Please tell us a
bit about yourself: I'm a late bloomer. I didn't start writing until I was
halfway through my 40's (that's almost ten years ago now.) I didn't have my
first drink until I was 20. I didn't get married until I was 32. I had my first
kid at 36. That probably makes me sound circumspect and virtuously patient, but
really I'm just sort of lazy and unfocused.
Tell us about "Flight
of the Wren": Wren is my third completed novel. It was all ready for
publication with Lycaon Press when they folded up their tents and called it a
day. Armed with a fantastic cover, I stumbled on and published it myself. It's
about what happens when a disaffected, disconnected seventeen-year-old girl is
given a flying carpet. I know, that nutshell description probably conjures up
images of Aladdin or some Magic Tree House type of adventure, but it's nothing
like that. It's actually a pretty gritty story. Renny (my protagonist) finds
that the freedom (and escape) offered by flight comes with a lot of strings
attached, including onerous responsibilities and personal connections. She is finally
dragged, kicking and screaming, into the painful realization that maybe she
really does care about other people after all.
What inspired you to write this particular
story?: This is one of the few stories where I can remember the exact
inspiration, because it came from someone else. A writer friend named Ilona
Bray sent me a piece she'd written—a comical middle-grade magazine article
called "Your Flying Carpet: A User's Guide." I loved it and said she ought
to write a novel based on the idea.
She wasn't interested, but I sure was! In fact, I couldn't let it go. I had no
choice but to write the damn thing myself.
Which comes first
for you – a character's looks, personality or name?: Personality usually, but there have been a
couple of times when the name came first. Appearance usually comes last. Truth
is, most of my characters are pretty average looking. Maybe it's just my own insecurities,
but I find it sort of off-putting when every hero is chiseled and rugged with
dark smoldering eyes, and every heroine perfectly proportioned with flowing
auburn locks. Renny describes herself as having "lank blonde hair…(a)
deathly pale complexion…oversized grey-blue eyes." The girl on the cover
is gorgeous, of course, but that's Hollywood for you. The artist (Victoria
Miller) definitely caught something about the eyes, a sort of haunted,
distrustful look that I like a lot.
Any tips for
aspiring authors?: My standard advice is to eat nourishing foods, sleep a lot,
and try and get outside once in a while. And since I'm not using any of it,
you're all welcome to it.
Questions for
fun:
What super-power
would you choose?: The power to induce instant, temporary amnesia. I like the
idea of disarming conflict and averting danger by simply having everybody
forget what they were doing and why they were there. "I waited a long time
to take vengeance, Ignatz! Now, you are at my … damn, why am I holding this
sword? And where are my car keys?" Everyone could forget at once,
including me.
Which fictional mode
of transport would you like to own and why?: Well, I suppose I'd have to choose
a flying carpet, for obvious reasons. I'm not sure I'd do all that much flying
around (I get motion sickness, after all) but what a fantastic object it would
be! I did a lot of research on carpet lore for "Flight of the Wren,"
and there's some pretty amazing stuff. (See Chapter 11)
Your
weapon/instrument/gadget of choice?: In
Samuel R. Delany's "Nova," Mouse plays a SensoSyrinx, a musical
instrument that stimulates not just the sensation of hearing, but also sight,
touch, scent and taste, allowing him to create a sort of total music for the
senses. Turned up to eleven, it becomes a lethal (and rather cruel) weapon.
Pan-Galactic
Gargle Blaster, Butterbeer or Romulan ale?:
Well, Butterbeer always sounded sort of noxious to me, and Romulan ale
is illegal, so froth me up a Gargle Blaster. I'll drink it at the Restaurant at
the End of the Universe.
Coffee, tea or
wine?: An easy one: coffee. I never
drink tea, and I usually choose beer over wine. Given a chance, I'll guzzle
coffee all day long.
And to finish:
What is your
favourite book? (aside from one of your own!): That's just too hard. I'm currently
reading "The Time of Our Singing" by Richard Powers, and it is
magnificent. Truly a novel for the ages.
Favourite genre
and why?: The stuff I really like bends
genres, like a space-western or maybe a dystopian-comedy. I like playing with
the conventions. I think most of my stuff is pretty hard to categorize, which
is yet another way in which I am solidifying my obscurity and commercial
insignificance.
Favourite
colour?: Dove grey.
Upcoming news and
plans for the future?: Yes! Black Opal books just offered me a contract to
publish a new book of mine called "Whisper Blue." It's going to be
fantastic, but it'll probably take the better part of a year before it's out, so
everyone just needs to chill, okay? Okay.
Thank you so much
for taking the time to talk to us!
My pleasure.
Blurb:
“The Arcane Order of
Carpet Flyers! The Sublime Society of Scudders! Didn’t you read the
contract I sent you, Miss Drake?”
Sure, Renny had read
it. Obviously it was some kind of joke. And this guy with the flakes
of pie crust in his beard, he is obviously some kind of whacko.
But no. Parnell
Florian is no whacko – and Maysa, the ancient silk-brocade carpet now rolled up
under her bed, is no joke. It really can fly, and Renny’s life just got a
whole lot more interesting. And when she meets the other members of the
Order – her flock – life gets more interesting still. Most interesting of all
is the boy called Stonechat, who seems to find her pretty interesting as well.
But when a vengeful
rug-rider called Mistral kidnaps Parnell and steals the all-important Orb of
Descrying, Renny and the ragtag flock of misfits must ride to the rescue – or
else face an adversary who can control their very dreams. One by one, all
the people Renny has come to care about fall into Mistral’s hands, and she must
find courage and ingenuity she never knew she had.
A modern day fantasy
that Publisher’s Weekly called: “A great combination of fantasy, adventure, and
romance...an engaging and enjoyable read,” The Flight of the Wren is, at its
core, a story of family. Estranged from her mentally-ill mother, bounced from
one foster home to another, Renny feels no connection to anyone in her life. In
her darkest moments she fears that she will never really care about
anyone...only to find out that having someone you really care about can be the
scariest thing of all.
Available at
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Flight-Wren-Atthys-J-Gage/dp/069246946X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1441579999&sr=8-2&keywords=atthys
Find out more at
atthysgage.com
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