Late last summer I saw a call for stories about villains, and what makes them tick. The anthology publisher focuses on fantasy, and at the time they were also soliciting manuscripts for modern takes on fairy tales.
Inspiration
struck. My villain would be from a fairy tale, and I would tell his/her origin
story.
I
ran through some of my favorite fairy tales, then thought maybe I should focus
not on the story but on the worst fairy tale villain I could think of.
Child-eating witch in the woods? Done.
I
gave my villain a name. I gave her a family and a home. I gave her hope and
tragedy and a purpose in turning on townspeople who had so cruelly turned
on her.
In
the spirit of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, I tried to create an unflinching look
into the world of people trying to live a simple life while afflicted by
complicated circumstances. And thankfully, the publisher accepted my story.
Now that anthology—The Heart of
a Devil—is available on Amazon.
It includes my story, "Adelinde's Last Supper." I hope you check it out!
It includes my story, "Adelinde's Last Supper." I hope you check it out!
