Book Tour Blog Stop and Guest Post: The Louise Fawley Symphony by Rikki Evans

The Louise Fawley Symphony by Rikki Evans

Thanks to Teachers... Rikki Evans

Since publishing The Louise Fawley Symphony, I've thought with gratitude of the endeavours of my teachers many years ago, especially those who first introduced me to English Literature, and those who encouraged me to write. I'd love to be able to let them know I'm now a published novelist, but imagine that, sadly, they're now all way beyond telling.

So instead, I'll convey my thanks in a blog, and reflect especially on how they and the works they introduced me to helped shape The Louise Fawley Symphony.

Firstly, let me say that my teachers were nothing like the termagants whom my character Louise encountered at the fictional St. Lucy's. My teachers were kindly and conscientious, enthusiastic about their subjects, and revelled in sharing their knowledge with their pupils.

During my Sixth Form years, I studied English Literature, and our little group was lucky enough to have two teachers for whom the syllabus texts were especial favourites. The influence of each of these is woven into the weft and warp of The Louise Fawley Symphony. For instance, Mrs Folkley (I'll call her) worshipped the richness of King Lear and wrung every last drop of meaning, double-meaning and triple-meaning from its lines. The art of conveying two messages with one set of words is one I've admired ever after and have used whenever I can. Conversely, Mr Sett (I'll call him) was a fan of The Miller's Tale. Ever since those years, I've believed that irreverence, bawdiness and farce are entitled to their place, even in the most exalted literature. There are certainly plenty of all three to be had within The Louise Fawley Symphony. Finally, The Rape of The Lock initiated me into an infatuation with antique literature, and the art of making the trivial, epic. And so, I couldn't resist including my own translation of an Ode of Horace within The Louise Fawley Symphony.

An acquaintance with the works of Chaucer, Shakespeare, Pope, and others, (such as Dylan Thomas) should remind us that storytelling has its origins in poetry, and encourage us that poetry still has its place in storytelling. Accordingly, I've tried to make my prose as poetic as possible, chiefly by using techniques of alliteration more usually reserved for poetry.

Going further back to my Middle School years, Mrs Grimm (I'll call her) employed now time-honoured favourites like Kpo The Leopard and The Ghost of Thomas Kempe in group reading sessions. My memories of these convince me that literature should be for everyone, since even the least academic of my classmates loved these stories. They also, I think, nurtured my taste for tales told from an unexpected perspective. The African savannah through the eyes of a baby leopard? An olden-days poltergeist placated by a modern-day schoolboy?

These thoughts helped lead to the creation of the most unlikely secret agent, a damaged, spolied, sullied, wastrel, the inimitable Louise Fawley.

Falling back further to my Primary School years, Mr Johns (I'll call him) read us Mrs Frisby and The Rats of NIMH. This tale, I believe, gave me a taste for the arcane and surreal which ultimately led to my creating the secret world of Vetchley Castle and its Project Godiva.

Finally, my last but foremost word of gratitude must go to Mr Cherry (I'll call him), another Primary School teacher, for whom the emphasis was undoubtedly on encouraging children to compose. It was he who indulged week-by-week my long-running story (lost, alas) Budgies In Space and thereby, sowed in me the longing to tell a tale, a longing which ultimately germinated decades later in The Louise Fawley Symphony.

Meet Louise Fawley – the newest, sassiest and sleaziest agent in Her Majesty’s Secret Service. 

Follow Louise as she burgles and bungles at Melusine Plastics, gets flirtatious and salacious in Vetchley Castle, grows amorous and glamorous in Sainte-Modeste, and finally, hooks and sinks her villainess on the superyacht Bonquonne.

In this delicious, light-hearted, randy romp, can Louise solve the arcane mystery of La Ligne? 

The Louise Fawley Symphony contains material of a sexually explicit nature, so will not be to the taste of every adult reader.

Amazon UK      Amazon US 

After more than twenty-five years in accountancy, Rikki quit the profession to care for a parent whose health had deteriorated, and to give more time to those interests and hobbies which had

helped render accountancy almost bearable.

Rikki’s interests include all things historical, from castles to candlesticks, music of many genres, from Gregorian Chant to Brit Pop, and above all, like HE Bates, is happiest when working and whiling in a garden.

https://www.facebook.com/rikkiauthor/

https://twitter.com/RikkiAuthor

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