Star Shapes - Available for Preorder
Hello!
My novella Star Shapes is available to preorder:
And to add to your to-read list on Goodreads (and a review once you read it!):
What’s the basic premise of the book?
A woman in her 20s is kidnapped from downtown Birmingham and taken to a more rural area by a family who won’t explain why they’ve taken her and won’t let her leave. She has to figure out what they want with her and convince them they have the wrong person. Since she relies on the kindness of strangers, she isn’t an action hero. Instead, she relies on her charm.
Who would like this?
People who like funny, dialogue-heavy stories with dreamy pacing rather than thrillers. Fans of Flannery O’Connor and Kelly Link and Shirley Jackson, maybe?
What IS a novella?
Oh, about 1/4 to 1/3 of a novel. You can read it in one sitting.
Who is the cover artist?
My friend Alana Baldwin! She also made some illustrations for the inside.
She’s part of Open Letter Press, which you can find here:
https://www.instagram.com/openletterpress/
Check out her vegetable papyrus!
Why did I write this? What’s the point or the theme or whatever?
When I wrote it, I was thinking about youth and expectation. I think young people, especially privileged Americans, expect a steady stream of happiness and good fortune. My main character is a privileged young person. She’s self-absorbed and has a lot to learn about the world…but I’d argue that she’s also loveable in spite of her flaws, like people tend to be when you get down to it.
We worry that misfortune will find us in the future, but we sometimes forget the danger of past misfortune. Pain from the past, including pain that’s not our own, remains in the air. We breathe it in, and it shapes our fears and dreams. There’s no escaping it. That’s what I think, anyway.
Whenever we turn away from someone’s suffering, we don’t really escape from it. It’ll return to haunt us and others in the future. That’s why we should do what we can to prevent suffering when we see it.
Anyway, that might not even make sense to people who have already read the book! It’s mostly a funny book that is also disturbing at times. These were some of my thoughts while writing, though.
Let me know if you have any questions about the book! Thank you for reading!
Can't wait to read this one Ivy!!