Suzy Davies's Blog: Book News - Posts Tagged "fantasy"
Black Ink.
I shall write you a love letter
on cream notepaper, in black ink.
I’ll criticize that you chose her
an’ made my poor heart
sink.
I shall write you a love letter
by candlelight, in black ink.
I’ll write bold and precise,
be quirky and nice,
and make you start to think.
I shall write you a love letter
on a train bound for Berlin.
Covertly, behind my hand,
as if darkness
were a sin.
I shall write you a love letter
and spray it with perfume
as seductive as drinkin' chocolate,
wafting through your room.
I shall write you a love letter
in the blackest black of nights.
I’ll tell you don’t care 'bout it -
an’ I hope you and her fight.
I shall make you a letter
in footprints,
in the snow.
An’ if they look at me, ask questions,
I’ll say that I don’t know.
Copyright Suzy Davies 28/11/2017. All Rights Reserved.
on cream notepaper, in black ink.
I’ll criticize that you chose her
an’ made my poor heart
sink.
I shall write you a love letter
by candlelight, in black ink.
I’ll write bold and precise,
be quirky and nice,
and make you start to think.
I shall write you a love letter
on a train bound for Berlin.
Covertly, behind my hand,
as if darkness
were a sin.
I shall write you a love letter
and spray it with perfume
as seductive as drinkin' chocolate,
wafting through your room.
I shall write you a love letter
in the blackest black of nights.
I’ll tell you don’t care 'bout it -
an’ I hope you and her fight.
I shall make you a letter
in footprints,
in the snow.
An’ if they look at me, ask questions,
I’ll say that I don’t know.
Copyright Suzy Davies 28/11/2017. All Rights Reserved.
"The Cave," by Suzy Davies - Heroes and Heroines!
It is well-known that the name of the author of “Harry Potter” books - J. K. Rowling - is such because Rowling wanted her name to appeal to boys who would read her books. Her publisher decided that to appeal to a young male audience, (as well as females,) who might be put off by the notion of a woman writing “their” books, it was better to use the initial “J” and add the “K,” perhaps for extra authority - Rowling did not have a middle name.
Any author of Young Adult Books has to make their own choices with regard to their pen name, if any.
But I have chosen to stick with “Suzy Davies” for my new release on Smashwords, “The Cave,” because if I am the only woman to write about the Thai Cave, (among a proliferation of male authors,) so be it.
My version of the Thai Cave story has all the so-called “masculine” elements of an action adventure story interwoven with a thread of mysticism and the supernatural.
In “The Cave” I bring bonds of family love, which the boys themselves acknowledge helped them through their challenges, to the foreground.
My book balances fact and fiction, thought and feeling, mind and body, the private sphere and public sphere, and questions gender stereotypes.
I have Hans Christian Andersen to thank for giving me the idea that mermaids helped the Navy Seals in their Heroic mission. The film, “Bend it Like Beckham” inspired me to create industrious Jintara, the heroine seamstress/artist in the story, who plays football as well as any boy hero. And little Lec, Jintara’s brother, and the hero of the tale, is strong and sensitive.
The Thai Cave could easily be reduced to a cliche - an epic tale of The Heroic - without acknowledging the women heroines whose power to love and to nurture brought those Wild Boars home.
Suzy Davies, Author, “The Cave” Copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved.
Any author of Young Adult Books has to make their own choices with regard to their pen name, if any.
But I have chosen to stick with “Suzy Davies” for my new release on Smashwords, “The Cave,” because if I am the only woman to write about the Thai Cave, (among a proliferation of male authors,) so be it.
My version of the Thai Cave story has all the so-called “masculine” elements of an action adventure story interwoven with a thread of mysticism and the supernatural.
In “The Cave” I bring bonds of family love, which the boys themselves acknowledge helped them through their challenges, to the foreground.
My book balances fact and fiction, thought and feeling, mind and body, the private sphere and public sphere, and questions gender stereotypes.
I have Hans Christian Andersen to thank for giving me the idea that mermaids helped the Navy Seals in their Heroic mission. The film, “Bend it Like Beckham” inspired me to create industrious Jintara, the heroine seamstress/artist in the story, who plays football as well as any boy hero. And little Lec, Jintara’s brother, and the hero of the tale, is strong and sensitive.
The Thai Cave could easily be reduced to a cliche - an epic tale of The Heroic - without acknowledging the women heroines whose power to love and to nurture brought those Wild Boars home.
Suzy Davies, Author, “The Cave” Copyright 2018, All Rights Reserved.
How Reading Fantasy Books Helps Develop Children's Imaginations and why this is Important.
Sometimes, people overlook the value of reading fantasy to children because of our obsession with a hierarchy of knowledge that places “realism” above “fantasy” and “science” above “art.”
We want to cram our children’s heads full of facts, such is our banking system of education. But this is not what education is about.
Although my brain is more artistic than scientific, I value science and hope that my books will help to develop the imaginations of scientists in the making as well as budding artists. And I think they will! For nothing that has ever been invented by a scientist has been invented without an imaginative brain. And nothing created by an artist is created without the capacity to envision something out of the ordinary.
Although both my children’s books are based in reality, they are full of modern parables, tales within tales. This kind of fantasy is created at metaphorical level in the text and allows for a multiplicity of meanings and scope for children’s imaginations. It is through exploring the many threads that combining of metaphors can create, that children learn to innovate for themselves.
Learning to put unusual things together at metaphorical level helps "out of the box" thinking.
Older children will also learn to reason. Not all possible meanings in a text are equally valid. They will use logic and reason to uncover what is the most likely interpretation of the book or what the author intended the meaning to be. And they will have opinions of their own.
Some time ago a reviewer of “Snugs The Snow Bear” seemed to misunderstand why I had mentioned The Northern Lights in my snow bear tale, and gone into some detail describing them. They, of course, were a metaphor for the supernatural magic of the snow bear, and were meant to indicate that he should be free to show up like them, as part of nature, part of the environment and natural beauty of the world.
At another level, an older child might interpret these lights as triggers to fantastic memories of home, a kind of analogy to the way in which memory operates like cinema - a series of flashing images before one’s eyes, that can be fleeting and transitory. Of course, at a more literal level, The Northern Lights immediately conjure up the snow bear in his natural environment.
A quirky metaphor in Snugs The Snow Bear is an egg-timer. I will not reveal the literal meaning in the text here. But at metaphorical level, it may be interpreted to represent the “sands of time” running out on climate change.
Children’s books that are written clearly and simply mean very young kids can read them and enjoy them. Those that also have rich layers of meaning allow older children and adults to enjoy them, too.
It is my belief that imagination is like a muscle. Use it often enough, and you will develop it.
If we are to see future generations of artists, scientists, great thought leaders and innovative business people in the making, they will need imagination in bucketloads.
Children’s books are a rehearsal for life. Through fantasy, children can learn to problem solve, put themselves in the position of the characters and develop an imaginative empathy for others, including animals.
Rather than dumbing down and short-changing our kids, we should be posing questions about the world around them for which they can seek answers and solutions.
This does not mean our books have to be dry and boring. On the contrary, through being entertained, children will surprise us with the discoveries their imaginative minds make.
We want to cram our children’s heads full of facts, such is our banking system of education. But this is not what education is about.
Although my brain is more artistic than scientific, I value science and hope that my books will help to develop the imaginations of scientists in the making as well as budding artists. And I think they will! For nothing that has ever been invented by a scientist has been invented without an imaginative brain. And nothing created by an artist is created without the capacity to envision something out of the ordinary.
Although both my children’s books are based in reality, they are full of modern parables, tales within tales. This kind of fantasy is created at metaphorical level in the text and allows for a multiplicity of meanings and scope for children’s imaginations. It is through exploring the many threads that combining of metaphors can create, that children learn to innovate for themselves.
Learning to put unusual things together at metaphorical level helps "out of the box" thinking.
Older children will also learn to reason. Not all possible meanings in a text are equally valid. They will use logic and reason to uncover what is the most likely interpretation of the book or what the author intended the meaning to be. And they will have opinions of their own.
Some time ago a reviewer of “Snugs The Snow Bear” seemed to misunderstand why I had mentioned The Northern Lights in my snow bear tale, and gone into some detail describing them. They, of course, were a metaphor for the supernatural magic of the snow bear, and were meant to indicate that he should be free to show up like them, as part of nature, part of the environment and natural beauty of the world.
At another level, an older child might interpret these lights as triggers to fantastic memories of home, a kind of analogy to the way in which memory operates like cinema - a series of flashing images before one’s eyes, that can be fleeting and transitory. Of course, at a more literal level, The Northern Lights immediately conjure up the snow bear in his natural environment.
A quirky metaphor in Snugs The Snow Bear is an egg-timer. I will not reveal the literal meaning in the text here. But at metaphorical level, it may be interpreted to represent the “sands of time” running out on climate change.
Children’s books that are written clearly and simply mean very young kids can read them and enjoy them. Those that also have rich layers of meaning allow older children and adults to enjoy them, too.
It is my belief that imagination is like a muscle. Use it often enough, and you will develop it.
If we are to see future generations of artists, scientists, great thought leaders and innovative business people in the making, they will need imagination in bucketloads.
Children’s books are a rehearsal for life. Through fantasy, children can learn to problem solve, put themselves in the position of the characters and develop an imaginative empathy for others, including animals.
Rather than dumbing down and short-changing our kids, we should be posing questions about the world around them for which they can seek answers and solutions.
This does not mean our books have to be dry and boring. On the contrary, through being entertained, children will surprise us with the discoveries their imaginative minds make.
It's The Iditarod Today!
https://twitter.com/Michelebourke1/st...
Follow this link to preview the stunning artwork in our Alaskan fairytale book - "The Girl in the Red Cape" Our book is sure to delight children 8 years plus and their adults! What a great way to celebrate the great race and experience a taste of adventure!
Follow this link to preview the stunning artwork in our Alaskan fairytale book - "The Girl in the Red Cape" Our book is sure to delight children 8 years plus and their adults! What a great way to celebrate the great race and experience a taste of adventure!
Amazon Book Review
5-stars for "The Girl in the Red Cape: A Mystical Sled Ride" by Suzy Davies, illustrated by Michele Bourke
Customer Review
Dan Santos
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, the secrets of Little Red Riding Hood
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2020
From time to time the child in us revisits the fairy tales which have been there like forever. I don’t know about you, but I often wonder if a particular fairy tale holds meanings we missed as children. The temptation to reread it grows stronger when little details come to haunt us. Such is the case with Little Red Riding Hood.
It fascinated and even scared me the first time I heard it. A precocious (and frankly a little pain in the butt) kid, I began to ask questions. What illness did her grandmother have? Why didn’t an adult accompany her through the dangerous woods? What’s with the cape and the hood? Who was that girl anyway?
It seems I wasn’t alone in my search for answers to my troubling questions. Suzy Davies decided to tackle the revisit and answer many of the questions. As a parent, I could have predicted the first answer: the kid was a teenager. Sometimes that explains a lot of erratic behavior. But the author went further. She had a name: Stella. And she had an interesting story.
Suzy Davies built a modern day children's book around this traditional fairy tale. She has a tremendous imagination and knows how to tell a story. Moreover, she kept it within the realm of eight to ten year olds. So it is safe to share it with your little ones. And, oh yeah, it has illustrations!
So here’s your chance to begin answering all those questions. It’s a perfect early reader, or even a book to read to your kids at night. Do people still do that?
Customer Review
Dan Santos
5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, the secrets of Little Red Riding Hood
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2020
From time to time the child in us revisits the fairy tales which have been there like forever. I don’t know about you, but I often wonder if a particular fairy tale holds meanings we missed as children. The temptation to reread it grows stronger when little details come to haunt us. Such is the case with Little Red Riding Hood.
It fascinated and even scared me the first time I heard it. A precocious (and frankly a little pain in the butt) kid, I began to ask questions. What illness did her grandmother have? Why didn’t an adult accompany her through the dangerous woods? What’s with the cape and the hood? Who was that girl anyway?
It seems I wasn’t alone in my search for answers to my troubling questions. Suzy Davies decided to tackle the revisit and answer many of the questions. As a parent, I could have predicted the first answer: the kid was a teenager. Sometimes that explains a lot of erratic behavior. But the author went further. She had a name: Stella. And she had an interesting story.
Suzy Davies built a modern day children's book around this traditional fairy tale. She has a tremendous imagination and knows how to tell a story. Moreover, she kept it within the realm of eight to ten year olds. So it is safe to share it with your little ones. And, oh yeah, it has illustrations!
So here’s your chance to begin answering all those questions. It’s a perfect early reader, or even a book to read to your kids at night. Do people still do that?
The Snow Queen by Suzy Davies
Let me take you back to London Town, in the old days. A sister and brother live in an upstairs tenement.They are poor and not yet worldly-wise. My book, “The Snow Queen” takes you to this London you may already know or have read about. But although the metropolis is very real, it is seen through a magic lens in the mind's eye.
The city shivers with chiming voices on fragile winds that sigh. The presence of an ethereal beauty rides the wintry landscape. Children are in a playground on the swings. Back and for, back and for, they ride. Time stands still in an innocent world of cars and trains, traffic lights, steaming chips and ketchup, Christmas trees and oily rainbows on cracked concrete… and Mum at home awaiting them…
Yet as they grow, and the years pass slowly, someone else - a wizard - is watching. He has a plan. To conjure a spell to ensnare a boy, a teenager of good character, a hard-working boy, Adam. He will be The First Slave.
And so, through this dark conjuring, this malevolent wizardry, the world of reality and the world of magic collide. The dark force of the wizard’s magic will be known and felt. And the children of the world will be held captives forever…
Far, far away, over the ocean, all the enchantment and wonder of a glittering winter; a winter in The Snowlands, a place of mystical animals that tread the land and soar on the wind awaits. This is a mythological land of dreams.
A shoemaker is making a boot fit for a king. A princess awaits in her Danish castle with her horses who follow the star of Pegasus. A seamstress in Rovaniemi is sewing a gown of sparkling threads and jewel-drops, fit for a queen.
The Snow Queen resides in the frozen glass Ice Palace in Norway. She is waiting for her wizard. Together, they will be an evil power couple, and rule till the end of days.
A Snow Goose rides through the storm, carrying Sean to his one true love.
A brave dwarf has a plan…
Adam slumbers, a prisoner, alone in the fairy tower on the west wing of The Ice Palace. Beside his bed, a game of chess, the black king toppled over.
Aragog lies in wait in her glistening web …and always, there’s dark magic…
The wind whistles through the skeleton tree. In her crystal ball, the old gypsy caught a glimpse of what would befall her daughter. The three sisters cast their spells, harnessing good and the forces of nature.
There is yet a ray of hope. Truth be told in the prophecy of The Book of The Ancients.
In a fair world of good and evil, there’s a battle ahead. Justice is all in this moral universe. Darkness consumes itself. The Light shines forever. Shimmering rainbows dance through shadows in the snow. Celestial light glows from the heavens.
The world of “The Snow Queen” is a romantic world; a fairytale, of castles and queens, rivalry, jealousy, revenge, destiny and inheritance. It is a world of sacrifice and redemption.
My book is an epic love story. Bryony, a young warrior with dark gypsy eyes, is the heroine. Over the sea, as if in a dream, she rides, and back again, on an ocean of forgiveness, to a land, long forgotten, back in time…
The Idea for The Snow Queen
My book is a reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s original story.The seed of an idea to have a gypsy protagonist in my story came from my late dad’s cousin who was a television producer for Children’s BBC Wales. At a churchyard gate, in Llanberis, she informed me that on my late dad’s side of the family, we are descended from Roma people.
My Writing Process
I have written at length about my writing process on Goodreads. Basically, I combine plotter and pantser tactics. I have an outline of the story and a sense of an ending before I begin writing. However, I think you can overplan, so I revise and adjust my ending at intervals in line with the resolution of the story. The characters “tell me” which way to go. It’s a process of forward and back, and thorough editing before it all comes together. I think spontaneity is what makes writing full of life and exciting. From the seed of an idea, to outlining, writing and several edits, it takes me about 18 months to write a book this length. Part of this is because I enjoy tackling a variety of projects so I am never working on one project full time until I reach the editing stage.
A Meeting of Hearts, Hands and Minds
After writing my book, I wondered how best I might share it with people across the globe. It was just like a fairytale, a dream come true, when I discovered, quite by chance, the enchanting multi faceted world of air and paper created by the world-acclaimed papercut artist, Bit Vejle, who is the founder of The Museum for Paperart in Denmark. My fairytale journey did not end there. I revisited Musuem Odense, and found the courage to approach them with a view to featuring some of Hans Christian Andersen’s papercuts in the paperback and hardback editions of my work. I was so fortunate that they agreed, much to my delight! Now our book is a dream come true - something I have dreamed about all my life!
Book Blurb
The Robber Girl is back! Bryony has a special destiny, foretold in The Book of The Ancients.With her dark eyes on a handsome Roma boy, Sean, and a gypsy crown, she has a battle to win, cheating death. She must rescue Adam from the Snow Queen’s web of evil, defeating the wizard and his dark sorcery. If she fails, the evil couple will cast a maleficent shadow of doom across the world, enslaving all children until the end of time. In this tale of romance, magic, rivalry, inheritance and destiny, a heartwarming epic journey awaits.
The city shivers with chiming voices on fragile winds that sigh. The presence of an ethereal beauty rides the wintry landscape. Children are in a playground on the swings. Back and for, back and for, they ride. Time stands still in an innocent world of cars and trains, traffic lights, steaming chips and ketchup, Christmas trees and oily rainbows on cracked concrete… and Mum at home awaiting them…
Yet as they grow, and the years pass slowly, someone else - a wizard - is watching. He has a plan. To conjure a spell to ensnare a boy, a teenager of good character, a hard-working boy, Adam. He will be The First Slave.
And so, through this dark conjuring, this malevolent wizardry, the world of reality and the world of magic collide. The dark force of the wizard’s magic will be known and felt. And the children of the world will be held captives forever…
Far, far away, over the ocean, all the enchantment and wonder of a glittering winter; a winter in The Snowlands, a place of mystical animals that tread the land and soar on the wind awaits. This is a mythological land of dreams.
A shoemaker is making a boot fit for a king. A princess awaits in her Danish castle with her horses who follow the star of Pegasus. A seamstress in Rovaniemi is sewing a gown of sparkling threads and jewel-drops, fit for a queen.
The Snow Queen resides in the frozen glass Ice Palace in Norway. She is waiting for her wizard. Together, they will be an evil power couple, and rule till the end of days.
A Snow Goose rides through the storm, carrying Sean to his one true love.
A brave dwarf has a plan…
Adam slumbers, a prisoner, alone in the fairy tower on the west wing of The Ice Palace. Beside his bed, a game of chess, the black king toppled over.
Aragog lies in wait in her glistening web …and always, there’s dark magic…
The wind whistles through the skeleton tree. In her crystal ball, the old gypsy caught a glimpse of what would befall her daughter. The three sisters cast their spells, harnessing good and the forces of nature.
There is yet a ray of hope. Truth be told in the prophecy of The Book of The Ancients.
In a fair world of good and evil, there’s a battle ahead. Justice is all in this moral universe. Darkness consumes itself. The Light shines forever. Shimmering rainbows dance through shadows in the snow. Celestial light glows from the heavens.
The world of “The Snow Queen” is a romantic world; a fairytale, of castles and queens, rivalry, jealousy, revenge, destiny and inheritance. It is a world of sacrifice and redemption.
My book is an epic love story. Bryony, a young warrior with dark gypsy eyes, is the heroine. Over the sea, as if in a dream, she rides, and back again, on an ocean of forgiveness, to a land, long forgotten, back in time…
The Idea for The Snow Queen
My book is a reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s original story.The seed of an idea to have a gypsy protagonist in my story came from my late dad’s cousin who was a television producer for Children’s BBC Wales. At a churchyard gate, in Llanberis, she informed me that on my late dad’s side of the family, we are descended from Roma people.
My Writing Process
I have written at length about my writing process on Goodreads. Basically, I combine plotter and pantser tactics. I have an outline of the story and a sense of an ending before I begin writing. However, I think you can overplan, so I revise and adjust my ending at intervals in line with the resolution of the story. The characters “tell me” which way to go. It’s a process of forward and back, and thorough editing before it all comes together. I think spontaneity is what makes writing full of life and exciting. From the seed of an idea, to outlining, writing and several edits, it takes me about 18 months to write a book this length. Part of this is because I enjoy tackling a variety of projects so I am never working on one project full time until I reach the editing stage.
A Meeting of Hearts, Hands and Minds
After writing my book, I wondered how best I might share it with people across the globe. It was just like a fairytale, a dream come true, when I discovered, quite by chance, the enchanting multi faceted world of air and paper created by the world-acclaimed papercut artist, Bit Vejle, who is the founder of The Museum for Paperart in Denmark. My fairytale journey did not end there. I revisited Musuem Odense, and found the courage to approach them with a view to featuring some of Hans Christian Andersen’s papercuts in the paperback and hardback editions of my work. I was so fortunate that they agreed, much to my delight! Now our book is a dream come true - something I have dreamed about all my life!
Book Blurb
The Robber Girl is back! Bryony has a special destiny, foretold in The Book of The Ancients.With her dark eyes on a handsome Roma boy, Sean, and a gypsy crown, she has a battle to win, cheating death. She must rescue Adam from the Snow Queen’s web of evil, defeating the wizard and his dark sorcery. If she fails, the evil couple will cast a maleficent shadow of doom across the world, enslaving all children until the end of time. In this tale of romance, magic, rivalry, inheritance and destiny, a heartwarming epic journey awaits.
Book Launch Countdown
i am pleased to announce that the paperback version of my book, "The Snow Queen" is launching very soon. It has a new cover, designed by Bit Vejle, Danish-Norwegian paper cut artist of international acclaim. Our book will feature original paper cuts by the grand master himself - Hans Christian Andersen.
Interview with Dvalin The Dwarf by Suzy Davies
“Pleased to meet you, Dvalin, lovely place you have here! Why did you decide to live in leafy Kensington?”
“My goat, Hoover. Needs a garden, and I need her to cut the grass. It’s not easy being short!”
“You seem to manage very well. Careful on those stilts!”
“I’m used to them. Yes, I’m an orphan, born of a long line of Danish trolls. We are a tough.”
“Mm. I heard you used to be an stunt man.”
“Yes, you know, it was fun. Ha Ha! Came in useful when I helped Adam in the tunnel, and we swung on Aragog’s web… hanging by a thread. Close call, that was. And when I climbed up The Ladder to The Stars and abseiled down the side of The Ice Palace.”
“I heard all about it. Geez! You have a head for heights. Glad you escaped! So, how did you know The Evil Queen?”
“Met her in The Snowlands. It was a tough winter. We, I mean, The Trolls, live underground. But, I was out. Looking for some berries to make red paint. All my paints are natural colors. Anyway, she drew up on her sled with her deer. Poor things! They were freezing cold. Said something about The Palace Ah. Yep! She wanted a team of trolls to work for her, making Ice Sculptures. I explained I had to come back here - to England. It was Panto season, and a troll friend of mine got me a part as an extra. Not far from here. We’re in the middle of Theatreland, you know!”
Yes, it’s close to all the theatres here… But I’ve heard now you’re an artist and do portraits, Dvalin?”
“That’s right. Would you like me to paint you? Can squeeze you in a week next Saturday, if you like.”
“So you are very busy! But I hope you won’t play any tricks on me?”
“Tricks? What do you mean?”
“I heard about The Snow Queen’s portrait.”
“Oh, I see. News travels fast! So gossipy around here. Nosy neighbours! But I only use dark magic against enemies. Trolls are like that. So, nothing for you to worry about, my friend.”
“OK, I’d like you to paint me as long as you promise, no tricks!”
“You have the troll’s promise. Want to see the one I did of Bryony, first? Just a mo. Do you like my gismo? It’s a dumb waiter, so it doesn’t argue! Here you go!”
“Wow, Dvalin. It is fast!”
“Not like me, you mean?”
“Exactly.”
“Well?”
“You got the eyes! Like grapes. Dark as grapes.”
“Thank you, Ma’am. I hope she’ll like it! Now, for your portrait, I’d make a feature of the hands.”
“Really, why?”
“Hands tell stories.”
“Say that again!”
“That’s what we have in common. I paint and you write. Are you going to write a story about me?”
“Yes, I was thinking about it.”
“Well, don’t forget, everything begins and ends with magic!
“My goat, Hoover. Needs a garden, and I need her to cut the grass. It’s not easy being short!”
“You seem to manage very well. Careful on those stilts!”
“I’m used to them. Yes, I’m an orphan, born of a long line of Danish trolls. We are a tough.”
“Mm. I heard you used to be an stunt man.”
“Yes, you know, it was fun. Ha Ha! Came in useful when I helped Adam in the tunnel, and we swung on Aragog’s web… hanging by a thread. Close call, that was. And when I climbed up The Ladder to The Stars and abseiled down the side of The Ice Palace.”
“I heard all about it. Geez! You have a head for heights. Glad you escaped! So, how did you know The Evil Queen?”
“Met her in The Snowlands. It was a tough winter. We, I mean, The Trolls, live underground. But, I was out. Looking for some berries to make red paint. All my paints are natural colors. Anyway, she drew up on her sled with her deer. Poor things! They were freezing cold. Said something about The Palace Ah. Yep! She wanted a team of trolls to work for her, making Ice Sculptures. I explained I had to come back here - to England. It was Panto season, and a troll friend of mine got me a part as an extra. Not far from here. We’re in the middle of Theatreland, you know!”
Yes, it’s close to all the theatres here… But I’ve heard now you’re an artist and do portraits, Dvalin?”
“That’s right. Would you like me to paint you? Can squeeze you in a week next Saturday, if you like.”
“So you are very busy! But I hope you won’t play any tricks on me?”
“Tricks? What do you mean?”
“I heard about The Snow Queen’s portrait.”
“Oh, I see. News travels fast! So gossipy around here. Nosy neighbours! But I only use dark magic against enemies. Trolls are like that. So, nothing for you to worry about, my friend.”
“OK, I’d like you to paint me as long as you promise, no tricks!”
“You have the troll’s promise. Want to see the one I did of Bryony, first? Just a mo. Do you like my gismo? It’s a dumb waiter, so it doesn’t argue! Here you go!”
“Wow, Dvalin. It is fast!”
“Not like me, you mean?”
“Exactly.”
“Well?”
“You got the eyes! Like grapes. Dark as grapes.”
“Thank you, Ma’am. I hope she’ll like it! Now, for your portrait, I’d make a feature of the hands.”
“Really, why?”
“Hands tell stories.”
“Say that again!”
“That’s what we have in common. I paint and you write. Are you going to write a story about me?”
“Yes, I was thinking about it.”
“Well, don’t forget, everything begins and ends with magic!
Book News
"The Flamingos Who Painted The Sky," our new picture book is NOW fully available to bring in #Christmas #sunshine, #flamingo #sunsets, and #happiness #worldwide Illustrated by the talented Shirin Mass ...more
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