Hello friends. It has been a hot minute since I posted a guest blog. March has been a bit busy for me due to getting When You Returned ready for the release next month and trying to get everything done before the deadline. But this isn’t about my book. This month’s guest blog I will be interviewing Melanie Bateman the author of The Time Key and now a trilogy series, Traveler. She and I met on Instagram. In fact, I came across her artwork account. And then I saw she had published a book. The cover intrigued me and ended up getting a copy. I love the story. So good. And now I had a chance to read her new book The Traveler. Ah, the characters and the world building and the richness, so good. This is one of the reasons I wnted to interview her. I have many questions to ask her about this series. So, let’s welcome her.
Share with us about yourself.
Melanie: "Hey there! I'm a freelance illustrator who also happens to write books! I joke that the only reason I publish them is to get my drawings in books, but really they go hand-in-hand for me. I’m originally from Venezuela and currently located in Utah. I’m a mother of soon-to-be four kids, wife to a dairy farmer, and so lucky to be able to fulfill my art kid dreams from home!"
Awesome! You live on a farm. I am too. Though I’m not the type of person who likes living on a farm with a bunch of animals. But I don’t mind living in the countryside. That’s cool though you live on a dairy farm.
Can you tell us when did you started writing?
Melanie: "I've been writing since high school, so a long time."
Lol that is a long time! As writers, we all start somewhere in life. I was thirteen when I started writing. Now, what genre do you like to write about?
Melanie: "I've always leaned toward fantasy because it's a way for me to escape and be as creative as I can be. It's therapeutic. But I also have a soft spot for historical fiction, so I end up writing a blend of both."
That sounds like a great combination. I have always enjoyed writing fantasy stories too. But I do like reading historical fiction. Perhaps this is why I love reading books like yours. I emerged myself to these types of stories. I’m sure there is someone who inspired you to become a writer. Who was it?
Melanie: "I would have to give credit to my English teachers in school. While I was just an ESL student writing stories, they saw a potential author. I would have never thought that would be possible."
That’s sweet. I’m glad they saw something in you and encourage you to keep on writing. Now when you aren’t writing, what hobbies do you like to do?
Melanie: "I'm an illustrator, so I spend a lot of my time sketching. Other than that, I'm a mother, reader, knitter, and tender to our twenty-plus animals at home."
Neat! I love your drawings. Especially how you incorporated in your stories like The Time Key and The Traveler. Okay, I’m itched to ask you these questions. Can you tell us what inspired you to write The Traveler Ttrilogy?
Melanie: "The first time I read All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque left me so torn up that I just knew I had to explore the idea of a man trying to survive such a massive world event. I didn't know anything about WWI, so I spent years reading about it. It wasn't until I published my first novel, The Time Key, that key points in the story I wanted to tell came together."
Wow that sounds like an intense story. But I can see why you were inspired. I think you got off a good start with The Time Key because that story is such a heart wrenching but beautifully done. Plus, I am curious to know what happened with that series. I can imagine the trilogy took a while for you to write. How long did it take you to write them?
Melanie: "I have been writing these books since 2016 and hope to finish the first draft of the third book this year."
Super! I am rooting for you. I can’t wait to read the rest of the story. What process do you enjoy doing and what is the hardest part in creating this series?
Melanie: "I'm in the minority of writers who enjoy editing a first draft. I feel like once the bulk of the story is ‘done’ I can mold it into something that better resembles the final product. And the hardest part is piecing all the events together. Especially messing with time travel, it's easy to write yourself into a corner!"
I believe you. Flashbacks have a way to make the story complex and sometimes confusing. Though when I read it I think you did a good job putting it together. That part is paidy off. I don’t like editing, but I do enjoy doing revision. Do you have a favorite character in this series?
Melanie: "It's hard to pick a favorite from your book babies :) But it's between Mark and Minnie. They are both so much like me in their personalities, and so unlike me at the same time, that they almost feel like real people."
Yes I can understand the feeling. It is hard to pick a favorite. I really like Mark and the little girl, Rose. Something about them is sweet and heartwarming. For someone who doesn’t know how to take care of a lost wandering child, he helped her regardless. From what I learned from you were once a traditional published author and now you are self-publishing. Why?
Melanie: "Having been traditionally published, I wanted to see if I could handle the workload of publishing on my own. I really like the control that self-publishing allows, and having the final say in every creative decision has been amazing!"
I am glad you have that chance to explore the self-publishing side. You do have more options to choose from. I’m sure it was a challenging task for you. There is so much to do. What part of publishing this book did you enjoy the most?
Melanie: "The formatting! I loved piecing together how this book would lay out and how to incorporate the illustrations into the story. It's every art kid's dream!"
Lol same here. I can’t say it was easy but definitely worth doing it yourself. Last time I hired a formatter but this time I decided to do it myself. It took some practice, but I enjoyed doing it too. I can’t wait to see yours.
Whaten are your future plans for the rest of the series? What should we expect from you?
Melanie: "I’m very excited to wrap up the series. Readers should expect book 2 (Dreamer) to drop later this year. While Traveler sets the stage and tone of the series, Dreamer picks up the mystery right away, shedding light on many of the questions from book 1. I won’t give away any spoilers, but book 2 and 3 will follow our time-traveler closely. I’m super excited to share this story!"
Ooo exciting!
Before we close the interview, I would like to ask you this question. If a first-time writer wanted to create a historical fiction with elements of time travel, what is your advice?
Melanie: "Do your homework! Even if you're knowledgeable about a subject, triple-check your facts (having made countless mistakes myself, and even finding them after publishing, this is always my main concern when writing HF). Finding early readers to point out problems is always a great help. But don't forget to have fun with it! Having a plot device like time travel can make a story super exciting!"
Those are good, valid tips. Thank you Melanie for being here and sharing your journey with us.
You can find The Traveler and other published works on Amazon! You can go to her website www.melaniebateman.com or follow her on Instagram @melabateman and Facebook Melanie Bateman.