Storm Glass
Authors: Maria V. Snyder
Tags: #Fantasy, #Fiction, #General, #Magic, #Fantasy - General, #American Science Fiction And Fantasy, #Fantasy fiction, #Fiction - Fantasy, #Paranormal, #Romance, #Glass
Maria V. Snyder
POISON STUDY
-Winner of the 2006 Compton Crook Award
-Winner of the 2006 Readers’ Choice Award from the Salt Lake County Library System
-Locus
magazine 2005 Recommended Reading selection
-2005 Book Sense Pick
-Finalist for an RWA RITA® Award for Best First Book
-Nominated for an Alex Award by the American Library Association
“Maria Snyder has created an engaging and entirely original new fantasy, fascinating in its rich detail.”
-
New York Times
bestselling author Mercedes Lackey on
Poison Study
“This is one of those rare books that will keep readers dreaming long after they’ve read it.”
-
Publishers Weekly,
starred review, on
Poison Study
“The rare sequel to live up to the promise of its predecessor,
Magic Study
is a wonderful combination of romance and fantasy.”
-
Audible.com
Editor’s Pick: Best of 2006-Romance
“Maria Snyder did it again!
Magic Study
captures your attention from the opening scene and doesn’t let you go until you reach the very last page… This is definitely a must read.”
-
In the Library Reviews
“Fans of high-spirited adventure, intrigue and romance will celebrate the third book (after 2007’s
Magic Study
) in the saga of reluctant mage and diplomat Yelena Zaltana… Snyder delivers another excellent adventure.”
-
Publishers Weekly
on
Fire Study
“The many characters leap to life, particularly Yelena, whose first-person narrative is riveting.”
-
Romantic Times BOOKreviews
on
Fire Study
Also by
Maria V. Snyder
POISON STUDY
MAGIC STUDY
FIRE STUDY
Storm Glass
Maria V. Snyder
To my sister, Karen Phillips, for all the advice, support
and good times (BFF). This book has a definite sister vibe!
Contents
Interview with Maria V. Snyder
Research: Kiki - the Magical Horse
Author Note: Mixed Up Weather
by Maria V. Snyder
I’ve been receiving a bunch of questions from my readers about why I chose Opal to be my next protagonist, how did I think of the idea for her glass magic, and what’s up with the weather stuff? I hope everyone is comfortable-this is going to take a while. I can wait while you get something hot/cold to drink;)
For the first part of that question, I must admit it was my editor's idea. After
Fire Study,
I wanted to write a different book-one
not
in the Study world (I had been writing about Yelena for eleven years-I like her, but come on-enough already). My editor really wanted another Study book to keep up the momentum. She mentioned Opal as a potential character.
I liked Opal and she surprised me by how valuable she became in
Fire Study
, but I couldn't think of a story idea with her. I was explaining this to my editor in Austin, Texas, during a World Fantasy Convention, and was literally in mid-sentence (she claims I was in mid-whine-but don’t believe her) when the idea for
Storm Glass
popped into my mind. At first we were going to title the book
Glass Study
or
Crystal Study
, but I wanted a new title since I had a new main protagonist.
Most of my readers know I don't plan my stories in advance. I do have a general idea for a book and will write a synopsis for my editor to approve-but the finished book usually doesn't match the synopsis at all (at least, not yet). Writing is a discovery process for me and it’s what I love the most about it.
The second part of the question is why glass? In
Magic Study
I had a kidnapped victim named Tula who was in a coma. Yelena needed a family member to help her revive Tula so I needed to invent a family for her. I created parents, an older sister, a younger sister and a younger brother (gotta have options). Then the question arose-why would Tula be all alone at night?-with two sisters, she didn’t sleep alone. The answer was the family owned a glass factory and had to keep the kilns hot all night-so a member would baby-sit the kilns, shoveling coal when needed. Usually two together, but Opal wasn’t feeling good and Tula sent her to bed. (Note: Opal’s original name was Gale-but my editor suggested I change her name because it was too close to Goel-a major character in
Magic Study
-I got Opal’s name from the
Pickles
comic strip).
So Tula’s family was created to back up her reason for being alone. I thought I was done with them. Oh no, they appeared in
Fire Study
. Completely unplanned-Yelena, Moon Man and Leif were in Booruby and I remembered Tula’s family also lived there and I thought it would be interesting to get them together. First for Yelena to get caught up on the political gossip about this Daviian Clan, but then Opal’s talent revealed itself to Yelena and to me
But why glass? I remember a trip to a glass factory when I was very young. I don’t remember the details, like where or when, but I remember the glass mouse I wanted to buy. It had a long thin tail that swirled up, and my mother said I would break it. I promised not to, and I kept my promise until I moved out of my parent’s house when I was 22 (a box fell off my father’s truck during the move and the tail broke then). I think that trip planted an idea in my mind so when I was writing
Fire Study
and needed to help Yelena out of a nasty jam, the glass-making interest bubbled to the surface of my mind.
Memories of a glass mouse unfortunately don’t help with writing scenes located in a glass factory. As I write, I'll come to a place where I need more information. I'll put a note in brackets to do research in my manuscript and keep on writing. I do prefer hands-on as it's the best way to learn and helps so much in translating that experience for my readers. (No, I didn’t do hands-on for learning how to pick locks…honest…the police cleared me of
all
charges!).
For the glass-blowing scenes, I took a class at the Goggle Works in Reading, PA. A little far away, but closer than Philadelphia or Pittsburgh (the only other places in PA that taught glass). And I learned glass is an
amazing
medium. The best aspect of learning was the limitless possibilities - molten glass can be shaped into anything. Also being able to re-use glass over and over appeals to my save-the-environment lifestyle. I have since taken more glass classes and have learned to fuse glass, to make stained glass, and to make glass beads (technically they are beads-even if they aren’t round per say).
