New Celtic book and new website

juleswatson · Post by **juleswatson** » Thu February 26th, 2009, 8:48 am

you are all so kind, thanks.

enelya · Post by **enelya** » Thu February 26th, 2009, 11:33 am

I picked up a copy yesterday and I can't wait to read it. I just want to snuggle in my comfy reading chair and be transported through time....

Leyland · Post by **Leyland** » Thu February 26th, 2009, 2:23 pm

I'm only a quarter of the way through The White Mare right now, and loving it. That means I'll need to complete that trilogy first before discovering Deirdre, but I'm really looking forward to discovering all of it, Jules. I also love reading about the mystic and mystery of the very early and latter day residents of the British Isles. Along with the music, of course.

Your website is designed very well and the variety of information is a real bonus. Thanks for the heads up.

Volgadon · Post by **Volgadon** » Thu February 26th, 2009, 2:36 pm

Out of curiosity, what was the hardest part of writing/researching this?

juleswatson · Post by **juleswatson** » Thu February 26th, 2009, 3:19 pm

[quote=""Volgadon""]Out of curiosity, what was the hardest part of writing/researching this?[/quote]

That question is hard! Seriously...well, as it was based on a myth, it wasn't hard research-wise. I didn't have any real history to stick to! These tales are probably a blend of different time periods, so technically there's no need to even be specific about eras. However, though I write semi-fantasy, I can't give up my archaeologist side, so I do like to ground things in history or archaeology if I can. I decided to set them in the Iron Age, mainly so I could use an event at the end of book two dated to 95 BC. I had done so much research about the lifestyles of the "Celts" (see debate about that term above!) for my trilogy that I didn't need to do loads more. They are historical fantasy, after all. The original myth is very sparse, and that gave me loads of latitude to make stuff up. So...unlike very research-heavy HF, the hardest part was, as always, trying to infuse my story and characters with psychological depth, making sure their motivations are all thought through, and the love story feels real. I find that stuff the most time-consuming. Also, I like playing around with spiritual ideas, some drawn from the tiny snippets we know about the Celts, a lot from my own musings. Weaving that through a love story AND adventure story, AND bits of history so that it feels seamless is really hard. Making it multi-layered. You can toss loads of ideas into books, but they have to be carefully woven in or they feel...tossed in! I feel tired even thinking about it...

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Thu February 26th, 2009, 4:12 pm

I guess I should officially add my congrats to you on your new book.

It was a fabulous read and I'm going to sit down tonight and write out my review for you.

juleswatson · Post by **juleswatson** » Sun March 1st, 2009, 4:32 pm

Thanks for the review, Rowan! Thought I'd done this post to say thank you, and I must have done it in my head only