When Robin John Morgan, finally finished his long running series in 2020, and he sat back and took a break from Heirs to the Kingdom, we really had no idea what he would do next, to be honest, none of us really thought Kingdom would end, and a few of us did not want it to.
This Summer Robin retuned to VCP with something completely different, in all honesty, it was a story none of us expected, we are not sure he expected it either, but as we read through it, we were not only surprised, we were over joyed.
If you want to go from one extreme to the other, his new book (Soon to be published) Abigail’s Summer, is the book to read. It is fast, very funny, and actually a very enlightening story, that turns the spotlight on modern life, and highlights a lot of behaviour that many of us brush aside. We wanted to know more, and so sat down with him for a chat.
Robin, this book really made us laugh, and it is pretty irreverent at times. To be honest, no one expected this from you, where does a book like come from?
‘He chuckles.’ I had an idea back in 2017, and so I wrote it down, like I have many other story outlines, and put it in my ‘ideas’ folder. It sounded interesting and unique, and it was also something I could really relate to from my own youth. You know, I have talked to a lot of people over the years, and so I have gained a lot of insight and information on people, of all ages. I simply took certain aspects of life I know about from conversations, and placed some new characters into those situations.
Why use university students, and also a small rural village for a setting, would this not have worked better in a northern town?
To be quite frank, I am not sure it would work as well on a northern council estate, I think it had to be a remote place, otherwise Abigail and Deb’s would not have been as naïve. I think the north has a more grounded reality to life, hence Birch who has that northern street wise streak running through her, would not have had such an impact. I love the balance of characters, from the intelligence of Birch, Deadly, and Edwina, to the naïve Deb’s, and street smart, foul mouthed Chloe, and the timid Anthony. You know when you look at life today, there is a huge disconnect between young idealism, and the old traditional values, which is why the clash of cultures works so well. If you think about it, you have three very well educated women, who are filled with hope and dreams, and then run head long into entrenched views, it is a great clash, and vehicle for debate, especially in today’s landscape.
Birch is quite a character, what made you think of a wiccan, naturist, training sex therapist?
I thought it would be hilarious. I learned a lot from Harry in HTTK, I mean if I am honest, he did not belong anywhere in the books. He was so out of place, and yet the readers loved him so much. I guess I took the same recipe, and made a character that was as wild and crazy, and completely obsessed with sex, which was everything Marjorie would find offensive, and it has worked so well, I really am happy with the set up. You know in every group there is a leader of some sort, Birch leads by example, albeit it a bonkers and insane one, yet within that, there is a logic that actually makes sense. I loved writing her, and it is her street wise attitude, mixed with her intelligence that actually becomes the groups strength. Through Birch, each character learns to value who they are, and gain the wisdom to accept themselves, and others.
This book is funny, it is very off the cuff, and to be honest, has some pretty unexpected, but funny moments. I do not want to give too much away before the release, but you pretty much take moments of what appear sadness, and turn them on their heads, and yet you bring out a truth, in a really startling way, and at times, the book does not hold back, it really hits home.
I think a book should, I think every book should challenge a reader, and at times yes, life is challenging, I suppose the question is, how do you survive that? From my own personal experience in life, and from watching others, I think you have to find a way to smile. You know life has that way of just horrifying you, and crushing you at times, and if you do not laugh, you break. I remember growing up, and being in a group of complete misfits, we took a lot of grief at times, and that is how we got through, we laughed, we looked for the humour. Look at nurses, police officers, therapists, Care workers etc, their sense of humour is vital to survive the job, because life is hard and painful in those professions. If you look to Kingdom, it is the humour there that keeps the Specialists going, I think it is vastly important aspect of survival.
There are some pretty topical issues threaded all the way through this book, especially around bullying, LGBT, shaming, and assault, why use those subjects to drive the plot?
Why not, it is happening today. I knew if I was going to write this story, I wanted it as real as possible, even though it is a work of fiction. I find there is a massive gap between what the media present and the actual reality of life. The whole concept of what goes on behind closed doors is actually very up to date, and especially when you see the end of the book, and how Veronica pulls it all apart and shows the facts of life today. I think it makes a valid point, and holds a spotlight up to the sorts of shaming, bullying and discrimination we see today, and how it is used as a means of control, and is unacceptable. That is not just in small villages and towns, it is happening everywhere. I realise it is an uncomfortable subject, and I think some people will not appreciate it, but it is happening in this country and all over the world. I thought if I was going to write about modern life, I would show what I have seen and heard. I am in a way very fortunate, in so much as I have worked in counselling with some of these issues.
There is some aggressive language used in the book. Will that not offend some people?
I have written a very gritty realistic story, and when I write, even though it is fiction, I want it to be as close to reality as possible. I get that some people do not approve a foul language, but if people are truly honest, that is where language is going. Wishing it away will not work, you have to accept that older generations will not approve, and that reflects the disconnect between generations, which is born out of the lack of understanding. Just walk down a street and watch the teenagers, and listen to their parents, especially in the North of the UK. It may not be appreciated, but it is true to life, and that is what I write. I will add, I did water it down, it could have been stronger, which would have been far more accurate. Watch what is broadcast every day, the language that is used in film and TV is far worse than what I have written. If you think back to Game of Thrones, and how huge that was, it was far cruder and more sexual than what I have written.
There are a lot of subtle layers of story in this, and one we found wonderful, was the comparison between the friendship of Harriet and Felicity, in contrast to Birch and Abigail, was that deliberate.
Yes. I have talked with a lot of mums over the years that have lost sight of themselves, and go through the whole who am I inner conflict, and start to question their life choices. I have always said to them, if you want to know who you are, or how to be, watch your daughter. At the start of the book, Harriet is shocked when she sees Abigail, and sees in her how alike she is to her own mother as a teenager. Felicity, in watching Birch, starts to see her in the same light as she does Harriet, and starts to understand the bond between Abby and Birch. I really love the way Felicity starts to look at her life, and question herself as a result of watching her daughter, and through that, she starts to understand who she should have been. I think it is wonderful how Felicity, who is married to a cold emotionless man, starts to see how trapped and isolated she is, and how Abigail felt the same before she left for university, and as a result starts to learn from her daughter. It really has played off very well in the story, and there is more to come in the rest of this series.
We cannot talk without mentioning Marjorie and her cronies, she is quite the force to be reckoned with, and she is very in your face and offensive. Do you really think that is a real portrayal of older women today?
I would not say every woman, but there are certainly women who are exactly like Madge. In many ways, I think I look back at my own life with this. My Grandmother was a very dominant and forceful woman, and she had her circle of friends who were very like Marion and Henrietta. Honestly, I could not get away with anything, everything I did in the local town was reported back to my grandmother, and I was always in trouble. (Laughs) I have met quite a few Marjorie’s in my time, it does not matter what you do, they form a first opinion, and it never changes, and yes, they really do speak their mind that way. I feel this book highlights how easy it is to shame, victimise and bully people, through a simple lack of understanding, and without considering who they actually are, and there are some pretty thought provoking points raised within it, especially in the final chapters. I would like the readers to really take a long look at the world around them, and just ponder the reality of their own lives, because we have all experienced judgement at some point in our lives.
We cannot talk without mentioning Heirs to the Kingdom. It took fourteen years to write, and much longer to research, and Abigail’s Summer is a complete departure from fantasy. There is rumour there is more HTTK, but in all honesty, how do the two series compare to each other?
I think you said it earlier, it has been one extreme to the other. Kingdom was a labour of love, honestly, I loved putting it together, but it was literally a huge fourteen year project that just absorbed all of my life. I needed a change, I wanted to stretch myself and write in other ways, and the Curio series has done that, it literally has been a wonderful and liberating experience. If you look at it from my point of view, I came up with Abigail’s Summer in 2017, but I was so involved with Kingdom I had to shelve it. I literally started this story with nothing but a few pages written three years prior, and I just thought, this is it, this is the next one, and I dived in. I wrote the first draft in two weeks.
I will not deny, there were a lot of late nights, but I had no notes or anything, all of this came from all the deep conversations, from supporting friends, and being in a counselling role. I mean all of it was there waiting inside me. It was huge fun, my wife was amazing, I would ask her questions about how would she deal with this and such, to get her perspective, and we had such fun laughing and joking about things, it really lifted me up and gave me this huge passion to write again, just like the early days of kingdom.
When the book came to its final conclusion, I knew, even though I said I was not doing another series, I knew I could not walk easily away from these characters, and so I wrote more, to show their story through into adulthood.
From what we have heard, you wrote from mid October 2020, right through to April 2021, and that was it, you had a series?
Yeah, I just felt so alive and had so much fun, I wanted more, and so here I am five manuscripts later, and the whole thing is done before the first one even comes out, and I am now on new things. The series covers ten years of their lives, the next book is set when Abigail is twenty four, and then moves on two years, and when the last book ends, she is just twenty nine. I have loved it, because they have all evolved and changed with life, and I am sure those readers who love the first book, will really enjoy what is to come.
You say new things, now, there is another kingdom story in the works, isn’t there, and what else?
I have another related book for kingdom, which goes right back to the very beginning and Branna and Ariel, and I will shortly start editing that for publication, I am also working on another book, which is sort of a grown-up fairy story type thing. I am still early in the writing of that, and have to develop it, the start is a little dark, and looks at death and beyond, and our own sense of the meaning within our lives. As I say, it still in the first five or so chapters, and it could change dramatically as I work through it, but I am enjoying writing something completely different all over again. I do think Kingdom fans will enjoy it. I get a lot of fans of Kingdom who ask for things, and I have an idea for a HTTK related story that will start after the last book, which I am still putting together in my head. If it makes sense, at some point I will write that, I do think it will work well, I just need to really focus on it. There is a lot to do, which I love, I like to keep busy, and keep my brain active, and I have a little more time now for writing, which is always a good thing.
Abigail’s Summer will be out soon, are you excited about it, and what kind of response do you think you will have?
I am excited to be moving forward. I loved writing this series, and had so much fun with it, and I will throw it out there and watch what happens. It will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but that is the writing life. I write for those who enjoy what I do, and I do not worry so much about the others. I am interested in seeing how it is received, but busy with other stuff too.
We would like to thank Robin, who took time out to talk, and we will wait for the release of the book, and we hope, a wonderful and funny Summer Read.
Abigail’s Summer, the first part of the Curio Chronicles by Robin John Morgan, will be available soon from Violet Circle Publishing.
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