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What I've Learned About Story: The First Sentence

 "I bestow upon thee thy first sentence, writer."









That perfect first sentence is a myth. It will not be given to you by your muse.

That perfect first sentence, if you're lucky, will appear like a hybrid unicorn/dragon and ignite an entire story. It will delight those who read it. Other authors will envy you. If you're not lucky--and most of us aren't--you won't discover that first sentence until your story or book is complete.

There's no formula for creating that first sentence.

It's more important to know where to begin. Do you want to begin from the main character's POV, leading into action? Do you want to create a particular atmosphere (a character is experiencing), leading into action? Do you want to introduce your story with a weird and mysterious statement, leading into action?

Because the first chapters need to draw the reader in, introducing the main character as soon as possible is a must. The antagonist or complication, and the atmosphere, should also be established. If there are other major characters, their subplots should be introduced.

That first sentence shouldn't be an obsession. It'll eventually arrive, like that hybrid unicorn/dragon. It might not reveal itself until the very end. Unless you're lucky enough to have it as your first thought leading into the story, forget about it and just START WRITING. No matter how boring or bad you think your beginning is, it will lead you deeper into the story, into what your character desires, and how they're going to get what they desire. You can punch up the beginning later and make it awesome.







SOME OF MY FAVORITE FIRST SENTENCES:

"Marianne had sharp, cold eyes and she was spiteful but her father loved her." (Heroes and Villains by Angela Carter

"Miles past a town named Vidalia, town named after an onion, onion named after a town, but Dead Girl has no idea how many miles, the vast, unremarkable Georgia night like a seamless quilt of stars and kudzu vines, and all those roads look the same to her." (Les Fleurs Empoisonnees by Caitlin R. Kiernan)

"I met them in Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion." (Waking the Moon by Elizabeth Hand)

"Sara Kendall once read somewhere that the tale of the world is like a tree. (Moonheart by Charles de Lint)

"Blue Sargent had forgotten how many times she'd been told that she would kill her true love." (The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Final Giveaway! The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Enter to win a copy of Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Boys, a dark fantasy about a girl named Blue who's been told the boy she first kisses will die, and the four boys she meets--Gansey, the rich boy on an obsessive quest; Ronan, the bad boy with a secret; Adam, the poor boy fighting for what he has; and Noah, an elusive boy who also has a secret. Beautifully written, with strong and original characters, this is the beginning of a fantasy series you won't be able to quit.

My last giveaway of the year, this is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only!

One copy will be awarded to one winner. The contest begins Dec. 27 and ends Jan. 3.

All you have to do to enter is Twitter, Follow, or Visit my Facebook Fan Page!







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FANTASY & SF BOOKS TO GIVE FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

Looking for that great book gift? These Fantasy & SF Harper Voyager authors have some fantastic suggestions!

CHRISTI J. WHITNEY, author of Grey, Book 1 of the Romany Outcasts. http://christijwhitney.com/?page_id=52

THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner

WITHER by Lauren DeStefano
I've been devouring some amazing books by some talented HV authors as well!









EDWARD ASHTON, author of Three Days in April. http://edward-ashton.squarespace.com/

THE DOG STARS by Peter Heller

STATION ELEVEN by Emily St. John Mandel
These are essentially disaster novels, telling the story of what happens after a sudden plague sweeps away nearly all of humanity, but both are written in a lyrical, literary style that inspires equal parts admiration and jealousy.







JASON LAPIER, author of Unexpected Rain, Book 1 of the Dome Trilogy. http://jasonwlapier.com/

I'm a long-time Neal Stephenson fan, but his latest this year, SEVENEVES, may be his best yet.








BISHOP O'CONNELL, author of The Stolen, the Forgotten, and Three Promises. http://aquietpint.com/

My favorite books this year are a tie between ANCILLARY JUSTICE, because of the way Ann Leckie weaves the AI story, making it almost god-like.

The other is THE ART OF ASKING by Amanda Palmer, because it's just a powerful and personal story.









TIM LEES, author of The God Hunter and Devil in the Wires. https://timlees.wordpress.com/

Books that really impressed me this year (and I'm cheating a bit, because it takes me so long to get around to reading stuff these days): Jeff Vandermeer's "Southern Reach" Trilogy, ANNIHILATION, AUTHORITY, and ACCEPTANCE. This is what a real alien invasion would be like, practically unfathomable to humanity. Somehow Vandermeer conveys this while providing a hugely entertaining read.

Another book I really liked was a very old one--Frederick Busch's GIRLS, a thriller which is also a compelling study of character, landscape, and community and, like the Vandermeer, is constantly pushing the boundaries of the genre while still delivering a satisfying narrative.





INGRID SEYMOUR, author of Ignite the Shadows. http://ingridseymour.com/blog/

My favorite books this year were THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern for it's amazing imagery and otherworldly feel.

And THE DREAM THIEVES by Maggie Stiefvater for its wonderfully drawn characters.









TERRY NEWMAN, author of Detective Strongoak and the Case of the Dead Elf. http://nicelystrongoak.com/

My favorite book of the year was LAMENTATION (The Shardlake series) by C.J. Sansom, as he made history (almost) as good as fantasy to me.








KELLEY GRANT, author of Desert Rising and The Obsidian Temple. There have been so many wonderful releases this year, but I'll settle on two. http://www.kelleygrantbooks.com/blog

Naomi Noviks UPROOTED has a lyrical voice and is a beautifully woven tale.

Katherine Addison mingles politics and a compelling personal journey in THE GOBLIN EMPEROR.








GRAEME K. TALBOYS, author of Stealing into Winter and Exile and Pilgrim (Books 1 & 2 of Shadow in the Storm). http://grumsworld.blogspot.com/

My three favorite books this year were THE WHISPERING SWARM by Michael Moorcock

THE WATERBORNE EXILE by Susan Murray

THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN by Terry Pratchett









STEPHEN MOORE, author of the fantasy Graynelore. https://stephenmoorefantasyauthor.wordpress.com/

My favorite book of the year is a historical non-fiction. THE KING IN THE NORTH by Max Adams. Set in the dark ages, it's a brilliant telling of the life story of King Oswald of Northumbria and the subsequent cult of St. Oswald that developed in the centuries following his death. This is history brought to life and beautifully told. 






And don't forget to take a look at the wonderful selection of books these authors have written, all available from Harper Voyager.

Sarah Remy, Author of Stonehill Downs

Welcome, Sarah Remy, author of Stonehill Downs and Across the Long Sea (Harper Voyager 2014-2015) to It's All About Story.

Sarah's site: http://www.sarahremy.com/

1) Describe the Stonehill Downs series in one paragraph.

Stonehill is a forensic mystery in a fantasy setting. Ghosts and monsters and magic abound, but so do laboratories and autopsies and microscopes. It's also a story about relationships and loss; Mal's lost a wife, Avani's lost her entire civilization, Everin's lost a kingdom, and Liam's never had anything to claim his own. Each character deals with his or her deprivation in varied ways. It's dark fantasy, but the heart of the story is about moving forward no matter what life throws at you.

2) What inspired Stonehill Downs?

I like spooky stories and I love the fantasy genre. I'm also a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. I wanted to mix these things together and see what sprung forth. Each of the four books in the series deal with a different dark mystery set against the background of world politics, war, and magic.

3) Was Stonehill Downs your first work of fiction?

No. I've written several under my own imprint.

4) What song or music piece would you put on a soundtrack for Stonehill Downs?

I'm actually very much a writing soundtrack person. When I find music that works, I set it on loop, and that's what I listen to through an entire manuscript. I like to think it puts me in 'the zone'. My Manhattan Exiles series (an Irish urban fantasy) was all Mumford and Sons. I'm working on a Beauty and the Beast twist at the moment--it's Of Monsters and Men. Stonehill and its sequel, Across the Long Sea, were both The Killers, and I'll go back to that soundtrack when I continue with volumes three and four.

5) Which character in Stonehill Downs was easy to write? Which was the most difficult?

Mal's been the easiest so far, because he's on a downturn,and it's always easier to write a character coming apart at the seams than one growing and becoming. Avani's a very self-aware person, but at the same time she's learning that the things she thinks she understands about the world might just possibly be incorrect. She is growing. And that's much harder to write.

6) What is your writing space like? Or can you write anywhere?

I have an office in an upstairs enclosed porch where I write during warm months. When the snow starts falling I migrate down to a chair in front of our gas fireplace. I can write anywhere if a deadline presses--I've written in a folding chair at a horse show while I'm waiting to ride a course--but I prefer the quiet of my own space.

7) Any odd writing habits? Rituals?

I like to have a Diet Coke and a good internet connection, if at all possible. I sit down and answer emails and surf the web for half an hour or so before getting down to actual work. Sometimes this is a bad habit but most of the time scrolling through, say, Tumblr, really helps me disconnect from my real world, non-writing obligations, of which I have a ton.

8) George Martin describes two kinds of outliners, the Gardener (let it grow) or the Architect (plan it). Which are you?

Ah! The plotter or the pantser. I'm a pantser. I get into a story with a starting point and ending point and a general idea of what I want to say, but things happen and the old cliche of the character taking control is a cliche because it's true. The subconscious mind produces odd fancies. I surprise myself constantly, wondering: Where the hell did that plot bunny come from?

The difficulty with being a pantser of course, is that it all comes back to bite you during the editing process. There's a lot of crossing out or clarifying one has to do. I also jot down notes as I go along, which helps a lot.

9) What are some of your favorite world myths or fairy/folk tales? Why?

Irish fairy tales. I studied Irish lit in college; I love the old Tuatha De legends. There are so many layers, so much beauty and also horror in so many of them.

10) What is your favorite fictional world, one you'd want to visit?

Oh, I'd like to shadow Holmes and Watson in London in 1895. But I wouldn't want to live there. I enjoy my 21st century luxuries.

11) Who is your favorite fictional character?

Robin Hobb's FitzChivalry Farseer. If you haven't yet read Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings series, you should.

12) What is the best writing advice you've ever received?

Write what you like and don't let other people stop you.

13) In Stonehill Downs, are there any hidden acknowledgements to friends, places you've lived, favorite writers, etc;

Liam's the name of my nephew. When I started writing Stonehill I didn't realize the character was going to have a larger arc, I needed a placeholder moniker, so I used my (perfect) young nephew's name. Then my Liam became more important to the story (pantser, remember?) and somehow I just couldn't find a better fit. So it stuck. I usually try NOT to use the names of people I'm related to. My nephew's six. Maybe he'll never know.

14) Can you tell us what we have to look forward to after the Stonehill Downs series?

Magic-madness, a city-wide serial killer, sidhe uprising and a war between kingdoms. Also friendship, loyalty, and a wee bit of romance, but maybe not where you'd expect to find it. And a lot of character growth, which means I've my work set out for me.

Thank you, Sarah!

Sarah's books are available on Amazon.

The Manhatten Exiles series

Win a copy of Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

I'm a little late with my three November giveaways, which were to celebrate my birthday. So here's the second one: Win a copy of Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood!

There will be ONE WINNER. This contest is open to the residents of the U.S. and Canada only. The contest ends at midnight on Dec. 16.

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: he kills the dead.

A ghost hunter boy and a deadly ghost girl. It's a dark and creepy story and Cas is quick with the quips, but he has a darkness in him as well. There's a tragic secret, ghost lore aplenty, and, of course, the friends.

What's the scariest ghost story you've ever read?



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Three Promises by Bishop O'Connell

Bishop O'Connell is a consultant, writer, poet, blogger, and member of the New Hampshire Writer's Project. Born in Naples, Italy, while his father was stationed in Sardinia, Bishop grew up in San Diego, California, where he fell in love with the ocean and fish tacos. While wandering the country for work and school, he experienced autumn in New England. Soon after,he settled in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he collects swords and kilts. But he only dons one of those two in public. He can be found online at A Quiet Pint (www.aquietpint.com) where he muses philosophical on the various aspects of writing and the road to getting published.

Three Promises: An American Faerie Tale Collection is my third book. It’s a compilation of short stories—technically three short stories and a novella—and while I’ve always struggled with short fiction, that wasn’t the case here. These stories seemed to write themselves, and the characters truly shine. In my previous books, The Stolen & The Forgotten (available anywhere books are sold) the stories drove the characters. In Three Promises, the opposite is true. There’s no child to rescue, no shadowy enemy snatching kids off the street, and you get to see the characters for who they are. I was worried they wouldn’t stand on their own, but I think they didn’t just stand, they soared I really liked my characters before; now, I love them. I hope you will, too. Here’s a sample from one of the short stories, “The Legacy of Past Promises”:

---

     Elaine stared at the painting. While her body didn’t move, her heart and mind danced in the halls of heaven. The depth and intensity of mortal passion was astounding to her, and her ability to experience it through art was like a drug. The heavy silence that filled her vast loft was broken by the high-pitched whistle of the teakettle. Elaine extricated herself from the old battered chair, which was so comfortable it should be considered a holy relic. She crossed her warehouse flat to the kitchen area, purposely stepping heavily so the old hardwood floor creaked. She smiled at the sound. It was like a whisper that contained all the memories the building had seen. Unlike the fae, the mortal world was constantly aging. But for those who knew how to listen, it sang of a life well lived in every tired sound. The flat took up the entire top floor of a warehouse that had been abandoned in the early 1900s. She owned it now and was its only permanent tenant. The lower floors of the five-story building were offered as a place to stay to the fifties—half-mortal, half-fae street kids, unwelcome in either world—she knew and trusted. But with all the unrest in Seattle, she was currently its only occupant.      She turned off the burner and the kettle went quiet. Three teaspoons of her personal tea blend went into the pot. The water, still bubbling, went next. The familiar and comforting aroma filled the air, black tea with whispers of orange blossom. Light poured in from the south-facing wall of floor-to-ceiling windows. But she ignored the view of the Seattle skyline. The twenty-foot ceiling was constructed of heavy wooden beams and slats, broken only by the silver of air ducts, a relatively recent addition. The floor was oak, original to the building but well maintained over the years, as were the exposed bricks of the walls and pillars. The flat was large, 5,000 square feet of open space, sparsely furnished with secondhand pieces. They had been purchased so long ago, they were technically antiques now. But she looked past all that to the paintings that covered the walls, collected over centuries and not always through strictly legal means. Nearly every school was represented by at least one piece. Her eyes followed the heavy strokes of a Van Gogh, thought lost by the general public. The emotions and impressions left behind by the artist washed over her. The melancholy and near madness, the longing and love, all mixed together like the colors of the painting itself.      The smell of her tea, now perfectly brewed, broke her reverie. As she poured tea into a large clay mug, her gaze settled on a Rossetti. Elaine smiled as she remembered seeing the painting come to life. Gabriel Rossetti—Elaine could never bring herself to think of him as Dante, it was such an absurd name—had captured Jane’s beauty spectacularly. Jane Morris had been a truly beautiful mortal; it was no wonder Gabriel so often chose her as a model.      Elaine carried the mug back to her chair, sank into the plush cushions, and hit play on the remote. Vivaldi’s Cello Concerto no. 4 in A Minor filled the space. She closed her eyes, letting the music fill her soul. The mournful cello danced with the playful harpsichord. She sipped her tea, opened her eyes, and her gaze fell upon another painting, the one she’d almost lost. Unwanted memories rose to the surface—and just like that, she was back in France, deep in the occupied zone.      The war—or more correctly, the Nazis—had mostly turned the once beautiful countryside and small villages to rubble. The jackbooted thugs had marched with impunity, leaving only death and destruction in their wake      Even now she could almost hear the voices of her long-dead friends.       “Êtes-vous attentive?”      Elaine blinked. “Pardon?”      François narrowed his eyes. “I asked if you were paying attention,” he said, his French heavy with a Parisian accent. “But you answer my question anyway, yes?”      There were snickers from the collection of men, scarcely more than boys, gathered around the table and map.       “Sorry,” Elaine said, her own carefully applied accent fitting someone from the southern countryside. “You were saying a convoy of three German trucks will be coming down this road.” She traced the route on the map with her finger. “And this being one of the few remaining bridges, they’ll attempt to cross here. Did I miss something?”      François turned a little pink, then a deeper red when the chuckles turned on him. When Paul offered him the bottle of wine, François’s smile returned, and he laughed as well.       “Our little sparrow misses nothing, no?” he asked, then took a swallow of wine before offering her the bottle.      Elaine smiled and accepted.      Six hours later, just before dawn, the explosives had been set and the group was in position. She sat high in a tree, her rifle held close. Despite having cast a charm to turn the iron into innocuous fae iron (a taxing process that had taken her the better part of three weeks), she still wore gloves. On more than one occasion she’d had to use another weapon, one that hadn’t been magically treated.      As the first rays of dawn touched her cheeks, she had only a moment to savor the sublime joy of the morning light. Her keen eyes picked up the telltale clouds of black diesel smoke before she ever saw the vehicles. She made a sparrow call, alerting her fellow resistance fighters.      A thrush sounded back.      They were ready.      Elaine hefted her rifle and sighted down the barrel, her fingertip caressing the trigger. She watched the rise, waiting for the first truck to come into view.      Her eyes went wide and her stomach twisted when she saw the two Hanomags, armored halftrack personnel carriers, leading the three big trucks. That was two units, more than twenty soldiers. She made another birdcall, a nightingale, the signal to abort.      The thrush call came in reply, repeated twice. Proceed.       “Fools,” she swore. “You’re going to get us all killed.”      She sighted down the rifle again and slowed her breathing. They were outnumbered almost three to one and up against armor with nothing but rifles and a few grenades.       “Just an afternoon walk along the Seine,” she said. Of course Germany now controlled Paris and the Seine, so maybe it was an accurate comparison.      The caravan crawled down the muddy road, inching closer to the bridge. Looking through the scope, she watched the gunner on the lead Hanomag. His head was on a swivel, constantly looking one way then another. Not that she could blame him. This was a textbook place for an ambush.      The first Hanomag stopped just shy of the explosive charges.      Her heart began to race. Had they spotted it? No, it was buried and the mud didn’t leave any sign that even she could see. No way could these mortal goose-steppers have—      An officer in the black uniform of the SS stepped out of the second Hanomag, flanked by half a dozen regular army soldiers. Elaine sighted him with her scope, noted her heartbeat, and placed her finger on the trigger.      The tingle of magic danced across her skin as the officer drew a talisman from under his coat. “Offenbaren sich!” he shouted.      There was a gust of wind, and the leaves on the trees near her rustled. She whispered a charm and felt it come up just as the magic reached her. The spell slid over her harmlessly. Her friends weren’t so lucky. A red glow pulsed from the spot where the explosives had been set, and faint pinkish light shone from six spots around the convoy.       “Aus dem Hinterhalt überfallen!” the officer shouted and pointed to the lights.      The gunners on the Hanomags turned and the soldiers protecting the officer took aim.       “Merde,” Elaine cursed, then sighted and fired.      There was a crack, and the officer’s face was a red mist.      Then everything went to hell.      Soldiers poured from the trucks and the Hanomags, the gunners turned their MG-42s toward the now-fading lights marking François and the others. The soldiers took cover behind the armored vehicles and divided their fire between her and her compatriots. She was well concealed, so most of the shots did nothing more than send shredded leaves and bark through the air. Only a few smacked close enough to cause her unease.      Elaine ignored them and sighted one of the MG-42 gunners.       “Vive la France!” someone shouted.      Elaine looked up just in time to see Paul leap from cover and charge at the soldiers, drawing their attention and fire. She watched in horror as the Nazi guns tore him to shreds. Somehow, before falling, he lobbed two grenades into one of the armored vehicles. There came a shout of panic from inside the Hanomag and seconds later came two concussive booms. Debris flew up from the open top of the halftrack and the shouts stopped.      François and the others took advantage of Paul’s sacrifice, moved to different cover, and started firing. A few Nazi soldiers dropped, but the remaining MG-42 began spraying the area with a hail of bullets.      Elaine gritted her teeth and fired two shots; both hit the gunner, and he fell. This again drew fire in her direction.      The fight became a blur after that. She took aim and fired, took aim and fired, over and over again, pausing only long enough to reload. It wasn’t until she couldn’t find another target that Elaine realized it was done, and all the Nazis were dead or dying.      She lay on the branch for a long moment, until the ringing in her ears began to fade. When she moved, a sharp pain in her shoulder brought her up short. More gingerly, she shifted and saw tendrils of white light filled with motes of green drifting from her shoulder. At the center was a growing blossom of gold blood. She rolled and dropped from the tree, landing only slightly less gracefully than normal. Still, the jolt made the pain jump a few numbers on the intensity scale.      She clenched her jaw, hefted her rifle, and carefully inspected the scene. The Germans were all dead, but the driver of one of the Hanomags was still alive. He took a couple shots at her with his Luger, but he’d apparently caught some ricochets or shrapnel because he didn’t even come close. Elaine put him down with a shot through the viewing port.       “Please, help me,” someone said in bad French.      Elaine spun to see a German soldier lying on the ground. He was little more than a kid, maybe sixteen; it didn’t even look like he’d started shaving. She just stared at his tear-filled eyes, blood running down his cheek from the corner of his mouth. He had at least half a dozen holes in his chest. He was already dead, he just didn’t know it.       “Ja,” she said.       “Dank—”      His thanks were swallowed by the loud report of the rifle as she put a bullet between his eyes. There was nothing she, or anyone else, could’ve done for him. She wiped tears away and muttered a curse at Hitler and his megalomaniacal plans.      After double-checking that all the soldiers were dead, Elaine made her sparrow call. Her mouth was so dry, the call was hardly recognizable.      Only silence answered her.      Swallowing, she hardened her heart and went to where François and the others had been taking cover. She couldn’t bring herself to look down at the bloodied mess that had been Paul. She just kept walking. Her rifle fell to the ground, then she went to her knees, sobbing, covering her mouth with her good hand.      They were dead, which wasn’t a surprise, but it didn’t make finding them any less heartbreaking. Rémy was almost unrecognizable. If it wasn’t for his blond hair, now matted with blood—Elaine’s stomach twisted and she retched to one side. Michel, Julien, Daniel, Christophe, and Christian were in slightly better shape, for the most part. Julien’s left arm had been chewed up by the machine gun, and Christophe’s torso had been ripped open, allowing his insides to spill out. Elaine sobbed and turned to François. His rifle had been discarded and his pistol was still clutched in his left hand, two fingers having been shot off his right.      Sadness mixed with anger, and she screamed curses at him.       “You arrogant fool!” she said between sobs. “Why didn’t you just call off the operation? You got them all killed!”      It wasn’t long before Elaine grew numb inside. She used her fae healer’s kit to remove the bullet from her shoulder, and a liberal smearing of healing      ointment numbed the pain enough to give her almost full use of her arm again. Lastly, she set the pinkish, putty-like dóú craiceann over the wound, sealing it like a second skin. She’d never been much of a healer herself, but she got the job done. With effort, and still careful of her wounded shoulder, she dragged Paul into the cover to join his brothers-in-arms. Elaine whispered a charm and the earth drew itself up and over her friends. A moment later, lush green grass covered the seven mounds.       “Adieu, mes amis,” she said softly.

---

The ebook is only $0.99 (and how can you not buy a $0.99 book?), but if you preorder the paperback (releases 1/8/16 and is only $3.99) from The Fountain Bookstore, not only will it be signed, but you’ll get an exclusive gift. As a nice bonus, you can also order signed copies of The Stolen and The Forgotten while you’re there, and don’t worry, they ship worldwide.

A.F.E Smith GOLDENFIRE cover reveal

COVER REVEAL!

Goldenfire, the second book in the Darkhaven series will be released by Harper Voyager on January 14, but if you want to read it sooner, you can enter the giveaway for your chance to win an advance ebook copy!

LINK TO GIVEAWAY: http://www.afesmith.com/blog/goldenfire-cover-reveal

GOLDENFIRE

In Darkhaven, peace doesn't last long.

Ayla Nightshade has ruled Darkhaven for three years. With the help of Tomas Caraway, her Captain of the Helm, she has overcome her father's legacy to find new confidence in herself and her unusual shapeshifting abilities.

Yet three years ago, a discovery was made that could have profound consequences for the Nightshade line: a weapon exists that can harm even the powerful creatures they turn into. And now, that knowledge has fallen into the wrong hands.

An assassin is coming for Ayla, and will stop at nothing to see her dead.

Preorder Goldenfire: http://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780008103514/goldenfire

Darkhaven, the first book in this excellent dark fantasy series is available here: http://www.amazon.com/Darkhaven-A-F-E-Smith-ebook/dp/B00RSOWC16

The Erl King

"My son, say why you are hiding your face?"
"Oh father, the Erl King's coming apace,
The Erl King's here with his train and crown."
"My son, the fog moves up and down."

"Oh come, my darling, oh come with me!
Such good care my daughters will take of thee.
My daughters will dance about thee in a ring,
Will rock thee to sleep and will prettily sing."

"I love thee, thy beauty I covet and choose,
Be willing, my child or force I shall use."
"My father, my father, he seizes me fast.
For sorely the Erl King has hurt me at last."

The father now gallops, with terror half wild.
He grasps in his arms the poor, shuddering child.
He reaches his courtyard with toil and dread--
The child in his arms he finds motionless, dead."

The famous poem by the German writer Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe depicts a child and his father riding through the woods as a bogey man whispers to the child, promising to take him to a wonderful land, to be cared for by his beautiful daughters. As with most adults in a tale told from a child's POV, the parent doesn't believe the child until it's too late.

The Erl King has been featured in Holly Black's The Darkest Part of the Forest, in Raymond E. Feist's horrifying Faerie Tale, and in Angela Carter's 'The Erl King' and Elizabeth Hand's short story 'The Erl-King.' Anyone who's ever been in a deep forest can understand how such a shadowy horror could evolve. In Sara Maitland's From the Forest, the author writes of forests: 'A more promising contender for forest fear is 'panic', because the name itself originates in the woods. Classical Greek mythology defined panic as a specific kind of terror induced by Pan, the god of wild places and especially of woods and forests.' Alders, the trees from which the Erl King may derive his name, are known as witches' trees. Alder's inner wood turns red when cut and exposed to the air, which may be why it's also associated with the Erl King's daughter, a female spirit. The Erl King himself is a shadowy version of Shakespeare's fairy king Oberon and, perhaps, of the same ilk as the mysterious, murdering Long Lankin and the homicidal Elf Knight of the ballad 'Isobel and the Elf Knight.'

The Erl King dwells in the forest. He steals children. He's a malevolent presence. Unlike the more civilized English and French versions of the Elf King, the Erl King is a primitive spirit with no liking for mankind, and, like death, has no mercy for the young. Like Tolkien's Sauron, the Erl King is an unseen menace, ruler of a liminal world. In some stories, he is the leader of the Wild Hunt, antlered and wild, a force of nature.

But he is, first and foremost, a spirit of the forest in which the vulnerable become lost, the forest filled with teeth and claws.

The Scourge by A.G. Henley

Welcome A.G. Henley, author of The Brilliant Darkness series (http://www.amazon.com/The-Scourge-Brilliant-Darkness-Book-ebook/dp/B0073O59OI )  to It's All About Story.

A.G.'s website is ( http://www.aghenley.com/ )

1) Describe The Brilliant Darkness series in one paragraph.

Thanks for having me on your blog! I'm so happy to be here. The Brilliant Darkness series is about a teen who's told her blindness mysteriously protects her from the flesh eating Scourge that threaten her forest-dwelling people But she hasn't been tested--until now. There are three novels and two novellas in the series.

2) What inspired book #1, The Scourge?

In 2010, my family took a trip to south Louisiana. I'd just finished reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth, a YA post-apocalyptic zombie novel by Carrie Ryan. I looked around at the vast expanses of swampy bayous and thought: I wonder how people would survive a zombie apocalypse in there? Maybe they'd go up in the trees . . . but what if half the people forced the other half to live on the ground to preserve resources, and the people on the ground had to hide from the zombie-like creatures? And, finally, what if a blind girl was the only one who could survive the creatures, but she wasn't exactly sure how? Within a month, I had characters fleshed out and the world developed. Two years later, The Scourge was published.

3) Was The Scourge your first work of fiction?

I wrote a YA time travel novel before The Scourge--my practice book. I shoved it in a virtual drawer in my hard drive, but it wouldn't stay put. I sharpened the premise and wrote a novella based on it that will be included in an anthology of YA short stories. Tick Tock: Seven Tales of Time releases in March 2016. If readers like it, I might expand it into a novel, or even a new series.

4) What song or music piece would you put on a soundtrack for each book in The Brilliant Darkness series?

I love writing to music, but not usually specific songs or soundtracks. I have a Sonos system, and I throw on a channel with epic film soundtracks, video game soundtracks, or anything dramatic that helps conjure up the feels. I wrote one as-yet unpublished novel to the soundtrack for the Robert Downey Jr. film version of Sherlock Holmes. It was perfect for that book, but I was SO sick of it after five months of writing. On October 29th, I was listening to a Halloween-themed mix to get in the spirit of things.

5) Which character in The Brilliant Darkness series was easy to write? Which was the most difficult?

I'd say Moray--half-villain, half-hero--was the easiest to write. He has a strong personality, so I always knew what he'd say or how he'd react to most situations. Writing from Fennel's first-person POV wasn't easy, because she's blind. Obviously, I had to be constantly vigilant for any visual observations that slipped in. I also had to avoid metaphors and similes that included visual references. Harder than it might sound! It was very important to me to avoid stereotypes or microaggressions. I wanted to create an amazing, strong female protagonist who also happened to have a disability. Her blindness is a part of who she is, but it doesn't define her. I hope I succeeded.

6) What is your writing space like? Or can you write anywhere?

I usually work in my sunny home office on the second floor of our house, where I have a slivered view of the Rocky Mountains west of Denver. I love that! For too many years, I wrote sitting on the couch with my laptop in my lap, but I developed neck and shoulder strain and ended up at the chiropractor and massage therapist on a regular basis. Now, I use an ergonomic desk for the bulk of my writing time, and my body is MUCH happier :) I'd love to try a treadmill desk one of these days. That said, I've trained myself to write in lots of other places, too. I've written at soccer fields, swimming pools, airports, coffee shops, libraries, and many hours in the car while on family road trips.

7) Any odd writing habits?

Hmm, I can't think of any. I do sometimes resort to popping Hot Tamales to motivate myself to keep writing. The spicy jolt wakes me up if I'm starting to fade.

8) Do you outline?

I used to swear by being a pantser. My first three novels were a meandering tramp through half-formed ideas and plot points that somehow came together as novels. They didn't even need a ton of work to revise. (In other words, I got very lucky.) I figured that was just how I worked, and how I would work forever and ever. I blithely pantsed my way through my next novel . . . and it was a hot mess. Clearly a one off, right? I pantsed The Fire Sisters, my most recent book. Not only did it not work, but I also made many of the same mistakes that I had in the previous novel! It needed a massive rewrite. That was enough pantsing for me--time for a change.

Before rewriting, I created a detailed synopsis and wrote the first fifty pages to get a good handle on the plot, voice, and style, and I sent those to my agent to read. Knowing I was on the right track helped me move forward with much more confidence, and I re-wrote The Fire Sisters in a lot shorter time than I had ever written a book before. It became the perfect book to end my series.

9) What are some of your favorite world myths or fairy/folk tales? Why?

Funny you should ask! Like many, I grew up hearing and reading Grimm's fairy tales. When I studied abroad in Australia in college, I heard about Aboriginal Dreamtime stories, and I adored them. The Scourge includes several retellings, as well as one or two Native American folk stories.

10) What is your favorite fictional world, one you'd want to visit?

This won't be terribly original, but I'd live and teach at Hogwarts in a time-turning second. I'd be happy to hang out anywhere in the HP universe, even with You-Know-Who as a next-door neighbor! After that, I would love to have a mysterious Grace in Kristin Cashore's world in Graceling, and one day I'd like to visit Sesame Street :) Only, I'd avoid Elmo--that guy gives me the creeps.

11) What is the best writing advice you've ever received?

I'm always amazed and grateful for the advice and wisdom other writers are willing to share online. I read obsessively about the craft of writing and the business of publishing, so it's hard to remember one piece that stood out the best. A common nugget that I completely agree with is to be persistent. If  you love to write, keep writing, no matter what obstacles you encounter. Of course, that goes for almost any field. If you love doing it, it's worth the hard work and inevitable moments of rejection and heartache.

12)  In The Brilliant Darkness series, are there any hidden acknowledgements to friends, places you've lived, favorite writers etc;

That's a great question! The Scourge has several. I wanted to set it in Australia, but I couldn't pull off the Aussie dialect for my characters. Instead, I hid secret references to Oz in the story. For example, the male main character, Peree, is a storyteller. One of the important tales he tells is about a cassowary, a huge flightless bird found in New Guinea and northeastern Australia. While hiking in New South Wales one weekend, nowhere near the northeastern part of the country, I swear I saw a cassowary saunter across the trail. We looked at each other for a moment, and it went on. I was the only one who saw it. It was a special moment, one I'll never forget. I also used the Jenolan Caves in New South Wales as the inspiration for the cave system Fenn's people hide in to escape the Scourge. The names of a group in The Scourge are from a mixture of dialects of native Australian. A "tiger" Fenn and Peree encounter is roughly based on the now-extinct Tasmanian tiger. I could go on and on :)

13) Can you tell us what we have to look forward to after book #3 in the series, The Fire Sisters?

The Fire Sisters is the conclusion of The Brilliant Darkness series. As I mentioned, I'll have a short story in the Tick Tock anthology, and I'm doing NaNoWriMo for the first time this year. I'll be drafting the first book of a YA speculative fiction duology, and you can bet I'm plotting it out in advance! :)

Thanks for having me on your blog, Katherine!

Thank you, A.G.!

November YA Book Giveaway!

Win NAMELESS by Lili St. Crow. This story is a re-telling of Snow White, set in a future that has become infused with magic. Camille is found as a child by the sinister Vultusino family who raise her as their own. But she has to remember a horror from her past. This is a great fantasy world, darkly realistic, with poignant and interesting characters. There's Nico Vultusino, the darkly charismatic son of the family, and Cami's two best friends, Ruby and Ellie (Red Riding Hood and Cinderella) And the evil queen...yikes. This is the first in a series, so be prepared to become addicted!

For a chance to win Nameless, just Tweet about the contest, visit my Facebook fan page, or follow me on Twitter. That's it!

The contest runs Nov. 22 to Nov. 29.

This contest is only open to residents of the U.S. and Canada.

There will be one winner of this prize.









a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fantastic Fantasy Finds: The True Game by Sheri S. Tepper

THE TRUE GAME (1996)

The boy becomes a powerful wizard is a common fantasy story, but this one is not. Narrated from the pov of the young protagonist Peter, the True Game is set in a land of magic with a complex society. Peter is an orphan attending a school of magic. When he's betrayed by a friend and lover, he's forced to leave. Each power in the land of the True Game has its name and place in a fascinating hierarchy: Dragon, Necromancer, Seer, Tragamor, Sorcerer, and so on. Peter is soon traveling with Silkhands, the girl Healer, and his friend Yarrel, in the company of the High King. Haunted by Mandor, the Prince who betrayed him, Peter learns he is the son of the famous Mavin the Manyshaped, and that he, too, is a Shapeshifter.

As Peter travels deeper into his dangerous world, he learns how to master his powers amid betrayals and terrifying encounters. Peter is a realistic and charismatic teenager and there are glimpses of what he is going to become. This is a fantasy world you become immersed in and there are more!

JINIAN FOOTSEER (1985)
DERVISH DAUGHTER (1986)
JINIAN STAR-EYE (1988)

These sequels concern Jinian, the young woman who eventually meets Peter and becomes his beloved. She is a wanderer, seeking out her talent in the world of the True Game. She meets Peter, whom she'd admired as a child. Then one of Peter's old enemies returns...

Like Peter, Jinian is a protagonist whose courage overrules her vulnerability even in the darkest moments.

THE SONG OF MAVIN MANYSHAPED (1985)
THE FLIGHT OF MAVIN MANYSHAPED
THE SEARCH OF MAVIN MANYSHAPED

These are the prequels to the True Game, about Peter's trickster mother, and an introduction to a world which is wondrous and sinister and absolutely original, with fully fleshed out characters.

So seek out the world of the True Game, but, I'm warning you, you'll become lost in it.

Pinkie's Picks: Readers' Theater by Nancy K. Wallace

Pinkie welcomes Nancy K. Wallace, the author of Readers' Theater: How to Put On a Production Set II. (Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO 2015) 

Nancy is the author of nineteen children's books and a full time Youth Services Librarian. Her first adult fantasy, Among Wolves (Harper Voyager UK) was released as an E-book in 2015. The sequel follows July 18, 2016. http://www.nancykwallace.com/





PINKIE ASKS: What is your favorite childhood book?

NANCY: "The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald, one of my mother's favorite childhood books, became my favorite as she read it to my older siblings and me. It gave me my first glimpses of fantastic worlds that presumably lay within mine only waiting to be discovered. Princess Irene's castle with its labyrinth of unexplored corridors and rooms, made me certain that my childhood home held an equal number of amazing places just waiting for me to stumble upon them! To this day, I dream that my house has rooms I have only just discovered, full of wonderful possibilities! I believe that this particular book sent me headlong into the arms of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis as I grew older, making that first taste of fantasy all the sweeter for having been revealed to me at such an early age!"

PINKIE'S PICK: Readers' Theater: How to Put On a Production Set II offers a series of six fully illustrated scripts for elementary school students highlighting a year of holidays. Great for school or library productions, they would also make the perfect holiday gift for any budding thespian. Tips for costumes, sound effects,and makeup add to the fun. All scripts are color coded so kids can easily find their parts. A Teacher's Guide can be downloaded at http://abdopublishing.com/shop/show/6654

Titles include: Groundhogs and Guinea Pigs Fettuccine and Four-Leaf Clovers, Pickles and Parks, Medals and Memorials, Ghosts and Gummy Worms, and Turkey and Takeout. Sold separately or as a set they are available from ABDO, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.