April 1, 1998

Welcome back, Diana!

DGabaldon: Boy, you're all still HERE?!? [g] Or did you guys leave for a quick Taco Bell, too? [G] Boy, you guys got staying power. [g] Yeah, it's been a loooong week. Up to my chin in galleys until last thing yesterday -- and then my editor called to tell me she'd lost the picture of the Highland cow, and did I think the photographer had a negative she could scan. [g] Photographer being in Germany... I said I didn't think so, but I rummaged quick and found another one and FedExed it, so don't worry -- you'll get to see the cow in the COMPANION, which will be out it June. [g] Awright. [rubbing hands together] Well, I'm tanked up with a Santa Fe Chicken gordita and Mt. Dew, so let 'er rip.

Comment: Diana... my father, Bill Garland, used to be on Compuserve, and he read some of OUTLANDER before it was published. He enjoyed your work.
DGabaldon: Really? Whoa! Bill Garland is the guy I was having the argument with about what it feels like to be pregnant that in turn caused me to post the first little bit of OUTLANDER online and tell everyone what I was doing. [g] So, it's all his fault!

Question: At the end of Outlander, Claire was pregnant, then she later lost the baby. Was that planned, or was the timing off?
DGabaldon: Was that planned? Geez, by who? You mean, did I intend for her to lose the baby? Goodness, how could I intend something like that? No, it just happened.

Question: In Voyager Gillis mentions that she has met one other person from the future. Will we learn who that is? Hints?
DGabaldon: Yes, you'll learn who. I can tell you, if you want. [g] I don't know as it will help you any [g] -- it's Master Raymond.

Question: In reading Drums, I LOVED especially the dialogue between Brianna and Lord John. Was that also some of your favorite to write? When Bree said," I just love the way you talk" I thought you were giving yourself a well deserved pat.
DGabaldon: Yes, Bree and Lord John kind of hit it off together very well. I listen to them; I hardly have to work when they're talking. No. [g] I liked the way he talked. [G]

Question: How is the mystery coming along and do you have any idea yet when it will be published?
DGabaldon: Mystery is coming well -- or it was before I had to drop everything and do galleys. For those who don't know what galleys are -- this is the typeset manuscript of a book -- the pages look just like the printed pages, but they aren't bound. Last chance to fix things!

Comment: ooooh... pressure time [g]
DGabaldon: No kidding -- and zillions of tiny details to fix and pin down, besides ten billion typos per page to catch (hopefully) and fix. It's a beautiful book, though. Yes, these are galley proofs for the COMPANION; production on it is terribly late -- the book will be on shelves in two months! -- hence huge rush, time-crunch, general panic and nonstop faxes, telephone calls and Emails. Well, the galleys left my hands late yesterday; nothing more I can do. All up to the book designer, etc. now. The production people are just wonderful, though; they always do a marvelous job.

Comment: I adore Fergus, I've a thing for French guys.
DGabaldon: I like Fergus, too. [g]
Though I notice that Geraldine James evidently forgot who he was between DIA and VOYAGER; he has a Scottish accent on the abridged VOYAGER tape! The difference between abridged and unabridged is about thirty hours of tape. [g] Really. The abridged version of each book is 6 hours (on four cassettes) -- that's maybe one-fifth of each book. The unabridged OUTLANDER runs 32.5 hours, the unabridged DRAGONFLY something like 37 hours. VOYAGER will be out in May (they tell me) and DRUMS later this year in the unabridged. The unabridged tapes are wonderful; the reader - Davina Porter - sounds just like Claire. [g] They're expensive (naturally, I suppose), but you can rent them for a month for $10-15, I think.

Question: My husband & I lost a baby girl just like Claire & Jamie. We both cried & admired the way you handled it. What research did you do on the subject?
DGabaldon: Oh, Gossamer! I'm so sorry to hear that. I can only imagine what losing a child is like -- and even that was...very sad. I don't recall doing any particular research on that subject; but I'd had three babies by then -- and no pregnant woman doesn't imagine something like that happening. We just hope that it won't.

Question: I was wondering about your frequent use of the word savages in Drums. It doesn't seem to reflect the feeling of Claire or yourself. Is it Jamie's perspective?
DGabaldon: "Savages" is just what the common reference would have been in the 18th century. It's common and usual in most writings of the period that refer to Native Americans (not being so all-fired enlightened and politically correct back then, you know [g]).

Question: I remember reading that you had "found" Jamie in a historical text. Did you also "find" Claire the same way?
DGabaldon: As for "finding" Claire -- no, she just marched in and took over. [g] I didn't "find" Jamie prior to writing him, for that matter - just that's our Claire. [g] In the process of writing, later -- much later -- I did come across mention of the Dunbonnet, whose real name was James Fraser. I thought it was pretty odd. [g] But that sort of thing always happens when I'm kind of the right track with a book.

Question: I know you HATE this question - but - any rough guess when book 5 will be done?
DGabaldon: Well, rough, sure. [g] It won't do you much good, though, since my rough guess would likely be nowhere near reality, in the end. [g] Let's see, though... I hope to finish the mystery by the end of the year (while along on FIERY CROSS.) Then I hope to finish CROSS sometime next year. As to when it comes out after that, though -- it's up to the publisher. They could they had to get it out right away and do it in four or five months -- or they could sit on it for a year before even beginning production. [shrug] Your guess is probably as good as mine. Well, I'm hoping that you may enjoy Thomas Kolodzi and friends too. [g]

Question: About the skull Claire found when lost in DOA she decided was "someone like her". Will we know more about that?
DGabaldon: Oh, the skull. [g] Yes, indeedy. The gentleman with the silver fillings.

Question: With Roger and Steven both having green eyes will we find our who fathered Bree's baby, Jemmy?
DGabaldon: I expect you'll find out. Probably. [g]

Comment: I think Lord John is great! Took me a while to warm up to him, but now he is near the top of my list.
DGabaldon: I'm very fond of Lord John. Unfortunately, he's just suffered a severe shock -- when he found himself on a dock in Wilmington, between William and Brianna.

Question: Will we find out about Jamie's "ghost" that appears in the very beginning of Outlander, which Frank saw before Claire went back?
DGabaldon: Yeah, you'll find out about the ghost. Last thing in the last book, but you will find out. [g]

Question: What is underpainting in writing?
DGabaldon: Oh, underpainting? Hm, kind of complicated to explain in this venue, but it's essentially all the little bits -- the body movements, attitudes, incidental details -- that the reader doesn't consciously notice, but that provide a deep, rich background that makes the writing very vivid.

Question: Which "Alex" was BJR (Black Jack Randall) referring to when he had Jamie in Wentworth? His brother? Or Alex MacGregor?
DGabaldon: I'm not sure I know (yet) which Alex he meant. I'll find out more about Black Jack in the sixth book, I think, when we meet the third Randall brother and hear more about the family.

Question: I understand you wrote OUTLANDER before travelling to Scotland; how did your imagination compare to the real place, pretty accurate?
DGabaldon: Luckily, Scotland was just like I had been imagining it; the only thing I couldn't get from research was the smell. [g]

Question: In DOA we learn that Bree studied engineering, will she have and opportunity to use these skills?
DGabaldon: Yeah, I reckon she will -- and to be frustrated at the lack of opportunity for using them!

Comment: I really like Bree and Lord John... I wish John would find a permanent companion.
DGabaldon: I like John, too, but I don't know exactly how his story will turn out. He's not going to have an easy time of it in the Revolution, though, I'm afraid.

Question: I'm sooo confused. Do you mean Bree and Lord John in a *romantic* sense?
DGabaldon: No, no. I don't imagine Lord John feels like that about Bree. [g] Well, I just can't tell. He's very robust and self-reliant -- but he does need people. Have any of you -- speaking of Lord John -- seen the short story I did for him? Oh, the short story -- it's called HELLFIRE. It's available in print, in a UK Anthology titled PAST POISONS: An Ellis Peters Memorial Anthology of Historical Crime [gasp]. It's also available electronically from an e-publisher called Dreams Unlimited -- www.dreams-unlimited.com.

Question: Did you EVER expect your book to have such an effect on so many people, as you were writing Outlander?
DGabaldon: And no, I never expected this kind of thing. Ever. [g]

Question: Will we ever find out when or if Frank knew all about Jamie before he died? There is the debate that he knew that Jamie survived Culloden...
DGabaldon: We'll find out more about Frank and What He Knew, for sure. I can't say exactly what, though.

Comment: I keep seeing that book on the hutch in the kitchen about the Revolution and thinking Frank was tracking Claire and Jamie through history!
DGabaldon: Well, Brianna does note to Roger at one point that her father (Frank) took considerable pains to teach her both to ride and to shoot -- odd skills, don't you think, for a man from the 1960's to think of giving his daughter?

Question: When and where will you post your book tour for "Companion?"
DGabaldon: I'll give Rosana the book tour details probably tomorrow; she's usually able to put them up pretty fast, but since it's the Easter weekend, maybe not 'til next week.

Question: Do you think you could, uh, toss in a random excerpt too while your at it?? [g]
DGabaldon: Yeah, actually I could; I have a fairly cute little one going, in which Jamie tangles with a horse named Gideon. [g] That would be suitable.

Question: I read how you have been inspired by everyday events to come up with story ideas like the ice crystals. Any other ideas you could share?
DGabaldon: Gee, I don't know. Ideas are just... everywhere. Anything at all can trigger a scene -- or some days, nothing does, but you write anyway.

Question: You said that Claire marched in and took over. Any other characters surprise you that way?
DGabaldon: Yes, some characters are mushrooms; they just pop up and there you are. [g] The onions and the hard nuts take more work. The mushrooms include Mother Hildegarde (and her dog Bouton), Murphy the seacook, Fergus, Marsali, and both the Ian's.

Question: After Jamie discovered acupuncture in Voyager, I began to want to sail in an old ship. Did you, for research?
DGabaldon: Um, yes -- if you count the COLUMBIA at Disneyland. [g] Which is, actually, a reasonably good replica of the original, which sailed in 1796 or so -- so it isn't far off.

Question: About the big meeting between Jamie and Bree... was that one of the scenes that just "appeared" or was it one that required some "work?"
DGabaldon: No, that was work -- though as usual, once I started working, they had their own ideas about it. I mean, I didn't plan for her to find him peeing on a tree!

Question: Do you know about the best Author site, (http://www.freevote.com/booth/favauthor)? How do you feel being #1? You're at 1275 last I looked.
DGabaldon: Author site? No -- I hardly ever cruise the Web. I am? Oh. Well, in that case, maybe I should go look. [g]

Question: Why did you pick NC for J&C to settle in? I'm from the Randall County area, I'm curious.
DGabaldon: Actually, I didn't really "pick" North Carolina -- that's where the majority of the Scottish Highlanders went, after Culloden. I just followed them.

Question: just wanted to let you know that I read the excerpt from Excalibur... wonderfully written, as usual! Will it be included in one of the Outlander books?
DGabaldon: Oh, good -- EXCALIBUR is out of print, but that excerpt will be in the COMPANION, yes (with the minor error about Lot and Abraham corrected!) That's why they liked NC -- mountains. That excerpt -- it was published as a short under the title "Surgeon's Steel" is really part of the sixth book -- it takes place after one of the Battles of Saratoga.

Question: Love your books -- and I ask this question with the utmost respect. Since I'm going to have to wait for more of your book to come out -- I know you recommend Sarah Donati's book -- any thing else that could ever be as good as your books? (it's a horrible thing to ask I know, but I must know, we all value your opinion)
DGabaldon: [g] Well, depends what you like. However, I do have an appendix in the COMPANION, called THE METHADONE LIST, that has a number of my personal recommendations. I also gave Rosana a piece of it, to post on my web site. Also you can find it at http://geocities.datacellar.net/SoHo/Lofts/7119/diana-methadone.html.

Question: Have you researched how much of a connection between the Highlander's independent spirit and the connection to our Revolution? I find that link intriguing.
DGabaldon: Yes. Oddly enough, the Highlanders mostly ended up fighting on the wrong side of the Revolution (the British side, I mean). FIERY CROSS sort of explores and explains why.

Question: Will you be borrowing Sara Donati's Nathaniel character in the 6th book?
DGabaldon: Nathaniel? Er... no. Never occurred to me. I sort of don't borrow other fictional characters. Got too many of my own already. [g]

DGabaldon: Oooookay. What is this question. [g]
Comment: It concerns Richard and the Um... wet spot
DGabaldon: Oh, that. SOMEone was asking me during the informal checkout session yesterday whether I preferred Jean-Claude or Richard, from the Anita Blake books. [g] I said on the whole, I preferred Richard, but mostly in his post-shifting form -- he's rather plain vanilla as Mr. Science Teacher. So SOMEone said they… er... had thought about embracing him while he was shifting... to which I replied... ... ... ...talk about a WET SPOT!! These are a series of books (nine, I think) by Laurell K. Hamilton. Very weird, very gory, very sexy, very good!!

Question: What do you think Jamie would think of Jean-Claude and Richard
DGabaldon: He'd approve of Richard, and he might like Jean-Claude, man to man, but he wouldn't let Claire associate with him. [g] Well, both of them have what Jamie has -- that sense of hyper responsibility for "his" people. But Jean-Claude takes unfair advantage of women.

Question: Didn't think of it that way... but Richard doesn't do anything with his women hardly… would Jamie understand that?
DGabaldon: Jamie? Who was a virgin when he married? Yeah, he'd understand Richard's values. [g]

Comment: But knew how to kiss!!!!!!
DGabaldon: We gather Richard does, too. [g]

Comment: and Richard's fear of himself
DGabaldon: Jamie would understand that, too -- after Wentworth.

Question: Diana...do you know if any of your characters will have another cameo in Sara's sequel?
DGabaldon: No, I'm sure they won't. Sara asked me if I'd let her mention them in WILDERNESS (she's a friend; I saw parts of the manuscript while she was working on it) not to appear as themselves (I wouldn't let anyone do that), but to be mentioned by one of her characters, as though they were real historical people. We thought it would be kind of a cool literary in-joke. [g] But once is a joke; don't need to repeat it.

Question: Do you have a favorite part from all the books?
DGabaldon: No, it varies. I have several favorites in each book -- but my main favorite is always the book I'm working on. [g]

Comment: Id just like to commend the way that you handled the African slaves in Voyager... very humane and nicely done.
DGabaldon: Thank you! I did do a lot of research on slavery, especially in the Caribbean.

Comment: I just want to say how much I love the books, and am enjoying re-reading them all. Even turned my husband on to reading them also.
DGabaldon: Thanks! My own editor says, "These have to be word of mouth books; they're too weird to describe to anybody!"

Question: Will Joe Abernathy or his son, Lenny, become directly involved in Claire or Bree's 18th century life?
DGabaldon: No, so far as I know, neither of the Abernathy's is a traveler.

Question: Back to "Alex"? Will Jamie ever get the Bible back to Alex's mother? Also, what happened to Hugh Munro's family and his promise to take care of them?
DGabaldon: He might. I think Jenny's keeping it (the Bible) for him. As for Hugh Munro's family, yes, he's been supporting them -- along with all his tenants -- from the income from Lallybroch, his smuggling ventures, etc. Now, of course, he has to worry about paying alimony to Laoghaire. [g]

Question: When is your next book in the series expected to be out?
DGabaldon: Next book...well, at a wild guess, I'll finish it sometime next year. It's up to the publisher when they bring it out after, though.

Question: Will Bree have more children?
DGabaldon: As for Bree and more children...well, I don't think birth control was all that reliable in the 18th century, and Roger isn't the religion for the rhythm method. [g]

Question: How did women deal w/ feminine hygiene back then? How about when traveling?
DGabaldon: Feminine hygiene? You mean menstrual periods? Rags. A.K.A. "cloths". They saved them, washed them, and used them over and over again. Yes, a woman would just take her personal cloths along, and do her best to rinse them out as needed. We'll sort of deal with that in the first chapter of FIERY CROSS, sounds wonderful in fact. [g]

Question: Isn't there a prequel with Jamie's parents? When is that coming out? Also, I can't wait to hear Laoghaire's reaction to Marsali living so close to Clare.
DGabaldon: Yes, there will be a prequel -- in the fullness of time. [g] That's the book about Jamie's parents and the 1715 Rising

Question: How did you get started?
DGabaldon: What it was like in the beginning? When? For me, you mean? I wrote OUTLANDER for practice, got an agent before I finished the book, he sent it to five editors, three of them made offers, we got a three-book contract... and THEN things got out of hand!

Question: Whose bones were under the tree in Drums?
DGabaldon: Whose bones? Otter-Tooth's. Of course, we may find out who he really is, later on. [G] We don't know who he is yet -- but he did have silver fillings, which is sort of a Clue. [g]

Question: Will Jamie ever meet Willie in battle?
DGabaldon: For sure. [g] In battle? Gee, I don't know.

Question: I miss Young Ian already. Will we hear much from him and his Mohawk family?
DGabaldon: Well, the Mohawk did fight in the Revolution, so I sort of think we'll see Young Ian again, yes.

Question: Diana... what about Laoghaire... when will we see the last of her? [VEG]
DGabaldon: Laoghaire strikes me as one of those very durable characters; I'd bet on her lasting all the way through, even with life being as chancy as it was in the 18th century.

Comment: I was so happy to see him go with the Mohawk. He seems so right there.
DGabaldon: Yes, he likes living with the Indians. Not everybody was happy to see him go, though! You should see my mail!

Comment: I don't think Jenny would have appreciated Ian living with the Mohawks.
DGabaldon: She doesn't. Relations are rather strained at the moment between Jamie and his sister. No, but Ian was her baby. She's upset.

Question: What about Ian? How does he feel about his son's new people?
DGabaldon: Ian is a man; he's much more inclined to let his male children be men, too. He might miss Ian, but he'd be pretty resigned his younger children leaving home and likely not coming back -- people often didn't, back then.

Question: Will Laoghaire show up in America to terrorize all the Frasers?
DGabaldon: No, don't reckon she'll emigrate -- but you never can tell.

Question: Diana... what about Lallybroch... will it ever be resided in again... in the 20th century???
DGabaldon: I wouldn't be surprised; the place was vacant when Roger visited it, after all. [g]

Question: Will we see more of Jamie and his grandkids? I missed hearing about him as a father.
DGabaldon: Yes, Jamie gets on very well with kids. Of course, he's had a lot of experience as an uncle.

Comment: I'm worried about that title "The Fiery Cross."
DGabaldon: Oh, I can tell you about the title. [g] In the ancient days, a Highland chief who meant to go to war would make a cross from wood, and set it on fire. The flaming cross was then extinguished with sheep's blood, and then sent round the glens and corries, with a couple of clansmen, as a sign to the rest of the clan, to fetch their weapons and come to the gathering place, prepared for battle.

Comment: Such a passionate people! Eh?
DGabaldon: Very passionate. [g] One friend objected to the title because she said it reminded her of the KKK and she thought a nice book should have a better title. I coughed politely and asked if she had any idea where the KKK -- who were frequently descended from the original Highland immigrants, got that idea? Besides, I said, I don't write nice books anyway, so it didn't matter. [g]

Question: Diana - have you decided want you'll be calling book 6?
DGabaldon: No, I don't know about book six yet. Ideas, but nothing for sure.

Question: Do we ever hear about how Roger got the jewels from Bonnett? Any details?
DGabaldon: I don't know; we'll have to wait and see what happens when Roger and Jamie find Bonnet. Well, we've seen relatively little of Bonnet, too. He sort of grows on you. Like fungus. [g]

Question: The excerpts we've been reading seem to jump around. Do you always write that way, not in chronological order?
DGabaldon: Yes, I do always jump around when I write; I never do write in order -- I don't use outlines, so I have no idea what the order is until I start messing around with the pieces.

Question: How do you tie everything together?
DGabaldon: Geez, you think I know? I just keep writing and things kind of stick together.

Question: DID Gillian Edgars become THE Geillis Duncan of Scotland's last witch fame and is her family tree in The Companion?
DGabaldon: Geillis? No, her family tree isn't in there -- I have NO idea she came from. Yet. [g]

Question: but, since Geillis was a real person... did Gillian Edgars become her after you found Geillis, or was she her all along?
DGabaldon: Oh, Gillian was Gillian before she became Geillis -- but I don't know whether she was anybody else before that. We know she was a few other people afterward. [g]

Question: well, meaning in relation to the actual person... wasn't there really a Geillis who was a witch?
DGabaldon: Yes, there was -- in 1590-something.

Question: Aren't we all other people along the way?
DGabaldon: And yes we are; see "The Gabaldon Theory of Time Travel", sub-section on disjunct identity!

Question: I was wondering if you personally know anyone like Jamie?
DGabaldon: Well, my husband is 6'4", with read hair and a sense of humor. [g]

Question: But would he break into a prison to save you from a ruthless villain?
DGabaldon: He wouldn't let anyone take me from him, in the first place. [demure smile]

DGabaldon: Gotta go, guys. It's past midnight, and I got kids. Happy Easter, and Hag Sameach to all of you! It was fun. [g] Loved it, guys! Sleep tight!

Diana... Thank You so Much... You know how appreciative we are!

Copyright Franklin Spier, Inc. 1997.

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