Teresa Edgerton's Blog: Confessions of an Ink-Stained Wretch
October 4, 2014
The Queen's Necklace
HarperCollins recently surprised me by reprinting my novel The Queen's Necklace, out of print for many years. Apparently they have decided it is time to introduce this story to a new generation of readers -- and I agree.
For those interested, herewith a description of the book from some old publicity materials (and a few blurbs to further pique your interest):
The Queen's Necklace is a standalone novel, an epic tale which begins with the discovery of a lost princess and an ancient artifact, and proceeds through duels, chases, intrigues, enchantments, and elopements, introducing a remarkable cast of adventurers, magicians, courtesans, scholars, and spies.
Once upon a time, in the bad old times, when Men were ragged and humble, dirty and ignorant, a race of beautiful Goblins ruled the world. The Maglore built great cities: gorgeous, decadent, and perilous. They created dainty jeweled devices, magical "philosophic engines," on which their power and their Empire depended.
But there came a time when Men grew restless, when they began to see the possibility of something more than hard labor and ignorance. They cast off their chains and took arms against the Goblin races. Armed with fire and salt, they carried the battle against the Maglore into every city, town, and village, vowing they would not be satisfied with anything less than total extermination of their former masters.
They shattered the Empire, reconfigured the map, and created a new civilization, a world "perfected," destined to last (or so they thought) for a thousand thousand years.
A millenium has passed. Each small kingdom depends on one of the "Goblin Jewels," those apparently frivolous devices, nevertheless powerful enough to maintain the pumps and other machinery in the vast mines of Mountfalcon, prevent volcanoes from erupting in Winterscar, and the sea from flooding low-lying cities in Rijxland. Men have grown complacent, and the world is stagnating.
Which is just as remnants of the Maglore race (not extinct after all) would wish it. For it is time, they have decided, to destroy the kingdoms of Men and reclaim their rightful sovereignty. Their plan includes the seduction of a king and a plot to steal back the jewels.
Wilrowan Blackheart, Captain of the Queen's Guard, has been tasked with recovering the Mountfalcon Jewel. Gradually he uncovers a conspiracy that extends far beyond the borders of Mountfalcon, and takes him on an amazing journey through a baroque world of dying cities, crumbling palaces, and mysterious ruins. But his search may have devastating personal consequences. Because what Will doesn't know is that another has been sent on the same journey, the only woman he has ever loved and can never possess.
"Edgerton's wit, attention to detail, and lush prose are a delight, nor does she stint on feats of derring-do, mystery, magic, intrigue, and romance. I can't recommend The Queen's Necklace highly enough!" — Kate Elliott
"An exciting story set in a vividly imagined world and elegantly told." — Poul and Karen Anderson
"Beautifully crafted and utterly engrossing ... the most original and intriguing work of fantasy I've read in a long, long time." — Katherine Kerr
"Epic in scope and imagination, covering centuries and miles with equal deftness ... Long Live The Queen's Necklace!" — Rosemary Edghill
(As I write this, amazon.com is playing now-you-see-it-now-you-don't with the reprint. You might find it there if you are lucky and go searching for it at the right moment. It is, however, available through Barnes and Noble, and The Book Depository. An ebook is in the works, and allegedly a mass market paperback. More news on those as I have it.)
For those interested, herewith a description of the book from some old publicity materials (and a few blurbs to further pique your interest):
The Queen's Necklace is a standalone novel, an epic tale which begins with the discovery of a lost princess and an ancient artifact, and proceeds through duels, chases, intrigues, enchantments, and elopements, introducing a remarkable cast of adventurers, magicians, courtesans, scholars, and spies.
Once upon a time, in the bad old times, when Men were ragged and humble, dirty and ignorant, a race of beautiful Goblins ruled the world. The Maglore built great cities: gorgeous, decadent, and perilous. They created dainty jeweled devices, magical "philosophic engines," on which their power and their Empire depended.
But there came a time when Men grew restless, when they began to see the possibility of something more than hard labor and ignorance. They cast off their chains and took arms against the Goblin races. Armed with fire and salt, they carried the battle against the Maglore into every city, town, and village, vowing they would not be satisfied with anything less than total extermination of their former masters.
They shattered the Empire, reconfigured the map, and created a new civilization, a world "perfected," destined to last (or so they thought) for a thousand thousand years.
A millenium has passed. Each small kingdom depends on one of the "Goblin Jewels," those apparently frivolous devices, nevertheless powerful enough to maintain the pumps and other machinery in the vast mines of Mountfalcon, prevent volcanoes from erupting in Winterscar, and the sea from flooding low-lying cities in Rijxland. Men have grown complacent, and the world is stagnating.
Which is just as remnants of the Maglore race (not extinct after all) would wish it. For it is time, they have decided, to destroy the kingdoms of Men and reclaim their rightful sovereignty. Their plan includes the seduction of a king and a plot to steal back the jewels.
Wilrowan Blackheart, Captain of the Queen's Guard, has been tasked with recovering the Mountfalcon Jewel. Gradually he uncovers a conspiracy that extends far beyond the borders of Mountfalcon, and takes him on an amazing journey through a baroque world of dying cities, crumbling palaces, and mysterious ruins. But his search may have devastating personal consequences. Because what Will doesn't know is that another has been sent on the same journey, the only woman he has ever loved and can never possess.
"Edgerton's wit, attention to detail, and lush prose are a delight, nor does she stint on feats of derring-do, mystery, magic, intrigue, and romance. I can't recommend The Queen's Necklace highly enough!" — Kate Elliott
"An exciting story set in a vividly imagined world and elegantly told." — Poul and Karen Anderson
"Beautifully crafted and utterly engrossing ... the most original and intriguing work of fantasy I've read in a long, long time." — Katherine Kerr
"Epic in scope and imagination, covering centuries and miles with equal deftness ... Long Live The Queen's Necklace!" — Rosemary Edghill
(As I write this, amazon.com is playing now-you-see-it-now-you-don't with the reprint. You might find it there if you are lucky and go searching for it at the right moment. It is, however, available through Barnes and Noble, and The Book Depository. An ebook is in the works, and allegedly a mass market paperback. More news on those as I have it.)
December 20, 2011
From Idea to Plot ...
... or how I came to write Goblin Moon.
It began with a firm resolution and two images that appeared in my mind with astonishing clarity. The resolution was NOT to write another High Fantasy trilogy. I was inexpressibly tired of the Medieval setting, tired of swords and armor, of heroes who behaved in an appropriately heroic fashion. I was, on the other hand, very interested in the 18th century, an era so fantastical in its own right, I was surprised that no one had chosen it for the basis of a fantasy novel before.
The two images were an enormous moon — a moon that became visibly larger as it grew rounder — and two men in a rowboat, rowing on a river at the time of the full moon, men who discovered a body floating down the river in a coffin. Both of these images haunted me and I knew I had to work them into a story.
Who the men were, the identity of the body, what they did with it, and what was to come of it all, that was the beginning of my plot.
Jed and his uncle are river scavengers, trolling the Lunn for pieces of wreckage, and dead bodies — a profitable trade. One night on the river they snag an unexpected prize: the coffin and body of an ensorcelled magician, and his books of proscribed magic. They take the coffin to Jenk, a failed alchemist. Hungry for the forbidden knowledge, Jenk buys the coffin and its contents, with money originally saved as a dowry for his granddaughter, Sera.
The books yield fascinating secrets, and Jenk attempts the creation of a homunculus, a tiny living creature carved from a mandrake root.
Having gifted Jenk with a granddaughter, it only made sense to tell her story, too, and to eventually bring the two story lines together.
In the meantime, stubborn, sensible Sera lives on sufferance with wealthy relations, where she keeps a protective eye on her cousin, Elsie. Elsie’s mother, Clothilde, has been subjecting the girl to one fashionable “cure” after another, for an illness that exists solely in Clothilde’s mind. Between the exertions of the phlebotomists and the physic of the doctors, it’s a wonder Elsie survives at all. Sera intervenes where she can, but she can’t discourage a dubious foreign nobleman who courts Elsie under the sponsorship of her “almost godmother,” the Duchess of Zar-Wildungen.
While the Duchess lays deep plots, she also plays patron to Jenk, hoping to gain possession of the homunculus.
Now it was time to add further complications. I had already decided that the story was to be darker than anything I had written before, and now the ideas that were coming so fast developed along those lines.
Elsewhere, genuine deviltry is afoot: A secret society murders young prostitutes in perverse rituals; slavers use spells to lure innocent girls and boys, in order to ship them to brothels half a world away. Witches plague the countryside; the dead are raised untimely from their graves.
At this point, I noticed the absence of a hero — or rather, an anti-hero. Jed was too earnest for that role, and Sera, while a suitable heroine, was too principled, besides having enough on her hands already.
Against all this stands one man, pledged to pursue and bring to justice all those who would use magic for nefarious purposes. Like those he hunts, he is as ruthless as he is resourceful, and the different identities he adopts are more than just disguises: they are manifestations of a fragmented personality.
And there I had them: all the elements I needed for my plot. The challenge then was to see what I could make of them. A year later I had Goblin Moon.
(Edit: Since I last posted here, Goblin Moon has been reprinted by Tickety Boo Press. It's available as a trade paperback or an ebook at the Tickety Boo website, and at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online booksellers. For those who have Amazon Prime, amazon.com and amazon.co.uk may offer the best price. For those who don't, The Book Depository, with its free worldwide shipping may be the better alternative.)
It began with a firm resolution and two images that appeared in my mind with astonishing clarity. The resolution was NOT to write another High Fantasy trilogy. I was inexpressibly tired of the Medieval setting, tired of swords and armor, of heroes who behaved in an appropriately heroic fashion. I was, on the other hand, very interested in the 18th century, an era so fantastical in its own right, I was surprised that no one had chosen it for the basis of a fantasy novel before.
The two images were an enormous moon — a moon that became visibly larger as it grew rounder — and two men in a rowboat, rowing on a river at the time of the full moon, men who discovered a body floating down the river in a coffin. Both of these images haunted me and I knew I had to work them into a story.
Who the men were, the identity of the body, what they did with it, and what was to come of it all, that was the beginning of my plot.
Jed and his uncle are river scavengers, trolling the Lunn for pieces of wreckage, and dead bodies — a profitable trade. One night on the river they snag an unexpected prize: the coffin and body of an ensorcelled magician, and his books of proscribed magic. They take the coffin to Jenk, a failed alchemist. Hungry for the forbidden knowledge, Jenk buys the coffin and its contents, with money originally saved as a dowry for his granddaughter, Sera.
The books yield fascinating secrets, and Jenk attempts the creation of a homunculus, a tiny living creature carved from a mandrake root.
Having gifted Jenk with a granddaughter, it only made sense to tell her story, too, and to eventually bring the two story lines together.
In the meantime, stubborn, sensible Sera lives on sufferance with wealthy relations, where she keeps a protective eye on her cousin, Elsie. Elsie’s mother, Clothilde, has been subjecting the girl to one fashionable “cure” after another, for an illness that exists solely in Clothilde’s mind. Between the exertions of the phlebotomists and the physic of the doctors, it’s a wonder Elsie survives at all. Sera intervenes where she can, but she can’t discourage a dubious foreign nobleman who courts Elsie under the sponsorship of her “almost godmother,” the Duchess of Zar-Wildungen.
While the Duchess lays deep plots, she also plays patron to Jenk, hoping to gain possession of the homunculus.
Now it was time to add further complications. I had already decided that the story was to be darker than anything I had written before, and now the ideas that were coming so fast developed along those lines.
Elsewhere, genuine deviltry is afoot: A secret society murders young prostitutes in perverse rituals; slavers use spells to lure innocent girls and boys, in order to ship them to brothels half a world away. Witches plague the countryside; the dead are raised untimely from their graves.
At this point, I noticed the absence of a hero — or rather, an anti-hero. Jed was too earnest for that role, and Sera, while a suitable heroine, was too principled, besides having enough on her hands already.
Against all this stands one man, pledged to pursue and bring to justice all those who would use magic for nefarious purposes. Like those he hunts, he is as ruthless as he is resourceful, and the different identities he adopts are more than just disguises: they are manifestations of a fragmented personality.
And there I had them: all the elements I needed for my plot. The challenge then was to see what I could make of them. A year later I had Goblin Moon.
(Edit: Since I last posted here, Goblin Moon has been reprinted by Tickety Boo Press. It's available as a trade paperback or an ebook at the Tickety Boo website, and at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online booksellers. For those who have Amazon Prime, amazon.com and amazon.co.uk may offer the best price. For those who don't, The Book Depository, with its free worldwide shipping may be the better alternative.)
December 10, 2011
Making a Book Trailer ... what made me decide to try it again?
Actually, I've done it before. Several years ago I had the bright idea that my husband and I could make a live-action book trailer. We made some mistakes and we learned a lot, and the result was something that I was alternately very proud of and very disappointed in.
So this time I decided to try a different approach. We would just use still images combined with titles. At first we thought we'd use vintage clip art, and that looked rather good, but then I ran across some public domain silhouettes by Arthur Rackham. We scanned those and combined them with royalty free stock photos as backgrounds ... and I was hooked. I thought they looked lovely and decided to do the entire video that way.
And so began my quest for more clip art silhouettes. There are several books of them, mostly from Dover, but most of the figures aren't doing anything much but standing still so that you can admire their profiles. I became obsessed, searching through books in the children's department at our local libraries. I like the result that we've attained now, but I think we could have done it better ... and I have a voracious craving for more art by Rackham. Not just for the trailer, but in general.
In any case, once again it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be (though easier than last time!). Which makes me wonder why I am so eager to try it again.
So this time I decided to try a different approach. We would just use still images combined with titles. At first we thought we'd use vintage clip art, and that looked rather good, but then I ran across some public domain silhouettes by Arthur Rackham. We scanned those and combined them with royalty free stock photos as backgrounds ... and I was hooked. I thought they looked lovely and decided to do the entire video that way.
And so began my quest for more clip art silhouettes. There are several books of them, mostly from Dover, but most of the figures aren't doing anything much but standing still so that you can admire their profiles. I became obsessed, searching through books in the children's department at our local libraries. I like the result that we've attained now, but I think we could have done it better ... and I have a voracious craving for more art by Rackham. Not just for the trailer, but in general.
In any case, once again it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be (though easier than last time!). Which makes me wonder why I am so eager to try it again.
October 18, 2011
Self-publishing is HARD!
In the past, my books were published by a major publishing house, who handled most of the marketing and publicity. My part was to attend two conventions a year, and turn up for a few booksignings.
Now I am self-publishing my backlist. Over the years, I’ve known enough self-published authors, that I knew it would be hard.
In fact, I was always telling newly self-published writers, "It's going to take a lot more time and effort than you think."
Never did I speak a truer word.
And that was before I met the infamous Lizzie Ford.
In the month of October, my efforts had consisted of contacting a few blogs and setting up interviews, maintaining a blog of my own on a website I already frequented, and making myself obnoxious to everyone I knew by mentioning my first venture into self-publishing as often as I could think of an excuse to do so. (Which was often.)
Prodded by Lizzie, I joined Facebook last week.
And just since Friday, when GOBLIN MOON went live on Kindle, I have: approached even more blogs about reviewing my book; contacted everyone on my mailing list, telling them the book had just been released; joined Goodreads; uploaded my bio and photos to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, and amazon.de (and here, of course); tried to maintain a presence on Facebook, GoodReads, sffworld, and sffchronicles.
Things I've learned: Before an indie blog will review your book you have to fill out a form longer than a job application! It is no fun trying to follow directions in German when you don’t speak German, and ...
It takes a lot more time and effort than I thought.
Now I am self-publishing my backlist. Over the years, I’ve known enough self-published authors, that I knew it would be hard.
In fact, I was always telling newly self-published writers, "It's going to take a lot more time and effort than you think."
Never did I speak a truer word.
And that was before I met the infamous Lizzie Ford.
In the month of October, my efforts had consisted of contacting a few blogs and setting up interviews, maintaining a blog of my own on a website I already frequented, and making myself obnoxious to everyone I knew by mentioning my first venture into self-publishing as often as I could think of an excuse to do so. (Which was often.)
Prodded by Lizzie, I joined Facebook last week.
And just since Friday, when GOBLIN MOON went live on Kindle, I have: approached even more blogs about reviewing my book; contacted everyone on my mailing list, telling them the book had just been released; joined Goodreads; uploaded my bio and photos to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, and amazon.de (and here, of course); tried to maintain a presence on Facebook, GoodReads, sffworld, and sffchronicles.
Things I've learned: Before an indie blog will review your book you have to fill out a form longer than a job application! It is no fun trying to follow directions in German when you don’t speak German, and ...
It takes a lot more time and effort than I thought.
Confessions of an Ink-Stained Wretch
Adventures in reading, writing, being published, and self-publishing.
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