Bebo

Cover the Mirrors <coverthemirrors>

""Lush and evocative: a spellbinding debut" (Kim Wilkins - www.kimwilkins.com)"

	Cover quote!	810 jours il y a
	"Lush and evocative: a spellbinding debut" (Kim Wilkins (i) on Cover the Mirrors) Yes, one of my all-time favourite authors has very kindly supplied a quote to adorn the jacket of Cover the Mirrors when it comes out in just a few short weeks, and what a divine quote it is! Kim (the individual who is sometimes referred to as my unofficial mentor - poor woman!) rocks. This is probably as good a time as any to say that if gothic horror/fantasy timeslip novels sound appealing to you, you're missing out if you don't try at least one of Kim's books. It was entirely by accident that I found her first novel, The Infernal. I'd been driven into Waterstones by bouncing rain, and I was browsing the horror section waiting for it to pass, when I found a single copy of the paperback edition stashed away on one of the lower shelves typically allotted to writers with initials like W. I can't really explain the instinctive response to buy the book which followed next, but then I have found that the vast majority of my favourite novels have been found in such a way; or rather, they tend to find me. The next few days were spent in that glorious state one finds oneself in upon finding one of those 'unputdownable' books - the one in which your own life feels like the ad breaks interrupting a screening of a film you can't tear your eyes away from, and the 'reality' of the story temporarily takes precendence over your own. This was a voice I could relate to - one that saw beauty in detail, an unbreakable connection between past and present, the attraction of imperfect and flawed characters. In this respect, I can clearly see Kim's influence in my own work. I can see the differences, too - Kim's work is timeslip, mine 'straight' historical fiction; her work tends toward the paranormal while mine is rooted in reality. If Kim had written Cover the Mirrors, Molly would probably have been a real medium, and the book would have been very different, but still I see a strong relationship between our styles and attitudes. But Kim has also influenced me in other, more personal ways. When I met my editor for lunch, he asked how my connection with someone on the other side of the planet (although Kim was born in London, she's spent practically all her life in Brisbane) had come about. I laughed, and admitted that it all began with me being a gushing fan. I emailed Kim to express my admiration for her work around the time I read her third novel, The Resurrectionists, and we have maintained an open dialogue ever since. Just to give you an idea of how geeky I really am when I take a liking to someone's work, I set up a fansite for Kim's work, Hexebart's Well (ii), which is still open to this day. Furthermore, Kim has always been one hundred per cent encouraging and helpful regarding my own writerly ambitions. There is an image (and a not entirely unjustified one at that) of writers who have 'made it' busily sawing the legs off the metaphorical ladder lest they be toppled from their foothold. Part of me can understand this: it's human nature to be paranoid, and I certainly have my moments. But those who are secure in their sense of their own abilities should not feel threatened by (or worse, contemptuous of) those of other people, and Kim has never behaved in such a manner. She has praised my work when my confidence levels needed it most, offered advice and answered any questions I had while submitting the manuscript of Cover the Mirrors, and been happy for my successes. It was Kim who first came up with the idea that she could write a cover quote (although, with characteristic modesty, she did question whether or not she was 'famous enough' for it to be worthwhile!), and I couldn't be happier with - or more flattered by - the one she's given me. Even the choice of words is perfect - lush...evocative...spellbinding - spot the closet goths! In all seriousness, though, it is a perfect example of the decadence and sensuality of language which I like to think we share, in our different ways. But although this will be the most public favour Kim has done for me, it is far from the first, and for that, I sincerely thank her. LINKS: i - http://www.kimwilkins.com ii - http://destined.to/hexebartswell
	posté par Cover the Mirrors