Simply that I wanted a zippy-sounding Scottish name to reflect the lighter, fun tone of these new books. Although I have a Scottish name of my own - I was born a MacDuffie - when I sold my first Scottish medieval, I chose to write under my married name, Welfonder. Now, with a second subgenre, Scottish-set paranormals, I saw an opportunity to use a name that signals my own Scottish heritage as well as the books' tone. With my real name being overly long, I also wanted a shorter name. Both "Allie" and "Mackay" are family names so I borrowed them for good luck and my pseudonym "Allie Mackay" was born.

Absolutely not.

Readers of my Scottish medievals know that my historicals always contain 'woo-woo' elements: Celtic legend and lore, mythical beasts, ghosts and curses, a meddling wise woman and her Highland magic, etc. Allie Mackay readers will note that my paranormals contain medieval Scottish elements: A Scottish medieval knight as a ghostly hero or a modern-day American heroine who time-travels to 14th C. Scotland.

While the paranormal elements in my historicals must be held in check, the Allie Mackay books allow me to indulge my fascination with the paranormal in a much greater way. I enjoy that freedom and have tremendous fun writing the paranormals. But I am equally passionate about my Scottish medievals and will never stop writing them. (yes, I said never) I feel incredibly blessed to write in two genres I genuinely love.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Yes. I've had a vivid imagination all my life and was brought up to love books and appreciate history. When other children were playing in the street, I'd be tucked into a cozy armchair, lost in a fairytale. Our house was a treasure trove of antiques and I've always been fascinated by 'old things' and atmosphere. Through my Scottish ancestry, I also grew up to tales of Celtic myth and legend, enchanted by the romance of the Gael. My own grandmother had second sight, so from early on, I've respected such things and know that just because something cannot be easily explained does not mean it can't exist.

Although and spirits - there is a difference - have always interested me, extensive travel in the UK is what turned my 'interest' into a passion. I have had my own experiences with the paranormal and have done (and do) a great deal of reading and researching into the field, but it's been my time spent exploring haunted places in Great Britain that has made me a true believer. The past still lives in centuries-old pubs and eerie stately homes or crumbling castle ruins and mist-draped medieval battlefields. Great halls are dark-paneled and hung with stags heads, ancient weaponry, and portraits of long-dead ancestors. Castle turrets are windswept and cold, dungeons dank-smelling and full of shadows. Some pubs are so atmospheric you can close your eyes and feel history rippling around you ... and sometimes you really are feeling a shift in the atmosphere.

Something otherworldly.

So, yes, I believe.

Those interested in exploring paranormal phenomena can visit the organizations noted on my Links page. The London-based Society for Psychical Research, Haunted Britain, and Scotland's own Ghost Finders Scotland, are just a few excellent places to get started.

Do you believe in time travel?

Ha ha ha. If such a thing were possible, I would have long ago found a portal to medieval Scotland and used it!

That said, I do believe in time slips, a rare phenomena that allows someone to catch a fleeting glimpse of the past. I have not experienced this myself, but have several learned friends who have, among them, a very level-headed, highly educated research librarian whose word and accounting of her experience I would never doubt.