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.
GB was born in a small town in Vermont and grew up in the country attending a rural school. She started telling stories to her toys from a young age, writing her first short story in second grade. Her first novel in 10th grade. They’ve often been of the fantasy genre, because who doesn’t want to let their imagination travel as far as it can? But they’ve also been about real life: betrayal, suspicion, joy, war, triumph, self-doubt, all that good stuff. …And unicorns and dragons!
Growing up, her hobbies were showing her horses, lots of reading, and creating art. As she aged and life circumstances changed (she moved to the city where having horses wasn’t possible) she added folkloric belly dance, costuming, and entertaining in her home to her list of activities.
Currently she lives just a short drive from Lake Ontario where there is lots of snow, in a rambling old colonial house with her family and pets.
Wolf: If you could be any animal in the universe, what would it be and why?
GB: Are we talking imaginary or real? This is a difficult question. Always be a unicorn. Or a dragon. I (like a lot of writers and artists) have introvert tendencies, so to be left alone to do my work but with a few close friends, and having powers is a bonus. As for a real animal, I would like to be a warmblood dressage horse. They get the best care, work for about an hour a day except on show days.
Wolf: The questions was any, so we’ll stick with unicorn for and answer. What is the strangest food you’ve ever eaten?
GB: I tend to be relatively tame when it comes to food. No eyeballs or tentacles. I enjoy the international food I’ve had. Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern, etc. Probably the strangest thing was haggis (not true haggis because it’s not legal in the States). It reminded me of gamey meatloaf.
Wolf: That’s one I’ve never tried. What is the nicest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?
GB: I give them hope.
Wolf: What is the meanest thing you’ve ever done to your characters?
GB: Oh man, what haven’t I done? Across the series there have been entire families eradicated, some characters have had severe trauma…
Wolf: That sounds about right for an author. Do you consider yourself a cat person, or a dog person?
GB: I’m a pet person in general. I currently have a dog, a cat, a hamster, and an aquarium.
Wolf: Nice. While walking in the woods you come across…
GB: I have bad luck, so probably a very lost grizzly.
Wolf: Hope it’s not hungry. (I actually have come across a grizzly. Very scary.) If you could have a super power, what would it be?
GB: So many wonderful powers to choose from! I think I would love to have the powers of Dr. Strange. It would be very handy indeed.
Wolf: Yeah. I like what he did with Loki in the last Thor movie. Which of your characters is your favorite?
GB: It varies from moment to moment. Whichever character is making me happy for whatever reason. They all have their moments, but Cassius, Mina, and Gallylya are probably most often at the top of the list.
Wolf: What is your favorite body of water and why? (river, ocean, waterfall, puddle, bottle…)
GB: I love waterfalls. They’re beautiful, powerful, and always changing. Lakes come in second because they’re safer than the ocean and the view is nice.
Wolf: What story are you working on now?
GB: I’m polishing Arise, Book of Avenzyre III (due out later this year), and a writing the first draft of a book for tweens about a teenage girl living in rural New England surviving mean girls at school as well as horse shows (doesn’t have a title yet), and a coloring book to accompany the Avenzyre series.
Wolf: More familiar with mean girls at schools than I’d like to be. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
GB: I read, research, I have various sewing projects (I make the costumes I wear at RavenCon and Ren Faire), sometimes I crochet, I make very involved sketches of my characters and sometimes paint.
You can connect with GB through these links.
https://www.facebook.com/GBMacRae/
https://twitter.com/gb_macrae
https://www.pinterest.com/gbmacrae/pins/
https://mewe.com/profile/59f63ab71be2d92868415133
Don’t forget to pick up your copy of STAR TOUCHED
alkaplan 