Interview with India Drummond



Today I have the honor of introducing India Drummond, the author of the amazing book “Blood Faerie” that I had the privilege of reviewing a few weeks ago.  I am honored to introduce to you, India Drummond.

1) Where are you from?

Originally, Oklahoma City. Since university, I’ve moved around a lot, and ten years ago I settled in Perth, Scotland. I love it here. The people are friendly, the air is clean, the sky is gorgeous every single day, the scenery is lush and the weather is cool.

2) When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I’ve written stories from the time I was nine, but I didn’t write a novel until after university. I probably started it when I was around twenty-one (it took me years to finish though). That’s much different from my current pace. Now I can write a first draft in a couple of months.

3) Do you ever come up with anything so wild that you scare yourself, that leaves you wondering where that came from?

Oh sure. I think authors HAVE to let their minds go to the places that scare them. If there’s no surprise / fear / lust / laughter for the author, there won’t be for the reader either.

4) Do you ever research real events, legends, or myths to get ideas?

History, sometimes. If I refer to a real place, I like to get my facts straight. But as far as getting ideas, no. I like to create my own world with my own rules, and I prefer not to be influenced by what everyone else is doing. I love it that I get reviews saying how unique my take on something is. I doubt I could manage that as well if I studied the common lore first.

5) What do you do to unwind and relax?

Exploring Scotland has been one of my favourite things since moving here. It’s so much fun to drive the back-roads and come across little shops, cafes, or hiking trails that are not the usual tourist destinations. A couple of years ago my mother came to visit and we found a shop on a winding highland road where a guy was selling decorative items made out of horn from goats, sheep and cattle. My mother bought a set of tiny carved horn spoons that were amazing. These kinds of things are like treasure to me.

6) When did you first consider yourself a writer?

As long as I knew what a writer was. I remember the day I learned that there were people who made up the stories in my story books, and I was filled with awe. (I had asked my mother why someone else’s name was printed on the front of my book.) I used to make up plays and perform them with sock-puppets my mom and I would sew. My father built me a puppet theatre out of a refrigerator box. If there is such a thing as a born storyteller, that was me. I can’t stop making things up.

7) Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

Not really, and it’s not something I’m particularly sympathetic about. I hear people talking about it, but I don’t understand it. If a story isn’t working, I work on something else. If I don’t know what I want to happen next, I go through a series of questions to help myself better understand the character’s motivations, and that usually gets me back on track. But writing is a job. Plumbers don’t suffer from plumbers block. Yes, it’s a creative job, but it’s a job. I put my butt in the chair and my hands on the keyboard and I work, whether I’m feeling creative or not.

8) How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?

Now that I’ve written several books, I do have a process that works for me, yes. I have developed a series of questions about the characters and their goals. This helps me define them and understand what they want, what they fear, and how they change over the course of a story. This makes it very easy for me to sketch out an outline. I never used to outline, but by using this method, I rarely paint myself into corners any more.

9) What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

I used to be a programmer, but I found it to be soulless work. Now I’m doing something I love every single day, and the hard work hardly seems like work at all.

10)  Are you working on any books/projects that you would like to share with us?

I’ve begun work on the sequel to Blood Faerie. It’s called Azuri Fae, and it has some similar elements, including a mystery, but this time it’s a disappearance, not a murder. Although it will still be set in Scotland, I plan to incorporate more of the Otherworld in this one, and readers can also expect to learn more about Eilidh and Munro and what their magical connection means. Of course, my plans are always flexible, so even I don’t know exactly what the finished draft will look like. I’m as eager to find out as anyone!

I just want to say thank you so much for the opportunity to connect with your readers and share a little bit of my world with them.

Thank you so much for sharing India!  Wishing you much success on all your endeavors!

 Interviewed by Witchofthemists.

Wiccan Shadows ( The Wiccan Sisterhood) by Lori J Schiele

Book Description
Alex Grisham, a practicing witch, is familiar with the paranormal, but nothing can prepare her for the evil she and her Wiccan Sisters must face when Celia, their High Priestess, suddenly disappears. Alex and her Sisters of the Laurel Tree Coven must work against the clock- and the hidden evil that wants to destroy them - in order to discover the mystery behind Celia's disappearance before Samhain, when the world as they know it might just come to an end.


In her search for answers, Alex finds herself torn between her live-in partner, Glenn and Dan, a sexy animal control officer, with far to many dark and dangerous secrets of his own. Soon Alex realizes the one of these men is out to kill her. If she chooses the wrong one, she'll unleash pure evil upon the world.




From the very beginning of the book Wiccan Shadow's by Lori J. Schiele I was hooked. This is a paranormal fantasy that crosses over into the suspense thriller genre as well. From the very first page of the story I was pulled into the world of the women of Laurel Tree Coven. The novel follows the three coven sisters who frantically search for their missing circle sister. Convinced something terrible has happened to Celia, the three; Alex, Robyn and Jen struggle to find her.


The Characters in the book are very different, each unique in their own way. These women were multi-faceted and had depth. The author did a great job of bringing them to life. The background stories were subtly woven in through out the story. The supporting characters in this story were animal familiars. Their presence played a very vital role within the story, often times being the emotional anchors for our heroines. I found myself becoming attached to the animals and enjoyed the interactions with their human counterparts.


 I was very impressed with the authors attention to detail when it came to the magical working of the book. The rituals, invocations and spirit journeys were true to life and believable. She also did a superb job in the creation of atmosphere , her descriptions invoked many different emotions throughout the book; fear, horror, suspense and passion to name a few. 


The plot moved at a very fast pace and kept me in suspense, and in the classic form of a "Who done it?". I often times found myself talking back to the book with a loud AHA! then in the next chapter having my jaw drop as I realize I could be wrong!  The author did such a good job of keeping me guessing right up until the very end.  The novel is very well written, and the only thing that I found a bit confusing was the dream sequences. I could not tell the difference between the dream and reality within the story. The dreams play a very important role in the story and I found myself having to go back and reread when I realized it was a dream. This could be an easy fix, but just changing the font for the dreams to help distinguish between the two. 


One thing I wanted to mention is this book scared the crap out of me. The author's writing drew me into the character of Alex, to the point that I felt like I was Alex. I was feeling everything she experienced; the fear and trepidation of walking on eggshells, while trying not to be discovered as she searched for answers.  There were a few times my heart was ready to jump out of my chest with the "Fear" of being caught. This is a fantastic read and I highly recommend this book to readers who love a good paranormal thriller that keeps you guessing to the very end. I look forward to reading more from this author. I give this book a worthy 4.5 stars!


                                          4.5 Stars! 

Lori J Schiele is a published author with imajinnbooks. 


Reviewed by Witchofthemists

Blood Faerie by India Drummond

Book Description
Unjustly sentenced to death, Eilidh ran away from faerie lands, to the streets of Perth, Scotland. Just as she has grown accustomed to exile, local police discover a mutilated body outside the abandoned church where she lives. Recognizing the murder as the work of one of her own kind, Eilidh must choose: flee or learn to tap into the forbidden magic that cost her everything.


Blood Faerie by India Drummond is the first book in the series " The Caledonia Fae", and by far the best books I have read with regards to the realm of the Fae. The Urban fantasy market is flooded with books that are easy to read and no substance.  How fortunate for us that Blood Faerie is not one of those stories. This is a fantastic novel tells the story of Eilidh, one of the Fae that has been exiled into the human world. Eilidh who gives off a childlike innocence when it comes to the human world even though she lives in the shadows to protect her identity. Until one day she is forced to come into her own true power as a watcher when "her" city is threatened by one of her own.  The two worlds of Fae and human merge when Eilidh is forced to forge a very unique relationship with a cop named Munro in order to catch a murderer. 


The story is one of exile, sacrifice, loss, determination and self-discovery. I loved the author's ability to portray deep emotions through the simplest of actions, and attention to detail.  I found myself deeply submersed in the world in which the author creates. The blending of the human and fae worlds were very believable and realistic as I watched events unfold. I think what I enjoyed most was the portrayal of the differences between the human and fae. It was very evident that they come from completely different worlds, and both worlds with the help of Eilidh and Munro are forced to adapt and change. 


The plot was well paced, along with a several subplots that blended nicely and helped move the story along. I really enjoyed the suspense and tension that the author was able to build. I found myself getting worked up and the feeling of suspense kept me turning pages.  The evil in this book is very believable; the murders are described in gritty detail as we find ourselves caught up in events that lead to a dynamic outcome. 


This book falls into the Urban Fantasy genre and does offer a crisp new perceptive when it comes to the world of the Fae. The author was able to blend suspense and fantasy, in a most interesting way. I liked the fact that the two main characters did not fall into bed with each other. The sexual tension was there and tangible, but there were more important things to do first....like catch a murderer.


With the US release of this book set for June 1st, which just happens to be tomorrow, I give this book a worthy 5 stars. I high recommend this book for those who are love to be kept in suspense until the very end. I for one am looking forward to reading the next book!


                                           5 Stars! 

Reviewed by Witchofthemists


India Drummond is a published author and has another book out called "Ordinary Angels".