#WordWeavers 1.31 — What’s your MC’s relationship with food like?

It's non-existent in the human sense of the word. He's a vampire, and he only drinks blood.

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#WordWeavers 2.1 — Who is your most despicable character and how do you feel about them?

It's Duncan. There is absolutely nothing, and I mean *nothing* at all, redeemable about him. If I could, I'd end his miserable existence myself. He's a murderous vampire. Give me a stake and *I'll* take care of it, just so Fenella and Alistair don't have to worry about it.

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#WordWeavers 2.2 — Do you enjoy writing good, bad, or morally gray characters more? Why?

Let me share something from my own hashtag with my answer. It fits this prompt perfectly. 👌🏻

“As a writer, what is your favorite sort of character to write?”

This stems from a conversation. My girlfriend asked me this question the other night and I apparently gave her the answer she wasn’t necessarily seeking but already knew.

Give me a morally gray character. That’s my bread and butter. Now give me a morally gray character who’s more bad than good (or has a bit more evil in them than the good sort of righteousness) and now we’re cooking with gas.

I never write characters who have always just been “good guy” heroes and always will be. That’s boring. It’s blah. Give me pizzazz. I’d also never write a villain who’s evil without having a very good reason for it. Again, boring. Add substance, add flavor, and the story is better off.

My characters tap-dance on the line of being a hero and a bastard. One moment, they’re a good guy, and in the next, they’re a complete arsehole. (Or a douche canoe, as my girl said.)

From an array of my characters like the Doctor (Doctor Who, not mine but still), Alistair MacKay and Fenella (Wings of Quiet Longing), Father Kenneth Sweeney (The Final Rite), to Dr. Arcturius “Dante” Cason and Alexios “Ghost” Jace (The City of Opulence, Digital Dystopia Series), they’re all morally questionable MCs but good at heart in spite of it all.

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#WordWeavers 2.3 — Share a vivid sensory description from your story. What was writing it like?

Here we finally get to see Fenella through Alistair's eyes, and it's for the first time in nine years. It was tricky to write, trying to get it all down perfectly, but I loved the finished product.

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#WordWeavers 2.4 — Look back at the first thing you wrote. What did you do right?

I started writing stories before I even hit double digits in age. I could *never* find that sort of stuff. I will easily admit that my writing was atrocious. The main thing I did right was trying in the first place. I tried. I did it. People read my stuff and enjoyed it, somehow. They liked my ideas and stories. And more importantly, I'm here where I am now because of it. The idea was there, to write and be an author, but I needed the practice and experience first.

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#WordWeavers 2.5 — If you found out that someone had to live your MC’s life, would you change the story?

Every single character is different. No two are the same, so I think everything about the story would change with the new MC. They might make the opposite decisions as Alistair, or take a different path in life. It's rather mind-boggling to think about, honestly.

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#WordWeavers 2.6 — Share an important or fun lesson you’ve learned as a writer.

An important lesson: Not everyone is going to be fan of yours and that's okay. Don't let it get you down.

A fun lesson: You have to enjoy the process. Enjoy writing your story. And it should never feel like work. You'll cease to enjoy it if it does.

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#WordWeavers 2.7 — What’s the most rewarding thing about writing?

This ties in with the last prompt for me. It's enjoying things as I'm writing a story, and it's the good feeling of reading everything over once I've finished, either before or after proofreading and editing.

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#WordWeavers 2.8 — What’s the most frustrating thing about writing?

Again, this ties in with the previous prompt. Hands down, it's proofreading, editing, and rewriting. The tweaking process, and polishing things off.

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#WordWeavers 2.9 — Have you ever talked to a reader of your story? How did it go?

Many times. This prompt is different for someone like me, just because I started off on Fanfic and then Archive of Our Own. I have a lot of readers who also happen to be close friends of mine. A lot of them became friends through my stories. For instance, they would message me, then we started talking and became friends. Very sweet. They're always fun (or helpful, if I'm asking for it) conversations.

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#WordWeavers 2.10 — Have you ever dedicated your work to someone?

Again, same as yesterday, I've done this many times. I've written tons of stories for friends. It's actually one of my favorite things to do as well, whether it's my original work or something for Doctor Who, The Thick of It, The Hour, Star Wars, Sherlock Holmes, etc.

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#WordWeavers 2.11 — MC POV: Sit down, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. What do you see in your mind’s eye?

Alistair: It's the same thing, the same person, even, I *most likely* see while I'm asleep. I'm willing to chance it. He's the one nightmare I can't free myself of. Aside from Isma, that is, but that's another story entirely.

(Small aside, because he doesn't know but I do, he's right. He *does* dream of Duncan.)

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#WordWeavers 2.12 — What would you tell a fellow writer who was struggling with self-doubt?

To just keep writing. Never stop. Self-doubt is our greatest enemy.

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#WordWeavers 2.13 — SC POV: You get an unlimited budget to buy one thing. The money can’t be used for other purposes. What will you get?

Hati: Food. And not only for me, but for everyone who's starving in Moray, all the mortals as well, because we should *all* have the ability to eat, survive, and live. Everyone's struggling, and that would change a lot of lives.

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#WordWeavers 2.14 — Who does your antagonist care about?

To answer this one about Isma would be a major spoiler, so let's go with Duncan on this one. The answer is himself. He cares for no one else. He's selfish, nasty, narcissistic, and sadistic. He's a murder. You can absolutely say that not only is he one of the antagonists but he's a true villain.

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#WordWeavers 2.15 — Describe your MC’s eyes.

Alistair (in my mind, anyway) has a very specific face-claim. It's #PeterCapaldi. I'll need to mention his features and stuff, then I'll get to the eyes.

Alistair's face: I see hawkish features, laugh lines and wrinkles, kind eyes, soft expressions, and curls that are graying yet still brown at the nape of his neck. When he's in a dark mood, on the rare occasion, his expressions are pure stone and even harder to read. The eyes will match.

Alistair's eyes: His eyes are interesting. All vampires have varying shades of color depending on their mood.

When relaxed, when they're a soft, pale green. Here: "His irises were a washed green, as if the color had been stirred with smoke and sunlight." Or this one: "His eyes were green pools, edged with shadows that made you wonder what he’d seen."

When angry, they're a thunderous, crackling silver or gray. Here: "His gaze was smoke, soft but dangerous, curling into every space you left unguarded." Or even this one: "He blinked, and it was thunder held back, a promise of something breaking open."

I'll include some pictures and explain things in the alt text.

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#WordWeavers 2.16 — If your MC had a statue put up in their honor, what would it be for?

It would be a statue of a moth, in honor of love, perseverance, and kindness. Moths are important to vampires, which I've gone into depth about before. That's wishful thinking, though, because other vampires don't approve of his behavior. He doesn't kill, and he happily mingles with mortals and werewolves. It's all taboo.

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#WordWeavers 2.17 — Would you still write if you had to use a typewriter or pen and paper?

Of course! I use pen and paper all the time, and I love typewriters as well. That wouldn't stop me.

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#WordWeavers 2.18 — Can your MC carry a tune?

He can, actually. Hati and Fenella know this. He plays piano and sometimes you'll catch him humming or singing along. He has a nice voice. (I should include this in the story more than I already have. There's an idea!)

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#WordWeavers 2.19 — Does your antagonist believe in the supernatural?

My antagonists *are* supernatural beings. They're vampires. 🦇

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#WordWeavers 2.20 — What tropes are in your current project?

Fantastic question. Let me list a few of the tropes.

• Second-Chance Romance: Two former lovers reconnect after a long separation and have another chance at love. Here Fenella and Alistair have a chance to try again.
• Lovers to Friends to Lovers: This goes along with the above trope, of course.
• Fake Dating/Relationship: Our two characters pretend to be in a relationship for convenience, only to fall in love (or back in love again). Fenella and Alistair have to pretend to be back together for her sake and her safety. Incoming slowburn...
• First Love: They're vampires, older than you could ever know, and he's never loved anyone else, only Fenella.
• Grumpy Old Men: This one is self-explanatory, and it perfectly describes our dear Alistair.

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#WordWeavers 2.21 — What part of editing is the hardest for you?

The part where I'm nearly ripping my hair out over the structure of a single sentence that I'll never be satisfied with and can't figure out how to settle on, even though I've rewritten it nine times.

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#WordWeavers 2.22 — Have you ever created a character that you really didn’t enjoy writing?]

Many times. But it's not necessarily up to me. I write the characters in the story, and sometimes I like them and others I don't, but they're all an integral part of a story. They're just cogs in the machine, and they keep it running smoothly.

Now have I ever gotten rid of a character that I began writing and didn't enjoy creating or who didn't fit the story? I have. I think we probably all have, to be honest. It happens, sometimes.

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#WordWeavers 2.23 — What word / phrase do you use too much? Has it changed over time?

Oh, gosh. It varies for me. I try *not* to do this, and I'll notice it as I'm proofreading, editing, and rewriting things in drafts. Whenever I take a break and return to writing, it might be a new phrase or word that I'm using too often. I consciously try to fix that. I can't think of anything in particular at the moment, though. Like I said, it changes for stories. It varies. It depends on what I've been reading or watching lately. Those things *do* affect us.

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#WordWeavers 2.24 — Tell us something about your MC that seems unimportant but really is crucial.

This might just be my favorite prompt I've ever seen for this tag (and I'm even including Writing Wonders in that). Let me think on it...

I'll put it this way, and my readers will understand what it means: the sunlight doesn't affect Alistair. No need to say more.

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#WordWeavers 2.25 — How is light created in your book? Candles, electricity, magic, or what?

The year is 1890. Oil lamps were common in homes, often made of brass or glass, and were used for functional lighting. Gas lighting was also prevalent, with the introduction of gas lamps in homes, marking a significant shift from candlelight to gas.

The transition to electric lighting was still in its early stages, with only a few homes equipped with electric lights. (Also of note, of course, Alistair's castle doesn't have electricity.)

Overall, though, the lighting was a mix of traditional and emerging technologies, with gas and oil lamps being the most common sources of light. It's pretty easy.

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#WordWeavers 2.26 — Who in your book is most like a real person you’ve loved IRL?

Ooooh, this question is just... Wow. It hits pretty close to home. It's Caden, I think. It's his sassy, silly personality. He hides behind humor to cover the hurt, the fear, and the self-loathing. (PS, the sequel will feature him as MMC. I've already made the decision.)

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#WordWeavers 2.27 — Which of your characters do you find especially interesting? Why?

Hati fascinates me, as does Alistair. They're intriguing characters with plot twists, heartbreaking backstories, dealing with discrimination, heartache, love issues, and friendship struggles. Alistair is also what we would consider to be the unreliable narrator, hands down.

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#WordWeavers 2.28 — Would you like to meet any of your characters? Would you tell them who you are?

I would *never* tell them who I was, but yes, I'd love to meet Eleanor and Alistair. He's a kind man, in every sense of the phrase, and he embodies humanity. That's rather ironic, really, considering he's not even human (AKA a mortal). He's imperfect but he cares for others, and he always tries to do right by his friends, servants, and the locals in Moray. He's made mistakes in his past, but he never lets them hold him back or define him. As for Eleanor, she's the sort of woman I'd love to have as a friend. She's strong, the motherly type, and won't take any shite from the scary vampires in her life. She's amazing. We all need an Eleanor in our lives.

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#WordWeavers 3.1 — What is your greatest fear about your characters?

That people might (or already do) find them bland and boring, or even too tropey. Admittedly, I know that's just the little devil on my shoulder speaking, but it's still a thought that sometimes comes to mind and I can't quite shake it.

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#WordWeavers 3.2 — Do you write scenes out of order? If so, how do you decide their arrangement?

Sometimes I do, yes. I occasionally have to. It depends on which ideas come to me first, or how the process is going at the moment. However, I will add this as well: it depends on the WIP. Every project is different, so there's no proper way for me to decide how the arrangement will go, how things will be written, etc. It's different every time.

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#WordWeavers 3.3 — Introduce your MC without telling us their age, gender, job and who they are to others (e.g. friend, parent etc.).

You'll find a handsome older gentleman in the local pub if you're visiting Moray, Scotland. He's chatting happily with others, occasionally dancing with a few of the women who try to catch his eye. White curly hair, kind eyes, stark features, thin and tall. If you want to know anything more, you'll just have to say hello.

(I should add that the year is 1890.)

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#WordWeavers 3.4 — When was the last time your MC lied? Why?

Now that would be a major spoiler. I will, however, say that there are a few things he's had to lie about, and often. Recently as well.

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#WordWeavers 3.5 — What’s the most supportive / uplifting thing you heard related to writing?

I've been told that I'm a comfort author by quite a few people and it warms me to my core whenever I hear it. We all have our favorite writers, people we enjoy reading and take comfort in their stories, but to be that for someone else? It's the sweetest thing in the world.

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#WordWeavers 3.6 — If you have several stories, which one should a new reader start with? If 1/not yet published, what other works might your readers enjoy?

Oh my gosh, this prompt. It depends on the reader and what *they* enjoy reading. Here's the thing, I write *a lot* of fanfiction. A lot of people will find my original stories through my fanfiction. They read my fan work, write reviews, we chat, and then they stumble upon my original work and devour it. It's very sweet, and it always makes my heart happy. So, again, it all depends on what someone *enjoys* reading. I would never tell someone where to start, or what to read. I would instead ask said person what they enjoy, what genres, what tropes, etc.

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#WordWeavers 3.7 — How do you define a “strong” character? How do you create one?

When I think of a "strong" character, it has nothing to do with their physical prowess and strength. Instead, it's all about the mental and emotional aspects for me. What have they been through in their life? What have they had to endure? How are they currently doing? Are they handling it well?

All of these things play a major role in creating a character. As a game master for TTRPG stuff, I love doing this sort of work in the character creation process.

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#WordWeavers 3.8 — How do you approach stereotypes while creating characters?

To be fair, I try not to approach them at all. I give them a wide berth. Stereotypes are such a scary, slippery slope, and I don't want anything to do with them unless it's entirely necessary to the character, story, or plot.

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#WordWeavers 3.9 — If you need to share an important piece of history / lore, what’s your approach that avoids infodumping?

By slipping bits and pieces in across the chapter or chapters following. I don't like to "infodump" unless there's a *very* good reason for it, or if the information can be found within a note, letter, email, or text message within a story that I'm writing. It gives me a headache even thinking about it.

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#WordWeavers 3.10 — Antagonist POV: Imagine you achieved your goal. What’s next?

Isma: What if I don't have a goal in this life? What then? I'm here to exist on this earth. There's nothing more to it. I'm older than most, and I'll survive beyond the majority of them as well. I've grown bored with life. I need some excitement to rekindle my desire to keep moving through the ages.

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#WordWeavers 3.11 — Give an example of brilliant writing. What’s special about it?

Oh. My. Gosh. Kaylie Smith's writing is a refreshing breath of clean air for me. Writing from some romance or romantasy authors can feel stale. Hers doesn't and never will. I adore her writing, and we've actually become friends over the years. Here are some examples. Her writing is special to me, and I can't exactly say why. I don't know what it is about her work but it's brilliant. I adore that woman.

“My soul will go to its grave with your name echoing in my mind.”

“In all the darkness, in all the loneliness, you have been my one source of light.”

“You don’t need to fix yourself. You’re not broken.”

“In a different life, in a fair one, I would've kept you until my eternal soul withered away to dust.”

“My soul is your soul. My heart is your heart. My blood is your blood. Eternally.”

“Shadows can only be seen in the presence of light.”

“I want you to know, I really would have waited for you, right here, forever if that’s what it would have taken.”

“Love. Loathing. Same passion, different names.”

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