Cindy:  No, my first two career choices were teacher or nurse. I wasn't too keen on dissecting things, so I opted to become a librarian and teacher. I wrote poetry during high school, but didn't consider writing a novel until college when I saw an episode of THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. In the introduction, Walt Disney talked about a gentleman privateer named Jean Laffite. Many considered him to be a pirate and he was a wanted criminal, but when Andrew Jackson needed men, arms,
and ammunition to fight the British at the Battle of New Orleans, Laffite provided them. Laffite is steeped in mystery, and legends obscure many facts about him. I was intrigued to learn more about Jean Laffite and decided to write a novel.
 

Rachel Hyde: Which authors have influenced you the most and why?

Cindy: Clive Cussler's adventures featuring Dirk Pitt allow me to venture where I  fear to tread. His ability to take varying plots and interweave them to create fantastic suspense transports me to another time and place.

Erika Nau wrote a story based on the account of a woman who disguised herself as a man and served aboard a naval vessel during the War of 1812. Weaving fiction from fact and intertwining it with romance is my favorite kind of story.

LaVryle Spencer writes about ordinary women. I'm not a raving beauty or highly intelligent, so I easily identify with her characters and stories.

Leon Uris' vivid portrayals brought recent history to life for me and made me want to learn more about the Holocaust, the struggles in Ireland, and the conflict between Jews and Arabs.
 

Rachel Hyde: Why did you select to write a historical romance? In the future, will you continue writing in this genre or change to another?

Cindy: I actually describe my novels as historical fiction intertwined with love stories because they don't really fit the "rules" of historical romance. While the love story is central to the plot, it's not necessarily what propels the story to its conclusion. That's more likely to be the historical events depicted in the story. I incorporate far more history into my novels than is normally found in historical romance and I tend to separate my hero and heroine for several chapters.

My mom introduced me to historical romance when I was a teenager. One Christmas she received a set of three Irving Stone novels that were historical fiction, but told the love stories of three presidents. She shared those with me, and I believe that's where my preference for historical fiction and historical romance began. ODIN'S STONE, a short story I wrote that readers can download for free from my publisher, NovelBooks, Inc., is historical romance rather than historical fiction, and I hope to write a contemporary romance involving a bull rider at some point. My first love is stories that combine history and romance, so that's what I prefer to write.
 

Rachel Hyde: THE SCOTTISH THISTLE is a romance with plenty of adventure and historical background as well as the relationship between the two main characters, making it different to the typical genre romance.   Did you need to do a lot of research, and do you see yourself as more of a midlist author?

Cindy: I do extensive research for my novels, which is one reason they take so long to write. I try to be as thorough and historically accurate as possible without endangering the story. I'm not sure that an author's research ever ends, but there comes a time when the author has to move past the research to concentrate on the story. I completed the first draft of THE SCOTTISH THISTLE about nine years ago. My husband decided we should travel to Scotland to visit the places I wrote about in my manuscript. We also visited Doune Castle, which had a small role in the Rising of 1745. Had I not read an exhibit at the castle about Gregor MacGregor of Glen Gyle being in charge of the prisoners there, he wouldn't have played such a key role in my novel. When I returned home, I brought back more books previously unavailable to me and rewrote THE SCOTTISH THISTLE to incorporate that research and my new impressions of the land and its people. The two-hundred-fiftieth anniversary of Culloden, the final battle depicted in my novel, was marked by the publication of new books, including some that included previously untranslated French documents by Sir Donald Cameron of Lochiel, one of the major participants in the battle. Again, I revised the manuscript before asking a published author to critique it. His insights further enhanced the story, and only after incorporating those revisions did I feel the manuscript was ready to submit to publishers. Even so, there were tiny historical inaccuracies that either my editor or a Scottish historian suggested changing before THE SCOTTISH THISTLE went to press.

Yes, I do see myself as a midlist author because I write historical fiction rather historical romance. My stories cross genres, and I realize that many readers consider my books to be romance rather than straight historical fiction.  Most readers are female, but I try to write stories everyone will enjoy reading.  Since my main goal is to write a good story that sells, I tend to market to fansof historical romance as well as historical fiction.
 

Rachel Hyde:Is there going to be a sequel to THE SCOTTISH THISTLE?

Cindy: I've considered that possibility, but I'm not sure when it would become a reality. Some of my favorite historical novels were family sagas, so I would like to revisit Rory and Duncan when they're older and tell their children's story. While writing THE SCOTTISH THISTLE, I also felt that Fergus and Anna want me to tell their story someday.
 

Rachel Hyde: On your website there is quite a lot of information about pirates, but no pirates feature in this story.

Cindy: The first manuscript I ever wrote featured a pirate/privateer, but career and marriage put it on a shelf. Then I started working on THE SCOTTISH THISTLE, so I'm just now returning to THE REBEL AND THE SPY, which takes place in New Orleans during the War of 1812. Alexine is the younger sister of Jean Laffite, the privateer I mentioned when I answered your question about being a novelist.  Ever a rebel, she prefers to follow in her brother's footsteps rather than conform to society's rules for women and serves aboard one of her brother's ships. Lucas searches for his older brother whom the Royal Navy impressed several years earlier. His investigation leads him to conclude that Alexine has information about his brother, so he follows her to New Orleans. At the same time, he collects information for his employer about the environs of the city, the Americans and the Creoles living there, and the Baratarians (Laffite's men).

The research I collected about pirates for this novel provided me with the knowledge to write my history column about Pirates and Privateers. In subsequent research, I've learned of a Scottish pirate who intrigues me, and the islands of Scotland played a vital role in that country's piratical history. Someday I hope to incorporate this information into a novel, but I'm uncertain whether the pirate will be a swashbuckling hero or a historical cutthroat.
 

Rachel Hyde: Have you written novels featuring pirates, and do you plan to write more?

Cindy: I read any Scottish historical novel written by the late Nigel Tranter that I can obtain. He's not the easiest author to read because his style differs greatly from the way we write today, but his recounting of Scottish history fascinates me. I've learned a lot from reading his novels.

I confess that I've only recently begun reading pirate fiction. I've read romances featuring heroic pirates, but those don't usually incorporate historically accurate portrayals of pirates. My parents gave me Robert Louis Stevenson's TREASURE ISLAND for Christmas one year, but I never got into that story. I enjoy reading Rafael Sabatini because one of my favorite movies is CAPTAIN BLOOD starring Errol Flynn. I review pirate fiction as an adjunct to my piracy column. More novels today feature characters who remain truer to their historical counterparts, making the stories gritty and harsh. Iain Lawrence, Lisa Jensen, and Jacqueline Church Simonds are three authors who come to mind
when I think of pirate fiction. I don't know if they influence my writing per se, but they provide examples of how to incorporate realism into pirate fiction.
 

Rachel Hyde: In your experience, how long does it take for an author, once they’ve finished their manuscript, to sell it and see their work in print?  What advice do you have for would-be writers?

Cindy: I'm probably not the best author to answer this question because I chose a path different from traditional publishing. Selling a manuscript to a New York publishing house can take years, and then after signing the contract, another year or two before the book appears in print. Once its published, a traditionally published book has a relatively short shelf life. I chose to submit to e-publishers instead. The first publisher I submitted THE SCOTTISH THISTLE to offered me a contract within six weeks and they published it six months later. Although I did extensive research before selecting them, I ended up pulling the book and terminating my contract with them. A fellow author recommended I submit THE SCOTTISH THISTLE to a new e-publisher, but I waited. I was impressed by the professionalism of the head of this company and her clear focus on what she wanted and her future plans for the company. I submitted my manuscript to NovelBooks, Inc. about six weeks after I regained all rights. When I returned from Scotland two weeks later, they offered me a contract and published THE SCOTTISH THISTLE in April 2002 in both traditional paperback and e-book formats.

My advice to would-be writers is to never stop dreaming. Be flexible in your thinking and be willing to consider a diverging path along the way, for that may let you achieve your dreams. When I began my career as an author, I only wanted to write historical novels. An opportunity to write about maritime piracy presented itself. My monthly column proved I could write and meet deadlines. I established a readership base and have made friends around the world. My reputation for providing factual information and answering queries garners me support and encouragement from readers. I also acquired a portfolio of publishing credits and improved my writing. I believe this divergence from my original path helped when I submitted my first novel to a publisher. Signing their contract allowed me to achieve my dream.
 

Rachel Hyde: What future books do we have to look forward to? Can you tell us anything about your next novel?

Cindy: In addition to THE REBEL AND THE SPY, I'm currently working on a book entitled TWO HEARTS AGAINST THE WIND. It's set in western Kansas during the Great Depression. Brought together by a dumb kissing law and a jealous woman, Maddie Gentry and Rafe Quantrill struggle to survive the drought and dust storms while coping with the ostracism of family and friends.

ODIN'S STONE, which I mentioned earlier, will eventually become a full-length novel. Alexander MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, summons Rona of Clan MacLean to Skye. To end a feud, he has chosen her to wed her enemy, a MacKinnon. Without setting eyes on her husband-to-be, Rona exchanges vows at Odin's Stone. Who did she wed? The falconer, the gillie gifted with stories, or the warrior? Will she solve Alexander's riddle within the allotted time and determine her own fate and that of her clan?
 

Rachel Hyde: How many books have you written, and are they in print?

Cindy: THE SCOTTISH THISTLE is my debut novel. Readers can buy it either through NBI's website or ask their local bookstore to order it for them. It's available in trade paperback (ISBN 1-59105-034-0; Price: $19.95) or as an e-book (ISBN 1-59105-009-X; Download Price: $5.50; Formats: HTML or PDF).
 

Rachel Hyde: Do you have any final words for your readers, and how can fans contact you?  Do you have a website?

Cindy: I hope you enjoy THE SCOTTISH THISTLE. If you'd like to enhance your visit to eighteenth-century Scotland, please visit my web site  to view pictures of Thistle's Scotland and the International Gathering of Clan Cameron.

I love hearing from you and I do answer my mail. My e-mail address is cindy@cindyvallar.com or you can send letters to me at P.O. Box 4000-159, Olathe, KS 66063-4000.

If you'd like to know about contests, online chats, booksignings, etc., you can subscribe to either or both of my newsletters - Thistles & Pirates or Pirates and Privateers - by visiting my web site.

THE SCOTTISH THISTLE
By Cindy Vallar
Pulsar Books 2001
Ebook: ISBN 1586973126 (PDF & HTML - $4.95)
Print: Coming Soon (release date not set)
Reviewed by: Rachel A Hyde, MyShelf.Com

Rory MacGregor is a lady with a secret: by day she is the clan chief of the outlawed Clan Gregor and by night she is the notorious Thistle, robbing the rich to give to the poor.  What she doesn’t know is that her father made arrangements for her to marry a member of the clan who killed her mother and Duncan Cameron is that man.  At first she likes him but when she finds out who he is and about how her fate is entwined with his she refuses to sleep with him.  Soon however the pair has more to worry about for Bonnie Prince Charlie has landed and they find themselves embroiled in the ill-fated Stuart uprising that culminates at Culloden.

I settled down to read this novel expecting a romance but I got a lot more than just that!  This is a full-blooded historical novel that concentrates on Duncan’s adventures as much as it does on those of the psychic and capable Rory.  The story starts and ends with them but in between the reader is entertained royally by not only Bonnie Prince Charlie but the whole panoply of the doomed ’45.  There are battles, thrilling escapes and treachery for the lovers and their friends and families to weather as well as the more tender moments although if you want a very erotic book this isn’t it.  More succinctly told than Diane Gabaldon with (in my opinion) more sympathetic and believable characters fans of Nigel Tranter will enjoy this one along with anybody who likes a Highland romance.  Highly recommended!