Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Christy matheson who is the author of The Castle in Kilkenny series and we are chatting about her newest book: The Boat on the Lake of Regret (number 5 in the series). Settle in and enjoy the copnversation as Christy comes prepared with some great answers to these questions. But first, a brief introduction to the book itself!
He has one last chance to be a fairy tale hero.
But she didn’t agree to be the damsel in distress.
When her longtime boyfriend unexpectedly slides a ring on her finger, Hannah is whisked from her everyday bedroom to a medieval ball. Hannah knew that Dylan would do anything to prove to her parents that he’s husband material, including going into the Fae world—but she never agreed to go through the Veil herself.
Now one of three princess sisters, Hannah is paired with warrior Prince Dylan. But, homesick and blindsided, she pretends the Veil has wiped him from her memory.
As her prince scrambles in vain to be the right kind of hero, Hannah ignores her instincts and follows her new sisters onto a mysterious boat—which promptly sails them into a land of giants, magical traps, and enchanted pianos…and away from Dylan.
UBL: https://buy.bookfunnel.com/hzxiszq79z
Amazon:
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-boat-on-the-lake-of-regret-christy-matheson/1147476603
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-boat-on-the-lake-of-regret
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234670269-the-boat-on-the-lake-of-regret
Author Interview
What inspired the title The Boat on the Lake of Regret, and how does the concept of “regret” shape Hannah’s journey in this fairy tale adventure?
What a great question! I happen to have an entire story that answers this.
This book has different characters but the same inciting incident as The Knight of Terrible Valley & Aiden of Florida, and takes place immediately afterwords. In the back of Aiden’s book, we added a short story, “The Two Rings,” narrated by the character in common. We chose to include the story in Aiden’s book instead of this one, because the story has some of the answers that Hannah is searching for, and some readers will prefer to find out along with Hannah. But “The Two Rings” also includes moments that aren’t in either of the novels, because they’re things that only Dylan experienced.
Hannah finds herself swept through a Veil into a medieval castle and then journeying through magical landscapes. What role does Irish folklore or fantasy traditions play in shaping the setting and tone of this novel?
This is actually a pretty close retelling of the fairy tale “The Three Crowns.” All the other plot elements are directly from the fairy tale. I changed the final plot twist to make more sense to modern readers, but I used another specific Irish legend.
I added the modern frame with Hannah and her family. The original tale felt medieval but did not give a specific location, so I set it in a particular place and time that created a new obstacle for the characters.
Overall, Irish folklore informs everything in my magical world. Each of my choices are rooted in stories and history, and try to stay true to the mood of the folklore. Even what we now call “time slip” comes from different ideas around time and the movement between elements in the worlds.
Hannah resists playing the “damsel in distress” and even pretends Dylan has been erased from her memory. How did you approach writing a protagonist who actively resists fairy-tale tropes?
I don’t start writing the retellings until I have a vision for why and how my protagonist will change the story.
In this story, I thought a lot about what it meant to be the one left behind. What does it feel like to have to trust your partner to do all the heroics? What actions does a person take while they are waiting? We don’t just stop being full human beings while we are waiting for something, and the people left behind end up with jobs as well.
The blend of romance, adventure, and fantasy in this book is seamless. How do you balance those genres to keep the narrative fresh and engaging for readers?
I think the answer is that I read a lot, and then I strive to write something that I want to read!
Your characters—and particularly their emotional journeys—have been described as “fresh, smart, and totally charming.” How do you infuse that tone into a story with danger and high stakes?
I keep weaving more layers. All of the secondary characters have a motivation, the setting has to influence the story, the dialogue propels the plot. It’s always a constant balance of letting the reader settle into the narrator’s emotions and keeping the plot moving.
In the context of YA fantasy, what themes such as identity, courage, or destiny do you feel resonate most strongly in this novel?
I write starting with characters and layering in plot, and themes only emerge as the character experience overlaps with the readers’ experiences. I am amazed by some of the themes that readers find in my books, and I love that interactive experience!
One of the themes that emerged for me was how identity overlaps with age. Hannah and Dylan are 17, and they have believed since they were children that they would marry and make a life together. As a society, we frequently undermine teens’ mental and emotional capacity to make decisions. That doubt is a big part of Hannah’s struggle, and what she and Dylan have to decide for themselves—are they capable human beings? Do they know themselves? Can they feel love? Or…are they just immature and need to be protected until they’re old enough to understand better?
What was the most challenging scene to write in the book, and how did you overcome that challenge?
I actually just loved writing this book. I knew the character and I could just feel how the whole story fit together, and it was a joy to put together.
Openings are always technically the hardest because they have to do so much. I always re-write my openings after I finish the book, and then again after my editor reads it, and usually again. But that’s just the process.
I enjoyed the whole book, but my favorite was writing the scenes with Hannah and Dylan together. They have this tenderness from knowing each other so well, but also a freshness because they both have discovered so much about themselves during this adventure.
Your stories lean heavily on character-driven narratives. Which secondary character(s) in this book deserve more spotlight, and why?
Well… this is the way this whole series emerges. I write one story, and I can’t help but make the secondary characters interesting, and then those characters need their own story.
In The Boat on the Lake of Regret, I think the next story opener comes through pretty clearly. It starts with Eithne, and goes through the announcement in the last chapter…
Looking back at the series, what do you hope readers take away from Hannah’s journey through The Castle in Kilkenny and the magical realms beyond?
Joy! I don’t have any ulterior motive.
What’s next for you, Christy? Are you planning more fairy-tale stories, perhaps in this world or a new one?
I have two more “The Castle in Kilkenny: Fairy Tales” available for pre-order, and another one about to release through my newsletter. I also have short stories coming out in two anthologies this winter.
My next set of fairy tales goes back to Maura Robinson and her family. Maura has money trouble, Oona brings home a swan, and chaos ensues. I’m really having fun with the twists and complications in this one!
I also have a big announcement that I can’t share quite yet! It will be on my newsletter and socials soon. But I can promise readers…. it will have characters you connect with, plenty of adventure, dry humor, and endings that are more than a sugar rush.
Author Bio & 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.
Links:
Website:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/christy_matheson_author
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091887100897
TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@christy.matheson.author
Newsletter:
https://sendfox.com/ChristyMatheson
Substack:
https://unspokenstoriesofwomanhood.substack.com
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49771827.Christy_Matheson
StoryGraph:
https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/sonatasbooks
BookBub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christy-matheson
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It’s time for my July TBR! I am sharing all the books I will be adding to my summer reading plans, including one carryover from June. Let me know in the comments what books you’re adding to your TBR this month!
Check out the video below:
