Launch: Regan Walker’s The Strongest Heart
INTERVIEW BY M.N. STROH
A lawyer turned writer, Regan Walker is an award-winning author of Regency, Georgian and Medieval novels. She joins us today to share about the latest book in her Clan Donald Saga, which took firsts in the Chaucer Awards and the Readers’ Choice Book Awards.
How would you describe your book’s premise in two sentences?
At a time when Scotland’s throne was occupied by weak Stewart kings, and royal thugs did as they pleased, Donald of Islay, Lord of the Isles, brought the might of the Isles to the fore to claim what was rightfully his.
What drew you to write about 14th century Scotland?
I just followed the history from the beginning of the Clan’s founding in the 12th century to where I am now, the 14th and 15th centuries.
I understand The Strongest Heart is part of The Clan Donald Saga. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
The books in the Clan Donald Saga tell the stories of the Lords of the Isles, the chiefs of Clan Donald who were the great sea lords, plying the Hebridean waters in their galleys and ruling the western Highlands and the Isles for four hundred years. The first book, Summer Warrior, set in the 12th century, tells of the clan’s progenitor, Somerled; the next book, Bound by Honor, set in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, tells of Angus Og Macdonald, who brought his thousands of Islesmen to Bannockburn to win the day for his friend Robert the Bruce; and the third book, just out, The Strongest Heart, set in the late 14th and early 15th century, tells the story of Donald of Islay who became the Hero of Harlaw.
What inspired you to write romantic historical fiction?
I began first as a reader and reviewer of historical romance (my blog is Historical Romance Review). I like deep history but with a happy ending. So, when I began writing, I wrote historical romance (my first 16 books). However, even with my first book, Racing with the Wind, set in England and France during the Regency, I included historical events and historical figures along with my fictional characters. The history drew me deeper with each book until I found a desire to tell the real stories with the real historical characters, including the leads. And so now I write historical fiction. But in researching the characters, one discovers love stories that influenced their lives. In presenting their stories, I could not fail to reflect those. Really, to me it’s what adds tender moments to the story. It’s what makes a movie great, too. My favorite movie is The Last of the Mohicans. It might be a war story, but when you think about it, at its core, it’s a love story.
You mentioned traveling to Scotland and the Hebrides for your research. How did that experience enrich your story?
Many of my novels are set on ships, or in the case of The Clan Donald Saga, galleys. I have done hundreds of hours of research to “get it right”, and have written blog posts and articles on setting a story on a ship. To get the feel of it for my Regencies, I took a ride on a schooner, a replica of an early 19th-century ship. For the Clan Donald Saga, I wanted to experience small ship travel in the Hebrides. I wanted to see how close the Isles were to each other (they are close). And I wanted to experience the ever-changing weather and the feel of a small ship. If I hadn’t made my last trip to the Isles in 2021, I might not have included some of the wildlife I did or the rainbows that appear in Bound by Honor.
It’s such a unique turn-around to go from lawyer to writer. What led to that decision? Do you feel your experiences in law added depth to your writing craft or character development?
Actually I was always a writer. At a time when I was coming off an appointment in Washington in 2009, I was not actively employed due to the country’s financial crisis. Firms and companies were laying off lawyers by the dozens. I did a lot of reading then. In a conversation with my best friend one day, I was complaining about how one book ended. She challenged me to write a story. And that was my first book, published in 2012.
Is there a character in your novel who resonates the most for you? Why?
Donald of Islay, Lord of the Isles in The Strongest Heart faced many leadership challenges, beginning when he first became Chief of Clan Donald. His courage in the face of these and his response to grave opposition inspired me. Yet, I also had to deal with the woman he married, Mariota Leslie of Ross. Donald’s father arranged the marriage when the two were children. I had to examine what their relationship might have been like. In doing that, I became quite fond of her. She was an intelligent, clever woman who accepted her lot and stood by the man whose life she shared.
What is the last great book you read?
A few years ago, I discovered Dorothy Dunnett’s historical fiction novels with love stories par excellence that take you all over the world. I began with the Lymond Chronicles and then went on to read the House of Niccolo series. Though she wrote the Lymond Chronicles first, they actually follow the related House of Niccolo series in time. I have read all nine books. The last book in the House of Niccolo was Gemini. It’s set in Scotland and France in the 15th century. I loved the whole series but Gemini tied up the loose ends and explained much of the mystery. Truly excellent.
