Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Author Interview: Madeleine Holly-Rosing


Madeleine was nice enough to sit down and answer some questions for me. I love her covers, and her work sounds fantastic!



Tell us a little bit about you. Where are you from? What kind of books do you write? How many books have you written? Do you set your stories in the area you live in? 

I’m originally from Southern California, but I lived in New York/New Jersey for fifteen years then came back to Los Angeles.  I’ve been writing stories since I learned how to write and have always been drawn to fantasy and science fiction. Most likely because my mother read, A Wrinkle in Time to me at a very young age and I had an older brother who was a scifi fan.

While I was living in NY and NJ, I spent most of my time competing in the sport of fencing. I was an epee fencer and I competed both nationally and internationally. I was part of the team that won the Women’s National Team Epee Championship in 1994. I spent many a lunch hour writing scripts since at the time I was interested in writing for film. Flash forward a few years… I returned to Los Angeles, got married and went back to school to get my MFA in Screenwriting at UCLA. It was an amazing experience and I learned so much from that program (and made some great friends as well).  While there I wrote a script called Stargazer, which won the Sloan Fellowship, and was the basis for Boston Metaphysical Society (BMS).

I had originally written Boston Metaphysical Society as a TV pilot, but it was suggested I turn it into a graphic novel. Four and a half years later, we completed the first six issue mini-series that is now out in trade paperback. (Emily Hu was the artist.) While in production I wrote a series of short stories and novellas which are now in an anthology called Boston Metaphysical Society: Prelude. After that came the first standalone continuation of the original mini-series, The Scourge of the Mechanical Men with art by Gwynn Tavares. She is currently working on the next one called, The Spirit of Rebellion.

While managing all of the above, life, and numerous Kickstarter campaigns, I finally finished the first Boston Metaphysical novel, A Storm of Secrets, which was just released. It is a prequel to the original graphic novel series. 

I don’t normally set my stories where I live since they are fictional versions of those cities. I do ground most of the stories in fact, so you will see some crossover between fact and fiction. 

Most writers I know are voracious readers. What kind of books do you like to read? What’s your favorite book?

My first choice is usually science fiction, but I do love fantasy, steampunk, and a wide variety of graphic novels. Wow, favorite book. That’s a tough one. If I have to choose then I’d say it’s tie between Cordelia’s Honor and Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold.

Let’s play a quick game of “This or That”. 

Real books or Ebooks? Ebooks if it’s someone new that I want to try out. Real books for favorite authors.

Coffee or Tea? Normally tea, but coffee is a mainstay when I’m working a convention.

Sweet or Savory? Sweet.

Dogs or Cats? Dogs, though I love cats I’m more allergic to them.

Summer or Winter? As far as summer or winter, it depends on the location. In Southern California, Fall is the best season I think. Not too hot, not too cold.

Morning or night? Before I got married, I was a night person, but now I’m a morning person.

Would you mind telling us about your writing style? Such as: Do have a routine? Do you need complete silence or blaring music? Early morning writing or late nite writing?

Silence is golden and due to my schedule, I write in the afternoon. Mornings, I’m working at the gym and running errands. Evenings are for walking the dogs and time with the hubby which means I can’t stay up late anymore nor do I want to. I’m too tired.

Do you have a favorite “writing” snack?

Yogurt and tea and/or coffee with hot cocoa powder in it.

Which do you think is the hardest to write: the first sentence or the last one?

The first. I usually write something down to get started, but then go back and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite…

What is your biggest distraction while writing?  

OMG, social media.  It’s a killer.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Get your butt in a chair and write.

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Get your butt in a chair and write, but also find writers who are at your level or above to beta read and give you notes.  And don’t take the notes personally unless they are personal, then you’re getting notes from the wrong person.

What’s next for you? What do your readers have to look forward to?

I’ll be running a Kickstarter campaign in early 2019 for the next standalone graphic novel story which features Caitlin O’Sullivan (The Spirit of Rebellion) from the original series. I’ll also be working on a new series of novels set in the BMS universe, but during the time of the House Wars which is my version of the American Civil War.

Where can we connect with you? Tell is where to find you online.

Website: Http://www.bostonmetaphysicalsociety.com


Twitter: Http://www.twitter.com/mhollyrosing


Where to get my books:

Graphic Novels


Amazon (Print):



Boston Metaphysical Society: The Complete Series – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0996429220/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1


Boston Metaphysical Society: The Scourge of the Mechanical Men – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0996429247/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i6

Novel, Novellas, and Short Stories

Amazon (Print and eBook):




Boston Metaphysical Society: A Storm of Secrets – 


Nook:



Smashwords:

Boston Metaphysical Society: A Storm of Secrets – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/896295

Boston Metaphysical Society: Prelude – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/541858


AUTHOR PROFILE


A TV, feature film and comic book writer, Madeleine is the winner of the Sloan Fellowship  for screenwriting, and the Gold Aurora and Bronze Telly for a PSA produced by Women In Film. She also won numerous awards while completing the UCLA MFA Program in Screenwriting. Having run a number of successful crowdfunding campaigns for her comic, Boston Metaphysical Society, Madeleine now teaches a crowdfunding class for independent creators at Pulp Fiction Books in Culver City as well as guest lecturing at Scriptwriters Network, Dreamworks Animation and the UCLA Professional Program. She has also published the book, Kickstarter for the Independent Creator.
Boston Metaphysical Society webcomic is the recipient of an HONORABLE MENTION at the 2013 GEEKIE AWARDS and was nominated for BEST COMIC/GRAPHIC NOVEL at the 2014 GEEKIE AWARDS. The comic has also been nominated for a 2012 Airship Award as well as a 2013, 2014 and a 2015 Steampunk Chronicle Reader’s Choice Award. Her novella, Steampunk Rat, was also nominated for a 2013 Steampunk Chronicle Reader’s Choice Award.
Other comic projects include the short story, The Scout which is part of The 4th Monkey anthology, The Sanctuary (The Edgar Allan Poe Chronicles anthology), The Marriage Counselor ( The Cthulhu is Hard to Spell anthology) and the upcoming The Airship Pirate which will be part of  The Rum Row anthology. She is currently writing a four issue mini-series for SFC Comics/Evoluzione Publishing.
She also has an anthology of short stories and novellas called Boston Metaphysical Society: Prelude  (in print as well as eBook) based on the Boston Metaphysical Society universe. The Boston Metaphysical Society short story, Here Abide Monsters, is part of the Some Time Later anthology from Thinking Ink publishers.
The first Boston Metaphysical Society novel, A Storm of Secrets, will be released in October 2018.
Formerly a nationally ranked epee fencer, she has competed nationally and internationally. She is an avid reader of comics, steampunk, science fiction, fantasy and historical military fiction.
Madeleine lives with her rocket scientist husband, David and two rescue dogs: Ripley and Bishop.

0 comments:

Post a Comment