Help me welcome Tia Nevitt, author of The Sevenfold Spell as she talks about why she writes about characters in fairy tales! My review of The Sevenfold Spell can be found here. She's also giving away a copy of her ebook, and a chance to win an Amazon Gift Card at another one of her blogposts later in the week. Check the end of the post for more details!
Colette suggested that I write about why I chose to write about the other people in fairy tales. It really did all start with Sleeping Beauty. I asked myself, what happened to all those spinsters (I’m using the word in its original sense, as in one who spins for a living) who lost their livelihood when the king ordered the spinning wheels burned?
It occurred to me that the magic in the fairy tales affected a lot more people that the stars of the fairy tales. What about those spinsters? And what about the servants in Beauty and the Beast, who all turned invisible? What on earth did they do to deserve such a fate? And just where did the fairy godmother get the gown, slippers and tiara in Cinderella? What if she stole them? And how about Snow White—just who is that man whose face appears in the Magic Mirror, what is his connection to the evil queen, and why does he find Snow White so lovely?
It may be silly, but I decided to write their stories.
For Sleeping Beauty, I had two versions to work with, one where the sleeping princess was named Talia and the other where she was named Aurora. The one with Aurora is the more familiar story, and the one with Talia is rather terrible—not a child’s story at all. So as I was writing, I decided to use them both, and that they would both become Sleeping Beauty—sort of.
Talia is Aurora’s opposite. She is plain while Aurora is possessed of a supernatural beauty, and where Aurora is pure and virginal, Talia is not. But I tried to make Talia pure of heart even if she is not pure of body, and this dichotomy makes her struggle. When the prince comes along and makes his shocking proposition (I’m such a tease!), she has to make what for most women would be a difficult decision—and in fact it changes her life.
I’m not sure how I dreamed up Talia. I am so not her. One of my fellow reviewers on my blog is a theater actress, and she says that writers like actors. They must become those who they write about. And even though I am not a strumpet, have never been and can’t imagine ever becoming one, I tried to get into the head of one as I wrote. And there, I found a new sympathy for women who in their loneliness, turn to love even when they know, deep down, that the relationships in which they find themselves are not based on true love.
And so, I chose to be a plain spinster in a fairy tale, and I wrote her story, entwining it with the story of a princess. If you could be a person in a fairy tale, who would you be? A stepsister with her own happily ever after? One of the seven dwarves? An evil queen? Someone else, entirely?
We have two giveaways for those who comment:
First: The giveaway is here: One lucky person will win a copy of the ebook
The Sevenfold Spell The giveaway for the copy of The SevenFold Spell on this blog is open until 11:59pm Monday November 1st. If we do not hear from the winner within 48 hours of being contacted, a new winner will be chosen. Please state that you want to be entered in the giveaway.The only requirement is that you are a follower of this blog. :)
The Second Giveaway:
In addition, for all commenters here and on my second guest post later this week (check Tia Nevitt's blog for details), I am giving away an ecopy of The Sevenfold Spell, a book from my stash of unread review copies and advance copies (check the links for a list at Goodreads) and a $10 gift certificate at Amazon.com. Please leave your email address so I can find you if you win!
THE SEVENFOLD SPELL
Things look grim for Talia and her mother. By royal proclamation, the constables and those annoying “good” fairies have taken away their livelihood by confiscating their spinning wheel. Something to do with a curse on the princess, they said.
Not every young lady has a fairy godmother rushing to her rescue.
Without the promise of an income from spinning, Talia’s prospects for marriage disappear, and she and her mother face destitution. Past caring about breaking an arbitrary and cruel law, rebellious Talia determines to build a new spinning wheel, the only one in the nation, which plays right into the evil fairy’s diabolical plan. Talia discovers that finding a happy ending requires sacrifice. But is it a sacrifice she’s willing to make?
Where to find Tia:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook Author Page
First: The giveaway is here: One lucky person will win a copy of the ebook
The Sevenfold Spell The giveaway for the copy of The SevenFold Spell on this blog is open until 11:59pm Monday November 1st. If we do not hear from the winner within 48 hours of being contacted, a new winner will be chosen. Please state that you want to be entered in the giveaway.The only requirement is that you are a follower of this blog. :)
The Second Giveaway:
In addition, for all commenters here and on my second guest post later this week (check Tia Nevitt's blog for details), I am giving away an ecopy of The Sevenfold Spell, a book from my stash of unread review copies and advance copies (check the links for a list at Goodreads) and a $10 gift certificate at Amazon.com. Please leave your email address so I can find you if you win!
Things look grim for Talia and her mother. By royal proclamation, the constables and those annoying “good” fairies have taken away their livelihood by confiscating their spinning wheel. Something to do with a curse on the princess, they said.
Not every young lady has a fairy godmother rushing to her rescue.
Without the promise of an income from spinning, Talia’s prospects for marriage disappear, and she and her mother face destitution. Past caring about breaking an arbitrary and cruel law, rebellious Talia determines to build a new spinning wheel, the only one in the nation, which plays right into the evil fairy’s diabolical plan. Talia discovers that finding a happy ending requires sacrifice. But is it a sacrifice she’s willing to make?
Where to find Tia:
Website
Blog
Facebook Author Page
