INTERVIEW - Michelle Madow author of Remembrance

 

Author:Michelle Madow

Pages: 314

Genre: Romance - Young Adult

AMAZON: Remembrance

Smashwords: Remembrance

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy.

 

Welcome to Obsession with Books Michelle, I have recently read your debut novel Remembrance and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Are you able to tell us a little about yourself?

Thank you so much for having me on Obsession with Books! My first novel, Remembrance, just came out on July 25, and I’m so excited to be able to share it with everyone. Remembrance is about a high school junior who’s been reincarnated from Regency Era, England, but doesn’t realize it until her soul mate transfers into her school and triggers her memories to gradually return. It’s currently available in ebook format on the Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords, and in paperback on Amazon.

How did you come up with the title for your novel ‘Remembrance’?

The story is about a girl who starts remembering her past life, and the title just popped into my head one day! I thought it had a nice ring to it, and it ended up sticking J

When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve loved writing for my whole life—I was that kid in second grade who would write long stories during free-write journal day—but I started writing for the goal of publication in the fall of 2009. I had just finished sharing the first chapter of Remembrance with my creative writing class, and my classmates and teacher were so encouraging that I decided I would never know if I could succeed as an author or not if I didn’t at least give it a try. So I tried, and I’m so happy to be able to share my book with everyone now!

Where did the inspiration for your book come from?

Remembrance was inspired by Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” music video. The first time I watched it, I was entranced. Taylor sees a guy while walking through campus, and the moment their eyes connect, the scene flashes to the two of them dancing at a beautiful ball dressed in clothes that appear to be from around the year 1815. It’s magical to watch, and the video is so amazing that it gave me chills. I watched it over and over again, and a story started to piece together in my mind. A story about a girl reincarnated from Regency Era, England, who doesn’t realize it until her soul mate transfers into her school and triggers her memories to gradually return to her. So I started to write, and ended up with Remembrance!

Is there anything about you that would surprise your readers?

I think I’m one of the few people in the world who doesn’t like candy. I don’t know why, but super sweet foods just aren’t my thing!

What is your ideal day as an author?

Wake up after a full nine hours of sleep (I love my sleep!) and read for a little bit while I’m waking up. Check my email, twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, etc. Write anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 words on my work-in-progress. Get anything done I need to get done for the day. Then go out with friends or family for a nice dinner and relax, watch tv shows I follow if they were on that night, and then read some more. I especially love those days when I get lots of great writing done!

Are you able to describe what your writing process is like?

Once I have an idea for a story, I do preliminary research. Then I’ll create character bios and a basic outline—I like to know where my story is headed before I start writing. Once the basic outline is completed I’ll start the drafting process, where I try to write at least 1,500 words a day for 5-6 days a week. I keep my outline flexible though, because sometimes while drafting I’ll get a cool idea that I like better than what I had on the original outline. After drafting I do tons of rounds of edits, getting the opinions of my friends and family before sending the manuscript off to my agent!

Are there any books or authors that have most influenced you?

I’ve been a huge fan of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series since the first book came out, and was really involved with the online community back in the day when Stephenie was online a lot communicating with her fans. Around then I started writing Twilight fan fiction (it was really horrible!) but that was the first time I started writing for fun again since elementary school. It was great practice though for when I started writing original content, and I absolutely loved being involved in the online Twilight community! 

Is there are book you are reading at the moment? And do you tend to favor a particular genre?

I love anything in the YA genre, and read a wide variety within it. I’m currently reading Ashfall by Mike Mullin, and am really enjoying it. My best friend also just lent me The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, and I’m excited to start it because she said it was amazing!

Who would play the roles of Lizzie and Drew?

I’ve always pictured Taylor Swift as Lizzie and Drew Roy as Drew. I actually just wrote a blog about what celebrities I see as the characters in Remembrance, and you can find it here.

What is up next for you?

After writing Remembrance, I wrote two other books in the young adult genre. One is a paranormal that fuses witchcraft and Greek Mythology, and the other is a contemporary that takes place in Las Vegas. I'm currently working on another young adult novel that has some science fiction elements thrown in, and it's a challenge, but fun.

Quick Questions:

Fave band / television series / movie?

 Taylor Swift / Game of Thrones / Back to the Future

E-reader or hardcopy?

Such a tough decision! I love reading on my e-reader, but if the cover is super pretty then I’ll get the hard copy.

Cats or Dogs

Dogs all the way!

Ideal travel destination?

I love so many places, but my favorite is probably Rome. I love the art and architecture, and the history there is amazing! I was also recently in Scotland in May, and positively loved it. Especially the highlands—they were beautiful.

Thank-you so much for taking time to talk to us today!

Thank you so much for interviewing me!