever written that I still liked when it was done, and wanted to show to the world. The books I wrote in my teens and twenties my friends read, but after I wrote them, I felt they were awful.

How did the topic of the book come to you?

As I said earlier, I had been obsessed with the story for years, but had never really considered doing my own take on it for most of that time. It began to solidify in my mind probably after I read Mary Renault's Alexander trilogy, where she told the story with the generally now agreed upon idea that Alexander the Great was gay. I had long felt that that was the case with CuChulainn; seeing it done with Alexander inspired me to make the case with CuChulainn.

Tell us a little bit about your novel. 

Son of the Sun is the story of CuChulainn, the half Dannan, half mortal son of Lugh Lamfada, as told from the perspective of Laeg macRiangabair, his charioteer (and in my version, his husband). CuChulainn and Laeg are both historical persons, but the story is over two thousand years old, and like so many of our Pagan stories, has been mythologized, propagandized, forgotten, distorted, and edited through many lenses, Pagan and Christian, scornful and romanticized. CuChulainn is the nephew to the king of Ulster, Connor macNessa, and quickly earns a reputation as a warrior hero, and becomes the king's champion. CuChulainn is described as what we might call a "berserker" in battle, but reserved and brilliant otherwise; this is generally attributed to his Otherworldly abilities, but I also believe, like modern day warriors who "berserk" on the battlefield, that there is some mental illness at play. His mother is considered touched, and it's not hard to imagine that being known as a demigod from the day you were born and being raised by a mad mother and a stepfather who might resent the God who bedded his wife, and subsequently the child that came of it, might take its toll. So I tried to be very human in some respects while also running with the Otherworldly manifestations of spirit in physical form.

Is this work published or self-published? And what was your experience?

I self-published through Amazon. There is a bit of a learning curve involved, especially as this was my first time doing it and I am a one person show, but overall the experience was good. Amazon puts out free Kindle books that detail how to format for their platform, and these were the most helpful tools for me. The most frustrating thing was catching an error, or not thinking about a difference in formatting between print and ebook, and having to go back and correct it for what felt like the ten billionth time. I finally realized I was probably never going to achieve perfection, and so I let a big glaring error slide in the end... chapter two got deleted from the table of contents. I call it the hidden track, like on a CD: on the album, just not in the liner notes.

Do you plan your stories before you begin?

Yes, now I do. With Son of the Sun, I knew the story by heart so well, I didn't need an outline as much as I needed a reminder checklist: don't forget x, then y, then z. I of course did a ton of research for details and names and such, and added in a part or two I didn't remember at all before doing said research (the whole Derbforgaille story is actually weirder than I wrote it, so I just had to include it). The structure was already in my head. With the new book, I actually started it twice and aborted both of those attempts as it was either too rambling or too compacted; I wrote an outline to pace myself and restarted and am now happy with how it's going.

Do we see some of you in your book? 

Yes, I am all over this book, in different parts and in different characters. I think that's probably true of a lot of fiction writers; we have to relate to our characters first if we're to make them relatable to others. The piece that probably most people would catch was my decision to make Emer asexual. She does not bear CuChulainn any children, and the "bitter straight wife of a gay man" trope is overdone to me. Making her conveniently a lesbian didn't feel right either, as by all accounts she loved CuChulainn very much (and only grew jealous when he schtupped a Goddess, if you believe that version of the story). So a contentedly intimate but nonsexual relationship seemed right to me.

Are you a fast writer or a slow writer?

I'm probably on the slow end. My goal for the first draft of Son of the Sun was to complete it in a year and a day, and I finished it a few days after that self-imposed deadline. Then edits, and formatting, and making a cover when I am technologically challenged... and of course transposing the whole thing into a Word document, as I write first drafts on my typewriter, Amergin... all took much longer than I'd anticipated.

What one book do you wish you had written?

Just one? Egads. Can I say the whole Alexander trilogy, or perhaps the Sevenwaters trilogy by Juliet Marillier?

Who encourages or inspires you?

You can probably guess that Mary Renault inspires me; I adore her books! My friends online encourage me daily.

Where in the world would you most like a writing retreat?

Ireland (were you expecting a different answer?)!

What are your future plans for writing?

The book I am working on now is called Tales From The Northern Winds, and it is a novel about the Tuatha De Dannan. It's not a small time frame, as in the Invasion Cycle, though it does include that and reaches to present day and immediate future.

*

Thank you Wren, for giving us a glimpse into your process and your passion! We wish you all the best with Son of the Sun and look forward to reading your next novel!

Ellen Evert Hopman

Author Name: Ellen Evert Hopman
Best Known Works: A Druid's Herbal for the  Sacred Earth Year and A Druid's Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine
Where can you find her? Website, Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, Llewellyn

Top Writing Tip: Being a writer is not something you “want to be”, rather it is something “you are”. There is a tremendous amount of sacrifice associated with this profession. Also, there is very little money in it and not much glory, so it had better be something you “can’t not do” to use a double negative. The only reason I have been able to write so many books is that I have always worked part time, just to have the energy to keep writing and teaching. Sitting and dreaming about “being an author” has nothing to do with it. You have to want to sit in a chair for hours every day and thump out pages of work, in solitude.

What are the main life experiences that have led to this book?

I have been a Druid since 1984, officially. I was born in the Hallstatt area of Austria which some say is the birthplace of Celtic culture. There were Celts around before that but it was only when the Celts had salt mines in that area that they were able to accumulate enough wealth to commission distinctive jewelry and weapons. In my early years my mother would talk about the Celts with great reverence, I never thought much about it and it was only in my thirties that I heard there were “Druids” in this world. I immediately felt drawn to that word and have spent the rest of my life learning about the Druid path and founding or co-founding Druid Orders in the US. 

I was one of the first members of ADF. I co-founded The Henge of Keltria and was its Vice President for nine years, and The Order of Whiteoak where I was co-Chief for five years. I am currently Archdruid of Tribe of the Oak . 

I have taught and initiated many Druids over the years. As a teacher I wanted to understand the full scope of what Druids once were and what we are now. That was the impetus to travel to Britain to 

see what Druids on that side of the pond were doing and teaching. I interviewed the major Druid leaders at that time and those interviews eventually became this book.

When did you realise that you were Pagan?

I had an actual epiphany on Winter Solstice morning 1978. I was riding in the car with my then husband and he was listening to a hockey game on the radio. I had no interest in the game whatsoever but at one point the announcer casually mentioned that it was the day of the Winter Solstice, in the midst of his patter about the game. I suddenly felt a strong urge to “do something”, I knew not what. I begged my husband to stop the car. He wouldn’t get out and kept listening to the game while I bounded out of the car into a forest. I had no idea what I was doing but I stumbled upon a stream that was partly frozen over and saw the sun shining in the water. I anointed myself with the water and I “knew” I had done it. Whatever “it” was.

It was years later that I learned how Fire and Water were considered the basic building blocks of creation by the ancient Celts. For Scandinavians, of course, it was Fire and Ice.

When and why did you begin writing?

When I moved to New England I was amazed at the shortness of the growing season here. I couldn’t imagine how settlers and Native Americans survived through the long winter with no fresh greens. Then I looked out the window and realized they must have been using the trees somehow as food. I looked for a book that would tell me how to do that and never found one. That was in the mid 1980’s. So I made a leap of illogic and decided I had to write the book myself! The book that emerged was Tree Medicine – Tree Magic which covers the herbal, practical and magical properties 

of trees. There were no books like it at the time and it is now out of print. I later went on to pen a sequel called A Druid’s Herbal of Sacred Tree Medicine which is arranged around the trees of the 

Ogham alphabet and also gives the herbal, magical and practical uses of those trees, based on Celtic scholarship.

Is this your first published piece or have you had work published before?

I have quite a number of books out these days, both fiction and non-fiction. There is a Druidic trilogy of novels starting with Priestess of the Forest – A Druid Journey that is focused on the time when the very first missionaries were appearing in Ireland and Scotland and written from the point of view of the Druids. There are a number of herbals including A Druid’s Herbal for the Sacred Earth Year, Secret Medicines of Your Kitchen, Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore, Walking the World in Wonder – A Children’s Herbal, and the newest herbal which is due out in February, 2016 called Secret Medicines from Your Garden.

How did the topic of your books come to you? 

What usually happens is I wake up at five AM with a sudden inspiration for a book. I “see” the outline of the book and once I “see” that I know that all I have to do is write it! I have always felt that some deity was behind all this – I suspect Brighid.

 Tell us a bit about your new book, A Legacy of Druids.

The new book A Legacy of Druids is the story of how the major Druid Orders of today came to be formed, in the words of the founders. It gives the reader an insight into what they were thinking and what their hopes were for the future of Druidism. It also tells us about how these Druids were raised and what led them to become a Druid in the first place. Each of them defines what the term “Druid” means to them and the variety of opinions and insights is astounding.

The book is becoming more valuable by the day since a number of those interviewed in it have since passed over. Isaac Bonewits, Lady Olivia Robertson, Tim Sebastian and Septimus Myrrddin Bron, have crossed the veil since I recorded their bits. I am immensely grateful to have spoken with them and these may be the last words we will see from them in print.

Do we see some of you in your book?

There is a bit of me in the new book A Legacy of Druids which you will find in the questions I ask. I steered the conversations towards the topics I was interested in and cared about, others might have done it differently. I have another book out that was done in a similar way called Being a Pagan – Druids, Wiccans and Witches Today. That is also a book of interviews and The Huffington Post named it one of the twenty seven most important books on Paganism. I am hoping that A Legacy of Druids will receive similar accolades. 

How long does it take you to write a book, are you a fast writer or a slow writer?

It usually takes me about two years to write a book. Then I hand it over to a reader or readers who make comments and I revise accordingly. Then I hand in the whole book (I have never had luck with queries) to a publisher that I think is suitable for the genre and they make their comments. Then I revise again. Finally the publisher edits and corrects the grammar and spelling and I approve the process, chapter by chapter. After that there is the work of promotion which usually takes at least another year. The exception to all this was the first novel in my Druid trilogy – that took nine years! I was writing other books at the same time but I had never tackled fiction before and I had to learn, step by step. I did not go to school for this, I am not a trained writer, I just do it.

Are you published or self published, and what has been your experience of this process? 

I have never self-published, I rely on good editors and distributors to help birth my books. One of my pet peeves is self-published authors who throw a book on Amazon and then ask for positive reviews when the book is filled with bad grammar, misspellings, strange lacunae in the text, anachronisms, etc. This is what editors are for, to correct and point out those kinds of failings. It is the responsibility of publishers to provide a second or third set of eyes to double check a manuscript. In the absence of that process the quality of books is just going down, in many cases.

Do you think ebooks have changed the publishing market for better or worse?

I do not own an ereader and I have never read a book electronically other than on my computer. I dislike reading books on my PC, I find that I miss or gloss over many things when I do that. I prefer to read a book on paper. I also like having reference books on the shelf where I can mark chapters or passages, bookmark favorite herbs, etc. 

The worst aspect of ebooks, as far as I can see, is that they are putting book stores out of business. Book stores are still the best place for people to browse and get to know authors they have never heard of. They also provide a place for authors to speak to a live audience. It makes me very sad to see book sellers being pushed out of business. Also, books do not have to be made from trees. There are many other options out there such as hemp. I hope that paper books remain a viable business in the future.

Where do you go when you need to recharge?

I am blessed to live in an oak forest so mostly I will just go for a walk outside my kitchen door. There is a natural stone circle out back and a lovely little stream that I have used as a clootie well for thirty years. I get moose, bears, possums, skunks, foxes, coyotes and fisher cats here at the house plus owls, eagles, woodpeckers, crows and many other birds. If I get stuck while writing I will go outside and see what the weather is doing or what animal, herb or tree has put in an appearance, and that often provides an idea for the next chapter.

Do you socialise with other writers or are you a solitary author?

I do like to socialize with other authors, especially when I am in the throes of writing a book. I belong to a writer’s guild and I participate in writer’s lists on Facebook. Meeting with other authors is a good way to get tips on writing and ideas for how and where to promote your books. Writers who are blocked for some reason can get pointers on how to overcome that hurdle or face whatever fear is in their way. It’s is thrilling to read passages from a new book out loud, especially an unpublished one, and get feedback from your peers.

But in general, this is a very solitary occupation where most of the time it’s just you, your PC, and the cats for company, as you bang away on the keyboard.

What are your future plans for writing?

At the moment I am “between books” and waiting for the next idea to drop on my head. I am also in conversation with a script writer and an actress about hopefully turning my novels into a film. I trust the Gods to guide this process because, once again, it is completely strange territory for me and I am learning as I go!

*

Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your passion and your process, Ellen! We wish you all the best with your next inspiration and we look forward to seeing where that inspiration takes you!

Moon Books

Inner Traditions

Christy Nicholas

Author's Name: Christy Nicholas
Best Known Works: Legacy of Hunger; Ireland: Mystical, Magical, Mythical; Scotland: Stunning, Strange and Secret
Where You Can Find Them: Facebook, Website
Top Writing Tip: Write every day. Even if it's twaddle. Even if you hate it, write. It gets better, truly it does. Give yourself a comfortable minimum, and don't sleep unless you make that minimum. It's a fantastic feeling to finish a first draft.


Hi Christy, welcome back! Thanks for catching up with us.

When and why did you begin writing?

I had just written my first novel (which is still in the editing process), about my parents' love story. It was a tale that needed to be told. I enjoyed the writing of the novel very much and was eager for more. I have always been incredibly attracted to Irish history, and the magic of that land, so I wanted to portray it in such a way that others could know the magic.

When did you realize that you were Pagan?

When I was about 16, I was heavily involved in the Presbyterian church. I began to study other religions and discovered that my soul was definitely more at home in a different belief system.

What are the main life experiences that have led to this book? 
I've always been someone who tries new things. I am an accountant, but I make jewelry, take photos, paint, and sew. I also have no children, yet still wanted to make a mark on the world.

How did the topic of your book(s) come to you?

I have always been a fan of Irish history, and a big fan of such novelists as Juliet Marillier and Morgan Llewellyn, who combine history with mythology and magic. I wanted to do something similar, bringing the Great Famine into a greater public scrutiny. 4 million people either left or died in Ireland during that time, a full half of the population. I wanted to show someone taking the opposite journey - traveling TO Ireland during that horrific time.

Tell us a bit about your story, key characters, and plot.

Valentia McDowell is a rather spoiled young lady in Pittsburgh and is bored. She is determined that she wants to go on a quest - to find her grandmamma's family in Ireland. She corrals her brother, Conor, into the journey, and, of course, her maid and his valet. She has been haunted by tales of a special family heirloom for years, a mystical brooch her grandmother had left behind. She takes one of the first steamships across the Atlantic, traveling in style and wealth. But when she arrives in Ireland, battered by illness and already disillusioned of her quest, she discovers the plight of the Irish people during the Famine. She continues her quest but conceives of a new one - to help the people as much as she can.

Do you plan your stories before you begin?

Yes, and yes. I'm definitely a planner, not a pantser. I am an accountant, so I love order. I write out my synopsis, building it layer by layer (see The Snowflake Method for details). Then I make a spreadsheet with all my scenes, and only then start the writing process.

How long does it take you to write a book, are you a fast writer or a slow writer?

I'm a pretty fast writer, but a slow editor. While I set myself a minimum of 1000-2000 words a day (with weekends off), I can usually get a novel-length first draft in about 2 months. I love writing the first draft, and when I get in the zone, my fingers fly as fast as my thoughts. It's an almost orgasmic experience to finish that first draft. However, then comes the hard part. I hate the editing. It's a painful process for me, and I tend to procrastinate it. I'm doing that right now, as a matter of fact!

Is this your first published piece or have you had work published before?

I've had my two travel guides, Ireland: Mystical, Magical, Mythical and Scotland: Stunning, Strange and Secret published in 2013 and 2014.

Are you published or self-published, and what has been your experience of this process?

I am both. My first couple of photojournals of my travels were self-published. My two travel guides for Ireland and Scotland are published by a small press publisher in Ireland (Tirgearr). They are also publishing my first novel, and I am very grateful for all the help they have offered me along the way. It's a very long process either way, but highly rewarding.

How important are reviews of your work, do you read them?

Absolutely, and yes! We all have an innate need for approval. It's hard-wired into us, and a review is a critique of something you have sweated long hours to create. It's as if someone is judging your child. Of course, you must have some thick skin for those that just don't like it - I do understand that. However, the good reviews make you glow inside that you've brought some delight and joy to another person. You've shared your love with them, in a way.

Who encourages/inspires you? 
People. There is such kindness in the world, in the face of cruelty and hardship. I think it's the strongest force in the universe.

Do you ever dream about writing?

All the time! In fact, that's where I get a lot of my ideas. It's also where I tend to solve plot issues, or come up with new scenes. I used to train myself to remember my dreams by writing things down as soon as I wake up. I did this for a long time, and now I'm very good about remembering what I dreamt.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you most like a writing retreat?

The west coast of Ireland. Specifically, County Donegal, hopefully on a high coastal cliff overlooking the sea. Ireland holds a piece of my soul, and I call it mo anam bhaile, my soul's home. My inner self feels grounded when I am in Ireland, in a way I never felt in the US, Canada, or even England or Scotland.

What are your future plans for writing?

I've already written two prequels to this novel, and a first draft of a stand-alone story, called Call of the Morrigan. I'm hoping to next work on a novelization of the tale of the Children of Lir.

***

Thank you, Christy, for updating us on your projects. We wish you all the best for your new series!