Happy Thursday Everyone!
Break out the confetti cannons! 🎊I’m beyond excited to finally be able to share that A GIRL CALLED MONSTER is going to be published by Parliament House Press!
Q What’s the book about? Give us the blurb!
Monnie was born into darkness, and in darkness is where she is destined to stay. She knows what she is—an experiment, and nothing more; a secret to be kept safe in the cellar where she was created. Her only home is made of stone walls, and her only friends are Victor, the charismatic young scientist who gave her life, and his kind assistant, Igor.
But when Monnie discovers there is an entire world outside, one full of color and beauty she’s never known, she realizes her home isn’t a home at all—it’s a prison.
So, she does what any prisoner dreams of.
She escapes. In this heartbreaking reimagining of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a girl who was once seen as nothing but a monster must learn what it truly means to be human, and how far she is willing to go to take control of her own life.
Now, if you’ve been following me for a while, a few of you might be thinking,
Q “Hey Paige, didn’t you release A Girl Called Monster in 2017?”
I did. So the next logical question is, why republish? If I’m being completely honest with myself even though I am proud of the work I accomplished with the original version. I’ve had a nagging feeling for a few years now that that the story I put out into the world, might not have been finished. Which honestly most of the time I chalked up to imposter syndrome. (I’m planning on talking more on this with a few other authors during an online event so stay tuned for that!)
It wasn’t until I was given the opportunity to revise AGCM which turned into me re-writing every single page, adding in new scenes chapters, and big moments that I realized how much unused potential AGCM had just sitting untouched. Relationships barely put onto the page, feelings begging me to explore them further, if writing the original was diving into a pond, then this version is an ocean. So much is different now and wow, It feels good. New life has been breathed into Monnie’s story, and I can confidently say this is how it was always meant to be told. I can’t wait to continue to work with Parliament House towards the release 2023.
To all my original readers, thank you so much for the support, the reviews, and all of the encouragement. It’s not the book it was before, and If you liked the original release, I think you’re going to love this.
A few more questions I received across social media…
Q What sparked the original idea for the story?
This story simmered in my head for a long time before I started working on it. A few of the scenes came to me in vivid nightmares. The more I started working on it, the more I realized how well some of the themes of My Fair Lady translated to a Frankenstein story. Through years of writing, rewriting, and writing again it’s turned into something completely it’s own. You can expecting to see both a heartwarming and heartbreaking tale of self discovery, escape, and the journey of a girl creating space in a world she doesn’t feel like she belongs to.
Q: What music did you listen to while writing?
I plan on making a whole playlist, but one of Monnie’s theme songs was Emotional Motion Sickness by Phobe Bridgers There was also a lot of Girl In Red on my playlist.
Q: What is something you did to motivate yourself while writing?
Besides listening to music, I loveeee art! I don’t really draw anymore personally (Although I have been posting a few doodles over on my twitter as I’ve been revising Dear Galaxy lately) but, you might have seen over on my IG, but something I do when I’m working on a project and want to have a little extra motivation (or just treat myself for hitting a milestone) I commission art of my characters from artists I like! It’s so much fun, adds a boost of motivation, and you actually get to SEE the characters your writing. Plus you get to support a fellow artist win/win!
This piece is by Galactic Problems and I love it so much! The concept was “What Monnie would be like at Disneyworld” and she knocked it out of the park. 😂 All the snacks, all the time.
Be sure to stay posted here on my IG, my mailing list, and of course follow Parliament House Press for all the important updates. ✨💖
Thank you for all the love and support across social media following the announcement! I can’t wait to share more with you.
xo Paige
Paige Lavoie 