The Fair Folk of Mullarkey Discussion Questions

Below you will find questions from actual readers about The Fair Folk of Mullarkey series. Use the contact form to send your questions and they might appear on this FAQ page. 

Q. What inspired you to write The Fair Folk of Mullarkey Series?

The story of Sadie, the horse, is central to Black Annis Year was the inspiration. Sadie’s story is actually a true story from my rescue experience (minus the fairies, of course) and her story is the one I wanted to tell for a long time, but I needed to put it in a larger context in order to make it big enough for an entire book. You can read about some of those rescue story inspirations on the Animal Tales page.

I let this book percolate for a long time. I knew I wanted to add a fae element, so I read many, many books and blogs about fairies until I found just the right fae to haunt the woods around Elenna's farm. 

I also knew I wanted to create a series around a small town. So I created a fictional town in my own neck of the woods. 

Then other elements started to fall into place—the quirky characters, the vendor markets, the old inn, the farm, etc. The wind phone was the last piece that fell into place, and that came from an article I read in a local newspaper. It was like the missing piece of the puzzle that made me finally see the whole picture.

So, you can see there wasn't one inspiration, but a series of smaller ones, like a chain. 

Q. What is cozy fantasy?

A. Cozy fantasy is a subgenera of fantasy fiction that stresses a low-stakes plot line. There are no massive battles or end-of-the-world strife. That doesn’t mean there is no conflict, danger or action, but the conflict tends to be closer to home and more personal. Cozy is usually set in a small town, in our modern world or an alternate fantasy realm. There’s often tea involved. Or used books. In The Fair Folk of Mullarkey, there is an animal rescue farm, an old inn, a witch’s shop and a pie shop. Readers may feel that cozy has a slower pace because of its slice-of-live vibe, but cozy also emphasizes a feel-good outcome which makes it the perfect pick-me-up when the world feels like it’s on fire.

Q: Why did you change the cover of Black Annis Year?

A: Since I was planning a relaunch anyway, I thought this would be a good time to fix an error I made with the original cover. While I love the old cover, I felt that it didn’t speak to genre, and so it was overlooked by readers specifically looking for Cozy Fantasy. The new cover sets it firmly in the proper genre at a glance. 
 

Q. Are you planning more books in this series?

A. Yes! Right now I am planning 4 books in this series. Each one will be a stand-alone story, but include characters from Mullarkey Mills. Black Annis Year features Elenna, the reluctant farmer. Joelle is the new innkeeper in Hallow Crossing. I am planning a book for Hadley, the manager of Auntie Clare’s store and Nina, the owner of the Pishogue Shop.

As I write these stories, the minor characters tend to want more time in the spotlight—particularly Tig, Warrick and Max, so I might write some shorter stories to highlight them.

Q. How do you know about all the different types of horse care?

A. my grade 10 English teacher told me to write about what I know. I didn't like that advice because I wanted to write about space pirates and dragons and witches. But as I matured as a writer, I sort of understood that I needed to write about what I know emotion-wise and I've always tried to do that.

And I do know horses. I'm not a great rider, but I've spent countless hours in cold barns or at dusty arenas watching my daughter ride and show horses. And I've cared for the big goofballs for years too. I think I actually enjoy caring for them more than riding.

Shin Mei, the gelding in Black Annis Year is based on my horse, Booker. All the horse antics are things that actually happened, including Sassy jumping over me. And the dreaded sheath cleaning. And even sitting in the mud and rain, singing to Sadie. And my old English teacher was right. It felt really good to write about what I know. Don't tell him that though, because I still want to write about space pirates.

Q. Are the romantic elements in The Fair Folk of Mullarkey steamy?

A. No. There is sweet romance and gentle sexual tension in the story, but nothing more graphic than a kiss. Any sex that happens is considered “fade to black” or “closed door” because it happens outside of the narrative. You can see the heat level and content warnings for all my books on the Content Warning page.