Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Tour Stop/Giveaway: The White Deer of Kildare

 


Check out the latest tour stop for The White Deer of Kildare by Christy Matheson and make sure to check out the tour giveaway below as Christy Matheson will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour and a fine writing notebook with personalized art to a second randomly drawn winner. The tour is sponsored by Goddess Fish Promotions and you can find all the tour stops HERE.

Talking with Christy Matheson about her latest book and more:

Tell us about your latest book, who are the main characters and what can we expect when we pick it up?

You can expect ordinary people who fall into Irish fairy tales. In White Deer, Maura is just trying to take care of her children and has just barely figured out there’s something odd about the castle she just moved into. When a dog, who might be a deer, shows up and helps sort Christmas decorations, Maura has a strong suspicion that there is something peculiar afoot. 

 

Do you come up with the hook first, or do you create characters first and then dig through until you find a hook?

I’d say that it is more that I have different possibilities for character, setting, and hooks floating around in my head, until one day I think of one particular thing and kazoom! I can see how a certain set all fits together.  

As I become a more experienced writer, sometimes I need to write something that fits certain criteria. So then I have one element fixed and can search back through those potential characters and settings and find what would make the most dynamic story.

 

Which of your own characters would you like to have lunch with?

Oh, I really love all of my characters! I spend a lot of energy really getting to know my narrating characters deeply and write in a way that stays very intimate to their perspective and experience. By the time we’ve worked together for a while, I feel very close with each one!

 

Tell us about what you are reading at the moment or anticipate reading in the future? Any favorite authors you enjoy reading in your spare time?

Right now, I’m reading Elaine Schroller’s Dare Not Tell. It is really nice and relaxing, following a couple from their young years and into their marriage. I really like love stories that don’t end on the wedding day.

 

Which of your own books would you like to live in?

I mean, living in an ancient Irish castle would be amazing. Part of the germ of these books was definitely driving around Ireland and England and thinking about the people who really, truly, live in these places, and wishing I could do that! 

However, honestly, I would prefer a castle that had a little bit less in the way of visiting witches and druids bent on murdering my best friend.

 

What do you do when you have free time?

I never actually have free time, but I try to make time for some joyful things. I embroider, watercolor, and train my dogs. When my husband and I can get away for an afternoon, we’ll go wine tasting. I’m not a huge wine drinker, but it’s a nice way to drive into the beautiful countryside and create a deliberate and sensory space for conversation.

 

How do you approach character development in your stories? Do you have any specific techniques or methods that you find particularly effective?

Character development is one of my favorite aspects of writing, but no, I don’t have any specific techniques. Before I start writing I figure out all the elements of my story, just telling scenes in my head and feeling out the emotions. During this phase, I get a sense of what the character thinks and does, how they move, the way they influence a room. So by telling all sorts of scenes, I learn what is right for each character.

 

What do you believe sets your writing apart from others in your genre, and why should readers choose to read your books?

I have readers who have come to me from both women’s fiction and fantasy.

For women’s fiction readers, what sets my books apart is there’s a lot of action, with plenty of twists and turns in the plot. This premise, of ordinary people slipping into a fairy tale, is pretty unusual.

For fantasy readers, what sets my books apart is the character development. The relationships—both internal and external—are the heart of the plot. One reviewer said something like “I was disappointed that the final battle scene was so short, but then I realized the true enemy was inside Aiden himself” — and it was. I deliberately wrote that scene short and simple, because our biggest problems can’t be defeated with a magical sword. The drumroll to the big ending came afterwords.

My work doesn’t fit in a small, neat genre box, but for many readers, it is just the right combination of adventure and emotion.

 

Can you discuss any upcoming projects or books that you're currently working on? What can readers expect from your future works?

I’m diving into the “Castle in Kilkenny: Fairy Tales” right now. Because they are fairy tales, they are narrated by different characters in the same world. In June, I’m writing from the perspective of a teen girl whose boyfriend accidentally turned her into a medieval princess. She’s my narrator for a couple of books, but I’m coming back to Maura and her family. Next, Oona hides a swan in the spare bedroom and Saba tries to solve money problems with her wrong-century logic. Chaos ensues, but love prevails!



THE WHITE DEER OF KILDARE

Author: Christy Matheson

GENRE:  Time-slip Fantasy

 

There's a deer sorting Christmas decorations in Maura's kitchen...

 

All Maura wants is a peaceful winter holidays in her dilapidated Irish castle, but her ex is threatening her with family court, and her second grader has invited a strange--completely unclothed--friend, to spend the holidays with them. Oh. And the friend’s dog, which is not actually a dog but probably one of the white deer of Celtic myth.

 

Maura distracts herself from her husband’s threats by trying to discover why a Fae deer is in her kitchen, when the two women accidentally end up in the Ireland of ancient myth. The White Deer was the human queen of this castle, but it appears she has husband trouble too. Perhaps...the deadly sort of trouble.

 

Can Maura rescue her new friend — or is Maura herself so tangled in the White Deer's fate that she won't make it home to her children alive?

 

This novella will appeal to readers who enjoy cozy fantasy, ancient history, Irish folklore, and uplifting stories about motherhood and found family.

 

Universal Buy Link: includes Amazon (different countries), Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play, Barnes & Noble:

https://buy.bookfunnel.com/exmh6b6hgx

 Amazon.com Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DPSGKQ5H

Kobo Buy link—book available on Kobo Plus: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-white-deer-of-kildare

StoryGraph App 

 

Excerpt Three:

 

Just think, you shall be at Dún Ailline and see your father soon,” Maeve suggests.

 

“No, I shan’t!” Saba bursts into speech. “That’s what Fionn told me while we were walking. He’s not taking me home after all.”

 

That’s too bad of Fionn, to disappoint his wife so soon after returning! And he went on about how he loved her more than the moon and stars.

 

“Where are we going?” Ailbe asks quietly.

 

“That’s the other trouble.” Saba squeezes Ailbe’s hand. “Most of you are staying here. Fionn wants to travel quickly, and is only allowing me one of my ladies to care for my needs.”

 

My heart swoops in fear. If Saba leaves me behind, I will be sickeningly alone in a strange land. And what about the best druids in the south of Ireland—they were going to help me return to my children.

 

The six ladies in waiting exchange looks, and all turn to me.

 

“You must take Maura, of course,” Maeve says.

 

“Of course,” the others murmur, eyes cast down.

 

Or perhaps I should stay with my own castle, and hope that one day I just walk through a door into my own rooms?

 

“There is something about the way she came to us,” Ailbe says. “I believe there might be a reason for her presence just now.”

 

“Besides”—Maeve drops her voice so only Saba and I can hear—“Maura is a mother herself, and our queen might need the advice of a married woman.”



AUTHOR Bio and Links: 

Christy Matheson writes award-winning fiction about friends, family, and finding one’s place in an ever-changing world. 

She is the author of "The Castle in Kilkenny: Fairy Tales" novella series. Each one sets a traditional Irish fairy tale within a modern blended family, perfect for readers wanting a cozy family adventure. 

Christy's regular historical work (sans fantasy elements) can be found in the award-winning "Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women," of which she is also an editor. Her Regency novels are represented by Kristina Sutton-Lennon and have won pre-publication awards for women’s fiction. 

Christy is also an embroidery artist, classically trained pianist, and sews all of her own clothes. She lives in Oregon, on a country property that fondly reminds her of a Regency estate (except with a swing set instead of faux Greek ruins), with her husband, five children, three Shelties, one bunny, and an improbable quantity of art supplies.

 

Website: https://christymatheson.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christy_matheson_author/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091887100897

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@christy.matheson.author

Newsletter: https://sendfox.com/ChristyMatheson

Substack: https://unspokenstoriesofwomanhood.substack.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/49771827.Christy_Matheson

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/222331492-the-white-deer-of-kildare

StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/sonatasbooks

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christy-matheson

https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-white-deer-of-kildare-the-castle-in-kilkenny-fairy-tales-book-2-by-christy-matheson


36 comments:

Goddess Fish Promotions said...

Thank you for hosting today and featuring THE WHITE DEER OF KILDARE.

traciem said...

If you could host a summer writing retreat anywhere in the world where would it be and what would be the vibe?

Pippirose said...

The book sounds like a wonderful read. Love the beautiful cover.

Sherry said...

This looks like a very good book.

Christy Matheson said...

Thank you for featuring my characters and I today! I hope you find my book and enjoy it!

Christy Matheson said...

Hm... It would be in a cabin somewhere up in the mountains where it stays cool, with plenty of outdoor seating and walking trails right there. Everyone would agree that we're there to write, and there would be an informal no-talking-except-at-meals policy. Most importantly, there would be someone who comes in to clean every day, and a cook to make nourishing farm-to-table style meals. As a mom, the biggest treat is to not worry about cooking and cleaning!

Michael Law said...

This should be a very interesting novel. Thanks for sharing.

Kim said...

What's something your characters have taught you?

LV said...

Sounds like a great read.

Rita Wray said...

Sounds like a good read.

LV said...

What is your favorite season?

LV said...

What are your thoughts about a rainy day?

LV said...

Do you prefer to relax by the pool for the afternoon or go for a hike in the woods?

Kim said...

How did you decide on the cover for this book?

LV said...

In what season do you prefer to write?

LV said...

Do you prefer write in the daylight or nightime hours?

LV said...

Do you prefer the pool or the beach?

LV said...

What is your favorite season for writing?

LV said...

Do you have any plans for the 4th of July?

LV said...

Do you have a next book planned?

LV said...

Love the cover art.

LV said...

Is this your first published piece?

LV said...

Hoping everyone has a safe 4th of July.

LV said...

Happy Saturday! Time for a good book.

LV said...

How do you name your characters?

LV said...

Do you plan to write a sequel?

LV said...

How do you start a book like this?

LV said...

How do you start developing a character?

LV said...

Do you have any hobbies besides writing?

LV said...

Do you prefer dogs or cats?

LV said...

What age did you start writing?

LV said...

Do you write full time?

LV said...

What's your favorite food?

LV said...

Have you started your next book yet?

LV said...

Do you take vacations from writing?

LV said...

Have you ever started writing and then just thrown it out?

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