Sci-Fi Encounters: Interview with Robin D. Owens
A few years ago I was strolling through my local bookstore when one book's unusual cover art caught my eye. I read the first few paragraphs of Chapter One … and 20 minutes later realized I'd settled in to read the entire novel right there in the aisle. So I bought it, with the happy realization I'd come into the middle of a new-to-me series. The book was Heart Change, in Robin D. Owens' wonderful SF&F Celta series.
Heart Fire, the latest novel in the series, was recently released.
First, a bit about Robin (courtesy of the author):
This RITA award-winning novelist credits a telepathic cat with attitude in selling her first futuristic/fantasy romance, HeartMate, … Her most pressing interest in the craft of writing is creativity.
And about Heart Fire (courtesy of Berkley):
On the planet Celta, accepting a HeartMate can be the greatest challenge in the universe…
Antenn, an architect hired to build a cathedral in Druida City, dares not think of his HeartMate. Even though he yearns for her, he's taken steps to ensure she will be forever unknown to him. After all, how could he, a commoner who grew up in the slums, the brother of a murderer, be worthy of any woman?
Tiana, a priestess, has her own fears about being a HeartMate. She's watched her friends struggle with such a stormy destiny. She's sure her HeartMate has never claimed her due to a terrible scandal involving her Family, and she's set aside hopes for love.
Antenn's gotten the commission of his life. The cathedral will make him famous, but more, it will last for ages and prove to others he can contribute to Celta...if the controversial structure isn't destroyed while being built. Tiana, too, is an integral part of this process, but the villain who wrecked her Family is ready with firebombs. Can they trust each other in dangerous circumstances to succeed...and to love?
Veronica: What three things have influenced you most in writing the Celta series?
Robin: Obviously the first thing that influenced me was my cat, Maddox, a real character who I found myself talking to: "You really don't want to hide behind the wall and pounce on the other cats as they walk by, do you?" Of course he did, and of course he didn't listen to me. Maddox became the cat Zanth who would reply, and was the character that sold my first published book, HeartMate. My readers continue to love my intelligent animal companions whether they are puppies, dogs, foxes, the occasional hawk and the more than occasional cat.
Creating a fantasy world where magic works, and being able to escape into that world (especially when real-life problems like waiting for a plumber intrude) is lovely for me and, I think, other people. I write "light" so I have a lot more humor than angst and the world of Celta tends to be a kinder place.
The name is Owens. Though I'm a third-generation Coloradan, my father's forebears came from Wales. Celtic music remains popular, and I liked bringing my twist on "ancient" customs into my books.
Veronica: Since we're talking about last names, can you give us a bit of background on the Celtan family names (Mugwort, Ash, Yew, etc.) and how they came to be?
Robin: An easy question, yay! My Celtan society has 25 FirstFamilies who were descendants of the colonists who funded the starships from Earth to the planet and still, usually, have the most magic. I used the Ogham Alphabet to decide on these particular families. That's a medieval Celtic alphabet that the druids supposedly used. You might also know 13 of them as the Celtic Tree oracle or horoscope months. All the people on Celta have plant-based names.
Veronica: Which character in the Celta series is your favorite and why?
Robin: Usually one of the characters in my latest book because the book is done and out as opposed to the characters I'm writing that cause me to bang my head against my desk. I love all my heroes and heroines and my Familiar companions, but the animals are usually easier to write. Currently Ratkiller in Heart Fire (a cat) makes me smile to think about him. He is so over the top in emotions, such a scruffy cat but with a cat's huge belief in his superiority and that he is lovable no matter what he does.
Veronica: Yes, Ratkiller is one of those cats who demands to be loved and admired inagoodway all right. But he always has the best intentions! Which character in the Celta series was the most challenging to write?
Robin: Characters that I haven't lived with for a while can be challenging, newer people to my world and my mind, and people not much like me, such as wild extroverts. Though, as a writer, I've probably struggled with every one, I just don't remember the travail.
Veronica: Do you have a favorite quote or short scene from Heart Fire you'd like to share?
Robin: Antenn is an architect. He and Tiana are visiting her lost childhood home.
—
"The house itself is ... content. Intelligence slowly budding, I think," Antenn said.
"Good. That's good." She found her shoulders had risen, her back tightened, and she deliberately relaxed them. Then she turned away. "It isn't the same. It shouldn't be." She walked back to the vehicle and he kept pace with her. She must put the past aside; time had streamed on since she'd been here last. She shook her head. "There really is no going back."
He grunted a response, and when she looked up at him his eyes were distant. She'd missed that his hurt was back and enveloping him—hard and aching emotional pain. A flash of a wooden lean-to missing planks flickered before her vision, and she knew she'd connected with him more than just a brush of auras. The sound of high voices came, boys. Worse, the scent of sewage.
Suddenly her brain clicked in on what must be bothering him. She'd been mourning a home lost to her.
He hadn't even had a childhood home, but had lived with other boys in a decrepit lean-to, with nothing.
A breath shuddered from him and he leaned against the vehicle and looked at the house. "It's worth fighting for."
—
Robin: Oh, and I post Cut Scenes and bits from my work on my Facebook page and blog (which goes to Goodreads and Amazon) every Thursday, at robindowens.blogspot.com.
Veronica: Recently you've also taken a different turn with the Ghost Seer series set on Earth — what inspired you to switch gears and write the new books? Why the emphasis on Wild West ghosts?
Robin: As you might have figured out, though I grew up in Colorado, I loved castles and Britain and Europe. But I guess I'm finally getting into my local roots. I wanted a paranormal series that might feel more accessible than Celta (and, yes, I have an animal companion, a ghost dog named Enzo). I wanted to write about continuing characters instead of spin-offs with a new couple every book — and I went on a road trip to California. When you look at the landscape you can't escape the history and tales of the Old West. So I set up that human minds can only deal with ghosts from a "slice" of time — in Clare's case (my heroine), it's the Old West. Not to mention that the real person behind my first fictional ghost was a fascinating man, the true original gunfighter who also interested Mark Twain, but a man who's been forgotten.
Veronica: What's on your To Be Read list?
Robin: When I'm under deep deadline water, I reread books since it takes less emotional investment, but I still love them. If a new book is coming out by a favorite author, I may make it a treat if I finish a goal or two, and I gobble it all at once. I just finished rereading the mystery Dead on Cuban Time by my critique buddy, Steven Moores and Mercedes Lackey's The Fairy Godmother. I'm looking forward to Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz (though I like her Jayne Castle books the best, I buy all of hers). I need to catch up on the serial Sweep in Peace (about an almost intelligent house) posted by Ilona Andrews on her (their) website, and I must read the short, sexy novelette Hot and Glazed by another writing friend, Khloe Adams, since I love her (their) writing and humor.
Amazon best-seller Veronica Scott is a two-time recipient of the SFR Galaxy Award and has written a number of science-fiction and paranormal romances. Her latest is Mission to Mahjundar . You can find out more about her and her books at veronicascott.wordpress.com. Please e-mail Veronica at scifiencounters@gmail.com about content related to this column. Due to the volume of mail, e-mails may not be answered personally, but all will be read.