I like to write in absolute silence – or as close to that as I can get. That allows me to listen to what my mind is telling me to do next. 

Carolyn J Nicholson – 19 Sept 2024

The Back Flap

The Ban the Witches and Fairies (BW&F) Party has chased all the supernatural beings out of the Isle of Skye. Only Magaidh, a young witch, remains, hiding in a castle disguised as a cat. But she and the Queen of the Fairies have a plan to rescue the Fairy Flag, allowing the fairies and Magaidh to return to Skye. As Magaidh resumes her business, Spells, Inc., she thinks about getting revenge on the BW&F Party, but the Fairy Queen suggests that peace would be a better plan. While Magaidh considers which it will be, peace or revenge, her business allows her to help the people of Skye with love potions and spells to reverse the troublesome effects of fairy arrows. She and her two fairy friends, Sean and Iain, go on many adventures together, including rescuing a baby Welsh dragon; dealing with Big Blue Donald, a ghost; and befriending a baby water horse. In the process, Magaidh gets to know her father and finds out why she is different from her siblings, who force her to choose revenge!

About the book

When did you start writing the book?

I started working on the book during Covid, perhaps 2022.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took me about a year to write it.

Where did you get the idea from?

It started out as a writing exercise in my little writers’ group, but the idea may have begun sooner with a book I got the last time I was in Scotland, Mysterious Skye and Lochalsh by Geoff Holder.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I struggled a bit trying to decide on a ‘villain’ – every fairy story needs a villain, right?

What came easily?

Amazingly, the story came really easily. I could have just gone on and on creating new scenes for Magaidh and her friends and family.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Well, I suppose witches and fairies would be considered entirely fictitious but there’s always an element of known personalities in creating characters. For instance, Iain and his love for oatcakes and porridge is pretty well based on me.

Do you have a target reader?

Not really. I just wanted to write something that would give joy to children.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so, can you please describe it?

I write a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the afternoon. In addition, I spend time researching or trying to think about where the plot should go next. I never have been able to plan much in advance.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I don’t really outline until I get an idea where the story is going. Then, sometimes, I have to go back and re-organize. I don’t know the chapter headings until I see what the chapter is about.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I edit as I go along to a small degree but I read and re-read the chapter many times over time and then finally do a final edit.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I have always hired a professional editor. Editors can see what the writer can’t see because of too much familiarity.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I don’t listen to music. I like to write in absolute silence – or as close to that as I can get. That allows me to listen to what my mind is telling me to do next.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I have always submitted my work to publishing houses.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I didn’t even know what Indie was until my publisher recommended Green-Light Your Book by Brooke Warner. It has a whole chapter called The Indie Revolution. My publisher knows all about Indie and recommended it to me so this will be my first experience with Indie publishing. I expect it to be a good experience since my publisher is very knowledgeable about this – and everything.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

The book cover was professionally done. Book covers are too important to leave to an amateur like me.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

My publisher has a marketing plan.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Buy the best books on how to write and follow them for your first attempt. Write about what inspires you or troubles you or just what you feel really attracted to. Do your research. Hire a professional editor to help you improve what you’ve written. Then research Indie and give it a try.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Nova Scotia.

Where do you live now?

I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’d like them to know that I’ve discovered how much fun it is to write. Wish I’d known about it when I was younger, I might have taken up writing much earlier.

I’d also like them to know that researching your ancestors is a lot of fun, especially with Google, Ancestry, AncestryDNA, 23&Me, etc. But it’s important to start early and talk to your older relatives while they are still with you.

I’d like them to know that my ancestors have been in North America since 1620 when Richard Warren arrived on the Mayflower. The rest of my ancestors arrived in Nova Scotia starting in 1760. However, I do consider the Isle of Skye, Scotland, my home as that is where my Nicholson ancestors are from. I’ve learned how much the Skye people believed – they say they don’t any more – in witches, fairies, kelpies, etc. So perhaps writing a fairy story was a natural thing for me. That’s my theory.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a book called, Traitors, Cannibals, Highlanders, and Vikings. It’s about my ancestors. The tag line is: She never dreamed she’d meet her ancestors – then they came for her.

I’ve also written a book which I think I’m going to call Isabel. It’s about my rich and influential relatives circa the 1850s. It takes place in Halifax, NS, and St. John, NB. It has a women’s liberation – and at that time women had no rights at all – theme running through it.

End of Interview:

Get your copy of The Last Witch on Skye from Amazon US or Amazon UK.