1888. A little girl called Mirror and her extraordinary shape-shifting guardian Goliath Honeyflower are washed up on the shores of Victorian England. We’ve talked to Ishbelle Bee about her new release The Singular & Extraordinary Tale of Mirror & Goliath.
First of all can you tell us a bit about your new novel, The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror & Goliath?
It’s a fairy tale set in the Victorian period. A little girl is locked inside a grandfather clock and is rescued by a policeman who becomes her supernatural guardian. The Lord of the Underworld orders his assassin/son Mr Loveheart to hunt her down because he wants to eat her.
Can you give us some insight into your main characters?
Both Mirror and her protector Goliath are supernatural. They share a powerful bond which binds them obsessively to one another.
What goals might you have set for yourself when writing The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror & Goliath and how do you feel about the end result?
My goal was to create a fairytale Victorian world which would develop into five or six books, all featuring Mr Loveheart. I am very pleased with the end result of this first book. It has opened a door into a very unusual landscape which I am enjoying exploring. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and I am prepared for that. I write what I want to write and it’s important to me to stay true to what I want to achieve and not be swayed into trying to please a mass market.
How did you get the idea for the story?
I had been researching Victorian Spiritualism and I was interested in exploring a story involving demonic possession and exorcism. I am fascinated with the Victorian period and came across lots of peculiar rituals and cults for honouring the dead. I think the appeal of this period in English history is the wonderful conflicting psychological layering, much like a trifle. On the surface the High society is so emotionally restrained, that when any sexual tension/ violence does erupt to the surface it can manifest itself as a psychotic episode (for example- Jack the Ripper or, within literature, Dr Hyde) With any form of emotional/ sexual restraints, the tensions will boil in the underneath (or in the ‘Underworld’).
How did you start writing? Was there a particular book or moment in your life that spurned you on?
I have been writing since I was a little girl – really crappy poetry, short stories and weird film scripts. I was in my late twenties when I started writing novels. Boredom and loneliness spurned me on.
What is the hardest thing about writing?
I get bored easily and need to set myself tight working deadlines to get my novels completed.
Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?
Beautiful, strange words interest me. The power of words fascinate me -Winston Churchill’s speeches have been influencing my writing recently.
How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?
I like the characters and plot to evolve very naturally. I let them take their own path and I try not to plot much beforehand. It’s a bit like my cooking; I tend to throw everything in the mixing bowl and see what bizarre cake will materialize. And of course, the danger with that is sometimes it’s complete shit.
I give myself eight weeks to write a book in its first draft. If I let it drag on any further, my brain tends to wander to other stories.
Can you tell us a bit about the process that led to the book being published?
I started looking for a literary agent in 2012 and it took me 6 months to find representation. I signed with Bryony Woods in 2013 and in 2014 I signed a two book deal with Angry Robot.
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hardback books?
I won’t read ebooks. I am old fashioned and I like to sit with a book in my hands and feel its weight.
What kind of books do you read, any favourite authors?
My favourite authors are Philip K Dick, Angela Carter & H.P Lovecraft. I love mythology, fairy tales and spooky stuff.
What do you do when you’re not writing, any hobbies?
I love illustrating and painting. When I complete a book I do a series of pencil and colour illustrations of the characters which is great fun and really helps with their development in further books. I love quirky drawings and I am a big fan of Quentin Blake’s art which I find really beautiful and expressive. I have a real fondness for big noses !
That’s next, what are you working on now?
I am currently researching and writing a book about the Scottish witch trials.
THANK YOU SFFWORLD X
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Interview by Dag Rambraut – SFFWorld.com © 2015
