Mistress of the Windby Michelle Diener
New Adult/Sci-Fi Fantasy
Paperback, 342 pages
Expected publication: December 19th 2013
Bjorn needs to find a very special woman . . .
The fate of his people, and his own life, depends on it. But when he does find her, she is nothing like he imagined, and may just harbor more secrets than he does himself.
Astrid has never taken well to commands. No matter who issues them . . .
She's clashed her whole life with her father, and now her lover, the mysterious man who comes to her bedroom in darkness and disappears to guard his mountain by day as a bear, is finding it out the hard way. And when he's taken by his enemies, no one is prepared for Astrid's response.
It is never wise to anger the mistress of the wind . . .
A captivating and magical adult retelling of the fairy tale East of the Sun, West of the Moon.
Praise for Mistress of the Wind:
"Dienerís adaptation retains the familiar elements of the original, echoing both the structure and spirit of the classic, but true to form, she puts her own spin both the plot and the narrative, crafting an intricately alluring tale of self-sacrifice, steadfast devotion and enduring love." -- Flashlight Commentary
"The story is fast-paced and never boring, the world a beauty and Michelleís writing so wonderfully detailed that I felt I was with Bjorn and Astrid on their journey." -- Book Bird Reviews
"Author Michelle Diener takes this re-telling to another level. She doesnít restrict herself to an East of the Sun, West of the moon retelling. Instead we are also given parts reminiscent of Psycheís quest. Which just allowed for a much more richer story" --Paperback Wonderland
Guest Post: Favorite Fairy Tales
By Michelle Diener
I love being asked for a list of ten of my favorite fairy tales. There are so many great ones, and I'll probably head-smack myself in a couple of days because I left out a really good one, but here goes, in no particular order ñ and I've put in a link to a version of the fairy tale on the Sur La Lune Fairy Tale website, where there is one. It comes with annotations, and I really love the site, even if some of my favorites are a slightly different version to the one they have up there:
East of the Sun, West of the Moon: Magical bears, enchantments and a love strong enough to overcome any distance and obstacle. What is not to love? Also, there is another layer entirely, about a woman fighting her way to the light and to understanding her own worth and power. Again, what is not to love?
(SurLaLune link: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/eastsunwestmoon/index.html )
Snow White and Rose Red: The version of this I love the most is the original brothers Grimm tale, translated by May Sellar. Some of this tale snuck in to Mistress of the Wind, for the troll that turns into a little dwarf, and fights with a bear, who is the enchanted prince of this story. Those who have read Mistress of the Wind will recognize the scene I mean immediately, those of you who haven't read it yet, when you do, you'll know immediately what I mean, and where I got my inspiration.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin: There is something really poignant about this story. And it ends on such a cliffhanger, too. It's been retold so many times, and I love all of them, but particularly Terry Pratchett's The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents.
The Princess and the Pea: I actually started writing a retelling of this before I worked on Mistress of the Wind, but only got as far as the first couple of pages before I moved on to something else. But it is one of those tales which really leaves you with more questions than answers. Who is the mysterious princess, and how does she feel the pea? I'll probably have to go back and write this some day, because just asking the question here is stirring my imagination :) .
(SurLaLune link: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/princesspea/index.html )
The Goose Girl: I have always loved this tale. The heroine is really brave and someone you'd like to know. The twist of the talking head of her horse nailed to the city gates really intrigues me, and I'd love to explore the symbolism of that some day.
(SurLaLune link: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/goosegirl/index.html )
The Snow Queen: I love this story because it is bittersweet. You are never sure if Kay went to the Snow Queen because he was weak, because he made a mistake or because he literally was enchanted. And however you decide, affects whether you want Gerda to win him back or not. I have also always loved the symbolism of the piece of mirror in Kay's eyes, which stops him seeing any beauty, and only reflects back the bad. Like the heroine in East of the Sun, West of the Moon, Gerda has to go on a truly life-changing journey to find Kay and bring him back.
(SurLaLune link: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/snowqueen/index.html )
Jorinda and Joringel: This is one of the much lesser-known from the Grimm brothers' collection, but something about the determination of Joringel to free Jorinda from her cage, and the magic of dreams, makes my writer's imagination itch to do something about it.
The Little Matchgirl: No reason is probably necessary to understand why this on my list. Poignant and exquisite, this is an amazing tale of hope in a hopeless situation. Disney, I think, did a short animation of this, which is at the beginning of one of my kids DVDs, which is literally breathtaking in its beauty and its faithfulness to the spirit of the tale.
(SurLaLune link: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/littlematchgirl/index.html )
The Princess on the Glass Hill: This is the fairy tale on which the next fantasy I have coming out is based. However, the original is more about the hero than the heroine, and to be honest, not a lot happens in this except two things, which really sparked my imagination, and inspired The Golden Apple, which is out in Spring 2014. The first is, nowhere in the tale is it explained why the king is holding a contest for his daughterís hand by putting her on top of a glass hill with a golden apple in her lap, and, for that matter, where he got something as amazing as a glass hill, and second, the crux of the tale is that the hero cannot win the princess's hand without help from the princess herself. This really made me interested, because she doesn't just sit there and take whoever it is manages to accomplish the (impossible) task set by her father, but actively chooses who it is she wants to win and helps them. The Golden Apple was the result, and I really had fun with it.
Now I'm down to the tenth one, I really am finding it hard to pick. I think I'll go with Puss in Boots. I've always been slightly uncomfortable with the deception theme in this one, but the daring and cheeky confidence shown by Puss is so wonderful, it just squeaks past Rapunzel (LOVED the Barbie movie version of Rapunzel, as well as Tangled! - what can I say, I have a little girl :) ).
East of the Sun, West of the Moon: Magical bears, enchantments and a love strong enough to overcome any distance and obstacle. What is not to love? Also, there is another layer entirely, about a woman fighting her way to the light and to understanding her own worth and power. Again, what is not to love?
(SurLaLune link: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/eastsunwestmoon/index.html )
Snow White and Rose Red: The version of this I love the most is the original brothers Grimm tale, translated by May Sellar. Some of this tale snuck in to Mistress of the Wind, for the troll that turns into a little dwarf, and fights with a bear, who is the enchanted prince of this story. Those who have read Mistress of the Wind will recognize the scene I mean immediately, those of you who haven't read it yet, when you do, you'll know immediately what I mean, and where I got my inspiration.
The Pied Piper of Hamelin: There is something really poignant about this story. And it ends on such a cliffhanger, too. It's been retold so many times, and I love all of them, but particularly Terry Pratchett's The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents.
The Princess and the Pea: I actually started writing a retelling of this before I worked on Mistress of the Wind, but only got as far as the first couple of pages before I moved on to something else. But it is one of those tales which really leaves you with more questions than answers. Who is the mysterious princess, and how does she feel the pea? I'll probably have to go back and write this some day, because just asking the question here is stirring my imagination :) .
(SurLaLune link: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/princesspea/index.html )
The Goose Girl: I have always loved this tale. The heroine is really brave and someone you'd like to know. The twist of the talking head of her horse nailed to the city gates really intrigues me, and I'd love to explore the symbolism of that some day.
(SurLaLune link: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/goosegirl/index.html )
The Snow Queen: I love this story because it is bittersweet. You are never sure if Kay went to the Snow Queen because he was weak, because he made a mistake or because he literally was enchanted. And however you decide, affects whether you want Gerda to win him back or not. I have also always loved the symbolism of the piece of mirror in Kay's eyes, which stops him seeing any beauty, and only reflects back the bad. Like the heroine in East of the Sun, West of the Moon, Gerda has to go on a truly life-changing journey to find Kay and bring him back.
(SurLaLune link: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/snowqueen/index.html )
Jorinda and Joringel: This is one of the much lesser-known from the Grimm brothers' collection, but something about the determination of Joringel to free Jorinda from her cage, and the magic of dreams, makes my writer's imagination itch to do something about it.
The Little Matchgirl: No reason is probably necessary to understand why this on my list. Poignant and exquisite, this is an amazing tale of hope in a hopeless situation. Disney, I think, did a short animation of this, which is at the beginning of one of my kids DVDs, which is literally breathtaking in its beauty and its faithfulness to the spirit of the tale.
(SurLaLune link: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/littlematchgirl/index.html )
The Princess on the Glass Hill: This is the fairy tale on which the next fantasy I have coming out is based. However, the original is more about the hero than the heroine, and to be honest, not a lot happens in this except two things, which really sparked my imagination, and inspired The Golden Apple, which is out in Spring 2014. The first is, nowhere in the tale is it explained why the king is holding a contest for his daughterís hand by putting her on top of a glass hill with a golden apple in her lap, and, for that matter, where he got something as amazing as a glass hill, and second, the crux of the tale is that the hero cannot win the princess's hand without help from the princess herself. This really made me interested, because she doesn't just sit there and take whoever it is manages to accomplish the (impossible) task set by her father, but actively chooses who it is she wants to win and helps them. The Golden Apple was the result, and I really had fun with it.
Now I'm down to the tenth one, I really am finding it hard to pick. I think I'll go with Puss in Boots. I've always been slightly uncomfortable with the deception theme in this one, but the daring and cheeky confidence shown by Puss is so wonderful, it just squeaks past Rapunzel (LOVED the Barbie movie version of Rapunzel, as well as Tangled! - what can I say, I have a little girl :) ).
Michelle Diener writes historical fiction. Her Susanna Horenbout & John Parker series, set in the court of Henry VIII, includes In a Treacherous Court, Keeper of the King's Secrets and In Defense of the Queen.Michelle's other historical novels include Daughter of the Sky, The Emperor's Conspiracy and Banquet of Lies (loosely connected to The Emperor's Conspiracy).
Michelle's first fantasy novel, Mistress of the Wind, is set for a December 23, 2013, release.
Michelle was born in London, grew up in South Africa and currently lives in Australia with her husband and two children.
International Giveaway:
10 copies of Mistress of the Wind, Kindle or print, winner's choice.
Check out each stop on the tour!
12/31: Kelly P's Blog
+ Giveaway Breaking News for Indonesia
1/1: Mel's Shelves
1/2: Mythical Books
+ Tressa's Wishful Endings
1/3: Brooke Blogs
1/5: Leeanna.me
1/6: The Book Landers
1/7: So Many Reads
+ Deal Sharing Aunt
1/8: My Devotional Thoughts
1/9: Colorimetry
1/10: saeit yahalomi
1/12: The Reading Diaries
+ Bookish Outsider
1/13: The Wonderings of One Person
1/14: Dalene's Book Reviews
+ A Greater Yes
1/15: A Backwards Story
1/16: Addicted Readers
1/17: Grand Finale + Giveaway Breaking News for Indonesia
1/1: Mel's Shelves
1/2: Mythical Books
+ Tressa's Wishful Endings
1/3: Brooke Blogs
1/5: Leeanna.me
1/6: The Book Landers
1/7: So Many Reads
+ Deal Sharing Aunt
1/8: My Devotional Thoughts
1/9: Colorimetry
1/10: saeit yahalomi
1/12: The Reading Diaries
+ Bookish Outsider
1/13: The Wonderings of One Person
1/14: Dalene's Book Reviews
+ A Greater Yes
1/15: A Backwards Story
1/16: Addicted Readers
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