Today we're bringing something different to Writing in the Modern
Age in the form of a character interview. These character interviews, now
and in the future, should prove to be very enlightening for all of us.
We have the pleasure of meeting Troianne Lee Shelden, a character from Troianne (Time Travel Society, Book One). We'll get a chance to talk to the author, Crystal Miles Gauthier, in a bit, but now we have on the stage...Troianne!
Interview
Marie Lavender: Hello, Troianne. Please have a seat.
Character Troianne Lee Shelden: Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here.
Character Troianne Lee Shelden: Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here.
Marie: We're going to start out with some simple questions,
okay?
Troianne: All right.
Marie: So, what is your occupation? Are you any good at
it? Do you like it?
Troianne: I
am a college student, studying at the University of Kentucky, majoring in
History. My father was a history professor and I want to be just like him.
Marie: Okay. What is your
family like?
Troianne: My
parents have been dead for three years, I lived with my grandmother until she died
recently. I am pregnant and living alone
for now. I have cousins and one great aunt, but I never talk to them.
Marie: Sorry to hear about your family, Troianne. So, what did your childhood home look like?
Marie: Do you have any hobbies? What do you enjoy
doing?
Troianne: I love history, my cat Diesel and hanging out with my friends at a restaurant in Louisville, KY. I love to go to the coffee shop and have a Carmel Latte.
Marie: Okay. So, what is your greatest dream, Troianne?
Troianne: To be the best I can be. To Marry Duncan Belles-Whitby and raise my daughter Diana with him.
Marie: What kind of person do you wish you could be? What is stopping you?
Troianne: I wish I could be a History professor, but I have traveled back in time to protect my infant daughter, so my career is on hold. I want to be a wife and mother and live in the past. I am done with the time of 2013 that I originally came from.
Marie: All right.
So...who was your first love?
Troianne: Well, I slept with my baby’s father one night; his name is Becker Love. But, Duncan is my real first and last love, he delivered my daughter Diana on a dark stormy night, when I traveled to the past.
Marie: Wow! What a tale; I can't wait to find out more...
So, what's the most terrible thing that ever
happened to you, Troianne?
Troianne: My daughter Diana was kidnapped by the evil Tardik from the third realm of hell. She was taken by people I trusted and thought were my friends. They boarded a ship to France with her in a carpet bag. I felt helpless, there was nothing I could do for my dear baby girl.
Marie: I'm so sorry, Troianne.
(Pauses.)
Let's try something else, shall we?
(Nods.)
What was your dream growing up? Did you achieve that dream? If
so, in what ways was it not what you expected? If you never achieved the dream,
why not?
Troianne: My dream growing up was to be like my father, a History Professor. I have not achieved that dream because I became pregnant during a one night stand and traveled back in time.
Marie: I see. So, who is your role
model?
Troianne: My late grandmother. MeeMaw.
Marie: Is there someone you pretend to like but really dislike?
Troianne: Misty Love-Donatescu, my daughter's aunt.
Marie: Let's try another question.
What is your deepest desire?
Troianne: To protect my child and to live with Duncan happily ever after.
Marie: (Smiles.) One more question...
So, what is your greatest fear?
Troianne: That my daughter Diana will not know how to handle her magical abilities and have to fight the evil Tardik in hell when she gets older.
Marie: I see.
Well, it looks like we're running out of time, Troianne. Thank you
for visiting us today.
Troianne: Thank you for having me.
Marie: Of course! I wish you
luck with everything. It was so interesting getting to know you. (Waves at her guest as
she heads off the stage.)
Now, let's shift over
and get the author's perspective. We have Crystal Miles Gauthier on the stage
today! Hi, Crystal!
Author Crystal Miles Gauthier:
Hello, Marie.
Marie: (Smiles.) Welcome to Writing in the Modern Age.
We just
got to talk to the heroine of your story, Troianne. Quite an interesting
character. Can you tell us a little about her?
Crystal: Troianne is a young woman with goals
in life until she decides to have a one night stand with a handsome time
traveler and ends up pregnant.
Marie: All right.
So, what are your character's greatest
strengths?
Marie:
What
are her greatest weaknesses?
Crystal: Her daughter Diana; she melts at the
sight and thought of her precious child.
Marie: So, what are some of her favorite
foods?
Crystal: Popcorn,
and vegetable soup.
Marie: Okay.
So, what's a positive quality that your character is
unaware that he or she has?
Crystal: Her ability to think quick on her
feet and solve problems quickly.
Marie: Will readers like or dislike this
character, and why?
Crystal: I think they will like her,
sometimes she seems like a simpering miss, but you can clearly tell that when
it comes to family, she is a leader and stronger than you think.
Marie: Well, now that we have a real taste of Troianne, we have a few questions for you as well as the author.
What first gave you the idea for Troianne (Time Travel Society, Book One)?
What first gave you the idea for Troianne (Time Travel Society, Book One)?
Crystal: I made it up. Using the middle name
of my sister's ex husband and Anne. Its silly, I know, but I make names up all the
time. I have done it since I was a child. I have come to find out that Troianne
is not an original name, but used very often.
Marie: Oh! Well, that's cool! And I don't think that's silly at all. I like to have unique names for my characters as well.
Marie: Great!
So, I’m throwing this one in for our aspiring
writers. Did you come across any specific challenges in writing Troianne (Time Travel Society, Book One) or getting it published? What would you do differently
the next time?
Crystal: Pay more attention to showing the
reader the story instead of telling them the story. Editing is a bear. I don’t
like to do it. So I have hired someone to character edit my books. I am under a
publishing house, Beau Coup Publishing, LLC, Emily Lawrence content edits and
there are some other fine people who do it when Emily can’t. My Boss, Sable
Hunter, who is also an author there. BEAU COUP IS GREAT! I love everyone there and
they have helped me so much in the publishing world. If you are an aspiring
author, find a publisher you can trust, and research them. Ask questions, it's your
book. Make sure you investigate every aspect of handing your book off to
someone.
Marie: That's great advice!
Well, it was such a pleasure having you
here on Writing in the Modern Age, Crystal. We hope you can come back
sometime! :)
Readers, I hope you all get a chance to pick up a copy of this awesome book!
Here is the blurb for Troianne (Time Travel Society, Book One).
He said all the right things...
Then left her alone.
Troianne Shelden is your everyday, intelligent student. With a love for history and a stunning figure, she's a catch for any guy. But after a night of passion with a handsome stranger, introduced to her by their mutual friends, she finds herself pregnant with nowhere to turn for advice.
Her parents passed away long ago and, soon after Troianne finds out she's pregnant, her grandmother passes, too. Left with a large inheritance, she looks forward to life with her new baby.
Fate takes the wheel when she goes into labor. On her way to the hospital, she passes out from intense pain and wakes up in a very different place...
The next thing she knows, she's hearing carriage wheels and a voice shouting for help. Lightning illuminates the inside of what was, only moments before, the back of a taxi cab. When the door opens, she's greeted by a handsome man dressed like he stepped out of the past.
In shock, she realizes that she's somehow traveled back in time--
...and she has no idea how to return.
Then left her alone.
Troianne Shelden is your everyday, intelligent student. With a love for history and a stunning figure, she's a catch for any guy. But after a night of passion with a handsome stranger, introduced to her by their mutual friends, she finds herself pregnant with nowhere to turn for advice.
Her parents passed away long ago and, soon after Troianne finds out she's pregnant, her grandmother passes, too. Left with a large inheritance, she looks forward to life with her new baby.
Fate takes the wheel when she goes into labor. On her way to the hospital, she passes out from intense pain and wakes up in a very different place...
The next thing she knows, she's hearing carriage wheels and a voice shouting for help. Lightning illuminates the inside of what was, only moments before, the back of a taxi cab. When the door opens, she's greeted by a handsome man dressed like he stepped out of the past.
In shock, she realizes that she's somehow traveled back in time--
...and she has no idea how to return.
Purchase Links:
Universal Amazon links: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00ME04M4E
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/5038101
About Crystal Miles Gauthier:
Crystal Miles Gauthier (a.k.a Crysmisty Lee)
Blonde Hair, Blue eyed, buxom, fiery tempered mature woman. Born in Lousiville, KY. Now living in Lansing, MI where I spent my youth. My mother and father worked for General Motors. I have one sister named Angela Miles Meredith who is also an author. I am a retired paralegal, housewife, mother of five and grandmother of 13. I have two cats. I have lived all over the northeast and south. Have traveled the USA. In 2001 I married my husband Joe, a retired Army Military Policeman, who is now a Regional Marketing VP for a local consulting firm.
Crystal's Books:
Blonde Hair, Blue eyed, buxom, fiery tempered mature woman. Born in Lousiville, KY. Now living in Lansing, MI where I spent my youth. My mother and father worked for General Motors. I have one sister named Angela Miles Meredith who is also an author. I am a retired paralegal, housewife, mother of five and grandmother of 13. I have two cats. I have lived all over the northeast and south. Have traveled the USA. In 2001 I married my husband Joe, a retired Army Military Policeman, who is now a Regional Marketing VP for a local consulting firm.
Author Links:
Website: http://www.crystalmilesgauthier.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cubbymom0403
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Miles-Gauthier/e/B00MEFQN6Y/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/crysmisty
Instagram: Crysmisty9133
