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Writer's pictureAdam Gaffen

Adam Interviews...Journey Windrow!


Good morning and happy Raid the Stores for Jellybeans Day!

I have a treat for you - Journey Windrow!


Journey Windrow was born to wander and didn’t have to join the Navy to see the world. A jeans and t-shirt gal, she has curly magenta and purple hair, a twisted sense of humor, and is inseparable from her senior pup. She enjoys photography and playing with graphics programs. You can sometimes find Journey in the wild at writers conferences. The Reluctant Mage, her first urban fantasy novel in a series, is set in Boston, where Mage Miranda, like Journey, runs on Dunkin’. Enjoy a wild ride of paranormal action-adventure, magic, love, loss, snark, friendship, and the meaning of family.



1. Star Trek or Star Wars?

Babylon Five. Really? You left B-5 out?


2. A book that pleasantly surprised you?

Bringing Home The Rain: The Redemption of Howard Marsh 1 (The Jubal County Saga) by Bob McGough. Wow!


3. Coffee, tea, or cacao?

Coffee. Frequently. Hot. Cold. Where is it? Dunkin’ addict.


1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I was 9 years old. I was told that I inherited my writing abilities from my maternal grandfather who has a small museum dedicated to him and his newspaper in North Dakota. He died when I was 18 months old so I don’t remember him. Is writing genetic? Who knows.



2. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

Information?

I have several degrees, the final one a J.D. Twenty years in social work provided me a functional doctorate in dysfunction and mental health issues. Decades in the 12 Steps give me insight into substance abuse and mental health (co-morbidity) issues. I’ve read mythology since I was in grade school, starting with Edith Hamilton and gravitate Norse/Celtic. By the time I was in college I moved toward a lifetime of neo-paganism. I’ve been a member of Druidic Association of North America for over 25 years. I’m steeped in the lore. I read a great deal about quantum physics and frequently cite Clarke’s Third Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

The tales are set in Greater Boston. I’ve walked those streets and alleys and been at most places I describe. I was public transportation girl and walked all over the city and adjoining areas: Back Bay, Brookline, Charlestown, Cambridge, Kendall Square, Quincy, and more. Boston has the third largest Chinatown in America and is where the Volunteer Lawyers Project is located. Kayaked on the Charles. My information is from personal experiences. Friends keep me up to date on slang and area changes. The BaSIS building I describe is where where my accountant practices in Revere. In the novel BaSIS has the entire building open. Castle Island? Been there. Boston Common? Old stomping ground. I worked on School St. off Tremont which is the setting for one of the confrontation scenes between the mage and the cop. May have gotten coffee at every Dunkin’ in Boston. Been at the burying grounds mentioned. Irish pubs are all over and feed into Nowhere Inn descriptions as does the Warren Street Tavern on Pleasant Street which as been there 243 years. Marathon Bombing? Glad I wasn’t there in person. Boston Strong!