This short story collection was an EPPIE
Look at the book Read reviews
2001 Finalist.
Synopses of the 22 stories.
Well, young Mavis isn't naked. This is the picture Will drew of her in the story Fishing Expedition.
I have a dear friend who is now 89 years old. When she was a young woman she fed her children by doing portraits at $2 a go, and even today many people cherish the drawing Innes Henderson made of Grandmother as a little girl. At 70-odd years of age, Innes went on a trip around the world. Instead of taking a camera, she took a sketchbook. Each evening, she drew the scenes that had interested her that day. No photo album could compete with her delightful art.
She now complains that her eyesight is failing her. I asked her to draw the cover art for Striking Back From Down Under, but she was dubious. I read her the story of Will and Mavis. The drawing was complete on the following day. It's a soft pastel, and exactly captures the character of the heroine.
I thought Clock Tower Books had rejected my submission of Sleeper, Awake, but it turned out that this was a little bit of miscommunication. Ariana Overton, then their acquisitions editor, just wanted some major changes.
Even this hurt, but what could I do? I made the changes. The book has improved out of sight -- and so have my writing skills.
Meanwhile I was sent a list stating that Science Fiction writer Al Sirois would do a cover for me, free of charge. A rapid exchange of email later, Al told me he'd just been to an art exhibition, and was inspired by it. I had wanted a scene from the book. Instead, he sent me a naked lady who had little or nothing to do with the actual story.
I didn't like the picture -- at first. But it drew the eye, and somehow, it captured the spirit, the idea, the feel of the book.
Al has now posted a page on his web site describing the genesis of this drawing, a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a computer artist.
This book won the EPPIE 2001 Award for Science Fiction.
Synopsis and Chapter 1 Reviews
Martine works at a furious pace, is enthusiastic and impatient. My internet connection is slow, and I only go online late at night. So, sometimes I had three or four successive drafts waiting for me.
Gradually -- all too slowly for Martine -- the cover became artistically compelling, and exactly what I had visualized.
The end result was well worth all the to-ing and fro-ing. See for yourself.
As with The Start of Magic, I wanted an actual scene from the book: the Ehvelen hero Porcupine battling to the death with Elder Edoran, the arrogant and capable Doshi leader.
As before, Martine faithfully drew what I had specified. Somehow, the excitement was not there. Unlike the picture of the swimming girls, this one was flat, unexciting. You would expect a duel to be gripping, but... something was missing.
Martine knew what it was: naked women. She had a brilliant idea, and sent me FIVE successive drafts of it on the one day. She then phoned me in Australia, all the way from Canada, to get my reaction. I had to tell her that I hadn't checked my email yet...
Martine had done the same thing as Al had. By departing from the story, she has captured it. What can I do, except to bow to the artist?
My only worry was that I'd be seen as a 'dirty old man', preoccupied with breasts and bums and things, and it's NOT MY DOING AT ALL!
Here is Martine's response:
I told Mum what you said about the naked women on the three covers of your books and that people will think you a dirty old man. She said, "Noooo, that's art...and now he has to keep it up for the rest of the series, otherwise the other covers will look out of place..." So there you are. It's art... and that coming from an 80 year old woman... Cheers, Tina.