Mirror, mirror on the lake. Reveal the path the queen will take.
Hunted by the Black Widow Queen, Issylte--a healer with the verdant magic of the forest--must flee Avalon with the two finest knights in the Celtic realm, both wrongly accused of treason. The trio travels to Bretagne, where Issylte heals a critically injured wolf and obtains fiercely loyal, shapeshifting allies.
In mystical Brocéliande, Issylte becomes a warrior priestess of the Tribe of Dana and otherworldly mate of the Blue Knight of Cornwall, discovering with Tristan a passion that transcends all bounds. When she becomes the Lady of the Mirrored Lake, sworn to defend the sacred waters of the Goddess, Issylte must undertake a perilous quest to discover what priceless object lies hidden in its murky depths. As a nascent evil emerges in a fetid cave, Issylte and Tristan must face a diabolical trio that threatens their lives, their love, and their kingdoms.
Enchanted.
Enflamed. Entwined. Can their passion and power prevail?
Wild Women Authors welcomes author Jennifer Ivy Walker who celebrates of The
Lady of the Mirrored Lake, Book 2 of The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven series,
a recent release out of the Fantasy Rose line for the Wild Rose Press. With
Jennifer is Issylte, Lady of the Mirrored Lake and priestess of the Tribe of
Dana.
Tell
us a bit about The Lady of the Mirrored Lake. It tells the story of how I venture from Avalon, where
I have trained to become a gifted healer, to France, where I become a warrior
priestess of the Tribe of Dana (the Earth Goddess) and Lady of the Mirrored
Lake, sworn to defend her sacred waters.
What
did you think the first time you saw the warrior Tristan? The first time I saw him, it took my breath away. I
had previously seen him in a vision for I have the gift of Sight. He was
brought—critically injured by a poisoned sword-- to Avalon, the Island of
Healing, by his best friend Lancelot. It took three days, during which l employed
all of my talents as a guérisseuse celtique—a Celtic healer—to cure him.
When he opened his brilliant blue eyes, I glimpsed in them a kaleidoscope of
visions and knew that my fate had been entwined with his.
What was your second thought? My second thought was: how could this man be my fated mate, when I was romantically involved with another?
Was it
love at first sight? No—because I was in love with the Elf Ronan
when I healed Tristan.
What
do you like most about Tristan? His fiercely loyal heart.
How
would you describe him? A brute of a man—an enormous, battle-scarred
knight—haunted by horrors of a turbulent past.
How
would he describe you? As his “green
and golden goddess”, for my face was the
first thing he saw when he opened his eyes on the island of Avalon. I have deep
green eyes and blonde hair, and he later told me he’d seen me as an ethereal figure,
as if I were the Goddess Dana herself.
What
made you choose to become a healer? I
was taught by the fairy witch Maiwenn in the enchanted Hazelwood Forest in
Ireland. I was sent to Avalon to flee my
wicked stepmother—the Black Widow Queen who poisoned my father, King Donnchadh
of Ireland, and is hunting me even now, for I am the rightful heir to my father’s
throne. In Avalon, I completed my
training, earning the prestigious title of Guérisseuse Celtique (Celtic
Healer).
What
is your biggest fear? That the Black
Widow Queen will starve and impoverish my country and send her voracious Vikings
from Dubh Linn to pillage and plunder
the Celtic realm.
How
do you relax? I love to go horseback
riding. Tristan gave me a magnificent black mare, Minuit (Midnight). He
and I go galloping across the grassy plains of western France and through the
Forest of Brocéliande, heart of the Tribe of Dana.
Who
is your favorite fictional character?
Roland, Charlemagne’s paladin from the epic poem, La Chanson de Roland.
What
is the best piece of advice you ever received? My dear Maiwenn—the fairy witch who helped me
discover my latent verdant magic as an herbal healer—told me to never turn my
back on my gifts from the Goddess. She encouraged me to always use my divine magic
for healing. To be a light in the realm of darkness.
Thank
you, Issylte. We appreciate all this fascinating information. We’d like to
spend a bit of time with Jennifer.
What
movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? Marion Zimmer
Bradley’s classic, The Mists of Avalon, had a profound influence on me
as a writer. Sarah J. Maas and her Court of Thorns and Roses series inspired
me to finally write the novel I have been wanting to pen ever since I
discovered the medieval legend of Tristan et Yseult when I earned my MA
in French literature.
Is
there an event in your private life that you were able to bring to this story
and how do you feel it impacted the novel? I have been to many of the
places in France that I incorporated into the novel. For example, I visited
troglodyte caves in the Loire Valley and la Grotte de Lascaux in
Aquitaine (a province in southwestern France) and knew that is where I wanted my
bear shape shifters—le Clan des Ours (the Bear Clan)—to live. When I discovered through research that there
is a valley in the Forest of Brocéliande called le Vallon de la Chambre aux
Loups (the Valley of the Chamber of Wolves), I selected that to be the
locale for my Wolf Tribe (la Tribu des Loups).
Tell
us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced
your decision to submit to them? My
debut novel is entitled “The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven”, so when I discovered
that there was a publishing company called The Wild Rose Press, I was
immediately drawn by the name. I researched their background, and really liked the
awards they had received. They were so welcoming, helpful, supportive, and
friendly that I decided to go with them. I am delighted to say that I have now signed
four contracts with The Wild Rose Press!
What
book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Daughter of the Moon Goddess
by Sue Lynn Tan; City of Ruin by Charissa Weaks; The Dragon Ring by
Fil Reid
Lastly, what's up next and
when can we expect to see it on the shelves? The Emerald Fairy and the Dragon Knight, the conclusion of “The Wild Rose
and the Sea Raven” trilogy, will be published soon by The Wild Rose Press.
Jennifer brought an excerpt for us:
“The Gallizenae,” the Lady of
the Fountain continued, “are Mélusines-- mermaids who can shape shift.
They control the tides and the seas, invoking horrendous storms to capsize
invading ships which threaten their shores.” Laudine locked eyes with Issylte.
“It is rumored that the Mélusines are the legendary Dragons de Mer.
The Sea Dragon warriors who destroy any ship which enters their sacred realm.”
Murmurs rippled across the table.
Tristan squeezed her trembling hand.
“But a woman such as a
Priestess of Dana may go there,” Laudine continued, her fiery eyes glowing with
challenge. “Seeking knowledge from the Gallizenae. To protect the Celtic realm.
And defend the three sacred elements of the Goddess.”
Issylte’s breath hitched as
realization dawned upon her. “I must go there to discover what lies hidden in le
Miroir aux Fées.” She turned eagerly to Tristan, her heart filled with wonder,
excitement, courage.
And fear.
“Yes, Issylte.” Laudine reached
across the table to squeeze her other hand.
“They will tell you what secret lies hidden in the Mirrored Lake. And why the dwarves are desperate to obtain
it. It must be an object of tremendous power.”
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22671046.Jennifer_Ivy_Walker
Website: https://jenniferivywalker.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferIvyWalker/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bohemienneivy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferivywalkerauthor/
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B0B91R2MJZ
Email:
jenniferivywalker@yahoo.com
Great interview and enticing excerpt, Jennifer!
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