Maggie Blackbird

Today, I have author Katherine Prince in the interview chair.  We’re talking about her latest series release Clans Isken and Utbek, a historical, time travel romance.  Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

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1. What inspired you to write Ricolda?

Katherine: It is part of a series, so what inspired my to write the series. From my reading and my reading in the Scottish, Fantastical, Historical and Romantic genres; I as you would imagine encountered many book series. I enjoyed and enjoy the sprawl, scale and scope that series offer. I like the proverbial “Cliffhanger” that instalments in series have too. In short I liked the format and what the format can do for some stories. It immediately appealed to me to plot my stories over the format of a series. I feel that series can work and feel very excited with short stories! As well as this, from my reading of a great myriad of books, authors, stories and series and the desire these gave me to write in these genre’s I started to formulate and imagine my own (dare I say it) saga from my inspirations and imaginings. The characters and elements in the story started to present themselves to me over time, over reading and over many day dreaming sessions imagining what should go in these stories.

2. What can we expect from you in the future?

Katherine: Many more books, short stories and maybe even novels… ;).

3. Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?

Katherine: Oh yes and they will be published in due course!

4. Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Ricolda?

Katherine: Without giving too much away, yes a bit. It goes into more detail on the series villain Ricolda the ethereal trans generational sorceress who has been watching Lyla and the world from a paranormal dimension. But this time she manages to be made more flesh than the characters could ever dream of or desire. A new character Rhea, a pathologically shy girl whose salvation and safe haven is singing. She has a most beautiful voice but with a difference. A feature that will all too literally ring through time and come to the aid of some people who she may not want her talent to help. Besides this her singing will draw her into an adventure she could not have imagined.

5. How did you come up with the concept and characters for the series?

Katherine: I am passionate about this genre and voraciously read in it as well as other Historical, Scottish and Romantic fiction, so I have wanted to write it for a long time, the genre inspires me. I tried to imagine (the inspiration other books and authors gave me helped me greatly in this process too) the best characters and themes that would be a good fit for this genre. But characters that I fell in love with did start to emerge as I read and thought. So in short it was quite an organic process.

6. Where did you come up with the names?

Katherine: The same sort of way I came up with the title as detailed later below.

7. What did you enjoy most about writing Ricolda?

Katherine: The same as with everything I write. I only write characters that I really have literarily fallen in love with. I find writing equally therapeutic as I do exhilarating, I enjoy getting lost in the worlds and people I write in the same sort of way I like to get lost in the stories I read. There’s not much that beats the feeling of walking to your seat to sit down to start writing with a beautiful view out of the window in front of you.

8. Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?

Katherine: Well the Shadow Man or as Lyla finds out is actually called Milonis discovers in the first book that his love and attraction to Lyla is definitely what makes him tick. Singing is certainly the factor that makes Rhea the new character tick. Regaining her former existence and power is definitely the driver for Ricolda. But also a degree of game playing and tormenting the protagonists by stealth. Lyla wants to evolve with and into her relationship with Milonis and further understand her late aunt and her own destiny. The events even with Rhea and Ricolda will tie into her path in ways some may not expect too.

9. How did you come up with the title of your first novel?

Katherine: I like the idea of works whose titles are names after the characters or at least a character trait. Hitchcock’s films are a good example, like Psycho or Marnie. For some reason these titles which are characters names are fascinating and appealing to me. It’s hard to put into words you just get a sort of feeling or instinct for what you like and what you feel drawn to.

10. Who designed your book covers?

Katherine: The great Juliana Stone!

11. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything Ricolda?

Katherine: No, I always ask myself this before I proceed with publishing. I always try not to let a work out if there is any doubt.

12. Did you learn anything during the writing?

Katherine: Always, about myself, the world, the characters and about history and literature as I constantly read and research things for my stories and just out of interest.

13. If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Katherine: Henry Cavill and Jessica Alba would be great if they could do the accents (I’m sure they could!).

14. Is there anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Katherine: Thank you for showing interest in my work. I hope you find the information in this interview somewhat informative and that you enjoy my current and future work. It is a beautiful and remarkable thing to be part of such a vibrant community of audience and authors who make this a thrilling industry to be in and adventure to be on. Thank you for engaging with me and let’s support authors in general as well as paper book shops on the high street, I think that writer’s owe them a great debt and they got us started back in the day after all and still actively support and cultivate authors and the original literary experience. Holding the beautiful pulpy book in your hand and smelling its paper. (Nothing like that smell!)

15. How did you come up with book’s name?

Katherine: As I say I read and study Scottish history, archaeology and literature as much as I can, I suppose I got a flavour of the names and as importantly the type of names from these sorts of works and I guess I played around with names and sounds that sounded good together and they came out of that, I tried to imagine names that could be possible or at least plausible in fantastical Scottish worlds.

16. What is your favourite part of Ricolda and why?

Katherine: I’m sorry to be a let down but I don’t really have favourite bits. I would personally feel concerned if I liked bits more than others, I would keep asking myself why don’t I like it all the same and why do I like some bits better than others. I don’t think in this way about my books so I cannot really answer this question sorry. This is just me and I appreciate that other authors may have very different ways of looking at this issue and that is absolutely fine and who am I to say anything about it.

17. If you could spend time with a character from your book who would it be? And what would you do during that day?

Katherine: I would probably have to say Milonis, it would be nice to have a picnic on the shore of a Scottish Loch with him, if he were a real character there would be a lot I would like to ask him. Maybe even a little flirting too ahhh! 😀 As I say elsewhere here he looks like Henry Cavill in my mind whom I really like! It would be great if he could give me a tour of a non-ruin working castle. That would be awesome!

18. Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

Katherine: I both like and try to imagine as much as possible rather than do documentary reflection or recording of people, I suppose a few traits here and there I have included from people I have observed, but I love escapism and the escapism element of writing and fiction so I really try and imagine new people I have never met before in other worlds and parallel universes etc. I would say 95% imagination and 5% reality.

19. What did you edit out of this book?

Katherine: There was some stuff that on closer inspection seemed to me filler or laying pipe so I removed it. Saying maybe rather too much in dialogue instead of letting things come across naturally. Some descriptions, conversations and the like sometimes became rather “speech” like and I wanted to let things breath a bit more.

20. Share some fun facts, behind the scenes, and did you know tidibts.

Katherine: Hmm, what can I say here. haha! 🙂 Well, behind the scenes I suppose I can say that beside my desk on the floor and on my bed (as my desk is in my bedroom) I have extensive notes that I am always jotting down on a rolling basis arranged in a certain order. I jot down general ideas and suggestions to myself along with a rough blue-print to the story to each story all laid out and each page keeps my writing for a bit, then I double check the page to make sure I have covered everything I want to on it then I move onto the next page. It is like a road map of notes to each story. Sometimes when I have been sitting for a long time I lie flat on the floor alongside some of the papers to straighten out and rest my neck and mind ;).

Did you know that I drink aficionado coffee while I work sometimes. All sorts of roasts. I am fascinated by the process and concept of a physical operational process involving people and techniques translating into a taste. Like with wine and the like too, just intoxicating (no pun intended!) I can understand this sort of thing equating into a result, but into a taste. A fascinating alchemy. Same with other foods like honey, wine, whisky, craft beers and even cigars. I don’t smoke, not even cigars, but I do love to smell the occasional cigar. I have fun talking cigars with some cigar connoisseur’s in traditional tobacconist shops. I even purchase the occasional Cigar aficionado magazine. I guess I like the process and the discussion rather than the smoking. I am sure I am quite singular in this way. Speaking of which I love nuts too. Pubs and fancy hotels can do wonderful nut selections.  Cigars are a forgotten art a bit I think. Not too many women I know entertain cigars in anyway. either and as I say I don’t even smoke them. The rolling of them is quite an art too. I like watching the craftsmen doing this on youtube sometimes. From my understanding though they are more a part of Scottish culture than one may think, often enjoyed along side a fine single malt, where, I hear, the tastes compliment each other.

I love going to the beach. Barbecues, trying new foods, travelling around Scotland and travelling in general introducing myself to new cultures I know nothing about. I really like old buildings, castle’s ruins etc. I think my visits to St. Andrews in my youth gave me this. the old ruins and castle there. Extraordinary and rich history. So when I stay in hotels and the like I love staying in country house hotels and hotels and similar that have a rustic feel that are connected with their heritage and where the old stone is still visible and tangible.

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Title: Lyla
Series: Immortal Vows: Clans Isken and Utbek Book 1
Author: Katherine Prince
Genre: Time Travel Historical Romance

If they are to have a future together, they must return to the past…

A not-so-ordinary woman…
Lyla has the nearly-perfect life in England, but deep within, she struggles with her identity. Sometimes, she feels as if she doesn’t belong in the society around her. An orphan, raised by her aunt, Lyla has no pictures or memories of her parents except the beautiful sapphire necklace she’s worn all her life. Then shortly after her aunt’s mysterious death, unexplainable climate catastrophes begin occurring, coinciding with the nightmares that have begun tormenting her. Are the answers to be found in her aunt’s secret diaries? And who is the strange man who seems to be following her?

Shadows of the past…
Watcher. Protector. The Shadow Man understands his duty to his tribe. Find the girl, retrieve the stone, and return to his own time eight hundred years into the past to save his people. And Lyla certainly bears watching. The alabaster-skinned beauty has no idea of the danger she’s in. No idea of the supernatural and magical powers she possesses. How can he protect her when his duty is to persuade her to step through a portal into a past she doesn’t remember, to fulfil a destiny that may end her life? How can he do that to someone who has captured his heart?

Two worlds, one chance…
Now Lyla is being hunted by enemies she doesn’t even know she has. The only chance they have for a future is to escape into the past. Can Lyla and the Shadow Man learn to trust one another with their lives, and their hearts?

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Title: Ricolda
Series: Immortal Vows: Clans Isken and Utbek Book 2
Author: Katherine Prince
Genre: Time Travel Historical Romance

The invisible superstar…

When Rhea Adams sings, the whole world stops to listen. A deeply private person, who prefers solitude to stardom, Rhea slips in and out of the spotlight, singing, then disappearing. Growing up, her difference had attracted bullies. On stage, the unique power of her voice attracts screaming audiences. But her voice has also attracted another kind of attention. Trapped for centuries in an abyss of darkness, the ruthless queen of the Isken tribe, Ricolda, has been unable to return to her own time in the 13th century. But through a glowing blue orb, she can watch Rhea. Is the beautiful singer Ricolda’s ticket to her own time, to her army of giants, and her quest to rule all of Scotland?

A simpler time…

There’s magic—true magic—in Rhea’s voice. It’s the key that unlocks Ricolda’s prison, freeing her to once again pursue her evil plans. When Ricolda appears to Rhea, then steps through a mystical portal, Rhea is compelled to follow her, into the past, into a place where there are no screaming fans, a place where Rhea might find the peace she craves. But nothing could prepare Rhea for Dahniell, a man who enraptures Rhea at first sight. And Dahniell is equally entranced by her. But can Dahniell and his village trust this beautiful stranger who consorts with the likes of the dark magician, Ricolda?

No time for love…

Ricolda believes love is for the weak, and she is not weak. She plans to be immortal. To conquer the world. That having power is greater than having love. Can the beauty of Rhea’s singing, the power of its magic, transform evil? Can Ricolda in fact be the saviour of the village, or will the past and future collide, condemning them all to eternal darkness?

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Rhea asked as soon as she got over his looks and started to notice her surroundings. Where she was looked alien to her and try as she did, she had no idea where she was or where she was going to from there. It was then it hit her with resounding force, Ricolda and her appearance into Rhea’s life, the talk they had and the swirling vortex she found herself drawn to. Ricolda was nowhere to be found, and Rhea started to worry. That was the main reason she was where she was in the first place, and that was also why she got to meet this beautiful but annoying man that stood in front of her.

“You don’t know where you are? So, are you lost by any chance?” Dahniell asked, his eyes urging her to answer. He saw the sincerity and the earnest confusion in her eyes. She truly didn’t know where she was or how she had got there. It was either she was very sincere, or a very good actress. He hoped it was the former because he’d already started to take a liking to her and he would hate her to be the spy he was warned against. In fact, it’d really mess up his day in ways he didn’t want to think about.

“I don’t know how to explain it actually. It all happened so fast and before I knew it, I was here. Actually, I remember most of it. It was a woman who came to thank me for freeing her from some prison she’d been trapped in for so long. Actually, I don’t know which way to put it, but she looked much like you, different in a way…” As Rhea trailed off, Dahniell could only look at her in unmasked horror and prayed to all the deities, that he knew, that he was wrong about what he was thinking. He really did hope he was wrong.

“Did you by any chance, get her name? I’m asking mainly out of curiosity.” Dahniell spoke in a low tone, with underlying danger. He knew what it would mean if what he was thinking was true. He just hoped against hope that it wasn’t.

“Oh, sure I did. She said her name was Ricolda. That’s what she said, Ricolda. It’s a pretty weird name though.” Rhea looked deep in thought as Dahniell schooled his face to one of nonchalance. If she had no idea about the true meaning of Ricolda’s existence, he wasn’t going to enlighten her to it. At least not while they were standing. Ricolda was a menace and her journey in and out of time was a little bit tiring. She was known as the Darkest Magician ever which made Dahniell wonder why she hadn’t been killed earlier. It would have saved a lot of anguish.

“Oh well. By the way, since you’re lost, do you think you can come with me to find a place to stay? I promise I won’t bite. In fact, I swear to it. In fact, I’d give you as much space as you want. I just don’t like to think that you’d be roaming these parts unattended. Who knows what or who might come along if I leave you here?” Dahniell, always the voice of reason spoke, and she could understand where he was coming from. She was bone tired and needed a place to lay her head at least.

“Okay, I think I’ll take your offer for today. You don’t look like a kidnapper or anything of that sort of people. So, I’ll be trusting you for today. So, can you lead the way?” Rhea flashed her best smile at him, and he returned it. At least he was going to have company while he walked home.

“Certainly miss, anything for the damsel in distress.” Dahniell spoke, executing a mock bow which Rhea reciprocated with a courtesy of her own.

“Lead the way, my knight in shining armour.” Rhea spoke and Dahniell concurred. They were well on their way to building a beautiful friendship or something even more.

Time would tell.

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Edinburgh born and bred Katherine Prince is the author of steamy Scottish Historical Sci-Fi romance with dashes of the fantastical. Passionate about Scottish folklore, storytelling, culture and history, Ms. Prince is also inspired by the amazing festivals, writers, events, castles and places in her homeland of Scotland. Writing from her converted loft with views of the city, her studies of Archaeology and Scottish literature contribute to her books’ immersive sense of place and authenticity. She loves stories with sweet characters and ultimately happy endings, but not until they’ve had a bit of adversity and challenges!

In the morning, Ms. Prince may be slightly incoherent until her first cup of Artisanal coffee or tea has rejuvenated her. It may or may not be accompanied by another of her loves, traditional South American chocolate. When she’s not writing, her beautiful spunky son and little diva of a cat keep her busy and entertained, along with games of noughts and crosses, and a quirky and delightfully unexpected taste in music and films!

Ms. Prince enjoys hearing from readers and looks forward to connecting with them on any of her social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, Bookbub, Amazon, Goodreads.

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