Interview with MT Magee

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

 I live in New England the land of perpetual winter, with my husband and son. We have a small farm. We raise goats, rabbits and far too many ducks and chickens because they won’t stop breeding.

2. Who are your favorite authors?

M.T. I fell in love with Tolkien at age 11, read all of his books at 12, including the Silmarillion. I also love all of Jane Austen’s works and Elizabeth Gaskell. And the early Terry Brooks. And I am a huge Star Wars geek, so any book related to that is always a fave.

3. Tell us a bit about your books.

M.T.  My book, The Treasure of Gwenlais, is an epic medieval fantasy with a very romantic love story. I wanted to create a world, with the Scottish Highlands and the lush farm country of Ireland, as the back drop. To give some respect to my Scottish heritage and my husband’s Irish descent. Many of the names of villages and towns that are used, are actual names of towns and villages of Scotland and Ireland. Because of my love of history, they are used in direct correlation for what their rich past made them known for, and is applied with loving respect for their history, in the story. Many of the names of the characters are Irish, Scottish, or Gaelic, again showing my love and admiration for our heritages. The characters also speak Old Irish, from time to time, referring to it as ‘old speak’. I hope everyone will find this as fascinating and beautiful as I did. The story is about two Kingdoms, Gwenlais and Heathwin. They need each other, as Gwenlais provides food, and Heathwin provides protection. Princess Laurel of Gwenlais is the first female child born to the royal family of Gwenlais in ten generations, so a Marriage Alliance is formed with the heir to the throne of Heathwin, Prince Caleb, to unify both Kingdoms. Not everyone wants this to happen so the main characters deal with quite a bit of conflict and prejudice. They also find themselves dealing with dangers from an outside enemy with their own agendas. Though it is fantasy instead of the usual fairies, elves, wizards and dwarfs, I created new races and species. Instead of magic, characters have ‘abilities’.  The character on the cover looking through the trees, is a Rabkin. They are noble, intelligent, sometimes terrifying, and often misunderstood. The main character Caleb is the only human who can communicate with them because of an experience with a Rabkin he had as a young boy. Many of his own people find his ability freakish and intimidating. It is what shaped his character, and makes him very interesting not just a one dimensional alpha male. Laurel is not your typical princess. She is brave, feisty, but also vulnerable. She is not a warrior, but becomes a healer, or Ollam, as the healers are called in the book. Caleb and Laurel both find their world suddenly more dangerous than they have ever experienced, as other factions try to keep them from uniting their Kingdoms.

4. If you could travel back in time where would you go? 

M.T. I would travel to Caithness, Scotland to the late 1600’s to see Castle Eilean, before all the conflict started with the Jacobites, and it was brought to ruins.

5. What attracts you to writing about your genre? 

M.T.  I love the creative process, the idea of making a world that doesn’t exist believable, and sharing it with others.

6. Tell us about your books. I see you like to delve in many different genres. 

M.T.  I really do prefer fantasy, especially on an epic scope. Though I love anything with history, which is why I put quite a bit of historical reference into the story, even though it is a fantastical realm.

7. Are planning to participate in any anthologies? Any hints in your story? 

M.T.  Yes, this is the first in a series. A very obvious hint is given at the end of the book.

8. What do you do to relax?

M.T.  I really enjoy being outside. As I mentioned we have a small farm, and I am always doing something with the animals or garden. I like cooking and listening to classical music, traditional Irish music, and talking with friends on Facebook. But my favorite way to relax is sitting under our crabapple tree with my husband, having a cup of coffee, unless there is two feet of snow on the ground.

9. What are you currently working on?

M.T.  Why the second book of course.

10. How can readers connect with you? 

M.T.  By my Facebook page www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009295073607

My book page on Facebook www.facebook.com/therienfieldchronicles?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

My author page on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B015JEDV6G