Interview A. Dee Carey

by

Katrina Farabauth

 Hi Dee, I’m to interview you for your new release, The Fox and The Chalice. I’ve never done this before so please bear with me.

1. I read that you don’t actual pinpoint dates and times in your stories, but in your mind, is it the same year as the rest of your novels?

  I don’t actually pin point a time as I prefer to let the reader assign the time that suits them.  I am an author not a history teacher, but I am careful not to have Merlin turn on a light switch.

2. Do you have other characters that shape-shift into other animals?

 In The Fox and the Swan, the heroine is transformed into a swan to save her from marrying an evil man.  I usually stick just to the fox but will write whatever occurs to me.

3. Have you ever visited Scotland, Ireland or England?

 No unfortunately, I have not. I am Irish so would love to visit the Emerald Isle. It’s on my Bucket List.

4. If you could time travel what period in history would you visit? What would be your least favorite to visit?

 I would visit the time of King Arthur as I believe this myth would be cleaner than an actual time period.  I certainly wouldn’t want to visit during the time of the plague. I am very happy with my time in the continuum of time and equally happy with where the Good Lord put me.

5. When thinking up characters, do you pull from real life acquaintances or by people watching?

 I usually get the ideas for characters from knick-knacks or pictures. I have often found, after I flesh out a character, that it is similar to someone I know, but I do not do it on purpose.

6. About how much of your work is based on research?

 In this book I did far more research than I usually do as St. Therese is my patron saint and I wanted to make sure she was portrayed in the proper manner. Of course I take great liberties, but nothing that would besmirch her great name.

7. Religion, pagan vs. Christianity, is a big factor in medieval history; is it part of your novels as well?

 Yes, I usually blend Catholic teaching, Druids, wizards, and witches. I do my best to show how divergent beliefs can coexist. I believe if we all played nice the world would be a better place.

8. Do your husband and daughters read all your manuscripts or do they wait until they’re published?

 My husband reads it through before I send it to a publisher as he finds things such as a person being dry while in a river. He is a gem and infinitely patient with me. The girls are grown and have many things going on in their lives so they wait until the books come out.

9. I read that your favorite book is Mists of Avalon, which I read as a teenager. How much of the female aspect of the Arthurian legend are incorporated into your novels?

 I applaud the women in The Mist of Avalon and try to portray my women as leaders and individuals who think for themselves rather than relying on some man to tell them what to do. Not that there is anything wrong with men, but we as women are not helpless.

10. For those who haven’t read your books, can you tell them how the foxes and Arthurian legend intermix?

 I created a Druid Ordination that states the Ancient Druids have control over the fortunes of nations and will intervene and select a man and a woman to rule if the current regent is corrupt. I chose a fox because I think they are beautiful animals and no one else writes about them. I often move Merlin through vast spans of time and he usually has something to do with the transformations.