HIGHLANDER WEEK: Interview & Giveaway w/author Michelle Willingham

Ach, this is it, the last author post for Highlander Week! And to end things right I have an interview with historical romance author, Michelle Willingham, who has a new Highlander Trilogy. Her first release, Claimed by a Highland Warrior, was released just a few weeks ago and her second novel in the trilogy, Seduced by Her Highland Warrior, will be released at the end of July. Make sure to stick around at the end for a great giveaway!

Hi Michelle, thank you for taking the time to stop by during Highlander Week! Can you start off by telling us a little something about yourself?

I live in southeastern Virginia with my husband and three kids, ages 9, 7, and 3.  It makes for a busy household!  I used to teach sixth grade American History and English before I retired to write full time.  I love writing historical romance, especially because it gives me the opportunity to travel for research.

Where does your love for writing historical romances stem from?

The very first historical romance I read was "The Maiden" by Jude Deveraux.  I loved it and bought all her books, especially the medievals.  Then I read all of LaVyrle Spencer's historicals, which had amazing characters.  Morning Glory is still my favorite of all the books she wrote.  Reading historical romances provides an escape from the real word and sweeps you away.

Do you have any quirks while writing and what kind of research do you do beforehand? You have a beautiful photo gallery on your website, are these pictures from your own travels?

I have to write to music.  It's very difficult for me to get caught up in the story if the room is silent, and I mostly listen to movie/tv soundtracks such as "The Tudors," "Gladiator," "Braveheart," and "Last of the Mohicans."  In many ways, the music helps me to sink my teeth into the story and I write the movie I'm watching in my head.  I usually do 3 or 4 drafts of a book with a lot of layering.  I rarely outline anything and writing is a discovery process for me.

When I research a book, I read as many reference books as I can get my hands on, and I try to find primary sources, when possible.  I did travel to Scotland to finish the research for my Highlander trilogy and took photographs of medieval artifacts in the National Museum in Edinburgh.  I'm a big believer in doing research on location, if possible.  I did that with my Irish MacEgan Brothers series, and it really helped me to establish a sense of place.

You recently had a release for Claimed by the Highland Warrior; can you tell us a bit about it?

The hero, Bram MacKinloch, is already married to his childhood sweetheart Nairna, but he was taken as a prisoner of war during the Scottish Wars of Independence.  The book opens when he's trying to escape his English captors.

When the Bram and his wife Nairna are reunited, they are virtual strangers to one another and have to fall in love all over again.  But the scars of Bram's past prevent him from confiding in his wife, for fear that she'll believe him to be weak.  The emotional distance is a challenge they have to overcome.

What is the thing you liked best about writing your hero, Bram? What do you think readers will like best about him?

Bram is a deliciously tormented hero.  He struggles against the nightmares that plague him, especially since his brother Callum is still a prisoner, and Bram will stop at nothing to free him.  He suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (although in the medieval era, they wouldn't have known what that was at the time).  I hope readers will enjoy watching him transform from a broken man into a strong hero who would make any woman swoon.

Was there a scene that was truly emotional for you while writing?

There's a scene when Bram desperately wants to make love with his wife Nairna, but he starts to lose control of his reality when visions blur the line between past and present.  He's so afraid of hurting her, and yet he wants nothing more than to spend the night in her arms.

You describe on your website, Claimed by the Highland Warrior, as being a cross between “Braveheart” and “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”  Can you explain that for readers who haven’t seen Braveheart *gasp* or the musical? What drew you to the Highlands for the story’s setting?

The Braveheart era takes place during the first part of the Scottish Wars of Independence, around 1296-1306.  England was actively trying to suppress Scotland's desire for Independence, though King Edward was quite sneaky about his means for doing so.  By 1305, there were English garrisons all over Scotland, rather like military bases to keep the Scots in line.  You can imagine that the Highlanders, in particular, were not happy about this.

"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is a musical where the heroine marries the hero in a love-at-first-sight moment, and when she returns to his home, she finds he has six unmarried, untamed brothers…and she's out in the wilderness with no women.  In Claimed by the Highland Warrior, the heroine Nairna is already married to the hero and she finds that all of the women (except the chief's wife) left, taking the children with them. A bewildered Nairna wonders why and what she has to do to bring them back again.

I've always loved the Scottish Highlands for a setting because it's a wild, dramatic landscape.  The people who could live in such conditions would have to be strong fighters.

Do you have a favorite character in the novel, and why?

Laren MacKinloch became a favorite secondary character, rather unexpectedly.  As the estranged wife of the clan chief, she befriends Nairna, but feels very insecure in herself.  I sympathized with her terrible shyness but was startled when I discovered that Laren holds a secret talent for making stained glass.  In her heart, she's an artist.  Her book, Seduced by Her Highland Warrior, will come out in late July.

This is a start of a new series for you. Can you described the overall series arc and your plans for it?

The first book marks Bram's escape and his quest to free Callum.  He and his wife are virtual strangers who must learn to fall in love all over again.  The second book mirrors this concept with Alex and Laren, who have been married for years with daughters, and yet have grown so far apart, they question whether or not to stay together.  In the third book, Callum MacKinloch cannot speak and although he's in love with a Duke's daughter, he knows he has nothing to offer her.  The theme of emotional distance, marital distance, and a physical impediment as distance, tend to carry through the three books.

How do you come up with the right heroines for your warriors? Is there a process or do they just come to you while you’re writing?

I try to contrast my heroines with my heroes.  Bram is a tormented warrior, while Nairna is a woman who loves to take care of people.  Yet she can't heal the scars she can't see, and it hurts her to be pushed away.  In the second book, Alex is the clan chief who was born to be a leader.  Laren is painfully shy and would rather throw herself off a cliff than address her people.  Using contrasting characteristics gives the characters room to grow and change throughout the books.

Thank you again for coming by for an interview Michelle! Is there anything else that you would like to share with readers or do you have any last comments?

Thank you for hosting me! I hope readers will enjoy the new series, and I'm happy to give away a signed copy of Claimed by the Highland Warrior to a random commenter.  Just tell me—who was your favorite tormented hero, either in a book or a movie?


Find out more at Michelle's website
And read an excerpt of Claimed by the Highland Warrior here
Buy from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and wherever books are sold.

~*GIVEAWAY*~

As Michelle said, she is giving away a signed copy of Claimed by the Highland Warrior. To enter, just leave a comment answering her question above!

Make sure to leave your email address when commenting, open Internationally. Giveaway will end at 11:59pm pm May 21st.