Welcome Helen Henderson to Five on Friday. She and I have something in common. We’re both Geminis!

Check out her books, follow her on social media, and always remember to review the books you read!!

 

Henderson’s heritage reflects the contrasts of her Gemini sign. She is a descendent of a coal-miner’s daughter and an aviation flight engineer. After multiple careers including feature-story writer and correspondent, she returned to her first love–fiction. The dichotomy of her ancestry reflects in her writing which crosses genres from historical adventures and westerns to science fiction and fantasy. In the world of romantic fantasy, she is the author of the Dragshi Chronicles and The Windmaster Novels. In her books, she invites you to join her on travels through the stars, or among fantasy worlds of the imagination.

 

Let’s take a look at the five questions Helen chose to answer.

 

You open your front door and find a penguin wearing a cowboy hat. What does he say?

“My horse went lame. It’s been a long walk from Texas. Could I hang out in your freezer a while to cool off? And if you could spare a fish or two I’d appreciate it.”

Ann: I’d have to do some rearranging to fit him into my freezer. Not sure I could give up the Bluebell!

If you could be any animal in the world, what would it be and why?

A cat. They are sophisticated and aristocratic. They allow their humans to believe people run the household, but in reality the cat controls everything. If I am living in a mansion with expansive lawns and an adjoining forest preserve, I’d still be a cat but my size would reflect my surroundings. Instead of a 15-pound housecat, I’d be a lynx.

Ann: Oh, to be a cat. Eat, sleep, and only have friends when you want to!!

Are the names of characters in your novels important?

Names are incredibly important. Readers can have preconceptions and the names can either build upon them or go against them. When I first begin a manuscript, the hero and heroine tell me their names within the first few pages. The bad guy takes a while longer before he reveals his true nature and name. So that I don’t have to stop writing and come up with a secondary character’s name, many are assigned alphabetic placeholders based on their order of appearance. Later, one of their attributes is converted to Gaelic or whatever culture fits the world I’m working in. Then with a tweak or two the translated attribute becomes that given character’s name.

Ann: Names are important to me, too. And, when a reader doesn’t like one of my character’s names, it hurts my feelings.

What is the first book that made you cry?

After all the books I’ve read, it’s hard to remember a first or to choose a favorite. Honor and the cost of duty always bring out strong emotions in me. Which could be why I wove the themes into both the Dragshi Chronicles and the Windmaster Novels. Hearth and Sand, my latest release, is entirely dedicated to honor, duty, and sacrifice.

Going with the cost of honor, I’ve picked Shane as the first book that made me cry. The background music while I read would be “Desperado” and “The Lonely Man” theme from the television series The Hulk.

Ann: I don’t remember the first book that made me cry either. However, I remember “Love Story” ripped my heart out. I didn’t just cry, I wept. I think it’s great when books get that reaction from a reader.

A genie grants you three wishes. What would they be?

First wish – peace on earth. There is way too much antipathy, intolerance and anger. My second wish is for everyone to have what will make them happiest. I can’t make it any more specific as everyone’s needs are different. And for my third wish? Well, there weren’t any restrictions nor is there a warning about the sneaky games genies are known to play, so there is a lot of wiggle room. Third wish is for an unlimited number of additional wishes. Instead of the genie cheating I did.

Ann: I think three wishes would be enough for me…until a genie actually appeared and offered them. Then, I get greedy mighty quick. So, I think my first wish would be for more wishes!

The Dragshi Chronicles – The dragshi are more than just a man or woman, but two beings—one a dragon, the other a human. The pair share one body in space and time and are able to change forms with the other at will. However, for a human, a dragon form comes with more than just the freedom of the sky.

 

https://www.books2read.com/u/49PMZp

The Windmaster Novels –Windmaster: Revenge set Ellspeth and the archmage, Dal, on the path to her destiny, but prophecy controlled the journey. Windmaster Legacy: As archmage, Dal might be able to survive killing the future of magic, but as a man could he live with the knowledge he caused the death of a loved one.

https://books2read.com/u/bOaGQQ

 

Website: http://helenhenderson-author.webs.com/

Blog: http://helenhenderson-author.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelenHenderson.author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/history2write

Amazon: http://amzn.com/e/B001HPM2XK

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/777491.Helen_Henderson