“A privileged socialite, Isabella has spent her 27 years with wealth and status when her planned time travel is sabotaged, propelling her into the distant past.” We have talked to Kristin McTiernan about her new novel, Sunder.
First of all can you tell us a bit about your new novel, Sunder?
Yes. Sunder is a time-travel novel that is both a story of redemption and a consideration of the consequences of meddling with time. I think most readers wonder how they would fare if they were dropped into the past, and Sunder allows an exploration of that. It is available in hard copy and e-book exclusively on Amazon.
Can you give us some insight into your main character, Isabella?
Oh yes. Isabella is the very picture of a spoiled rich girl. In addition to being given everything, she is also immensely powerful due to her father’s ownership of the world’s only time-travel agency. When we first meet her, we look at the impact her upbringing has on everyone around her, specifically her husband. She has always had a very one-sided relationship with everyone in her life, which sets her up for a rude shock when she lands in the past. She has no money, no power, and the weapon of her beauty is nullified because they have different standards.
What is it with time travel you find fascinating?
We have so many questions about the past and the civilizations that came before us. We know about them from the material things they have left behind—graves, architecture, home goods, and written material for those more recent civilizations. But how many of our assumptions are accurate? The idea of being able to go back and actually observe these older and ancient civilizations is something that has always appealed to me.
Did you do a lot of research into Saxon and Viking history as part of this project?
I had a handy head start in college in my History of the English Language class. The mechanics of the Saxon language, the structure of Saxon civilization and their cities, and major landmarks and battles were something I had already learned (and saved the notes on). I did have to do specific research on Shaftesbury and a little on Vikings. I needed to know, for instance, how a Viking boy may come to live in a Saxon village.
In Shaftesbury, we meet Cædda, Annis, Sigbert, and Thorstein, among others. What made you name your characters and places like you eventually did?
Naming the Saxon characters was actually quite a challenge. Thorstein was such a common Viking name, and still is in Scandanavia, so that was not difficult. But for the Saxon names, I had to do a lot of research to find the more common Saxon names. But I ran into a snag because the majority of Saxon names started with an A. When dealing with foreign names, you have to make sure your reader can differentiate between characters. So in addition to choosing accurate names, I had to make sure they all sounded distinct from one another. I actually had to change the name of Annis’ servant to Hilde. Originally she was named Acha, and my beta readers kept getting confused.
What goals might you have set for yourself when writing Sunder and how do you feel about the end result?
I started writing the book seven years ago, and when I started it I never planned on a book. But as I got into Isabella’s story, I saw this was not a short story or a novella. This was going to be a book, which terrified me, oddly enough. There was about a year I didn’t do any work on the book at all just out of the anxiety of not being able to deliver an actual book. Luckily for me, my husband got out the cattle prod and I was able to deliver Sunder.
Can you tell us a bit about the process that led to the book being published? What is your experience with self-publishing?
After I finished Sunder, I considered my options and did a lot of reading. First, I sent my query letter to thirteen agents. These were the agents I really wanted to represent my book if I was going to do traditional publishing. All thirteen of them turned me down. For me, writing is not a money-making venture. It’s something I do out of love of writing, love of reading, and the desire to contribute. So I decided to self-publish through Amazon. Since I don’t have an existing readership, I figured Kindle Direct Publishing would allow me to reach more readers. That way, a reader could rent my book. It’s hard to take a risk with your money on an unknown author. So this way I could let my work speak for me and allow some good word-of-mouth praise to build up.
How did you start writing? Was there a particular book or moment in your life that spurned you on?
I always wrote as a child, sometimes journal-type writing, but mostly short creative pieces. In adolescence, I was lured into comic books by X-Men the animated series and I lived out my obsession by writing fan fiction. If I wasn’t doing homework, I was on the computer reading fan fiction and writing my own. It was a great education because, as we know, a lot of Fan Fiction is truly awful. So I was able to get practice in separating the good from the bad. My favorite book was actually the X-men compilation “Fatal Attractions.” I still have it to this day, and I think it is a basis for my character-based writing.
You have lived in several countries throughout your childhood, how has that influenced your writing?
It helps me create more authentic characters. I’ve felt that fish out of water sensation many times. When we first moved to England, I was eight. On my first day of school, I was called a Yankee by my schoolmates in Harrogate. They all thought I was rich. It didn’t help that my family is Irish Catholic. I also realized how easy it would be for our way of life to change. In Turkey, there were armed guards at the airport when we arrived, something unheard of in America at the time. In Guam, we were not liked because we were white and seen as oppressors by some. And even in Oklahoma, I was viewed with distrust because I was a different type of Christian. Having those experiences helps me understand how different people can be, but driven by much of the same impulses.
What is your favorite and least favorite part of the writing process, and why?
Outlining and research are definitely my favorite. Going to the library and just mapping out the world and the people I am creating and planning scenes is so exhilarating. It’s sitting down and writing the first sentence of each scene that is so terribly hard. Even when working on the first draft, when of course I have “permission” to suck, I feel a lot of pressure and self-judgment.
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I prefer paperbacks most definitely. I have a Kindle and it has been a lifesaver in some situations, but I will always prefer books. The majority of my reading recently has been in Audiobook form. I have a 45-minute commute to work and my job is an editor. The idea of reading any more text after a day of work is borderline nauseating, so audiobooks have been a godsend.
What kind of books do you read, any favourite authors?
Recently I’ve been branching out from fantasy and sci-fi. Patrick Rothfuss blew me away with the Kingkiller chronicles. Right now I am reading some contemporary work and Liane Moriarty is by far my favorite. Her skill with creating characters and authentic voices is such a gift and I love all of her books.
What do you do when you’re not writing, any hobbies?
Not so much anymore. In college I was such a movie addict, the staff at the theater knew me by name. But now with being married, having a day job, and my freelance editing, plus my writing, my only hobby per se is playing with my German Shepherd.
What’s next, what are you working on now?
Right now I am in the research phase of Sunder’s sequel, Intercession. This book will follow Shannan’s story and her struggles. I am very much looking forward to it, although I suspect the anxiety will return when it comes time to sit down and write.
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Interview by Dag Rambraut – SFFWorld.com © 2015
