Page Created: 09/25/10. Last Updated: 10/29/10. Last Google Group Page Update: 08/17/09.
SARAH MICKLEM
Books:
Firethorn
Wildfire
Official Website: http://www.firethorn.info/
MEETING SUMMARY:
Meeting Date: June 9, 2007.
Meeting Site: Borders Books & Music (Ramsey).
Official Attendance: 19.
Meeting Program: Talk by Fantasy Writer.
Notes:
Meeting Memories:
Newsletter Account:
The following is reprinted with permission from THE STARSHP EXPRESS Copyright 2007 Philip J De Parto.
Our guest grew up reading fantasy and science fiction and was determined to become a writer at an early age. Upon graduating high school, she rented a cottage out in the middle of nowhere and worked for five months to produce a really bad science fiction novel. Deciding that she might need a bit more seasoning, Sarah went to college and began working on the novel that would become FIRETHORN. She received no interest or encouragement from her instructors and eventually abandoned the work.
Ms Micklem graduated, got a job as a graphics designer, and married poet/playwright Cornelius Eady. Her husband introduced her to the writing classes of author Abigail Thomas. Ms Thomas thought enough of the novel to bring it to her editor at Harcourt who eventually purchased it.
FIRETHORN is a gritty fantasy novel set in the Middle Ages of a world quite similar to ours. Although magic works, it is a quiet, subdued thing--no robed wizards throwing lightning bolts or similar enchantments.
Firethorn is also the name of the central character, a low born woman originally named Luck. Luck fled to the forest when her lady died, chanced upon a rare and sacred Firethorn tree (although a bush in our world, firethorn is a tree in the world of the novel), and ate some of the firethorn berries which either induced hallucinations or gave her a connection to the gods of healing.
She soon becomes the companion to the highborn warrior, Sir Galan, and accompanies him to the camp of the king's army. The camp is a dangerous place for knight and healer alike. Court intrigues and enemy forces soon have the couple in desperate straits.
FIRETHORN became the first book in an accidental trilogy, the second book of which is two years overdue. The author talked about book two, in which Firethorn is struck by lightning and left unable to speak clearly.
One of the highlights of the talk was the author's use of the Divining Compass. This device plays an important role in the book. It is used to interpret the will of the dozen gods of this world. Ms Micklem brought a copy with her, described the pantheon she created, and did some castings before the group.
Sarah Micklem was an interesting and gracious speaker whose talk was well received by the audience.