Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
Quite happily #WyrdAndWonder has kicked off in a HUGE way this past weekend – wherein all of us behind the event (Imyril, Lisa and I) are wicked humbled by how everyone has started to catch our passionate joy for hosting fantastical content during a month where Fantasy can be a celebrated joy amongst us all.
To carry this onward – I’ve set out to host Indie Fantasy novelists throughout May by different Indie publishers who are curating a lovely niche of Fantasy stories and series for the discerning reader who is seeking something outside the mainstream. I love hosting Indie Authors (as you all well know) and I love championing Indie Speculative Fiction – as I cut teeth on Science Fiction and Fantasy from a young age and have grown into an adult who is wicked addicted to all aspects of where Speculative Fiction can take us visually and emotionally as readers.
When it comes to Dark Fantasy – I have a slight aversion to most stories which fall into this category and am extremely particular and picky when it comes to sorting my way through this niche of offerings because I’m definitely what you’d consider a sensitive reader who has a few things which trigger her bookish turnoffs and take her out of a narrative. However, having said that – similar to how I finally found a Dystopian writer who is penning a series I find wicked brilliant and intriguing – I am starting to find certain Dark Fantasy novelists who are intriguing me into a area of Fantasy I am dearly under-read but still a bit curious to seek out.
Previously I was caught inside the works of Stephanie Burgis, Jamie Robin Wood, Rebecca J. Greenwood and Sarah E. Boucher. As you can see, I am seeking out certain aspects of darker fantastical worlds but which evoke a sense of what I love about my regular Fantasy wanderings – where it isn’t too dark where there isn’t any light and where its not graphically violent – though in that note, Burgis pushed me a bit in ‘Congress of Secrets’.
Today it is an honour to host my first blog tour with Storytellers on Tour – a blog touring company whose championing Indie Storytellers and giving us all a lovely chance to feature their collective works. I am looking forward to working with them as oft as I can and I look forward to the conversations and features which hosting will inspire to bring to my readers on Jorie Loves A Story!
Brew yourself a cuppa and hug close to the convo!
Disenchanted
Subtitle: A cursed princess A crestfallen killer And a witch who can save them both
by Brianna Sugalski
A Breton princess at the peak of the French Renaissance, Lilac lives prisoner in her parents' castle after a wicked secret is revealed on the eve of her tenth birthday soirée. Years later, her coronation ceremony looms, and between the riotous townsfolk and scheming nobleman bent on snatching the throne, Lilac prepares for the worst... Until a mysterious letter arrives from The Witch of Lupine Grotto, detailing a curious offer to cure her darkness forever.
Lilac begrudgingly trades her coronet for a cloak and ventures into the forest Brocéliande in pursuit of the impious enchantress at the edge of town. With only the protection of an inherited dagger— and unsolicited help of the sardonic stranger who inserts himself on her quest—she must traverse Brocèliande and return in time to claim her rightful position as sovereign monarch.
This is the story of a cursed princess, A crestfallen killer,
The town that wants them to burn,
And the witch that can save them both.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 979-8621445461
Published by The Parliament House
on 4th March, 2020
Published by: The Parliament House (@parliamentbooks)
Converse via: #Fantasy, #DarkFantasy, #YAFantasy
as well as #storytellersontour #Disenchanted #BriannaSugalski & #WyrdAndWonder
As I am happily co-hosting #WrydAndWonder for the 3rd Year – I wanted to kick-off our conversation by asking you about what you personally love about Fantasy as a genre,as a style of narrative and your thoughts from the perspective of a storyteller?
Sugalski responds: Hello! Thank you so much for having me. I love reading Fantasy because there are so few hard-and-fast rules in worldbuilding and magic for its writers, myself included. Fantasy is often (though not always) also told from a third-person narrative, which is what I enjoy reading the most. This made it so fun to write Lilac and Garin and the rest of the cast because I feel this way, the characters let me into their heads a little easier.
It is this freedom of movement and experience I have loved myself about Fantasy – how you can literally cart yourself into a wholly new world just by how the author can envision how the world operates and the perimeters of how we can enter it. I never notice which style of narrative the stories are as I’m reading them – I get so caught into their lives, I forget to notice those smaller details such as first or third person stylings. I just love character centred stories, epic world-building behind the characters and a feeling as if I’ve jettison off someplace new. Of course, that cross-applies to nearly all genres I read, actually!
Which Fantasy authors do you feel inspired your own path and/or gave you a firm foundation of Fantasy to where you could step into your own worlds and build an experience for your own readers? In essence, which worlds do you still happily remember visiting and exploring?
Sugalski responds: Holly Black is a huge inspiration for me. Her novels are so whimsical, but with this lovely dark air that dances the line between the real world and fantasy. I am such a fan of hers and I will always revisit The Coldest Girl In Coldtown, The Darkest Part of the Forest, and The Spiderwick Chronicles.
You’ve mentioned the one author I haven’t quite been able to get into myself – I did try to give the Spiderwick Chronicles a read before the adaptation hit theaters but unfortunately, if I can be honest – the story scared me! lol Sometimes I think Fantasy is brilliant but at other times I think it goes too dark or too scary for me – in other words, I did not read RL Stine growing up who was all the rage at the time either. I did enjoy the first adaption of The Seeker novels by Cooper though – as despite the fact it was a darker lit storyline I felt it had just enough Light to hold my interest and just chilling enough to bump up the drama for me as a watcher.
How did you want the French Renaissance feel textually and aesthetically in “Disenchanted”? What did you want them to recognise about the Renaissance inside your story and also takeaway new from reading your vision of it?
Sugalski responds: I intended most of the Renaissance and French aspect of Lilac’s story to symbolize her privilege. Her exposure to tutors, books… to an education and equestrianism. The gilded and filigreed arches of the Chateau de Trecesson. On the other hand, the forest Broceliande and the magical creatures could be compared to the Breton and Gallo peoples, who were adopted into the French monarchy in the years after. There was and still is a real struggle in preserving those cultures and languages in western France.
I love when writers can tap into the natural influence of history and cultural heritage their settings evoke and by what you’ve shared with us today – I can tell I would enjoy those passages because that is something I appreciate about Historical Fiction and why I entreat into #HistFic worlds quite regularly every year!
What do you feel fuelled Lilac’s strength and her ability to transition forward in her life even when she had doubts and/or questioned her own destiny? What gave her the courage to embrace her path?
Sugalski responds: She starts off on her quest with very linear intentions; to become queen, simply because she’s pissed off that she’s the heir apparent and her people still don’t want her because of her ailment. She wants to prove things to people, and of course ruling from that standpoint is selfish. Garin unknowingly reminds her upon their meeting that if the princess doesn’t return to take the throne, she forfeits her seat to the duchy under her parents, the Darkling-despising Le Tallecs. At that point, her blood boils, as she’d never lose the throne to Sinclair. But what ignites the fire in her heart to lead is when she meets the Korrigan Clan just after the Fenfoss Inn. She realizes then, that perhaps her inbred privilege has forged the wedge between her and the Broceliande community of magical creatures—and maybe that’s something she cares about, after all.
What were Lilac’s first impressions when she met the people who would join her? How did you want her personal growth of accepting those sharing her passage would affect the readers who were joining them?
Sugalski responds: So, I feel like we almost meet Garin twice. The bartender and then the fearsome creature. Early on at the Inn, he’s meant to highlight the lack of Lilac’s love life for obvious reasons, and her resolve to revolt against her parents and high society. That night, she considers him on a shallow note, but she isn’t looking to fall in love at the start of her quest—why would she? She’s bent on reaching the witch at the end of the wood and returning to the castle before Sinclair steals her position. Then, when she meets him again, he’s something far different, past the pretenses he’d held at the tavern, and she’s revolted. I wanted to contrast her change in reaction to meeting both “versions” of him—someone who mildly fascinates her, to someone she would absolutely bolt from if she spotted him at the end of an alleyway. He is a frustrating and dangerous ally, and I wanted to rile readers just as much as Lilac.
What do you love most about writing Quest Fantasy and what do you think allows it to become a bit more interpersonal than Portal Fantasy? Even though they sometimes share similarities?
Sugalski responds: Quest Fantasy allows so much room for delicious depth to character and introspection because of the nature of the type of story itself; a quest is often something dangerous to forego, so why are they doing it in the first place? Their “why” is almost immediately known, and I think this reasoning allows authors to catapult their poor characters into politics and rife and self discovery right from the start. The decision to leave what is safe—or, sometimes, what is uncomfortable—is made, and the story almost tells itself.
You’ve definitely described why I love the introspective aspects of Quest Fantasy but also – how it can delve closer to the walk of the character, the heart of their personal growth and what motivates them into their next chapter of their lives.
I have to ask – when it came time to insert a witch into the story-line what was your favourite part about this character and why?
Sugalski responds: Well I’ve always loved the idea of some cozy medieval town with a degenerate witch who deals potions and powders under the table. She’s absolutely my favorite character in the whole series. She’s sassy and angry at the world, but for good reason.
Ooh my goodness – she sounds like a character who could regularly steal scenes because of her personality but also the ways in which she’s had to survive. Love how you’ve created her as an underground apothecarist who deals her wares under the radar! That has to be interesting as well to see how she pulls it off!
Why do you feel Fantasy helps increase awareness about our world and how best to live within it? What does Fantasy hope to give a reader who seeks it?
Sugalski responds: The Fantasy genre is rife with metaphors. I think authors like to mirror parts of the worlds they create with issues in the real world. In DISENCHANTED, the most easy to parallel was a caste system culture-based and prejudice based in ignorance. Those are things that were very much prevalent in 16th century Europe and still are today. It’s good to remind people that continued ignorance is a conscious choice.
I couldn’t agree more with what you’ve said and how you’ve stated it. As all of literature – irregardless of genre is not only meant to open eyes and hearts but to continue to enlarge our empathy, our tolerance and our understanding for all our differences, culturally and otherwise whilst endeavouring to give a gateway of progressive forward movement towards a kinder world.
Which minor character was the most fun to insert into the background of the story and could they spin their own sequel? If not, what did you love most about their sequences in this story?
Sugalski responds: I’m torn between picking Piper, and Freya’s sons. They’ll all appear in the sequel, though!
Ooh, there’s a sequel, eh? I almost should have asked a follow-up to this question but I ran out of time to give you a chance to respond. Although I read one-offs oft enough, its series I am mad after as I never want to exit worlds I enjoy reading – from what you’ve disclosed in this conversation I have a feeling I might enjoy “Disenchanted” quite well!
Asa writer which perspective do you love to challenge the most out of contemporary readers who are picking up “Disenchanted”?
Sugalski responds: My intention in writing Lilac as a protagonist and Garin as a supporting character, was to remind readers 1) you don’t have to have all the answers to be considered a force to be reckoned with, and 2) your flaws can make you beautiful. I think we often see protagonists, especially those written female, who have so much gusto and angst right off the bat in YA Fantasy. I love reading those characters because they’re inspiring, but what about the fairytale princesses who actually stop to asses the risks ahead in the enchanted wood? Wouldn’t they feel fear? Wouldn’t they have a panic attack or two?
I’ve questioned this a bit myself – why sometimes in fairytale fiction and the stories of princesses we are not seeing them sort through their emotions or to have them appear ‘outside’ the impression of their title and their duty. I recently saw ‘Frozen’ and was amazed at the depth of detail they gave the two sisters – as each of them had their own path to muddle through and sort out which was the best course of action they individually needed to take. They also showed realistic instances of how they processed their emotions and how those emotions affected their actions – so yes, I do agree, there needs to be more humbling and honest representations.
When your’re not creating your own stories what renews your spirit themost?
Sugalski responds: Honestly, reading. Right now, with the world the way it is, walking into my backyard invigorates me but usually I like being in nature or picking up a book with flawed protagonists and lots of introspection.
I love reading myself – however, I found 2020 to be such a hard start to a New Year, I admit, despite myself and my passion for stories, it is only recently I’ve started to renew the joy I have for reading. I lost my footing just before January and long before we were all living through stay at home orders for the first time in our lives – therefore, my issues in stumbling in and out of reading were a bit longer in strife however, now that I’ve picked up reading again, I feel as you do – it is a refreshing way to let the world deal with what is happening whilst we take a brief respite in a character’s life and get tucked into a new world. And, yes, I love the introspective ways reading can give us something to chew over in our own lives as well!
I am truly thankful I am having opportunities this #WyrdAndWonder to host Indie Authors and to showcase their #IndieFantasy stories. I am hoping those who are following our feeds for the event and/or those who are routing through this lovely blog tour will find a #newtomeauthor to seek out and read based on the responses she’s given in this interview. It was a pleasure of joy for me as a book blogger to receive these replies and to feel as if I’ve had been given a lovely sampler of insight into what I’d find in the novel “Disenchanted”!!
About Brianna Sugalski
With an education in Mass Communication—and an engrossment in all that is curious and bewitching — Brianna Sugalski is an author and blogger. Previously, she was a staff contributor for Lifestyle & Fashion online magazine, Sarah Scoop, and also served as Copy Editor and Editor-In- Chief at her school publications.
Brianna was born and raised on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, but now travels the country every few years with her husband and children. She admires the luminaries of the Victorian Era; growing up reading period literature has inspired her to paint vibrant settings of nature and narratives that readers will hopefully enjoy.
Ultimately, she aspires to make her own readers laugh, to challenge their perspectives and to help them discover the magical meaning of their own powers within.
This blog tour is courtesy of:
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as you visit others participating:
As this particular one has a bookaway along the route:
NOTE: Similar to blog tours wherein I feature book reviews, book spotlights (with or without extracts), book announcements (or Cover Reveals) – I may elect to feature an author, editor, narrator, publisher or other creative person connected to the book, audiobook, Indie film project or otherwise creative publishing medium being featured wherein the supplemental content on my blog is never compensated monetarily nor am I ever obligated to feature this kind of content. I provide (98.5%) of all questions and guest topics regularly featured on Jorie Loves A Story. I receive direct responses back to those enquiries by publicists, literary agents, authors, blog tour companies, etc of whom I am working with to bring these supplemental features and showcases to my blog. 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. Whenever there is a conflict of connection I do disclose those connections per post and disclose the connection as it applies.
Image Credit: Flaming phoenix by Sujono Sujono from 123RF.com.
This Indie Fantasy Author Interview is part of my showcases for a Fantasy event I am co-hosting during our 3rd Year of #WyrdAndWonder – follow us socially via @WyrdAndWonder – stalk our tag (across social media) and/or join us in a month long celebration of how the fantastical realms of Fantasy give you wicked JOY.
Ideas of how you can participate – an initial welcome post by my co-host Imyril as well as the first Quest Log (map into the book blogosphere for #WyrdAndWonder) and the first Roll Call Log by my co-host Lisa!
Read our Creative Roulette #WyrdAndWonder Interview!
Be sure to visit my Announcement & TBR List!
{SOURCES: Book cover for “Disenchanted”, book synopsis, author biography, author photograph of Brianna Sugalski, the tour banner and book tour banner were all provided by Storytellers on Tour and are used with permission. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Wyrd And Wonder 2020 banner created by Imyril (Image Credit: Flaming phoenix by Sujono Sujono from 123RF.com) and is used with permission. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Conversations with the Bookish banner and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2020.
I’m a social reader | I tweet my reading life
Jorie celebrates #IndieAuthors this #WyrdAndWonder – showcasing a #DarkFantasy novelist from @parliamentbooks whilst hosting her first #blogtour with #StorytellersOnTour in this interview!
Read about Brianna Sugalski’s passion for #Fantasyhttps://t.co/s01RICghi1 pic.twitter.com/lTMZw1pe0U
— Jorie (#WyrdAndWonder) ?? (@joriestory) May 5, 2020
Comments via Twitter:
Thank you so much, @joriestory and @wyrdandwonder for this incredible opportunity ?? https://t.co/Y27Uzb80x0
— Bri Sugalski (@briwritesthings) May 6, 2020
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- #WyrdAndWonder
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