The Magic of Ireland

Today we have a special blog with author Clare Austin on a subject near and dear to my heart: Ireland. It's easy to wax lyrical, when the lush fields of green surround you. And the loveliness of the redheads catches your eye. As you can see, Clare has captured that magical beauty. I, too, am a redhead, so we have much in common as we both love Éire and love to write.

I asked Clare to tell us a bit about how she researches her stories. And one of her recommendations is to visit Ireland. If you haven't done so, I highly recommend it. (Just think of the tax write-off.)

Thanks for joining us, Clare! And now I'll turn the blog over to you for some words of wisdom:

Thank you for having me on your blog today. I have been thinking about how I research my stories. I would have to say it’s a dynamic process. Researching Ireland is always a joy. Invisible threads pull me back each year to the shores and hills I’ve loved since a child. My muse thrives in the weather, dances to the music of the sea caressing the cliffs and breathes deep into her soul the fragrant air settling over a field of stone and whitethorn.

When I started writing fiction four years ago this fall, all the Irishness in me once again surfaced. I had recently been back to Éire and as I traveled I made copious notes for story ideas. If you get off the tourist track, it won’t be long before someone will tell a tale, sing a song, raise a pint in celebration of a victory or to salve a defeat. The Irish love to talk. I love to listen. Story telling is a national pastime…right up there with Gaelic Football and Hurling. History, both recent and ancient, is a nebulous thing mixed with lore and a touch of blarney.

Years ago someone asked me “Why Ireland?” My answer… “Why anywhere?” Apart from the obvious, the physical beauty, the friendly people, the magical charm, there is a gravitational pull. The land of Yeats, Joyce, and Sheridan tugs on every cell of my body until I once again return to that greener shore.

My writing has been described by more than one reader as “lyrical.” I have to believe some of that tendency is in my mitochondria, passed down from generations of Celtic folk. But, I also have a vast curiosity about how environment shapes us.

I cannot walk past the General Post Office in Dublin without visualizing the struggle for Irish Independence…and a story will start to gel in my consciousness. When I stand on the shore or swim in the sea, I literally hear the music of harps, fiddles and pipes in my head. I’m “Off with the fairies.” This is a very Irish phrase that gently depicts a condition lacking reason or sanity. It rather sweetly illustrates a state of blissful confusion. My friends and family will attest to the fact that I can get lost in my own neighborhood. I know it is because those “fairies” called me off to places in my heart.

I’m not at all sure this qualifies as research. Yes, I do actually read, study articles on the internet, talk to experts. In the Fad Trilogy the Irish characters are native Irish speakers. I have an Irish language expert who helps me not sound like an illiterate when I use an Gaeilge in my books. I have a great little book called Slanguage by Bernard Share to help wade though the street slang of Dublin. The film “The Commitments” is fabulous for getting a feel for modern urban Irishness. I am a voracious reader. Frank Delaney, Maeve Binchy, The Táin translated from the Irish by Ciaran Carson and the Princes of Ireland series by Rutherford sit on my bookshelves beside the poetry of W.B. Yeats.

But, if you are going to write about Ireland, there is no research better than being there. You will feel the stories soaking into your skin, your hair, your lungs as gently as the rain that falls on a soft Connemara morning. Be mindful to keep your voice silent, ears tuned, to quiet your heart and wait. It will come…that’s Ireland.

Thank you for this opportunity. I hope you will stop by my website www.clareaustin.com and take a look at my other books, Angel’s Share and Hot Flash, both due to release early in 2010. If you wish to contact me personally, my email is authorclare@gmail.com. Don’t be shy…I love to be chat with people about writing, books and Ireland.

Clare

And here's Clare's most recent release:

Flannery Sloane is a free spirited bohemian with a soul blessed by Irish musical tradition. She doesn’t give a care for where she’s going or how she’ll get there. Joy and passion are her only map. And, though she’s not interested in falling in love, she wouldn’t mind a little fun with a fine looking man. Hunter Kincade looks like he could fill that bill and have a bit of change left over.

Flannery never wears a watch. She’s late for everything but the downbeat of a fiddle tune. She’s happy serving pints in the pub and playing for tips and smiles. Hunter thrives on punctuality. He is in the music business with his focus on the bottom line. The pretty fiddle player with the bright green eyes would make his next production worth the price of a CD.

Their only common ground is the belief that falling in love is a danger to health and sanity.

Will it take more than Irish magic to pull a man like Hunter into the spell of a woman like Flannery? They are all wrong for each other...and they are so right.

Talk about amazing...

Today I'm showcasing Cate Masters who's had NINE acceptances in less than a year and a total of FIFTEEN since her run of good luck began. In addition, Cate’s short stories and flash fiction have appeared in various web zines and press sites. I’ve asked her to share a bit about her recent successes. We can all use inspiration like that!

It’s an exciting year for me. The Wild Rose Press released my sixties-era short romance, Seventh Heaven, in mid-March. On May 6, they’ll release my short fantasy, The Duende and the Muse. On July 16, they’ll release my contemporary short Going with Gravity, and last month they accepted Design for Life, a sweet contemporary. Eternal Press contracted two novellas—a contemporary women’s fiction and an urban fantasy—and both are supposed to be available sometime this summer. Wild Child Publishing contracted a short contemporary, Liberation via Pen, which should be out sometime this year. Shadowfire Press is set to release my short Halloween-themed urban fantasy, Reflections, on October 2. Freya's Bower accepted my short urban fantasy, The Lure of the Vine, last weekend. A few more stories and novels are out there circulating, and I’m hoping to have news on them soon. Anyone interested can find updates on my blog: www.catemasters.blogspot.com. Readers can find links to my stories, including those published in web zines (i.e., freebies), at http://catemasters.ning.com/.

Such recordbreaking success didn't have come easily. You've invested years of hard work in learning your craft. When did you first dream of being a writer and what steps did you take to follow your dream?

It seems like I always wrote something. About age ten, I wrote poetry and continued until recently, when fiction drew me entirely away. In high school, I also wrote for the school newspaper. I started a novel in my twenties but found it too difficult to write while my kids were young and worked at a full-time job (and simultaneously a part-time job for many years). In my thirties I picked fiction up again more seriously and began buying how-to books and took several online workshops (Gotham Writers Workshop, Writer’s Digest, etc.), and attended local workshops and writer’s gatherings. I joined several critique groups. For a few years, my demanding day job allowed no time to write for myself, and I felt miserable—except that it was an incredible learning experience, and taught me to evaluate each word’s weight within a sentence. This past year, pressing personal issues forced me to quit work, and I focused on my writing full-time. Joy! And it saved my sanity in a tough time.

You write in a lot of genres. Do you have a favorite and why?

I’m too ADD to have a favorite! I love to experiment. Every genre poses its unique challenges and rewards. I do love urban fantasy, but also contemporary. Not being much for history in school, I was surprised at how much I loved bringing historical characters to life. Flash and short fiction are good exercises for tightening prose, but I also love how novels allow me to explore a story in detail. I love it all!

Some of your books are set in areas where you've lived/grown up. Can you share some of your memories of those places & why they're special to you?

I was very lucky to grow up in an artsy community. Lambertville/New Hope is nationally known for its art, antiques and theater. I also had incredibly talented friends who all loved music as much as I did. Since about third grade, we wrote poetry together, sang together, drew and painted. An amazingly nourishing environment for being creative. But I also like to explore places I’ve never been through writing. The Internet makes it easy to research locations, and I’ve also sent for visitors guides to help provide setting details. Fantasy’s fun for creating new worlds.

Growing up in an artsy community has carried over to your writing. Many of your stories contain references to art and music. What arts do you have a passion for?

I couldn’t live without music. I could never pick five CDs to take with me on a deserted island. I’d need a carrier pigeon to bring me the latest releases! Although I can’t listen to music while writing—I get too caught up in it. I’ve dabbled in so much (though lately, not so much)—painting, photography, gardening, jewelry making, needlework. In high school, I spent a lot of time sketching. I’ve attempted to play the piano and guitar, but gave it up at the request of my family. Photography comes in handy for making book trailers, which I find lots of fun.

Speaking of trailers, your son did incredible music for them.

Thank you! My husband and I recognized our son Chris’ gift for music at about age two and tried to nurture it by keeping his instrument supply updated. He has an uncanny ability to listen to a song once and play it. He also writes his own music, and I used his songs in my first three trailers. Below is the trailer for Seventh Heaven. I took the photos of the Lambertville/New Hope area on a trip home.

He's obviously very talented, as are you. Has following your passion encouraged your other children to follow theirs?

My daughter Abbey’s a stickler for language like me (luckily, she inherited my husband’ math skills and his mechanical aptitude). My youngest, Becca, has collaborated in designing furniture with my husband, who’s a woodworker, and sketched some pretty cool fashion, too. The Wild Rose Press recently contracted Design for Life, a story I wrote for Becca, as part of their Flower Basket series. I hope I’ve inspired my kids to follow their bliss, to explore within themselves and discover the gratification of nurturing their souls.

To have written so many books and stories, you must have a wonderful imagination. Where do you get your ideas? And what do you do if your muse decides to take a vacation?

Again, it depends on the story. My imagination’s triggered by any number of things. Sometimes I hear a character’s line in my head, and the story takes off from there. Sometimes a name will evoke an entire character. My imagination’s very vivid, and I generally see the story in my head like a movie. While on vacation in Key West five years ago, we visited a maritime museum and a story vision stopped me in my tracks (no liquor was involved, I swear!). That’s the only time that’s ever happened. It was a bit scary! But I spent a day in the Key West library copying old articles and bought a few books about the area’s history. Last year, I signed up for NaNoWriMo and focused on that story, finally. That historical romance novel is now circulating with publishers.

I have a backlog of story ideas and add to it continually. If my muse wants a vacation, it’s well deserved! And I have plenty to keep me busy.

Any habits/rituals you follow to get yourself in the writing mode?

Turn on the computer and sit in front of it. I treat my writing like a day job, except I rarely get a day off!

What stumbling blocks have you encountered and how have you overcome them?

Time’s been the biggest stumbling block lately. I found it necessary to designate a certain chunk of time for email and throwing sheep at Facebook friends, then it’s back to writing. Promotion’s another time management struggle. Blogging’s fun and a great marketing tool but can suck away too much time. I also have to curb my research. It’s essential and I love it, but I can get carried away there, too.

What comes first in your writing process? A scene, characters, title? Are you a plotter?

Depends. The title’s usually last. I rarely like the titles I come up with. Initially, I was a total pantser and let the characters drive the story. Sometimes it was like herding cats. But plotting doesn’t work well for me. I find it too restricting. I settled on outlining, which helps me to know where the story’s going in general, but have the wiggle room to let my characters wander off on a tangent if they insist.

What characters in your books are most like you and why?

I suppose it’s inevitable that part of any writer’s personality ends up in the story. But again, I like to experiment and explore. I love stories that touch a nerve with people and resonate. I try to avoid making my characters like me – I’d end up writing the same character every time. Personalities are so complex, it’s easy to layer on various aspects. Sometimes I add traits to characters I wish I had!

So what's the real Cate Masters like?

I’m painfully shy. Less so than when I was young, when it actually prevented me from following my dream of becoming a journalist. I could never envision myself intruding on people’s lives efficiently enough to interview them. In my thirties, I made a conscious decision not to let it hold me back any longer. I challenged myself to try something that scared me—I freelanced for the local newspaper. It was a thrill to see my stories on the front page. And since then, I’ve realized how important it is for your personal growth to challenge yourself. Try something you think you can’t do. You’ll amaze yourself.

What do you find most challenging about being a writer?

Because I visualize my stories so vividly, sometimes it’s a challenge to translate what’s in my head to paper. Revisions were painful, early on. In the last few years, I’ve learned to respect them and give them their due. If I put something out there, I want the finished product to be my best possible work. Writing’s a high for me, especially when I manage to string together a well-constructed sentence conveying what’s actually in my head. Language is a powerful tool, and I love the feeling I’ve created something worthwhile, something even vaguely approaching art. I hope to create stories other writers recognize as being crafted with skill and care, and that take readers on a memorable journey.

Before we end the interview, do you have anything special you'd like to share with readers?

A few years ago, Ian McEwan visited our area to promote Saturday, after his success with Atonement. At his booksigning, I asked him for advice for wannabe-published authors. He said: Keep writing. At the time, I thought he just wanted to keep the long line moving, but I’ve since realized the truth of it. It’s so important to just keep at it. I’d also advise you not to be hard on yourself. Rejection’s tough to endure, but use it to improve your writing. And don’t take it personally. If a story’s rejected, polish it up and send it right back out until some editor or publisher picks it up.

I don’t believe in regrets. Sometimes what feels like the wrong path in life can actually provide something useful you’ll need on your way to where you want to go. Hmm, sounds very mystical but I believe it’s true. I’m probably living proof!

Okay, I do have one regret: that I was never in a girl band. I’m pretty sure I could’ve given the GoGos a run for their money, if I’d ever learned to sing and play guitar at the same time!

Ahh...but I'm sure her readers won't regret the time and energy you've poured into learning your craft. And who knows? With so much success already heading your way, maybe that girl band is next.

For those of you who are dying to read Cate's latest release, she has a special treat for readers:

She's giving away a PDF copy of Seventh Heaven. To enter, email her at cate.masters@gmail.com with Seventh Heaven Contest in the subject line. If you win, she’ll respond to your email with the PDF attached. She’ll announce the winner here and on her blog tomorrow, April 23, at 9 p.m. Also, be sure to leave a comment for Cate.

That's not the only giveaway Cate's participating in. I mentioned The Wild Rose Press Sony e-reader contest in previous posts (see below). Buy a copy of Seventh Heaven by Cate Masters for a chance to win!