Will there be any more books in the Kilgannon series?

Probably not.  The series was planned to be four books, the first two of which are Kilgannon and The Wild Rose of Kilgannon.  Unfortunately, shortly before these two were published in 1999, Bantam Books and Dell Publishing merged into one entity.  My editor left and the new Bantam Dell had no interest in finishing the series.  I am, of course, always hopeful that someday the series will be completed as planned.

Why did you write Kilgannon and The Wild Rose of Kilgannon in first person?

My goal was to tell one woman’s life story, from her youth to old age and I thought the best way to know Mary intimately was to be in her head at all times.

Will Duncan MacKenzie, the cousin of the MacCurrie twins from The Legend and The Destiny, ever have his own book?

I don’t have it planned now, but Duncan has proved to be very popular and was a lot of fun to write.  Someday I’d love to tell his story.

Do you base your characters on actual people?

Only those who actually lived.  My own creations are amalgamations of traits that I’ve observed in others, or read about. 

When will your next book come out?

On a Highland Shore will be out in mass market (regular size ) paperback at the end of May.  Rivals for the Crown, the sequel, will arrive in July, in trade paperback.

Why is historical accuracy so important to you?

I think historical writers have an obligation to portray the era and its mores as correctly as possible to relay the sense of that time to the reader.  Why take the journey back in time if it’s the same as our own time?  We are so fortunate to live now, especially we women, and it fascinates me how many millions of women struggled under restraints we’ll never know.

How do you do your historical research?

The best I can.  I start with books, my own, and library books, and inevitably end up buying more to have on hand.  If at all possible, I travel to the spots in which I set my stories, and let those places speak to me.  Some locations looked good on paper, but in person the vibes weren’t right; others leap out at me unexpectedly and ask for the story to be set there.  I use the internet a lot, and find it invaluable for checking details and for contacting people who can reliably inform me.  I use the tourist guides for castles and towns and talk to historical societies.  And I love maps, the older the better.  I do my best to verify my information, but no doubt there are things I’ve missed.

Sometimes the problem, as I found in researching Rivals for the Crown, is not the actual history, but the perceived history in popular culture.  For example, “Braveheart” introduced millions to William Wallace and since he is a character in Rivals, I had to find a way to incorporate the public William with the historical William.  It was an interesting problem.

Is it true that you rewrote Little Women when you were a child?

Yes.  I started when I was nine, finished when I was ten.  I like my version much better.  I will always be grateful to the spirit of Louisa May Alcott for making me realize what I was - a storyteller - and tried to show my appreciation for her by naming my heroine’s aunt Louisa in Kilgannon.

Do you like to write?

I love it.  Most of the time.  It’s hard work and sometimes I get frustrated that the movie in my head is not on the page.  But there are other times, when the muse is with me, that the words and images just flow through me.  That’s a high not to be missed.  I consider being a published writer very luxurious.  I’m living a dream and grateful for the opportunity.  I get to spend the day making the world over to my specifications and creating order out of the chaos of life.  What’s not to like about that?

Do you have any suggestions for new writers or those who want to write?

Read.  Write.  Learn the business.  Don’t be intimidated by writing a whole book.  Write a paragraph a day.  It doesn’t have to be linked to anything else.  Just do it.  Make writing - even 15 minutes a day - part of your daily routine and soon it will be ingrained.  Go to writers conferences. Get books about literary agents and read the trade magazines.  Learn what it is you write - romance, horror, literary fiction, and learn about that genre.

Which of your books is your favorite?

It’s always the one I’m currently working on, or the one I just finished. 

Will you ever write about anything but Scottish history?

Of course.  How about English and Irish history?  Seriously, I have plans for many books running through my head.  We’ll see what the future holds.

Do you choose your titles and covers?

Not always.  I chose the titles for Kilgannon, The Legend, and Rivals for the Crown and my original titles for the others were very close to the final titles, so no complaints from me.  Covers?  I have no artistic ability, so I leave that up to the art department.

What are you working on now?

The next in my Highland Shore series, but can’t talk about that yet.    Check back - I’ll tell you about what’s new when I can.

How do you pick your characters' names?

I used to comb through my large name and other resource books for easy to pronounce and historically correct names for each period. Now I simply choose from the amazing names that come in on SPAM mail. MY current favorite: Napoleon Ordeal.

How can I contact you?

Email me at kathleen@kathleengivens.com.