Interview with Michelle C. Reilly Author of Savage Winds
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Michelle C. Reilly and her time travel romance, Savage Winds.
Michelle, tell us what inspired this particular story.
I actually started this story back in 1990. My mom, who’s passed away, was a huge fan of the Outlander series, and passed her (first edition!) copy of Outlander down to me to read. A few years later, I was reading a history book about the Battle of New Orleans and how the British offered Jean Lafitte a full pardon if he’d assist them against the United States. He passed that letter onto the officials in New Orleans. Word of it was passed to then General Andrew Jackson. He sent a spy to find out if it was true. And immediately the story sprung to life in my mind. That spy became my hero, and I knew it had to have time travel in it.
What secret do you use to blast through writer’s block?
I am a firm believer in allowing the characters drive the story. I’ve only experienced writer’s block once. My character wanted something to happen that wasn’t supposed to happen until further in the story. She wouldn’t let me past it. So, I gave in. I wrote it the way she wanted it, and then eventually made my way around it. Later, I placed this event in where it belonged, and then deleted the portion put in earlier.
Where do your story ideas come from? If they come to you in the middle of the night, do you get up and write them all down?
I often get ideas in the middle of the night. I have a whiteboard in my room where I’ll write things. I also have a notebook in my nightstand drawer. Sometimes I get a ideas while driving. So, I’ll turn on my video recording app on my phone and record the idea.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I like to read, of course. And I also like to do a bit of gaming.
How about a sneak peek between the pages of Savage Winds?The latch lifted and Captain Jacen Stirling entered. When he turned to shut the door, she noticed the captain’s own pants had the same double rows of buttons hers had. She made eye contact and found him staring at her with a stone face. Her mouth dropped open, and she stuttered as she realized he’d noticed where her gaze had been.
“I was… It’s your pants… And mine, too. They’re, like, really old-fashioned.”
He glanced down at his black britches. “My trousers aren’t, I admit, at the height of the Parisian
fashion standards, but since we are currently at war, I believe priorities are in order.”
She blinked. “I know I’ve been busy finishing up my doctorate, but I hadn’t realized things had become
so much worse in the Middle East that they’ve affected fashion trends.”
“The Middle East?”
“Uh huh.”
“Do you speak of war? In the Middle East?”
“Uh, yeah… The last time I checked. Why? What war are you referring to?”
He stood taller. “I speak of war with Great Britain and their continued efforts to prove our young country isn’t valiant enough to stand on its own.”
“Uh huh,” she muttered. Is he off his meds? “Great Britain, huh?”
He gave a curt nod.
“So, you’re, like, talking Revolutionary War?”
“That war ended some time ago. I speak of our current situation that began in 1812.”
“1812?” She suddenly felt like she was watching the final round of Wimbledon and each opponent kept
gaining the edge to win, only to lose it again. “As in one-eight-one-two?”
“No,” he scoffed. “As in one-nine-one-two. What bloody year did you think I was referring to?”
“Oh, you know, nothing like referring to a war that took place over two hundred years ago,” she said dryly.
He froze, and the edges of his lips rose in a grin. “Two hundred years ago? What year do you think this is?”
“I don’t know… Maybe 2017?”
Newsletter: https://www.michellecreilly.com/newsletter/
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with Savage Winds!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Michelle C. Reilly, Pirates, Savage WInds, Time Travel Romance, War by Tena Stetler with 18 comments.
