Robie’s novella, The Man of Her Dreams, is available from Samhain in e-format right now; it will be part of the print anthology, Shifting Dreams, in Spring of next year.  Robie was nice enough to sit down and tell me a little about The Man of Her Dreams; to get to know Robie better, and to check out other titles from this very prolific author, visit her website here. 

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Robie, in my opinion, there’s not nearly enough Welsh mythology in speculative lit.  I know you’ve read Lloyd Alexander’s Prydain Chronicles. Have you read a lot of Welsh mythology, and how much do you know about the Tylwyth Teg?

 Actually, I’m a fan of mythology, period. Because there are so many similar stories running through world mythologies—for instance almost every culture has a flood myth, I tend to jump around a lot following themes that interest me. And then I sit down and write my own version of events. A summer in Wales inspired my interest in things Welsh.

 As for how much I know about the Tylwyth Teg (in other words, Faeries)—the short answer is: not much, which is why it’s called speculative lit—I do a lot of speculating. LOL

Tell me about kelpies. I thought I was well read in mythology, but I’d never heard of a kelpie till I ran across them while researching selkies.

The Gaelic term is “Each Uisge”, which means water horse. This water spirit is known by many names throughout the North Sea islands and even as far away as Iceland. A Kelpie is, specifically, a water Faery of Scottish origin.

They are associated with lakes and rivers and are considered malevolent. A kelpie is said to appear as a docile horse grazing along a river bank. When a weary traveler mounts the horse, however, it plunges into the river and drowns them. This part of the myth fascinated me—was the kelpie really a demonic spirit out to kill people, or was something else going on?

Do you have any other stories of the Tylwyth Teg?  Like, maybe, the Pendragon?

 The Man of Her Dreams—which features a cursed water horse and introduces the Tylwyth Teg, is my first story in this mythic/paranormal world. But I have to say, when I introduced the hero’s friend, Rhys the Pendragon, I was intrigued. And I wonder just how bitchy Rhiannon, Queen of the Tylwyth Teg, really is. And then there’s Arawn, the Overlord of the Faery Realm and King of the Underworld—very cool guy.

I can definitely see myself returning to some of these characters and writing their stories.

You’re not a first time author. When was your first book published? 

My first book, a Romantic Suspense called Keeping Faith, was first published in 2004 and went on to become a 2005 EPPIE Finalist, which was a big thrill.  Its success definitely inspired me to keep writing.

I have eclectic tastes and my books reflect that.  I’ve published two Romantic Suspense novels—one of which [Starr Light] has a strong paranormal element since the heroine is an empathy.

Under the erotic romance umbrella, I’ve written both contemporary and sci/fi futuristic stories. In Cats and Dogs, my first contemporary, I had fun mixing business with pleasure by writing about two consultants who meet on a job. My recent Heartbreak Anonymous novellas are second chance at love stories that deal with more serious issues.

One thing I love about writing is world building. In both Love Partner (sci/fi) and Desperate Alliance (futuristic) I was able to create geographic landscapes and bureaucratic political systems to my heart’s content. J  And it seems others agree I have a knack since, to my great pleasure, both these books have gone on to win/final in a few contests.

So Owain wants to end his curse by becoming a mortal—aging and growing old and dying. I’ve always wondered how formerly immortal beings adjust to mortality. Especially as they get older. Let your imagination go here…

One of the issues about writing about immortals is being mortal. LOL Seriously, I think it requires a great stretch of the mortal imagination to conceive of time in such a different way. In The Man of Her Dreams, I make a point of contrasting how time is perceived in the mortal and Faery realms.

My hero, Owain, isn’t tired of being immortal, so much as cursed—and thus not really part of either realm. Plus he’s restricted to living along the banks of the Conwy River in a small Welsh village. I’m sure a boredom factor would set in with just about anyone in that situation.

But, of course, what this story is ultimately about is the power of love. And as love stories through the centuries keep telling us—it’s better to be with the person you love for a short time than live a long life alone.

Quick, where’s a hankie?

Do you find it difficult to write sex scenes, and what’s the hardest part of it for you?

 Well, if I found it difficult, I wouldn’t write them. LOL  Actually, when I first started writing romance, my readers commented on how sexy my sex scenes were.  For me there are two important factors that make a sex scene work—first is the chemistry between the couple. Every couple is different and it’s critical to tap into what makes each set of individuals work as a couple. Intimacy, when it happens, is always part of the developing relationship between the two main characters.

 Sometimes when I’ve been writing the more action-adventure sections of my stories, I’m not in the mood to write about sex. LOL I have been known to skip those scenes and come back to fill them in.

When I was a girl, I wanted to name my daughter Rhiannon. That’s not a question – just had to throw it out there. Years later I had a girl, but Rhiannon Watson just doesn’t flow, does it…

Another great reason I love to write—I’m able to create a whole “family” of characters with names I like.  — J

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To purchase The Man of Her Dreams, click on the cover at the top of this post.

Filed under: The Romance Genre, Writing