Guest Author: Chrysoula Tzavelas

I don’t have a writers’ group, in the traditional sense.  But I do have a writers’ support group, also known as The War Room.  And recently we were discussing the different ways we’re getting work to readers – traditional publishing, small press, Kickstarter, and direct-to-reader – and the difficulty of getting word out, even when you’re with a big NYC publisher.  So when war-mate Chrysoula Tzavelas mentioned her new project, INFINITY KEY,  I told her to haul ass over here and tell people about it, and why she’s so excited about the project.

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There’s a certain type of character I’ve always enjoyed. Some people call them jerks and mean girls and worse things. I think of them as people who don’t let society’s expectations interfere with taking care of themselves and what they consider important.  We put a lot of emphasis on going with the flow of the people around us, on not disrupting society with our own needs. Pain is private, self-sacrifice is idolized, good manners are valued.

 

“How are you today?” 

“I’m fine! Yourself?”

“Oh, fine. Have a nice day!”

 

And this is often good. It’s good to consider the impact of what you do on the people around you! But the problem comes in when you start thinking it’s wrong to have any impact. When obeying the rules ignores the reason for rules. When people are hurt because you’re afraid to have an impact. Especially if the person who is hurt is yourself.

 

I think the most interesting characters are the ones who have a good sense of who they are, what they want, and where they do and don’t fit into society. The ones who are willing to make a scene to get what they want. People like this always stick in my memory, and characters like this entertain me endlessly. There’s always a chance for something unexpected and awesome to happen, and sometimes they say and do exactly what I wish I would.

 

In fact, I like characters like this so much that I made the protagonist of my upcoming novel Infinity Key as much like that as I could manage. Branwyn is fierce, obnoxious and determined to break whatever rules she has to in order to save her dying friend. This includes facing down upsettingly attractive monsters and going to Faerie places a mortal like her has no business going. I’m very fond of her and I can only dream that I can be as quick in a pinch as she is– but it’s true that she’s kind of, well, a jerk. So I do hope other people find that kind of character as interesting as I do.

 

If you do, right now there’s a Kickstarter running for the preorders of the Infinity Key print version, and the digital version goes on sale November 12. Also, and this is new! The first book Branwyn appears in, Matchbox Girls, has had its price cut for a promotional sale.

You can find more info on Infinity Key and Matchbox Girl via the publisher, Candlemark & Gleam

Find Chrysoula (and updates about her work) on her blog

or follow her on Twitter