30 days of Highlanders: Day 10: Interview with Paula Quinn + Giveaway

 

Paula Quinn lives with her husband and childhood sweetheart in NYC. They have three children, four dogs and a rescued Umbrella cockatoo. Paula's passions are Scotland, history, and anything involving swords. She is currently at work finishing up her Children of the mist series.

-Did you get to travel to Scotland or Ireland for any research?

No, I’ve never been to Scotland, but I plan to remedy that next year. I recently received an email from the current MacGregor chief’s wife inviting me to the MacGregor highland games to meet her husband. Exciting!

-Which of your Highlanders was hardest to write?
Oh, this is such a good question. I had days with each of them that were difficult to write-for different reasons. Callum MacGregor from LAIRD OF THE MIST was hard because of the anguish I felt from him. I cried during most of his scenes. The MacGregor proscription is historical fact and what was done to them was truly heartbreaking. Callum’s son Tristan from SEDUCED BY A HIGHLANDER was probably the most difficult because he had so many hidden layers. Outwardly he’s a reckless rogue, the prodigal son, but inwardly he’s a knight in shining armor. It was hard getting him to show me how wonderful he truly was.

-Do you have any secret obsessions while writing you can‘t live without?

Yes, but if I told you, I would have to kill you. :)

-Can you share with us any highlanders your currently working on?

I’d love to. I’m currently working on the fourth installment in the Children of the Mist series. This one will feature Colin MacGregor, the youngest of Callum and Kate’s bairns. We met him briefly in RAVISHED BY A HIGHLANDER and TAMED BY A HIGHLANDER. Colin has always believed that he was born for a purpose. His passion for the sword, for blood, and for winning any battle sears his veins and when he fights, he feels invincible. Since James of York’s coronation three years ago, Colin has spent each day in his service, either at the king’s side and at his back, or at the ear of the king’s enemies, learning their secrets and contemplating their demise. A soldier in a quiet war, Colin is sent to infiltrate the home of an enemy to learn the plans of King James’s nemesis, William of Orange. It will be easy. He’s battled a hundred different opponents and ended many revolts before they became threats to the Stuart throne. But when he meets Lady Gillian Dearly, the cousin of the man he must betray, he isn’t prepared when he must battle himself.

-What got you started in writing about Highlanders?

I’ve been asked many times why I chose to write about Scotland. I didn’t. Scotland chose me and so did the MacGregors. I was perfectly happy writing about knights in medieval England, but Scotland, or more specifically, the Isle of Skye, haunted me. That and a nameless, faceless Highlander whose presence I felt while writing every page of every book that wasn’t Scottish. He was, of course, Callum MacGregor, and as I researched this mighty, resilient clan, I came to love them and their history.

And let’s face it, what woman doesn’t love a Highlander? For me, as a writer and a reader, there is nothing more intriguing than a Highland hero. It’s association by terrain, by culture, and by sound. Scotland is a land of rugged, timeless beauty and windswept moors, resilient against centuries of subjugation. The terrain makes them hard, tough, and robust. Their culture makes them proud, stubborn, and fearless. A Highland hero is the ultimate alpha male, confident in his own power and appreciative of the strength in his woman.

-Can you describe to us your dream highlander?
Sure. Any one of my Highland heroes is my dream Highlander. He has to be tall and rugged, of course. He has to be sure enough about his own masculinity to appreciate a strong woman, and he has to have a good heart. All my heroes are good men, the type who will stick around when things get bad, who love their lass with their whole heart. Strong legs are a must too! A plaid swinging around two sticks isn’t very appealing, you know.

-Who is your darkest Highlander / Who is your mildest Highlander?

My darkest Highlander is definitely Callum MacGregor. He says, in his own confession, “I dinna seek fergiveness fer my many sins. My road to perdition has been long and my iniquities, too numerous and too savage fer redemption. There is naught in my soul but darkness, and I am driven by one purpose, to kill those who have created this beast no one dares call a man. “

My mildest Highlander…hmm, none of them are mild, but I would have to say that the most light-hearted of them all was Graham Grant from A HIGHLANDER NEVER SURRENDERS. His unflappable charm and careless attitude about anything that wasn’t wearing a skirt made me smile. A lot.

-Can you tell us about your Highlanders twitter style? (140 characters or less)

Tweeted by Connor Grant (hero of TAMED BY A HIGHLANDER)

“Satan’s balls, she’s grown more bonnie than when last I saw her.”

-How do your highlanders differ from others?

I think they are ruled more by honor than say a typical Highlander of that time might have been. I grew up on stories of Arthur Pendragon and his Knights of the Round Table and all my heroes have bits and pieces of those legendary men inside them. Some of them might initially scoff at these ancient ideals, but eventually they all come to realize that they are or want to be better men because of the lasses who steal their hearts.

-Are your highlanders paranormal or just historical, and why did you choose that path?
My Highlanders are purely historical though I love paranormal and hope to write in that genre (as well as continuing with straight historicals) soon. I chose to stick to history with this series because there’s nothing I love more and this clan has one of the richest histories out there.

-What would the colors of your Tartan be?

The MacGregor tartan is red and green or red and black.

Extras:

-Where can readers find you? twitter,facebook,etc
Readers can find me on
Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Fans-of-Paula-Quinn/336691429368
And on Twitter @Paula_Quinn
I’m also on Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/253272.Paula_Quinn


-Do you have a link to your book list?
I have a printale booklist in series order on my web page http://paulaquinn.com/Bookshelf/index.html at the bottom of the page.


-Do you have a newsletter?
Readers can subscribe to my Newsletter on my website http://www.paulaquinn.com/

Would you like to stop by and chat with the commenter's in the comment section?

I would love to!

 

*~* Giveaway *~*

Paula is giving away

A signed Advanced Readers

copy of her July release

TAMED BY A HIGHLANDER

( SQUEEEEEEE OMG you guys i am so jealous! )

*~* OPEN ANYWHERE *~*

To Enter you MUST:
~Comment here and Say Hi to Paula. Ask her a questions!
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