Last Saturday I got the opportunity to review A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan, which I loved. And I love it even more now that I’ve gotten to chat with Annie Sullivan herself. Curious about the sorts of things that go on “behind the scenes” or in a writer’s brain when they’re writing a story? Sullivan gives us a glimpse of just that for her debut novel, A Touch of Gold.
Okay, so first question. Tell me a bit about yourself.
My name is Annie Sullivan. I’m the author of A Touch of Gold (Blink/HarperCollins 2018) and Tiger Queen (Blink/HarperCollins 2019.) I grew grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana and received my master’s degree in Creative Writing from Butler University. I love fairytales, everything Jane Austen, and traveling!
Oh cool! How long have you been a writer? What got you started?
I started writing when I was a kid. I would write small little stories. But I didn’t start seriously writing until college. That’s when I wrote short stories and started thinking about it as a career. And I got started with writing because I always loved reading. I have a vivid imagination and want to share the stories I dream up with others.
And that lead you to a creative writing master’s? Tell me a bit about that experience. Did it shape the way you wrote or inspire your stories?
Yes, after college, I felt like I really wanted to pursue writing, so I got my master’s degree. That experience was very valuable for me as a budding writer. The most valuable things it gave me were time to write (because I had to for class) and feedback from my peers. It forced me to dig deeper into story structure and character arcs. In fact, A Touch of Gold was actually my master’s thesis. It went through so many revisions after that, but that’s where I started writing it!
Oh that’s super cool. And what inspired you to look toward fairy tales and mythology for that thesis? What draws you to that side of literature?
I’ve always loved fairy tales. My mom used to read them to me all the time, and she’s also the one who introduced me to mythology. She used to show us this old movie version of Jason and the Argonauts. So I spent my childhood reading and hearing all these stories. Plus, I’ve always loved Disney princess movies. But I want to create stories about princesses who relate more to a modern audience. For example, Princess Kora in A Touch of Gold has golden skin after being turned to gold as a child by her father. Due to this, she’s treated like an outcast in her own palace. She has self-confidence issues, which a lot of girls today can relate to. But through the story, Kora learns to love herself.
I love that. That’s one of my favorite things about retellings these days, is the way we shape them to reflect and inspire our current audiences.
I know there are multiple versions of King Midas floating around. Which myth or retelling were you most inspired by for this story?
I read a bunch of different versions when I was researching, and I tried to take things I liked from a bunch of different versions. But I also wanted to create something that felt new in itself. For example, I include mentions of mythology, like the god Dionysius, who gave Midas his powers in many versions of the myth, but I wanted to add twists to the mythology to keep thing new and different for readers.
Like making Kora the star, carrying the remnants of the curse, and the pirates angle. I have to admit, I love pirates. I used to want to write pirate adventures when I was younger, before the fantasy bug got me. Where did you come up with the idea of this sort of high seas adventure?
Haha! Well, speaking of pirates, I actually came up with the idea for A Touch of Gold after watching Pirates of the Caribbean. I remember thinking that it must’ve been hard for those pirates to track down every single piece of cursed gold. That got me thinking about cursed gold, which led to King Midas. But as you said, I focused on his daughter Kora because I wanted to explore her curse and how being turned to gold by your father as a child would effect you later on.
Your description of what it’s like to be turned into gold is particularly striking. I remember reading it and thinking, “I never thought about what it would be like to be alive under all that gold!” Did that idea come easily to you, or did you really have to think about that process? It’s not something that you can just google up like you would the symptoms of a disease or something.
That description of her flashback to turning to gold is one of my favorite sections in the book because it really gave me the chance to dive into my imagination and think about the things it would effect. Could she hear? Could she see? What could she feel?
And of course the answers to those questions go a long way in shaping the rest of her character. A girl who can’t remember the days she was turned gold probably would have had a very different story.
Were there any parts of the story that came as a surprise? Or anything you had to cut that you wish you could have incorporated somehow?
There were a few characters who sort of wrote themselves into the book. One was Kora’s cousin Hettie. Hettie is a no nonsense type who always get her way. I didn’t originally plan for her to have much of a role, but in typical Hettie fashion, she managed to smuggle herself right into the heart of the story. Another detail that I really wish had been left in was a magical balcony. It was a balcony that if you stood on and told a lie, the balcony would crumble beneath you. It originally played a pretty pivotal part in the story, but it got taken out in revisions. Maybe I’ll use it in another story sometime.
I can see how such a balcony would have been useful at just the right time. And of course a character like Hettie would elbow her way to the center of the story and stick around! I thought she was such a fun character.
You said the description of being turned into gold was one of your favorite sections, but were there any other parts that you enjoyed writing? Any other favorite moments?
There’s a scene where Kora runs into some siren-like creatures, and that is another favorite moment of mine because it really gives Kora and Hettie a chance to step up and be the heroines they’re meant to be. Oddly, I also really liked writing the villain Captain Skulls because he’s so despicable and scary.
He was definitely memorable. And those final scenes with him were so intense! Speaking of final scenes, am I allowed to ask what lies in store for Kora and her father? Or is it meant to be a mystery?
I actually just finished the first draft of the sequel to A Touch of Gold, which is called A Curse of Gold. It’s scheduled to be released in August 2020. And there is so much in store!!! I cannot wait for fans to see what comes next. It involves a lot of heart-stopping action, some old and new characters, and whole lot more mythology!
No way! I was desperately hoping there would be a sequel. The ending was such a cliffhanger I was genuinely surprised when another chapter didn’t follow after it! Is the writing process for that different than it was for A Touch of Gold? Is there any exciting research going on?
I had actually started writing the sequel years ago after I finished the first draft of A Touch of Gold. But I put that on hold after we started revisions. Once I picked it back up, I realized writing a sequel is very different from writing a first book. You really have to look at having new character arcs and making sure characters don’t revert back to how they were at the beginning of the last book. And yes, I did do a ton of new research — especially into all things mythology. I really wanted to up those elements in this version. So be on the lookout for those!
Any sneak peeks or tantalizing hints of what’s on the horizon?
Haha! I wish I could, but since my editor hasn’t even read it yet, I don’t know what will stay and what will go. So I’d hate to get people excited about things that may change. But in the meantime, people can tide themselves over with my new book Tiger Queen, which is a retelling of the infamous short story “The Lady, or The Tiger.” My story is about a desert princess who has to fight suitors in an arena in order to win her right to rule!
It sounds exciting! I remember having to write an alternative ending to that back in middle school as a class experiment. Your version sounds way cooler.
Okay last question. Is there any advice you’d like to give up-and-coming authors or even seasoned authors?
Aww, thank you! And my best advice to any writer is to just not give up. Writing can be a hard, lonely business full of rejection. Find a group of fellow writers who can not only be your critique partners but who can support you when you’re going though rejection.
Awesome! Well thank you for taking the time for this little interview!
Of course! I’m so happy we were able to do this! I had so much fun!
If you’re interested in Annie Sullivan’s books, check out A Touch of Gold and Tiger Queen. You can also follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!