
Today, the Fox from Elizabeth Fountain's novel, You, Jane, has joined us.
Tell us, Fox, what is your ultimate goal?
Now, that poses a puzzler. I do, after all, lead a small boy to cross a busy highway, so that he is hit by a cab that does not stop. But the boy doesn’t die. Instead, he serves as a lesson for the other humans in this tale, Jane and Charlie, a chance for them to confront their inner and outer demons, to make the decisions they’ve avoided for so many years. In order to make an omelet, they say, one must break a few eggs. The small boy turned out to be quite a good egg, and believe me, I feel a pang, sending him across that busy road. A definite pang.
Yet in my defense, I must point out, the Universe works through me. I teach the lessons of Nature. Am I paid for this mischief? Yes, of course. I am a Fox, and a mercenary, and my services do not come cheap. But I ask you, do you blame me for charging what the magical market will bear to deliver the learning the Universe requires?
My ultimate goal, my friend, is survival. The same as yours, the small boy’s, the humans who surround him, and of course, the Universe’s. We all simply seek to engage in this Life another day.
What do you see as your greatest obstacle?
I teach the lessons of Nature, at the behest of the Universe. You might imagine, then, that both stay out of my way and let me do my job. But no. They do not make it so easy. I must overcome the reluctance of my educational charges, unnatural weather events, confusing instructions, resistance high and low. All too often, those supernatural beings who contract me fail to pay my remittance on time. How is a Fox supposed to thrive on unpaid accounts receivable?
But perhaps the largest obstacle I face is the conscience the Universe saw fit to endow me with. Without it, I could do my job so much more easily. If I could only be as ruthless as Nature herself…
Pick an historical figure and compare yourself to him or her– how are you alike and different?
I see myself as a kind of Florence Nightingale, lighting a small lamp of learning in the great dark of ignorance. Of course, Miss Nightingale set bones, whereas I break them. A small difference, in the great scheme of things, wouldn’t you say?
I'd say that's rather significant, actually. But anyway, name a song that would be played in the soundtrack of your life.
Please, I beg of you, do not mention that song by Ylvis. You have no idea what it is like to be a Fox when that song is played. I strongly prefer classical music. I think the Ride of the Valkyries captures much of what it is like to be a Fox like me.
Interesting choice, Fox. Thanks for the interview. And now, if you'd like to know more about You, Jane:
Jane Margaret Blake’s problem isn’t her drinking. Sure, she’s missing work, and forgetting she’s already fed her cat, who’s getting a little fat. But Jane’s real problem is the reason she drinks: she writes stories that come true and wreak havoc in her life.
In her “fables” animals, people, angels, and the Universe itself conspire to destroy Jane’s last chance to be with her old love, or, just maybe, to bring her into the arms of a new love. Years ago, a fable pushed Jane’s best friend Charlie into marrying another woman. Now another fable shoves Charlie’s little boy in front of an angry dog - or worse, a wicked spirit bent on getting Jane and Charlie to face the truths they’ve spent a lifetime avoiding.
As her drinking and writing spiral out of control, Jane must finally discover how to write her own happy ending.
For more information about Elizabeth Fountain and her books, visit:
Web site and blog: http://lizfountain.wordpress.com
Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethFountainAuthor
To buy You, Jane:
Amazon author central page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00B0I5RM2
For non-Kindle formats: https://lizfountain.wordpress.com/books-reviews/