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Interview: Willa Blair Author of The Healer’s Gift @willablair #RLFblog #paranormalromance
The Healer’s Gift Title The Healer’s GiftGenre Scottish Historical Paranormal Romance (Novella)Author Willa BlairBook heat level (based on movie ratings): RThe Healer’s Gift resolves the story of one of the most tormented
characters in Highland Healer. Coira MacDugall deserves the harshest punishment
for her actions in the Highlands. But her clan’s
new laird, Logan, defies her expectations. And the Healer’s gift changes everything
she thought she knew — about herself and the people around her.Buy This Book
Publisher The Wild Rose PressAmazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J9QOLOMThe Healer’s Gift is available exclusively on Amazon in print
and for Kindle until 2 July, when it will be available at all the usual outlets,
including iBooks, B&N, KOBO, AllRomanceEBooks.Interview with Willa Blair
Why did you write this
book?When I finished Highland Healer, the first book in my Highland
Talents series, I wondered what might have happened to Coira after Toran sent her
home, and I knew if I wondered about her, then my readers did, too. The Healer’s
Gift is my first novella-length book.I had to write The Healer’s Gift to see how Aileana’s healing
had changed her life. Could Coira be redeemed? Had she been? It was satisfying to
write Coira’s happy-ever-after, and I’m thrilled with the way her story turned out
and with Logen’s, as well. I hope my readers are, too.What is your favorite
genre to read?I love reading historical romance, especially Scottish historicals.
I grew up reading science fiction, so science fiction romance is a lot of fun, too.
I also enjoy romantic suspense and mysteries and contemporaries – wow, it’s hard
to pick just one.What is your favorite character from fiction (not including your
own characters)?From books I’ve read in the past few years, Gabriel Ross Sullivan,
“alpha mercenary and scoundrel” in Linnea Sinclair’s Gabriel’s Ghost (SFR),
is my favorite wounded hero. If I looked back over all the books I’ve read, I’d
have more of a list than you have room to include.Do you enjoy films and/or
TV shows? Which are your favorites?I do like both, but my husband and I rarely go to a movie theater
unless it’s for something we especially want to see on a big screen. We watch way
too much TV and keep our Netflix subscription active, which is how we watch most
movies.Again, I have too many favorites to list, but two by Aaron Sorkin
stand out: West Wing and Sports Night, for their brilliant writing. And I loved
the twists that made the 2009 Star Trek movie into something fresh and new. And
of course, I’m eager to see Outlander, the upcoming STARZ series, when it comes
out this August.What are you working on
at the moment, and what are we likely to see from you in the coming months?I just sent Highland Troth, the third full-length book in my
Highland Talents series, to my Beta reader. Once I get comments back from her, I’ll
do a final revision before sending it to my editor at The Wild Rose Press, perhaps
even by the end of this month. Highland Troth is Jamie Lathan’s story. Here’s the info about it.Jamie Lathan and Lathan fosterling Caitrin Fletcher were close
as children, but after she was called home, he never expected to see her again.
He certainly never imagined he’d be called upon to escort her to be betrothed to
another man. When their attraction reignites, Caitrin must choose between Jamie
and her father’s plans for her marriage-of-alliance. Jamie must find an honorable
way to ensure Caitrin’s future, even if it means sacrificing his own.Once my editor has Highland Troth, I can focus on writing my
next novella. It will be a prequel to the Highland Talents series and will be included
in an anthology called Kissing the Highlander that will release on Valentine’s Day
2015. I’m thrilled to join Eliza Knight, Victoria Roberts, Terry Spear and
Vonda Sinclair in this venture. Keep an eye on our websites for more news. Kissing
the Highlander is going to be fabulous!And of course, I’m working up ideas for at least two more novellas
in the Highland Talents series. I’m sure one will be Angus MacAnalen’s story. So
there’s more to come!Please tell us about your latest book, Healer’s Gift.Coira MacDugall paid with her life for her attack on the Highland
Healer. But her victim did more than heal Coira’s fatal wound that awful night.
Now drowning in the unwelcome emotions of others, Coira wonders if her new empathic
ability was meant as a gift or a curse. Logen MacDugall must discover who killed
three previous lairds if he hopes to survive for long in the position. He believes
Coira’s new sense can help him root out the conspirators, but after her disastrous
time in the Highlands, the last thing she wants
is to get involved with another laird. Logen must help Coira gain control of her
talent in time to save him and their clan from those intent on destroying MacDugall.
Can Coira believe this laird truly loves her? Or will her memories lead her to madness
again?Willa Blair Author Bio
Willa Blair is the award-wining author of Amazon and Barnes &
Noble bestselling Scottish historical paranormal romance and a contributor to USAToday’s
Happy Ever After romance blog. Her popular Highland Talents series, set in a pivotal
point in Scottish history, is filled with men in kilts, psi talents, and plenty
of spice. Available in ebook, print, and audiobook formats, the first three titles
will soon be joined by more novels of adventure and romance.Author Social Media
Website http://www.willablair.comFacebook http://www.facebook.com/willablairAmazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Willa-Blair/e/B009KNNHEE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1400094677&sr=8-1Newsletter http://ow.ly/qTE0U -
Character Interview: Ellie MacKyrie from Highland Seer @willablair #RLFblog
Willa Blair, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. We’re excited
to interview your character, Ellie MacKyrie from the book, Highland Seer.Genre: Scottish Historical Paranormal RomancePublisher: The Wild Rose PressCover artist: Tina Lynn StoutLength: 324 pagesHeat rating: SpicyTagline: The Seer believes he’ll save her clan, but Donal MacNabb
will be no one’s pawn.Blurb:Donal MacNabb is loyal to his adopted Lathan clan, yet he resents
being a pawn in their treaty negotiations with the struggling MacKyries. The MacKyrie
clan needs his skills as an arms master, but its Laird is bartering for more than
Donal is prepared to give.Ellie MacKyrie knows the Lathan treaty will help protect her
clan from the neighbor determined to seize her holdings any way he can—including
forcing her into marriage. But she has another reason to want the Lathan alliance.
She has Seen the stubborn Donal MacNabb reaching for her in her dreams.While Donal fights to save a clan in trouble, his desire for
the MacKyrie Seer wars with his obligation to his Laird. Before she is forced into
a marriage that will destroy her clan, Ellie must find the heart behind Donal’s
gruff exterior and convince him he is the man of her dreams.Buy links:
Amazon: http://ow.ly/nieMIInterview with Ellie MacKyrie
Tell us about yourself.I am the laird of clan MacKyrie. Female lairds are rare in Scotland’s
history, but not unheard of.Tell us about Donal MacNabb:Donal is…was…the arms master to Clan Lathan, his adopted
home. He rarely smiles, so he can be intimidating. He’s a master swordsman. A teacher.
My rock. He…a man…appeared in several dreams. The man I Saw might have been
someone else, aye, but the more time I spent around Donal, the more certain I became.
He had the skills my clan needed most, and he…appealed…to me as no other.What do you think is your
greatest strength?I will do what is necessary for the good of my people.What would Donal MacNabb
say is your greatest strength?I go after what I want and dinna take ‘nay’ for an answer. As
he has learned.What would Donal say is
your biggest weakness?That I’m too soft-hearted. It’s hard for me to make some of the
decisions a laird must make. Then again, I suppose some decisions are hard for anyone
to make.What do you wish was different
about your life?Had ye asked me before I met Donal, I wouldha wished that Flodden
never happened. That my clan remained as it was before all those deaths, my father
and brothers still alive. I would still wish for that, but I would also wish for
Donal to be at my side. We were decimated by the loss of our fighting men at Flodden
in 1513. MacKyrie consists of women, children, and a few old men and lads. Few would
know of our existence, except for the whisky we make, but our neighbors have had
their eyes on the clan’s holdings – and me – since Flodden. The Lathans brought
a treaty promising assistance from nearby clans, but also committing MacKyrie to
provide the same, which we were in no position to do. I saw the Lathan treaty as
a two-edged sword that could work for us or very much against us. Donal’s presence,
and the men from the treaty clans he has brought to us, help to even the odds.What is it like for a
woman to be laird?I canna speak for women who lead other clans, only for MacKyrie.
It has been…difficult…challenging…since our men left to fight with the King.
Our clan’s only survivor, actually a fosterling from anther clan, brought us the
awful news, then disappeared a few months after his return, consumed by his shock
and grief. I doubt he still lives. The few warriors my father left behind have been
lost in skirmishes with the neighbors. The main thing that has saved us thus far
is that the neighboring lairds are wary of each other. Should one invade MacKyrie,
the others wouldna be far behind, and they’d fight like dogs over the scraps of
our home. But it isna all bad. My people are my treasure, and have supported me
in every way. We’ve made much progress, more so since the Lathans arrived, but there’s
still much to do.Some men claim that a
woman can not be a successful laird.A woman canna be a laird, ye say? Of course she can. She can
even lead her warriors in battle, if she’s trained for it. And Queens have ruled
Scotland. But a woman must maintain her authority through craft, wit, and respect
more than strength. She must have allies.How does your Sight work?I dream, rarely clearly. I may See only a brief glimpse. Or the
dream may last a while, but as dreams do, make little sense when I awake. Some dreams
come to me more than once. Those, especially, I must heed.What advice would you
offer other women thrust into positions of responsibility and power?As I said, a woman must have allies. No matter how secure her
position within her clan, she will be beset by outsiders, and possibly from within
her own clan. Some men will pursue advantage by any means, fair or foul. Most women
cannot defeat a man in a physical battle unless she is very skilled or very lucky,
so she must have champions who will fight for her. She must be able to command respect.
But a woman walks a fine line between being perceived as a strong leader and a shrew.
So she must also nurture her people and protect whatever it is that comprises the
wealth of her clan. Many men believe that marriage conveys the lairdship upon them.
That isna the case, but If she is very lucky, she will find a man to stand beside
her, to be her strong arm, her rock and her comfort. As Donal is for me.Willa Blair About the Author
Willa Blair is the best-selling and award-winning author of Scottish
romance with a paranormal twist, set in the 16th century Highlands, when the old
ways, and old talents, still shaped events.She always wished she had several psi talents, such as reading
her husband’s mind, cleaning house by simply thinking about it, and flying. But
alas, no. So she endows her historical romance characters with special talents and
lives vicariously through them. She loves reading and writing romance novels set
in the past, present and future.She realized her life-long dream of becoming an author after
retiring from her day job to write, travel, and enjoy life. Married to her own military
hero golf fanatic, she lives in the Texas Hill Country north of San Antonio where
she writes, feeds hummingbirds year-round and has too many hobbies to count.Previous Books
Highland Healer (Highland Talents #1)Books Coming Soon
The Healer’s Gift (A Highland Talents Novella) And Highland Troth
(Highland Talents #3)Contest:
One lucky commenter will be chosen at random to win a copy of
Highland Seer from Willa Blair, so please provide your email address.Find Me Here:
Website: www.willablair.comBlog: www.willablair.com/blogTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/willablairFacebook: www.facebook.com/willablairGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/willablair -
Paranormal: Highland Healer @willablair #rlfblog
Highland Healer. Willa Blair, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let’s talk about
your book, Highland Healer.Genre: Scottish Historical ParanormalPublisher: The Wild Rose PressBuy links:Amazon http://ning.it/PbhhUBCover artist: Tina Lynn StoutLength: 85,000Heat rating: SpicyTagline: Scottish Historical Romance with a Paranormal TwistBlurb:He needs her for his clan. He wants her for himself. Can he have
both?Toran Lathan never expected to become Laird, and never expected
to meet a woman like Aileana Shaw. Her healing ability is just what his people need,
but Toran cannot re-sist her beauty. Yet will loving him destroy her ability to
heal?Aileana Shaw has a healing touch – and a special talent she must
keep secret. Stolen from her home by a marauding army, she’s kidnapped again by
the Highland Laird she heals. Is she a prize of war, or the prize of his heart?While Toran battles the invading lowland army, he also battles
his desire for Aileana. And Aileana must decide if she can trust her secrets to
this fierce warrior who needs her talent, but wants her love.What are your main characters’
names, ages, and occupations?Toran Lathan, Laird of Clan LathanAileana Shaw, HealerGar Colbridge, leads the lowlander armyInterview
What is the most important thing you do for your career now, as compared to when you first started writing?When I started, learning about the craft of writing and actually
writing were the most important things for me to do. Now that I’m published, and
now that my book has won an award and is a best-seller on Kindle, networking and
promotion/publicity activities such as writing blog posts are important. And writing
the next book, of course!What do you enjoy most about writing?Giving my imagination free reign to explore times, places and
situations that would never occur in my everyday life.If you could give the younger version of yourself advice what would it be?Finish the damn book! Like a lot of writers, I spent years starting
several books and pol-ishing the first few chapters over and over again. It took
a decade for me to settle on one and finish it. Typing “the end” was a revelation.
A rite of passage. Proof that I could really do it.After that, writing a book is not as daunting a task. Yes, it’s
daunting. Just not as daunt-ing. I finished the second book in under a year and
I’m working on the third in the series now. When I want a change of pace, I work
on the outlines of two different contempo-rary novels and a science fiction romance
series I’m developing.What is your work ethic when it comes to writing?I am most emphatically not a morning person. Afternoons and evenings
are the most productive times for writing. When I’m really deep into the book, I
can spend hours at the keyboard. But when I’m still working on the outline or synopsis,
I’m easily distracted. Social media is a blessing and a curse. And don’t get me
started on the lure of Ama-zon’s rankings, especially for a debut author!How do you cope with stress as an author?The same way most of us do – with chocolate! Or a glass of wine.
Sometimes both.Which of your books would you recommend to someone who doesn’t normally read your genre, and why?I’d recommend Highland Healer to anyone who enjoys a good story.
It has action, ad-venture, suspense, and romance. One reviewer even said that men
would like the book because of the details of the invading army, the siege, etc.
Another mentioned the pace and the page-turning action, along with the romance.Willa Blair What kind of books do you read when taking a break from your own writing?I grew up reading science fiction and some fantasy, so I still
go there when I want a change from what I’m writing, but I also enjoy contemporary
romance, romantic sus-pense and science fiction romance.What do you think is the future of traditional publishing?That’s a great question. I don’t claim to have a crystal ball,
but I think the fact that au-thors have so many options right now will force some
changes. I think the Big Six, or Five, or Four, or however they end up, will slowly
adjust to the new realities. Authors can make more money as independents or with
smaller presses. They can choose any combination of publishing methods, including
the (potentially) lower pay but greater prestige of traditional publishers. I think
the big houses will have to woo authors with better royalties and more benefits.
I know multi-published authors who are self-publishing new material at the same
time they’re fulfilling contracts with NY editors for new books at the same time
they’re reclaiming rights to their backlist and e-publishing those books. Options
are good.Imagine you get to go on a dream vacation, but you have only one hour to pack and leave, and it starts
as soon as you finish this interview. What will you take with you and where will you go?I’ll pack layers, comfy walking shoes, a bathing suit and sunblock
and head for New Zealand to visit
friends there and for a grand tour, then hop over to Australia and revisit places I’ve been
as well as adding some new stops.What is your favorite holiday and why?Hallowe’en. All that candy! Did I mention I’m addicted to sugar?
My favorite is Brach’s Indian Corn – the candy corn with the chocolate tops.Then there are the adorable little kids in princess and pirate
costumes – SO cute!What good book have you read recently?Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher. Not your usual romance, but
it will hook you in the first few paragraphs.If you were a color, what color would you be?Orange – all shades from light and bright to deep and burnt.Please underline which statement is more like you:“I am a vacation spa because I am laid back and relaxed.”“I am a ten-countries in ten-days tour vacation, because
I do things as fast as possible.”Please complete the sentences
I love pizza with pepperoni and onions.I’m always ready for lunch or dinner out.When I’m alone, I read, write or nap.You’d never be able to tell, but I enjoy city life, at least in small doses.If I had a halo it would be crooked.If I could be consistent I’d be dangerous!Willa Blair I can never work in an animal shelter because I’d adopt and adopt and become the crazy cat lady.Find Me Here
Website: http://willablair.comFacebook: http://facebook.com/willablairTwitter: http://twitter.com/willablairBlog: http://willablair.com