What inspired you to write this story?
I'm blessed to have two wonderful aunts who happen to be devotees
of Irish history. When I was a little girl, they entertained me
with all sorts of legends and assured me that we were descended
from Irish royalty. (Isn't everyone who's Irish?) From one of their
trips to Ireland, they brought me a gift of a copper statue of Brian
Boru, and I wanted to know more about him than I already did. Everything
I found said how sad it was that Brian didn't survive Clontarf,
as Ireland would be a very different place today. So, I started
thinking . . . what if he had survived?
Was there a lot of research involved?
Yes, for Brian Boru and his times and for many other aspects
of the story, though I enjoyed the research as much as the writing.
I find that looking up facts for one idea not only leads to dozens
of new ideas, but keeps me out of the shopping malls as well.
What part of the story was hardest for you to write?
Writing the chapter where Talty visited the aftermath of the
Battle of Clontarf. Weaving the historical details around the characters
without bogging down the story was a challenge.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
Getting stories on paper has always been a sporadic hobby for
me. For years, those pesky ideas and characters made me drive by
my exit on the highway. My kids were away at college when I finally
enrolled in writing classes to deal with my imaginary friends, and
I made some wonderful flesh-and-blood friends along the way.
What's next?
I'm currently finalizing a sequel to A Band of Roses, and the
third book in the "Roses" trilogy is in the works. For
me, the sound of a fiddle in a real Irish pub often helps the writing
process along. A trip or two to Ireland may be in order . . .
