This past week we gave the spotlight to The Goddess of Nothing At All, Cat Rector’s debut Dark Fantasy novel, the first book in the Unwritten Runes series. Our Roadies brought a wide selection of content to this show with their reviews, interviews and more. Now it’s time to bring the show to an end and it’s my pleasure to present you with the encore, including some extra content. Come and learn a bit more about the world of The Goddess of Nothing At All through our Q&A with Cat! And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Shall we?
Cat Rector grew up in a small Nova Scotian town and could often be found simultaneously reading a book and fighting off muskrats while walking home from school. She devours story in all its forms, loves messy, morally grey characters, and writes about the horrors that we inflict on each other. Currently, she lives in Belgium with her spouse. When she’s not writing, you can find her playing video games, spending time with loved ones, or staring at her To Be Read pile like it’s going to read itself.
The Goddess of Nothing At All is her debut novel.
Connect with Cat Rector
Perhaps you know the myths.
Furious, benevolent Gods.
A tree that binds nine realms.
A hammer stronger than any weapon.
And someday, the end of everything.
But few have heard of me.
Looking back, it’s easy to know what choices I might have made differently. At least it feels that way. I might have given up on my title. Told my father he was useless, king of gods or no, and left Asgard. Made a life somewhere else.
Maybe I would never have let Loki cross my path. Never have fallen in love.
But there’s no going back.
We were happy once.
And the price for that happiness was the end of everything.
Click on the blog name to read their full review or other content!
SEPTEMBER 29TH – THE KICKOFF
Whispers & Wonder – interview + IG spotlight @whispersandwonder
SEPTEMBER 30TH
Devouring Books – excerpt + IG spotlight @wilcoxmandy
Westveil Publishing – spotlight
@thenerdynook – IG spotlight
“This book is full of characters you want to love but inevitably hate and vice versa. There are some dark themes throughout, so be sure to check out the trigger warnings on the event page!”
OCTOBER 1ST
Brinns Books – spotlight
Girl Who Reads – review
“We get Sigyn’s side of the story, and a glimpse of her future after all the pain her family put her through. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the retelling of Norse mythology that gives agency back to the victims of fate.”
@Chapter.mjthomas – review + IG spotlight
“Both leads are LGBTQ characters and I really loved how they are portrayed in a positive way. The dark fantasy and adult themes makes this Norse myth retelling something special and extraordinary, that it will stay in your mind for quite a while.”
OCTOBER 2ND
Jessica Belmont – review
“The mythology is clever, with a unique spin while keeping to the original. The writing is magnificent with powerful characters and backgrounds.”
@apocketfuloftomes – review + IG spotlight
“Overall, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑨𝒕 𝑨𝒍𝒍 is an exciting and heartbreakingly beautiful debut novel. Cat Reactor has flawlessly woven Sigyn’s story to the tales of gods and goddesses where she was erased from and successfully painting a woman who never falters despite all the obstacles that come on her way.”
OCTOBER 3RD
A Part of Your Book World – spotlight
dinipandareads – review
“There is so much happiness and sorrow in this story. It is full of roiling emotions that demands to be felt and you have no choice but to let them! As the fate of the nine realms comes to pass there’s even more gut-wrenching loss and profound grief but the story ends on a surprisingly more hopeful note, and I was so thankful for it.”
@ofproseandspells – review + IG spotlight
“The Goddess of Nothing at All is an impressive novel filled with compelling characters and raw emotions. This is a perfect read for fans of The Witch’s Heart!”
@thebookwebb – review + IG spotlight
“It is an emotional rollercoaster that will give you all the feels. Having said that I enjoyed my first experience of a book based on Norse Mythology and I cannot wait to find out what the rest of the series has to offer.”
OCTOBER 4TH
Sue’s Musings – review
“In conclusion, this story is both devastating and unputdownable, at times heart-warming and at others it will make you want to scream. An emotional ride to say the least! I really can’t wait to read the sequel – but not before I have had some recovery time, please!!”
Armed with A Book – review
“The Goddess of Nothing At All is a very satisfying read. It is about life with its tensions and curveballs while at the same time, it is about finding one’s place in the world. Sigyn is a powerful protagonist and I loved getting to know Loki through her. Norse gods are so brutal and the number of gray characters in this book make it very hard to choose a side. There is no right or wrong. There are just consequences and we have to live with them.”
Dragon Hourglass – review + IG spotlight @zxeper
“I found that she balanced the timelessness of the myths with a new, unique story masterfully, to the point where there were times where I was wishing some parts of the book were longer and more detailed!! And it was already a monster!!”
Welcome to the Asylum, Cat! Take a seat by the fire, have a glass of beverage of your choice and tell me something about yourself!
Hello! I’ve got an enormous cup of cold water with me because I’m told hydration is important. As for me, I’m a debut author who loves to dabble in fantasy and horror writing. I’ve been living in Belgium for the last six years, but I’m originally from a small town in Canada where there’s a non-zero chance that a bear shows up at the KFC. When I’m not writing, I’m usually gaming, working my Bill Paying Job, or begging my laundry to do itself.
What inspires your writing? Do you listen to music, stare into the fire, listen to the whispering of the wind, make deals with the Devil?
That does sound like a good time, I’m not going to lie.
I tend to get a lot of inspiration from people’s behaviour. I love to write about people who make bad choices for good reasons, and whose actions could be painted as good or evil, depending on the perspective of the viewer. Because of that, a lot of my work skews towards hard questions or dark topics. Oftentimes these things spill onto the page as emotional explorations of themes like hardship, trust, complicated relationships, and our roles in society.
Describe an asylum set in the world of your book, The Goddess of Nothing At All!
Asgard would probably be in deep need of an asylum. It’s not explored deeply until Book 2, but in my version of things, dying in Midgard and going to the afterlife comes with lots of emotional baggage. I mean they died in battle and they retain those memories. Not everyone deals with that well.
I imagine the asylum would be built with wood and stone, with carvings in the common areas. Healers would keep an eye on the patients and battle comrades would come to visit. There would be a garden for the long term patients and some temporary rooms for the newly dead who show promise of recovery.
If I’m not careful I’m going to regret not working this into Book 1 XD
Your MC is locked in an asylum. What did he/she do to end up there?
There are about 20 moments in the book when Sigyn easily could have decided that it was her last straw and ended up in an asylum. Most of the reasons are spoilers, but overall, she lives with Loki. Do you know how much nonsense Loki gets up to in the myths? There’s no way that this stuff wasn’t Sigyn’s problem on a daily basis. After a small eternity of patching him up, solving his troubles, and suffering by association, most people would be at their wit’s end and ready for some time away from the world.
Which fictional character (it can be one of yours) and/or author would you like to live with in an asylum and why?
As a fan of horror movies, I can’t help but picture this asylum as sort of unhinged and unregulated, so if we’re talking about a ‘When In Rome’ situation, I’d take Loki with me. He’d be uniquely equipped to handle all kinds of trickery and would help make the best of a bad situation. However, if we’re going to a nice place that’s actually all about health and rehabilitation, I’m taking Idunn. She’s just the very best cinnamon roll and would help keep me focused on a path to recovery.
While you are locked in here for eternity, we will allow you one book – what would you choose?
Wow you really went for the jugular there, huh? One book. Monsters.
I don’t really have a fiction book that I’d want to read over and over forever, but I feel like it would be very practical to take one of those giant old encyclopedia Britannica books with me. The information would be practically endless, there would be tons to learn and forget and learn again, and I’m sure it would be great for writing inspiration.
And a doorstop.
And a weapon.
Well then, we hope you’ll enjoy your stay in the Asylum! Any last words? *locks door*
Thanks for having me! I hope the next meal looks a little more appetizing than this…
Can I get another blanket? I get cold at night.
There were supposed to be hot towels. When is my sauna appointment?
Wait.
I think I’ve changed my mind.
Hello?
*Visit catrector.com to read the first three chapters of The Goddess of Nothing At All*
HELLO?
Grab a copy of The Goddess of Nothing At All!
Find out more about Storytellers On Tour or join our team:
Leave a Comment