Today I’m excited to shine the spotlight on Fiona McShane, author of yesterday’s featured fantasy novel, Bluebells (Wolf Land #1).
Welcome, Fiona! Please tell us a little bit about you…
I’m so happily married that it disgusts people! I share a tiny, dilapidated house with my husband in rural Ireland. We also share with a dog and a cat. The dog likes to howl at the moon. The cat likes to laugh at the dog.
When you’re not writing, what do you like to do?
I love yoga. The day is not complete unless I’ve done at least one headstand. And of course I love to read. Sometimes I think that reading is like refueling for a writer – I’m topping up my tank with words.
Well said! What inspired the story of Bluebells?
Bluebells, the first of the Wolf Land series, is a book that manages to combine two of my interests: wolves and Irish history. I was inspired to write the story whilst reading about Ireland in the late 1600s (Ireland really was nick-named Wolf Land by many at the time). The wolf ‘problem’ in the country was making it difficult for settlers to clear land. The forests were areas of freedom for the wolves and the tories (Irish rebels). Because I also have a love of fantasy, I thought: what if the reason that the wolf hunters found Ireland so difficult to clear was that our wolves were … something different? And so the story began.
How long did it take you to write?
I’m usually working on more than one story at a time, so it’s always difficult for me to say how long a story took in real time. I suppose somewhere between six months to a year, but that’s a rough estimate.
What would you say is the most profound change writing this book has had on your life?
I’m not sure about writing the book, but I certainly believe that making the decision to publish has changed me profoundly. I’ve always been shy about my work, and reluctant to share it even with close friends and family. Now that I’ve (somehow) found the confidence to put my work out there, I feel freer.
What do you feel is the hardest part about writing a book?
The lack of sleep. When I’m in the midst of a story, I think about it constantly. I wake up in the middle of the night to write.
Who is your favorite character and why?
In Bluebells my favourite character is Sorcha. I love following her progress, as she grows from girl to woman, learning to take ownership of her power.
The character who most fascinates me is Lady Tolbert. In Book Two, we get to learn a lot more about this character, and she grows more interesting with every page.
Do you have a favorite quote or scene in Bluebells?
I’m a sucker for romance, so of course I love Sorcha and Rory’s first kiss:
“I looked up nervously, and was relieved to see that he was just as nervous. With a trembling hand he pulled me towards him, and pressed his lips lightly to mine. A sweet scent surrounded us – it was the unmistakable smell of bluebells. The kiss lasted barely a second, but in that second I could feel his heart thumping close to mine. I could feel my own heart, too, so fast and strong, beating out towards his. I could feel my lips tingling. I could feel his lips, his chest, his whole body and mind, as though it was all my own. There was no doubt any more. There were no nerves. Everything I felt about Rory Farrell, I now knew for sure he felt in return.
He looked me full in the eyes, and I thought he might kiss me again, but he pulled reluctantly away. ‘Walk home with my mother,’ he said, his voice low and husky. ‘I promise you, Sorcha, that I will send Peggy home safe to you.’
He rushed off, and Áine approached. For a moment I stood still, not even acknowledging her, while I watched Rory move towards the forest. My hands were pressed to my lips, as if I thought I could hold the kiss there by sheer will. I could still feel it though. The tingling in my lips had rushed through my whole body, and it felt like pure, perfect energy. My first kiss. It was the daze of the kiss, I thought, that had made me smell bluebells. We were nowhere near bluebells. In any case, as soon as we parted, the scent was no longer in the air.”
Okay, this one’s just for fun: if you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?
A wolf. I don’t know why, but I’m fascinated by wolves, and always have been.
If you could ask a genuine psychic one question, what would it be?
I would ask them to tell my sister I love her.
What books have most influenced your life?
Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go.
Definitely a thought-provoking story. Writers are usually avid readers. If you had to pick one favorite author, who would it be?
Please don’t make me pick just one! I could be reading Margaret Atwood one day, Douglas Adams the next, Maggie Shayne the day after that … I just read. Everything. Anything. And since discovering all of the amazing indie authors out there … my reading list is always growing.
What advice would you give to others who may be embarking on the journey of indie authorship?
I didn’t do much research before I published, but I now know that there is a fantastic network of indie authors out there, all helping and advising one another. Reach out to them. Reach out to me, if you like, and I’ll tell you all the things I did wrong!
The best thing about being an indie author is that you have total control over your work. I write what I want, when I want, and I love every minute of it.
Where can people find you and your book(s)?
I’ll soon be launching a blog. For now, I can be found on Twitter and Goodreads:
https://twitter.com/fiona_mcshane
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13738206.Fiona_McShane
You can find my books on Amazon:
Fiona McShane’s Books on Amazon
Are you currently working on another project? Can you share anything about it with us?
I’m in the final stages of the second book of the Wolf Land series. The book is called Storyfalls, and it will be released this September.
Fiona, thanks so much for chatting with me today!
