Give us a little bit about your background and when you first started publishing.
I married young (eighteen) after only knowing my husband for three months. Everyone told us it wouldn’t last because we were too young, penniless, and he was in the military. Forty years, two daughters, and two grandchildren later, I’d say we proved them wrong. I knew we’d last because the moment I met my husband, I knew he was the man I was destined to marry. We “clicked”. We traveled around the world while he was in the U.S. Air Force then returned to Kentucky where I worked for twenty-nine years as a truck dispatcher at a steel mill. Writing was my stress relief. My first stories were actually put to paper for my mother to get her mind off her failing health during her many hospital stays. After she was gone, I realized I wanted my stories to live on after I passed away, a little bit of my heart and soul left behind. I was first published by a small press willing to take a chance on me in 2011. The rest…as the cliché goes…is history.
Historical Setting Related:
Have you visited the places you’ve written about or just read about them?
- Yes. I visited Scotland and Ireland several years ago and I’m ready to go back! We landed in Glasgow, Scotland on a rainy morning and I felt like I’d come home. Two weeks wasn’t nearly enough time to enjoy either of those beautiful places.
What interesting settings have you used (homes, battlefields, events in history, etc)?
- I based the Highland Heroes series on a brotherhood of Highland mercenaries, bound even closer by their survival of the Glencoe Massacre in February 1692. This particular time in history interested me because I have Clan MacDonald ancestry. The more I read of it, the more their stories nudged me.
Why did you choose the particular period you write in? What is it about that era that speaks to you?
- Although life in 16th and 17th century Scotland could be harsh, brutal, and unforgiving, it still strikes me as a simpler time—a richer time. Nothing was taken for granted. Life was cherished and appreciated. Good health, a warm place to sleep, and a full belly were considered priceless blessings.
Writing Process:
What inspires you to create a certain character (give example)? Have you ever changed the character arc because it didn’t work with the storyline?
- All of my villains are based on people in real life who have irritated me personally. I create them so I can kill them off. Legally. Survival forbids me to divulge any likenesses to anyone living or dead. My heroes are amalgamations of people I admire and sometimes even superheroes. When a particular character starts getting on my last nerve and rubbing against the grain of the story, that’s when I know I’ve gotten it wrong and need to go back and try again. If I don’t like them, readers won’t like them.
Do you have a certain quirk in your writing process? Do the stars have to be aligned or do you have to have your favorite tea? Where do you do your best writing?
- Quirks? I never start a new project unless it’s a new moon. A new moon or a waxing moon lends to success with anything new. My grandmother always planted her garden by the moon and Mammaw’s harvest was ALWAYS plentiful. I always have a cup of coffee AND a bottle of sparkling water at my side while writing. When the caffeine and acid in the coffee start burning my gullet, I switch to the water. My best writing is done in my office, early in the morning, and while the house is completely silent. I’m not one of those writers who can listen to music while I write. I find it too distracting.
Miscellaneous:
From all your books, who is your favorite hero and why?
- Oh, my goodness, I could never choose any one hero as my favorite. That’s like asking me which daughter is my favorite! I love all my heroes.
Outside of your own genre, what’s your favorite genre?
- Regency and Time Travel (travel to the past—not the future).
We hope you enjoyed getting to know a little more about Maeve. Her newest and first book with Dragonblade Publishing has just released and is now live on Amazon!
