Sit back and relax. We’ve made it to Friday.
Here in the Northeast, it’s going to be hot, very hot. What better way to spend
a few minutes with something icy cold and a good read? Today my guest is
Madeline Martin, an online friend I met in San Diego at RWA’s National
Conference. We had a great time. I know you’ll love her story.
What
Readers Want to Hear from Madeline Martin
I confess I always get a little stumped when
I need to come up with a fresh idea for a blog post. And so I turn to my
readers (you guys always have the best ideas). For this particular post, it was
suggested I describe my beginning to end writing process, including where ideas
stem from, time frames, etc.
Every one of my books is borne of a single
idea or thought. It could be something that pops in my head from a memory, or it could be
a lyric in a song or poem that snags my attention. For example, Grey or Blue by
Jaymay had the lyrics “I can’t stop staring at your mouth without wondering how
it tastes” which spawned a scene between Celia and Alec in Enchantment of a
Highlander.
From that one idea, my subconscious grabs it
and starts spinning, filling in scenes and places and who the people are. These
are usually high stare off into space times for me. LOL But while it seem like
I’m just zoning out, I have a whole world blossoming to life in my head.
From there I put together a brief outline of
the beginning to end with main points/scenes I know I want to incorporate.
Characters names and descriptions usually correlate with what personality they
have or how they sometimes just show up in my head. This idea/character
building is my favorite part of the writing process – before writer’s block can
tickle at my ideas or edits can crush me down. This is the part of the story
making process where I fling wide my arms and dance through an open field,
where the sky doesn’t even feel like it can limit the possibilities crowding my
thoughts. This is where I feel the story start to breathe in me, when the
emotions of the characters tie into my heart and their souls become a piece of
mine. Pure and simple, it’s magic. (I’m actually smiling as I describe this
LOL)
Once my characters and plot are detailed out
(ummm…for the most part), I write. I’m the most productive when I do writing
sprints with friends. That means we both plan on writing for 30 minutes (from
our own homes) and text each other when that 30 minutes is over to report the
amount of words we’ve written. It’s fun competition that forces me in my seat
and writing full steam ahead.
I do work a full time job and don’t like
write while the minions are awake. This means I wake up at 4:30 to write and do
a lot of work after they go to bed. As a result of my limited time, it takes
about four months to write an entire full length novel.
I write using Scrivener, which is a writing
program where I can break my scenes down and title them (which makes editing
easier), I can also attach pictures of the cast of characters and scenery. One
of the important features for me is the sidebar panel which allows me to make notes
to myself. I use these for editing comments to address later rather than going
back and editing. (For example: As of chapter 13, the sidekick has a scar on
his cheek for a reason – go to previous chapters to add this detail) This keeps
the self-editing process from being so painful.
Once the story is written, I plunge into my
personal edits I’ve noted on the side, as well as a friend’s edits who helps me
as I go (and she is a total Godsend!). Once that’s done, I do a final read
through and edit what sounds right.
After edits, it goes to beta readers for
their feedback, corrections are made. Then on to my editor with my publisher. I
usually do two rounds of edits, then another two or three rounds of copy edits,
then the final read through goes through my Momma, who can catch a typo like
nobody’s business. And then, it is FINALLY done and the process can start over
again.
I think the hardest part about writing a book
is the allure of the next book. There are always new ideas tugging at my
attention and trying to lure me off course.
I confess that working a full time job while
writing, especially with having young children, is very difficult. I seldom
have free time for me and I always feel like I’m working. Some days I get
really overwhelmed when I look at my to do list (promo takes up a ridiculous
amount of time), but then I just look toward the first item and press on. It is
a lot of work, but I don’t regret one second of it and I wouldn’t give it up
for the world. Writing is my love and publishing books is my dream, and I
consider myself lucky to have been embraced by such passion.
Love is the most potent of remedies.
The sweeping historical romance that began with
DECEPTION OF A HIGHLANDER, and continued with POSSESSION OF A HIGHLANDER,
reaches its dazzling conclusion in this scorcher set on the Scottish plains.
Alec MacLean returns home after a decade to
find his recently deceased father has let his inheritance fall to ruin. As the
new laird, it’s Alec’s responsibility to rebuild the castle and restore the
lands. He must also regain the people’s trust after having abandoned them so
long ago, a feat not easily done when he fears he’s plagued with the same darkness
as his father.
Celia escaped the North Berwick witch trials
at a young age, surviving because of the sacrifice of her beloved caretaker.
She’s made a life for herself in the wilds of Scotland where no laird rules, a
life where she heals for coin, a life without love so she can never feel the
hurt of loss again.
When the new laird comes back to claim his
land, his determination to restore order threatens everything Celia has worked
so hard to gain, especially with the undeniable attraction sizzling between
them. Together, they will face all challenges, from the tangle of their own
damaged pasts to the fire-fueled witch hunts sweeping the Isle of Mull.
Together, they will find that the best way to overcome darkness and war is
through the undeniable light of love.
Reviews
of Enchantment of a Highlander:
“…an
enchanting series conclusion.”
-Publishers Weekly
“…filled with interesting characters and is
an enjoyable read.” -RT Book Reviews
Excerpt
from Enchantment of a Highlander
Celia had known the man was nobility by his
fine dress, but she hadn’t expected him to be Laird MacLean. Nor had she
expected the son of the former laird to be so just, so powerful.
So dangerous.
The law did little good from what she’d seen,
from what she’d experienced. Innocents were sacrificed under the guise of
‘law’.
A scratch sounded at the base of the door
where the wind mewled. Celia pulled the latch and held the door wide enough for
the red fox to slink inside before bolting it shut once more.
“Is he gone now, Ruadh?”
The fox stared up at her with his golden eyes
and flicked his bushy tail in aggravation.
“Good riddance to that one.” She tossed the
remaining thread into the fire and watched the remnants of the laird’s blood
sizzle and curl into ash. “For the time being we are safe.”
She glanced at the door once more. Her skin
still tingled where he had touched her. Unwanted, a thrill wound down her spine
and blossomed in goosebumps across her skin.
He would be back and she would need to keep
her secrets locked away, the way she had managed to do thus far.
Her life depended on it.
About
the Author
Madeline
Martin
lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her two daughters (AKA OldestMinion and
YoungestMinion). All shenanigans are detailed regularly on Twitter and on
Facebook.
She graduated from Flagler College with a
degree in Business Administration and works for corporate America. Her hobbies
include rock climbing, running, doing crazy races (like Mud Runs and Color
Runs) and just about anything exciting she can do without getting nauseous.
She's also a history fan after having lived in Europe for over a decade, and
enjoys traveling overseas whenever she can. Her favorite place to visit thus
far: Scotland.
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