Aithne Jarretta Interview

Aithne Jarretta

Shrouded in the Mists of Avalon is a Hidden Legacy. Enter this in-between realm and discover new found love and perilous danger. Meekal Chilkwell, life Guardian to the Chalice Well, meets a young woman in the Gardens.
Little does he know his family stands at the edge of a new danger. An evil wizard threatens
their sacred way of life. Shayla Brinawell, American visitor, comes from a fragmented family. Fearful of the dangers Shayla could face, her mother raised her to deny and hide family magic.
Shayla’s world is about to be turned upside down. She must come to terms with her magic in hyper-drive. Syther the Quitch is bent on spreading wicked darkness into the non-magical world. To do that he must steal the power of the sacred Chalice Well. Will Meekal and Shayla survive Syther's diabolical plan? Will love conquer all?


Did you always want to be a writer? If so, what medium did you start with? Poetry, Short Stories, Novellas, Novels??


Confession... I was so busy reading I never considered writing. Once upon a time I grumbled during a college American
History exam that my answers weren’t ‘technical’ enough.
Why? My essay answers read like a story.
I’m a bit stubborn. It took awhile for the truth to sink in. Then... the magic unleashed!
Although there are a few short stories out there that I’ve written, the challenge of novellas is my current thread of focus.
The idea of putting a whole story into a shorter package without losing aspects of my characters is a fun twist.
It’s also an interesting way to give Concentric Circles (novel) little branches like a family tree.

What was the inspiration for your book, Concentric Circles?


Avalon. With a modern twist.
One day I sat down to write and an ornery young wizard entered the story. It didn’t take long to discover he lived in
Glastonbury, England (Avalon) and is descended from a long line of magical Guardians. (‘twas actually his many-many-times-great-grandpa, an immortal changeling, who introduced us;) This young wizard faced several life threatening challenges during
his teen years, but managed to grow up just fine.
His name is Meekal Chilkwell and he became the hero in Concentric Circles. It wasn’t until the day he met Shayla Brinawell
that his storybecame this novel.The core inspiration also includes the Chalice Well (the family protects this important
magical artifact). The beautifully designed well cap has a depiction of concentric circles looped together. Symbolically that
represents Meekal & Shayla joined within my magical mind.

Are your stories based on true experiences that you have had??


;) Yes, I’ve been known to sneak real life experiences and locations into my writing. The goal is to blend them in so effectively
that a reader will add them to the storyline in their mind and never know they are reading a real event. They are just little
ripples anyway and are not earth shattering. :D You could say it’s magical.

What is your favorite genre to read and why?


Romance with paranormal elements. Whether it’s time travel or magical characters, (gotta love those fae & shapeshifters)
romances are usually my favorite place to escape.
Why? Well... I guess it has something to do with seeing books and stories as a means to explore new worlds. I was an avid
reader from early childhood and that was the true purpose of books. (I grew up in a sleepy little neighborhood where
nothing ever happened and Saturday trips to the library opened doors to new worlds.) I thought I would outgrow the magical
elements. That never happened. lol

Do you prefer to be indie published, self-published, or traditional published?? Why?


Self-published. Because I can make the important decisions like cover images, who will edit (once lost a book to an
editor for 6 months-editor disappeared) and I can also keep my unique story lines.
That doesn’t mean my words don’t get nipped and tucked. Such actions are a regular occurrence in every author’s experience.
It just means I have an opportunity to handle those issues myself. Think about it as though a self-published author is a business owner. ;)
Did you ever experience a major life changing event that impacted your writing?
Unfortunately, yes. It’s difficult to write about, but I believe it’s necessary.
In the beginning I became a writing fiend. Frequently, eighteen hours in front of the computer was normal.
Well, sadly it took a toll on my health. Seriously. It destroyed my immune system.
Now, I must be very careful and monitor all time spent in front of this wonder machine.
I didn’t write for more than a year.
There’s something about creatives... When we stop doing what we love a part of our spirit dies. Therefore, when I stopped
writing, even though I was no longer spending hours in this chair, my health didn’t improve because I lost my true expressive
joy. So I’m learning balance. Tricky, tricky, tricky.

If you could be any book genre, which one would you choose and why?


Magical of course. Imagination is boundless. Think of the pages and worlds I could explore and share!

Name a song(s) that define(s) you as a writer.


Not just one song. ;) During writing Concentric Circles my fav was Stevie Nicks solo cds & Fleetwood Mac The Dance
(because of Stevie).

If the world was on the edge of extinction, how would you survive??


I would stand at ‘the edge of extinction’ and face off... Rewriting the future with kicka$$ heroine’s and magical shapeshifter
heroes.

What advice would you give to other aspiring writers like myself??


Take care of your health. That’s a short but powerful statement because your body houses your muse.
And listen to your muse. It’s a wonderful symmetry when story elements come together. In the beginning I had a few
disagreements with my muse. That’s how I discovered that nasty thing--writer’s block. But when we listen, even if we
don’t always know where the muse is leading us pieces fall into place and you’ll read it later and think, Wow! ;) Then, have
gratitude and say, “Thank you.” Muse will reward you with more...
Why is this important? Well, I only recently discovered that Shayla was conceived in a pyramid. Something clicked in my
head...that certainly explains a lot! Shayla has been around for a while, but her story still grows.

What other projects do you have on the horizon??


Claire: the Lost Fae is due for release soon. Novella length, it details aspects of Claire’s life that could not be touched upon
in Concentric Circles. Why? It falls into the category of ‘things your mother never told you.’ Trust me, *wink* Claire had her
reasons. Besides, would you really want to know everything about your mother?
As for Shayla, heroine in Concentric Circles, learning aspects of her mother’s life story? Yikes!
For updates and release news visit Claire here:
http://aithne-jarretta.blogspot.com/2011/10/claire-lost-fae.html

Tell us about 5 books that changed your life in some way??


Only 5? lol I asked because my two favorite authors (influence divas) wrote more than 5 books each.
From a ‘historical’ perspective Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander Series turned me on to time travel. Her richly descriptive prose,
intriguing characters and specific historical times hooked me.
From a ‘magical’ perspective J. K. Rowling is the Goddess of magical worlds. (Even though she doesn’t include Fae) It would
probably take a whole book to describe how she influenced me.
But the main thing JKR taught me was that there’s a widespread subculture of adults reading magical stories. The Internet
has also helped with that, too.
Until that realization struck me full force, my muses hid in the closet behind the family skeletons. That’s how JKR changed
my life. For the first time I started putting my stories into words and computer files.
I do want to mention that once upon a time I tried to write a non-magical story. It was an impossible feat. ;D
The magic in my stories grabs hold and won’t let go until revealed. That’s what makes this so much fun!

If you could time travel, what time period would you go to and why??


Early American, between 1795-1820.
Why? Remember that history exam mentioned in question 1? Well the answer I wrote that day was about a law in the
Carolina hills that made fighten’, biten’ & kickin’ a hanging offense. Yes, you could be hung for biting someone’s ear--in this case--off. *yuck*
That isn’t the whole answer though. I’d like to travel back in time and ask my many-times-great-grandpa if love was worth it. ;D (that yucky taste in his mouth from the ear)
You see, he got into a fight over a Cherokee woman, bit the other guy’s ear off, grabbed his woman and ran. Knowing what
he did was a hanging offense he didn’t stop until he got to Alabama.
There, they made babies... Here, I am.
And a fun one, what would you do if there was a zombie apocalypse?
Make sure I have plenty of healing Chalice Well water, several phoenix friends (for magical travel & helping others) and the
memory of accessing the sacred veil between Annwn and the Earthly realm so that I could save extended family, community
and many creatures. Zombies beware! The Fae are here to stay!

Feel free to add any social media links you have and anything else you felt I should have added to this interview. Thanks for joining me and being a part of my blog!


I’m a bird! ;) Most of my online time is at Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/AithneJarretta
It’s my favorite and yes, I do frequently chatter with my Peeps. Come over and join in the conversation!

Thank you, Heather for hosting me at your magical niche of the Internet. Good Luck with your writing.
I hope you eventually share your stories with the world. Blessed Be. ~ Aithne