Rachael Eyre's Blog - Posts Tagged "fantasy"
Coming Soon: Book 666
Being a demon is no picnic. Especially when your full time job is trying to Tempt a nine year old who thinks unicorns are the coolest thing ever. Oh, and you’re expected to send your evil uncle regular updates. No pressure.
But when Meg Wormwood falls in love with Selina, the Guardian Angel at her posting, all hell breaks loose. In fact, it may even mean the end of humanity as we know it ...
#Book666 will be released in 2020. Nothing short of an act of God will stop it.
But when Meg Wormwood falls in love with Selina, the Guardian Angel at her posting, all hell breaks loose. In fact, it may even mean the end of humanity as we know it ...
#Book666 will be released in 2020. Nothing short of an act of God will stop it.
Why I Wrote Book 666
I’ve been writing this story in one form or another for over half of my life. I’m not exaggerating.
Growing up, the Devil was a constant presence. Here he was on a page of the Children’s Bible, tempting Jesus in the desert; there he was again, challenging Christ to a game of poker in Spanish Train. These two always seemed to be locking horns, like the Joker and Batman. Not to mention all the Devil’s Chairs and Devil’s Bridges dotted around the British landscape. (He visits us *a lot*).
Since I was “bad,” irreligious and had zero willpower, I was convinced as a kid that I’d end up in Hell. Realising I liked girls only reinforced this impression. Wilde’s “I can resist everything except temptation” could have been written for me.
I discovered two seminal books around the same time: Paradise Lost and The Screwtape Letters. Milton’s epic dominated my thought for the next couple of years; it was the subject of my GCSE art project. I still recite passages of it when I’m really drunk, to everyone’s chagrin.
The Screwtape Letters was something else. It’s possibly one of the most ingenious ideas an author has had. Wormwood has recently graduated and is on his first assignment; Screwtape, his decidedly unavuncular uncle, writes to advise him. These aren’t your standard pantomime devils in red tights. They’re deadly serious and dangerous.
Aged twelve, I was dying to write something set in my new favourite genre. So I composed what any Milton obsessed, Queen loving kid would: a heaven and hell themed rock opera called Out of Place. Damian Devil had somehow wound up in Heaven, but needed to solve the mystery of Desdemona, the Head Angel’s daughter who had vanished years ago ... Sophomoric in the extreme. Even worse, I can still remember the songs. Gah!
Realising Out of Place appealed to exactly one person, i.e. me, I shelved it. I couldn’t write music or sing anyway. What on earth had I been thinking? Perhaps it would fare better in another form. A book, maybe. I’d just have to come up with a story, at a time where people were prepared to listen.
I grew up and wrote a bunch of other books. Paranormal fiction came and went - I’d missed the boat *again.* Though I’d read Good Omens by this point, enjoyed its wry humour. The years passed; my idea seemed destined to remain an outline in a notebook somewhere, until ...
Thanks to Twitter, I know the date and time inspiration struck. 16/04/2019, 10:34am: “Good Omens is what happens if the angel and devil on your shoulder fell in love,” complete with GIF of Kronk and his conscience.
This throwaway tweet prompted a set up, a story. In a nod to Screwtape, Meg Wormwood is on her first mission and sending dispatches to her scary uncle. She finds herself falling for Selina, her target’s Guardian Angel. This is naturally taboo, so they’re forced to choose between love and centuries of tradition.
It’s been twenty two years in the making. I hope my readers enjoy it. I’ve liked writing it.
Growing up, the Devil was a constant presence. Here he was on a page of the Children’s Bible, tempting Jesus in the desert; there he was again, challenging Christ to a game of poker in Spanish Train. These two always seemed to be locking horns, like the Joker and Batman. Not to mention all the Devil’s Chairs and Devil’s Bridges dotted around the British landscape. (He visits us *a lot*).
Since I was “bad,” irreligious and had zero willpower, I was convinced as a kid that I’d end up in Hell. Realising I liked girls only reinforced this impression. Wilde’s “I can resist everything except temptation” could have been written for me.
I discovered two seminal books around the same time: Paradise Lost and The Screwtape Letters. Milton’s epic dominated my thought for the next couple of years; it was the subject of my GCSE art project. I still recite passages of it when I’m really drunk, to everyone’s chagrin.
The Screwtape Letters was something else. It’s possibly one of the most ingenious ideas an author has had. Wormwood has recently graduated and is on his first assignment; Screwtape, his decidedly unavuncular uncle, writes to advise him. These aren’t your standard pantomime devils in red tights. They’re deadly serious and dangerous.
Aged twelve, I was dying to write something set in my new favourite genre. So I composed what any Milton obsessed, Queen loving kid would: a heaven and hell themed rock opera called Out of Place. Damian Devil had somehow wound up in Heaven, but needed to solve the mystery of Desdemona, the Head Angel’s daughter who had vanished years ago ... Sophomoric in the extreme. Even worse, I can still remember the songs. Gah!
Realising Out of Place appealed to exactly one person, i.e. me, I shelved it. I couldn’t write music or sing anyway. What on earth had I been thinking? Perhaps it would fare better in another form. A book, maybe. I’d just have to come up with a story, at a time where people were prepared to listen.
I grew up and wrote a bunch of other books. Paranormal fiction came and went - I’d missed the boat *again.* Though I’d read Good Omens by this point, enjoyed its wry humour. The years passed; my idea seemed destined to remain an outline in a notebook somewhere, until ...
Thanks to Twitter, I know the date and time inspiration struck. 16/04/2019, 10:34am: “Good Omens is what happens if the angel and devil on your shoulder fell in love,” complete with GIF of Kronk and his conscience.
This throwaway tweet prompted a set up, a story. In a nod to Screwtape, Meg Wormwood is on her first mission and sending dispatches to her scary uncle. She finds herself falling for Selina, her target’s Guardian Angel. This is naturally taboo, so they’re forced to choose between love and centuries of tradition.
It’s been twenty two years in the making. I hope my readers enjoy it. I’ve liked writing it.
Everything You Need To Know About Hello Satan
Hello Satan is going to be released shortly before Christmas. Here’s everything you need to know …
* It’s a prequel (of sorts) to Book 666, sharing several of the same characters. Before you ask, there are no spoilers.
* The germ of the idea formed after watching the attack on the Capitol on the news. I wondered what would have happened if they had succeeded, but didn’t want to write a conventional dystopia, since there had been far too many in the wake of the pandemic. A few months later it occurred to me that the War in Heaven could have been similar - and there was my story.
* As you’ve probably guessed, I love Malcolm and wanted him to be a main character this time round. I quickly decided the protagonist would have to be Satan, but didn’t want him to be a panto villain or a sexy antihero. I struggled to write him until I realised he *thinks* he’s Blackadder, but he’s actually more of a Prince Regent.
* He’s born Lucifer and renames himself Satan, but God - his Mother - calls him Lucky. That’s what he goes by throughout.
* Lucky was originally going to be straight, in an attempt to make the story more mainstream. It seems I’m not very interested in writing about straight people, so he was reimagined as bi.
* His unrequited love for Eve is mentioned in Book 666, but he has another crush on a major biblical figure. I loved writing these chapters.
* There’s a lot of fabulous devil related folklore out there, especially if you follow the #folklorethursday hashtag. It’s there I discovered Kitta Grau, who had to play a part in the story somewhere.
* I’ve enjoyed putting my spin on various biblical/apocryphal characters. I’ve always felt Lilith has been unfairly maligned, and made her the nearest this book has to a heroine instead.
* Junior (aka Jesus) was another tricky one to write, until I twigged it’s all in his nickname: he’s the ultimate annoying kid brother. The two of them are constantly squabbling over which of them God likes best, but it’s clear She loves them equally.
* I knew how I wanted to write God from the very beginning: outwardly fluffy but a strong, brave and loving lioness. The perfect mother, in other words.
* Fido was a later addition, but I thought it’d make sense if Lucky is a dog person to his Mother’s cat person, emphasising how different they are. The idea of a goofy, slobbery, affectionate hellhound tickled me.
* If you live in the UK, it won’t take you too long to work out who Anthony Sherrin is based on!
* It’s a prequel (of sorts) to Book 666, sharing several of the same characters. Before you ask, there are no spoilers.
* The germ of the idea formed after watching the attack on the Capitol on the news. I wondered what would have happened if they had succeeded, but didn’t want to write a conventional dystopia, since there had been far too many in the wake of the pandemic. A few months later it occurred to me that the War in Heaven could have been similar - and there was my story.
* As you’ve probably guessed, I love Malcolm and wanted him to be a main character this time round. I quickly decided the protagonist would have to be Satan, but didn’t want him to be a panto villain or a sexy antihero. I struggled to write him until I realised he *thinks* he’s Blackadder, but he’s actually more of a Prince Regent.
* He’s born Lucifer and renames himself Satan, but God - his Mother - calls him Lucky. That’s what he goes by throughout.
* Lucky was originally going to be straight, in an attempt to make the story more mainstream. It seems I’m not very interested in writing about straight people, so he was reimagined as bi.
* His unrequited love for Eve is mentioned in Book 666, but he has another crush on a major biblical figure. I loved writing these chapters.
* There’s a lot of fabulous devil related folklore out there, especially if you follow the #folklorethursday hashtag. It’s there I discovered Kitta Grau, who had to play a part in the story somewhere.
* I’ve enjoyed putting my spin on various biblical/apocryphal characters. I’ve always felt Lilith has been unfairly maligned, and made her the nearest this book has to a heroine instead.
* Junior (aka Jesus) was another tricky one to write, until I twigged it’s all in his nickname: he’s the ultimate annoying kid brother. The two of them are constantly squabbling over which of them God likes best, but it’s clear She loves them equally.
* I knew how I wanted to write God from the very beginning: outwardly fluffy but a strong, brave and loving lioness. The perfect mother, in other words.
* Fido was a later addition, but I thought it’d make sense if Lucky is a dog person to his Mother’s cat person, emphasising how different they are. The idea of a goofy, slobbery, affectionate hellhound tickled me.
* If you live in the UK, it won’t take you too long to work out who Anthony Sherrin is based on!
Hello Satan
Hell, yeah! #HelloSatan is now available on Amazon!
As far as Lucky’s concerned, he’s the victim of bad press. He didn’t mean to get kicked out of Heaven.
Perhaps a celebrity autobiography would do the trick …?
As far as Lucky’s concerned, he’s the victim of bad press. He didn’t mean to get kicked out of Heaven.
Perhaps a celebrity autobiography would do the trick …?
Why I Wrote Hello Satan
I’ve always liked stories set in Hell. Blame Dante. According to him, all gay people are bound for the seventh circle, and do a great deal of sprinting on burning sands. I reasoned that as a girl who liked girls, I had a one way ticket. Whenever I did the Bleep test at school, I was convinced I was there already.
Of course you can’t have Hell without its ruler and emcee, Satan. He was an important secondary character in Out of Place, the rock opera I wrote as a Paradise Lost loving kid. He features as Avi in The Revenge of Rose Grubb. He’s the big picture villain of Book 666, having far more impact on our heroines’ lives than God, who is rumoured to be senile. This wasn’t even a conscious decision on my part. If you write supernatural fantasy, the Devil’s bound to show up eventually.
I’m fascinated by the many questions the Prince of Darkness raises. He’s both the supreme sinner and punisher of human sinners. Why would you rebel against God, a futile action if ever there was one? If God is all powerful, why would Satan exist - and why wouldn’t He smite him once his treachery was known?
There’s a confrontation between Satan and the Adversary, aka God, at the end of Book 666. It introduces them as estranged parent and child, and how their entire conflict stems from that. I loved writing this scene but didn’t expect to see them again. I had several other book ideas lined up.
Then the attack on the Capitol happened. America could easily have fallen to fascism that day; it gives you chills just thinking about it. I had to write it out of my system - and somehow it transformed into the War in Heaven. Who would be a better first person narrator than Satan himself, trying to make himself both the misunderstood antihero and victim of a conspiracy?
It wasn’t intended as a prequel to Book 666, but I’d spent so long with that world and characters, it seemed pointless to start over. It also meant I could explore the God/Satan, mother/child relationship in more depth, and how they can never truly hate or destroy the other. Add ‘Junior,’ the infuriating little brother, to the mix, and you’ve a family dynamic anyone can identify with.
Above all: I wanted it to be funny. When I started writing the book, we were in the second year of the pandemic, and burnt out. Everything I watched or read seemed to relate to coronavirus in some way, and it was the last thing I wanted to think about. My previous story ideas foundered, but a black comedy about angels and demons? Why the heck not?
Every piece of research got thrown in. The sexy statues by the Geefs brothers are real, believe it or not; likewise Martin Luther’s inkpot and Dr Dee accidentally conjuring Satan in a library (in Manchester, no less). There was folklore so crazy and out there, I had to use it. Kitta Grau, the human antagonist, stars in numerous Swedish legends where she beats the Devil. There are even church murals where he gives her the famous slippers on the end of a ten foot pole!
I had a blast writing Hello Satan. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Of course you can’t have Hell without its ruler and emcee, Satan. He was an important secondary character in Out of Place, the rock opera I wrote as a Paradise Lost loving kid. He features as Avi in The Revenge of Rose Grubb. He’s the big picture villain of Book 666, having far more impact on our heroines’ lives than God, who is rumoured to be senile. This wasn’t even a conscious decision on my part. If you write supernatural fantasy, the Devil’s bound to show up eventually.
I’m fascinated by the many questions the Prince of Darkness raises. He’s both the supreme sinner and punisher of human sinners. Why would you rebel against God, a futile action if ever there was one? If God is all powerful, why would Satan exist - and why wouldn’t He smite him once his treachery was known?
There’s a confrontation between Satan and the Adversary, aka God, at the end of Book 666. It introduces them as estranged parent and child, and how their entire conflict stems from that. I loved writing this scene but didn’t expect to see them again. I had several other book ideas lined up.
Then the attack on the Capitol happened. America could easily have fallen to fascism that day; it gives you chills just thinking about it. I had to write it out of my system - and somehow it transformed into the War in Heaven. Who would be a better first person narrator than Satan himself, trying to make himself both the misunderstood antihero and victim of a conspiracy?
It wasn’t intended as a prequel to Book 666, but I’d spent so long with that world and characters, it seemed pointless to start over. It also meant I could explore the God/Satan, mother/child relationship in more depth, and how they can never truly hate or destroy the other. Add ‘Junior,’ the infuriating little brother, to the mix, and you’ve a family dynamic anyone can identify with.
Above all: I wanted it to be funny. When I started writing the book, we were in the second year of the pandemic, and burnt out. Everything I watched or read seemed to relate to coronavirus in some way, and it was the last thing I wanted to think about. My previous story ideas foundered, but a black comedy about angels and demons? Why the heck not?
Every piece of research got thrown in. The sexy statues by the Geefs brothers are real, believe it or not; likewise Martin Luther’s inkpot and Dr Dee accidentally conjuring Satan in a library (in Manchester, no less). There was folklore so crazy and out there, I had to use it. Kitta Grau, the human antagonist, stars in numerous Swedish legends where she beats the Devil. There are even church murals where he gives her the famous slippers on the end of a ten foot pole!
I had a blast writing Hello Satan. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Free Promo: Hello Satan
Starting today, Spy Wednesday, and ending on Easter Sunday, #HelloSatan is free on Amazon!
Lucky never meant to start a war in Heaven. It’s all a terrible misunderstanding, stirred up by his enemies.
With his aide Malcolm at his left, his best friend Lilith at his right, he shambles his way through Bible times - and beyond.
Lucky never meant to start a war in Heaven. It’s all a terrible misunderstanding, stirred up by his enemies.
With his aide Malcolm at his left, his best friend Lilith at his right, he shambles his way through Bible times - and beyond.
Free Promo: Hello Satan
It’s Spooky Month, meaning #HelloSatan is free on Amazon!
The second book in the Paradise Found trilogy, it’s the story of the war in Heaven and the Fall - as told by Lucky himself.
Why did he fall out with God? What really happened in Eden? Did he seduce Judas Iscariot?
There’s only one way to find out!
The second book in the Paradise Found trilogy, it’s the story of the war in Heaven and the Fall - as told by Lucky himself.
Why did he fall out with God? What really happened in Eden? Did he seduce Judas Iscariot?
There’s only one way to find out!
Free Promo: Book 666
If you fancy something different this Christmas season, why not a spot of supernatural romance?
Beginning today and finishing 27th December, #Book666 will be free on Amazon!
“Being a demon is no picnic. Especially when your full-time job is trying to Tempt a nine year old who thinks unicorns are the coolest thing ever. Oh, and you have to send your evil uncle updates. No pressure.
But when Meg Wormwood falls in love with Selina, the Guardian Angel at her posting, all hell breaks loose. In fact, it may even mean the end of humanity as we know it …”
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-666-Rac...
Beginning today and finishing 27th December, #Book666 will be free on Amazon!
“Being a demon is no picnic. Especially when your full-time job is trying to Tempt a nine year old who thinks unicorns are the coolest thing ever. Oh, and you have to send your evil uncle updates. No pressure.
But when Meg Wormwood falls in love with Selina, the Guardian Angel at her posting, all hell breaks loose. In fact, it may even mean the end of humanity as we know it …”
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-666-Rac...
