Welcome to WOLF NOTES, where interview questions stray from the rest of the pack. It’s nice to know the usual stuff like where an author gets their inspiration and why they write, but sometimes we need a little fun in our lives.
Give a big wolf welcome to Donna Milward.
Donna Milward lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with two cats and a troll. She’s dabbled in writing since grade two, but it wasn’t until an RWA conference in 2009 that she found the knowledge and tools she needed to tell the world about her dreams. Donna considers herself a feminist, a spiritual person, an insomniac, and an unabashed crazy cat lady. Despite her canning, gardening, and fishing hobbies, she much prefers city life.
Wolf: What is the strangest food you’ve ever eaten?
Donna: I believe it’s called a Century Egg or something? It was hard boiled, black with a grey yolk. I tried it when I worked for a Chinese Food restaurant in the nineties. I remembered that I liked it—it tasted robust and pleasantly creamy. Not at all what you’d expect.
Wolf: What is the nicest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?
Donna: I can’t say which one, but I gave her son back to her. I’m very proud of that scene, and I know I made more than one reader cry. I can’t give you more details. That would be Spoilers.
Wolf: What is the meanest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?
Donna: I killed her dog. In my defense, I was NOT a pet owner at the time, and I don’t think I’ll ever write that kind of thing again. I became a first-time pet owner after a long bout of Writer’s Block. I realized I couldn’t kill off a cat in my WIP. It made me realize I really liked cats and animals in general. I changed the scene and went to my local Humane Society and adopted my Freya. When I destroyed the dog in the previous book, I was going for powerful emotions and I wanted to shock the reader into realizing how awful the villain was. I didn’t have the empathy I have now.
Wolf: Do you consider yourself a cat person, or a dog person?
Donna: Cat person! I like dogs, but I’m a crazy cat lady now. They fit so neatly into my life and I adore everything about them, even when they are bratty. There is no such thing as an ugly cat, and as they say, ‘time spent with a cat is not wasted.’ That’s either Ernest Hemingway or Sigmund Freud—depending where in the internet you look.
Wolf: While walking in the woods you come across…
Donna: …An Elemental, or a true nature god. My grandmother is Finnish, and I’ve studied some of their folklore. Their nature magic doesn’t believe in good or evil forces. Some Elementals are good and others are just more difficult to deal with. I’ve written a short story about the Elemental I met in my dreams and intend to publish it in a future project.
Wolf: The world is about to end. What is the first thing you do?
Donna: I’ve had this nightmare more than once. The first thing I always do is scramble to find the people I love, just to tell them I love them before the ozone tears and rips us all apart. Thankfully I don’t dream those much anymore.
Wolf: Which of your characters is your favorite?
Donna: I hate to call favorites, but honestly, it’s Strife. She was only meant to be a minion, but she wrote herself into a larger character. I love her personality and how she evolved right before my eyes. She fascinates me and I’m proud of her.
Wolf: Describe a meal you would be served while visiting another world.
Donna: I used to dream and write in science fiction. I visited a world where the people were mostly fruitarians and their culture and spirituality were based on triangles and trios. Their favorite food was a flat, tangy, triangular fruit that tasted like a cross between apples and apricots, so I named them Applcots. I can just imagine all the delicious dishes they could create with it.
Wolf: What story are you working on now?
Donna: I’m actually editing two books right now. One is ‘Her True Name: Volume Two’ and it’s set in ancient Scandinavia. It is a novel on its own, but it keeps in time with Volume One and the reincarnation/mythology theme. ‘Elaina’s Fate’ is about an assassin who falls for the man she’s assigned to kill. The short story about the Elemental I mentioned will be part of a collection of short stories that don’t match my brand of reincarnation angels and mythology-based stories.
Wolf: Those sound very interesting. Thanks for stopping by.
Social Media Links:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/DonnaMilwardAuthor/
Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/
Blog: http://earthtothoeba.blogspot.ca/
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/?trk=
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