Hallo, Hallo dear hearts,
I am featuring an author today who truly intrigued me for channelling out the hidden passageways of History, we, as readers might have overlooked previously. You might have remembered from the spotlight I shared of her latest novel, the style of how it was written wasn’t exactly my cuppa of tea – however, her research & her approach into History itself is what inspired me to share this lovely conversation. As you will see, we share quite a bit in common even though my first reading of one of her stories was not a good match – we can come together, have an intriguingly lovely conversation & find that there is a lot to discuss when it comes to pooling curiosity and the historic past into the background of a novel!
On a personal note, I was also curious about the Mythological aspects of her story-telling, as I am growing into having a new appreciation for folklore and Mythos being united in a story which has origins in Myth but where the writer(s) of today are using that origin of thought to re-invent how stories can become crafted for today’s reader. They are doing this across genre of interest as well – finding selections in Historical Fiction was second nature to me, as I have such a high propensity of being swooned by a Historical narrative to read.
Thus, when I realised how widely this author is researching her stories and how much ‘hidden’ histories she is uncovering in the process of that research, I found myself properly amazed. I also asked her a key question about the content of her stories as I had a feeling a particular aspect run concurrent throughout her publishing career and her answer was one I was not quite expecting! This goes to prove that having conversations with authors – especially those where we are interested in the premise but perhaps can’t always align directly into their vision of the story is a good enterprise!
I’ve learnt quite a bit through this conversation and I was truly thankful for Ms Neil for being so dearly open & honest with me in return! One thing is for certain – we are two individuals who love time travelling into History, uncovering stories & characters whose journeys bring the historic past to life as we find new ways to engage with the memories of ‘time’ left behind to find!
I hope you will brew your favourite cuppa & settle into this convo today with an open mind – finding how History can inspire us all and for each of us, History has something new to teach us.
As a eunuch in the Ottoman Imperial Harem, Olin has already lost his home, his freedom, and his manhood. His only wish is for a painless death, until he meets Dark Star, a beautiful odalisque who promises to give him his deepest desire. He refuses to believe her claim to possess a jinni in a bottle. But when Dark Star is accused of witchcraft, Olin rubs the bottle in desperation and discovers she’s told the truth.
Olin becomes the jinni’s master to save Dark Star, but it’s not enough. In the complex world of the Topkapi Palace, where silk pillows conceal knives, sherbets contain poison, and jewels buy loyalty, no one is safe. With each wish, Olin must choose between becoming like the masters he detests or risk his life, his body, and his sanity to break the bonds that tie them all.
I’ve been researching Mythology for the month of November [2018], during the first ever #Mythothon – spending a lot of time unravelling the Greek side of Mythos but I have had a keen interest in the Jinn ever since I read The Golem and the Jinni. What first perked your own interest in the Jinn and what do you love most about Mythological and Folklore subjects like the Jinn which can be a great source of inspiration for telling a story?
Neil responds: I also loved The Golem and the Jinni. That book is probably what first sparked my interest in the jinn as well. There are many fascinating aspects to the jinn. One reason having a jinni in The Jinni’s Last Wish made sense to me was the parallel between enslaving mortals and enslaving the jinn. I felt that there could be a lot in common between a eunuch and a captured jinni.
Ooh, I loved hearing how the same novel laid down the foundation of interest for the Jinn for us both! How wicked clever, eh!? It is an interesting cross-layer of focus – how there are overlaying similarities between the two groups and how the whole issue with enslavement can move between the barriers of mortality and Jinn. I think you picked the right subject and point of entrance into this topic as the overlaps in both journeys would have been uniquely alike.
As you like to write about unknown parts of the historical past, how did you settle on writing about the Ottoman Empire? What led you to this particular era to explore? Was it through research or did you see something that sparked an idea?
Neil responds: When I was a teenager, I got a copy of Alev Lyle Croutier’s amazing book Harem: The World Behind the Veil. That’s what first began my interest in harems in Turkey. Years later, I wondered what would happen if a eunuch was given a jinni in a bottle. Although there have been eunuchs in different eras, I immediately imagined Olin in the Ottoman Empire.
Stories do inspire us into being writers, very true! Even if I look back through my own past, there are stories and authors who have inspired me to pick up my pen and carry forward into developing a wholly new story of my own. It is the blessing of the circle – between readers and writers. The small spark of joy you felt in the setting and locale enveloped you into the prospect of overlaying the Mythological aspects of the story directly into the heart of where you were placing the reader’s eye – definitely tells how powerful inspiration can become for a writer. I know this is a setting that is not always written about or found when seeking out Historical Fiction – at least from my own wanderings into the genre, as this is what first interested me about the story itself.
Of the stories known about the Jinn, what fascinated you the most about their nature and how they interact with those who find them? How did you want your Jinn to remain separate from other variations of their kin and how did you research the Jinn to represent them?
Neil responds: The book Legends of the Fire Spirits: Jinn and Genies from Arabia to Zanzibar by Robert Lebling taught me a lot about jinn mythology. I read other books about jinn but tried to avoid jinn stereotypes. (In one of my first drafts, a friend begged me to make sure my jinn didn’t wear any blue to make anyone think of Aladdin). Like any character, my jinn has his own personality. He is a bit more sardonic than I originally intended. He keeps getting drawn into human drama despite himself.
I definitely agree with you about breaking stereotypes and not having characters fall into a trap of conceived perceptional stigmas based on previous characters who appeared to have a limited scope of their own identity. I never would have thought the colour blue would have been so dearly problematic until you mentioned the film it would reference for some who would instinctively move into pop cultural territory of recognition. For me, that colour wouldn’t have made me think of that as ink in history was known for its indigo significance so I might have felt a blue (especially of a darker hue) might have symbolism ‘ancient’ origins rather than ‘modern’ entertainment.
This is one thing I am finding inclusive to most Jinn story-lines – their curious natures and the ways in which they attach themselves into our lives. It is almost as if they are taking themselves out of their comfort zones to draw empathy of interest into the dramas of humans but there is something about humans that attracts them. Almost as if by inherent nature rather than by choice of conscience.
Dark Star feels like the catalyst of the story – of being the key person who is bringing change into the harem and giving Olin a thoughtful consideration about something important to him. Did you originally plan for Dark Star to play this crucial role or did you feel another character was going to act as the instigator?
Neil responds: A lot of the characters in The Jinni’s Last Wish came to me “whole,” with very strong personalities. Dark Star appeared in my mind as a beautiful woman with a secret who was not going to play by the rules. But at the same time, she finds herself in a lot of trouble and desperately needs help. She always was meant to be the catalyst. What surprised me about her was her backstory, which just came out as I was writing.
Wow. I found this to be truly fascinating – not just for the clarity of thought emerging out of your writing process but how well formed the whole concept was for her role in the story at large. I am always keenly thankful for behind-the-book trivia and the process of how we each find our stories inking themselves onto the printed page – this must have been an incredible moment for you though, seeing her emerge and then, having that fuller confidence of already knowing what she’d say or how she’d react to the situations afflicting her…. what a beautiful writerly moment!
Where does the short story “The Odalisque’s Wish” fit within the time frame of “The Jinni’s Last Wish”?
Neil responds: “The Odalisque’s Wish” takes place before and partially during The Jinni’s Last Wish. It tells the story of Rose Spring, a French girl on her way to the convent who gets captured at sea. I’ve read so many stories about women in harems whose only desire is to bed the sultan. I wanted to tell a story of a woman who is mostly content to lie around, eat pastries, drink coffee, smoke hashish and eye the girls in the bath. She has no interest in bedding the sultan. Instead she wants lovers and actual love.
I had to smile. This is a classic example of how to take a classic perception of a person who can become characterised showing a different lifestyle choice. The key here though is what you said: she was seeking true and authentic love. She might have had a foodie soul but what she was more keen on discovering was the one person who actually understood her on a level no one else had to until that moment in her life. A story worth telling on that score.
I was curious how in your novel the Odalisques are seen wearing feminine gowns when they were most often found wearing nondescript robes almost like they were attempting to be modest without their sexuality being present. How did you base your interpretation on the women in your story against those in history?
Neil responds: I based the clothing on pictures from the Topkapi Palace Museum, photos, and paintings. Odalisques might have worn more simple garments, but royal women wore fine fabrics. I think someone can be dressed modestly and still have their sexuality be present.
This is a true observation about modesty and sexuality. I think I might have walked away with a different opinion and impression based on how the women in your novel were represented but on the concept I do agree it is possible.
What can you share about the stories you’re currently working on set in the Ancient worlds? Did you write them similar to this one where they are Historical (erotic) Fantasies or are they more traditional Historical Fiction or have another genre interwoven into their background?
Neil responds: I’m working on several projects in the ancient world. One involves the Minoans and Dionysus, and another takes place in ancient Sparta and Persia. All my stories have an erotic aspect as well as magic. For me one of the joys of writing about the ancient world is exploring how people viewed sexuality differently than we do now. There was a lot of sexual fluidity, and I feel it’s important to represent that in historical fiction. I like to focus on characters who time has forgotten.
Thanks so much for having me and for all your thoughtful questions!
About Zenobia Neil
Zenobia Neil was named after an ancient warrior queen who fought against the Romans. She writes about the mythic past and Greek and Roman gods having too much fun. Zenobia spends her free time imagining interesting people and putting them in terrible situations.
She lives with her husband, two children, and dog in an overpriced hipster neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Similar to blog tours where I feature book reviews, as I choose to highlight an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog. I provide the questions for interviews and topics for the guest posts; wherein I receive the responses back from publicists and authors directly. I am naturally curious about the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of stories and the writers who pen them; I have a heap of joy bringing this content to my readers.
{SOURCES: Book cover for “The Jinni’s Last Wish”, book synopsis, author biography, author photograph of Zenobia Neil, the tour host badge and HFVBTs badge were all provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and used with permission. Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Book Spotlight banner and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2019.
Comments via Twitter:
#ontheblog | author #interview
feat. #HistoricalFiction novelist @ZenobiaNeilIn convo about the hidden corridors of #amwriting the historic past & how all of this ties into #writing about the Jinn & #Mythology#blogtour (https://t.co/Ekg5z8C28g) | @HFVBT
— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) January 11, 2019
I love how you two found something in common to talk about despite not liking one of her stories! I’m a huge fan of myth and folklore (even as a kid growing up) and love seeing authors reinvent the originals and twisting it up for today as you said.
Most focus on Greek and Roman mythology, unfortunately, so it’s good to see another book that focuses on the Ottoman empire. I’ll have a peek in her books to see if any will poke my interest. :)