Having fun in the margins.
For those who know: I have recently self-published something for the first time ever: a historical romantasy, Binding the Cuckoo, set in Gilded Age London.
So, to nobody’s surprise, self-publishing is hard, as I have found out. Harder by far than I’d anticipated. And, even with somewhat of a track-record, the truth is nobody is exactly waiting for another indie book. Anything that happens, happens because the author tortured themselves with yet another late-night marketing tutorial marathon.
And so the thing that must keep you going, the thing that makes all this effort fun, cannot be the hope of a sales outcome.
The true joy of writing, even in my more seriously-serious-Sirius books, for me sits in the little vignettes, the bits of funny dialogue on the margins of a story. A cheeky one-liner. An unhinged concept that has horrified my friends, and yet I find a way to smuggle in with a bit of cheeky humour.
I am such a serious writer, of course. An auteur, with an extra ‘eur’ for good measure. When I’m asked to pose as one.
But inside I so often feel like a kid, in my own, custom-designed playground. Where anything goes, and the slides go up, as well as down.
And if I want to add a little cuteness, then I shall do so.
Below I include a little extract, which I had included in my novel for no better reason than because it amused me. If it amuses you as well, well then my heart is full.
[an extract from Binding the Cuckoo]
She almost jumped with the shock and ended up pushing the needle into her finger.
“Ouch! Stephen, you startled me!” She put the pad of her pricked finger in her mouth.
“Are you a bampire?” he asked, his pale eyes narrowing with suspicion.
“A bampire?” Her mouth hung open, as Posy’s son climbed onto the sofa next to her.
“A bampire,” he replied and rolled his eyes. “Open.” He leaned forward and put his fingers on Hare’s chin, to which she objected weakly.
The domovoy made a chortling sound from the edge of the sofa, then bolted before Stephen could turn his attentions to the very fluffy creature at Hare’s side.
“Steffen”!” Francine Winchfield burst through the door and stood like a diminutive valkyrie, her hands on her waist, all outrage. All she needed to complete the picture was a little horned helmet. “Why you do?” She gestured towards him.
“I believe Stephen was enquiring whether I’m a…” Hare glanced at him.
“A bampire.” He scoffed at his sister and went back to inspecting Hare’s mouth.
“Stephen, I would really like to know what you’re doing.”
“So would I.”
Hare’s heart leaped at the familiar voice. She looked to the door. Ernest stood behind Francine, his hands folded behind his back. But the moment she saw his face, any hope she might have held out left her. He wasn’t even looking at her, focusing his attention solely on Stephen.
“Steffen wants to check if Aunt Edwina is a bampire.” Francine turned to Ernest and spoke in the tones of a school mistress when addressing a particularly dense student.
“Indeed.” Ernest’s eyelid twitched, like he almost wanted to glance at Hare. Instead, he chose to address his niece. “Miss Walker is not your aunt, Francie.” There was tension in his voice.
Hare tightened her lips into a line. It’s not like she told the girl to call her an aunt. What did he want, for her to be mean to a child?
“Oh.” The disappointment made Francine’s mouth droop for a moment. Ernest picked up the girl and walked up to the seat opposite Hare’s.
“Stephen, why did you say Miss Edwina was the… the thing you said?” Ernest asked.
“She drank blood!” the boy pointed an accusatory finger at Hare.
“I beg your pardon?” Hare felt as if she was having an out-of-body experience.
Ernest looked equally puzzled.
“She did!” Stephen folded his arms. “She put a needle in her finger and then blood came out and then she put it in her mouth!” He grimaced and shook his head in disgust.
“Ah, I see.” Ernest nodded seriously. “Excellent powers of deduction there, Stephen.”
“Are not!” Francine stuck out her tongue at her brother.
“So what is the next step in your investigation?” Ernest placated Francine with a pat on the head and leaned forward. He was enjoying this.
“I will check her mouth.” Stephen nodded sagely. He’d reddened with pleasure at his uncle’s praise. “You always have to check the mouth of a bampire.”
[end of the extract]
First 5 Chapters free for all subscribers.
Some stock of WHISPERS IN THE EARTH still available!
Our successful kickstarter campaign last year has allowed us to create two beautiful editions of our folklore anthology: a paperback and an exclusive hardcover.
Now that all the backers have received their copies, we can distribute the remaining stock via The Broken Binding. But please note, the stock is very limited, so consider purchasing soon, to avoid disappointment.
Each of the twenty stories is illustrated with a hand-carved linocut print. No AI in sight. Slow art, one could say!
Again, thank you so much to all who believed in this project and helped me to bring it to life.
Click here to see the listing.
WRITING ADVICE: 1st or 3rd person POV
I asked on my social media what people would most like to see from me here. The answer was pretty unanimous: writing advice. So here it is. Let me know if there’s anything in particular you’d like me to cover here.
Now for today’s question: choosing the right narrative voice for the novel. 1st person or 3rd person POV?
From a reader’s perspective, there’s the personal preference, of course. But for a writer? The choice of voice is a crucial one.
In terms of your genre, in the first place, it’s worth asking what is the primary driver of the novel. In a fast-paced plot-driven story, the 3rd person narrative often makes more sense. It allows the writer to occasionally zoom in and out, getting closer to the character’s thoughts and emotions when necessary, but it also allows us to introduce the elements that the characters themselves might not notice or be aware of.
There’s a whole number of styles available within the 3rd person narrative. You can have the omniscient voice, high above the characters, or walk hand in hand with them, observing their every emotion. You can opt for a feigned neutrality, stripping away the adverbiage and the emotion, so nothing but the story is felt.
In the face of such a variety of options, why would you opt for the 1st person POV?
There are some situations where the story won’t work without the more intimate knowledge of the character’s inner life. Where that inner life IS the story, in all the ways that count. Where the question of their perception, of their reliability and biases, creates the very heart of the book.
Those questions (and more I haven’t yet thought of) are what we should be asking ourselves when starting a story. Whose story is it and how much does their perception truly matter? How can we best bring out the feelings and atmosphere we’re aiming for?
That decision might often be instinctive, but it is not simple.
The top three things which cause me to throw a book across the room
So the title is somewhat exaggerated. I don’t really throw books across the room, but when faced with any of the below, I most certainly close them with disgust. As nearly every fiction writer, I’m a reader first. And in my reading journey, I’ve come across many lapses of writerly/editorial judgement. Many forgivable. Most forgettable. But then again, there’s the other type…
Of course writing it subjective, and so what repels me, might be the height of entertainment for others. But here are some things I absolutely hate coming across in fiction:
- Pontificating is the top of the list. In the era of social media, being loud about every single thought running through our minds has become endemic. So much so that on occasion writers forget what their job it: to transport the reader into the world of their book. It is expressly not the place to copy and paste your least popular tweet, which you feel really ought to have gained more traction based on its pure incisiveness. Whether it’s politics you wish to discuss, or the state of education in your home country, or the way you think people REALLY OUGHT TO dress for an evening party, your book is not the place to vent those views. If it doesn’t serve the story, it belongs in the editorial bin.
- Gross self-inserts. I was reading a novel some time ago, by a rather well-known author, where the young, feisty female protagonist is mooned over (in the most inappropriate and creepy way, frankly) by her, let’s call him “mentor”. This mentor is much older, in a position of authority over the female protagonist, and has no qualities that could possibly be attractive to the object of his desire. Yet, at a pretty randomly chosen point, the girl notices him. She suddenly sees him in a different light. The bumbling, boring-as-toast older man becomes interesting and masculine in her eyes. Little things she never noticed before light up a fire within… For no reason. Literally nothing’s changed in the older man. He did nothing note-worthy (in front of the female protagonist at least). And as the pages droned on, one couldn’t help but see the somewhat disturbing similarities between the mentor character and the author. And of course, I wouldn’t begrudge anyone the private fantasy of “punching above one’s weight”. But when written down, it is painfully obvious that that’s exactly what it is: the author’s self-indulgent fantasy.
- Ye olde stylle of speech. Certain genres are particularly prone to this grievous sin. Sometimes a writer really really wants to show that the book is in fact set not in anything approaching a contemporary setting, but could very beautifully fit in the standards of the olden days. The temptation to rewrite everything in a style neigh incomprehensible to the modern reader can sometimes be too much to resist. The easiest way to indulge the urge is to pile in archaic vocabulary, mess with syntax, sprinkle in some schoolboy french and voila! A book with prose that resembles nothing in the history of the English language is ready! And while it doesn’t bother everyone equally, I find it distracting, occasionally hilarious (when eyes become “orbs” for example, to emphasise that before 1950s vocabulary was so much more refined), and mostly disappointing. There are many ways to transport a reader to a particular time and place. Misusing archaisms is not one of them.
2023 DOUBLE BOOK NEWS!
Exciting days are a-coming!
I’m really excited to announce that this year I have two Slavic-folklore-inspired Fantasy novels coming out! Something for everyone: one for adults, one for children.
The first one, THE STORM CHILD, is the continuation of Mara’s journey from The Wind Child. The sequel (and the last part of the duology) comes out in the UK May 2023 from Uclan Publishing.
The Storm Child picks up a year after the end of The Wind Child. Mara, who had her human soul ripped out of her by God Veles, is on the run from Koschei the Deathless, whose soul she’d stolen. She travels with her shape-shifting best friend Torniv, and to survive they must strike deals with gods. But in the final showdown, how much are they willing to sacrifice to protect each other? And what are they willing to become in the process? The book is now available for preorder here.
My next adult book, THE BONE ROOTS, is coming out on both side of the pond from Angry Robot Books in October 2023.
The Bone Roots is a stand-alone story about two mothers willing to do anything to protect their children.
It’s been 40 years since the Fox took Kada’s brother. Though she ran and kept herself hidden, she fears it may be stalking her again, this time to steal her daughter.
Every year, Vedma Kada gives thanks to the bone roots – those that belong to the child-bearing tree who gave Kada her desperately-wanted baby, Secha. Kada lives her life in service of the bone roots and the goddess Zemya, but they cannot keep her daughter safe. Not when Secha’s emerging powers, both mysterious and brutish, threaten to out her for who she truly is…
Meanwhile Sladyana, a rich noblewoman, has spent the last fifteen years searching for her missing daughter, Luba. She was snatched from their home by the Fox thief and Sladyana has heard nothing from her since. But the one who gave Sladyana her daughter has come within her grasp once again, and so has the secret of her daughter’s fate.
You can preorder The Bone Roots here.
THE WIND CHILD Sold To UCLan! – COMING FEBRUARY 2022
New book deal announcement!
My first middle grade (children’s) book, The Wind Child, is coming out from UCLan Publishing in February 2022!
It’s a Slavic-folklore-inspired novel about how far you would go and what you’d be willing to sacrifice to save someone you love…
It follows young Mara, the granddaughter of Stribog, the God of Winter Winds, who sets out on an epic journey with her shape-shifting best friend, Torniv, in order to bring back her beloved human father back from the land of the dead. On her way she has to rely on her wits to survive as the spirit world of gods and monsters seem determined to stop her.
I’m very proud of this book and I can’t wait to share it with you all!
THE SECOND BELL IS OUT!
I THINK THIS IS MY NEW VOLUME BECAUSE THE SECOND BELL IS OUT AND I’M A PUBLISHED AUTHOR!
This is a quick post to let you all know that my Slavic-mythology-inspired fantasy about a striga and her mother is out in the world!
It’s available in all the formats, including audio, narrated by the very talented Dora Hart.
Here’s the smart order link: Here’s the smart order link: https://smarturl.it/thesecondbell
You can order a signed copy with a special book plate designed by yours truly from The Broken Binding bookshop (they ship internationally!)
I’m incredibly excited and I hope you all enjoy my book!
Thanks,
Gabriela
My most anticipated books of 2021!
I thought what better way to celebrate the death of the awful 2020 but by celebrating the art that makes it all a bit more bearable?
So here are some of my most anticipated reads of 2021, in no particular order, if you’re wondering what this author likes to read in her spare time!
I can’t wait to get my teeth into all of them!
Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
The wolves are circling and a young king will face his greatest challenge in the explosive finale of the instant #1 New York Times-bestselling King of Scars Duology.
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulleey
Debut author Angeline Boulley crafts a groundbreaking YA thriller about a Native teen who must root out the corruption in her community, for readers of Angie Thomas and Tommy Orange.
As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother.
Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known
The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
Angrboda’s story begins where most witches’ tales end: with a burning. A punishment from Odin for refusing to provide him with knowledge of the future, the fire leaves Angrboda injured and powerless, and she flees into the farthest reaches of a remote forest. There she is found by a man who reveals himself to be Loki, and her initial distrust of him transforms into a deep and abiding love.
Their union produces three unusual children, each with a secret destiny, who Angrboda is keen to raise at the edge of the world, safely hidden from Odin’s all-seeing eye. But as Angrboda slowly recovers her prophetic powers, she learns that her blissful life—and possibly all of existence—is in danger.
With help from the fierce huntress Skadi, with whom she shares a growing bond, Angrboda must choose whether she’ll accept the fate that she’s foreseen for her beloved family…or rise to remake their future. From the most ancient of tales this novel forges a story of love, loss, and hope for the modern age.
Composite Creatures by Caroline Hardaker
How close would you hold those you love, when the end comes?
In a society where self-preservation is as much an art as a science, Norah and Arthur are learning how to co-exist in their new little world. Though they hardly know each other, everything seems to be going perfectly – from the home they’re building together to the ring on Norah’s finger. But the earth is becoming increasingly hostile to live in. Fortunately, Easton Grove is here for that in the form of a perfect little bundle to take home and harvest. You can live for as long as you keep it – or her – close.
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
Author of Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne, beginning a new trilogy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India, in which a captive princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies on a dark journey to save their empire from the princess’s traitor brother.
Sistersong by Lucy Holland
King Cador’s children inherit a land abandoned by the Romans, torn by warring tribes. Riva can cure others, but can’t heal her own scars. Keyne battles to be seen as the king’s son, although born a daughter. And Sinne dreams of love, longing for adventure.
All three fear a life of confinement within the walls of the hold, their people’s last bastion of strength against the invading Saxons. However, change comes on the day ash falls from the sky – bringing Myrdhin, meddler and magician. The siblings discover the power that lies within them and the land. But fate also brings Tristan, a warrior whose secrets will tear them apart.
Riva, Keyne and Sinne become entangled in a web of treachery and heartbreak, and must fight to forge their own paths. It’s a story that will shape the destiny of Britain.
The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.
But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity–and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.
Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki–near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire’s greatest threat.
Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she’s ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be–not even Deka herself.
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch.
When Briseis’s aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift.
When strangers begin to arrive on their doorstep, asking for tinctures and elixirs, Bri learns she has a surprising talent for creating them. One of the visitors is Marie, a mysterious young woman who Bri befriends, only to find that Marie is keeping dark secrets about the history of the estate and its surrounding community.
Up against a centuries-old curse and the deadliest plant on earth, Bri must harness her gift to protect herself and her family.
Witches Steeped In Gold by Ciannon Smart
Iraya Adair has spent her life in a cell. Heir of an overthrown and magically-gifted dynasty, she was exiled from her home on the island nation of Aiyca when she was just a child. But every day brings her closer to freedom – and vengeance.
Jazmyne Cariot grew up dressed in gold, with stolen magic at her fingertips. Daughter of the self-crowned doyenne, her existence is a threat to her mother’s rule. But unlike her sister, Jazmyne has no intention of dying to strengthen her mother’s power.
Sworn enemies, the two witches enter a deadly alliance to take down the woman who threatens both their worlds.
But revenge is a bloody pursuit, and nothing is certain – except the lengths Iraya and Jazmyne will go to win this game.
Two witches. One motive. And a very untrustworthy alliance.
The Betrayals by Bridget Collins
In an exclusive institution tucked away in the mountains the best and brightest study an arcane and mysterious game, as they have for centuries. But times are changing, and traditions being overturned – the truth will come out…
Lore by Alexandra Bracken
Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality.
Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family’s sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt’s promises of eternal glory. For years she’s pushed away any thought of revenge against the man–now a god–responsible for their deaths.
Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.
A Psalm of Storm and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown
The highly anticipated second—and final—book in the immersive fantasy duology.
Karina lost everything after a violent coup left her without her kingdom or her throne. Now the most wanted person in Sonande, her only hope of reclaiming what is rightfully hers lies in a divine power hidden in the long-lost city of her ancestors.
Meanwhile, the resurrection of Karina’s sister has spiraled the world into chaos, with disaster after disaster threatening the hard-won peace Malik has found as Farid’s apprentice. When they discover that Karina herself is the key to restoring balance, Malik must use his magic to lure her back to their side. But how do you regain the trust of someone you once tried to kill?
As the fabric holding Sonande together begins to tear, Malik and Karina once again find themselves torn between their duties and their desires. And when the fate of everything hangs on a single, horrifying choice, they each must decide what they value most—a power that could transform the world, or a love that could transform their lives.
She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
She’ll change the world to survive her fate . . .In Mongol-occupied imperial China, a peasant girl refuses her fate of an early death. Stealing her dead brother’s identity to survive, she rises from monk to soldier, then to rebel commander. Zhu’s pursuing the destiny her brother somehow failed to attain: greatness. ..
THE SECOND BELL named one of SFF180’s 31 most anticipated 2021 Fantasy novels!
A friend sent me a link to this yesterday!
My debut, The Second Bell, coming out in March 2021 from Angry Robot, has been listed as one of SFF180’s 31 most anticipated Fantasy novels of 2021!
I’m so incredibly chuffed and grateful to be listed alongside Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne (whose books, Empire of Sand, and Realm of Ash, inspired by the Mughal Empire, I absolutely LOVED), as well as some really exciting debuts, The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec (a Norse retelling about the wife of Loki), and Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa, the first volume of a new fantasy trilogy inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa!
There are many more amazing books on that list, so I link the video below, so you guys can have a look!
COVER REVEAL for THE SECOND BELL
The cover for my book baby is finally out!
It’s a beauty, I know! The team at Angry Robot had a real vision for the cover, and they’ve all been so gracious and patient with my many comments and suggestions and this is the final version, done by their very talented designer, Glen Wilkins! I’m a very happy, very grateful author.
Check out the Tor article and an interview with me here.
The Second Bell comes out March 2021!
Salka has to survive in a world which thinks her a monster. She seeks to explore the possibilities of her striga heart even as her mother is willing to sacrifice all to stop her!