Interview with Linnea Tanner, Author of Amulet’s Rapture

by grant

in Author Interviews, Fantasy & Science Fiction, News

29 Oct 2019

What can you tell us about your new release, Amulet’s Rapture?

Amulet’s Rapture is the third book in the Celtic historical fantasy, Curse of Clansmen and Kings. The e-book and paperback will be released on October 29^th at Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Kobo, and GooglePlay. The audiobook should be available at the beginning of 2020. The epic tale continues the odyssey of Catrin, a Druid warrior princess, and Marcellus—the great-grandson of Mark Antony.

Synopsis: Although Catrin is the rightful heir to the Celtic throne in Britannia, she is enslaved and lucky to be alive. The sole bright spot in her miserable new life is her forbidden lover Marcellus, the great-grandson of the famed Roman General Mark Antony. But his memories of Catrin and their secret marriage were erased by a dark Druid. Though Marcellus reunites with Catrin in Gaul and becomes her ally, he questions the legitimacy of their marriage and hesitates to help her escape and retake her kingdom. If their forbidden love and alliance are discovered, her dreams of returning to her Celtic home with Marcellus will be shattered.

Click Linnea Tanner’s Books for more information on Amulet’s Rapture and other books in the series.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

Since childhood, I’ve devoured books on ancient civilizations and mythology which held women in high esteem. I created characters in my head based on legendary women such as the Amazon female warriors, Cleopatra, and Joan of Arc. Later in London, I was inspired by the statue of Boudicca, a warrior queen who united the Celtic tribal kingdoms in a rebellion and almost expelled their Roman conquerors in 61 AD. My childhood characters then came to life as I weaved Celtic mythology into the historical backdrop of 24 AD Rome and Britannia, where tribal kings hand-picked by Rome to rule are fighting each other for power.

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
The Cider House Rules by John Irving
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo

Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

I’d like to interview John Irving and ask what inspired him to write about strong, unconventional females in his books and controversial women’s issues.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

I love creating characters and experiencing their stories in my head. Sometimes my characters surprise me and follow a different pathway from which I had originally planned for them. When I was close to finishing Amulet’s Rapture, I listened to the voice of my main character, Catrin, who insisted the book end differently than what I had originally outlined.

What is a typical day like for you?

The day starts out at the coffee shop where I spend time with my husband. This is sometimes followed by a walk around the lake. The remainder of the day is split between writing, part-time consulting, and catching on social media. Most of my productive reading and writing occurs at night when it’s most quiet. I can best focus on imagining a scene in my mind like a movie.

What scene in Amulet’s Rapture was your favorite to write?

My favorite scene is from the point of view of Marcellus, a nobleman banished to serve in the Roman legion. His memory of Catrin has been erased by a dark Druid. He struggles to understand his attraction to Catrin who is introduced as the young male slave to the legion’s commander. In the scene, Catrin shape-shifts into a white raven and lures Marcellus to a waterfall deep in the forest There, she changes back to her womanly figure. Not only is Marcellus shocked to discover Catrin is a woman with mystical powers, but he also learns they were secretly married in Britannia.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have.”—Echart Tolle.