Author Interview: Rachael Wright

The Twins of Strathnaver will be out in this month, let's talk about it!

Sep 03, 2025

Today we’ve got an author interview with Rachael Wright. Her upcoming release, The Twins of Strathnaver, is an adult magical realism and speculative fiction novel following people who can talk to ghosts.

The Twins of Strathnaver has
- Small-town with secrets
- found family
- morally dark-grey villain
- the hidden world
- the ticking clock
- emotional scars
- fall in love with the wrong person
- hidden treasure

The Mackay Rules: Never Tell and Never Leave.

The Witching Mackays have endured centuries of suffering and ostracism all because of their powers and the ghosts they can see. As August 1997 draws to a close, and Hugh and Margaret Mackay enjoy a more peaceful life than their ancestors, a mysterious Londoner arrives in desperate pursuit of fame and long-lost Jacobite gold.

Louis Talbot is much more than a treasure hunter wielding a metal detector. Armed with a strange book and its tantalizing account of a family who can speak to ghosts; Louis sets his sights on the vulnerable, lonely Margaret Mackay.

As sides are chosen, Hugh and Margaret are forced to confront the reality that the gold isn’t all the ghosts are protecting and that the consequence of their failure will be nothing less than the destruction and death of everything they’ve ever known.

Thank you to Rachael Wright for taking the time to do this interview with us!

When did you first come up with the idea for The Twins of Strathnaver?

There’s an incredible branch of study called epigenics which is the intergenerational transmission of trauma. I always seem to filter new information through my biggest obsession: Scottish history. Scotland has a long and varied folklore tradition and for a thousand years there have been stories about second sight and the strange abilities certain people have in being able to either commune or see the dead. Naturally I wondered if ‘talents’ like that could be passed down through the generations. From there on The Twins of Strathnaver just snowballed. Every time I go back to visit friends in Tongue, Scotland, I imagine the ghosts and Hugh and Margaret now being a part of the phenomenal history of the village.

Do you have a favourite line you'd like to share?

“There’s many a dead man that wished he had a ghost to guard his back.”

Who would you recommend The Twins of Strathnaver to?

I would recommend The Twins of Strathnaver to anyone who enjoys Outlander or Ghost Whisperer. But also people who are intrigued by Scottish history both ancient and more current, who love found family, small-town stories, morally dark-grey men. I’m a historian and I’ve also made many trips to this village (yes it’s a real one!) in Scotland and I’ve had so many readers say they felt like they’d been transported into Scotland. The ghosts also aren’t your typical haunting ones, they are real people with real grievances, real loves, and real lives. They are absolutely devoted to The Twins and that interaction between the ghosts and Hugh and Margaret were my favorite parts to write.

Do you know what your next project will be?

My next project I’m querying right now, it’s called Mistress Morrigan, which I’m saying is: If Claire Fraser (an actual witch) met Farmer Oak from Far From the Madding Crowd. It’s brilliant.

Have you always wanted to be an author? What inspired you to start?

Since I realized it was something that one could actually do and not just reserved as the profession of the greats, ie Jane Austen, Tolkien, Conan Doyle. My Dad is a huge Lord of the Rings nerd, one of those guys that walked around with “Frodo is Alive” pins, and one day after I’d read every book in our house twice, he told me to go to our storage building and find a set of four white books called “The Lord of the Rings.” I read until I was irately summoned for dinner. Tolkien set me on the path of writing and my love for reading as well.

How long have you been writing?

Professionally, ten years. I’m a journalist specializing in the issues faced by rural populations in Colorado. It’s an honor to share those stories as well.

How much does your own life influence your work?

I don’t think it influences it much, but with every new experience I have, from loss of loved ones, to trauma, to childbirth and motherhood, that all widens my horizons. You can draw on those experiences for the feelings that someone could have in a similar situation. I don’t write myself into my books or my friends for that matter, but there will be certain personality quirks which I love that I might write in. My life has been so varied and as the decade has gone on I’ve become a much better writer because I’ve experienced more.

What made you decide to self-publish?

This book is actually published by a small press called Green Avenue Publishing, my editor and publisher Maria Green, is simply amazing.

What made you opt for an indie publisher over going trad-pub?

I self published my Greek mystery series and doing all of the work yourself; from cover design, to paying an editor, to formatting, to trying to get your book into bookstores, it’s exhausting. I felt so out of my depth all the time; even after doing it multiple times. But for The Twins of Strathnaver I wanted something different and I wanted the type of support that a publisher can give. I don’t have to do everything on my own. But also for many writers they don’t get picked up by a trad publisher so being indie isn’t so much of a choice but the only option available. I have been that person as well. I’m thrilled to have my publisher to work with and support me.

Who was your biggest influence as an author?

This goes back to Tolkien—everything always seems to!

If you could recommend one book aside from your own, what would it be?

I’m going to go rogue on this one. I’d recommend The Tales of the North Coast for some amazing Scottish oral history. I’d recommend Several Short Sentences about Writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg for aspiring or current writers, and I’d recommend Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy if you like Regency Romance with a bit of ripping your heart into shreds.

What advice would you give to other writers? Is there anything you wish someone had told you?

Nunquam Dice Mori. It means never say die in Latin, but if I’ve learned anything it’s that becoming a good writer takes a long time. There is so much to learn about craft. I still don’t think I’ve “arrived” but I do know that I am getting better. So be prepared to spend years writing and keep learning no matter what you do. Don’t give up after your first 100 rejections or your 500^th. If you enjoy it keep writing.

Anything else you would like to add?

Time and effort is never wasted. If it’s important to you practice and it’ll all come back around to you.

Thanks so much to Rachael Wright for joining us today, and for answering our questions! It’s been great to have you here and learn more about your book!

About the Author

Rachael Wright is a journalist specializing on issues faced by rural Coloradans. Her work has appeared in Colorado Politics, the Denver Gazette, the Colorado Springs Gazette and 9News Colorado. She has degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University. A keen Scottish historian, Rachael is also a member of the country’s 1745 Association, which is dedicated the study and research of the Second Jacobite Uprising. Her debut novel, The Twins of Strathnaver, will be published 23 Sept. 2025 with a Green Avenue Books, a hybrid publisher specializing in fantasy.

Content Warnings
✘ recounting of an attempted SA
✘ recounting of a murder

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