Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Featured Author: Clare B. Dunkel


If you could be a character in your books for a day, who would you be and why?

I'd be Miranda, from Book III of The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy. Her elf husband is the handsomest man alive. I'd like to see exactly what that looks like! And I'd like to go dancing with the elves for a night. It would be an unforgettable experience.


Can you name one moment that stands out as a favorite since you've become a writer?

That would have to be the day that my WUTHERING HEIGHTS prequel, THE HOUSE OF DEAD MAIDS, got a great review from Bronteblog (complete with seven footnotes) *and* a starred review from The Horn Book magazine. My mother was a children's lit professor and a Bronte scholar, so I grew up reading books about the Brontes and hearing about how important The Horn Book is in the world of children's lit. That day, my life came full circle. Now The Horn Book magazine staff and the Bronte scholars are reading about me!

What is your favorite place to write? Is there anything you need in order to write? (i.e. coffee, chocolate, music, etc.)
I write in my office for the most part, although I've been known to drag my laptop all over the house in search of inspiration. Coffee's important but not essential. I can't write without chewing gum, though--it's crazy, but there it is.

Tell us about your latest or upcoming release.

I just had a book released in paperback: BY THESE TEN BONES, a werewolf tale set in the medieval Scottish Highlands. Maddie, the daughter of the town weaver, meets a pale, green-eyed woodcarver named Paul and soon begins to fall in love with him. But when a hideous creature leaves the young man wounded, Maddie gets drawn into a secret. Soon, other people in her town begin to die, one by one. Maddie can save them all--but only at a terrible price.

You might call this book a paranormal romance, but I call it an old-fashioned love story. This book is a great favorite of mine. I love Maddie's confidence, and her strength, which comes from her sense of optimism. And she and Paul are so sweet together.

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