Skyler White’s second novel, In Dreams Begin, drops November 12th, 2010. Her first novel, And Falling, Fly, gathered critical acclaim and blew the minds of urban fantasy readers galore. Published by Berkley, In Dreams Begin chronicles the mingled lives of several people in two different timelines. Modern Laura, recently married, begins to dream of devious Ida, charismatic Maud, and the enigmatic poet William Yeats. Separate, yet tangled timelines twist and weave as each character struggles to find the man—or demon—she loves passionately. Laura dreams of Maud, summoned by Ida by mistake, and forever tied to Yeats soul. Maud dreams of a free Ireland, and Yeats longs for Laura’s love—as trapped as she is in Maud’s slumbering body.
White says, "I shared with Yeats a fascination with demonic or occult possession. While his investigations were more experiential than mine, in writing a woman from my time who inhabits the body of a woman from his, I got to play with changing ideas of beauty. I was able to question whether I am my body or a part of it, or it a part of who I am. Possession — by spirits or of stuff — on either side of the then rise and now (perhaps) decline of the consumer culture, raised interesting quandaries: Do I truly possess my own body? Is it mine to maintain, enhance, neglect or add horns to? Can I give myself to someone? Do I own my child? Is my body’s health a status symbol, a communication tool, a shell for my soul, or a public policy problem? And isn’t channeling the souls of other people really what all writers do?
"Finally, I was attracted by Yeats’s total lack of interest in realism, the same restless curiosity I admire in contemporary fantasy writers, and by his passion and imagination, which I recognize and love in today’s bloggers and deep hobbyists. I also saw in him the beginning of the modern rejection of absolute certainty that makes it difficult to passionately commit to anything – book, blog or love forever. I loved his passion and his uncertainty. I still do. And I am still uncertain."
The story is sure to be a mind-twister, but with White’s amazing ability to weave words and breathe life into characters, it will be thoroughly enjoyable.
Much like And Falling, Fly, Skyler’s newest novel is destined to be a potent blast of change to a genre filled with werewolves, vampires, and love-struck zombies.
You can visit White's website at www.skylerwhite.com. And Falling, Fly is available at major booksellers, as well as online outlets.
Rating: (5 out of 5):
