Magical Realism or Fantasy - You Decide

The Series: Children of Zeus

‘Where Historical Fiction and Fantasy collide

My book here on Amazon 

Click of a Pebble at Amazon

After a decade or more writing for children and young adults, I pretty much know my way around a children’s book. A couple of years ago, deciding I need a new challenge, I turned my attention to writing magical realism for adults.

But what is magical realism and how does it differ from fantasy? I think of fantasy as being set in a mythological world in which there are rules but maybe not the rules we subscribe to in our humdrum human world. Magical realism takes place in our world and follows its rules, except occasionally those rules are skewed.

Which is so exciting.

I had already found a story, plotted it and written the introduction. And yes, I admit, I’m a plotter not a pantser, using tables and graphs, blurbs and a storyline.

The title was never in doubt: The Year the Swans Came (See my blog – why I wrote Swans) only the names of the characters. 

Amazon.com: Click of a Pebble on Amazon

I had called my main character: Yöst. But when I completed the first draft, I realised the name was  wrong. It didn’t fit. The character stalking his way through the story and dominating its action wasn’t Yöst – it was far too gentle a name. And so Xander was born, except the spelling very soon mutated into Zande. 

I had never planned to write for adults, considering adult relationships far too complex, yet in my very first novel for this age group, I created Zande, who is divine but unbelievably complicated. I promise, I’m not the only one to have fallen in love with him. 

But why is he like this? What has happened to tear this character apart? You will need to read the novels to discover that but meanwhile this is the blurb from The Year the Swans Came

Growing up amongst the ruins of war, four siblings use the bridges and cobblestone walkways of the old city as a backdrop for their games. Pieter Bader, the eldest, wants to follow in the footsteps of his family, designers of mirrors for royalty since the 17th century, while Maidy, the youngest, dreams of becoming a writer. Around the smallest bridge in the city, she weaves stories of swashbuckling pirates and princesses, who wear sandals made from the silken thread of a spider web. Her best friend Ruth lives next door. She dreams of marrying Pieter, only for him to vanish from their lives late one night.

Is his disappearance linked to the arrival of the swans, feared as cursed and birds of ill-fortune? What will happen when they return six years later, on the morning of Maidy’s sixteenth birthday?

And who exactly is the charismatic and mysterious Zande?

Follow Ruth and Maidy’s cursed tale of love as they discover what happened to Pieter, and how the appearance of Zande will affect both their lives, unleashing events as tragic and fantastical as one of Maidy’s stories.

I first submitted this novel to agents in 2013. The agent Felicity Bryan. Loved the storyline and style of writing but she suggested I introduce the magical element earlier ... This created quite a problem. Not able to resolve it, I decided to write a prequel, which would explain all. On the way, I attended a lecture about ‘book titles’, when it was suggested that titles should come from the first page or pages of your novel – and so, The Click of a Pebble was born. 

And with it, yet another unforgettable character,Yöst, came into being. Plus a storyline so very different from anythng I have attempted before, I am still pinching myself that it came from my pen. It starts with a bang and ends with one too. 

Certainly in its hero, Yöst, I have unearthed a most memorable character, one who is likely to haunt dreams. And he is so very human, it is quite a conundrum to discover he isn't totally human. 

‘You must promise never to speak out about your heritage,’ his grandmother said, her old voice fearful and faint, ‘because people fear anything different.’

‘Fear us!’ Yöst laughed in protest. ‘We are too few to fear.’

‘It makes no difference. You are carinatae, descendants of Zeus, magical creatures …’

Naturally ... the writing of Click (as I call it) solved nothing. 100,000 words and three characters later, I had explained the magic but was no closer to ending Zande’s story than I had been at the beginning of the book. Instead, I had introduced a completely new story line with a raft of new characters, each one with a story to tell. This is the first review:

Joscelyn S Reviewer on Net Gallery. This was a great coming of age fantasy story. I really enjoyed seeing these young characters struggle to survive in the aftermath of the massacre that leaves them only each other to depend on. Their journey drew me in and had me reading this entire book in one sitting, I'm looking forward to reading more books set in this fascinating world.

And so I began Book 2, An Ocean of White Wings, hoping to settle the matter once and for all.

Has it?

No.

It has taken a third book, The Drumming of Heels to bring the series to an official close and explain what happens to all three characters: Yöst, Zande and Tatania.

One last problem to solve.

The original book, The Year the Swans Came was set in Holland in 1951. I did try not to mention the country and only leave clues, using the terms Mevrouw and Meneer, but I got a slap on the wrist from reviewers, especially since I referred to the Germans in WW2 only as invaders and didn't name them. 

And so in Click of a Pebble I did place the story - the Bay of Biscay 1934, and the storyline carries us through as many countries as years, ending in 1948 again in the south-west of France.

I have now completed the third book of the trilogy, The Drumming of Heels, and this brings all their stories to a conclusion. Logically that must make the Year the Swans Came  Book 4, except I’m not sure if you can apply logic to magical realism. In any case, it was published first because of the secret in it.

        

       ‘Secret?’

        I felt the words ticking away inside my head like an unexploded bomb, ‘One that involves you all.’

        Zande got to his feet in one graceful move. ‘Oh, that secret.’

        ‘You don’t play fair, Zande,’ I burst out.

        ‘Why would I possibly change the habit of a lifetime and play fair?’ I watched his face; grim, his eyes hooded.

        ‘Because we’re friends.’

        ‘So be satisfied with that.’ 

(Excerpt: The Year the Swans Came)

Right – that’s it.

Tomorrow, I really ought to start writing the opening chapter of Book 5, the sequel to The Year the Swans Came.

PS:  What about Yöst? You will need to read the trilogy to see what I mean. I guarantee you will love him as much as I do. 

Persecuted throughout the centuries for their ability to shape-shift into swans and heavenly beings, three children, Yöst, Zande and a little girl, Tatania, are the sole survivors of the latest purge. Unaware of their real nature, Ramon, a gypsy farmer offers shelter on his farm in return for work. Striking up a close friendship with Rico, the only son in a house full of girls, it is Rico who helps Yöst through the first difficult year. As their relationship strengthens and deepens, Yöst begins to think of staying and making his life there as a farmer … forgetting that as carinatae, his date with destiny is approaching.

Amazon.com: Click of a Pebble on Amazon   

My book here on amazon

Barbara Spencer
Award Winning Author
www.barbaraspencer.co.uk
Connect with me on:
Twitter: @BarbaraSpencerO
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Blog spot: http://BarbaraSpencerAuthor.blogspot.co.uk/

The Year the Swans Came – Winner of  a Chill with a Book – Readers Award January 2019

Discovering Diamonds Review – March 2019

My guest this week is author Stephanie Churchill

A few facts
 
Stephanie Churchill grew  up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and earned a degree in political science and history at a private college in the wilds of Iowa’s cornfields. 

After graduating, she worked at a small boutique law firm in Washington, D.C. in the fields of international trade and antitrust law. Marriage took the family to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she worked in another law firm until her daughter was born. From reading Stephanie's blog on Facebook, it is quite evident that her daughter is already a brilliant pianist. In which case, maybe a future with lots of travelling is waiting for Stephanie and her daughter. 

About writing

I never imagined being a writer. It was something that came so naturally to me that I took it for granted. It was the advent of social media and the ability to interact with people not geographically close to you that was the key for me. I was an early user of Facebook and had joined the Sharon Kay Penman Fan Club sometime thereafter. I was beyond thrilled when Sharon made appearances, talking to us “mere mortals” and seemingly enjoying herself. In 2011, she published the book Lionheart. Being the geeky fan girl that I was, I wrote a ridiculously long review of the book for her. She took notice, and we struck up a friendship. As a result of that book review, Sharon suggested I try writing myself. Because she was who she was, her suggestion carried more weight than nearly anyone else’s would have. She took up the mantle of mentor, editor, and friend, and in 2015 I published my first book, The Scribe’s Daughter.

Do you also write for magazines or write short stories?

For now, I have only written the three novels. I do intend to try my hand at a novella at some point, but that project is a bit down the road yet.

What genres are your novels?

Oh, genre… what a tricky little monster you are! 
The bookstore marketing genre is fantasy, though that beast has trailed me, breathing its hot breath down my neck the entire time. Really though, I find that most of my readers are more comfortable with the historical fiction genre, and I agree, since they contain no actual history. 
The second and third books in the series would fit fairly well in the romance genre as well.

What was the inspiration that led to your writing your first book?

I smile to think of it now, but I actually began The Scribe’s Daughter as an experiment in writing from a first person point of view. I had written another book but just didn’t love the voice. Thinking of the 1990 Disney movie Aladdin, I imagined the scene where Aladdin was running away from the guards in the city market after he’d stolen an apple. He sings the song “One Jump” and I imagined a similar scene involving a young woman instead. I started writing it without any particular direction in mind and instantly fell in love with Kassia as a character. I needed to know more about who she was and why she was going what she was doing.

Do you self-publish or use a publishing house?

Since Sharon Penman was a mentor and friend, she asked her own agent to take a read of my manuscript which she happily did. The book was not for her, so I sought other representation. Not surprisingly, the book didn’t find any takers because of its ambiguous genre and marketability. I ended up self-publishing. To be honest, I’m quite content now because I believe self-publishing is the best spot for me at this point in time. I’ve grown to love the autonomy of the publishing process as an indie even with the challenges it represents.

How long does it take you to write a book?

I write very, very part-time, and combined with the fact that I am a SLOW writer, it takes me a long time. My first three books took two years each from beginning to publication. If really pressed to it, I could probably knock 6 months off that total. But since I’m not under the pressure of a contract, I’ve never felt the need to rush.

And what about Writer's Block 

I’ve never really experienced debilitating writer’s block. But I do get into what I’ll call sticky spots when I’m just not clear about the next step for my characters. I always have a general story arc before beginning a book, so in the broad sense, I’ve never had a problem for the global story. It is difficult for me to come up with the minutia of the chapter events frequently. Most of these problems can be solved for me by taking a shower or coloring or doing anything that allows the “periphery of my brain” to work on it without thinking about the problem directly. When worst comes to worst, I simply skip that section and keep writing. When I begin editing, those problems usually work themselves out.

How many words does your book usually contain?

Fantasy readers generally expect around 100,000 words. All three of my novels have come in somewhere around 120,000 words.

Note: from Barbara: In which case 2 years isn't bad - in fact it's pretty quick. 

And to finish? This is what Stephanie says about history:

I love history, particularly the medieval era. While my books are not historical, there are quite a few historical reflections in the stories themselves. Let’s just say the House of York may have influenced several characters and plotlines and leave it to the reader to discover the specifics.

Note: Stephanie also created the covers for books 2 and 3.

The Scribe's Daughter 

Seventeen-year-old Kassia is an orphan and a thief. Armed with only reckless wit and sheer bravado, she barely scrapes out a life with her older sister in a back-alley of the market district of the Imperial city of Corium. When a stranger shows up at her market stall, offering her work for which she is utterly unqualified, Kassia cautiously takes him on. Very soon however, she finds herself embroiled in a mystery involving a usurped foreign throne and a vengeful nobleman. Most intriguing of all, she discovers clues to the disappearance of her father three years prior. When Kassia is forced to flee her home, suffering extreme hardship, danger and personal trauma along the way, she feels powerless to control what happens around her. Rewarding revelations concerning the mysteries of her family’s past are tempered by the reality of a future she doesn’t want. In the end, Kassia discovers an unyielding inner strength, and that contrary to her prior beliefs, she is not defined by external things -- she discovers that she is worthy to be loved.

Reviews:

"The Scribe’s Daughter is not an easy book to categorize.  It takes place in another world, but the reader will encounter no dragons or vampires.   Its major female character is in her teens, but her story will appeal to readers of all ages.   Kassia’s life could easily be rooted in the Middle Ages, but it isn’t.  It is simply a very well written book about a character that readers will care about, amused by her dry humor, admiring her courage, and wincing at her recklessness.”  -Sharon Kay Penman, New York Times best-selling author of Lionheart and A King’s Ransom

“An entertaining, page-turning read.  If I was an editor building a list of my own authors for a publishing house, I’d offer for this one for my fantasy list.” -Elizabeth Chadwick, The Greatest Knight, The Scarlet Lion

“This book is hands down the best medieval fantasy novel I’ve read in years.” – Lauren Sapala

Are there any secrets in your novel that we can share?

Twists. Lots of twists. Just know that nothing is as it seems.

How can we buy your books?

The ebooks are sold exclusively with Amazon, but print copies can be purchased through most online retailers of books. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+Scribe's+Daughter+by+Stephanie+Churchill&i=stripbooks