Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Lyn Horner with us. She comes to us from Texas to chat about her Texas Druids and her fascination with Celtic myth and cowboys. Welcome Lyn!
MK: Dashing
Druid, the second book of your Texas Druids series about three psychically
gifted siblings, all descended from legendary Irish Druids – how did you come
up with the idea? Do you have a fondness for the Irish?
LH:
I’ve always been fascinated by Celtic myth and folklore, perhaps because I’m
part Scotch-Irish on my father’s side. A few years ago my husband and I visited
Scotland and Ireland.
I loved both countries, each beautiful in its own special way, and I felt
rather as if I’d come home. Long before that trip, when we lived in the Chicago area, I came up
with the idea of writing about a young woman who lived through the terrible
Chicago Fire of 1871. Since many Irish immigrants had settled in Chicago, endowing my
heroine, Jessie, with an Irish lineage was logical. The decision to make her
and her siblings descendants of ancient Druids, each with a different psychic
gift, came later. I gave Jessie second sight, the power to look into the
future. Her brother Tye became an empath, able to absorb others emotions, a
painful talent he’s learned to control – until he meets a certain Texas cowgirl in Dashing Druid.
MK: What is your favorite scene in Dashing Druid?
LH:
That’s a tough question. Hmm, let me think. Okay, I’ve got it. There’s a scene in
Chapter Sixteen that highlights the growing love between Tye and his lady, Lil.
They’ve made love, attempting to stave off worry over a looming threat to Tye’s
life. Lil is curious about an incident in his past, when a friend of his died.
She coaxes him to tell her what happened. Tye has never spoken about it to
anyone and he’s reluctant to do so now, but he decides she has a right to know.
Reliving the awful scene, he reveals his secret guilt. Afterward, she comforts
him, and he breaks down in her arms. It’s a very emotional scene.
MK: Do you have a favorite character you’ve
written from either Dashing Druid or Darlin’ Druid? Who and why?
LH:
I love all my characters, good, bad and in between, but my favorite is Jessie
Devlin. She’s my firstborn, you might say. She came to me fully formed out of
nowhere, with her hot Irish temper, Texas bluebonnet eyes, and determination to
live her own life out from under her father’s thumb. I’ve been told she’s too
feisty by editors, but it’s her fighting spirit that sounds a chord within me.
Quite a few readers seem to agree.
MK:
Without giving it all away, please tell us a little something about how Tye
Devlin is going to get through his biggest challenges in Dashing Druid.
LH: Tye undergoes some drastic changes over the
course of his story. A former miner in a funny suit, who can barely stay on a
horse, he learns to herd cattle, ride like an old hand, and shoot like a pro.
These skills, plus his innate bravery, see him through the perils of a cattle
drive and challenges from those who would stand between Lil and himself. His
empathic ability also plays a part from time to time, especially at one crucial
point. As the book title implies, he’s also a dashing Irishman who knows how to
charm a woman, a talent Lil has a hard time resisting.
MK:
What has been your greatest challenge in writing the Texas Druids series?
LH:
Convincing readers that Texas
and Druids aren’t as incompatible as they might think. One reviewer said, “I'll
admit I was completely thrown by the title of this book. If for some reason you
are as well, "fuhgeddaboudit"! This is an engaging, page turning,
can't put it down, don't know where the time went, read.” I love that one!
MK:
In this series, you’ve
combined people from two different worlds/ancestries. What kind of research
went into writing these books?
LH:
I’ve collected mountains of books about Ireland, Irish immigrants, Celtic myths
and folklore, the Chicago Fire, the Union Pacific Railroad, Utah and the
Mormons, silver mining, and of course, Texas. I also called the National
Archives in Washington, D.C.
to find out who commanded Camp Douglas in Utah,
c. 1872, and have visited several of the sites in my books. For Darlin’ Druid these include Bosque County, Texas,
where my Druids settle; the Union Pacific RR Museum in Omaha, Nebraska;
and Chicago. For Dashing Druid, more
trips to Bosque County;
the Red River, where cattle herds crossed on their way north to Kansas; and Georgetown and
Silver Plume, Colorado.
I never made it to Utah
for Darlin’ Druid, much to my regret.
MK: How do you unwind after a long writing
session?
LH:
I watch TV, eat chocolate, occasionally do some gardening, eat more chocolate
and read. My husband and I also love eating out (I hate to cook) and once in a
blue moon we take in a movie on the big screen. Last but not least, we love
visiting our kids and grandkids.
MK:
What do you have in store next for your readers?
LH:
Next comes book three in the Texas Druids trilogy. I’ve titled it Dearest Druid. I had hoped to have it ready
by late this year, but it looks more like early 2013. Promotional duties cut
into my writing time so much these days, something all authors are familiar
with. Once I finish the Druid series, I plan to change course and finish a book
set in Ireland
that I started a few years ago. Then we’ll see what the future brings.
GIVEAWAY
(Comment to enter)
(Comment to enter)
Lyn is running a giveaway contest beginning today, April 23rd. The entry
period will last through Monday, April 30th. The prize is a free
Kindle copy of Dashing Druid. To
enter, leave a comment about her interview here. Also include an email
address so she can contact you if you win. The winner will be announced within 48
hours after the contest ends.
Lyn invites you to visit her on the web.
She is also a contributing author at: http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com
where she has published a series of how-to articles about Publishing With
Amazon.
