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The Reluctant Prophet

7th September, 2013 / Zoë / 1 Comment

The Reluctant Prophet by Gillian O’Rourke is the latest fantasy release for Kristell Ink, and became available to purchase on the 1st of September. Here’s the pitch:

There’s none so blind as she who can see . . .
Esther is blessed, and cursed, with a rare gift: the ability to see the fates of those around her. But when she escapes her peasant upbringing to become a priestess of the Order, she begins to realise how valuable her ability is among the power-hungry nobility, and what they are willing to do to possess it.
Haunted by the dark man of her father’s warnings, and unable to see her own destiny, Esther is betrayed by those sworn to protect her. With eyes newly open to the harsh realities of her world, she embarks on a path that diverges from the plan the Gods have laid out. Now she must choose between sacrificing her own heart’s blood, and risking a future that will turn the lands against each other in bloody war.
The Reluctant Prophet is the story of one woman who holds the fate of the world in her hands, when all she wishes for is a glimpse of her own happiness.

I don’t usually do book reviews on this blog, but I agreed to host Gillian as part of her blog tour because I had the pleasure of editing The Reluctant Prophet. Yes, I knew Esther when she was carrying a bit of extra weight, wasn’t quite clear on the direction her life was taking, and had a bit of a problem with waking up – she always seemed to do it with a start. But after a month of bootcamp, Gilly and I whipped Esther into the dazzling creature you can now purchase from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, the Apple iStore, Barnes and Noble… well you get the idea.

So rather than review the book, I thought I’d share a bit of insight into what it was like editing what was originally a beast of about 140k words. It was quite the hack-and-slash-fest, let me tell you. Poor Gilly had to watch while I callously recommended cutting out entire chapters, entire characters, rearranging scenes, motivations and more. Of course this makes it sound like the manuscript was a right old mess, which is not true at all. In fact, all it needed was tightening and sharpening, and this is completely normal for a first novel.

Gilly handled the whole process like a champion, and I was so excited to read her revisions as they came, and watch as the story really came together in a more focused way. Esther suddenly came alive; she let me get close to her, and I finally got a sense of who she was and why I should care about her. Reading through again, now I feel rage when injustice beats her down (which it does, constantly), feel that her enemies are my enemies, and cheer whenever she succeeds, though heaven and earth are always working against her.

The themes this book explores are those of love, faith, loyalty and, at its heart, sacrifice, and what I noticed most throughout the editing process was these themes becoming clearer and more important to more of the characters. But Esther is no martyr; she’s ferociously strong-willed, despite her tiny stature and disadvantaged position. There are echoes in The Reluctant Prophet of those in our own world who would be used by the powerful for their own gains, and Esther sets a great example for standing her ground when it is most important.

I wish Gillian all the success possible with her first novel, and I look forward to seeing more of her work as the series progresses. Well done, and congratulations on a job well done!

Writing Postmasters

30th August, 2013 / Zoë / 0 Comments

A little while back I was interviewed by Audrey Camp and Lacy Mayberry of The Postmasters Podcast; the interview will go live on the 1st of September. We talked about everything from my inspiration for Amaranth, to how I got my agent, to how I juggle motherhood, a fledgling publishing imprint and this writing life.

Though the Postmasters Podcast only started up in July, there are already three episodes to listen to before mine; I’ve listened to each one so far, and I really recommend it to writers at any experience level. Audrey and Lacy are witty, informative and ask relevant and pertinent questions of their guests – the idea of listening to myself makes me cringe, but when I listened to the preview even I had to admit they made me sound interesting!

I hope you’ll all tune in to Postmasters on the 1st of September, and if you like what you hear, subscribe and listen to the previous episodes as well. You won’t regret it.

Learn more about Postmasters on their website, and Like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.

How to procrastinate like a pro

21st August, 2013 / Zoë / 0 Comments

Procrastination. It’s a writer’s worst enemy, and I doubt there’s a one of us who doesn’t succumb to it now and then, if not on a daily basis. Yesterday was writing day, and I found myself doing all my usual procrastination self talk:

I’ll just get a cup of tea.

I’ll just check Facebook.

Oh! A message! Must reply to this message, then I’ll get to work.

Now I’ve lost my train of thought…better go put some laundry on while I collect myself.

Oops, there’s already a pile of dry stuff in the dryer – I should at least take it—

STOP! Just stop it right there and get back to WORK!

Back to the computer I go. And there’s an email from a client – I better answer that before I—

NOOOOO!

And so it goes. I got so mad at myself that I went to my author page on Facebook to put up a quote about writers who procrastinate. That takes a bit of research, so I had a look at some quote sites, started reading – rookie mistake – and another half an hour went by before I realised I was doing it again. Dammit! Close the quote site. Close Facebook. Close the browser entirely. Open Scrivener and stare at that blank screen again.

. . .

Yeah. Now I can’t concentrate.

The procrastination thing was bugging me, but not the urge to procrastinate, the urge to write about procrastination. I suddenly wanted to write something all writers could relate to, about how badly we procrastinate, and the sorts of crazy things we do to avoid actually sitting down and writing…but writing it would be procrastinating again, right? Right. So what did I do? I decided to write a note to myself, reminding myself to write this very blog post. That way, my head would be clear to focus on the writing I was supposed to be doing. I looked about for a piece of paper – my desk is covered with them – but I couldn’t find the right piece of paper. A Post-it was too small, the back of a discarded print-out was too likely to get lost or thrown away, one of my idea notebooks was too permanent (I hate tearing pages out, and I hate having notes about completed projects or tasks sitting around in books – yeah, I know).

What the hell? I was doing it again! Over a piece of paper! Gah! I grabbed a piece of lined paper and scribbled down three lines. Ahhh. Now I was ready to get back to my novel. Wasn’t I? Actually, this time I was. I wrote over 4000 words yesterday. Go me!

But later on I got to thinking about this whole procrastination business, and I realised something: Procrastination – when done the right way – is actually a very useful tool for a writer. And how do you procrastinate in the right way? I’m glad you asked. There are two ways I know of:

Darkness versus horror

22nd July, 2013 / Zoë / 6 Comments

Dark fiction is gaining momentum as a genre in its own right, but is often mistaken for, and confused with, horror. I, like an increasing number of readers and writers, am fascinated by dark fiction, whereas I almost never read horror or watch horror movies – but what is the difference, really?

The answer is as subjective as any attempt to define a literary genre, but I can at least explain where my personal line is drawn. To me, horror is more graphic, more about describing horrific scenes in great detail so the reader can smell the blood, hear the sound of a knife sliding into flesh, and feel the thrill of revulsion. I have a lot of trouble reading books with scenes such as these, and they cause me terrible nightmares – I don’t personally understand the appeal, if I’m honest. Dark fiction, however, looks more into the minds and intentions of its characters, and in this way can be more disturbing without necessarily being gory at all. It is more subtle, where the threat of what a character is, or might be, capable of is actually more frightening than the deeds themselves. This is often demonstrated by the mere suggestion, or even anticipation, of horrific acts, but it leaves far more to the imagination of the reader.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, there is a growing fascination with dark fairy tales, which leads us right back to the works of the Grimms, Perrault and other classic collections. This darkness in fairy tales relates to my description of dark fiction in that these traditional tales there rarely offer any detailed description of horrific acts; in fact they are often dealt with in a singularly matter-of-fact way. Terrible, gruesome things happen in traditional fairy tales, and it is, in part, this element that has always fascinated me. Here are some examples:

In early versions of Cinderella (or Ashenputel), the ugly step-sisters were convinced by their mother to cut off parts of their feet to fit into the lost shoe, in order to marry the prince.
The queen in Snow White was punished by being forced to dance in hot iron shoes until she fell down and died.
Bluebeard is a serial killer who murders his wives and hangs their bodies in a secret room in his chateau.
The Big Bad Wolf has his stomach cut open and its contents replaced with heavy stones, which cause him to fall into a well and drown.
Rapunzel’s prince falls from her tower and is blinded by the thorns on which he lands.
In the Norse Askeladden story of his eating contest with a troll, Askeladden convinces the troll to slit his own belly open, which he does (and dies, of course).

These are just a small sample of the many horrific things that occur in traditional fairy tales, and yet they are not told in a particularly gruesome way, which in my mind has always made them all the more disturbing. Let’s face it, half of this stuff is carried out by the heroes and heroines to punish the wicked, so we are left feeling like these atrocities are just desserts. That’s pretty messed up, when you think about it.

To boldly go

12th June, 2013 / Zoë / 0 Comments

For some time now, I have been working closely with a small press in the UK with a view to eventually launching my own dark fiction imprint, Tenebris Books. Unfortunately, things didn’t go to plan and my imprint slipped further and further into the background, never quite receiving the focus and attention it needed to get off the ground. But now, the founder of Kristell Ink, Sammy Smith, and I have decided to break away and start our own independent publishing house – Grimbold Books – under which Kristell Ink and Tenebris Books will operate as equals.

With our focus set on the genres that we love, Science Fiction, Fantasy and Dark Fiction, we will be able to give our authors the attention and support they need to achieve their writing and publishing goals. And at the same time, we aim to strengthen the relationships we have with bloggers, reviewers and readers to make sure our books are on the right radars.

Since announcing the change, Tenebris Books has already received several exciting new submissions, and we hope to make some announcements about our plans for the rest of 2013 and start planning our 2014 catalogue. Dark Fiction is hot right now, especially fairy tale-based stories, which is exactly what I love, as my regular readers already know.

If you’re interested in what’s in store for Grimbold and Tenebris, head over to the Grimbold Books website where you’ll find information about where we’ve been and where we’re going. You can also follow @GrimboldBooks on Twitter, or Like the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GrimboldBooks

Launched

10th June, 2013 / Zoë / 0 Comments

On Friday I attended my first book launch and signing along with my fellow OIWG members (that’s the Oslo International Writers’ Group for anyone not familiar). We launched our first anthology, North of the Sun, South of the Moon: New Voices from Norway at Café Fedora, and with sixty or more supporters looking on, we shared readings from the book and raised a tidy sum for the Norwegian volunteer organization, Utdanningshjelpen.

My reading of one of my two stories from the book, Far North, True North, was unfortunately cut short by a dead camera battery, but here’s the part that survived:

Being asked to sign books was both a surprise and an honour – there were many more people who wanted their copies signed than I ever expected, with some people even asking for extra copies for their friends and family members. My fellow authors and I got such a buzz from seeing so many enthusiastic readers pick up our book, but truly the best part of the evening was when Felix from Utdanningshjelpen told us his story, and how he came to found the organization.

Felix Omondi Osok comes from Kenya, and grew up an orphan in the city of Maseno. But he was lucky: as a fourteen year old, he got a job as a project assistant with “Rotary Doctor Bank” where his dedication and determination was noticed. Felix received a lot of support from his grandparents, but it was difficult for him to gain enough money to finish school. Two doctors from the Doctor Bank decided to support Felix with extra money so that he could continue his education. Today, Felix holds a masters degree from Oslo University. Through Utdanningshjelpen, Felix helps children in similar situations to his own, of which there are all too many.

We hope that the money we are raising through the sale of our book will help support the education of children in developing countries, so that they may find their own voices.

Bree Switzer reads from her piece, Maggie’s Farm

The paperback version of the book is now on sale at Amazon:

http://amzn.com/1909374539 or http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1909374539

E-book released

28th May, 2013 / Zoë / 0 Comments

North of the Sun, South of the Moon: New Voices from Norway is now available for Kindle and other ebook readers! The paperback is just around the corner, but if you can’t wait, here are the ebook links:

Remember, all profits go to Utdanningshjelpen, a Norwegian volunteer organization helping children and young people in developing countries fulfil their educational potential.

Perhaps you’re wondering a little about the stories in the book. Hey, I understand. It’s all very well to buy a book because the proceeds go to charity, but would you actually read (and, more importantly, enjoy) the thing? Not everyone reads short stories, or poetry, or non-fiction essays. It’s hard to know what to expect. So, to help ease you into our little world, here is a hint of what you’ll find inside…

In Go North, Young Man, Brian Talgo reveals the serendipitous trail of true events that led him to Norway from the United States, and in Orientation, Audrey Camp overcomes the disorienting effects of her first two weeks in Oslo by mapping out the new city she calls home. My short story Far North, True North, presents two contrasting definitions of north for someone born far south of the equator. In Tolerance, Chelsea Ranger tells the true story of Lizhong “Frank” Li, a Chinese refugee to Norway who was imprisoned for his beliefs and tortured by his own government. Mauricio Ruiz gives us Estrellita, a short story about a desperate woman who takes advantage of the Norwegian custom of leaving babies to sleep unattended in their strollers outside cafés. Bree Switzer’s short story Maggie’s Farm is the story of a woman searching for a way to let go of her pain. We explore the rich history of Scandinavia in Turn, Turn, Turn, Anna Maria Moore’s short story inspired by her mother’s childhood in post-WWII Sweden. Going back in time a bit further, Evelinn Enoksen gives a chilling account of a band of Vikings making their way home after a battle that has almost wiped them out in Frost.

I hope this small taste has inspired you to take a look at the book. I’m so proud of all the authors, and am amazed at the combined effect these stories have when collected together in a single volume.

North of the Sun…

6th May, 2013 / Zoë / 0 Comments

If you’ve been wondering where the fairy tale posts have gone, it may appease you to know that they’ve taken a temporary backseat for a very good cause. I have been busy editing, proofreading and polishing fourteen great stories for the upcoming Oslo International Writers’ Group anthology, North of the Sun, South of the Moon: New Voices from Norway.

Today I’ve been working with fellow group member Chelsea Ranger to arrange our launch party. The e-book is set to launch on the 17th of May, to coincide with Norway’s grunnlovsdag (Constitution Day), with the paperback to follow in time for the party on the 7th of June. Profits from sales of the book will go to Utdanningshjelpen, a Norwegian charity which supports students in developing nations. The wonderful Anthony and Nicole from Cafe Fedora have offered to host the event at a steep discount, with the extra money raised from ticket sales to go directly to the charity.

The anthology has been written to two themes: Adaptation and North, and the pieces themselves range from short fiction to non-fiction to poetry. Some are uplifting, while others explore the darker side of human nature, but all together they make for a fascinating and thought-provoking read.

The featured image on this post, The Wanderer, was painted by another talented OIWG member, Brian Talgo, and will grace the cover of the book, with the design by Ken Dawson. The book will be published by Holland House. And I can now reveal the actual cover:

I’m so excited to share these stories with you, and especially proud to be doing it for such a worthy cause.

I have two stories in this anthology, one a short fiction piece called The Social Animal, and the other a fictionalised account of real events, Far North, True North. These will appear alongside the fiction, nonfiction, and poetry of seven of my talented fellow OIWG members:

If you’re in Oslo, you might like to join us at Café Fedora for the launch party on the 7th of June. Here are the details:

Date: 7th June 2013 at 7:00pm

Place: Café Fedora, Frognerveien 22, Oslo

Price: 200 NOK per person

Food and drinks are included in the ticket price, and you will also hear the authors give readings, have the opportunity to buy the book and/or donate directly to Utdanningshjelpen, as well as be in the running to win a signed copy of the book.

Tickets are limited, so please buy yours today! Café Fedora’s owners, Anthony and Nicole Juvera, have made it possible for all tickets sold for the launch event to support the charity, too. The Oslo International Writers’ Group is open to writers of all kinds in the Oslo area. We meet once a month. Find us on Facebook if you’re interested in joining. We are always happy to welcome new blood, and you don’t even have to bleed–I mean read–at your first meeting!

Evil or Misunderstood?

19th April, 2013 / Zoë / 3 Comments

ABC’s Once Upon A Time has cast, as one of its central villains, the Grimm Brothers’ character Rumpelstiltskin. In the series, though his character seems like simply a deal-making trickster, he is in possession of a level of magical skill coveted by some of the most evil characters in the show. When I first started watching, it seemed odd to me that he would be represented in this way, but perhaps the writers found it difficult to find a male fairy tale character who was evil enough to balance out all the evil women – after all, many of the human sources of evil in fairy tales are, in fact, women. Often they are step-mothers, or old hermit women, witches and evil queens, but there are also mothers and sisters of the protagonist who do their share of nasty business (usually spurred by envy of their daughter or sister’s beauty and grace).

But back to Rumpelstiltskin. I remember being perplexed by this story as a child – you’re clearly supposed to feel sympathy for the young girl, but to me she just didn’t cut the mustard. In reading the story again as an adult, I realized my childhood doubts were actually quite fair; though most of us remember Rumpelstiltskin for his desire to rob a newly wed young mother of her first born, is he really the nastiest person in his own story? Not by a long shot. Let’s take a brief look at the events in the story:

1. A poor father must go to see the king, and to make himself look good he brags that his daughter can spin straw into gold (a pretty stupid thing to say, but not really evil).

2. The king, who loves gold, demands that the daughter be brought to him and locks her in a room full of straw, telling her if she doesn’t spin it all into gold by morning, he’ll have her killed (yep, that’s evil).

3. The girl, understandably perplexed, begins to cry. Enter Rumpelstiltskin (let’s call him Rumpy for fun). Rumpy asks what the girl will give him if he does the job for her, she offers him a necklace (where did such a poor girl get a necklace from, one wonders), which he accepts and gets to work. Score one for Rumpy being a nice guy.

4. The king, happy to have a room full of gold, is still not satisfied. He locks her in a bigger room and makes the same threat. What a jerk!

5. The girl, instead of clueing in about how this works and finding a way to escape, starts to cry again. Rumpy returns once more to save the day, this time taking the girl’s ring in payment (yep, she also has a ring – couldn’t she have used it to bribe her jailer or something?). Rumpy spins all the straw into gold again – that’s two points for Rumpy, in total.

6. The king, never satisfied, locks the girl in an even bigger room, this time promising that if she succeeds in turning all the straw into gold, he’ll marry her. Not because he finds her charming, or beautiful, mind you, but because he wants the cash cow for his own. This king is a royal turd, if you ask me.

7. Rumpy comes again, but this time the girl has nothing left to give. Rumpy suggests that she give him her first born child, should she become queen (I’m going to take two points away from Rumpy for this one, it’s a pretty nasty bargain). She thinks it probably will never happen, so she accepts – naive, or just plain stupid? You decide.

8. The king is finally satisfied (for now, at least, but he better keep her close just in case), and marries her. And she accepts – not evil, but pretty stupid.

9. Everyone’s happy until the queen gives birth to a child. Rumpy comes back and demands payment, and the queen begins to cry because she’s become quite attached to her evil husband’s baby. Rumpy takes pity on her (yes, you read that right) and gives her three days in which to guess his name. If she gets it right, she can keep her child. Another point to Rumpy.

10. The queen sends messengers far and wide to find out all sorts of strange names. The first two times Rumpy visits, she guesses every name she can think of (yep, he doesn’t even give her a limit – another point), but to no avail. But on the third day, her messenger returns with a story about a strange little man dancing around a fire singing about how he’s going to take the queen’s child in the morning, and how he’s so happy no one knows his name is Rumpelstiltskin.

11. The queen makes a couple of fake guesses and then BAM! She kicks Rumpy right in the rump with his real name. He’s so furious that he stamps his foot through the floor, and then tears his leg off in an effort to free himself. He hobbles away without his leg, and without the baby.

Rumpy, by my count, comes away with a solid two points for being a good guy, even if he does have an anger management problem. The king, his queen and her father, however, are a jerk, a wuss and a braggart, respectively.

Open mic night

16th April, 2013 / Zoë / 0 Comments

A couple of times a year, Oslo’s Litteraturhuset (House of Literature) holds an open mic night for new writers of all kinds to come and share their work. Last week, I participated for the first time, reading the opening of my novel, Amaranth. I was lucky enough to have an entourage with me (fellow members of the Oslo International Writers’ Group) who not only cheered me on, but offered to take a video of my reading as well. Here is the result:

I was proud to participate in such a fun evening, and to receive such great support, not only from my friends, but from all who listened. The other participants read poetry, stories and novel fragments in both Norwegian and English, and were impressive in their range, skill and enthusiasm. Some were funny, others dramatic, but all were heartfelt and brave. I look forward to the next one in September.

Zoë Writes

Page 5 of 8

The Reluctant Prophet

Writing Postmasters

How to procrastinate like a pro

Darkness versus horror

To boldly go

Launched

E-book released

Amazon (Kindle)

Kobo

Apple iStore

Barnes and Noble (Nook)

Smashwords (EPUB)

North of the Sun…

Evil or Misunderstood?

Open mic night

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