Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Maiden of Time

Today Crystal Collier is here to discuss her latest release


and her Maiden of Time Series.

While Crystal is answering my questions here
I'm visiting her blog for




Welcome, Crystal!



*DISCLAIMER: Due to a sugar-prohibiting diet, Crystal may be slightly more obsessed with cookies than cheese. Beware flying crumbs.*

     1.   Can you tell your readers something about why you chose this particular topic to write about? What appealed to you about it? Why do you think it is different, and your approach is unique?

Jane Eyre meets Supernatural. Do you like history? I love history. (If you feel differently, don’t let that turn you off.) I feel we have the most to learn from people who’ve come before us. We’re the same mortal creatures having the same mortal experiences, even if society’s rules change periodically. The Maiden of Time series (Moonless, Soulless, Timeless) is basically a modern story told in historical eras. It’s a genre mash up that many reviewers call completely unique. Take some history, mix in some fantasy, throw in a bit of horror, some romance, a touch of time travel, and voila! These are not your grandmother’s cookies. And I mean, who doesn’t want elegant dresses, secret societies, and the hint of something sinister below society’s pompous façade? It’s loaded.

     2.   How long do you think about a topic before deciding to write about it? Do you have a set of notes or a notebook where you write down topics that appeal before making a decision as to which topic this time?

Time is a funny thing, don’t you think? (Especially time manipulation. *peeks at the time machine locked in the basement*) Some story ideas have been brewing for 20+ years (say hello to the Maiden of Time series!). Others see the light of day on a whim. (Or deadline.) Currently, there are 35 books waiting to be written/rewritten/finished, and a potential MG series that would add another 50 novels to the stack. I fully expect to kick the bucket before getting to all of them. But who knows? Fate might surprise us all. (*glances again at the time machine*) So how to pick which one to work on? It’s all about the love. If, as a writer, you love a story, the love shines through. You’ll do whatever it takes to get that shiny beauty into people’s hands. If you don’t love a story, you have no business writing it. Or rather, torturing yourself through it. (Trust me, I’ve done both.) Go eat cookies instead.

     3.   How long does it take to research a topic before you write? And for this book? Did you learn something unusual during your research that you can share here?

I like to research while I write. I’ll research/fact check between writing sentences and read articles/books on a subject in the evenings or mornings around writing. For the Moonless, I spent a solid 5 years becoming familiar with the late 1700’s. The hardest part about a time period isn’t necessarily the foods they eat or clothes they wear. It’s the attitudes. What subjects were taboo? What were the social norms and why? Which words hadn’t been invented? (*gasp*) One particular difficulty I stumbled across was (and this is ironic,) time. Before clocks, how did people measure the passage of hours, days, years? The truth: they used the position of the sun and seasons. (“Astronomy,” say what?!) Everything didn’t depend on ticking seconds. Life was slightly less regulated and little more laid back. (Yeah, I know we’re ALL wishing we could go back to that.) *hands out cookies*

     4.   What resources do you use? In general and for this book?

LIBRARY! Can I tell you how much I LOVE my library? (It’s half the reason I moved into this county.) For little known facts, I’m always turning to JSTOR or unique blog posts. A few of my stories are placed in specific cities, and I try to keep contacts in those locations so I can track down local consultants when the time comes. For writing improvement, I have a whole shelf of writing books that I periodically revisit to keep on track. Or I’ll attend online conferences.

     5.   What's the next step for you? Television, movies, a new genre? Tell us what the future holds - what can your fans expect?

Timeless (3rd book in the series) is slated to release this fall. Yay! It’s the stunning conclusion to the Maiden of Time series, and then I’m free! ...Of that series. I’ve got a contemporary thriller in the works and an urban fantasy vying for attention. (*gets out the boxing gloves* *and mop*) Don’t mind the noise over here. Hey, is that a box of cookies? *munches while ignoring the flying ink*




Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.

Alexia’s nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless.



Author bio: Crystal Collier is an eclectic author who pens clean fantasy, sci-fi, historical, and romance stories with the occasional touch of humor, horror, or inspiration. She practices her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. You can find her on her blog, Facebook, Goodreads, or follow her on Twitter.


Readers which do you prefer cheese or cookies? 




35 comments:

Nicola said...

Such exciting times, Crystal. Wishing you lots of success with Timeless. I love the covers of the series. Very eye-catching. Great interview questions, Yolanda! Thanks to both of you for a super post.

Unknown said...

Wow Crystal! 85 books to be written? WOW!!! That is ambitious. I wish you nothing but luck!

Unknown said...

Wow Crystal! 85 books to be written? WOW!!! That is ambitious. I wish you nothing but luck!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Think of all the things they didn't have back then or didn't know about. A lot to keep up with.
Amazed you still have so many books to write!

Pat Hatt said...

haha yeah, I'm with you. I'll kick the bucket before my list is written too.

Crystal Collier said...

Thanks, Nicola! And hey, have a cookie, and some cheese, eh?

Crystal Collier said...

Right? That or a functional time-stopper. Probably both, eh? ;)

Crystal Collier said...

Some of us have been dreaming up concepts since we knew how to dream, eh? I knew I should have gone into commercial writing. Seriously.

Crystal Collier said...

I know, Mr. OVER-100-Books-Published! You put us all to shame.

Annalisa Crawford said...

Wow, that's a huge backlog of ideas. I've fainted at the very thought!

Julie Flanders said...

I love history too and love adding history to my stories. It's so exciting that Timeless is almost here! You must feel relief because the series is done but also some sadness about saying goodbye to it.

I visited you over at Crystal's, Yolanda and made my guess! I think I've only guessed the lie correctly for one author though, so the odds are not in my favor LOL.

Yolanda Renée said...

Hi, Julie, :) I never get catch the lie either, but I'm hoping you're right this time!

Yolanda Renée said...

Thanks for being here today, Crystal, and for allowing me to visit your blog. It's a blast to come up with a lie and two truths.
I know the joy of finishing a trilogy. So cool! Congratulations!

Crystal Collier said...

Lol. There comes a point where I tell my brain to stop now, but it keeps spouting out new things.

Christine Rains said...

Great interview! I research as I write too. You never know what may come up as you go along. :) Can I borrow the time machine some time?

Karen Lange said...

Great interview! It's nice to learn more about you and your books, Crystal. Yolanda, thanks for hosting. You make a good team. :)

Crystal Collier said...

*shifty eyes* What time machine?

Crystal Collier said...

Dito, Julie. And you weave history so flawlessly into your books. It was surreal typing that final chapter of the series. I definitely do feel a sense of relief, at least until my editor comes back and tells me I'm not done.

The truth or lie game is tricky! Maybe I need to start inserting hints as to what the answer is? ;)

Crystal Collier said...

Yolanda, thanks so much for having me! You are a stellar hostess and have great taste in cheese!

Crystal Collier said...

We do, don't we? Thanks so much for stopping in and saying "hi," Karen.

Ella said...

Well done, Yolanda and Crystal!! I am now craving cookies and words-no words and cookies, no word cookies~ I agree, you do make a good team!

Ella said...

Congrats, Crystal!

Crystal Collier said...

Word cookies. Now there's awesomeness wrapped in bacon. Yes, please.

Crystal Collier said...

Thanks, Ella.

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

Nice job, ladies.

Whew! At first, I thought I'd missed the release of book three, but now I see it's due for release in the fall, so for a change, I'm not behind. :) (But considering my current "behind," maybe I should STOP eating cookies! Except for the ones I baked this morning, that is... )

Denise Covey said...

Great interview Yolanda and Crystal. I've enjoyed the first two books in the series and I'll enjoy Timeless. I thought I was crazy with my projects!! Those cookies helped! :-)

Unknown said...

Crystal is always so enthusiastic and cheerful! It was a great pleasure to read the interview, and I wish her much success with Timeless!

Crystal Collier said...

Susan! I promise you will know when the third book releases. The Internet will be sopping in cheese (although I'm not sure that's any better for our poteriors). ;)

Crystal Collier said...

Yay! If insanity ensues, battle it with sugar, eh?

Crystal Collier said...

Awww! Lexa, you rock. Thanks a ton! (Here, have some cheese.)

Unknown said...

I am a collector of legends, folklore, and tall tales so history is often involved in my stories. Your ideas are intriguing and I wish you well. May you live long enough to get through your list!

@Kathleen01930 Blog

Susan A Eames said...

Great interview! What a talented, prolific lady!
If I have a choice, I'll choose cheese please. :)

Susan at
Travel, Fiction and Photos

Crystal Collier said...

Thanks, Kathleen! Here's to history and all the stories it's spawned!

Crystal Collier said...

Cheese all the way!

Chemist Ken said...

I admire your writing style, so I'm sure Timeless will be a great read. Good luck with the launch!