Gone writin’

Yup, am writing hard—yes, exactly, on The Chaos Gate, The Wall Of Night Book Four—so no weighty blog post from me today. 🙂

However, so as not to leave you high and dry, here is a sample Q&A from my interview with Mary Victoria last year.
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Mary Victoria

“MARY: … I have been following the Wall books since the first instalment in your series, The Heir of Night, and discovered this newest addition with pleasure. In it we follow the continuing adventures of Malian and her group of friends, in the march towards what looks to be a seriously epic denouement between the various powers at work on Haarth. As the blurb points out: “[t]he Darkswarm is gaining strength, and time is running out—for Malian, for Kalan, and for all of Haarth…”

I must say, I really liked this third book. It gave me a more in-depth glimpse of the diverse cultures in your invented world, and was a chance to understand how the Derai tick, particularly when seen from the point of view of your Daughter of Blood. Without giving too much away, I enjoyed discovering your world through the eyes of someone who was in some ways quite “ordinary”, and lacked the grand powers associated with heroes in general. Was it your intention to approach the storytelling in that fashion, or did it happen as you went along?

HELEN: … I am so glad, too, that you enjoyed the read, Mary, not least because I know you are a discerning reader but also because Daughter of Blood decided to fully live up to ‘novel writing as an endurance event.” …

[Regarding]… your question regarding telling the Daughter story through the eyes of someone quite “ordinary” — in the sense of not having magical powers or being a leader in either politics or war — yes, the character of Myr was present in my original vision for the story. It was always my intention, too, that she should offer a contrasting perspective on what constitutes strength, particularly when juxtaposed with characters such as Malian, the mage, former covert operative, and now emerging political leader, or Asantir, who is both a warrior-hero in her own right and a commander of armies. So I always knew that Myr would be a gentle spirit, but once I actually started telling her story, her character took off and really blossomed in terms of personal integrity and finding her own path — which was as rewarding for me, as the author, as I hope it will be for readers, sharing the journey of the book with her.

To read the full interview, click on:

Mary Victoria: An Interview With Helen Lowe (2016)