R.F. Long: The Interview

R.F. Long is one of Ireland's favourite romantic fantasy writers. We learn about working with a family, writing in general, and her dragon collection!

 

Octocon: Hi, How are you?

Ruth Long: Very well, thanks! :)

 

O: You launched your book The Scroll Thief at Octocon last year. How was that?

RL: Very exciting, nerve-racking and great fun. Everyone was so friendly

and helpful. Himself even managed to keep the kids quiet while I

talked, a superhuman feat.

 

The book has gone from strength to strength, getting some nice reviews

and turning up in Waterstone and Hodges Figgis (where I've signed

every copy I can lay my hands on! :) )

 

Also it was fantastic when my kids commandeered the Wii in the games

room and shocked everyone present by continually driving the lego R2D2

off a cliff. Because it was fun.

 

O: How has the year been since then?

RL: Well, a bit of a whirlwind to be honest. I've another ebook out "The

Wolf's Mate" and "Soul Fire" came out in print as well. The two

Holtlands novellas "The Wolf's Sister" and "The Wolf's Mate" will be

coming out in print as "Songs of the Wolf" in December. I was also a

guest at PCon in March, and went to the Romantic Novelists

Association's 50th anniversary conference in Greenwich in July.  And I

have other news. See below!

 

O: Have you any new or exciting news for us.

RL: In November I signed with my agent Colleen Lindsay at Fineprint

Literary Management in New York. And in April, we contracted my dark

YA fantasy "May Queen" with Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin. I'm

currently working on another YA, an Urban Fantasy set in Dublin and

after that I should be working on a sequel to "May Queen" (if the plot

bunnies will leave me alone).

 

O: How does your day job influence your writing?

RL: On the surface I'd say not at all, but that's not strictly true. I

work in a library of rare and specialist books. Some of them are very

old indeed. It gives me something of a slanted view of history and of

the age of things. For example I'm regularly heard to refer to a book

as "not old at all" that was printed in 1812 or something like that.

1800s is my cut off point for "old", which is kind of weird when you

think about it. Prior to that there are degrees of old. I'm kind of

grudging about books from the 1700s, a little more interested in those

from the 1600s, while my real interest lies in those printed prior to

that. I'll go geeky over the stangest things.

 

A lot of my books feature characters who are hundreds, if not

thousands, of years old in human terms. They don't consider themselves

old either.

 

I work in a very quiet and serene environment. That's why my house is

so chaotic. Honest! And I find it very hard to write in silence as my

brain switches to library-mode.

 

O: Have you any special tips for budding writer’s out there?

RL: There is a lot of advice out there. You can't apply it all. Find what

works for you and ignore the rest. (Unless it involves things like

scissors and running, the Babylon 5 mantra or getting involved in a

land war in Asia). Everyone tells their own story so telling it your

own way is the best way to make it unique. Try to write every day, but

don't beat yourself up if you don't. I'd like to say "find your voice"

but I'm not sure if I've done that yet, or even how to do it, but I'll

let you know when I can.

 

O: Where is your favourite place to write.

RL: On the sofa, wedged between the cushions and the cat, with my laptop

burning up on top of me. With noise. Lots of noise.

 

O: Have you any good book recommendations?

RL: (I read something of a variety, so be warned)

Nancy Werlin's Impossible (Paranormal Romance)

Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely (Urban Fantasy)

Ariana Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death (Historical Murder Mystery)

Lisa Hilton's Queens Consort (Historical Biographies)

Julie Cohen's Girl from Mars (Romantic Comedy set in the world of Comics)

 

O: What’s the geekiest thing you own?

RL: My husband (although he disputes the "own" part of this sentence).

 

Everything I own is cool. It just depends on your point of view. Some

would say ebook reader, some would say the food processor. I may have

bought himself a set of Apollo Mission medals though. And the HBO

series "From the Earth To The Moon" on region 1 DVD while visiting the

Smithsonian in Washington DC becuase you couldn't get it here in 2006.

 

Fairy figurines. And a large dragon collection.

 

Oh and there's a remote control Dalek in our house.

 

Also, I'm a writer with a cat. Err...

 

O: Who would your inner fan-girl most like to meet if given a choice?

Neil Gaiman

Terry Pratchett

Joss Whedon

J. Michael Straczynski

Stephe Moffat

 

Or Granuaile. (Do they have to be alive?)

 

O: What are you most looking forward to at Octocon this year?

RL: My children commandeering the games room (Again).

 

You can find out more information about Ruth at her website: http://www.rflong.com