On Monday, an interview I gave was featured on the blog Love Saves the World (www.lovesavestheworld.com). Several readers posted great questions, that I have never been asked. They were so good in fact, that I decided to repost them here, with my answers:

A reader named Meghan (not my daughter Meghan) asked:

“What made you want to write about Highlanders? Do you have any personal connection?”

Meghan, I have always loved Highland romance. I started reading historical romance when I was a teenager. Although my family has been in the United States since the 1600s, I do have strong Scottish heritage so I started reading historical romances set in Scotland and the Highlands and was hooked. There is something elementally romantic about the medieval Highlands so that is where I have chosen to set my first books.

A reader named Mary asked:

“How do you choose your names for characters?”

Mary, a lot of things come into play when choosing names for my character. I create a list of Gaelic names that I like. As I develop a character in my mind, I look through the list for a name that resonates with who I imagine. Sometimes the meanings of names come into play. For example, the horse that Niall gives Katherine is named Eachan, which means “brown horse.”

The boy Tomas is named after a dear friend’s son, Thomas. Thomas is grown up now but when I imagined what Tomas looked like, how he would act, and what he would say, I imagined Thomas when he was little.

Katherine’s name has special significance. My mother-in-law (who I adored, God rest her soul) was named Katherine Giltenan. She possessed a quiet strength and humor that I truly admired. My daughter’s middle name is Cathleen (the Irish Gaelic for Katherine), in honor of her Grandmother. She too is a loving, wise, compassionate woman. Katherine’s character is formed using many aspects of both of these women who I love and respect.

If there are any other questions floating around out there, feel free to ask.

Ceci