Welcome to my stop on the Worlds of Ink and Shadow blog tour. I'm thrilled to be part of this tour and even better, I get to share an awesome Guest Post that the wonderful author took the time to do :) You can see all the stops and posts HERE.
Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada / Amulet
Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. The Brontë siblings have always been inseparable. After all, nothing can bond four siblings quite like life in an isolated parsonage out on the moors. Their vivid imaginations lend them escape from their strict upbringing, actually transporting them into their created worlds: the glittering Verdopolis and the romantic and melancholy Gondal. But at what price? As Branwell begins to slip into madness and the sisters feel their real lives slipping away, they must weigh the cost of their powerful imaginations, even as their characters—the brooding Rogue and dashing Duke of Zamorna—refuse to let them go.
Gorgeously written and based on the Brontës’ juvenilia, Worlds of Ink & Shadow brings to life one of history’s most celebrated literary families.
Link to Goodreads:
Purchase Links:
BAM | Chapters | IndieBound | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | B&N | TBD | iBooks
Guest Post:
Top Ten Things I Would Do in My Book If I Were a Character
1) Meet three of my favourite authors!
1) Meet three of my favourite authors!
How wonderful it would be to meet the young Brontë sisters, future authors of Jane Eyre (Charlotte), Wuthering Heights (Emily) and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Anne). I’d love to talk them about books, poetry, and their lives in Yorkshire—but they were very shy with strangers, so I’d have to make myself a very unassuming character.
2) Tell Anne and Emily Brontë about their future fame.
2) Tell Anne and Emily Brontë about their future fame.
Charlotte Brontë got to enjoy her fame as the author of Jane Eyre. She went to London and met other authors like Anthony Trollope and Elizabeth Gaskell. But Emily and Anne died soon after the publication of their novels. Emily in particular had to endure scathing criticism of Wuthering Heights. I’d tell Anne and Emily that their books would live on for centuries—but I’m not sure they would believe me.
3) Warn Branwell Bronte about his future.
My book features a fourth Brontë sibling, Branwell. Although he showed a lot of promise as a young man, and although the family had very high hopes for him, Branwell died at 31 of tuberculosis brought on by alcoholism and drug addiction, never having really fulfilled his potential. I know that addiction can’t be avoided with just one conversation, but I’d try—and Branwell became addicted to laudanum, an opiate that was available over the counter at the time. Perhaps I could tell him it’s better to take aspirin for his headaches.
4) See what it’s like to be a man.
Worlds of Ink and Shadow is a historical novel about real people, but it’s also a fantasy novel. In it the Brontës can “cross over” to their invented worlds and play any character they want to. Usually they go as themselves, but Charlotte likes to be a ten-year old boy named Charles Wellesley. I’d love to try that out myself.
5) Ride horseback with Alexander Rogue.
Many scholars believe that Alexander Rogue, a character the Brontës wrote about in their juvenilia, was the inspiration for Heathcliff, the brooding anti-hero of Wuthering Heights. Love or hate Heathcliff, he’s the quintessential bad boy, and when Alexander Rogue shows up in my book, chaos follows. Still, he’d be the perfect companion for a breakneck ride on the moor.
6) Try Tabby’s apple pudding.
The Brontës’ servant, Tabby, was a huge influence on the siblings growing up. In fact, she’s probably the inspiration for Nelly Dean, the wise, matter-of-fact servant in Wuthering Heights. Whatever the shy Brontës won’t tell me about themselves, I’m sure I will be able to find out from her if I sit long enough at her kitchen table.
7) Take a souvenir.
After the Brontës died and Elizabeth Gaskell wrote Charlotte’s first biography, Brontë mania swept England. Even a piece of their handwriting was considered valuable, and so, to the chagrin of scholars today, people were known to cut up their letters and sell them in pieces. I’d especially like to get my hands on an early story written by Anne or Emily, because very little survives of their childhood writings.
8) Walk the moors with Emily Brontë.
I’ve been to the moors where Emily lived, but walking there with her would be a life’s dream. I think we’d go down to the little waterfall near the parsonage, see the rock where she liked to sit and think, and then walk up to Top Withins, the farmhouse that’s said to be the inspiration for Wuthering Heights.
The ruins of Top Withins, taken by Lena Coakley
9) Hear a sermon by Patrick Brontë.
Every Sunday, the siblings’ father, the local parson, was said to put his pocket watch on his lectern and speak extemporaneously for an hour. I’d love to hear one of these rousing sermons and speak to the man who fathered such extraordinary children.
10) Go to a ball at Wellesley House.
No one could write a party scene like Charlotte. Do you remember the game of charades in Jane Eyre? The parties in her juvenilia are just as dazzling, if not more, and full of social scheming. Many take place at Wellesley House, the home of her hero, the Duke of Zamorna. I’d love to cross over to the invented worlds with Charlotte and watch her dramas unfold before my eyes.
About the Author
Lena Coakley was born in Milford, Connecticut and grew up on Long Island. In High School, Creative Writing was the only course she ever failed (nothing was ever good enough to hand in!), but, undeterred, she went on to study writing at Sarah Lawrence College. She lives in Toronto, Canada. Witchlanders is her debut novel.Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram
Giveaway:
Prizes:
10 winners: A Copy of WORLDS OF INK AND SHADOW curtesy of Amulet Books, Harper Collins Canada or Lena Coakley
5 winners: A black Brontë bonnet!
1 Grand Prize Winner:
A Copy of WORLDS OF INK AND SHADOW (Canadian or US edition dependent on country of winner)
A Hardcover Everyman's Library edition of JANE EYRE by Charlotte Brontë
A Hardcover Everyman's Library edition of WUTHERING HEIGHTS by Emily Brontë
A softcover Penguin edition of THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL by Anne Brontë
A softcover Hesperus edition of THE SPELL, juvenilia of Charlotte Brontë
Toasty Almond Tea from Tealish
A cloth ornament of Charlotte Brontë's childhood hero, The Duke of Wellington, inspiration for her character, Zamorna
That cover! It had me at hello :D
ReplyDeleteIts awesome.
DeleteI enjoyed reading the guest post.
ReplyDeleteGlad you did!
DeleteI'm sold, I need to have the book now. :)
ReplyDeleteI know, right!!
DeleteI would be interested in seeing what Brontes would have in her contest. What would they think of how many people they could reach with their writings.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! It would be cool to see.
DeleteI own a book of their letters, I should probably go back and read it to get myself in the spirit for this book. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I'd love to see that book.
DeleteThis book looks awesome! I'd love to check it out!
ReplyDeleteI agree. I would love to read it :)
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