The Interview w/ Michelle Madow:
Warning: This answer contains spoilers for Remembrance and Vengeance!
Timeless is the conclusion to the Transcend Time Saga,
which revolves around Lizzie and Drew. In Remembrance,
Lizzie learned that she had been reincarnated from Regency Era, England, after
she saw her soul mate from the past, Drew, for the first time and got flashes
of the life they shared. However, Lizzie’s life did not end well in the past,
and Drew was determined to stay away from her, convinced that keeping his
distance would prevent the past from paralleling the future. He dated her best
friend, Chelsea, because he thought doing so would push Lizzie away. Right when
Lizzie was about to suffer a similar end that she did in the past, she had a
flash of the past that allowed her to change the present. Since she stopped the
past from paralleling the future, she and Drew believed they could be together
without worrying about her early death.
In Vengeance,
the short story that followed Remembrance,
Chelsea was out to get revenge on Lizzie, since she felt wronged by Drew
dumping her to be with her best friend. A mysterious woman at a store helped
Chelsea remember a fuzzy version of her past life—where Chelsea ends up with
Drew—and told Chelsea about a spell she could cast to make sure the present has
a similar ending. Chelsea casts the spell, not knowing the horrible
consequences of what she had done.
Now, in Timeless,
Lizzie has omens of death following her, and she and Drew realize something
isn’t right. They learn that a curse has been cast on her, and they must
discover who cast the curse and how to fix it before it is too late. To save
Lizzie’s life, they must travel across the world—and through time. Will they be
able to change the past to make sure Lizzie has a future? To find out, you’ll
have to read Timeless!
Timeless was much more challenging to write than Remembrance, because there are more
paranormal elements in the story, along with time travel. I had to make sure
the paranormal elements were explained to the reader in a way that made sense,
and I had to do a lot of research to make the scenes in Regency Era, England
accurate. There were so many facts I had
to learn about the time period—the clothes they wore, the hygiene products they
had available, etiquette rules, how people addressed each other, and even the
times they ate their meals (and how the meals were served) are so different
from modern times! The research was the most challenging, but I’m happy with
how the scenes in the past ended up.
3. You have
an amazing online presence- Can you tell me what it is like to promote your own
work and do so well? What were the biggest things that helped you?
Thank you! The biggest trick to “social
media” is just to have FUN with it! I love talking with people through Twitter
and Facebook, and I think it comes across in my tweets and status updates. If
an author is only using social media to promote their work, it can be obvious
to fans. I like sharing random things about what’s going on in my life, and I
always reply back to people when they tweet at me or write on my Facebook. As
for promoting my books, book bloggers have been so helpful by reviewing Remembrance and helping to spread the
word. It’s been great meeting so many bloggers, because we all have one major
thing in common—a love for books!
4. Did you
always want to be a writer?
I’ve always created stories in my mind and
have enjoyed writing, but I didn’t consider writing as a possible profession
until mid-way through college because I wasn’t sure if I could complete a
novel, or if anyone would be interested in my ideas. Then I took an Intro to
Creative Writing class when I was a junior in college. I turned in the first
chapter of Remembrance for a homework
assignment, and my teacher and classmates loved it and encouraged me to write
more. The positive feedback meant so much to me, and I decided that I would
never know if I could complete a novel if I didn’t try. By the end of my junior
year of college, I had finished the first draft of Remembrance!
5. What
books influenced you the most as a child?
My favorite book series’ when I was younger
were the Narnia series and Harry Potter. As for a book influencing me, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer had a huge
impact on my life. I read Twilight when
I was 18 years old, and Bella’s character inspired me to make positive changes
in my life. Many books I was reading at that age involved teens who were
partying, drinking, etc. Reading about a girl like Bella, who was happy being
who she was without craving popularity, encouraged me to be more comfortable
embracing that side of my personality. Twilight
changed my life, and led me on a path to become a better person.
6. What are
your future writing plans?
I’ve written two other books aside from the
books in the Transcend Time Saga. Both of them are starts of different series’—one
is a fun, contemporary YA, and the other is a YA urban fantasy involving
witchcraft and Greek mythology. I’m pursuing the traditional publishing route for
the contemporary YA, and my agent has that book out on submission to publishing
houses. I’m crossing my fingers every day for good news!
7. Any
advice for aspiring writers?
The biggest piece of advice I have if you’re
writing a novel is to make sure you have a solid writing schedule before you
start drafting. While writing Remembrance,
I wrote 1,000 words every weekday, in between my afternoon classes. If you
don’t have a routine and daily word count goal, completing a draft will be
difficult. Writing is not a sprint—it’s a marathon. Slow and steady will get
you to the end. It’s amazing how much progress you will make if you discipline
yourself to write a little bit every day!
Author Links
Blog: blog.michellemadow.com
The Giveaway:
In celebration of the Timeless Blog Tour, Michelle is giving away a Deluxe Transcend Time Prize Pack! This includes:
·
A signed
paperback of Remembrance
·
A signed
paperback of Vengeance
·
A signed
paperback of Timeless
·
A gold
Venetian mask
This giveaway is International. Just fill out the rafflecopter form below. If you don't see it click, 'read more'.
Love the interview =) looking forward to reading the books, too.
ReplyDeletebest wishes, Linda
Thanks Linda!
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