#Interview with Christy Nicholas and her new release Ireland @greendragon9

About the Author:
My name is Christy Nicholas, also known as Green Dragon. I do many things, including digital art, beaded jewelry, writing and photography. In real life I'm a CPA, but having grown up with art and around me (my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother are/were all artists), it sort of infected me, as it were.  I love to draw and to create things. It's more of an obsession than a hobby. I like looking up into the sky and seeing a beautiful sunset, or a fragrant blossom, a dramatic seaside. I then wish to take a picture or create a piece of jewelry to share this serenity, this joy, this beauty with others.  Sometimes this sharing requires explanation – and thus I write.  Combine this love of beauty with a bit of financial sense and you get an art business. I do local art and craft shows, as well as sending my art to various science fiction conventions throughout the country and abroad.

Find Christy here:
www.GreenDragonArtist.com

www.facebook.com/greendragon9

www.facebook.com/greendragonartist

www.facebook.com/greendragontravel

www.facebook.com/music-from-ireland-for-your-pleasure

www.facebook.com/musicfromscotland

www.twitter.com/greendragon9

1. At any given time do you work on only one story at a time and maybe plot out the next one or are there many ideas racing around your head?

 

Oh, I must do one project at a time – I have some sort of pathological need to finish one project before I consider starting on the next one.  Perhaps this is my built-in mechanism to make sure I actually finish my projects!

2. Is there a genre you haven't written in but would like to? Or wish you could write in? 

I’ve only written the one book so far, my Ireland travel guide.  I would like to work on another on Scotland now, but after that, perhaps a novel based on my parents’ very romantic love story.

3. Do you add an element of romantic suspense in your stories?

I certainly hope I shall in the upcoming project I mentioned above.

4. Say you have unlimited funds: What kind of writing office/cottage would you create for yourself? 

A charming thatched cottage on the west coast of Ireland, near or on a cliff, high above the crashing waves of the Atlantic.  It must have WiFi, though – I don’t think I could handle being completely disconnected, especially when I need to research something. 

5. If you could turn your novel into a TV show, which novel or series would you do? Where would it be set? Network TV (ABC, NBC, CBS), Cable (AMC, BBC, Lifetime) or Premium Cable (HBO, Showtime, Starz)?

Well, I suppose it must be the Travel channel, mustn’t it?

6. Finally, tell us about your latest release!

Ireland: Mystical, Magical, Mythical – A Guide to Hidden Ireland. 

This book is a guide to help others to have the chance to be part of the magic that is Ireland.  I have included some myth and history to give readers a context, some practical tips about the culture and the planning of the trip, and then a huge section of hidden places to find.  I’ve also got it chock full of photographs I’ve taken on my own travels.

 

Christy will be awarding a $20 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. 

Blurb:  

Do you find yourself drawn to the magic of the Emerald Isle? Would you like to see places beyond the typical tourist traps? Come, join me on a journey through the mists of legend, into the hidden places of mystery. Immerse yourself in the legends and myths, the history that has made this island precious in the hearts and minds of millions. Along with the tales and history, there is practical information on planning your trip, budgeting your costs, and finding the best places to while away the magical hours of your holiday.

Excerpt:

The Magical Facet The Fair Folk

Everyone has heard of fairies, of creatures with supernatural powers to curse, to bless, to find gold, or to cause mischief. Literature and art is full of them from Shakespeare to contemporary artists Amy Brown or Jasmine Beckett-Griffith. Western culture, especially in the US, is bred on Disney’s Tinker Bell, children’s books of flower fairies from Victorian artists, and grim tales of the darker side of these Fae folk.

In Ireland, fairies, known as the Sídhe (pronounced shee) or the Good Folk, originate from the Tuatha Dé Danann, the people who immigrated to the island before the Sons of Míl. Supposedly full of powers, the Tuatha Dé Danann could not bear to be near iron, and therefore their superior skills were for naught. Rather than leave the land they loved, they agreed to reside below the earth. For this reason, caves are said to be entrances into their underworld homes. Traces of this legend can be seen in the classic film, Darby O’Gill and the Little People, where Darby is led under a mountain to the Fairy King’s palace. 

Ireland has countless portals, be they hills, hawthorn trees, caves, wells, or other sacred places.

A more Christianized origin of these creatures claim they are angels which fell to Earth before humans resided there. They live beneath the waves or gardens, and while some are evil, others can be helpful as long as they are treated with respect.

While many modern legends show the fairies to be sweet, kind, magical creatures, this is really a Victorian creation. The traditional views in Ireland and Scotland show the Sídhe to be mischievous to the point of cruelty a force to be reckoned with. They are not sought out by the wise. In fact, most of the herb and spell lore of an almost forgotten era is meant to instruct how to keep you from coming to the Folks’ attention.

Where to Buy: Tiger Publishing