Interview with A.F. Firebird, author of The Reluctant Goddess

Interview with A.F. Firebird

Author of The Reluctant Goddess

A.F. Firebird is the alter ego of a sociologist/psychologist turned web developer from the UK. While A.F. Firebird has worked in several fields her primary focus is the exploration of six virtues: appreciation, forgiveness, compassion, humility, understanding and valour. Her first novel, The Reluctant Goddess, numerous short stories and children's books, all investigate aspects of these virtues.

1.What was the inspiration behind The Reluctant Goddess?

The book just turned up in my head, no idea where it came from. I had little experience writing anything, let alone an entire novel but there it was in my head so I started to write it down. In the beginning it was like writing and reading at the same time. I didn't really know what was going to come out. Once the first draft was done, I started the hard work of learning how to write.

2. Speaking of Gods and Goddesses, I can not help thinking about Greek mythology, do you have a favourite character from the Greek mythology, a favourite god/goddess?

I can't say I have a favourite character from Greek mythology, despite studying Greek literature at school. Many of my readers think Hector is based on the Greek legend but in fact he is based on the character from Hector's House, which is a very old cartoon. Here is a link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_tVxvnEJko . He is a very sensible old Hector!

3.Is this a genre you prefer to write in or is there any others you would like to try?

When I started work on this book I was not thinking about genre at all. When I finished the book thirteen years later I was amazed to discover a new genre that perfectly described my work. Here is a good description of Metaphysical Fiction from “The awesome indies” website:

“Metaphysical fiction is a growing, but little-known, genre of stories about the inner, incorporeal, supernatural, spiritual or transcendent aspects of human experience that emphasise an individuals movement towards self-actualisation, and/or some form of philosophy. Readers may gain insight into, or be stimulated to reflect on, such things as the nature of existence, the mind, the soul, the psyche, psychology, the spiritual journey and so on.” http://awesomeindies.net/metaphysical-fiction/

4.Favorite Scene or quote from your book?

This is my favorite scene. There are several like this through out the book, where the reader sees all of LIFE responding to the changes made by the main characters.

LIFE noted the change in Ellena, like the chiming of a cymbal in a symphony. Its volume was low but the wave was strong. It rippled through LIFE, into the spaces between matter and the pauses between breaths. Building a harmonic that rolled on: out past Mercury, Mars, l7789-6 and everything in between, past the Hyades Cluster, through the Orion arm, on to the Magellanic Cloud, across all the satellite galaxies, on through Andromeda I, II and III. On and on it rolled filling the Virgo super cluster, Columba and all its neighbours, the Capricornus, Bootes and Sculptor Voids, until all of LIFE hummed with it.

Then it reverberated back to the world where the planet responded making it manifest and giving it form. Just outside Monterey Bay, California, three Pacific white-sided dolphins launched themselves towards the sky, flicking their tail fins as they went, then slipped artfully back into azure waves before

speeding away in synchronised joy. In South London Malcolm Fielding, who was sitting in his high chair with dribbles of stewed apple on his pale green babygro, focusing on co-ordinating his fingers to pick up a rusk, stopped for a moment and chuckled to himself. Meanwhile, the newest member of the lemur family in Chile's National Zoo swung with effortless grace across the branches of its enclosure, landed in front of his mother and hugged her. Farther east, in Kabul, a seven-year-old boy put down a stone, stepped back from the UN patrol he had been tracking and ran home for his tea. And so it continued creating and recreating itself in the world.

5. How long did it take you to publish your first book, after you started trying?

It was amazingly quick – all this new technology means everything is speeding up!

6.Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

I am reading mainly non-fiction books at the moment .“Contagious” by Jonah Berger, is currently on my night stand and I am loving it. I highly recommend it.

7.What's the craziest writing idea you've had?

I don't know how crazy it is but a story line that really appeals to me, which I may never write, goes like this:

Mia, a nurse from London, has a secret. When she touches people she knows their thoughts and their recent history. Raised by her Mother with no knowledge of her father, she has been trained to think of her “gift” as an inconvenience that she must hide from everyone.

A series of brutal murders brings her past into the present. Her Father, who has watched over her for years from his home world, Tír na nÓg, realises the decision to raise Mia as a human was wrong. Now she is in mortal danger as her very existence threatens the status quo. With her father's help her powers grow until together they can piece together the reason for the murders and challenge the organisation behind them.

It's basically, a murder mystery fantasy with conspiracy twist. I love a good conspiracy theory!

8.You're all time favourite book. 

This question is just too hard so here are my favorite books: Altered Carbon - Richard Morgan, Spares - Michael Marshall Smith, Thief of time - Terry Pratchett, The Lies of Locke Lamora – Scott Lynch. Hyperion – Dan Simmons, Reality Dysfunction – Peter Hamilton. Anything by Maggie O'Farrell.

All of these writers are awesome in different ways. Each one of them makes me think I should shut down my wordprocessor and step away from my keyboard. If you have not read some of these, I am really happy for you because you have so much to look forward to.

The Reluctant Goddess

by A.F Firebird

Published: March 31st by POSE

Ellena Ripley is a bookshop owner from a rural town in the south of England – or so she thinks. But lately, she has a growing sense that life is not as it seems. At night, she dreams of a serene man who appears to be trying to tell her something; In the day, she can't shake a feeling of expectation. But of what? 

Meanwhile Hector, servant of LIFE and the man from Ellena's dreams, has a dilemma. How do you tell someone they are a goddess? His previous attempts have met with disaster so he must be cautious, particularly when his new trainee, Boudica, formerly Queen of the Iceni tries to help. The question is can they succeed before it is too late?

If you like your metaphysics spiced with humor and drama this book could be for you.

Buy The Reluctant Goddess

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