Another new book, this time stepping over the line into magic! The idea for this tale emerged many years ago in a dance class and I’ve been writing it in patches since then, which may account for its being 418 pages long. When I was shopping it around, agents said variations of, “Rewrite this for young adults and I can sell it in a minute! Nobody wants to read about old people.”
Aarrgghh! I can never resist a flung gauntlet. The Paper Doll Museum is about the scary but frequently hilarious magic that accompanies long experience, not about dewy-eyed teenagers pitted against evil elders who’ve made a total mess of things. Of course that battle is required of the young in every generation. But the real battle lies elsewhere and requires wisdom as well as magic. So I didn’t rewrite it: I published it.
Taylor Blake is retired, divorced and addicted to eggplant. It’s a pleasant enough life amid a group of lifelong friends who call themselves The Syndicate of the Wanton Menu. But when a shape-shifting, persimmon-scented nightmare materializes during her aerobic dance class, Taylor must face the fact that something ancient is afoot. Taylor is a Revenant, one of a growing number who have survived the reproductive years only to regain the magical perception of childhood, now honed by the experience of a lifetime. But the gift is not without profound danger. There really is something terrible hiding in the dark. There always was. Fortunately, Taylor can kick ass.
The Paper Doll Museum will be FREE for Kindle Thursday, November 29 and Friday, November 30. Grab a copy and let me know what you think! Really. I’m dying to hear reactions to this one. 😉
abigail padgett 