Welcome Sheri L. McGathy, to Fallen Angel Review. We’re most pleased that you agreed to join us and share some of your thoughts. I was privileged to review WITHIN THE SHADOW OF STONE. I found that while enjoying the story, I came up with several questions.

Hi Kate, thanks for the welcome. I'm very glad to be working with you. Please, ask away.

Who are your own favorite authors, and what genre are you most likely to read?

My favorite author is Terry Brooks. I also like to read other fantasy/quest fantasy authors such as Tolkien, Jordan, and Goodkind. I usually read fantasy, more often than not quest fantasy/high fantasy. Give me all the so-called clichéd races such as elves and dwarfs, throw in a wizard, a quest and some magic and I'm quite content.

What book if any do you remember best from childhood?

SHADOW CASTLE. It was the first fantasy book I'd read with Tolkien-type elves. I credit this book with introducing me to many of the things I now love about fantasy. It had a wonderful fairy tale feel about it, which I find I like a great deal and try to weave into my own work.

How old were you when you began to write seriously. Did you write stories as a child?

I told stories as a child to anyone who would listen, but I didn't actually try to write a novel until my late twenties or early thirties. Before that, I wrote mainly fantasy poems…very long, story poems.

I loved to daydream and pretend when I was a child, and in a way, when I plot a novel, I still do this. I daydream the scenes, imagine the characters, their personalities, how they interact with the others in the story, and how they will deal with the challenges I give them. By the time I sit down to write the story, I know my characters fairly well.

How did you first become interested in electronic books, and why is it you chose to publish this way?

I actually discovered ebooks by chance when I happened upon an EPIC web site (Electronically Published Internet Connection).

It appealed to me because I like working with computers…sometimes LOL…and I love books. So much so, that the books were threatening to run me out of my house. Ebooks take up very little room while delivering the stories I love to read. That appealed to me. I chose to publish in E because it's new and inventive. If a story is good, if it reaches out and touches your emotions, it doesn't matter what packaging it comes in…all that matters is how it made you feel long after the cover closed or the monitor clicked off.

As I looked through your personal site, I noticed your extensive genealogy. Did you use your own family history in developing the story, WITHIN THE SHADOW OF STONE?

While I have discovered a host of interesting characters in my family tree, and may well write their story one day, WITHIN THE SHADOW OF STONE was born from two of my other great loves: history and legends/lore. STONE grew from a small reference to a legend I read of while doing research for another project.

Is the character Bree based on anyone in real life? Do you use people that you meet everyday to develop characters?

I think I "borrow" from all people I meet or know personally to create the characters. Bree is most likely a mix of many of the people I have met over the years, though she came to life for me and took on her own distinct personality as the story took shape.

WITHIN THE SHADOW OF STONE has the feeling of mediaeval times. Do you have a special interest in that time period?

When I was a kid, I liked Robin Hood, and certainly King Arthur and Camelot fascinated me. Now, I find, I'm more fascinated with the events that birthed the legends than the legends themselves. The Celtic-based setting makes a comfortable backdrop for the types of fantasy I like to write. The older world's ambiance lends itself to the enchantment.

Many authors feel a very strong connection to one or more of their characters. Do you have any particular characters that you feel a kinship with?

Not so much a kinship, but Alric from WITHIN THE SHADOW OF STONE was my favorite to create. Writing his scenes was very interesting. He was a different type of character for me, unlike any I had written before and it was somewhat freeing to explore the darker angles of his personality.

Are you working on any projects at this time?

I have just completed four ghost stories and turned them into my editor. These stories will appear in the anthology Trespassing Time: Ghost Stories from the Prairie to be published by Ravenstone Press in July 2005.

I have a novella, Where Lies Beauty, appearing in the newly released anthology TWILIGHT CROSSINGS II from Double Dragon Publishing. I'm working on a new short story, one that will revisit the storyteller, a favorite character from an older fantasy of mine. The story is as yet, untitled. I also plan to do a duet with a dear friend of mine.

What are your future goals as a writer?

I want to continue to improve my writing and strengthen my voice and style.

What suggestions can you make to new authors of fantasy fiction?

Know your genre. Read, read, and then read some more. Understand that building a world from scratch isn't easy, magic has to have limits and life goes on no matter how many rejections you receive, and never, ever, stop learning.

Well, Sheri L. McGathy, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. Your book, WITHIN THE SHADOW OF STONE received very positive reviews at Fallen Angel Reviews. We hope that you will keep us in mind when your next book comes out. Meanwhile, I highly recommend that our readers check out Sheri’s official web site, which can be found at http://www.sherilmcgathy.com

Thanks so much. I enjoyed myself.

Interviewed by: Kate B