Leoma Retan
Q & A – In my own words
What inspired you to write Away with the Fairies?
I have a lifelong interest in Celtic mythology, but this book emerged when my Irish-born-and-raised husband told me stories about his childhood in Limerick. The main character, Bommer, is loosely based on him, and many of the individual anecdotes really happened.
What scene in Away with the Fairies was your favorite to write?
That’s a hard question. One of my favorites is early in the book, when Bommer and his friends meet the leprechaun (Fergal Shaughnessy). Tighe, one of Bommer’s friends, refuses to believe in either leprechauns or fairies despite obvious evidence. Kev calls on a pact between his family (Kev is from a Traveler, or Pavee, background) and the leprechauns, and Bommer tries to be a bridge between the two of them and get what they need—to get to the place into which his cousin and a fairy disappeared.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading Away with the Fairies, what would it be?
Don’t assume what your friends and family need. Sometimes their needs are not what you expect. Listen to them.
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I read across a broad spectrum. While fantasy and science fiction hold a special place in my heart, I also enjoy romances (especially historical romances), mysteries, historical fiction, and cyber-thrillers. I am actively writing two fantasies (the sequel to Away with the Fairies and the first book of a three-volume epic adult fantasy) but I have a romance that is not quite ready to publish and a couple of five-minutes-from-now speculative fiction novels on the back burner, waiting for me to get back to them.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
My full TBR is far too long to provide a comprehensive list (check my Goodreads page for more), but here are the ones that have me the most excited: Platform Decay by Martha Wells, The Wild Robot by Peter Brown, Electromagnetic Assault by Bruce Landay, Through the Mountains by Malinda Andrews, The Ghostwriter by E.L. Winters, Mercy in the Mist by Valerie Biel, Musky Run by Jeff Nania, and Usurpation by Sue Burke. I’m also eagerly awaiting Flint in the Bones, the next book in the Eva St. John’s Map Runners series, and the final two books in the Fourth Wing series.
When and where do you like to write?
I need quiet for writing so I do not write in coffee shops and the like. I used to write late at night due to my work schedule; recently I find I am most productive during the morning. Once I begin, I may continue for hours if I don’t have other commitments.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
Live fiercely! I don’t believe anyone should allow themselves to be held back by other people’s expectations of them, particularly with regard to things they “aren’t supposed” to do at their age.