Today on Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, I get to highlight a short story! This one is called Reflecting Emmy, and is part of the story collection Mirror Mirror.
Background
About REFLECTING EMMY and the MIRROR, MIRROR Trilogy
Diana
Rodriguez Wallach, author of the award-winning YA series Amor and Summer Secrets, has created a modern take on the myths of
Narcissus and Nemesis in a contemporary teen setting.
Her
Mirror, Mirror trilogy debuts
September 3rd with “Reflecting Emmy,” followed by “Nara Gazing” in
October, and “Shattering GiGi” in November. Each title will be a $0.99 short
story sold in digital ebook format for Kindle, nook, and kobo. The titles will
be combined to create the complete Mirror,
Mirror trilogy, along with bonus materials and a prequel short story, in
December 2013.
In
early 2014, Diana’s Mirror, Mirror trilogy
will be combined with the works of YA authors Jammie Kern and Magda Knight to
create the Mythology High anthology,
available in ebook and paperback through Buzz Books.
REFLECTING
EMMY is about...
Eighteen-year-old
Emmy is in the family business-trapping vapid narcissistic souls into her
silver compact mirror for all eternity. It’s what the Rhamnusia family has been
doing for thousands of years, all under the direction of Great Grandmother.
Only Emmy’s latest assignment, Nara, is about to prove more challenging than
she ever expected.
Gorgeous
and self-absorbed, Nara is unflinchingly cruel to her classmates. Even her boyfriend,
Luke, can no longer tolerate her actions–much to Emmy’s relief since she finds
Luke a little more than intriguing. But when Emmy tricks Nara into gazing into
her mystical mirror, what she finds there is not what she’s expecting.
What
People Are Saying:
"A
fun, fresh and thoroughly entertaining modern twist on the Narcissus myth.
Readers will love Emmy and her (mis)adventures. Wallach packs a lot of story
into a small packing--romance, friendship and the power of one person to make a
difference. The only thing missing... is more!"
~
Tera Lynn Childs, award-winning author of Oh. My. Gods., Forgive My
Fins, and Sweet Venom.
"Diana
Rodriguez Wallach’s Mythology High is too much fun. Emmy collects narcissistic
souls for the family business but after making one tiny little mistake she
finds her life turned upside down. These three stories are a must for anyone
who loves Greek mythology, feisty heroines and second chances. My only
complaint is that I didn’t want them to finish." –Amanda Ashby, author of Fairy Bad Day and Demosity
The Interview:
Diana stopped by for a short interview about her story.
1. Tell me about your book in seven words or less.
It’s based on the myth of Narcissus.
2. Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your novel and why?
I consider Emmy (the reimagined Nemesis) to be my main character, so I’d say my next favorite character is Nara (a revamped Narcissus). She’s the beautiful, shallow, self-absorbed teen whom Emmy is trying to wipe off the planet. Emmy is a paranormal secret agent tasked with trapping Narcissistic teen souls in her silver compact mirror. And Nara is nothing like her other targets. She might be vein and sometimes cruel, but she’s also got some glimpses of humanity in her. Her heart was broken, which has softened her a bit, making her different from your average Narcissus.
3. What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
The road to publication is a long one. If you want to be an author—I mean, really want it—then you need to be prepared to settle in for the long haul. Everyone gets rejected—some spend years trying to find an agent, others years trying to find an editor, other years trying to create a fan base. Love the acting of writing so much that it makes everything else worth it.
4.What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional
stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
I wrote in a journal, mostly in high school. I still have it, actually. I turn to it every once in awhile when I’m working on the romantic entanglements in my novels, so I can more vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen with a crush, or a teen with a broken heart. There are some un-mailed letters to ex-boyfriends in there that still get me every time I read them.
5. What's the last book you read that you really loved?
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn! It hooked me from the first paragraph. The story is really intriguing and the writing is really inspiring, especially as I work on my next project, which is a YA thriller.
About
the Author
Diana
Rodriguez Wallach is the author of Mirror,
Mirror, a short-story collection based on the Narcissus myth, that includes
Reflecting Emmy, Nara Gazing, and Shattering GiGi (Buzz Books 2013). She
is also the author of three award-winning YA novels: Amor and Summer Secrets, Amigas and School Scandals, and Adios to All The Drama (Kensington
Books).
In
2011, she published a highly regarded essay in Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (HarperCollins), and in
2013, she will be featured in the anthology Latina
Authors and Their Muses (Twilight Times Books). In 2010 Diana was named one
of the Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch by LatinoStories.com, and she placed
second in the International Latino Book Awards. She hold a B.S. in Journalism
from Boston University, and currently lives in Philadelphia with her husband
and daughter.
Find out more about Diana or her writing...
