CYNTHIA OWENS
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing our CHRW Author of the month, Welcome!
Please start off by telling us about yourself? Where you were born, where you are now?
I was born in Montreal and grew up in a small suburb north of there, where I still live today. I love my hometown because it’s within an hour of the Laurentian Mountains – ski country – and Montreal is a vibrant, multi-cultural city filled with history. I also love the fact that the house I grew up in, where my mother still lives, is only a few minutes away. My father built that house from the ground up, and it’s filled with wonderful memories.
Please tell us a about the stories you write.
My stories are historical romances that will heal your heart and satisfy your soul. Well, that’s the short answer. The long answer is that I write stories – usually with an Irish hero, heroine, setting, or all three! – that I hope will sweep readers away to another time and place, teach a little history, and show the healing power of love.
What are some of the ups and downs you've encountered on the road to publication?
There have definitely been more “ups” than “downs” for me. The biggest thrill of the journey was when I was finally able to hold a copy of my book in my hands and breathe in that wonderful “new book smell.” A few more “ups” might include appearing on two radio shows (which was as terrifying as it was exhilarating), my first book signing at the library I’ve been going to since I was a child, meeting all sorts of new people, and hearing great reviews for my story. This summer was a definite “up” too. I was finally able to visit Ireland, a dream I’ve had forever, and I found – and visited – Dunguaire Castle, the castle that’s on the cover of my book. That was the highlight of the entire three-week trip for me!
The only “down” was just before my book was released. My father, who hadn’t been well for a long time, passed away suddenly. He never got to see the book, or read it, but I know he was there in spirit when I signed that first copy.
What do you think is the key to a memorable romantic story?
A heroine you can root for, a hero you can fall in love with, and the passion and tenderness that brings them together.
Where do you get your story ideas?
Where don’t I get my story ideas? Stories are everywhere if you just look for them. For In Sunshine or in Shadow, I thought about what might happen to a small village after the Famine, when the crops began to produce again. How did people cope with the fact that their village was decimated, and how did they go on living after so many deaths, evictions, and good-byes? Then I threw a new landlord (my hero, Rory O’Brien) into the mix.
For my current WIP, I have an Irish-American rebel, a veteran of the Irish Brigade who fought during the Civil War but never forgot his commitment to a free Ireland, who took part in the Fenian plot to invade Canada. This really happened in 1866. The Fenians hoped that by holding Canada hostage (it was then British North America), they could force England to declare Ireland a free country. His heroine, by the way, is a beautiful woman descended from a long line of British Loyalists.
Which of your books has been a favorite to write?
I’ve loved writing all my stories, but In Sunshine or in Shadow is definitely my favorite. It’s my first published novel, and it was the book of my heart, the story I feel I was destined to write.
Which character have you had the most fun creating?
Every character is fun in a different way, but I have to say the hero of my current WIP, Cathal Donnelly. A teller of story and a singer of song, he has amnesia and has no idea that the woman he’s falling in love with is fiercely loyal to the country he’s hated all his life. I’m looking forward to the day he learns the truth.
Which character have you had the hardest time creating?
Probably Shane MacDermott, the hero of another work in progress. He’s an ex-boxer, a hero of the Irish Brigade (do you see a connection here?) and a police officer in the Five Points area of New York City. I knew nothing about boxing, but I was lucky enough to be able to talk to a friend who’d been an amateur boxer, and was a gold mine of research information.
How many hours a week do you devote to writing?
Actually, I don’t count hours, but words. I try to set myself a goal of writing 1000 words every weekday – anything over that is icing on the cake.
What challenges do you face as a writer?
Time! I have two kids, ages 10 and 13, so of course, my life isn’t completely my own. And staying true to my time period (1850’s-1860’s). But that’s all part of the fun, because I love my research!
What are your career goals?
Seeing the two sequels to In Sunshine or in Shadow published. Then seeing my Irish Brigade series published (I have five of those stories planned). Other than that, I’d just like to keep on improving my writing, and to write the best stories I possibly can.
If you were to write an anthology, which authors would you choose to collaborate with?
Is William Shakespeare available? How about William Butler Yeats? It would also be great fun – as well as an incredible thrill – to write with my two favorite romance authors, Mary Jo Putney and Teresa Medeiros.
What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Write! Keep writing the stories you need to tell, and always try to improve. Believe in yourself, even if you think no one else does. And don’t let anyone try to change your story, whether it’s a well- meaning friends or critics. Remember that your story is yours, with your own unique vision and voice.
You can find Cynthia at http://cynthiaowensromancewriting.blogspot.com
Thanks Cynthia, it's been a true pleasure interviewing one of our sisters to the North. Best wishes for your continuing success!
Thanks so much for having me, Lisa! Celtic Hearts is a very special chapter, and I love being a member of this wonderful group of writers!
About Cynthia:
I believe I was destined to be interested in history. One of my distant ancestors, Thomas Aubert, reportedly sailed up the St. Lawrence River to discover Canada some 26 years before Jacques Cartier’s 1534 voyage. Another relative was a 17th Century “King’s Girl,” one of a group of young unmarried girls sent to New France as brides for the settlers there.
A former journalist and lifelong Celtophile, I enjoyed a previous career as a reporter/editor for a small chain of community newspapers before returning to my first love, romantic fiction. My stories usually include an Irish setting, hero or heroine, and sometimes all three. My first novel, In Sunshine or in Shadow, is set in post-Famine Ireland and is available from Highland Press. I am a member of the Romance Writers of America, Hearts Through History Romance Writers, and Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.