Hi everyone, I am hoping everyone had a lovely weekend and you are all safe especially with the weather we have been having all over the world. Today on the blog tour I am chatting with the author and hearing what insights she has to say about her new book A Blade So Black.
Author: L.L. Mckinney
Release Date: 28th September 2018
Synopsis:
The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she's trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew.
Life in real-world Atlanta isn't always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice's handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. And she'll need to use everything she's learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally.
Life in real-world Atlanta isn't always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice's handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. And she'll need to use everything she's learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head . . . literally.
Writing in other people's worlds - what's it like to create your own take on Wonderland?
I really like the second part of that question because, for me, it’s not that different from writing in my own world. I mean, my story is inspired by Lewis Carroll’s tale, and locations and familiar characters are present, but I like to think I made Wonderland my own sort of personal playground. The quote on the jacket that says “this isn’t the wonderland you remember” is very true. It’s not, though there are touches of familiarity.
It was fun, though, to take this story, this place, and these characters and infuse them with a new energy of sorts. I did the same with the world as well. I also added in diverse characters, which was sorely needed. I used Wonderland as a sort of jumping off point, not even really a blueprint but more of a…a plan for the plan.
In truth, it was easier to decide what I wasn’t going to keep or do in regards to the original story. It wasn’t going to be set parallel to England. It wasn’t going to be from that same time period. It wasn’t going to be from the viewpoint of that same girl or a close iteration. It wasn’t going to be a dream or an acid trip or whatever people like to theorize, it was going to be very real. By deciding what I was going to leave out, it left holes that were a particular shape and size I needed to fill. Once I figured out how I wanted to fill them, I was set! I say that like it was easy…
It may have been difficult, but it was a lot of fun. Alice in Wonderalnd is one of my favorite stories, and I’ve enjoyed (almost) every iteration of it. Being able to put my twist, my stamp, my fingerprint—or whatever you want to call it—on that tale and that world has honestly been amazing. I’m not a fan of retellings or reimaginings really, not that I don’t like them I just don’t actively seek them out, so it was a surprise to me when this story initially took shape. It was even more of a surprise when everything turned out the way it did.
I’d say A BLADE SO BLACK is more a reimaging, an homage to an homage, rather than a genuine retelling. There are lots of elements that will be familiar to those who love the tale, or just know about it in passing, but a lot of those same elements will be flipped or twisted in some way that makes them different. That’s the most exciting part about it, seeing who’ll get what and if everything I did will be caught. Ads a bit of Wonder, don’t you think?
It was so nice to see what Elle has to say, I loved reading to how she wanted to approach the book and make it real life, she makes some very interesting points no? Make sure you guys check out the author and the book or you can check the links below.
Author Twitter page: https://twitter.com/ElleOnWords
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Blade-So-Black-L-L-McKinney/dp/1250153905
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Happy reading!
Let's chat: Have you read this book yet? What are your thoughts on the authors perspective? Do you have a favourite Alice in the Wonderland retelling? Let me know in the comments below!
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This looks really good! I love Alice in Wonderland as well, so it's nice to see a re-imagining of it. It's also really cool to see the process directly from the author. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteIt is a fantastic post – immense clear and easy to understand. I am also holding out for the sharks too that made me laugh. best Kodak black quotes
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