Interview with the Author

[Jess]

Please join me in welcoming Dave Fitz-Gerald this week as our guest author!
Jess: Hello, Dave; thank you for hosting this week! What is your book, THE CURSE OF CONCHOBAR, about?
Dave: Hi, Jess, and hello readers!
THE CURSE OF CONCHOBAR is the story of a young man who is lost at sea during an unexpected storm. Long before Columbus discovers America, Conchobar washes ashore, only to find himself caught between villages in a never-ending war. He is cursed at birth and bad luck follows him everywhere he goes. Will his newly discovered supernatural abilities help him overcome the many
obstacles he faces?
It is also a story of reincarnation. Are supernatural tendencies hereditary? If you guessed yes, maybe you are descended from old souls too. THE CURSE OF CONCHOBAR is the first installment in the
Adirondack Spirit Series. This multi-generational family saga all begins with ancient ancestor, Conchobar.
Jess: Do you believe in reincarnation?
Dave: I do. Maybe I’m gullible or highly open to suggestion. If there is a case to be made, I’m likely to believe. It’s fun to entertain the possibilities, whether it’s the Loch Ness monster, aliens, Bigfoot, portals, ESP, ghosts, or reincarnation. I’ve read enough past-life regression accounts to believe in the possibility.
Jess: Can you give us insight into your writing process?
Dave: I’m a plotter. I plan the entire story before I begin writing, and I think about the characters every day as I’m waking up and falling asleep, until I know them really well. I record everything in a spreadsheet, and then I begin writing. As long as I stick to the plan, everything goes well. When I decide to change the story along the way, that’s when I get stuck. Sometimes I feel like the story is there, and I merely need to chisel away at it like a sculptor until the book is revealed.
Jess: What are you researching now?
Dave: Lately, I’ve been reading newspapers from 1849 for a future installment in my series, which I’m calling, CAUGHT IN A TRANCE. I’ve been reading everything I can about the famous abolitionist, John Brown, who will be a character in this book. He lived in the Adirondacks briefly in 1849, and I couldn’t resist including him in my story.
Jess: Do you like to write about historical characters who were famous, or do you prefer to write about ordinary people?
Dave: Lots of historical fiction features famous or infamous characters. When I do include well- known people, I like to cast them in supporting roles. I enjoy putting the spotlight on everyday people from long ago and I find it rewarding when I can make an ordinary character seem extraordinary. It is fun to read stories about pharaohs, queens, and celebrities, but I prefer to write about unusual things that happen to regular people.
Jess: What was your favorite scene to write?
Dave: There is a particular scene that I call, “A Super Freaky Night.” I plan to post that scene this week as an excerpt and I can’t wait to share it. Stay tuned!
Jess: If you had only one word to describe your book’s mood, what word would you use?
Dave: The phrase mystical adventure comes to mind, so the one word I would choose is MYSTICAL. That’s the feeling I hope that THE CURSE OF CONCHOBAR evokes.
Jess: What were your favorite books as a young adult?
Dave: I remember reading BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE when our family was on vacation. I had poison ivy and couldn’t do much more than read books. Fortunately, I had that big book with me. In those days, I read everything I could find featuring Native American heroes, westerns, horses, and I remember loving GREEN GRASS OF WYOMING, THUNDERHEAD, and MY FRIEND FLICKA by
Mary O’Hara.
Jess: What is the last historical novel you read?
Dave: I recently read DAYS OF HOPE, MILES OF MISERY, by Fred Dickey. It’s a great book, set on the Oregon Trail, and I highly recommend it. I love it when a book like this lingers in my thoughts after I’ve finished it.
Jess: What are three things people may not know about you?
Dave: #1, My first concert was Three Dog Night. #2, Despite having an Irish name, I’m mostly Scottish. #3, My first boss was Santa Claus – I had the honor and pleasure of working at Santa’s Workshop, North Pole, New York, in the late-1970s.
Jess: What do the books in your series have in common?
Dave: I plan for each book within the Adirondack Spirit Series to stand on its own and be a complete story. Of course, I hope that readers will want to read them all. What connects the installments are:
DNA, supernatural elements, and locations in the Adirondack Mountains of New York state. The Adirondack Spirit Series is a multi-generational family saga featuring old souls who live many
lifetimes.
Jess: How many installments do you plan for the Adirondack Spirit Series?
Dave: I don’t have a grand plan, but I have future family members in my head. I hope to move my way through the decades, one generation at a time. It may be delusional to plan so far into the future, but perhaps the series might include a dozen installments before I’m done.
Jess: Imagine you had to give up one thing to be a better writer? What would it be?
Dave: Leisure time. Oh wait, I already did that! I can’t think of a more rewarding hobby than spending all of my free time writing.
Jess: What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?
Dave: Hiking. I’ve been on some fantastic hiking adventures, including a one-day, fifty-mile hike from Plattsburgh, New York, to Lake Placid, New York. The next day, I could hardly walk. My favorite hikes are to the tops of mountains, and I am an Adirondack 46-er, which means that I’ve climbed all of New York State’s 4000-foot peaks. I haven’t been hiking lately, and I’m hoping to get back on the trails this summer.
Jess: What’s next?
Dave: This summer, I’m working with my editor on the follow-up to my book, SHE SEES GHOSTS. It is called WAKING UP LOST, set in the 1830s, and focuses on the son of Mehitable, SHE SEES GHOSTS’s protagonist. Noah has a big problem. He is often transported in his sleep, and he finds himself in awkward, uncomfortable, and dangerous situations. Perhaps it’s a thin line between supernatural and paranormal. The Adirondack Spirit Series tiptoes back and forth across that line. After WAKING UP LOST, I’m thinking of sending Noah to the Black Hills of South Dakota, and making him the hero in a western series.
Thank you so much for having me at American Historical Novels, Jess. I’m delighted to be featured here.
Jess: Stay tuned to American Historical Novels this week for more from David Dave Fitz-Gerald!