Good morning! I’m very excited to have the lovely Sidney Blackburn on my blog today talking about her stories. Take it away, Sidney!
Once Upon a Rainbow was just released on Monday, and I’ve already spoken a little about the inspiration for my story in the NineStar Press anthology during the release party on Facebook. Apart from very obviously being inspired by Aladdin, “Morning Star” also incorporated my addiction to history and all things Morocco. Some of the names and incidents referred to in my story are real, but I used my artistic license to weave in so many fictional elements, the story is pure fantasy. (Visiting Marrakesh is on my travel bucket list, though!).
I was reading a story about a king who arranged a marriage for the crown prince–his heir–to another prince in a neighbouring kingdom. Which on the surface is cool, but the whole thing with kings and kingdoms and crown princes and heirs is that heirs generally don’t come from same sex unions. The story never addressed this, never mentioned if the king himself had a same sex marriage and if so where his son the crown prince came from, etc, and that detail… well, it bothered me. Stuff like that gets in my head and worries at me, like the pea under all those mattresses.
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Once Upon a Rainbow was just released on Monday, and I’ve already spoken a little about the inspiration for my story in the NineStar Press anthology during the release party on Facebook. Apart from very obviously being inspired by Aladdin, “Morning Star” also incorporated my addiction to history and all things Morocco. Some of the names and incidents referred to in my story are real, but I used my artistic license to weave in so many fictional elements, the story is pure fantasy. (Visiting Marrakesh is on my travel bucket list, though!).The anthology contains so many good stories, it’s grand company to be in!
NineStar Press: https://ninestarpress.com/product/once-upon-a-rainbow-volume-one/
Amazon: http://hyperurl.co/30w43j
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1127395428
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/757123
My fascination with m/m takes on fairy tales didn’t start with writing “Morning Star,” though it remains truest to it’s inspiration. It all began…(wavy lines as we FLASH BACK to A COUPLE YEARS EARLIER:)
I was reading a story about a king who arranged a marriage for the crown prince–his heir–to another prince in a neighbouring kingdom. Which on the surface is cool, but the whole thing with kings and kingdoms and crown princes and heirs is that heirs generally don’t come from same sex unions. The story never addressed this, never mentioned if the king himself had a same sex marriage and if so where his son the crown prince came from, etc, and that detail… well, it bothered me. Stuff like that gets in my head and worries at me, like the pea under all those mattresses.I wrote Prince of the Stable as an exploration of a prince marrying a man with no expectation of heirs. It has fairies and a curse, but isn’t based on any particular fairy tale.
Then I wrote City of Dreams for Less Than Three Press. Funny story, I wrote it for a
specific, fairy tale themed anthology and…was rejected. I revised it and resubmitted it for another of fairytale anthology and… was also rejected. However it was accepted for publication as a stand alone short story in a collection of other urban fantasies. The setting of City of Dreamsis more modern than most fairy tales, more 17th century than 10th century. It’s an attempt to progress a society from the tenth century in an alternate world where magic is a fact of life. Also a love story. Because that’s what I do.
specific, fairy tale themed anthology and…was rejected. I revised it and resubmitted it for another of fairytale anthology and… was also rejected. However it was accepted for publication as a stand alone short story in a collection of other urban fantasies. The setting of City of Dreamsis more modern than most fairy tales, more 17th century than 10th century. It’s an attempt to progress a society from the tenth century in an alternate world where magic is a fact of life. Also a love story. Because that’s what I do.(wavy lines as we RETURN TO PRESENT: )
I love the idea of taking fairy tale subjects and turning them around. I did a Cinder-fella (who hasn’t though, really) and I’m currently working on a m/m version of Snow White and a steampunk m/m take on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Nightingale. (Hold me accountable! My muse is fickle…)
I love the idea of taking fairy tale subjects and turning them around. I did a Cinder-fella (who hasn’t though, really) and I’m currently working on a m/m version of Snow White and a steampunk m/m take on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Nightingale. (Hold me accountable! My muse is fickle…)
I want to thank Dianne for letting me on her blog to blabber on and on, she’s an amazing person!
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Sydney Blackburn
“I was hoping for more drama and speeches. I do love villainous speeches.”
Dianne Hartsock 