Natalya's Tale

Publisher Marketing: Who amongst us (if of an age) hasn't faced that daunting dilemma: the inevitability of turning 30?! And so then, in dire frustration over all that life is not, lapsed into another dimension of myth and magic and talking butterflies! (Or perhaps that last bit isn't quite as inevitable for everyone...) At heart, 'Natalya's Tale' is a picaresque reflective of Arthurian legends: a knight on a quest, wandering strange lands, battling wild beasts and mythological monsters or witches and wizards, and engaging in a series of heroic endeavors... except in this case, rather than a knight, it's Natalya Yvain-a cannibalistic prostitute who, tired of turning tricks and eating babies, goes on a journey through the Otherworld (a shadow world of our own) in search of greater meaning in life. Natalya-despite her penchant for human flesh, both professionally and nutritionally-is a sort of "Everywoman;" she's just an ordinary person who becomes caught up in extraordinary circumstances, finding herself faced with having to try to save the world. Accompanied by her guide, a butterfly named Katara, Natalya meanders about on her quest, meeting a variety of bizarre friends and foes, many of who offer up their own personal tales along the way... Contributor Bio:  Zakharin, Mishka Mishka Zakharin is the author of over a dozen collections of poetry and short fiction, as well as his on-going series of journalish ramblings 'Daemon Mishka'. Born (in 1970) and raised (or perhaps "razed") and continuing to exist in Wisconsin, Zakharin received his Bachelor of Arts at UW-Whitewater in 1992 - and deems his degree in English as a kind of "license to kill," proof of his qualification to advance the English language through his writing endeavors... more of his contributions to 21st Century Lit. may be experienced at The Official Mishka Zakharin Website: www.zmishka.com.