About the Lindorm Novels

LINDORM

What if your freedom came from the one who was meant to destroy you?

For three years Linnea has made the choice to live as an unwed teenage mother, enduring indignities to maintain a semblance of freedom. Now she’s been told that choice won’t be hers much longer. No matter what, her life is about to change, and a deadly jealousy manipulates her toward a beast that has already killed one young woman.

That beast, a massive snake-like dragon called the lindorm, is certain he is under a spell and running out of time. His human mind is increasingly overpowered by his lindorm instincts. Somewhat impulsively he seeks help from the only person he’s sure won’t run or attack him on sight—a prince who is also a known coward.

Powers that seek to manipulate the prince also wish to destroy the lindorm, and they consider a beautiful young woman the best way to put the beast off his guard.

Both Linnea and the lindorm have enemies planning for them to destroy one another, but these two have never been good at doing what’s expected of them.

Q: When did you start writing this story?

A: November 1, 2006 (My first NaNoWriMo). I got my 50,000 words in the 30 days. Look at October or November 2006 if you want more of the story.

Q: What’s the novel about?

A: A crippled shepherdess and a disenchanted prince have to choose between holding their family together and preventing a war.

Quite a number of traditional folktale elements are wrapped up in this story, and you can check them out if you feel so inclined.

Q: Where did the idea come from?

A: From a folktale called King Lindorm. (That link is to the first of several versions I’ve read).

Q: How close is the novel to the original story?

A: It’s changed quite a bit. There is still a monstrous snake demanding a bride– because he’s not supposed to be a snake– but several new and important characters have emerged that weren’t in the original story.

Also, I couldn’t see a modern audience getting the ‘selling his soul’ element that makes one character the focus of perpetual abuse, so I transformed the hordes of hell into a mass of minor djinn, which confirmed the story’s position as fantasy. You know, in case there was any question.

Q: What’s your favorite part?

A: Creating dialogue. Sharp dialogue his always my favorite element in books and movies, so I can’t help loving and creating my own– even if it’s only in the way a 6-year-old pirouettes in her ballerina fantasies.

 

For more information of (possible) interest you may like the Developing Novel category or the post where I interviewed myself about writing (long time ago).