Virtual Book Tour + #Giveaway: The White Deer of Kildare by Christy Matheson @GoddessFish

THE WHITE DEER OF KILDARE

Christy Matheson

GENRE: Time-slip Fantasy

BLURB:

There's a deer sorting Christmas decorations in Maura's kitchen...

All Maura wants is a peaceful winter holidays in her dilapidated Irish castle, but her ex is threatening her with family court, and her second grader has invited a strange--completely unclothed--friend, to spend the holidays with them. Oh. And the friend’s dog, which is not actually a dog but probably one of the white deer of Celtic myth.

Maura distracts herself from her husband’s threats by trying to discover why a Fae deer is in her kitchen, when the two women accidentally end up in the Ireland of ancient myth. The White Deer was the human queen of this castle, but it appears she has husband trouble too. Perhaps...the deadly sort of trouble.

Can Maura rescue her new friend — or is Maura herself so tangled in the White Deer's fate that she won't make it home to her children alive?

This novella will appeal to readers who enjoy cozy fantasy, ancient history, Irish folklore, and uplifting stories about motherhood and found family.

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Excerpt:

Just think, you shall be at Dún Ailline and see your father soon,” Maeve suggests.

“No, I shan’t!” Saba bursts into speech. “That’s what Fionn told me while we were walking. He’s not taking me home after all.”

That’s too bad of Fionn, to disappoint his wife so soon after returning! And he went on about how he loved her more than the moon and stars.

“Where are we going?” Ailbe asks quietly.

“That’s the other trouble.” Saba squeezes Ailbe’s hand. “Most of you are staying here. Fionn wants to travel quickly, and is only allowing me one of my ladies to care for my needs.”

My heart swoops in fear. If Saba leaves me behind, I will be sickeningly alone in a strange land. And what about the best druids in the south of Ireland—they were going to help me return to my children.

The six ladies in waiting exchange looks, and all turn to me.

“You must take Maura, of course,” Maeve says.

“Of course,” the others murmur, eyes cast down.

Or perhaps I should stay with my own castle, and hope that one day I just walk through a door into my own rooms?

“There is something about the way she came to us,” Ailbe says. “I believe there might be a reason for her presence just now.”

“Besides”—Maeve drops her voice so only Saba and I can hear—“Maura is a mother herself, and our queen might need the advice of a married woman.”

Interview with Christy Matheson

What is your favorite part of the book?

My favorite moment in “The White Deer” is when the deer becomes un-enchanted. She’s perfectly confident and absolutely full of parenting advice, just with a third-century slant. 

Does your book have a lesson? Moral?

I hope that I’m never putting anything as obvious as a moral into my stories! But one thing I like about the novella format is that the arc is very clear. So yes, there’s a mistake at the beginning, and understanding at the end. I think that feels closer to real life—the book is not solving everything, but it solves one thing. You and I can also solve one thing in our lives (although we might not drop into Irish mythology in order to do it!).

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

I spent a lot of energy thinking about who people are, and why they are the way they are. That’s one of the reasons I have a large family; I absolutely love watching each of them become the person they are, and I love how every relationship is unique. I have been a teacher, advisor, and quiet person in the corner for decades now, just thinking and observing how amazingly unique and incredible each person is.

Which is to say—I’m sure that all of my characters come from my observations, which come from real people eventually. But I have never written a character who is connected directly to a specific person. I also have never used any situation I hear about in real life, or any line of dialogue that I have heard. It all comes from the mixing pot in my head.

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?

Probably my favorite is whichever one I am working with at the time! I guess my narrator is usually my favorite character, because I have to get to know them particularly well. I always think out my books long before I write them, so if I don’t find that character or narrative voice interesting, then I don’t write the book.

I really like Maura, the main character in “The White Deer of Kildare.” I’ve been with her for several fairy tales now (make sure to sign up for my newsletter for details on when the new ones come out, including one free novella just for newsletter subscribers), and we have a good working relationship.

One thing I like about Maura is that she is a good listener. She can come into a situation (like raising her step-kids, or third-century Ireland) without pushing her personality into it. I’ve had some readers think that is passive, but I think it’s a kind of strength to allow others to be their true selves.

What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?

I’ve written some distinctly unlikeable characters in “The White Deer,” so this answer is pretty easy!

I find Fionn McCool, in my retelling, to be the sort of person I don’t jive with. He’s that sort of hearty, over-masculine, “I know what’s best for you and what you like and here it is!” This type of person makes me feel overwhelmed and I have a hard time articulating my thoughts around men like that.

One reader observed that men like Fionn could genuinely love their wife, and still be a genuinely terrible partner. That’s the sort of conversation that I love to be able to spark with my writing. Talking about Fionn and Saba is a safe way that we can think about what healthy relationships look like (or don’t!), and think about the shades of gray or warning signs might be.

What would the main character in your book have to say about you?

Maura and I would get along great! We both have big families blended in an unusual way, and we both love history and tea.

However, I’m a lot more of a calm and “it’ll work out” kind of mother. Maura worries a lot, and is still in the phase where she has her Vision Of Her Family that she is trying to organize (sometimes when the family has other ideas!). Also, although our kids are close to the same ages, I have raised my teens all the way and she just got hers. So if we sat down together, she would be asking me a lot of questions like “is this okay?” and I would be saying a lot of “it’s fine. Trust yourself.”

Meanwhile, Saba would be wandering around, fiddling with all the knick-knacks and buttons, and interjecting things that are irrelevant but adorable. It would be great fun!

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

The “Castle in Kilkenny: Fairy Tales” is a series of short, relaxing stand-alones, that all together create a connection with a complex family. I think especially with the increasing use of social media and the current unrest in the world, sometimes we want a reading escape which gives us a good emotional connection without a big commitment, so I planned all the books in this series to be short reads. But if you read them together, they intertwine to come deeper into the characters’ hearts and their family connections.

I just released “The Squire & His Magical Library,” which is the direct companion to this book, and it includes a free bonus story retelling part of “White Deer” from another character’s perspective. And don’t worry—Rian and Maura are coming back! Be sure to follow my newsletter… I have a bunch of bonus stories and extra content that you get before anyone else. https://sendfox.com/ChristyMatheson

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Christy Matheson writes award-winning fiction about friends, family, and finding one’s place in an ever-changing world.

She is the author of "The Castle in Kilkenny: Fairy Tales" novella series. Each one sets a traditional Irish fairy tale within a modern blended family, perfect for readers wanting a cozy family adventure.

Christy's regular historical work (sans fantasy elements) can be found in the award-winning "Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women," of which she is also an editor. Her Regency novels are represented by Kristina Sutton-Lennon and have won pre-publication awards for women’s fiction.

Christy is also an embroidery artist, classically trained pianist, and sews all of her own clothes. She lives in Oregon, on a country property that fondly reminds her of a Regency estate (except with a swing set instead of faux Greek ruins), with her husband, five children, three Shelties, one bunny, and an improbable quantity of art supplies.

Connect with Christy Matheson

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