Interview with J.M. Lane, Author of Setanta and the Lady by the Water

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Setanta and the Lady by the Water?

I have been writing Setanta and the Lady by the Water for nearly ten years. It has gone through several iterations—from an epic 800-page novel to a children’s picture book. It wasn’t until I was recovering from cancer that I realized what I was truly writing about: trauma—more precisely, intergenerational trauma. I explore this in the book through curses and family history, showing how events that took place long before Setanta existed continue to affect his life in the present.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Setanta and the Lady by the Water, what would they be?

Ar Ár Son by Ronan O’Snodaigh.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Western.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson and The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I don’t have a favorite scene, but my favorite part of writing is that moment of realization that comes when you’re not looking for it, the sudden clarity about what a character might do in a difficult situation you’ve left them in.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I write on everything; laptops, tablets, phones, the backs of receipts, anywhere, for fear of losing a thought to the next wandering one that replaces it.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

That part two is coming this Christmas.

J.M. Lane is the author of the new book Setanta and the Lady by the Water

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