Sing For Me by Gracie Madison
Synopsis:
Madeline Noel fled war-torn Heaven to hide within the mortal world, but the blessing that could protect her from evil is the holy realm’s forbidden power.
As a talented soprano for the Eden Theatre Company, Madeline hides among prima donnas and tone-deaf flutists. Her perfect voice may entertain audiences, but a careless laugh may shatter glass, and her greatest scream can kill. To control her unrestrained voice, the angels forbid Madeline from embracing the emotions that strengthen her song. Anger. Fear.
Love.
The demon-hunter Damascus vows to defend Madeline from Hell’s relentless evil, but he cannot protect her from her own feelings. Though they deny their dangerous attraction, her guardian becomes her greatest temptation.
Surrendering to desire may awaken the gift suppressed within Madeline’s soul, and neither Heaven nor Hell will allow such absolute power to exist.
Gracie Madison would spend every day, all day writing…if it were socially acceptable. Ever since she was a little girl scribbling with a crayon, Gracie’s dedicated herself to her books and all the supernatural and paranormal, creepy and beautiful stories and characters born within the pages. Now Gracie is committed to finally sharing those books with the world. When the laptop is pried from her hands, Gracie is probably working her day job, rooting on the Steelers, or out with her husband searching for Pittsburgh’s best sushi.
Interview with Gracie Madison
Please start by telling us a little about yourself (education, jobs, significant other, children, pets, etc.)
Hi, everyone! I’m Gracie Madison, a twenty-eight year old author from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I write paranormal and new adult romance, and I absolutely love every minute of it!
Though I am so close to being a full-time writer, I am still working my day job. I went to school majoring in english, and I found my job as a bookkeeper. (The horror!) Hasn’t been too bad though—QuickBooks and I are pretty tight now.
When I’m not working either job, I’m most likely out on a sushi date night with my husband…my very tolerate husband who, in addition to doing all the chores, housework, and dinners while I’ve been getting ready to publish, has probably developed mercury poisoning thanks to my preferred dinners. He’s such a trooper. ;)
Tell us about your latest New Adult book and what inspired you to write it.
I actually started writing Sing For Me back in 2009, right when I living through that scary place after college where you could either sink, swim, or (most frightening of all) move back in with your parents.
In Sing For Me, Madeline has her first taste of that “real world,” though, instead of worrying about rent and groceries, she’s on her own trying to survive within darkness, demons, and angelic civil wars. But what should be a terrifying experience for her actually allows her to finally experience what life is—independence, love, and the discovery of her true potential.
The New Adult genre is fairly new. What's your definition of it? How does it differ from Young Adult or just regular Adult books?
To me, New Adult is that moment when you go online to search for jobs and every entry-level position requires three-to-five years of experience. Your student loans are breaking the bank, your car needs a new alternator, and your Facebook feed fills with pictures of people’s engagement rings. That moment of determination to make it, the desperation to get that better job, find that better place to live, meet that better partner is what NA is all about. I love stories of independence and the courage to take the risk to succeed without the safety net of young adult literature (parents, age, school, friends) or the established life of regular adult literature (the established careers, the second chances at love, etc).
Do you belong to any critique groups and/or do you have other people read your work as you're writing it? Who's brutally honest and who's a cheerleader? Which do you prefer?
I have an amazing support system of critique partners and friends. My awesome beta group, the Off-Beats, has been with me for the past two years whipping my manuscripts into shape. My Romantica crew were the first to encourage me to explore self-publishing. And my friends, especially Brittany <3, have never given up on Sing for Me, even after the traditional publishing world shied away from the paranormal genre. They are all so important to me, and I can’t thank them enough for how much they’ve done for me!
What are your all-time favorite authors/books?
I absolutely love Patricia A. McKillip. Her books are absolutely beautiful fantasy and are so well-written I’ve actually put the books down just to think about how beautiful her lines are. I started out as a fantasy writer before more and more romance crept into my stories, and her books are a perfect blending of the fantastic, romantic, and mysterious.
One of my favorite books of all-time was Sahara by Clive Cussler. That was the first thriller I read as a child, and the way he blended different genres and science and action into one book just amazed me.
Do you outline before you write or just dive head-first into a manuscript? Do you maintain a schedule for writing, or is it more haphazard?
· Outline
· Outline
· Outline some more...
I am so insane about my outlining and planning. Absolutely everything needs to be written, discovered, and sorted out before I’ll even start writing. I think it does let me write a bit faster though, so I really recommend it to writers who have difficulty getting words to the paper.
I am strict with myself, super scheduled and super dedicated, and it does work for me. Some days it might me working all day, coming home, making dinner, and then getting back on the computer until midnight. But I still wouldn’t trade my novels for anything.
Where do you do your best writing? (Ex: desk in your office, public library, under a tree in the park, in front of a Real Housewives TV marathon, etc.) Do you like music or some other background noise, or do you need quiet?
Since I’m still day-jobbing away, my best writing comes on the weekends. I’ll either dictate or snuggle on the couch with my laptop. Both come with music, though I will actually listen to just one or two songs on loop while writing the entire book. For Sing For Me, it was Guns N Roses Don’t Cry.
What are the best and worst parts of writing a book?
Best: When everything *clicks* and you get that brilliant moment of inspiration you’ve been dying for and you can write it into the story and have this awesome emotional moment of pure excitement…
Worst: …When that *click* doesn’t happen.
When you're driving and you have a sudden, brilliant idea for the new manuscript you're working on, what do you do? (Ex: pull over and fire up the laptop, keep driving while scribbling on a McDonald's bag, tell Siri, etc.)
Oh, immediately into the phone however I can get it! Note app, email, text. I’ll dictate it if I’m not stopped, but I capture those ideas like whoa. I’m so prepared for those moments of inspiration, I’ve even found waterproof paper for the shower—it’s been a lifesaver.
Imagine you have a whole day free for shopping. Where do you go? (Mall, unique boutiques, flea market, antique shops, bookstore, home improvement store, etc.)
Uhoh, I hatttteeee shopping, but…there’s a little chocolate factory near my hometown called Sarris Candies. It has an ice cream parlor and all sorts of chocolate and candies. That might be a painless shopping trip…except on the wallet.
What are the top 5 titles in your Netflix queue? (Be honest.) Or if you don't have a Netflix queue, which books are on your bedside table? (Again, be honest.)
Oh, easy! Sons of Anarchy and Gilmore Girls (I love the image in my queue there), Friends and Breaking Bad (Also amusing), and Arrested Development—just to rewatch again and again.
Where is your favorite place in the world?
My loveseat with my laptop!
Do you have any advice for people who want to write a book?
Outline, outline, outline. Get your ideas on paper and then see how best to form them into the plot you want. If you get stuck, think of ways to make the characters squirm: What is the worst thing that could happen now? Plot is just a game of cause and effect—because this happened, that had to happen, however, because that happened, this happened, therefore this new event occurred…
So, find a good group of beta readers to really give you honest feedback on your book, and reciprocate. I found the easiest way to learn was by editing other people’s books. Sometimes it’s easier to see mistakes/crutches in other manuscripts before you can see it in your own.
Twitter: @authorgracie
(Wildcats #1)
