Hello, and many thanks to
Denise for inviting me to do a guest post on her blog!
THE (long, extended) BIRTH OF BOTTLED
On a winter’s day in February
of 2011, I happily finished my YA sci-fi, SAFE ZONE…the novel that will release
in October of this year, 2016. That very same night, I tossed and turned with a
brand new idea for a novel. It would be a story about a genie, a light fantasy
that would be mostly contemporary with a twist of magic. It could have a dual
point of view, one from the genie and one from the master. There would be
romance! adventure! danger! but I’d have to make it different enough from
Disney’s “Aladdin” and the old TV show, “I Dream of Jeannie.”
At the time, I didn't know of
any genie novels being published, so it was fresh and different from the
vampires, werewolves, angels/demons, fairies, etc. that were popular then. Time
passed while other stuff happened. I signed with an agent for my debut (THE
BODY INSTITUTE) and worked on that. She suggested that one point of view might
be better, so I dropped the dual POV idea. I wrote on BOTTLED when I could, mostly in 2012 and 2103. My
agent preferred another novel over BOTTLED, so we shelved it for a while.
After my agent and I amicably
parted ways in 2015, I dusted the manuscript off and shaped it up. By that
time, there actually were genie novels being published, about a dozen of them
(rats, so much for being unique and beating the trend). In 2015 I tried out a
Twitter pitch during #SFFpit to agents and editors, and got some responses that
didn’t pan out. In December of 2015 I threw out some more tweets during another
Twitter pitch: Transformed into a genie by a scheming man, Adeelah searches
for her human love while protecting her new intriguing master. #PitMad #YA
One small press showed
interest, and I submitted to them. I then remembered another small press I’d
heard about, Clean Reads, and looked them up (not to be confused with Clean
Teen Publishing). I loved their policy of no graphic violence, profanity, or
sex. I submitted via their online form, and viola!
FOUR DAYS LATER I found a contract in my inbox. Whoa! I emailed the first press
(as is professional/courteous to give them a chance to offer), and ended up
signing with Clean Reads.
As a girl, I used to watch "I Dream of Jeannie" all the time (yes,
I am that old), along with "Bewitched." I loved those shows. Except
sometimes Jeannie drove me NUTS with all the scrapes and tangles she got her
master into. Such chaos! I wanted my novel to be a more serious tribute to the
enchantment of the show. Unlike Jeannie, my genie has limited powers and isn't
able to use her abilities to reach her own goals. Having limitations with the
magic made things more fun and challenging plot-wise.
YOUR WISH. If you had a genie
like Adeelah, what would you wish for? Tell me in comments. Here are her limitations:
1. The
wish must be tangible. No wishing for abstract things like world peace, true
love, or happiness.
2. The
wish cannot directly change another person or deal with them against their will
(NO healing, making people fall in love with you, bringing someone back to
life, giving you long life, materializing the perfect
boyfriend/girlfriend/chef/bodyguard/parent, etc).
3. The
wishes are not limited to three like some genie stories. They are unlimited.
```````````````````````````````````````
BOTTLED
At seventeen, Adeelah Naji is transformed into a genie and imprisoned in a
bottle. For a thousand years, she fulfills the wishes of greedy
masters—building their palaces, lining their pockets with gold, and granting
them every earthly pleasure. All that sustains her is the hope of finding
Karim, the boy she fell in love with as a human. When at last she finds a note
from her beloved, she confirms he has access to the elixir of life and that he
still searches for her.
But someone else also hunts her. Faruq—the man who plots to use her powers to
murder and seize the life forces of others—is just one step behind her. With
the help of a kind master named Nathan, Adeelah continues to search for Karim
while trying to evade Faruq. To complicate matters, she begins to experience
growing fatigue and pain after conjuring, and finds herself struggling against
an undeniable attraction to Nathan.
As Faruq closes in, Adeelah must decide just how much she’ll risk to protect
Nathan and be with Karim forever. How much power does she really have to change
her future, and what is she willing to sacrifice for an eternity of love? If
she makes the wrong choice, the deaths of many will be on her hands.
Carol Riggs is an author of
fiction for young adults (and adults!) who lives in the beautiful green state
of Oregon, USA. Her debut novel, The
Body Institute, released Sept 2015 from Entangled Teen, exploring body
image and identity. Her fantasy YA, Bottled, will release from Clean Reads on July
7, 2016, and her sci-fi YA, Safe Zone, will release from Entangled Teen in
October 2016. She enjoys reading, drawing and painting, writing conferences,
walking with her husband, and enjoying music and dance of all kinds. You will
usually find her in her writing cave, surrounded by her dragon collection and
the characters in her head.
CONNECT WITH CAROL
Website: http://www.carolriggs.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/artzicarol
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarolRiggsAuthor?sk=wall
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8055261.Carol_Riggs
Thanks Carol for lighting up my blog today with your genie Adeelah!
- How about you, dear reader. Are you into genies? Do you remember Bewitched or I Dream of Jeanie?
