This will be quick, because I’m behind on my deadline due to a rash of thunderstorms and tornadoes that interrupted my work for two long days(no, I wasn’t affected. I can’t remember that many tornado warnings in one day through one state, though. It was overhwelming). Anyway, I thought I’d drop in a quick note about an anthology I’m in that will be out soon. I haven’t had a chance to put it up on the web page, since I’m in the middle of a redesign, and can’t seem to get anything else done.
The anthology is called Deadly Housewives, and it’s coming out from HarperCollins. I was asked to submit a story that didn’t involve dead husbands or neighbors. As a matter of fact, the editor, Christine Matthews asked for something different. Maybe, she said, a romance, since she knew I wrote them(she didnt’ know it had been four years since I’d written a love scene, but there are some things you don’t share with any editor. The mantra in publishing–and acting, from what I’ve heard–is, “Sure. I can do that.” Christine was on a time crunch and asked if I could do a 20 page story in a week. I’m happy to say that an hour later while in the shower, the whole story came to me. It’s called “Vanquishing the Infidels”, and it is more a fictional memoire(nods to James Frey) based upon not just my family, but my mom.
I decided that I couldn’t think of anybody more deadly than that five foot one inch Irishwoman. And so I wrote of an incident that happened when I was six, and she defended me against a crazy adult who shoved me off my bike. The story is family legend, which I think should be immortalized. It is wrapped in much of our family lore. All of it true–as true as an Irish storyteller can make it. I’ve only changed a few names–like the English war bride down the street, and mistaken one thing. I’ve always remembered the final confrontation, but I always thought I”d made it up. That I couldn’t have been there. So I wrote it from another point of view(also absolutely true). I found out from my brothers last week, that I was right in the first place. I was there. Go figure. But that’s how memoirs go afoul…well, and the natural need to make a story as interesting as possible(the big surprise for me when I did family geneology was when the story turned out to be TRUE).
So now I go back to deadline. I’ll have more on the fairy book later. Just know that I’m having one of the most fun times I’ve ever had writing. I just love world building! Especially since my fairies(with apologies to Nickie Hilton) are hot!
eileen and kathleen, the evil twins
