Today's special guest is Adrienne Clarke. She says, "
I think I became a writer
because the world inside my head was so real and vivid, sometimes more so than
the outside world. In some sense I have lived parallel lives, present in my
real and imaginary lives in different ways. Because much of my childhood was
spent searching for faeries or reading about them, it is natural that my work
encompasses fairy tale themes and other magical elements. In the words of
Tennessee Williams, forget reality, give me magic!"
Adrienne has previously
published short stories in The Storyteller, Beginnings Magazine, New Plains
Review, and in the e-zines A Fly in Amber, Grim Graffiti, Les Bonnes Fees, The
Altruist, The Devilfish Review, and Rose Red Review. Her short story, Falling
was awarded second place in the 2008 Alice Munro short fiction contest. To
Dance in Liradon is her first published novel.
An avid reader of fairy tales and other magical
stories, a thread of the mysterious or unexpected runs through all of her work.
When she’s not writing Adrienne can be found searching for faeries along with
her daughters Callista and Juliet.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR
How did you come up with the plot for To Dance in
Liradon?
The story for To Dance in Liradon has been with me for
a long time. I have a shared passion for fairy tales and Celtic mythology, and
I knew I wanted to write a book that drew on the magic and romance of both.
I’ve always loved stories about the Irish Tuatha De Danann, tall, beautiful,
proud and amoral, who have a propensity for falling in love with humans. To
Dance in Liradon explores what happens when the human and Faerie worlds
collide.
What special challenges were presented in
developing a totally new world for the book? Are there special rules for books
on faeries, themes that resonate through all such books, or is each author free
to develop their own world?
I think the challenge for any fantasy writer is to
create a world that is believable and compelling. Whether
it be a thriving urban metropolis, an alternate steampunk reality, or an
enchanted kingdom long ago and far away – you want to take the reader on a
journey they’ll never forget. I’m not aware of any special
rules for books on fairies, and even if there were I wouldn’t follow them. I
don’t believe that any author’s imagination should be subject to arbitrary
rules or guidelines. That being said I was definitely inspired by the large
body of Irish faerie lore and superstition when creating my own work,
particularly fairy changeling stories and the Celtic fairy tale Etain and
Midir.
Why did you select your particular genre to write
in?
I’ve always been
drawn to the passion and idealism that for me is the very essence of YA
literature. Young adulthood is a time of almost limitless hope: The conviction
that we can do anything, feel everything, be with anyone. Nothing is beyond our
reach.
Of course the
teenage years can also be a time of tremendous doubt and insecurity, but it’s
this juxtaposition of fear and idealism that makes YA literature so compelling.
I think that’s one of treasons YA has become so popular with older adults as
well as teens. Although we often associate issues of first love and identity
with teens, the feelings associated with these universal themes resonate with
many of us at any age.
Do you have a process for developing your
characters?
I don’t really have a process for developing
characters. I just seem to start dreaming about them and then do my best to
bring them to life on the page. When it comes to imaging what a character might
look like I’m often inspired by fantasy art and photography.
What books or authors do you enjoy reading?
This is always a difficult question because I love
all different kinds of books for different reasons. I enjoy fantasy, literary
fiction, gothic, historical, mysteries, even a dash of horror depending on my
mood. My list of authors is too long to name them all, but some of my
favourites are Kazuo
Ishiguro, Juliet Marillier, Patricia McKillip, Neil Gaiman,
Alice Munro, Martine Leavitt, and Emily Bronte. A very eclectic list.
What was your path to publication like?
My path to
publication was difficult – it’s still difficult. The process of querying
agents and editors about your work is very time consuming and it requires a lot
of perseverance. When people ask me for advice about finding a publisher I
always say the same thing. Don’t give up!
What would you like readers of this blog to know
about you?
I would like
readers to know that, for me, the best part of being a writer is connecting
with readers. Writing can be lonely so when I have the opportunity to talk to a
reader about what they thought about one of my stories it’s really just a
moment of pure happiness. So if any of your readers do decide to read To Dance
in Liradon I hope they’ll connect with me on Facebook, Goodreads, my website,
anywhere!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Seventeen-year-old Brigid O'Flynn is an
outcast. A chance encounter with the Faerie Queen left her tainted in the eyes
of the villagers, who blame the Faerie for the village’s missing women and
children. Desperate to win the village’s acceptance, Brigid agrees to marry her
childhood friend: Serious, hardworking, Connell Mackenna. But when Connell
disappears before their wedding, Brigid's hopes are shattered. Blamed for her
fiancé’s death, Brigid fears she will suffer the same fate as the other village
outcasts, the mysterious Willow Women. Lured into Faerie by their inhuman
lovers, and cast out weak and broken, the Willow Women spend their lives
searching for the way back into Faerie. When Connell suddenly reappears, Brigid
is overjoyed, but everything is not as it seems. Consumed by his desire for
beauty and celebration, Connell abandons his responsibilities, and Brigid soon
finds herself drawn into a passionate, dangerous world of two.
When Brigid discovers the truth behind
Connell's transformation she’s forced to choose between two men and two worlds.
Brigid’s struggle leads her into glittering, ruthless Faerie, where she must
rescue her true love from a terrible sacrifice or lose him forever.
AN EXCERPT
Connell was waiting for her when she
arrived. He took her hand without speaking and led her into the forest. Once
they were safely inside the trees’ protection, Connell removed something from
the heavy cloth sack he wore around his waist tied with a silken cord. It was a
harp, the most beautiful instrument Brigid had ever seen. The tuning pegs
looked to be made of gold and the strings of pure silver. When Connell touched
them with his fingers, the music made her want to weep and sleep and laugh, all
at the same time. She reached out to touch it, but Connell snatched her hand
away.
“Forgive me, my love, but I cannot
let you have it. As pretty as it is, it would burn your delicate fingers.”
“Why should it burn me and not you?”
She thought it would be worth the risk to run her hands along the deep U of the
harp’s neck.
“‘Tis no ordinary harp. It will only
endure the touch of its owner.”
“How did you come to have it?”
Connell brushed his fingers gently
across the strings. “It was given to me as a gift.”
“By whom?” Brigid asked, bewildered.
There was no one in the village save for the lord himself who could afford such
an instrument.
Connell leaned towards her. “‘Tis a
secret.”
“If I am to be your wife, there must
be no secrets between us.”
Connell seized Brigid’s hands and
pulled her towards him. “I am not myself,” he whispered in her ear.
CONTACT THE AUTHOR - AND WIN A PRIZE!
Adrienne
will be awarding winner's choice of a Kindle touch, Nook Simple Touch, or a $100
Apple gift card, and one crystal Faerie necklace similar to what Brigid wore to
the Faerie ball to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better
your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
Author
Links:
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