Happy 2013 everyone!

May it be and bring all that we hope, and may all our endeavours prosper.

And hey, let’s be careful out there, too—& look out for each other.

Yes, it’s 31 January 2012 & New Year’s Eve—but it’s also time for the result of our second draw in the A Memory of Light giveaway.

You will recall, of course, that I have not 1 but 3 copies from Hachette NZ to give away to Australian and New Zealand readers, and this is the draw for the 2nd book.

Everyone who  commented on the first giveaway post, here, to tell me “why you are a fan of the Wheel of Time series”, plus those who commented again on last Monday’s post, here, re “Who is your absolutely favourite character in the Wheel of Time series—and why?” have been entered—or re-entered—in the draw.

So without further ado…

The winner of the 2nd ‘A Memory of Light’ draw is: [drum roll!] —

Tim South (the 24th commenter)

Congratulations, Tim

Tim, if you email me via my website on contact[at]helenlowe[dot]info with your postal address, I will pass it on to HachetteNZ so they can forward you the book.

—

But Again, It’s Not Quite Over—The Draw for Copy 3 Continues!

As explained in the previous two posts, I’m making the draw for 1 of the 3 copies each week over 3 weeks—with the 3rd and final draw now being a week away on January 7.

If you’ve already commented on the first, December 17 post, or again on December 24, then your name will still be automatically entered into the final, January 7 draw. (And I know I’ve said this before, but I have really enjoyed the answers to both questions, just for the sheer range and interest of the answers. So do keep them coming. 😉 )

But if you would like your name to be entered a third and final time, or you have just discovered the giveaway and wish to enter, then simply answer the (easy!) question below.

And here it is–the third & final question:

Who is the adversary or villain in the Wheel of Times series that you most love to hate?

—

Notes re the Giveaway:

• The giveaway is resticted to readers resident in Australia and New Zealand only.
• Each draw will be made using Random.Org with the results posted on the blog on 24 and 31 December, and 7 January respectively.
• If the winners have not contacted me by Friday 11 January at the latest, I shall re-draw for any of the books that are unclaimed.
• Hachette NZ have confirmed that the books are embargoed until January 8, but  they will forward the winning copies after that date.

Stephen Minchin; photo credit - Jane Harris

The seventh interview in my “Fun with Friends” interview series has recently posted on Hugo Award-winning site, SF Signal.

The series comprises a monthly interview with fellow SFF folk, mainly authors, from Australia and New Zealand, focused around  5 questions  on “who they are” and “what they do” in writing terms.

Click to read my December interview with Stephen Minchin, publisher at New Zealand’s Steam Press. Enjoy!

You might also like to check out my two previous “Fun with Friends”  interviews:

• November: Elizabeth Knox

• October: Adam Christopher

Introduction:

Like yesterday’s “Most-Read” feature, the tauparapara Te Tangi O Te Matiu, this post was also sparked by Waitangi Day on February 6, and my reflections on the very strong contribution Maori writers have made to New Zealand’s literature—including SFF.

I was very pleased when “Maori Mythology in New Zealand SFF—A Few Favourite Tales” was selected for the NZ at Frankfurt blog carnival—and equally pleased that my own blog stats suggest it has also pleased “…on Anything, Really” readers. 🙂

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Maori Mythology in New Zealand SFF—A Few Favourite Tales

Monday 6 was Waitangi Day, the holiday that celebrates New Zealand’s founding as a modern nation, and in my blog post, here, I talked briefly about the importance of contemporary Maori writers in the NZ literary scene.

The day before I had discussed a few of my favourite retellings of the Arthurian legend, here, and yesterday I followed up with a few more favourites that draw on the Arthurian cycle without actually being retellings, here.

But doing the post for Waitangi Day and then following up with a traditional tauparapara/karanga as my Tuesday Poem, here, also got me thinking about the use of Maori myths and legends in contemporary New Zealand SFF–and a few of my recent favourites. (But I certainly haven’t read everything that’s out there, so if I miss your personal favourite, that’s probably why—but fear not, you can tell me about your picks in the Comments!) But otherwise, here goes!

Probably the most well known, recent retelling of a Maori legend would have to be Witi Ihimaera’s Whale Rider (1987), mainly because it was made into an internationally successful film in 2002. Whale Rider draws on the legend of Paikia, an ancestor of the East Cape’s Ngati Porou, who was reputed to have been saved from drowning in a canoe journey from Hawaiki (the ancestral homeland in Maori myth) and brought to New Zealand by a humpback whale, thereafter being known as ‘the whale rider.’ The novel tells the contemporary story of Kahutia Te Rangi Paikea Apirana, a twelve year old girl who is a descendant of Paikia and struggling to gain recognition from her conservative grandfather, Koro, in the leadership of their family line. You don’t think this is speculative fiction? Then all I would say is: read the book, especially the part about the actual whale riding. ‘In my book’ it’s at least a strong contender for the tag of magic realism.

In terms of the use of Maori myth and folklore in contemporary SFF, I can’t go past Karen Healey’s Guardian of the Dead (2010.)   I think it’s an excellent book—an intriguing mix of urban fantasy set right here in Christchurch, as well as in Napier in the later part of the book, that has been woven together with Maori legends of the patupaiarehe (fairies) and taniwha, as well as the myth of Hine-nui-te-Po, the Goddess of Death. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the critical replication of the myth of the trickster demi-god Maui’s (unsuccessful) encounter with Hine-nui-te-Po, is that it has been interwoven with the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Entirely successfully in my view, but I will leave you to make up your own minds—because if you haven’t read it already, then you should definitely read this book.

A third tale that I really enjoyed recently was Tina Makereti’s short story, Shapeshifter, which was included in the Tales for Canterbury anthology last year. As you may know, Tales for Canterbury was put together by editors Cassie Hart & Anna Caro as a fund raiser following the February 22nd Christchurch earthquake. To help promote the collection I featured intros to some of the stories on my blog (you can find them here)—but I could only do a selection and didn’t quite manage to include Shapeshifter. But in fact it was one of my absolutely favourite stories in the anthology—I loved the twist given to the story of Pania of the Reef, the ocean maiden (the Maori equivalent of a Greek nereid) who was the lover and secret wife of local (Napier again!) chieftain Karitoki. I also love the way Makereti captures a distinctively Maori ethos in the story, yet someone who has never been in New Zealand could still read and completely “get” the story.

Anyway, those are three of my favourites—another story sequence I am aware of is David Hair’s  The Bone Tiki  and The Taniwha’s Tear, which I understand draw extensively on Maori sources, but as I haven’t read them yet (mea culpa—so many books, so little time!) I can only mention them here.

Introduction:

I posted this lovely, ancient tauparapara as my Tuesday Poem on February 7 of this year, to celebrate Waitangi Day, which always falls on February 6. I love Te Tangi A Te Matui, and am thrilled both at the very positive reception its received and to be posting it again today as a “most-read” feature for 2012.

—

Te Tangi A Te Matui

Kia whakarongo ake au
Ki te tangi a te manu nei
A te matui

Tui-i-i    Tui-i-i    Tuituia
Tui i runga
Tui i raro
Tuia i waho
Tuia i roto

Tuia i te here tangata

Ka rongo te po
Ka ronga te ao

Tuia i te muka tangata
I takea mai i Hawaiki nui
I Hawaiki roa
I Hawaiki paa mamao

Te hono i wairua
Ki te whaiao
Ki to ao marama

Tihe mauri ora!

~

I listen
To the cry of the bird
Of the matui, calling

Tui-i-i    Tui-i-i    Tuituia
Let it be woven above
Woven below
Woven without
Woven  within

Interwoven with the thread of humanity

Feel the peace of darkness (death)
Feel the peace of light (life)

Bind together the people
descended from great Hawaiki
from far off Hawaiki
from long distant Hawaiki

The coming together of spirits
Out into the dawn
Emerging into the world of light.

The spirit of life is in us!

—

The incantation or tauparapara, Te Tangi A Matui, is both traditional and very old. I first learned it as a child and young adult growing up in the King Country, where it was often used as a karanga, the traditional call that begins the welcome onto a marae. The translation was also as I was given to understand it then. I post it today to honour and celebrate Waitangi Day and the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi: Te Tiriti O Waitangi, the founding document and the founding act of our modern nation.

—

To see the original post, including comments, please click here.

I posted this interview on the winter solstice, June 21, and it proved hugely popular—a clear reflection of the popularity of Ms Cashore’s writing, although she herself was kind enough to praise the interview questions. I think the interview very much speaks for itself, but I also found working with Kristin Cashore extremely enjoyable—she is both very professional and interesting, as well as being an extremely nice person.

I loved the character of Bitterblue in the book we were discussing, but was also very impressed by the way Ms Cashore addressed the whole business of “consequences’—consideration of which is all too often lacking in Fantasy fiction, sadly. (In my humble opinion.)

But really, the interview speaks best for itself—as I  believe both the number and consistency of readers attests.

—

An Interview With Kristin Cashore—Author of “Bitterblue”

Introduction:

Today I am delighted to bring you an interview with Kristin Cashore, the multiple award-winning and Starred-review author of Graceling (2008) and Fire (2009). I think there are few contemporary authors who have enjoyed such immediate success as Ms Cashore with her debut novel, Graceling, setting a benchmark for YA fantasy adventure with a strong, independent young heroine—but with plenty of romance in the mix as well.

Today’s interview focuses on Bitterblue, Kristin Cashore’s newly released third novel, which returns readers to the world of Graceling and Fire. You may recall that I featured a “Just Arrived” post for Bitterblue on 29 April, here, and wrote:

“I appreciate Cashore’s storytelling approach…[and]…am looking forward to what she does with Bitterblue’s story.”

I can tell you right now that I loved Bitterblue—but I hope the best testimony to the book will lie in the interview, so now welcome Kristin Cashore to “…on Anything, Really.”

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The Interview

Helen:  Bitterblue is your third novel and returns to the world of Graceling and Fire, but in particular to the kingdom of Monsea—ruled by the tyrant Leck in Graceling—where it picks up the story of Leck’s daughter, Bitterblue. What led you to want to tell her story as your “next book”?

Kristin:  It’s impossible to predict where a book idea is going to come from. This one happened differently from any other book I’ve ever written or tried to write; it was like a bolt of lightning, and consequently, I remember exactly where I was. I was standing in the sun, on the balcony over the courtyard in the main branch of the Jacksonville Public Library in Jacksonville, Florida, having a casual phone conversation with my mother. I told her I wasn’t sure what I was going to write once I was done with Fire. She said to me something along the lines of, “You know who’s interesting, Kristin? Bitterblue.” When she said the word, it was like a puzzle piece falling into place – in a puzzle I hadn’t even realized I was building! In that moment, I didn’t know what the story was going to be, but I knew, with conviction, that it would be Bitterblue’s story. It was kind of weird, to be honest. Then, as I began to plan the book and realize what the plot needed to be, my mental understanding caught up with my emotional understanding. The story became clear to me; Bitterblue’s need to deal with her past became apparent. Maybe she’d been asking me to help her tell her story all along, but I didn’t hear her until the moment my mother spoke her name.

Helen:  Bitterblue is also strongly focused around consequences arising from Monsea’s past under Leck, both for individual people and the society as a whole. Did you set out to explore consequences in this way, or did the focus evolve through the act of telling Bitterblue’s story?

Kristin: I knew from the start that this book would be not just about Bitterblue, but about Leck. I knew it would be about the broken people all around Bitterblue, and Bitterblue’s struggle to figure out how to bring her kingdom into the light. It couldn’t realistically have been about anything else. The young queen of a kingdom that’s endured what the Monseans have endured would realistically be faced with Bitterblue’s situation, and a young woman who’s experienced the trauma Bitterblue has experienced would need to face it in order to heal. That being said, it wasn’t until I was well into the story that I realized just how much darkness Bitterblue was going to have to face.

Helen:  As a reader, I have to say that the story direction felt utterly right: the sense of consequences playing out gave the book an integrity that really drew me in. Another distinguishing aspect of this book is that although both Graceling and Fire are centered on heroines with superpowers, Bitterblue has none. Do you see this as departing from current trends in YA Fantasy?

Kristin:  I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I’m not up on current trends in YA Fantasy. I tend not to read it while I’m writing it, because reading fantasy while writing fantasy can create a kind of interference – it can become difficult to keep a fresh mind. And I’ve been writing fantasy nonstop for years! I could talk a lot about the mystery genre if you asked, because I’ve been reading plenty of those.:) But I don’t know what’s hot in YA Fantasy.

I will say that writing about a “non-magical” protagonist was definitely different from writing about a protagonist with superpowers. I could relate to Bitterblue more than I ever did to Katsa or Fire. Her vulnerabilities felt more familiar to me. Honestly, by the time I was done, she felt like my daughter. That never happened with Katsa or Fire. It was an absolute pleasure to write about a “regular” person.

Helen:  So what do you, as the author, love most about Bitterblue’s character?

Kristin:  I love her loneliness. I love her loyalty. I love how much she loves her friends. I love how hard she tries, and I love her refusal to give up.

Helen:  Yes, that is definitely the Bitterblue I met, but I was also impressed by her generosity, as well as her “fidelity”:  the way she strives to keeps faith with her subjects, and the truth of the past, and those she loves, even those who cause her more than a little trouble – not just “cool friends” like Katsa and Po.

But speaking of Katsa and Po, a strong romance is central to both Graceling (Katsa and Po) and Fire (Fire and Brigan), but although there is romantic attraction, it does not feel either so central or so strong in Bitterblue. Why is that?

Kristin:  Bitterblue is a different character, with a different story. From my outside perspective as a writer, I’m not interested in writing the same story over and over; but more importantly, once inside a story, I’m committed to writing what feels like the true story. Bitterblue falls in love for the first time, and that’s an important experience for her. But she has a whole lot more going on than Katsa or Fire ever did. She’s defining herself in terms of her relationships with the people she already loves, her relationship with the past and future, and perhaps most vitally, her relationship with her kingdom. She’s the same age Katsa and Fire were, but she seems younger to me in some ways. And I do think it’s relevant that romance is more complicated for a queen. Let’s give her time.

Helen:  “Hear hear” to not replicating the same story over and over! Another aspect of Bitterblue that really intrigued me though, was the part codes and code breaking play in the story. Is this something you’ve always been interested in, or did you have to do a lot of research for the book—or both?

Kristin:  This question gets to one of the funniest things about being a fiction writer. I enjoy the idea of ciphers as a construct in a book, but I’m not particularly interested in solving ciphers myself. I don’t particularly enjoy the mental challenge of them, nor do I always understand them; often, if they show up in a book I’m reading, I feel a bit bored and skip them. But when I’m writing a book, my protagonists have interests, and I need to learn about those interests even if they don’t interest me. I need to become good at things that my characters are good at (or at least, get some help, so that I can fake being good!). Bitterblue is better at mental arithmetic than I am, for example, and she’s worlds better at ciphering than I am.  I did a lot of research into ciphers for this book, and it was enjoyable – I had fun choosing what kinds of ciphers I wanted to use where, and I very much enjoyed playing with them as a plot device. I also got help from a few people – linguist Dr. Lance Nathan, my sister Dorothy Cashore, and my mother – and working with all of these people was a delight. But the actual ciphering was a headache!

Helen:  May I compliment you on your research then, because I found the codes aspect of the book both fun and convincing. You’re obviously close to both your mother and sister: are they your key “early feedback” people for the book or do you have others?

Kristin:  It really depends on timing; I share various revisions with various people, depending on the needs of the manuscript. My earliest readers these days tend to be my editor and agent, both of whom have had the kindness and fortitude to read some very rough first drafts. Once I have the manuscript in good enough shape that I feel like reading it wouldn’t be an utter waste of my sisters’ time, I tend to give it to my sisters Dorothy and Catherine. Perhaps a broader range of carefully-chosen friends will read the next revision after that. This process is essential. Every line of feedback is essential. I surely hope everyone is getting something out of it, because there aren’t enough words to express how helpful it is to me! My parents tend not to read it until it’s in final or nearly final form, making them two of my first “early feedback” people for the final book as it enters the world—which tends to be a comforting way to begin that process.:)

Helen:  Kristin, thank you very much for agreeing to be interviewed for “…on Anything, Really.”  As I said in the introduction, I loved Bitterblue — in fact it may just be my favourite Kristin Cashore novel yet! — and I have very much enjoyed working with you to bring the interview together.

Kristin:  Helen, thank you so much for these truly wonderful questions! It was a pleasure.

Addendum:

In response to a reader’s question about the role of class and class divides, Kristin Cashore replied as follows:

“It was fascinating to consider class issues while writing Bitterblue, Bitterblue being in many ways unaware of her own enormous privilege and naïve about the differences between her and Saf, for example. And thinking about class more is definitely — unavoidably, with the ideas I’m considering – part of my plan for the future. I don’t talk about books I haven’t written yet, so that’s all I’ll say for now. But it’s a fascinating issue, and definitely has relevance in my fantasy world!”

To see the original post, including reader comments, click here.

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About The Author:

Kristin Cashore wrote the New York Times bestsellers Graceling and Fire, both of which have been named ALA Best Books for Young Adults. Graceling is the winner of the 2009 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature and Fire is the winner of Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award. The books are world travelers, currently scheduled to be published in thirty languages. Her third book, Bitterblue, has just been released internationally.

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Previous Author Interviews on “… Anything, Really”:

To read, click on the links immediately below:

• Daniel Abraham & The Dragon’s Path
• Mary Victoria & Oracle’s Fire
• Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris, Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel
• An Interview with Brandon Sanderson
• A Magical Mystery Tour through “Men Briefly Explained” with Poet, Tim Jones
• An Interview with John R Fultz—Author of “Seven Princes”

It's summer here...

For the rest of the Christmas-New Year season I’ll be reposting the most-read posts from “…on Anything, Really” in 2012.

(While noting that 2012 is not, quite over yet—but hey, holidays and all that jazz. And since we’re in the Southern Hemisphere: summer holidays, to boot… Imagine, O Northern Hemisphere friends, not just Christmas and New Year, but summer holidays as well. Tis a juggernaut, my dears, a juggernaut!)

The order, within the top 10-12, will be random—pretty much “as seems good to me” on the day, but I hope you’ll be as interested as I was in what you found most interesting throughout the year.

So check back tomorrow to see the first re-feature of what you have come to read, in numbers, during 2012. 🙂

Merry Christmas, dear “…On Anything, Really” readers.

I hope the day brings you joy and “all & only good things.”

a star
to light our path
for the journey home

© Helen Lowe

 “A Memory of Light” Giveaway—the Draw for The First Book is Done!

Note to Commenters & Readers:

The second of the 3 x copies of “A Memory of Light” provided by Hachette NZ for giveaway to Australian & New Zealand readers has now been drawn ad the result is Here.

But there is still 1 copy left to give away, with the result to be drawn & result posted on January 7 (the day before A Memory of Light’s worldwide release.)

All entries on both this post, as well as the original 17 December post, will go forward for the 3rd draw, but to get your name in one last time , or just to enter for the first time, post a comment on the Wheel of Time character you most love to hate, Here.

* All dates are New Zealand time.

—

As promised, the giveaway— for Australian & New Zealand readers—of the first of 3 copies of A Memory of Light, being supplied by Hachette New Zealand, has now been made.

Everyone who commented on last Monday’s post, here, to tell me “why you are a fan of the Wheel of Time series”—and the comments were wonderful!—has now been entered in the ongoing draw.

[Drum Roll!] And the winner is:

Sam (the 8th commenter)

Congratulations, Sam!

Sam, if you email me via my website on contact[at]helenlowe[dot]info with your postal address, I will pass it on to HachetteNZ so they can forward you the book. 🙂

—

But It’s Not Over Yet—The Draw for Copies 2 & 3 Continues!

As I said last week, A Memory of Light marks completion of such a major epic fantasy series that I want to maximize your opportunities to win, so here’s what I’m doing:

• I’m making the draw for 1 of the 3 copies each week over 3 weeks (from the first post until January 7): so the first winner has been drawn today and a second draw will be made on 31 December, with the third and final draw  on Monday, January 7 — just 1 day ahead of A Memory of Light‘s worldwide release.

• If you’ve already commented on the first, December 17 post then fear not—your name will still be automatically entered into the 31 December and January 7 draws. So you need do nothing more. But if you would like your name to be entered a second time, or you have just discovered the giveaway and wish to enter, then just answer the (again: easy-peasy!) question below.

• And remember—you will get a third opportunity to enter your name for the final draw (on January 7) next Monday. 🙂

.

And Now, Here’s Your Next Question:

Who is your absolutely favourite character in the Wheel of Time series—and why?

.

I must admit, I am really hoping some of you will comment again, because I really enjoyed your comments on the reasons why you love the series. I found your enthusiasm inspiring, and I also felt very moved at the profound and positive part the series has played in so many of your lives.

—

Notes re the Giveaway:

• The giveaway is resticted to readers resident in Australia and New Zealand only.
• Each draw will be made using Random.Org with the results posted on the blog on 24 and 31 December, and 7 January respectively.
• If the winners have not contacted me by Friday 11 January at the latest, I shall re-draw for any of the books that are unclaimed.
• Hachette NZ have confirmed that the books are heavily embargoed until January 8, but  they will forward the winning copies after that date.

“Nobody gets to be you, except you. Nobody has your point of view, except you. Nobody gets to bring to the worlds the things that you get to bring to the world – uniquely get to bring to the world – except you.