The Next Big Thing Blog Hop continues with Victoria Oldham…

Welcome to the next stop on the Next Big Thing Blog Hop. Thank you to the awesome Karis Walsh for tagging me last week. The purpose of this hop is to expose folks to writers and their work that perhaps they haven’t heard of, whether a new release or a Work in Progress (WIP). This is week 28.

According to the rules of the hop, I will be answering some questions (the same ones for every other blog hopper) about my Work in Progress, Medea, which is actually a novel I’m writing for my PhD in creative writing. At the bottom of the post I’ve listed authors who will do the same thing in their blogs next Wednesday, January 9th.

 ***Addendum: I’m not a novelist. My published work is entirely made up of short stories, articles, and poems. I’ve got two bottom drawer novels languishing under a heap of dust, and I’m working on a third, which is what I’m talking about below. But unlike Karis and Yvonne (tagged with me) I’m not a famous author. Yet.***

 

What is the title of your book?

Medea

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I was a geek-child. I loved anything in print, particularly if it was fantasy or mythology. That never changed: I grew into a geek-adult. My love of mythology and historical novels led me to Medea. She’s a side character in the story of Jason and the Argonauts, and a crazy person in the Euripides version, but we never get to know her. So, I’m writing her story and channelling a witch woman who kills her children. Fun!

What genre does your book fall under?

Alternative historical.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Angelina Jolie for Medea. I think she plays a fantastic crazy person, and I loved her in Beowulf. As for Jason…Orlando Bloom is how I picture him at the moment. That may change as I delve further into his character. I’m not very good at men, it seems.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Medea changes Jason’s world, but when her own comes crashing down around her, death’s shadow covers all.

What is the longer synopsis of your book?


Medea’s life is planned out for her. She’ll stay a priestess in Hecate’s temple, using her powers of witchcraft to help her tyrannical father until she can be married off to a suitable and wealthy man. When Jason arrives on a quest for her father’s treasured fleece, the gods intervene and set her on a path of great power and greater loss.

Medea brings the Argo safely through peril, though she’s lost everything. Once in Jason’s home, she’s required to use her powers again for another man’s political gain. A pawn of the gods, she learns what being an outsider means in a country where women with power are considered dangerous.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?


I’m hoping it will be represented, but I can’t worry about that until the day arrives. Along another line, though, my latest short story. Love’s Horizon will be published in Blood and Lipstick by Storm Moon Press in the Spring. Menage vampire sex. Enough said. I also have work in Women of the Dark Streets by Bold Strokes Books and SheShifters by Cleis Press, both of which came out in 2012.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

My other two novels, currently buried under dust, each took me about two months. Medea is taking me a lot longer because it’s academic, meaning I’m playing with point of view, structure and plot instead of sitting down with a specific structure or pov in mind. And I’m also applying philosophy to it, so I’m doing a ridiculous amount of research too.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I’m fascinated by gender in mythology and gender in historical revision. Various authors are doing great new novels using women from history/mythology. My favorite is Helen of Troy by Margaret George. And I realized that one particular woman hasn’t had her story told: Medea. And I wondered if I could tell her story, but be aware of gender tropes in the process. We’ll see if it’s possible or not. (I know. Total geek, right?)

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?


Anyone who enjoys mythology, or historical fiction, will like this book. There are elements of romance, of mystery and politics too. And there’s always the spectre of death looming over the entire story line. And of course, Medea is a strong female lead who defies every cultural expectation.

And now it’s time to pass the torch along to two talented and amazing authors. Next Wednesday check out Kev Troughton and KE Payne’s blogs to find out about their Next Big Thing.