Author Kathrynn Dennis will give away three signed cover flats of DARK RIDER. Names will be drawn from those who post comments.Welcome to debut historical author, Kathrynn Dennis and congrats! Your first book, DARK RIDER (Kensington, ISBN 1420100475) is available now and is getting great reviews. I've heard your stories referred to as “horsetoricals.” Tell us more, please!
Thank you, Donna, for inviting me on Romance Bandits. I can’t take credit for the “horsetorical” term, but I wish I could. I met a fellow attendee at the National RWA conference in Reno, 2006 and we struck up a conversation. She asked me what I wrote and I told her “medieval historicals---romance with dashing heroes, determined heroines, and destriers!” She laughed and said “Oh, you write horsetoricals.” We talked for awhile, but never introduced ourselves, so I can’t write her and say thank you. Hoping we will meet again someday. ;-)
Perhaps she'll post a comment! Wouldn't that be fun. I know you are a horse veterinarian and horses play a big role in DARK RIDER. What kind of research did you need to do to give the story a period-feel?
Well, I took common horse aliments we see today and weaved them into a romance set in 13th century England. Three things have always plagued the equine species: bad guts, bad feet, and bad attitudes. In the 13th century, the common diagnosis for most any horse aliment or behavioral disorder was “he’s been elf-shot.” Elves with arrows were evidently a big problem for livestock in medieval England. ;-)
I understand the heroine in Dark Rider is a horsewitch. Care to elaborate?
A horsewitch is half horse-whisperer and half horse-healer. She’s a telepath (she can commune with horses) and she has a good clinical intuition when it comes to healing. You can see why that would get woman of ye olde days into trouble---and boy does she get into trouble. What she needs, of course, is a good hero-horseman to get her out of it, so I gave her one. But let’s just say it wasn’t love at first sight for the horseman or the horsewitch. He has issues---with horsewitches and with his own unbridled ambition---but the man can ride!
Tell use about your writing process. Are you a pantser or a plotter and how long does it take you to finish a book?
I wing the first 15 pages, then I stop to plot. I finish a book in about a month and spend the next year revising and rehashing. The trouble with this approach is that invariably, I get distracted by a niggling of an idea for another story and over the following 10 months it can be tough to keep focused on the revisions of the work-in-progress. At some point, as a writer, you just have to put it down and say “I’ve given all I can to this book. Time to move on.” Then you get all excited again and start to write the next one!
You write a book in a month!!! I'm so jealous! What’s next?
Next up is SHADOW RIDER (Kensington, Oct 2008). This one was especially fun to write. The opening starts with the heroine who is a medieval theriogenologist (a fancy word for livestock obstetrician) who delivers a foal that’s affected with a real-life condition that makes him bark, sit like a dog, and stare at the stars. This would have caused a stir in medieval times, so accusations fly---he’s possessed, she’s a witch---things look pretty grim for both of them. Enter the SHADOW RIDER, the tortured, hero knight who believes the little horse is the mystical beast born who can offer him redemption. The hero has plans for the horse and for the heroine. You can bet she’s is not gonna like them!
Sounds like another great read. Thank you, Kathrynn, for blogging with the Romance Bandits!
Thank you, Donna, for inviting me. Tomorrow I’ll be blogging over on the History Hoydens (http://historyhoydens.blogspot.com/) about the trials and tribulations of making a historical novel video trailer. Anyone who wants to stop by (more drawings for prizes) is most welcome!
Book Trailers are all the buzz at the moment. I'll have to stop by. Just a reminder that Kathryn can be found on the web at www.kdennis.com
