Interview with Catherine Raphael, Author of Journey to the Heart Stone
Follow Cora as she works to restore the matriarchal society her uncle destroyed in this epic feminist fantasy by debut author and womens’ rights activist, Catherine Raphael. Tired of reading male-dominated fantasy stories, Raphael set out to create Journey to the Heart Stone (Sparkpress, Sept 27, 2022), where a young woman vows to bring together three female-led tribes in hopes of abolishing her evil uncle and restore their peaceful existence.
Catherine Raphael has spent much of her life fighting for women as the founder of the Women and Girls Foundation in Pennsylvania. While working through the women’s rights movement in the 1960s and 1970s, Raphael found peace in creating a fantasy world dominated by women, creating a propulsive and hopeful epic fantasy with them. Fans of For the Wolf and Priory of the Orange Tree will enjoy this feminist epic.
We’re delighted to feature this interview with Catherine!
An Interview with Catherine Raphael
Why did you decide to write a fantasy novel? Were there any existing stereotypes you wanted to avoid in this genre?
I have always loved fantasy novels. I was frustrated with the dearth of female characters in so many of them. And, if they did exist, they were not usually the protagonist. More often than not they were idealized beauties — the love interest, perhaps, or a damsel in distress — or old and ugly — the evil crone. Fortunately, this is changing. Today one can find fabulous heroines winning the day. I could go on about marginalized communities altogether in fantasies. This, too, is changing.
What are the pitfalls of creating a fantasy epic? What are the perks?
I found it exciting to imagine the three tribes in my book. It was challenging differentiating their characteristics — physical, geographic and talents/abilities. I wanted them to be distinct yet relatable.
It was also challenging to write about a physical world that was understandable yet not quite ‘our’ world.
Does your history of activism play a role in how you approach writing?
I came of age in the 60’s & 70’s — a second-wave feminist. The feminist movement led me to identify problems with the status quo, the patriarchy. I envisioned a world of equality regardless of sex, race, religion etc. This vision has been reinforced in the philanthropic work I’ve engaged with — women’s rights, criminal justice reform, environmental justice. The need to push back against the patriarchy is needed now more than ever.
I started writing this book 20+ years ago as a pleasant way to offset my angst about the state of the world. I could settle into a world fighting for balance & peace and I knew it was going to work out in the end. For the most part, the book was on the back burner. I had things to do, obligations to meet. But I worked on it when I could and, finally, had a whole novel.
Cora is such a complex character. How did you go about creating her?
Cora has been sheltered her whole life. I knew her arc was to grow from a woman-child into her full self — a strong tribal matriarch. Her grief at the loss of her husband, her anger and fear of her uncle, the complication of her pregnancy and the vision for how to ‘set the world right’ gave me all the ingredients for her character’s transformation.
What was it like to write a matriarchal society?
This book gave me the opportunity to explore what I personally want society to be — trust, community, equality of the sexes, peace. Is this a matriarchal society? It sure seems different from a patriarchal society.
About the author: Catherine Raphael grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts/metalsmithing. She worked as a jeweler in Pennsylvania for sixteen years, during which time she also traveled to Arizona to do construction work on Arcosanti, Paolo Soleri’s “City of the Future.”
She is one of the founding mothers of the Women and Girls Foundation of Southwest Pennsylvania. She has served on the boards of the Ms. Foundation for Women and the Women Donors Network and volunteered with other progressive women’s rights organizations. In 2014, she attended a master class at Hedgebrook.
The friendships she made there coalesced into the Roving Writers, her writing group. Pre-COVID, she was a regular attendee at the Iceland Writers Retreat in Reykjavik, Iceland. Her stories have won prizes in Writer Advice and the Ageless Authors competition, and her work has been short-listed in Women On Writing and long-listed in Bumble Bee. This is her first novel. You can find Catherine Raphael on her website: https://catherineraphael.com/
JOURNEY TO THE HEART STONE
In the beginning, the Goddess danced the world into existence. Peace reigned for generations through matriarchal rule within the Minca, Dute, and Carroo tribes. But then one man’s lust for power destroyed this balance: Vestor assassinated his sister, Mother of the Minca tribe. His army ravaged the Dute and Carroo tribes. A once-idyllic world was thrust into war, famine, and despair.
Yet today, there is hope. Vestor’s niece, Cora, has a vision: if she can convince an emissary from each tribe to rendezvous at the Heart Stone, she can overthrow her evil uncle, take her rightful place as Mother Minca, and restore harmony.
But the Dutes have disappeared deep into their mountains. There are rumors that the Carroos are extinct. And Cora must move swiftly—lest Vestor learn that she’s pregnant with the Mincan heir.
BUY HERE
Category: Interviews, On Writing
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