Sunday, May 11, 2014

Tour Kick Off - Rumpled by @laceylouwagie



Fairy-tale
 Re-telling / Fantasy

Date Published: March 3, 2014
    
Gold for a poor girl,
Beauty for a twisted man,
A child for a powerful sorcerer . . .

Rumpelstiltskin can change anything he touches into gold, but he cannot change his own twisted body. The sorcerer Laurus can make Rumpelstiltskin tall, strong, and handsome—but he will only work his magic in exchange for a child in its first year of life.

When Emily’s deluded father claims she can spin straw into gold, the King demands proof. Caught between a mad father and a mad king, Emily’s life hangs in the balance. Rumpelstiltskin will help keep up her ruse for three nights—if she promises him her firstborn child.

When the King decides to marry Emily, the pretense must continue for much longer. And what Emily offers Rumpelstiltskin in return for his continued help has the power to change everything.

This retelling of “Rumpelstiltskin” is best suited for ages 14 and up.




#1 – Do You See Writing as a Career?

For me, writing is more of a spiritual practice. I would love to be able to do creative writing full-time, but over the last couple years I've come to realize that my writing is valuable to my life even if I never attain that goal. For a long time, I justified all the time and energy I spent writing because it was in service of my dream of someday "making it" as a writer. But now, I realize that writing is inherently valuable, even if no one else ever reads it. I write to discover new worlds inside myself, to have the satisfaction of untangling a plot knot, to say something about my life and the lives of others that I might not be able to articulate in casual conversation.

I do write as a career – I make my living as a reporter and a freelance writer and editor. But it's my fiction and journal writing that really feed my soul, even though they generate very little income. I've come to realize that income is not the goal – sharing stories is. That was ultimately my goal in finally deciding to publish "Rumpled." I wanted to write it, and if others also want to read it, that's an added bonus.

With that said, I do take putting my writing out there VERY seriously. I worked on "Rumpled" for three years, becoming especially nitpicky near the end of the process. It was very important to me that I release a professional product, even if money wasn't my main goal.

#2 – What was the Hardest Part of Your Writing Process?

The hardest part is definitely "selling myself" – I'm just not a marketer at heart, and I feel uncomfortable with self-promotion. I wish my potential readers would just magically know I exist! It's not hard for me to maintain motivation to write and revise, but it is hard for me to maintain motivation to submit my work to agents and editors, and promote it once it's published. Rejection can take its toll, and sometimes I have to retreat from that aspect for a bit to recover. Of course, I'm over the moon when my writing finds an appreciative audience, and those moments make it all worth it.

That's really all "post-writing," though. The hardest part of my writing process is getting the first draft done. A lot of writers love that discovery phase, but I just want to get something, ANYTHING, on the page. So I try to write my first draft as quickly as possible – then I spend much longer rewriting, bringing the story closer and closer to my dream of it. Shaping that unruly tangle of letters on the page into a meaningful narrative is the part I really love.

#3 – Did you have any One Person Who Helped You Out with Your Writing Outside of Your Family?

Yes. When I was ten years old, my fifth-grade teacher went on maternity leave. The long-term sub who replaced her made us write stories every day. One day while I was waiting for the bus after school, he approached me and asked me if I'd ever considered becoming a writer. I said, "No, I want to be an actress." He said, "You really should consider becoming a writer. You're very good."

Well, he planted that seed, and I couldn't seem to shake it. I've often wished I could find that teacher and thank him – I didn't realize at the time what an impact that after-school suggestion would have.

#4 – What is next for your writing?

I was halfway through revising a retelling of Rapunzel I wrote for NaNoWriMo in 2012 when I took a break to enter some contests and publish "Rumpled." By the time this posts, I'll finally be working on that again, and I can't wait. I will likely publish it as a follow-up to "Rumpled" when it's ready. After that, I'll probably be writing the sequel to "Rumpled" (which will incorporate a retelling of another fairy tale). Ideas for retellings of Snow White and The Little Mermaid have also been haunting me. And somewhere in there I plan to return to submitting my middle-grade novel in hopes of placing it with a traditional publisher.

#5 – Do you have an addiction to reading as well as writing? If so, what are you currently reading?

Oh yes! If there's one thing I'm more passionate about than writing, it's reading. In fact, every morning I set aside half an hour for writing in my journal, and half an hour for reading before I start work. The prospect of getting to read first thing in the morning is the ONLY thing tempting enough to keep me from crawling back into that nice warm bed! Right now I'm re-reading my friend Marie Zhuikov's book, "Eye of the Wolf," which is a beautiful paranormal tale about the plight of wolves on Isle Royale in the 1980s. It is meticulously researched and puts the "wolf" in "werewolf" in a way that nothing else I've ever read does. You can follow my reading life at my blog over at Booklikes: http://laceylouwagie.booklikes.com, or get just the reviews at Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3409964.Lacey_Louwagie).

DESCRIBE Your Book in 1 Tweet:

On the third night, she promised him her firstborn child. A year later, he came to collect. But what happened in between?

This or That?

#1 - iPd or Mp3?

I LOVE my little Sansa Clip MP3 player. I load it up on audiobooks and take it everywhere.

#2 – Chocolate or Vanilla?

CHOCOLATE.

#3 – Mashed Potatoes or French Fries?

French fries, but sweet potato fries are even better.

#4 – Comedy or Drama?

To watch – comedy, as long as it's not raunchy. To read – drama. In real life – definitely comedy.

#5 – Danielle Steel or Nicholas Sparks?

Nicholas Sparks? Neither are really my cup of tea.

#6 – Fantasy or Reality?

I like stories that cross the line. I write fantasy but try to live in reality – that is, I try to spend at least as much time and attention on my real life as I do on the imaginary lives in my head.

#7 – Call or Text?

Text – don't like talking on the phone.

#8 – Public School or Home School?

I went to public school but I'm intrigued by the possibilities of homeschooling, and may homeschool my own kids if I ever have them.

#9 – Coffee or Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate, but tea is even better.

#10 – eBook or Paperback?


Paperback – I like the feeling of the book in my hand. That doesn't stop me from owning and using an ereader, though! I'll take my books however I can get 'em. 




Lacey has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pencil and fold a few pieces of paper together. Her first book, full of pictures of unicorns, started her on the path of writing science fiction and fantasy. She has worked as a freelance writer and editor, magazine editor, reporter, and librarian. She lives in a tiny house in South Dakota with her husband, two cats, a dog, and hundreds of books.

Twitter:@laceylouwagie




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