Welcome to FAR, Cillian. Cillian Burns is the author of The Selkie and the Siren.

The Selkie and the Siren delves into the mystical selkies and modern marine biology. How did you intertwine the two subjects into one story?

Since the Selkies are seals in one form, it stood to reason that oil spills off the Shetland Island would affect their food supply. So wouldn’t a genuine Selkie hero want to develop a strain of oil-immune fish to augment the Selkies’ food supply? I made Duncan want to become a marine biologist to help his people.

The short excerpt on your site is tantalizing. Will Dr. Duncan McDonald be able to solve his problem and catch Carli Macleod?

Yes, of course. It’s a romance. But not without some problems along the way, such as Carli finding out he’s a Selkie. Not exactly prime husband material, right? Then, there’s the need for backing to help him finance his project which involves a move to Miami—just as Carli gets to be editor of her magazine in Jacksonville. However, they finally work it out with the help of Susie the talking dolphin and a pair of lovable seals (real ones).

What was your favorite aspect of writing The Selkie and the Siren?

It was a different approach to romance from what I’d written before—series contemporaries. The paranormal aspect was especially fun as not too much is known about the Selkie legend and I got to play around with its various aspects. For instance—Duncan couldn’t make sexual love to Carli while he was a Selkie for fear that when he changed into a seal once a month, he wouldn’t be able to change back to human shape. This inspired him to want to become a real, live boy, like the Pinochio story. So he sets about to research DNA in his spare time. Of course, he succeeds—but something frightening happens. I’m not giving that one away.

Will there be a sequel to The Selkie and the Siren and are you able to tantalize us with an excerpt?

Sorry, I’m writing medieval romance now, but I suppose there might be another story there if I tackled his brother Alex’s story. But not right away.

How was this book different than your previous medieval historical ones? Did the historical books require more or less research then The Selkie and the Siren?

My medieval romance books came after The Selkie and the Siren. I just happened to see Triskelion’s ad for paranormal romances and sent off the Selkie book on a whim. And it was accepted. Historicals require much more research because everything was so different then. I choose a time period and hang the story on the framework of history. I write thirteenth century during the time of the civil war in England (Henry III) so there are castles and battles and real people to learn about.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your books?

I sure would like to see The Selkie and the Siren in print as I have many friends who would buy it then.

What is your biggest concern as a writer when it comes to the controversy of e-books vs. print?

Too many people I know want a book they can’t hold in their hands. Then there are all of my older friends who get this funny look on their faces when I tell them they can’t buy it at Borders but must go to a website to purchase it—and then download it. Their eyes glaze.

Describe yourself in three words.

Romantic, Determined, Hopeful

Describe your most embarrassing moment.

I guess it was when I learned my editor referred to me as ‘problem child’—all because I asked a few questions. Embarrassing if nothing else. I suppose she was being funny.

Is there any music that inspires the different genres?

I love romantic big band music for sexual tension and big powerful compositions like the 1812 Overture for battle scenes. Then there’s sexy Latin music for really big love scenes.

Do you have a specific routine before you write? Do you write in one area only or everywhere?

No routine. I apply the seat of my pants to the chair and do it. And I only write in my own corner of our large bedroom where I have a desk, chair, bookcase, table, etc. I’m not an early morning person. My writing takes place later in the day. I get lots done in the evening. Occasionally, I write from one to two o’clock in the wee small hours.

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night with an idea for a story that immediately has to be written?

Yes. I did that with the plot of The Amethyst Amulets, my first medieval which is also a time travel. I just decided I would have a medieval hero, Nicholas, whose wife died in childbirth and a modern English heroine who taught 13th C. language and history at Cambridge. She worked part-time for his present day descendant in the same castle that had been his. Also, she looked like the wife he lost, so when he showed up in the 21st C. things became really interesting. And when they went back to his time even more strange things occurred.

If you could work with any author, who would it be and why?

I would work with Madeline Hunter who is an amazing New York Times best-selling author. I won some help from her on my latest novel, A Dark and Stormy Knight, and it was the best advice I’ve ever had.

Who/what inspired you to write?

No one inspired me to write, unless it was all the books I read as a child. I just knew that’s what I wanted to do. So after some side tracking over the years (earning money, you know) I finally got to do it. I got some help from my daughter, Julie Caille, who wrote Regencies for Kensington.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

In the romance genre: Madeline Hunter, Laura Kinsale, Diana Gabaldon; in adventure and mystery: Clive Cussler and John Grisham.

What is the best thing a reader has ever said to you?

“I love your book.” It’s what we all want to hear.

Do you believe writing is a gift you are born with or can it be taught?

You can teach people how to write—and I did that for many years—but that innate love of the printed word—the right word for every thought—has to come from the heart, not the head.

When you first began writing, what was the most difficult part?

It was difficult not to fall in love with my own words. I hated changing them. They’re like your babies and you don’t want to discard any of them. But with experience comes the realization that your thoughts are not carved in stone. A good writer will delete at least twenty-five percent of the first draft. Madeline Hunter thinks one-third is even better.

What final advice would you offer to writers who are seeking publication?

Ask for advice from PEOPLE WHO REALLY KNOW. Then take it. Also, don’t give up. John Grisham got dozens of rejections before he sold a book and look where he is today.

Is there a way other than your website for fans to keep updated?

They can e-mail at me and I will answer—every one of them.

Finally, any last thoughts.

I’d like to thank you for this opportunity to let my fans know a little bit about me. And I appreciate every one of them and thank all you e-book downloaders for buying and reading my book.

Cillian

Thank you Cillian for taking the time to answer my questions and give us a glimpse into your life and world. For more information about Cillian Burns and her books, visit her website.

Interviewed by: Dena