I'm neck deep in revisions on my YA story, ONCE UPON A TYPEWRITER, but I've been thinking ahead to marketing. And I realized that I still have the same problem I found during Pitch Wars. Thankfully I've straightened out the age category issue, but I'm still not sure what genre to market it as.
For anyone who hasn't read snippets of the story yet, the premise of the story is that 17-year-old Emily has to write a novella in 2 weeks to make up for missing her English final, or she'll flunk out of the class and won't graduate on time. As she's writing, the characters in her story begin talking back to her, making her question her sanity. She and the characters argue over what direction the story should go in, along with all sorts of silly little points as well. The outer, real-world arc, centers on Emily's worries about her mental health and her relationships with her family. The inner fairytale arc focuses on a woefully unprepared party and their quest to save the kingdom from a plague of giant insects.
To me, Emily's outer arc feels like contemporary magical realism. There's just a touch of magic in the typewriter--assuming she isn't actually losing her mind like her mom did.
The inner arc is an old-fashioned medieval fantasy story; Emily uses the story to poke fun at some tropes along the way. There are dragons, a wicked witch, a bumbling wizard, and a curse. So their story is high fantasy.
Overall, the entire novel is split fairly evenly between the two stories if you look just at word count. It all comes down to Emily, her sanity, and her relationship with her sister; the inner story starts to mirror the outer story and push it along as well. So of the two storylines, Emily's is the dominant one.
SO...do I market it as magical realism for online competitions that allow you to only check one? I worry that someone might like MR but not fantasy, and be disappointed when they get to that part. And in a query letter, do I explain that it's both, or do I leave that for the agent/publisher to discover?
Help a fellow writer out, and comment with your thoughts below! TIA.
Monday, October 3, 2016
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Third time's the charm
...I hope.
I've rewritten the opening scene of this particular story so many times I've lost track. I started with a basic setup and rewrote that first version over and over. Changed the main character's age. Changed the POV of the entire story. Then decided to drastically chop the opening scene after lots of feedback pointing to the story starting too soon.
Of course I swung too far the other direction. At least I only went through one really horrible version of that intro. Unfortunately, that was the intro I used to enter a contest. In some ways it worked out anyway, though, because that contest let me know that I had really screwed up the beginning quickly so I didn't waste as much time on it.
On to the third try, and I think I've struck the balance I need. I've resigned myself to the fact that this particular story doesn't lend itself to starting off with a bang; it's advice I've heard before, but I hadn't consciously realized that I was trying so hard to start with a bang. For Emily's story to work, the reader has to get inside her head a little more before her world starts to fall apart around her. It's more subtle. Starting with a huge action scene is great for some stories, but sometimes it's okay to take a step back. If the reader is investing in a character more than a series of dramatic events, then the reader has to get to know that character and start to care about her/him first. So that's where my story starts now, and I'm loving it.
Hopefully other people will too. Here's the first page of Emily's story:
I've rewritten the opening scene of this particular story so many times I've lost track. I started with a basic setup and rewrote that first version over and over. Changed the main character's age. Changed the POV of the entire story. Then decided to drastically chop the opening scene after lots of feedback pointing to the story starting too soon.
Of course I swung too far the other direction. At least I only went through one really horrible version of that intro. Unfortunately, that was the intro I used to enter a contest. In some ways it worked out anyway, though, because that contest let me know that I had really screwed up the beginning quickly so I didn't waste as much time on it.
On to the third try, and I think I've struck the balance I need. I've resigned myself to the fact that this particular story doesn't lend itself to starting off with a bang; it's advice I've heard before, but I hadn't consciously realized that I was trying so hard to start with a bang. For Emily's story to work, the reader has to get inside her head a little more before her world starts to fall apart around her. It's more subtle. Starting with a huge action scene is great for some stories, but sometimes it's okay to take a step back. If the reader is investing in a character more than a series of dramatic events, then the reader has to get to know that character and start to care about her/him first. So that's where my story starts now, and I'm loving it.
Hopefully other people will too. Here's the first page of Emily's story:
I knocked on the
door to Room 113, but no one answered. Just to make sure, I rapped harder. Still
nothing.
I wiped my
clammy hands on my jeans before grabbing the bronze doorknob, half-hoping it
would be locked.
No such luck. It
gave easily, and the door swung inward without a sound.
“Ms. Briggs? You
asked me to meet you after school…” My voice trailed off as I saw that the classroom
was empty.
Well, except for
the antiquated beast sitting on top of my desk. Curious, I stepped inside.
A note stuck out
of the machine, addressed to me in sweeping blue cursive.
“Emily,
I’ve decided what to do about your uncharacteristically irresponsible behavior
on Monday. You have one chance to make up your final exam. You have until the
15th to write a complete novella of at least 30,000 words, or you
will fail the final and the class. As part of your punishment, you must use
this typewriter instead of your computer to write the story. I hope you will
find the creative experience illuminating, perhaps even enjoyable.”
I eyed the metal
monstrosity. A typewriter? Writing a novella in two weeks was going to be hard
enough, but using a typewriter? Ms.
Briggs must have been more upset with me than she’d let on.
My muscles
groaned as I scooped up the bulky machine. Once I found my balance I made my
way to the bus stop, lurching through the halls like something out of an old horror
flick.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
The story of Bob, Billy Bob Joe, and the infamous Mrs. Chubby Kitten-Whiskers
In my efforts to help Oldest enjoy writing more, I sometimes sit down with her and my other girls and have them help me brainstorm short stories. We'll use story dice when we get stuck, or sometimes we'll even roll them at the beginning and pick random ones to incorporate into the story. Their school teaches them the basics of story structure and character, so they're pretty good at coming up with a coherent narrative consisting of at least one main character, a problem of some sort, and a resolution. I'll transcribe for them to remove the mechanical issues of spelling and physically writing, so those don't set up roadblocks for Oldest's brain.
This is our favorite collaborative story. I think they were probably 5&7, or 6&8 when we wrote this one. (You should know that for some reason, my girls think the name Bob is freaking hilarious. They use it whenever possible.)
Once upon a time, there was a jumping clown. He liked to ride his unicycle and make funny faces at crying children and actors.
One day an actor named Bob came to town. He was sad because lightning had burned down his house and now he didn't have any place to live. Lightning was the name of his pet bird. He burned the house down on accident--he was a phoenix.
The jumping clown was also having a rough day. He jumped all the time because he was scared of his shadow and didn't want to touch it. And THEN he found out he had to be a shadow monster for Halloween, because his Mommy said so.
Bob and the jumping clown (whose name was Billy Bob Joe) met in the grocery store. They were both there to buy fish, but there was only one left. The authors proceeded to argue about who should get the fish. Then they decided neither of them should get the fish. Instead, Mrs. Chubby Kitten-Whiskers bought the fish and Bob took Billy Bob Joe fishing.
First, they caught a boat.
Second, they caught an apple.
Third, they caught a book about famous libraries.
And lastly, they caught Mrs. Chubby Kitten-Whiskers.
Bob and Billy Bob Joe decided to go home and eat grilled salad sandwiches instead.
Bob told Billy Bob Joe about how Lightning had burned his house down. "I have nowhere to live!" he moaned. And he cried a little--okay, a lot.
Billy Bob Joe told Bob about his fear of shadows and how his Mother insisted he had to dress up like a shadow monster for Halloween. "And I don't want to!" he sobbed. "I'm terrified! And I'm terrified of jumping all the time."
"I've got it!" said Bob. "We could switch places! I'm not scared of shadows, and I need a place to live. And I happen to know of a play that needs an actor to play the part of a kangaroo!"
Billy Bob Joe agreed to Bob's plan. He became the most famous jumping actor in the land.
Bob loved his new home.
And he got rid of Lightning--just in case.
This is our favorite collaborative story. I think they were probably 5&7, or 6&8 when we wrote this one. (You should know that for some reason, my girls think the name Bob is freaking hilarious. They use it whenever possible.)
Once upon a time, there was a jumping clown. He liked to ride his unicycle and make funny faces at crying children and actors.
One day an actor named Bob came to town. He was sad because lightning had burned down his house and now he didn't have any place to live. Lightning was the name of his pet bird. He burned the house down on accident--he was a phoenix.
The jumping clown was also having a rough day. He jumped all the time because he was scared of his shadow and didn't want to touch it. And THEN he found out he had to be a shadow monster for Halloween, because his Mommy said so.
Bob and the jumping clown (whose name was Billy Bob Joe) met in the grocery store. They were both there to buy fish, but there was only one left. The authors proceeded to argue about who should get the fish. Then they decided neither of them should get the fish. Instead, Mrs. Chubby Kitten-Whiskers bought the fish and Bob took Billy Bob Joe fishing.
First, they caught a boat.
Second, they caught an apple.
Third, they caught a book about famous libraries.
And lastly, they caught Mrs. Chubby Kitten-Whiskers.
Bob and Billy Bob Joe decided to go home and eat grilled salad sandwiches instead.
Bob told Billy Bob Joe about how Lightning had burned his house down. "I have nowhere to live!" he moaned. And he cried a little--okay, a lot.
Billy Bob Joe told Bob about his fear of shadows and how his Mother insisted he had to dress up like a shadow monster for Halloween. "And I don't want to!" he sobbed. "I'm terrified! And I'm terrified of jumping all the time."
"I've got it!" said Bob. "We could switch places! I'm not scared of shadows, and I need a place to live. And I happen to know of a play that needs an actor to play the part of a kangaroo!"
Billy Bob Joe agreed to Bob's plan. He became the most famous jumping actor in the land.
Bob loved his new home.
And he got rid of Lightning--just in case.
Monday, August 22, 2016
Writing as a Mom
I have 3 girls, ranging from tweenager-hood down to preschool ages. And my middlest (no, that's not a typo. She is truly oh-so-much a middle child) voiced an interesting complaint about books.
I should probably preface this by saying that my two older girls are both avid readers. They both read 3-4 grade levels above their age groups. And they read pretty widely; they're experimenting and finding authors and genres that they like.
So. Back to Middlest's complaint. She said, "You know, Mom, it seems like all the girls in books like pink and fancy things and that sort of stuff. And I hardly know any girls that are actually like that! Why do so many grownups think that all girls are into pink and princesses and...I don't know, fancy, foofy things?"
I had a few thoughts flash through my head as she said this. First, I am so PROUD of her that she's reading thoughtfully and identified WHY certain books weren't resonating with her.
Second, I admit to being a little confused, because we don't have a lot of those kinds of books in our house, except for early readers, because at that age, 2 of my 3 DID love pink and princesses and fairies and anything that sparkled. Although they also loved adventures and humor and strong girls. No fainting maidens in my house.
And third, I felt a little sad that she is already running into that wall of conformity that starts to shut girls out, to tell them they aren't capable; that they are too dainty to do adventurous things, incapable of understanding math or science as well as boys their age, or that it's just not acceptable to like something a little different.
So of course we talked about it. We discussed how important it is for kids who read MG or YA in particular to find books that they can identify with, that can help them feel valid in their world. To know that they aren't alone. That was huge for me when I was their age; because of my undiagnosed depression and Asperger's I spent too many years of my life feeling like I was the only person in the world who didn't fit into the puzzle. I don't want that for my girls. So I read them things with amazing, smart, funny girls in it. Stories with boys who are kind. Stories where girls can use science to save the day. Stories where a princess doesn't want to marry the boring prince and instead runs away to live with the dragons (I love love LOVE the Enchanted Forest Chronicles!). Stories where kids can be friends, even if they like different things, eat different foods, come from different ethnicities. Anything that tells them that whoever they choose to be, whatever they choose to love, it's okay. (And if you have suggestions, please comment!)
And all this got the wheels in my head turning, of course. Because Oldest has ADD and Asperger's like me-well, all 3 of my girls have the Asperger's at least-and along with that, she has extreme difficulty writing. Her brain cannot make the connections to organize her thoughts in order to put them on paper. If you don't mention writing to her, but ask her to tell you about a story she's read, she can verbalize her thoughts, although they'll be a little disorganized. But whose wouldn't? Anyhow, I digress a bit.
After years of fighting with her school and finally getting her an official diagnosis, Oldest, by now, loathes writing. She's addicted to books, however. I'm constantly prying them out of her fingers after she's been tucked into bed, sweeping my hand sneakily under her pillow when I tuck her in, and occasionally doing random room checks late at night to make sure she hasn't snuck out of bed to read, huddled by her nightlight. And yet she HATES to WRITE. (Thanks, idiots at school who refused to believe she has a problem...)
So I'm thinking about involving her and Middlest in my next project. I have no idea what the book would be about; I'd bet they could come up with a pretty good plot on their own. I'd really like to write something where the protagonist has the neuro issues that my girls do, without the book screaming "I am about autism!" Something that girls like mine could identify with, when they see how the character's thoughts work in this strange and amazing what that an autistic brain does, especially since autistic girls are still drastically underdiagnosed because they are so good at copying others and masking their symptoms in order to gain social acceptance. I don't want them growing up the way that I did, feeling like I was stuck on the other side of a one-way mirror.
I should probably preface this by saying that my two older girls are both avid readers. They both read 3-4 grade levels above their age groups. And they read pretty widely; they're experimenting and finding authors and genres that they like.
So. Back to Middlest's complaint. She said, "You know, Mom, it seems like all the girls in books like pink and fancy things and that sort of stuff. And I hardly know any girls that are actually like that! Why do so many grownups think that all girls are into pink and princesses and...I don't know, fancy, foofy things?"
I had a few thoughts flash through my head as she said this. First, I am so PROUD of her that she's reading thoughtfully and identified WHY certain books weren't resonating with her.
Second, I admit to being a little confused, because we don't have a lot of those kinds of books in our house, except for early readers, because at that age, 2 of my 3 DID love pink and princesses and fairies and anything that sparkled. Although they also loved adventures and humor and strong girls. No fainting maidens in my house.
And third, I felt a little sad that she is already running into that wall of conformity that starts to shut girls out, to tell them they aren't capable; that they are too dainty to do adventurous things, incapable of understanding math or science as well as boys their age, or that it's just not acceptable to like something a little different.
So of course we talked about it. We discussed how important it is for kids who read MG or YA in particular to find books that they can identify with, that can help them feel valid in their world. To know that they aren't alone. That was huge for me when I was their age; because of my undiagnosed depression and Asperger's I spent too many years of my life feeling like I was the only person in the world who didn't fit into the puzzle. I don't want that for my girls. So I read them things with amazing, smart, funny girls in it. Stories with boys who are kind. Stories where girls can use science to save the day. Stories where a princess doesn't want to marry the boring prince and instead runs away to live with the dragons (I love love LOVE the Enchanted Forest Chronicles!). Stories where kids can be friends, even if they like different things, eat different foods, come from different ethnicities. Anything that tells them that whoever they choose to be, whatever they choose to love, it's okay. (And if you have suggestions, please comment!)
And all this got the wheels in my head turning, of course. Because Oldest has ADD and Asperger's like me-well, all 3 of my girls have the Asperger's at least-and along with that, she has extreme difficulty writing. Her brain cannot make the connections to organize her thoughts in order to put them on paper. If you don't mention writing to her, but ask her to tell you about a story she's read, she can verbalize her thoughts, although they'll be a little disorganized. But whose wouldn't? Anyhow, I digress a bit.
After years of fighting with her school and finally getting her an official diagnosis, Oldest, by now, loathes writing. She's addicted to books, however. I'm constantly prying them out of her fingers after she's been tucked into bed, sweeping my hand sneakily under her pillow when I tuck her in, and occasionally doing random room checks late at night to make sure she hasn't snuck out of bed to read, huddled by her nightlight. And yet she HATES to WRITE. (Thanks, idiots at school who refused to believe she has a problem...)
So I'm thinking about involving her and Middlest in my next project. I have no idea what the book would be about; I'd bet they could come up with a pretty good plot on their own. I'd really like to write something where the protagonist has the neuro issues that my girls do, without the book screaming "I am about autism!" Something that girls like mine could identify with, when they see how the character's thoughts work in this strange and amazing what that an autistic brain does, especially since autistic girls are still drastically underdiagnosed because they are so good at copying others and masking their symptoms in order to gain social acceptance. I don't want them growing up the way that I did, feeling like I was stuck on the other side of a one-way mirror.
Friday, August 12, 2016
Grimmerye
Grimmerye is a project I've been working on for the past two years, so it's near and dear to my heart. In Grimmerye, I played with the backstory for two Grimm villainesses. I wanted to discover what else could be under the surface, to find the human side of the women who did these terrible things with seemingly no provocation. The challenge I posed to myself was, under what circumstances could their murderous, thieving, kidnapping ways not only be justified, but in the traditional hero(ine)'s best interest?
Note that I'm not telling you which stories I based mine on, because it's not meant to be evident at first. Discovering which story you're in as a reader is part of the fun.
I had the opportunity to run the first few pages and query by an agent recently, and got some interesting advice. He said that it was good, but because it's a series of stories, it would be a hard sell for a first time author. I had to agree--short story collections are a hard sell unless big-name authors are involved, and that's what Grimmerye currently is at its lowest level.
Enter the advice of my best critique partners: find a way to take the two stories and unite them into a coherent single narrative. So while one of my other manuscripts is being looked over by Pitch Wars mentors (check out for info on Pitch Wars if you don't know what it is), I'm working on finding a way to loosely tie the first two stories together with a third. I have a crazy idea up my sleeve that just might do the trick, and it will be challenging to write. Exciting!
Anywhooo...Here's the first 213 words of the first story. I throw you right into the story with a bang on this one, appropriate to this particular antiheroine's narrative.
I lay awake in my bed, unable to sleep, dreading the morrow.
My birthday. My stomach churned at the thought of it.
For as long as I could remember, the Woman had celebrated all of our birthdays—and there were many of us—in the same fashion. She would wake the unfortunate child in the morning with a clawed hand grasping the poor girl’s throat, screaming in her face, spittle dripping like venom from Her lips as she recounted Her story. The Woman had no use for boy-children; they were sent away to their fathers as soon as they could be weaned. She kept those of us who were unfortunate enough to be girls and paid just enough attention to us to make sure we didn’t die—at least, not until after She’d discovered if we would prove useful to Her schemes or not. After that, She didn’t care about our fates; most of the older girls had been dragged off in the night by nameless village men whose faces blended into one dark, leering grimace that haunted my sleep. On occasion, girls simply vanished, and if one of us dared to ask the Woman where they had gone, She merely shrugged indifferently.
None of us would have dreamed of calling Her “Mother”.
Note that I'm not telling you which stories I based mine on, because it's not meant to be evident at first. Discovering which story you're in as a reader is part of the fun.
I had the opportunity to run the first few pages and query by an agent recently, and got some interesting advice. He said that it was good, but because it's a series of stories, it would be a hard sell for a first time author. I had to agree--short story collections are a hard sell unless big-name authors are involved, and that's what Grimmerye currently is at its lowest level.
Enter the advice of my best critique partners: find a way to take the two stories and unite them into a coherent single narrative. So while one of my other manuscripts is being looked over by Pitch Wars mentors (check out for info on Pitch Wars if you don't know what it is), I'm working on finding a way to loosely tie the first two stories together with a third. I have a crazy idea up my sleeve that just might do the trick, and it will be challenging to write. Exciting!
Anywhooo...Here's the first 213 words of the first story. I throw you right into the story with a bang on this one, appropriate to this particular antiheroine's narrative.
I lay awake in my bed, unable to sleep, dreading the morrow.
My birthday. My stomach churned at the thought of it.
For as long as I could remember, the Woman had celebrated all of our birthdays—and there were many of us—in the same fashion. She would wake the unfortunate child in the morning with a clawed hand grasping the poor girl’s throat, screaming in her face, spittle dripping like venom from Her lips as she recounted Her story. The Woman had no use for boy-children; they were sent away to their fathers as soon as they could be weaned. She kept those of us who were unfortunate enough to be girls and paid just enough attention to us to make sure we didn’t die—at least, not until after She’d discovered if we would prove useful to Her schemes or not. After that, She didn’t care about our fates; most of the older girls had been dragged off in the night by nameless village men whose faces blended into one dark, leering grimace that haunted my sleep. On occasion, girls simply vanished, and if one of us dared to ask the Woman where they had gone, She merely shrugged indifferently.
None of us would have dreamed of calling Her “Mother”.
A Little Something New
Along with book reviews, I'm going to start posting snippets of my personal works-in-progress (WIPs) on this page. It should go without saying, but please don't post any of my writing anyplace else online without my permission. If you like something and want to share it via Twitter or Facebook (or any other online platform), I'll probably love that idea. Just message me and check in first. Thanks!
Friday, July 22, 2016
Pitch Wars 2016! #Pimpmybio Contestant Blog Hop
Hey, everyone! It's time to Pimp. My. Bio. I have a feeling I may be too white and nerdy to use that phrase.
If you want to be white and nerdy cool like me, you can pimp your bio too! The host post is here: http://www.lanapattinson.com/pitchwars-2016-pimpmybio/
Step 1: Write up a blog post about yourself. And link back to the main blog hop page. ^
Step 2: Upload the link address from your blog post to the cool little Linky Widget thingamabob that does the job, and bibbidi bobbidi boo, you'll turn into Cinderella!
Wait, wrong story.
Your blog will get added to the blog hop, which may not be as exciting as riding in a giant pumpkin, but on the plus side, it probably smells better. Your name goes in the "your title" field.
Step 3: Read other hopefuls' blogs, be nice, make friends, have fun! One of the best things that can come out of participating in this kind of contest is the new friends and writing buddies you'll find. Publishing is a tough business. We've got to stick together.
The blog hop is currently open, and closes on August 3rd.
I've been way too busy with life - kids, writing, kids, hobbies, kids (did I mention kids?) - to blog in a looooong time. I wasn't sure if my blog was even still active, it's been so long! Thankfully, it was.
And of course, there's the Wicked Witch Geraldine, the most feared creature in all the kingdom, whose curse began it all.
And this is the blog hop, with my fellow lovely contestants! Check 'em out too!
Step 1: Write up a blog post about yourself. And link back to the main blog hop page. ^
Step 2: Upload the link address from your blog post to the cool little Linky Widget thingamabob that does the job, and bibbidi bobbidi boo, you'll turn into Cinderella!
Wait, wrong story.
Your blog will get added to the blog hop, which may not be as exciting as riding in a giant pumpkin, but on the plus side, it probably smells better. Your name goes in the "your title" field.
Step 3: Read other hopefuls' blogs, be nice, make friends, have fun! One of the best things that can come out of participating in this kind of contest is the new friends and writing buddies you'll find. Publishing is a tough business. We've got to stick together.
I've been way too busy with life - kids, writing, kids, hobbies, kids (did I mention kids?) - to blog in a looooong time. I wasn't sure if my blog was even still active, it's been so long! Thankfully, it was.
I'm entering an awesome competition called PitchWars, run by the talented Brenda Drake. Full details on the contest here: http://www.brenda-drake.com/pitch-wars/
Basically, published authors volunteer their time and expertise to help aspiring authors polish up a manuscript over the course of two months before pitching it to agents. Authors pick 4 mentors to submit to, and if you're lucky, one of them will pick you to be their mentee.
The manuscript I'm submitting is titled "Once Upon A Typewriter." And unfortunately, I'm having a hard time figuring out whether it's better suited to Young Adult lit or Middle Grade. I think it actually sits smack dab in the middle, at young YA/high MG. If you have an opinion on which category I should mark it as, please comment! Or catch me on Twitter as @bethanyrambles. Because I do ramble. A lot. I've always been way too wordy. OUAT sits at roughly 65k words, for example, and I've been cutting as ruthlessly as I can.
Without further adieu, here's my brief pitch for OUAT:
When Emily sleeps through her senior English final, her teacher sets her a daunting task: write a 30,000 word story in just two weeks or fail the course, and risk losing her college scholarship.
There's just one catch. She has to write her story on an old typewriter Ms. Brigs loans her. And once she starts writing, the characters let her know that they have their own ideas about how their story will end. Will the characters' happy ending cost Emily hers?
Stylistically, it's a story within a story.
The outer story is magical realism, revolving around Emily, her sister Aubrey, and the magic typewriter, and her stress over finishing her assignment in time to save her grade.
The inner story is a lighthearted fantasy quest, with an eclectic cast of characters.
There's the pompous Head Wizard, who's far more confident in his skills than he ought to be.
There's Cassandra, a female blacksmith who gets dragged into the quest against her will.
There's Sir Geoffrey, the best dragon slayer in the kingdom--and quite possibly the stupidest one as well.
Quiet Jeremy follows Sir Geoffrey wherever he goes, to make sure his idiocy doesn't cause trouble.
And then there's Matt, a middle-aged mercenary with a strange phobia or two.
The outer story is magical realism, revolving around Emily, her sister Aubrey, and the magic typewriter, and her stress over finishing her assignment in time to save her grade.
There's the pompous Head Wizard, who's far more confident in his skills than he ought to be.
There's Cassandra, a female blacksmith who gets dragged into the quest against her will.
There's Sir Geoffrey, the best dragon slayer in the kingdom--and quite possibly the stupidest one as well.
Quiet Jeremy follows Sir Geoffrey wherever he goes, to make sure his idiocy doesn't cause trouble.
And then there's Matt, a middle-aged mercenary with a strange phobia or two.
And of course, there's the Wicked Witch Geraldine, the most feared creature in all the kingdom, whose curse began it all.
And this is the blog hop, with my fellow lovely contestants! Check 'em out too!
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