An Introduction to Prue Batten

Today I’d like to introduce you to Prue Batten, an author I met recently on a UK Kindle forum. In fact, let me just let her introduce herself.

Here she is!

An Introduction
by Prue Batten

The best way to describe myself would be to use a quote written about me on a recent blog (http://markwilliamsinternational.com/) and expand on that. But before I do, let me say that I’m a fantasy writer (published) who likes reading historical fiction, and a historical fiction writer (as yet unpublished) who reads fantasy.

The Stumpwork Robe and The Last Stitch were print published in 2008 and 2009 and their e-editions were released earlier this year. If I had a choice I would like to call them fantasy ballads, redolent of storytelling from the bards of old as I’ve always felt the genre description ‘fantasy’ is just too broad a church to describe niche titles. The third in The Chronicles of Eirie, A Thousand Glass Flowers, is due for release for e-readers in August and in print later in the year.

Like India’s fey folk, my Færan are as dark and deep as an oubliette and disturbingly unforgettable.

But…back to the quote!

Here it is: ‘I live in Tasmania, have a pet Tasmanian Devil called Gisborne, eat kangaroos’ testicles, have the most ridiculous one-star ever awarded on Amazon, and wrote a novel on Twitter…’

And here goes:

I do live in Tasmania but I don’t have a pet Tassie Devil. I wish I did but the creatures are suffering the rampaging effects of Devil Facial Tumour Disease and scientists are racing against time to pull these poor little fellows from the edge of extinction.

I don’t eat kangaroo testicles but kangaroos litter the landscape of our woolgrowing farm… sometimes too much. But eating roo privates? Never!

The one star review? A woman in the UK bought The Stumpwork Robe, a fiction book, as a non-fiction embroidery book despite the product description/blurb and then gave me a one star review for her error. It’s been a hilarious topic of conversation ever since. One has to be glass half full about such a thing…

A novel on Twitter? Myself and 50 others wrote a Jane Austen style novel earlier this year, garnering press comment from The Times no less. It was called the Austen Project www.austenproject.com and can be found under the Twitter hash-tag #A4T.

And men in tights? Ah!

I’m currently writing my version of the legend of Sir Guy of Gisborne, Robin Hood’s nemesis. Because I’m taking Gisborne far from the man as history and legend knows him, Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest have no mention in the book at all. I hope it’s a novel approach! And my Guy (with whom my husband says I am having an ‘affaire’) does indeed wear tights, or more correctly hose.

So that’s me in a nutshell.

Or is it? What do you think the real me might be like?

*Prue’s latest novel, the fantasy A Thousand Glass Flowers, will be released in print later this year, available through both the Amazons amongst other major online sellers, and for Kindle via Amazon. For or all other apps, it will be available via Smashwords.

In simple terms, the story is essentially about love, loss and revenge. The characters have embedded themselves deep in my psyche as I have watched them change, grow and finally make a decision that might decimate themselves and the world they know. It was reviewed very kindly by two mainstream authors: Ann Swinfen who wrote the monograph ‘In Defence of Fantasy’ and by Anne Elliott who wrote the magnificent ‘Avalon Trilogy’. Their comments can be seen on the cover. Another heartwarming comment was made by one of the novel’s editors when she said: ‘It has a Dunnett-esque quality…’, Dorothy Dunnett being one of my all-time favourite writers.

Prue’s links:

Print and e-books:

http://amzn.to/m01qxa
http://amzn.to/nNB7tw

Website and blog:

http://www.pruebatten.com
http://www.mesmered.wordpress.com
http://Twitter.com/Pruebatten

I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to Prue for stopping by and introducing herself today. I do hope you’ll check out her books. Just from the introduction, I can tell she’s a hoot. (Yes, I said hoot.)

I have been insanely busy and if you follow me on Twitter, you’ll know I’ve also been down with the lurgy this week. But, all the hard work is paying off, and I should have some fun announcements to make over the coming weeks. Watch this space. =)

–India