Maiden of Time

Today Crystal Collier is here to discuss her latest release

Moonless

and her Maiden of Time Series.

While Crystal is answering my questions here

I'm visiting her blog for

WriterlyWednesday!

Can you guess my lie?

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 (3^rd 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*

 MOONLESS

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.

Purchase link: http://www.crystal-collier.com/buy/

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?