by Keziah Frost
Five of Diamonds: A power struggle or a personality clash. You may be shocked by someone’s ingratitude. Whatever the unpleasantness, do not engage. Walk away. You’ll be glad you did.
Six of Diamonds: Financial security. Money begins to come to you more easily now. You step into a position of your own power. Honesty is always the best policy.
Seven of Diamonds: Your relationships deepen and grow stronger. Bonds of friendship are emphasized now. You have wonderful people in your life, and they appreciate you. Alternate meaning: you will meet your soul mate very soon.
Eight of Diamonds: There is something good in your life. Do not let it go. It may be a job, relationship or a precious material item. Whatever it is, if it gives you joy—keep it.
Nine of Diamonds: A financial new beginning. Financial reward beckons. Go forward with confidence.
Ten of Diamonds: Your project gains traction. Whatever you have been focusing on is ready to take off now.
Jack of Diamonds: A young person at the crossroads.
Queen of Diamonds: A charming but controlling woman. She can be a strong ally, but beware of falling into her power.
King of Diamonds: A happy and friendly man who will be a positive factor in your life.
CLUBS
Ace of Clubs: Powerful forces are at work. You are creative and artistic. Go ahead and indulge your sense of play. That is where your genius lies.
Two of Clubs: There is yet time to take a different path. What would you really like? Describe exactly where you want to be. Your thoughts will attract what you love.
Three of Clubs: Your business is highlighted. Success is growing, and will grow beyond your expectations.
Four of Clubs: Popularity. You are liked more than you suspect. Your sphere of influence is about to widen.
Five of Clubs: Handle issues delicately or they may explode.
Six of Clubs: A solution is on its way. Beware of the motivations of others. They are not as they seem. Alternate meaning: you will be involved in a legal matter.
Seven of Clubs: Be on the lookout for an important new relationship. Someone would like to know you better.
Eight of Clubs: You are presented with a business opportunity. Consider all sides carefully before responding. Note surrounding cares for guidance.
Nine of Clubs: A period of study and hard work is indicated, if you are to succeed in your aims.
Ten of Clubs: A period of healing now. It could be physical, emotional or spiritual. Take the necessary time to recharge.
Jack of Clubs: An unremarkable or dark-eyed man. There are hidden depths here. He has undeveloped potential.
Queen of Clubs: A kind woman. Loyal and open-hearted. She loves others deeply.
King of Clubs: A courageous man, capable of true heroism.
Joker:The reader may choose to leave the joker in the deck or take it out. When it appears, the Joker signifies personal transformation, psychic awakening and a journey into another world.
POWERFUL, SPECIAL COMBINATIONS
Certain card combinations, when appearing in the spread, take on a particular meaning.
Four Kings: A gathering of support. People will come together for your cause.
Three Queens: Strong personalities guarantee interesting company and a good time.
Four Sevens: Don’t tempt fate. Be alert to factors that may be hidden.
Four Sixes: Peace and equilibrium are restored for a period of time. Enjoy it.
Ace of Clubs and Eight of Clubs: A job offer or business opportunity carries the power to completely change your future. Stay true to yourself, and you can’t go wrong.
Jack of Clubs and Three of Spades: In order to grow into who you are, you need to get away from your early influences.
Jack of Hearts and Ten of Hearts: You need a
vacation—or even a staycation.
Ten of Clubs and Four of Spades: How and why are you blocking your own healing? Take care. You are on a path that leads into a dark void.
Ten of Hearts and Four of Clubs: You have people who love you unconditionally, although you may not realize it.
Ten of Hearts and Four of Hearts: Go ahead and have confidence in yourself. If need be, “fake it ’til you make it.” You can do this!
Nine of Hearts and Nine of Diamonds: Most favorable combination. Your wishes come true. You satisfy your heart and heal the hearts of others through service.
Nine of Spades and Ace of Spades: Take care to avoid a disaster that has been building.
Three of Hearts and Ace of Spades: Your own recklessness throws you into danger. Try to learn from this.
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
The Reluctant Fortune-Teller explores the possibility of people changing at any point in their lives, of reinventing a new identity and “growing into themselves.” Who are the characters you see making these changes? Do you believe that it is true, in life, that we are always able to change? What do people need in order to make changes in themselves?
In the book, there are instances of people pretending to be what they are not. How are Carlotta, Summer, Stanley and Norbert all different kinds of impostors?
Is Norbert truly psychic? What are your arguments for and against?
Consider the roles that jealousy, resentment and envy play in the story. Who are the characters most plagued by these feelings, and how do these feelings impact their behavior?
Why does Carlotta need to be in control of other people? Like Carlotta, how do other characters attempt to control?
Norbert finds value in being of service to and helping others. In what ways has he, over the course of his life, fulfilled this sense of duty? Consider how the need to be of service can affect a person’s behavior.
Discuss Norbert’s evolution from the opening scene to the closing scene. How has he grown and changed?
Did you enjoy the companion animals and the parts they played? How do they reflect their owners, if at all? What do they add to the story?
If you could have lunch with one of the characters, which one would you like to get to know better?
A CONVERSATION WITH KEZIAH FROST
The Reluctant Fortune-Teller tells the story of a retired accountant’s second lease on life after becoming the town psychic at the behest of Carlotta’s Club. What was your inspiration for the story and characters?
The plot was my daughter Claire’s inspiration. We were brainstorming, and she said, “Why don’t you write about a fortune-teller who doesn’t believe in the fortunes, even though they keep coming true?”
I created Gibbons Corner with the idea of writing about a place where I would like to live.
I really can’t say where Norbert or any of the characters came from. Are they all subparts of myself? Are they a mishmash of all the people I have ever known? I don’t know. I sat down to write a short story, and they all appeared in my mind and began saying their lines and striking their poses, as if they had always existed. It was delightful for me.
Is there any insight you can give us into Norbert’s character? Did you have Norbert’s journey mapped out when you began writing? How did his story surprise you and evolve along the way, if at all?
Norbert did surprise me. When I began, I never suspected he was capable of heroism. He appeared in a short story as a minor character, and stepped forward to become the unassuming protagonist of a novel. After getting to know him and Carlotta’s Club very well, I did begin to map out the story with index cards and a list of scenes and events. However, the list kept changing as I went along and the story took its own paths.
What was your toughest challenge writing The Reluctant Fortune-Teller? Your greatest pleasure?
The toughest was revising. I did revisions with both my agent and my editors. At times, that felt like pulling out blocks from a tower and putting new blocks in the spaces
while trying to keep the tower standing. But after a while, I began to see even revision as a creative and fun process, because that work was so clearly making the novel better.
The most pleasurable part is in conceiving the story. It gets revealed bit by bit, day by day, and writing it feels like the most delicious indulgence and my greatest joy.
Can you describe your writing process? Do you write scenes consecutively or jump around? Do you have a schedule or routine? A lucky charm?
I write as soon as I get up in the morning, and for as long as I can. My husband, Tom, thoughtfully brings me a soy latte, and I’m on my way. Depending on what I have to do that day, it may be two hours or it may be five. I usually have Chico, my black Pomeranian mix, on my lap, so he might be my “lucky charm.”
I start with the kernel of an idea for a situation, and then some characters suggest themselves. Names will occur to me, and I’ll know when I’ve hit on the right ones. I learned from Alan Watt’s book, The 90-Day Novel, to really spend time “writing into the characters.” I get to know them very, very well: what they want, what they fear, what they are hiding, etc. So much will be based on those early exercises in which I let my characters tell me all about themselves.
I have some scenes that occur to me out of order and I insert them in a document I call “Order of Events,” for lack of a better term. Otherwise, I generally start with chapter one and go forward.
Do you read other fiction while working on a book, or do you find it distracting? Is there a book or author that inspires you the most?
It never distracts me from my own writing to read. I read fiction obsessively and couldn’t stop if I tried. I love to read many current authors, such as Sarah Waters, Liane Moriarty, Alexander McCall Smith, Rachel Joyce and Rhys Bowen. For inspiration, I go back to the 1920s and ’30s: P. G. Wodehouse, D. E. Stevenson, Stella Gibbons, E. F. Benson and Elizabeth von Arnim. Those are humorous writers, and when I read them, I feel grateful to them for the gift of laughter they have left to us all.
How did you know you wanted to be a writer? Can you describe the journey to publishing your first book?
In fifth grade, Mrs. Kean used to call me up to the front of the class to read my poems and compositions. I was afraid the kids would call me “teacher’s pet,” but they didn’t. They had great reactions and cheered me on. That continued next door in sixth grade, with Miss Burns, Mrs. Kean’s friend. Every week I was chosen to read my work. I began to see that not only did I get to have the enjoyment of the play that went on in my mind when I wrote these pieces, but I was giving entertainment and happiness to others by sharing my writing. That’s when I knew.
I kept writing all through school, and my first master’s degree was in English. After that, life led me along many routes and I gained experiences that inform my writing now. I started a couple of novels, but got lost and let go of the threads.
I finished this novel due to ignoring the common advice to not talk about your work in progress with anyone, on the grounds that your inspiration will leave you. That is nonsense! Of course, the people you talk to should be well-chosen, encouraging ones.
I joined my local writers’ workshop, which meets at the public library, and I signed up for the Faber Academy UK online course “Writing a Novel.” I also had my daughter, Claire, reading along and reacting as I wrote chapter by chapter. I listened carefully to critiques from all of these sources. I know that all that encouragement and accountability helped me to finish writing The Reluctant Fortune-Teller.
I found my agent, Danielle Bukowski, through a website called Manuscript Wish List: www.manuscriptwishlist.com.
ISBN-13: 9781488080463
The Reluctant Fortune-Teller
Copyright © 2018 by Keziah Frost
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