This week, we're welcoming author Ginger Myrick, whose latest title is The Welsh Healer: A Novel of 15th Century England. Ginger will offer a free copy of the book to a lucky blog visitor. Here's the blurb:
The Welsh
Healer: A Novel of 15th Century England tells the compelling story of
a young woman growing up in the midst of the Hundred Years’ War. Spanning the
reigns of Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V, it touches upon historical events
including the Welsh rebellion, the English army's invasion of France, and their
triumph at Agincourt.
Arlais is the gentle and free-spirited daughter
of a humble Welsh household. Though just managing to scrape out a living in the
rugged hills of northern Wales, her loving environment and strong family ties
make for a happy home. But there is more to her than meets the eye. She is
endowed with a mystical gift passed down through an ancient line of healers.
She has been told her entire life that she is the fulfillment of a prophecy and
destined to preserve the bloodline of kings. Despite the wondrous expectations
for her future, she is content to wait for her intended mate, a mysterious man
seen in a dream on her tenth birthday.
But the Welsh rebellion strikes and turns her
world upside down. Arlais is forced to journey across the whole of Britain to
live with a distant relative. While the events foretold by the prophecy unfold
around her, she settles into the unfamiliar country continuing her path toward
fulfilling her destiny and experiencing companionship, heartache, and even love
along the way.
**Q&A
with Ginger Myrick**
How did you feel about adding a little magic into your latest
historical novel? Did you have any misgivings about the reactions of your
readers?
Actually, the thought never entered my mind! I can be extremely dense
sometimes and rarely take my audience into consideration. I don’t mean to sound
uncaring, but my inspirations come as they are, and I have no control over
them. The storylines are pretty much fully formed, regardless of genre or what
I would like them to be. And that’s probably a huge part of why I struggle with
the marketing part of all this writing stuff! If I could choose, I would
probably opt for a more commercial project! The only reason I included the
warning about the supernatural element was because of a reader. She was someone
who LOVED El Rey. I offered her a complimentary copy of The Welsh
Healer, and she refused it, because she will not read anything pertaining
to the supernatural. I completely respect her reasons. It really brought home
to me how subjective people’s opinions are, even from one book to the next.
Do you
believe that people like Arlais exist?
I do believe that some people possess a healing ability, even if not
to the extent of Arlais in the book. I had to make the ‘magic’ fantastical
enough to provide a bit of an escape and write it strongly enough for a reader
to suspend her disbelief. Nobody wants to read about some woman giving massages
in the woods! But the premise very much
reflects my personal beliefs. I tried to portray the healer’s power as a gift
from God, but I couldn’t flat out state that because people in that day and
culture did not have the same organized ideas of religion that we do now. As
with the medical folklore of the Welsh, I settled for a more practical mix of
the ways. So far I haven’t had any complaints about the book not being
believable, so I guess I did a pretty good job!
Both El Rey and The Welsh Healer cast a canine companion front and
center—what draws you to this characterization, and can we expect an animal
appearance in your future books?
I was a bit worried that readers might think, “Oh no. Here she goes
with the dog again!” But from the very start, the canine in The Welsh Healer
was integral to the story. The physical description of the dog was based on a
giant black German Shepherd whom we loved for over 12 years (I still have
trouble not crying when I think about him!) Palhaço was just a fun little thing
I threw into El Rey, because I think he is so darned cute, although he
did turn out to play an important role. There won’t be one in my next project
(if it indeed turns out to be the same one I’m considering now!) But my Civil
War novel does have a dog in it. The main character in that book is based on
another of my dear friends, and she has a dog. I am an animal-lover through and
through, and most of the people close to me also have animals.
What is the
most exciting thing to come about in regard to The Welsh Healer?
Well, one good thing, I don’t know that I would call it exciting, is
that I finally decided to make my books available in paperback. It is a lot of
work, but I came to the realization that I am missing out on a huge potential
readership. I cast aside my reservations and did the formatting over the
holidays. Now I’m just making adjustments until I get to a point
where I am satisfied enough to let the books go out in my name.
Another cool thing that happened is that the department head of
Welsh Studies at the University of Rio Grande, where I
had some translation done for the book, sent me a very complimentary email. She
read The Welsh Healer over the winter break and really enjoyed it. She wrote
that my depth of research into the Welsh culture and history of
the period was surprising. She also stated that she could not put the book down
and was sorry when she finished it! Those are the sort of comments that make the
struggles fade into the background and keep a girl writing. I am going to send
her a physical copy of the book, which she plans to put into the university
library!
Do you think your characters will always be on the fringes of history,
or do you plan to use a real historical figure as a main character some day?
I can’t say. As of now, I have four complete stories and seeds of
ideas for a few more that need to get out of my head before I can think about
something completely new. But I never know when—or by what or whom—I will be
inspired next! I know it sounds crazy, but put I aside my Civil War book, of
which I had already written 30K words, to pursue The Welsh Healer, which was actually
the first book I began researching! Go figure! Regardless, my interests are
rarely ever commercial, evidenced by the fact that I wrote a book about England
set during a transitional period and gave Henry V, Katherine of Valois, and
Owen Tudor only cameo appearances! I get tired of the rehashing of popular
settings and characters. Any real historical figure I would care to write about
would probably not be a popular one.
What is the
most important lesson you have learned as a writer in the public eye?
Stay true to yourself and your readers will follow. Also, the only way
to be convincing is to write what you know. I’m
not saying that I’m an expert in medieval cultures or any of the things that go
with them, but I am a keen observer of human nature. Most of the characters I
create bear traits of someone I know very well. I had one reviewer say that the
characters were somewhat predictable. I argue that those predictabilities stem
from the commonalities of human nature and not from any lack of imagination.
Another reviewer said that the same storyline was completely original. I have
also learned not to put too much stock in reviews. There is a market for every book. As an author, it is my
responsibility to find it!
What do you
have planned for 2013?
As soon as I finish all of my obligations for January, the most
important of which is finalizing my paperbacks and getting them on the market,
I will begin writing again. I have three projects planned for this year. The
first is set in Manhattan during the Gilded Age, a Pygmalion/My Fair Lady type of
story with a twist. Next in line is a contemporary love story, after
which it’s back to finish up my Civil War project. Beyond that, I have ideas
for a love story in Roman Britain surrounding the building of Hadrian’s Wall
and sequels for any of my other books should they happen to take off! Fingers
crossed!
Thanks to all of you readers for your time and interest, and a hearty
dose of appreciation to Lisa J. Yarde and Unusual Historicals for the
opportunity. Without an audience or a platform, there would be no point! Happy
reading!
Ginger Myrick was born and raised in
Southern California. She is a self-described wife, mother, animal lover, and
avid reader and knitter. Along with the promotion for THE WELSH HEALER, and EL REY, she is currently crafting her third novel, which
takes place during the U.S. Civil War. She is a Christian who writes
meticulously researched historical fiction with a ‘clean’ love story at the
core. She hopes to persevere with her newfound talent and show the reading
community that a romance need not include graphic details to convey deep love
and passion.
Connect with Ginger on Twitter: @ginger_myrick Facebook Goodreads Amazon
