Interview with Rachel Kovaciny

1. Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

I’m writing a retelling of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” set in the Old West.  Seven white orphans abandoned along the trail to Kansas are taken in by a wagon train of former slaves.  One orphan idolizes a beautiful immigrant who is a healer and seeks to learn how to help sick people from her, only to discover she intends to do away with her stepdaughter.  I call it One Bad Apple, and I’m planning to release it in early 2020.

2. Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

I got the idea for this particular book when I was teaching one of my kids American history a couple years ago.  One of the great things about homeschooling is that I often learn new things right alongside my kids.  I got a book about African Americans in the Old West out of the library for them and, while reading it with her, discovered there was this whole westward movement called the Exoduster Migration I had never heard of.

The Exodusters were freed blacks living in the post-Reconstruction South who got fed up with the oppression they faced and set off en masse for Kansas to start new lives. I thought that would make a fantastic setting for a western because I’ve always wanted to write a story about a wagon train, and there’s a lot of conflict inherent to that movement.  I ended up placing this book a little earlier in time than the actual Exoduster Migration, for various reasons, but that still works because many black pioneers did head out west before the Exodusters, just not in such great numbers.

I’d been wanting to retell Snow White, but couldn’t figure out how to work in the seven dwarfs since my retellings are non-magical.  But having them be white children surrounded by black people still gives them that sense of otherness, and that vulnerability that “seven little men, no bigger than your thumb” had in the version of Snow White I grew up reading.

3. Do you write in more than one genre?

Yes.  Besides my Once Upon a Western series, I’ve also written a lot of short stories set during WWII in the European Theater of Operations.  And I write a column about Wild West history for the Prairie Times as well as articles on various subjects for Femnista.

4. Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

There aren’t many authors who retell fairy tales as westerns, much less build a whole series around that concept.  And most fairy tale retellings involve magic of some sort, but mine do not. 

5. Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

I grew up watching classic cowboy movies with my dad, and until I was in double digits, I would tell people that when I grew up, I was going to be a rancher.  I have a deep love for learning about people living in times and places different from my own, and for seeing how their lives were similar to mine, and also how they were different.  I try to communicate that in my books.  Also, I’m a Christian, and my books have a distinctly Christian worldview, though I do my best not to let them become preachy.

6. What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I don’t know if this is helpful, but I think it’s pretty cool that I was born only a few miles from where Jesse James robbed his first train, and that one of my babysitters was an elderly woman who actually met Jesse James and his gang when she was a young girl herself.

Oh, it might be helpful to know that I have two blogs.  I write about movies and writing at Hamlette’s Soliloquy, and I write about books at The Edge of the Precipice. 

7. Excluding your own work, what author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

This is a hard question because a person’s taste in books is so subjective and personal.  I do think Jack Schaefer deserves more readers these days because he wrote such nuanced, intricate stories, like Shane, and gets overlooked in favor of more renowned authors like Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour.

8. Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

Well, Dancing and Doughnuts is my newest release, and it’s such a fun story that I think most people would get a kick out of it.

9. Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

Winning the Sleeping Beauty retelling contest from Rooglewood Press in 2016 and having my story “The Man on the Buckskin Horse” published in their anthology Five Magic Spindles really jumpstarted my writing career.  All my books and stories since them have built on that foundation.

10. What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

What’s your favorite John Wayne movie?  Almost no one ever asks me that.  It’s The Sons of Katie Elder, by the way.

11. Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

Write what you love.  People like to say you should “write what you know,” but with a little patience and digging, you can know a whole lot about any subject with a library card and the willingness to do some research.  But if you don’t love what you’re writing... what’s the point?

***

In my own writing, Book 3 (I'm still working on the actual title) of the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series is starting to come together. After an intriguing prologue, I'm taking up the thread of Charles and Antonio and their special mission to France. An explosive end to chapter one is in the works. If you haven't read Threading the Rude Eye and Power to Hurt, the first two books in the series, get them now and post a review. These exceptional books need more reviews. Look for links to all my books in the left hand margin of the blog.

Yes. I mean you.
Thank you. Thank you very much.

First there's the college football thing.
Last night I watched a 2-4 team (blue) with its 3rd string QB, coming off its 3rd straight loss, beat an undefeated top-20-ranked team (orange). Blue is now at 3-4 and two of those victories have been over top-25 ranked teams. These two teams have played every year for the last several years. Every year I'm positive that blue is going to beat orange. Blue usually disappoints me. This year I was certain that orange would win--sometimes it feels good to be wrong. It's a great rivalry and I like both teams, but I would be less than sincere (so I suppose that means I would have a little bit of wax--see the etymology for "sincere" if you don't get that) if I didn't note a sliver of schadenfreude regarding some of the fans who consistently degrade blue, considering that orange will probably drop from the top 20 and will lose the shot it had at a prestigious bowl game. I think it proves that it's infinitely more fun to knock someone down than merely to kick them after they've fallen--although that can be fun too.

***

Regarding this:

Last time I mentioned this book by Will Wright, I was 20% through and pleased with the quality of the writing as well as the promise of the story. I didn't get much farther into it before my ardor waned. The quality of the writing held, but my interest in the story did not. Although I seriously considered dropping the book (figuratively speaking of course as I have it as an ebook), I did finish based on the quality and original promise. My reluctance stemmed from the fact that the story is a derivative of the Cthulhu Mythos. Lovecraft did what he did very well, but he's not my favorite. I read Lovecraft because I consider it mandatory material to understand some aspects of the fantasy genre, but there's very little of it that I enjoy. While I enjoyed the characters in this book, and became intrigued with the Reading and filling with Intent aspects, the Elder gods stuff and the island that was a dead god, and the weird monsters turned me away. I won't be reading the second book in the series. I will, however, try some of this author's other works which I obtained when he made them all free for a day or two.

***

I also previously mentioned trying my new skirmish rules with characters from my Tomahawks and Dragon Fire fantasy series set in revolutionary America. I did it sometime last week.

The picture shows the initial set up. It's a scene from one of the books. My woodland Indian figures (on which I've never completed the finishing touches of paint) are standing in for the Indians in the story. Various Lord of the Rings figures are representing the dragon hunters. I didn't think to take any other photos, but the after action report follows. My recollection is that Felgar was played by the warrior of Rohan on the right. On the same side was Aragorn taking the role of Atu. On the left, Hugh was played by the Legolas figure. Akira was played by the elf with the sword over his head. Akram was portrayed by the Haradrim warrior with the spear at the upper left. The warriors have pursued the hunters who have put together an impromptu ambush, using the women (Cat, Coronia, and Velisha) and the unarmed Quintus as bait for the trap. Quintus and the women at the very top of the picture are played by some unpainted figures from the musketeers collection. The weapons available were limited as per the events in the story. The action played out somewhat differently than in the book:

1. The Hunters get initiative.

--Felgar activates and moves into combat with Warrior 2 (W2). He wounds W2 before W1 joins the fight. Akram rushes W4, knocking him down and then putting him hors de combat with a wicked spear thrust. (another warrior with W4's stats will enter next turn). Hugh fails his first activation attempt and W1 takes the opportunity to attack Felgar--but rolled a Tragic Failure, giving the Hunters an Heroic Point to use during the turn--and which Hugh immediately uses to re-roll one of his activation dice on his second activation. He moves against W5, but fails his third attempt resulting in a Turnover. The natives take the initiative.

--W1 attacks Felgar who is double-teamed by W1 and W2 (whom Felgar has wounded). W1 drives a spear into Felgar, seriously wounding the big warrior. Felgar powers his way through the pain to avoid going hors de combat and maintains his morale but is knocked down. W1 attacks again but without result. He fails his third activation attempt, allowing Atu to activate and contact W1 to help out the fallen Felgar. W3 moves toward the women with the intent to take one hostage to force the surrender of the others; he cannot get past the big Irish wolfhound George (played by a warg figure on this occasion). W6 rolls a Turnover.

2. Initiative passes back to the Hunters.

-- Atu uses one of his Heroic Points to bump his activation total to allow him to attack W1. He gains a maneuver and switches places with W1 so that the warrior won't be able to attack Felgar. He fails his second activation; W2 tries but can't react. For his 3rd action, Atu attacks W1 again and succeeds in pushing the warrior away. Akram dashes to W2, bumping his roll with an Heroic Point to attack on his second action. Akram delivers a serious wound to the already wounded warrior. W2 makes the Challenge Roll (miraculously) to avoid going hors de combat, but his courage fails him and Akram slays him as he turns to flee.(Another warrior with his stats will enter next turn). Akram moves into contact with W3 who is also engaged in combat with George. Hugh attacks W5 but neither combatant finds an advantage. Akira throws himself upon W6 but the warrior meets the attack, wounding Akira and knocking him down. Akira passes the morale check. He tries to rise, rolling a Stunning Success - rising and attacking-- to push away the warrior. Felgar regains his feet and moves in against W1, joining Atu.

--The initiative passes to the warriors. The new W4 rolls to activate and re-enter; he does so, racing to Akira who gives him a serious wound, immediately rendering him hors de combat (giving the W4 character true redshirt status). W6 attacks Akira and knocks him down but the hunter reacts to get to his feet. When he fails again, Atu attacks W1 but is pushed back by that warrior who spends his last Heroic Point to reroll one die to keep from being slain--and it pays off with Favorable Impetus and keeps him alive. W5 attacks Hugh with his first action; Hugh pushes the warrior away. Atu reacts back into contact with W1. W1 acts, attacking Felgar who uses his remaining Heroic Point to make it a narrow victory and pushes W1 to the ground. W1 bounces back to his feet. W3 attacks George. The result is a tie, resulting in a withdrawal, but W3 is blocked by Akram, so he elects to attack the hunter at -2 (which does not count as a separate action) rather than to attempt to squeeze past. W3 has to burn his only Heroic Point to have a chance in the combat. The result is a tie; this time Akram and W3 remain in contact. W3 activates and attacks Akram again, pushing him away. W3 uses his remaining action to rejoin combat with George.

3. Initiative passes to the hunters.

--Roll for Alex's entry: Alex and Iago appear. Which immediately gives every warrior a reaction attempt: W1 fails; W3 fails; W6 fails; W5 moves back into contact with Hugh.

Alex continues--and rolls a turnover.

--The new W2 arrives on another path. Atu reacts to attack W1, uses his last Heroic Point, but only succeeds in getting a maneuver, which he declines to use. W1 attacks Felgar, knocking him down. He attacks again. Felgar uses the re-roll ability provided by Alex being on the board. W1 still wins the combat but can only maneuver, and withdraws. Atu reacts and closes with W1. W3 continues the fight with George, taking a wound and being driven back with the dog still on him. The wound panics him and he runs out of reach of the beast. Atu reacts to attack W1 resulting in each breaking away from contact. W5 attacks Hugh; they end by breaking contact. W6 finally succeeds in activating and attacks Akira. Akira benefits from the Alex effect and puts W6 hors de combat.

4. The Initiative passes to the hunters.

--Alex makes a long move and then turns over the initiative.

--W1 moves to attack Akram but cannot make the attack. Alex reacts and attacks W5, giving him a serious wound and putting him out of the combat. (No more warriors will reinforce after Alex enters). W3 contacts Atu and Alex reacts to attack W1, giving him a serious wound and putting him hors de combat. Alex reacts again, attacking W2, also putting him hors de combat. W3 loses his will to fight and flee, to meet a ball from Lee's rifle, putting him out of action. 

Eight warriors were slain or rendered hors de combat. Alex did very little when he had initiative but his reactions resulted in 3 of the warriors being eliminated from combat. It would've been interesting to see what would have happened had Alex not appeared, or had been delayed. None of the hunters were killed or lost the ability to fight because of their wounds, but it was only by tremendous good fortune that Felgar stayed in the fight and his wounds prevented him from being as effective as he should've been.

The trickling began this week.

Words. Those malleable bricks composed of variations of 26 unique elements representing sounds manifested in the English language which itself is spoken with such extraordinary differences around the globe that it's not one language but several. But I digress. And I will do it again, if I please. I do. The digression continues. We place various combinations of letters into words--and then we don't even pronounce some of the letters; or we pronounce them differently even though they are arranged in precisely the same way. What a language! What a rich history! Back to my point, if I had one. I did. I shall begin again taking up after the trickling thought.

Words. Those malleable bricks composed of variations of 26 unique elements representing sounds in the English language began a procession into my newest book this week. Like camels, horses, pilgrims, slaves, and taskmasters with tents and rugs and provisions all bound in colorful rugs and cloths with bright silken ends slithering fluttering upon the breeze, the caravan began its march across the dry, barren expanse of empty pages. I should actually describe this caravan as one consisting of soldiers adorned in bright uniforms; natives with colorful accents upon bronze skin, dark hair, and leather clothing; sailing ships with broad sails stretched above the blue, frost-capped waves; gryphons (or griffins, if you prefer) banking against the azure sky; and feather-winged dragons painting the night sky and landscape with the intense red-orange flame of agony and destruction. Such is the caravan that is trickling its way onto my screen, leaving footprints, tail-drags, hoof-marks, feathery traces, bayonet stabs, tomahawk chops, bloodstains, and ashes in the shapes of those 26 little elements that will unite into tiny word squads, equip themselves with punctuation and rally into regimental sentences, divisional paragraphs, and chapter corps in conquest of the empty space. En avant!

So what I mean to say with this surplusage of verbiage is that book three in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series has begun. I'm not holding myself to the thousand words per day standard until I've resolved a few things about how this part of the story is going to get to the end that I've planned. The first book started in short spurts, written five minutes at a time before the full mustering of the might of the keyboard. This one may do so as well.

Just now the muse looks at me like this:

...uncertain whether to give me the secret of the pages balanced upon her knee, to first use the sharp blade in her hand to take an eye as the price of her gift, or merely to open one of my veins so that I'll have ink to match her gown. We shall see how it goes. Maybe it will be a choice between Odin and Van Gogh.

The most pressing matter for you, Dear Reader, is to obtain post haste and to read the prior two books in the series (as well as all of my other books) so that you will be prepared to receive the turbulence, wrath, and promise to be delivered in book 3.

Having started with a ramble upon some minor points of the English language, it's only fitting that I should end with something from Shakespeare. These are both from King Henry VI First Part Act I:

"What! Shall we curse the planets of mishap that plotted thus our glory's overthrow?

Or shall we think the subtle-witted French conjurers and sorcerers, that, afraid of him, By magic verses have contriv'd his end?"

"Hark, countrymen! Either renew the fight or tear the lions out of England's coat; renounce your soil, give sheep in lion's stead."

I was looking at these to snip some words to use as the title of book 3. Can you guess which words I consider from each quote?

 It began when the princess fled from her father's wrath by taking her flier and leaving the city before dawn. At dawn, as she slept on the floating craft, a party of Zarhoons shot down the flier. Warriors returning to the city on foot saw the flier and recognized the princess' personal insignia before it went down. The princess was injured in the crash but managed to hide herself within the ruins before she passed out from her injuries. The warriors and the Zarhoons search the city for the princess.

This was the Wreck at the Ruins scenario for play testing my new skirmish rules in a Barsoomian setting. Of course, it went fabulously. The miniatures are from Bronze Age Miniatures:

 At one point while searching the city, one of the Zarhoons was set upon by a massive pale simian.

 While his partner tangled with the pale simian, the other Zarhoon found the unconscious princess but could not get away with her before being set upon by her loyal warriors. This multi-armed Zarhoon, Bak Badja, received a wound or two and fled from his multiple attackers. Meanwhile, his companion, Vak Voka, disengaged from the pale simian and rushed to attempt to take the princess from the warrior who was carrying her to safety. Just when it appeared that the warrior would escape with the girl, he fell, dropping his precious cargo. Another warrior, Han Tadron, moved to intercept and engage Vak Voka. His head rolled freely upon the street and his eyes watched his decapitated body drop in a blood-spurting heap. Nantos Nan who had been carrying the princess rose to his feet but before he could once again take up his burden, Vak Voka and the simian react first. The simian charged the warrior Dav Ravo, taking the warriors focus from the Zarhoon. Vak Voka engaged Nantos Nan who stood defiantly between him and the helpless princess. The Zarhoon failed to wound the warrior but did knock him to the ground beside the princess.

Tense change, because it provides a more "you are there" feeling--or because I'm lazy and didn't want to change it.
Another warrior, Mardos Tors, wants to assist Dav Ravo against the simian but duty calls him to protect his princess. He charges the Zarhoon, wounding and knocking him down with his ferocious onslaught. Vak Voka's morale holds. Mardos Tors attacks again. Although wounded, Knocked Down, and facing multiple opponents, Vak Voka cuts Mardos Tors in two and rises victorious above bloody corpse.

Dav Ravos hears the urgent calls of Nantos Nan but the simian has seized him and he can't escape. The monster lifts Dav Ravos above his head and hurls the warrior. Dav Ravos miraculously lands on his feet, escaping injury.

  VV has the initiative. (Pictured above) - He is wounded. At his feet NN and the princess are on one side and DR is approaching from the other side. On his first activation attempt VV gets doubles, so therefore gets an extra action. With two actions to use, he elects to attack NN. NN is forced to use his Deflection Skill and his last Heroic Point to avoid a wound. VV chooses to ignore the maneuver opportunity and remain in contact; he attacks again with his bonus action. NN barely avoids a serious wound, taking a simple wound instead. NN panics and attempts to flee, giving VV a chance at a Parting Gift, which he takes, his second blade scoring another wound on the frantic man--and requiring him to take another Morale Check. The twice-wounded warrior runs for his life, leaving the helpless princess at the feet of the Zarhoon. VV uses his next action to pick up the princess. He cannot avoid DR so he moves into contact with the warrior and the initiative passes. DR activates and attacks VV. VV elects to keep hold of the princess, so will not benefit from his Two-Weapons Skill, but will not otherwise be hindered by her. He is, however troubled by his wound. DR delivers a serious wound to the captor of his princess and Knocks Down the Zarhoon. VV struggles to rise, dropping the princess and allowing DR a free attack which he blocks. VV is on his feet but no longer has the princess. DR uses his third activation to attack again. DR rolls a Stunning Success, killing the Zarhoon.

Were it not for the pale simian, Dav Ravos could escape with the princess. He is forced to drop the princess when the simian leaps, seizing him once more. After a terrible struggle, the simian flings Dav Ravos once again. The warrior is seriously injured and rendered hors de combat. No one remains to protect the princess from the simian.

After modifying the scenario specifics to boost the warriors' morale while fighting to recover and protect the princess, and playing again, the warriors did save the princess. She randomly turned up in the same location as the first time and the pale simian did not appear for the second go-round.

On the third play with more emphasis on shooting, and in which both the simian and the trap to the pits figured significantly, the Zarhoons stole the victory (and the princess) over the dead bodies of the warriors. Although he found the princess, Han Tadron could not escape from the building in which she had hidden. First the simian (see above)--which soaked up a mountain of damage before finally taking a fatal wound--blocked his way and added to the wounds to Dav Ravos and Mardos Tors.

Then Bak Badja engaged Han Tadron, the last surviving warrior, in a lengthy duel. Using his Wounded Warrior Skill, HT succeeded in wounding and knocking down his bigger opponent, but after taking another wound he couldn't hang on against the four-armed attacker. HT went down fighting for the princess.

This scenario was a great test of my skirmish rules. I did create some special scenario details to account for the four-armed Zarhoons and the simian. In addition to giving the Zarhoons the special Two Weapon Skill, I gave them a bonus action anytime they rolled doubles on an activation attempt. The simian had a similar benefit. The simian also only used the grapple maneuver option so those rules got a work out -- the grappling details are the only thing that I'm considering revising; they worked, but not as smoothly as I had hoped.

This is definitely my favorite rules set.

I may have to run a scenario from my Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series to see how the magic provisions play.