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| Legend of the Mist |
Veronica Bale, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. Let's talk about
your book, Legend of the Mist.
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: Self
Cover artist: Viola Estrella Cover Art
Length: 224 pages
Heat rating: 18+
Tagline: An island rises from mist; a destiny rises from legend
Blurb:
There is a legend familiar to those who call the island of Fara their home. It is one that is passed
down through the generations. From mothers who whisper the tale to their bairns
as they float into dreams each night. From starry-eyed lasses who pray to find for
themselves the undying love of which it speaks. From elders who know the magic of
the thick and inexplicable mist surrounding this, and no other, of Orkney's islands
which rise from the sea off Scotland's northern coast.
As the daughter of Clan Gallach's chief, Norah knows the legend
better than anyone on the island. It tells of a lady who waits in the mists of Fara
for her long lost love to return to her. It's an entertaining story, to be sure.
But it is no more than fantasy. Or so the islanders say. But Norah is not so certain.
All her life she's felt that the legend is more than simple folklore, that the lady
of the mist is more real than anyone wishes to believe.
But these are turbulent times, marked by the very real tales
of Norse invaders and their brutality. When her people are conquered by a band of
fearsome Vikings, one among them will blur the lines between reality and legend
like never before. For Norah cannot help but feel that she knows him ... from some
other time ... from some other life ...
Buy links:
What are your main characters' names, ages, and occupations?
Legend of the Mist is the story of Norah, daughter of the chief
of Clan Gallach, and Torsten, a Viking raider whose men conquer the clan's island,
Fara, off the northern coast of Scotland.
Among the people of Clan Gallach exists a legend which tells of a Lady of the Mist.
It is said that the lady, who when her warrior love was killed in battle cast herself
into the sea, waits in the mists of Fara for a time when her love will return to
her. Norah had always thought the legend was just a story, but when Torsten appears
on the island, she begins to wonder whether the legend may, in fact, be true. Is
she the Lady of the Mist, and is Torsten her warrior love? As for their ages, I
wrote Norah at 19 years, but did not really identify Torsten's age. When writing
him, I pictured him to be between 25 and 30.
Interview
How did you get your start in the industry?
I started as a freelance writer, ghostwriting short stories and
novellas for a number of different clients. At some point I decided to write the
story that I wanted to tell, and released my first novel, Bride of Dunloch (book
1 of my Highland Loyalties trilogy), in August, 2012.
What is the most important thing you do for your career now,
as compared to when you first started writing?
Social media. Since releasing Bride of Dunloch I've discovered
how much self-marketing authors, especially indie authors, need to do. I'm slowly
improving my presence on the web; I'm leaps and bounds ahead of where I started,
at least.
What websites do you visit daily?
I'm on twitter every day, of course. That's actually my go-to
spot for a lot of industry information (romance news, writing tips, publishing help,
etc.). Not knowing much about it when I joined, I was surprised to see how useful
a resource twitter is. So many great people are sharing so much great stuff, it's
an amazing community.
If you could change something about your first book, what
would it be?
There are a ton of things I would change … but I'll never say
what they are (insert devious laugh here).
What do you enjoy most about writing?
I like meeting my characters. That probably sounds strange, but
for me, my characters already exist. I didn't make them up, they came into being
on their own, and the only difference between them and me is that I live in the
real world, whereas they live in my head. It's exciting, I never know which character
I'm going to meet next.
If you could choose anyone to be your mentor who would it
be?
I wish I could give you one great name, like Salman Rushdie or
Margaret Atwood, but really I would love to have as a mentor someone who works in
the publishing industry. Just someone with a wealth of knowledge about good writing,
good publishing, good marketing, all that. Those individuals are just as important
as the actual authors; I'd love the opportunity to learn from those who make a career
out of helping authors be successful.
If you could give the younger version of yourself advice what
would it be?
I would say, "Hey, Veronica, get started on that first book.
Don't wait like I did."
What is your work ethic when it comes to writing?
I'm not sure I have a work ethic, because I don't consider writing
work. I write because I love to write, I love to create stories and discover the
lives of my characters. For me, writing is like reading. I no more have a writing
ethic than a reading ethic. I read and write wherever and whenever I can.
How do you cope with stress as an author?
Again, I wouldn't so much call it stress as excitement. This
is a fast-paced world, this indie-author place, and as frightening and labour-intensive
as it can be, it's also incredibly rewarding.
Do things your family or friends do ever end up in a book?
For the purpose of this interview I'm going to say no. My friends
and family might be reading this, and I wouldn't want to let the cat out of the
bag … if there was a cat to let out of the bag, that is (insert another devious
laugh here).
What are some jobs you've done before (or while) you were
a writer?
Believe it or not, I actually have a background in finance and
accounting. Nothing like staring at numbers all day to get your creative juices
flowing.
Which of your books would you recommend to someone who doesn't
normally read your genre, and why?
I would recommend any one of them. There is sometimes a stigma
associated with romance novels, I think. Those who don't read them are more likely
to dismiss them because of the provocative covers, or because of what romance novels
were thirty and forty years ago. But today's romance novels have evolved. They're
sources of historical information; the writing is often superb; character and plot
development are top-notch. These are all things I've paid attention to and worked
hard on. I think a non-romance reader would be surprised to discover how enjoyable
and worth-while romance novels can be.
What kind of books do you read when taking a break from your
own writing?
Reading
is an integral part of my writing, so I never "take a break" to read.
I make time for both. My tastes are eclectic. Every book provides me with the opportunity
to learn, and I read a wide range. I will finish up a Jayne Ann Krentz one day,
and take up a Charles Dickens classic the next. I am as eager to read futuristic
fantasy as historical non-fiction. It's all fascinating.
What do you think is the future of traditional publishing?
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| Bride of Dunloch |
It's not going anywhere; It will always have its place. The difference
today is that the paradigm of twenty years ago is gone – advances, multi-million
dollar deals, dedicated marketing and promotion, etc. But that doesn't mean traditional
publishing has gone with it. It will always be there, and it will always be something
authors (I use the term non-exhaustively) strive for, whether going the indie author
route first or not. We're starting to see a shift now where indie authors are proving
to agents and publishers that they can be successful, and that is persuading publishers
to take them on. The difference today is that, even if traditional publishers decline
to publish, that author still has a place to make his or her voice heard and books
available to the public.
What do you wish I had asked you? Please ask and answer it
now.
What kind of reader response have you seen so far?
I am amazed by how many people have connected with me to let
me know what they thought about my books. Each time a reader contacts me, leaves
me a message on my facebook page, tweets something about me, etc., I'm not only
flattered, I'm honoured. I'm reminded of why I write in the first place – because
I want to share something, and I want to inspire, entertain, and reach people with
something I think they'll enjoy. It's such a great thing to see that I'm accomplishing
that goal.
What was the proudest moment of your life so far?
Besides the day my son was born? I'd say getting that first positive
response from a reader. Just knowing that I'd reached someone, that I'd made an
impression on them, that was a great moment.
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?
Laptop, thermals and sturdy footwear. Why? I'd be going to Scotland,
of course! I can buy the flagon of whiskey when I get there.
What good book have you read recently?
I've read a lot of good books, but lately I have become a fan
of Kate Morton. I love her style, and the way she describes things. She creates
an atmosphere with her novels, a very haunting one. I admire that.
Where were you at midnight, on December 31st when the new
century started?
I was in Northern Ontario at
a friend's cottage, panicking over whether or not anything would happen to my family
back in the city. At 12:15 am when the television stations were still airing I figured
nothing catastrophic had happened and went to bed.
What do you like to do when you're bored?
Daydream. Isn't that what all writers do? Of course that sometimes
gets me into hot water, like if I'm bored and start daydreaming when I should be
paying attention to something … that happens a lot, unfortunately.
If your life became a movie, who would you want to play you?
Honestly? I think I'd like to be surprised. I would love to see
what someone does with that role. I wouldn't want to have any pre-conceived notions
about who would be best to play me and exclude all others. That assumes my life
is interesting enough to make a movie out of … which it's not, and that's why I
write in the first place.
If you were a color, what color would you be?
Chameleon-coloured. I'm so indecisive, I'd never be happy with
just one colour.
What do you wish I had asked you? Please ask and answer it
now.
What is the next book you plan to write?
I've got a basic storyline in mind, but no title yet. In a historical
context, I'm moving a little ahead of where Highland Loyalties and Legend of the
Mist were, to the mid-15th century. I've become rather intrigued by the
story of the Black Douglasses and their feud with King James II of Scotland.
I'd like to try and write a story that is more defined by actual recorded history,
and plan to craft one around the Douglas clan.
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 milk.
I'm always ready for Coronation Street.
When I'm alone, I talk to myself. A lot!
You'd never be able to tell, but I write romance novels. I
tend to keep that quiet in my day-to-day life, just because I'm not big on talking
about myself, much less bragging about my accomplishments. When I do tell people
I'm an author, I get "I never would have guessed that," or "it's
always the quiet ones."
If I had a halo it would be quickly
taken away, because I'm no angel, just a flawed human being trying my best to be
a good person.
If I could live anywhere in the world I'd live in a
small, stone cottage in the Highlands of Scotland. Is that predictable? Yeah,
probably …
I can never go skydiving with my husband like he wants me
to because I am a complete scaredy-cat when it comes to things like that.
I like it when my head is in the clouds, not my whole body.
Previous Books
Bride of Dunloch (Highland Loyalties volume 1)
Uniting the Clans (Highland Loyalties volume 2)
The Laird Returns (Highland Loyalties volume 3)
Books Coming Soon
Soon? None. Eventually? Yep … not sure of the details, but I'll
get there.
Contest
As a special occasion to mark this interview with Romance Lives
Forever, tweet this:
for a chance to be entered to win one of two free Kindle
copies of Legend of the Mist. I will contact the winners via twitter, and will also
tweet the results of the contest. The close date for this contest will be November
26th, 2013.
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