Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Guest Post: Lou Aronica with Giveaway

When I started work on my latest novel, Blue, I committed to writing about its core topics – the relationship between fathers and daughters, the effects of divorce, and the need for hope and imagination, to name a few – as honestly as I possibly could. I therefore decided to write Blue as a fantasy novel. As incongruous as this might seem, there was real logic in my thinking.

Fantasy novels provide many experiences. Certainly, there’s the experience of escape. When one enters a fantasy world through the pages of a book, one can come upon a vast array of inventions that can take you completely out of your life for as long as you are immersed. Then there’s the experience of wonder. The best fantasists – and I’m not suggesting that I am one by any stretch – can make our jaws drop with their creations. However, I think the most powerful experience that a fantasy novel can provide is the experience of remove. Fantasy allows the author to take readers out of their world so they can see that world from a new perspective.

That was my goal with Blue. I wanted to create an outsized version of things common to many of us to show how important those things really are. Most parents would tell you that they would give the world to their children. However, what would it really be like to give a world to your child? In Blue, I wanted to show a father’s devotion in a way that truly symbolized how we feel about our kids. When his five-year-old daughter Becky is sick, Chris, one of the novel’s three main characters, comes up with the idea that the two of them should start making up a story together at bedtime. This bedtime-story fantasy world becomes so meaningful to them that they continue to add to it every night long after Becky is better.

But then Chris’s marriage to Becky’s mother ends. Chris is so confused by this that he can’t adequately explain what’s going on to his daughter, now ten. In response, Becky declares that she will no longer continue their story. The fantasy is ending right here for her. What this symbolizes for Becky is fairly obvious, I would imagine: the loss of illusions. However, I used this device because I wanted to symbolize something else here: how devastating it is to a parent when a child rejects what they once shared. We miss little talks, easy laughter, silly traditions when our kids outgrow them, but many times can’t pinpoint why. By making the thing that Chris and Becky shared an elaborate fantasy world, I was attempting to give substance to what is often ineffable. 

All of this is background to the main action in Blue, which is largely about what happens when the world that Becky and Chris created comes alive when Becky is fourteen. Here’s where I employ the tools of fantasy liberally, including the third main character of the novel, Miea, the young queen of that world. The reason why this world has become real is the central mystery of the novel, so I’m not going to explain my perspective on that here (you can e-mail me after you read Blue if you want to trade theories). All I’ll say is that one of the reasons I chose to make a bedtime story come alive is that I wanted to symbolize one of the most satisfying truths about parenting: that if you truly connect with your children in their early years, you create something very real that will be with you forever. In this case, the fantasy world is that creation. 

I wanted Blue to be as truthful as my skills would allow me to make it. Therefore, I believed that the only choice I had was to make it a fantasy.

Lou Aronica is the author of several novels and works of nonfiction, including the New York Times bestseller, The Element (written with Ken Robinson) and the national bestseller, The Culture Code (written with Clotaire Rapaille). He lives in Southern Connecticut with his wife and four children.


GIVEAWAY
One Minding Spot Reader will win their own copy of this amazing novel, Blue

Leave a comment with your email to enter.  
Leave a comment/question for Mr. Aronica for a bonus entry.

USA Only

Contest ends on January 7th. 

34 comments:

  1. I would love to win this book

    csmart218(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  2. I lost my Dad at age 16 and he tried to give both his daughters "everything", so the premise of this novel would be quite interesting to me. Also, my curiousity is piqued, since I have had the privilege of working with Mr. Aronica as a publisher in the past, would like to see another side of his talent.
    CMash Loves To Read
    Mash1195(at)aol(dot)com

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  3. Wow, sounds like a great book.

    DreamyCowgirl @ hotmail.com

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  4. I would love to read this :)

    ashj.allen(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  5. I have a question, do you (author) have children that you've created memories or traditions with? If not, do you remember your parents doing that with you when you were little?

    ashj.allen(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  6. This sounds like a very interesting story.

    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  7. This looks good!

    katie_tp(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  8. thanks for an awesome giveaway
    would so love to win this book

    khyla_808ATyahooDOTcom

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  9. I love the storyline. Would love a chance to win this book.

    Happy New Year!!

    sharon54220@gmail.com

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  10. Thanks for the giveaway. I am a follower and email subscriber. I would love to read this book. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

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  11. this story sounds awesome I love the premise and id love to see where itgoes and figure out the mystery Im very close to my dad so id be devistated if my father and Is tradition would stop and end so would be awesome to win this please count me in


    mortalsinn@yahoo.com

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  12. I'd love to read this book. It sounds like one that I would enjoy.

    bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  13. My question for the author-Did you have many childhood bed-time story fantasies? Do they come to light or were they the inspiration for parts of this novel?

    bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  14. I would love a chance to win!! Thanks for the opportunity!

    Email: melissajackson07@gmail.com

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  15. I'm always looking for a good book. Thanks for the wonderful giveaway!


    dianad8008 at gmail dot com

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  16. I just wanted to respond to a couple of queries to the author. Our family is swimming with traditions. We have birthday traditions, we have holiday traditions, we have end-of-the-year traditions, and more. Some of this happened organically, but much of it happened because I got divorced from the mother of my two oldest kids when they were five and three. They spent half the time with me after that, and I wanted to make sure that they always had a strong sense of home. Traditions and rituals do a wonderful job of that.

    Regarding bedtime story fantasies, this was largely an invention. When I was a kid, I would tell myself stories to help me get to sleep. That's where I got the idea of Chris suggesting to Becky that they tell stories together. I've never actually done this with any of my kids, though they all have rich imaginations.

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  17. Sounds great. Did you have to do any research for this novel?
    GFC follower

    Vivien
    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

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  18. When we exhausted our bedtime storybooks, creating a fantasy world with both of my children was so much fun for all of us when they were little. Naturally they became older and outgrew all of our imaginary characters and places. The most rewarding moments are watching my daughter now tucking her little girl into bed after telling her those same stories that we made up and bringing all our fantasies to life once again. I would love to read Blue. Thanks!

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  19. It sounds like a great book. I'd love to win.

    linda b 142 @ gmail [dot] com

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  20. I'd love to read this. It sounds like a wonderful book.
    peacelily_2006(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  21. Sounds like an interesting read Please count me in
    tanyainjville at yahoo dot com

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  22. I agree that if you truly connect with your children in their early years, you create something very real that will be with you forever.That's why I read to my son and am now reading to my five year old grandson. BLUE by Lou Aronica sounds like a great read. Lou, I lost my mother and father when I was young.
    I am an email follower, Google Follower, and FB follower.
    Thanks,
    Rebecca
    rbooth43 at yahoo dot com

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  23. This book sounds amazing! i would LOVE to win a copy! Thanks for the chance!!

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

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  24. Question: How did you come up with the idea for this novel? I think it sounds very intriguing! I can't wait to read it!!

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

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  25. Thank you for hosting this giveaway

    Louis
    schnitzomage {at} gmail {dot} com

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  26. I have become disinterested in reading lately as everything I like to read seems to have all taken the same turn and become too alike. It was like reading the same story over and over, with only the names changed. I am absolutely intrigued by this story. I would truly love to win. Thank you for exposing me to this wonderful book.

    lewalk(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  27. Question to the author: You seem to have a truly wonderful imagination, to be a writer sure, but to have come up with such a great story. My question to you is did you have an imaginary friend when you were young? I know you said you told yourself stories so I was wondering if you had someone else to talk to? I am not creative and did not have an imaginary friend growing up so I am curious to see if the two, being a creative writer and having an imaginary friend, are connected. Thank you and to the author of the blog as well.

    lewalk(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  28. I'd love to read this book - Thanks for the chance!
    megalon22 at yahoo dot com

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  29. Wow! I would have never thought to write about such serious topics as a fantasy novel. But now that I've read this post, it's a perfect genre for these serious matters.

    Question: What authors inspire you?

    megalon22 at yahoo dot com

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  30. This sounds like an amazing and creative story! I'd love to read it!

    meredithfl at gmail dot com

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  31. Would love to read this.
    rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com

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  32. I'd like to give this book a read, thanks. katklaw777 at yahoo dot com

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  33. This books sounds really good.
    joannereynolds@sbcglobal.net

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  34. Interesting concept! The father-daughter bond is such a strong one. My 33 year old daughter & I are best friends but she still has some things she only tells her daddy!

    ruthiekb72ATyahooDOTcom

    ReplyDelete