I’m just going to come right out and say it – this is the best book I’ve ever written. I know this for a fact, because even the beta reader who took it personally when I stopped writing about rats and subsequently hated every single word that I put on paper had to admit he didn’t completely hate this one.
(Mostly kidding. Love you, Chris ❤ )
The story came to life sometime last summer. I suppose I have to thank my brother for it, and also my mother. When I was, uh, nineteen I think, my mom got it in her head that she needed to move out of the city, and she bought herself a nice house and garden a few miles west of Vienna. She told us to utter wishes as to what she should do with the garden, expecting us to ask for raspberries, or lilacs, all our favorite plants or fruits…
My brother said he wanted a pool. Now, my mother is the kind of person who doesn’t swim. At all. It takes something like 45°C in the shadow before she voluntarily dips even a toe in. She still granted that wish, because that’s just the way she rolls. The kids want something, she’ll do her best that they get it. It’s a miracle we’re not all completely spoiled. The resulting pool is a small, shallow thing, but it’s still a blessing on a hot day. Last summer was a series of hot days, of the kind of heat that weighs down on you and causes pressure headache. Complete immersion in cool water felt essential. A matter of survival. And one night, paddling around in the pool with my head tilted backwards and looking at the stars above, I started thinking about what it must be like if your survival really hinged on complete immersion and you didn’t have a pool. No lake anywhere near, no ocean or river, and no money for daily visits at some sports park. What if your only chance was to secretly sneak into other people’s gardens and use their pools?
Before I knew it, I was reading up on sea creatures, real and fictional, on Greek mythology and Scottish folklore, and on a rare condition named syndactyly. And Xan was born.
That’s all I’m going to tell you before I accidentally say too much and spoil the story for you. Look here for the blurb and Amazon link. It probably classifies as urban fantasy, or maybe dark fantasy. Hope you’ll enjoy reading it!
Angelika Rust 