N. N. Light’s Book Heaven is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Isn’t that wonderful?
I’d like to introduce you to author Gifford MacShane.
Question 1: Where were you ten years ago in relation to your author/writer career? If you weren’t writing, what were you doing?
Ten years ago, I was editing my first manuscript. Having learned the hard way that a 240,000-word book would never be accepted by a publisher, I was dividing it so that the two major characters could each tell their own story. It was quite a lengthy process, and accounted for most of my efforts for the next two years!
Question 2: Looking back on the past ten years, how has your writing grown?
I think it’s easier for me to write descriptions, and to dig deeply into a character’s emotions. I’m using a lot of tools that I discovered along the way, including a word cloud that shows me if I’m over-using certain words. It’s really very helpful to identify “crutch words” and eliminate them.
I’ve also realized that I can let a story flow in the first draft. While I’ve always been aware of my word count (I tend to write long), I’ve found it’s easier to ignore it until the story’s told, then go back and tighten things up.
I also took the leap into self-publishing, and I love being able to control every aspect of my work.
Question 3: What are you doing now? How many books have you published?
I’ve finally gotten all my books in print, except for the final one (WITHOUT THE THUNDER), and I’m waiting now for the final proof copy of it. It should be available next month.
I’ve also started Book 5, which will focus on the youngest member of the Donovan clan, Jake. Which makes it a little strange to say that, counting the Prequel to the series (THE WINDS OF MORNING), I’ve published 5 books in the Saga already.
Giveaway -
In celebration of our 10th anniversary, the authors have each donated a prize (sixty in total) and they range from free books to swag to gift cards.
Open internationally but some prizes are only open to US residents
Runs March 1 - 31, 2025
Winner will be drawn on April 1, 2025
Author Biography:
I’m the author of historical fiction that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.
My works feature a family of Irish immigrants who settle in the Arizona Territory in the late 1800s. With an accessible literary style, I draw out my characters' hidden flaws and strengths as they grapple with both physical and emotional conflicts.
I was singing almost before I could talk—with seven kids in one station wagon, my father made sure we had something other than “Punch Bug” to pass the time. So I’ve always loved folk music, whether it be Irish, Appalachian, spirituals, or the songs of the cowboys. My love of the Old West goes back to childhood, when my father introduced me to the works of Zane Grey. Later I became interested in the Irish diaspora, having realized my father's family must have lived through An Gorta Mor, the Great Irish Potato Famine of the mid-1800s.
Writing allows me to combine my three great interests into a series of family stories, each including romance, traditional song lyrics, and a dash of Celtic mysticism. Having grown up in a large & often boisterous Irish-American family, I am intimately acquainted with the workings of such a clan and use those experiences to good purpose (though no names will be named!)
The Donovan Family Saga now includes WHISPERS IN THE CANYON (Book 1), THE WOODSMAN’S ROSE (Book 2), RAINBOW MAN (Book 3), and WITHOUT THE THUNDER (Book 4), as well as THE WINDS OF MORNING, a prequel novella requested by my fans.
I’ve been a member of the Historical Novel Society since 2017. I love to sing, though my cats don’t always appreciate it. A self-professed grammar nerd, you can still find me diagramming sentences for fun.
I currently live in Pennsylvania with my husband Richard, the Pied Piper of stray cats.
Where can readers follow you:
Website: https://giffordmacshane.com
Newsletter Sign Up: https://author-gifford-macshane.kit.com/9aa4d01881
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/giffmacshane