Wolfskin by W.R. Gingell
Publication date: May 1st 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:
‘If you want adventure, you have to march right up to it and kick it in the shins . . .’
At fourteen, barefoot and running wild, Rose is delighted to be apprenticed to Akiva, the witch of the forest. She thinks it will be all enchantment and excitement, and not so much fuss about baths. The reality is much more sober and practical- that is, until she meets a mysterious wolf in the forest and is tricked into stepping off the path . . .
In young, naive Rose, Bastian sees a way of escape. Cursed to remain in the shape of a wolf after running afoul of a powerful enchantress, he has lived many decades under a spell, and now he is both desperate and ruthless. But by breaking part of Bastian’s curse, Rose has caught the attention of Cassandra, the enchantress who cursed him: and Cassandra is by no means ready to forgive and forget.
Meanwhile, wardens have been disappearing from the forest, one by one. Rose is certain that Cassandra is behind the disappearances, but can she and Bastian get to the bottom of the matter before Akiva disappears as well? And are Bastian’s motives entirely to be trusted?
Sometimes the little girl in the red hood doesn’t get eaten, and sometimes the wolf isn’t the most frightening thing in the forest.
Purchase:
When did you start writing?
I started writing before I actually started reading for pleasure. I
remember the first story I wrote: it was in first grade (I was six)
and it involved a magical talking turtle who took me and my family
beneath the ocean , where we played underwater volleyball and
saved all the underwater creatures from something dark and
scary.
What makes you want to write?
The books I want to read aren’t always out there. So I write them.
But more than that, I love the crafting, the building, the creating
of new worlds that are made of words.
Do you ever get writer's block and what do you do to get over
it?
Yes: though I’m still not entirely sure that writer’s block actually
exists. Whenever I find it absolutely impossible to write, it’s
always because I’m taking a character or a plot in the wrong
direction. The block is simply my backbrain howling at me that it’s
wrong. I have to stop, figure out what’s not working, and fix it.
Do you have a special way of going about writing?
Not really. I just sit down with my computer and write. I love to
write to music, though; especially something with a beat that
matches my typing speed, and especially something (like Lindsey
Stirling) that sets my imagination soaring. I quite often write with
old, favourite tv shows on in the background, too. Hogan’s
Heroes, Leverage, Psych, Scarecrow and Mrs King, etc. I don’t
often write in total silence.
Do you have any works in progress?
Yes! A few, actually! The first book in my Two Monarchies
Sequence, Spindle, has just finished edits and will be published
August 10th. I’m now working on the second book in the sequence, Blackfoot, plus the second volume in my Time-Traveller’s Best Friend Series. There will also, eventually, be a sequel to Wolfskin. It’s coming along slowly but surely. I keep myself very busy.
What are your hobbies?
What with a day job and writing, I don’t get a lot of time for much
else, but I do love jigsaw puzzles and knitting. Whenever I’m
stressed, or worried about something, or unable to write, I just get
out a big jigsaw or a couple balls of wool. It makes me feel better
in no time. It seems to clear my head. I also play the violin– which
reminds me, I haven’t practised in forever. I’d better get onto that!
How did you choose the character names for Wolfskin?
Rose’s name was with her from the start. I don’t think I even
thought about it. Bastian was a lot harder. I had a big
brainstorming session with a good friend of mine, where she was
spitting names at me and I was saying things like: “Too long.
Shorter,” “Needs to start with an ‘s’,” “Oooh, almost! Same feel as
that but not quite,” and “Sebastian? It’s a bit long, though.”
And when she finally said: “Bastian, then,” I knew straight away it
was perfect for him.
I get a huge amount of outside help for my names. I will very often
ask random coworkers and customers for names. I’ve gotten
some of my best names this way. Names are very important to
me: I find it hard to write a character if I’m not satisfied with the
name.
Who is your favourite character in Wolfskin?
I love them all, but it would have to be Rose. I like her gruffness,
her forthright manner, and the way she just gets on with things. (I
do have a soft spot for Bastian, though).
How did you get the idea for Wolfskin?
I listen to a lot of older songs- think 40s-60s. One of my favourites
is an old Sam the Sham song called Little Red Riding Hood,
which I regularly sing along to while I’m driving. The seed for
Wolfskin came from that song and just grew from there. I highly
recommend listening to it– it’s a great song!
What was your favourite part of writing Wolfskin?
I really loved watching Rose grow up, not only in the sense of the
character herself, but in the sense of her being written. My first
draft of Wolfskin had a very flat, lifeless, two-dimensional Rose.
By the time she’d been through a further three drafts, she was a
proper, well-rounded character. I love the growing that I did as a
writer over the course of this book. A lot of that is thanks to
Frances Hardinge, whose books I discovered during this period.
They taught me a lot about writing. Between that and the process
of writing, rewriting, and polishing, I grew a lot as a writer during
Wolfskin.
What are you currently reading?
SO MANY BOOKS. ‘Mansfield Park’, ‘Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the
Galaxy’, ‘Chronicles of Livaek’, ‘Teckla’, and a few others. I don’t
usually read QUITE as many books as this at once, but I’ve found
it hard to settle lately. It always takes a while to settle my reading
after I finish writing one of my own books.
What is your favourite book?
Pride and Prejudice. I can read it again and again. I’ve never
understood the Colin Firth love affair that people have going, but I
certainly do love book Darcy. Most of all, I love Lizzy. She’s clever
and teachable and good.
Who is your favourite author?
Jane Austen– and Steven Brust. And Diana Wynne Jones. And—
well, my favourite ‘author’ is actually very fluid and can’t be
expressed in the singular tense :D
What is your favourite film?
Oooh, that’s hard! It’d be either ‘Alice’ or ‘Twelfth Night’.
What is your favourite TV show?
Leverage. I just LOVE that show. I want to be Elliot’s sidekick.
Quick-fire questions:
Chocolate or ice cream? Both. Together. Mars bar and vanilla
icecream.
Paperback or ebook? Paperback
Dogs or cats? Dogs. Dogsdogsdogsdogsdogs! Please, no cats!
We do not Play Nicely Together.
Go out or stay in? Stay in
Summer or winter? Winter
