Special Guest Interview with Linnea Tanner, Author of Apollo’s Raven (Curse of Clansmen and Kings, Book 1)

Available at Amazon US and Amazon UK

Apollo’s Raven is the first book in the Historical Fantasy series, Curse of Clansmen and Kings, that weaves Celtic mythology into the historical backdrop of 24 AD Britannia and Rome. The epic tale begins when British tribal kings hand-picked by Rome are fighting each other for power. King Amren’s former queen, a powerful Druid, has cast a curse that Blood Wolf and the Raven will rise and destroy him. The king’s daughter, Catrin, learns to her dismay that she is the Raven and her banished half-brother is Blood Wolf. Trained as a warrior, Catrin must find a way to break the curse, but she is torn between her forbidden love for her father’s enemy, Marcellus, and loyalty to her people. She must summon the magic of the Ancient Druids to alter the dark prophecy that threatens the fates of everyone in her kingdom.

I'm pleased to welcome author Linnea Tanner to The Writing Desk:

Tell us about your first book in the series

Award-winning Apollo’s Raven (Book 1 Curse of Clansmen and Kings) begins the epic tale in AD 24 Britannia, where British kings hand-picked by Rome to rule are fighting each other for power. King Amren’s former queen, a powerful Druid, has cast a curse that Blood Wolf and the Raven will rise and destroy him. 

The king’s daughter, Catrin, learns to her dismay that she is the Raven and her banished half-brother is Blood Wolf. Catrin must find a way to break the curse, but she torn between her forbidden love for Marcellus, the Roman hostage under her charge, and loyalty to her people. She must summon the magic of the Ancient Druids to alter the dark prophecy that threatens the fates of everyone in her kingdom. 

The epic Celtic tale sweeps you into forbidden love, mythological adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. 

What is your preferred writing routine?

Before I begin writing, I’ll write a brief summary of the plotline. I usually write my first draft in longhand because I have more access to my creative processes. My characters are free to tell their story in my head, and I’m not tempted to stop and edit. I transcribe the first draft to the computer which I then extensively edit and polish after receiving feedback from trusted partners and editors. 

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

• Write with passion in what interests you, not what is popular. 
• Read other authors and learn what engages you in their stories to help you with your craftsmanship
• Learn the craftsmanship of writing through workshops and through constructive feedback from trusted writers or editors.
• Be open to constructive criticism, but do not let negative comments bring you down. 
• Routinely write and finish your work even though it may be an “ugly rough draft.” Part of the writing process is to edit and smooth off the rough edges after the draft is completed.
• Be resilient and never give up. 

What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?

One of the best ways to raise awareness of my series are through blog tours, multi-author events, and through other authors. I’m a strong believer that you should support other authors and read and review their books. I sometimes use promotional sites such as below to boost my sales

• Written Word Media: https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/
• Kbookpromotions: https://www.kbookpromotions.com/
• My Book Cave: https://mybookcave.com/

Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research.

One of the most fascinating concepts I discovered about Celtic religion is the belief in the reincarnation of the soul. Their beliefs are consistent with the Greek philosopher Pythagoras, who believed in metempsychosis, or the "transmigration of souls.” Every soul is immortal and, upon death, enters into a new body. I freely use this concept to explain shapeshifting and other magical powers in the series.

What was the hardest scene you remember writing?

This is a difficult question for me to answer. In general, it is hard for me to write a scene that will adversely impact a main character that I’ve grown to love and care about. I recently wrote a scene in which one of my main characters is being tortured with the threat that his wife or baby will be killed in front of his eyes unless he concedes to their father’s demands. I was in tears writing the scene because my character is ultimately forced to choose who will be spared: his wife or child. The scene is intended to be emotionally raw similar to a scene in the film, Sophie’s Choice. 

What are you planning to write next?

I’m in the process of finishing Book 4, Skull’s Vengeance, in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series which is anticipated to be released in Fall 2022. My next project is to write the pre-sequel to the series (King’s Curse) that will provide an earlier back story leading up to Apollo’s Raven.

Linnea Tanner

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About the Author

Award-winning Author Linnea Tanner weaves Celtic tales of love, magic, adventure, betrayal, and intrigue into historical fiction set in Ancient Rome and Britannia. Since childhood, she has passionately read about ancient civilizations and mythology which held women in higher esteem. Of particular interest are the enigmatic Celts who were reputed as fierce warriors and mystical Druids. Linnea has extensively researched ancient and medieval history, mythology, and archaeology and has traveled to sites described within each of her books in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series. Books released in her series include Apollo’s Raven (Book 1), Dagger’s Destiny (Book 2), and Amulet’s Rapture (Book 3). Skull’s Vengeance (Book 4 Curse of Clansmen and Kings) is anticipated to be released in late October 2022. A Colorado native, Linnea attended the University of Colorado and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry. She lives in Fort Collins with her husband and has two children and six grandchildren. To learn more about the author and her books, you can visit her website https://www.linneatanner.com/ and find her on Twitter @linneatanner