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Showing posts with label A Murder in Time. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Murder in Time. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Interview with Julie McElwain, author of A Murder in Time


Please welcome Julie McElwain to The Qwillery as part of the 2016 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. A Murder in Time was published on April 11th by Pegasus.







TQWelcome to The Qwillery. When and why did you start writing?

Julie:  Thank you — I’m excited to be here! I’ve actually been writing since I read my first Nancy Drew in fourth grade. I desperately wanted to be Caroline Keene. I’m a huge reader and fell in love with words. I spent my entire childhood writing and discarding novels. Despite that, I decided to pursue fashion design in college (Go figure!) When I took a journalism course and was asked to work for the student newspaper, I realized I could make a living at writing. I graduated with a double major in textiles and clothing and print journalism from North Dakota State University, and moved to California, where I landed a job as a business reporter covering the fashion industry, before shifting to the entertainment industry. I’ve spent my career writing. I love journalism, but I’ve always had a passion to write fiction.



TQAre you a plotter, a pantser or a hybrid?

Julie:  I would love to be a plotter, but I am definitely a pantser! Whenever I try to plot chapters out, I lose steam and the process becomes less interesting to me. I have the entire story in my head, but I’m constantly surprised at what the characters say and do. Of course, there is always a fear that I will draw blank. So far that hasn’t happened, but I’m learning to live in a constant state of fear.



TQWhat is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Julie:  This may seem ironic given the whole time-travel element of my book, but time is always a factor. I love it when I can find those huge blocks of uninterrupted time to sit down and create, but it’s not easy. I have to force myself to snatch an hour here or there. If I’m stuck on a chapter, unable to find the right words or tone, it can be frustrating, and really requires patience and persistence to keep writing, rewriting and revising until I’m satisfied.



TQWhat has influenced / influences your writing?

Julie:  Reading good books. I’ve been influenced by so many amazing authors. I love Tess Gerritsen, Karen Slaughter, Tami Hoag, and Lisa Gardner. Their work is dark and gritty and so compelling. Nora Roberts is an incredibly skillful writer who knows how to drill down into the human dynamic like no one else. I’m in awe of Dean Koontz’s imagination and ability to weave words together to create magic. I could go on and on, so I’ll just say that good storytelling always inspire me.



TQDescribe A Murder in Time in 140 characters or less.

Julie:  FBI agent Kendra is transported back to Regency England. Hunts a serial killer. Is tested in ways she could never imagine.



TQTell us something about A Murder in Time that is not found in the book description.

Julie:  Kendra has spent her life excelling, but she’s knocked completely off-kilter when she finds herself in 1815. She’s demoted for the first time ever. She was the youngest FBI agent accepted into Quantico, so it’s hard for her to wrap her mind around failing. Especially failing in a society that she views as inferior to her own. How can that happen? Kendra knows she has something to teach her 19th century counterparts… but she may learn a thing or two as well.



TQWhat inspired you to write A Murder in Time? What appeals to you about writing historical mysteries?

Julie:  I gave an old TV — one that actually had a dial, no remote — to a friend’s son so he could play videogames. He was probably about 14 at the time, and seriously brilliant. But when the dial got nudged to another channel he and an equally brilliant friend could not figure out how to fix the TV. It made me laugh. Then it made me wonder how any of us would fare if we no longer had the technology that we’ve come to rely on. Even smart people may have a difficult time adapting! As far as writing historical mysteries, I find history appealing — period. It’s fascinating to me how people lived, how we’ve evolved and continue to evolve. It’s equally fascinating to me how we’ve remained the same. I love exploring this broader human dynamic within the more narrow confines of a mystery.



TQWhat sort of research did you do for A Murder in Time?

Julie:  It was important to me to be as accurate as possible, so I did a tremendous amount of research. Kendra might not have access to 21st century technology, but she still had to have knowledge of forensics and criminal investigation. I have my own “murder” library (which might scare some of my visitors) that includes everything from books on serial killers to autobiographies and first-hand accounts written by the country’s leading FBI agents. I also subscribe to newsletters and blogs from romance writers specializing in Regency England. And I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Great Britain several times, where I’ve explored some of the great estates and wonderful museums to get a feel for both the country and its rich history.



TQWho was the easiest character to write and why? The hardest and why?

Julie:  Lady Rebecca came very naturally to me. I have three brothers — no sisters — and grew up fighting for “girl power” in my household. Rebecca is always arguing for girl power in a society where women didn’t even have the right to vote. She was a suffragette before that movement was really organized. The hardest wasn’t a character, but how to address characters in the early 19th century, and the entire title system for the British aristocracy. It’s very specific and complex. Perhaps because I’m an American, nothing about it came naturally to me.



TQWhy have you chosen to include or not chosen to include social issues in A Murder in Time?

Julie:  I didn’t consciously choose to include or exclude social issues. I felt that everything in the story came up organically. A 21st century person would be hard pressed not to compare and contrast modern day life with life in the early 19th century. For the lower classes, there was no childhood as we know it. Children were put to work by the time they were 10. Of course, one might argue our society has extended childhood well into our 20s. Kendra is in the perfect position to observe how culture has changed — for the better and for the worse.



TQWhich question about A Murder in Time do you wish someone would ask? Ask it and answer it!

Julie:  Why did you name your heroine “Kendra”? Answer — I researched a lot of names before I settled on Kendra. Depending on the resource, it means “prophetess” or “knowledge” or “greatest champion” — all of which I felt suited my heroine perfectly. Being from the future, she recognizes what will happen in the world. She has knowledge that no one else has in this era. And she’s a champion for justice. I love that.



TQGive us one or two of your favorite non-spoilery quotes from A Murder in Time.

Julie:  Both quotes come from Mrs. Danbury, the housekeeper:

“Miss Donovan, you will never address his Grace as Duke again. He is your Grace or the Duke of Aldridge or sir. And you will curtsy when you leave a room with one of your betters.”

“You will not speak to your betters unless they ask you a specific question. You will, in fact, blend into the background. A good servant, the perfect servant, is not noticed.”

Nothing, I think, points out the class system and the difference between the 21st century and the 19thcentury mindset — and shows Kendra just what she will be up against living in this era.



TQWhat's next?

Julie:  I’m busy writing a sequel to A Murder In Time. On the surface, Regency England is a glittery era filled with parties and frivolity, but it has a dark underbelly. Kendra Donovan may be just the person to take that on. Her story is far from over!



TQThank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Julie:  Thank you!





A Murder in Time
Kendra Donovan 1
Pegasus, April 11, 2016
Hardcover and eBook, 320 pages

When brilliant FBI agent Kendra Donovan stumbles back in time and finds herself in a 19th century English castle under threat from a vicious serial killer, she scrambles to solve the case before it takes her life—200 years before she was even born.

Beautiful and brilliant, Kendra Donovan is a rising star at the FBI. Yet her path to professional success hits a speed bump during a disastrous raid where half her team is murdered, a mole in the FBI is uncovered and she herself is severely wounded. As soon as she recovers, she goes rogue and travels to England to assassinate the man responsible for the deaths of her teammates.

While fleeing from an unexpected assassin herself, Kendra escapes into a stairwell that promises sanctuary but when she stumbles out again, she is in the same place - Aldrich Castle - but in a different time: 1815, to be exact.

Mistaken for a lady's maid hired to help with weekend guests, Kendra is forced to quickly adapt to the time period until she can figure out how she got there; and, more importantly, how to get back home. However, after the body of a young girl is found on the extensive grounds of the county estate, she starts to feel there's some purpose to her bizarre circumstances. Stripped of her twenty-first century tools, Kendra must use her wits alone in order to unmask a cunning madman.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound
Google Play : iBooks : Kobo


See Melanie's review here.





About Julie

Julie McElwain began her journalistic career at California Apparel News, a weekly Los Angeles based trade newspaper. She has freelanced for numerous publications from professional photographers magazines to those following the fashion industry. Currently, Julie is West Coast Editor for Soaps In Depth, a national soap opera magazine covering the No. 1 daytime drama, The Young and the Restless. Julie lives in Long Beach, CA.


Twitter @JulieMcElwain  ~  Facebook

Review: A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain


A Murder in Time
Author:  Julie McElwain
Series:  Kendra Donovan 1
Publisher:  Pegasus, April 11, 2016
Format:  Hardcover and eBook, 320 pages
List Price:  $25.95 (print); $12.99 (digital)
ISBN:  9781605989747 (print); 9781681771151 (digital)

When brilliant FBI agent Kendra Donovan stumbles back in time and finds herself in a 19th century English castle under threat from a vicious serial killer, she scrambles to solve the case before it takes her life—200 years before she was even born.

Beautiful and brilliant, Kendra Donovan is a rising star at the FBI. Yet her path to professional success hits a speed bump during a disastrous raid where half her team is murdered, a mole in the FBI is uncovered and she herself is severely wounded. As soon as she recovers, she goes rogue and travels to England to assassinate the man responsible for the deaths of her teammates.

While fleeing from an unexpected assassin herself, Kendra escapes into a stairwell that promises sanctuary but when she stumbles out again, she is in the same place - Aldrich Castle - but in a different time: 1815, to be exact.

Mistaken for a lady's maid hired to help with weekend guests, Kendra is forced to quickly adapt to the time period until she can figure out how she got there; and, more importantly, how to get back home. However, after the body of a young girl is found on the extensive grounds of the county estate, she starts to feel there's some purpose to her bizarre circumstances. Stripped of her twenty-first century tools, Kendra must use her wits alone in order to unmask a cunning madman.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound
Google Play : iBooks : Kobo



Melanie's Thoughts

Kendra Donovan is a highly gifted FBI profiler with a career on the rise until a raid goes tragically wrong and most of her team are killed. Kendra almost dies and spends months in rehab plotting the demise of the man who killed her teammates. Haunted by what happened, she makes the drastic decision to go rogue and seek justice for her team by assassinating the man responsible. She follows him to England and to Aldrich Castle where something happens that changes not only her life but the very fabric of time. Another assassin kills her target and in the process of fleeing she ends up in a stairwell that takes her not only to safety but 200 years in the past. Mistaken for a ladies maid Kendra tries to figure out what has happened to her. When a young prostitute's body is found on the estate, having been tortured and murdered, Kendra can't resist trying to solve the crime. Can she solve this case without the use of the tools of her trade and with the restrictions of society and class structure of the early 1800's? A serial killer is targeting young women and Kendra may be the only person capable of stopping him.

Kendra is a genetically engineered child of two scientists, highly intelligent but emotionally stunted with no friends or family that she was close to. Her career is everything to her and seeking justice for her teammates ruled her life until she 'fell through the rabbit hole' into 1815. The majority of the story is set in the 1800s and involves the murders at Aldrich Castle. I think the murder plot was well executed and I wasn't sure who the serial murderer was. In fact I had a couple of late nights trying to finish the book. I have A Murder in Time to blame for my sleep deprived puffy eyes twice last week! I used to read a lot of murder mysteries and usually guess who 'dunnit' but this time I couldn't figure it out. My main criticism, however, is with Kendra herself. While I think that McElwain excelled in plot development I don't think the character development was as strong. I find Kendra a bit superficial and not that likeable. I feel that McElwain could have spent more time developing Kendra at the start of the story before she ended up in 1815 which would have made her a much more rounded character.

Overall, I enjoyed A Murder in Time. I am not sure I liked it as much as Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series which has a similar time traveling basis. For a debut A Murder in Time is a good read. McElwain leaves the reader with an ending that will obviously lead into future novels and I hope that can produce another plot that can keep me up at night.

Thursday, March 31, 2016

2016 Debut Author Challenge Update - A Murder in Time by Julie McElwain




The Qwillery is pleased to announce the newest featured author for the 2016 Debut Author Challenge.


Julie McElwain

A Murder in Time
Pegasus, April 11, 2016
Hardcover and eBook, 320 pages

When brilliant FBI agent Kendra Donovan stumbles back in time and finds herself in a 19th century English castle under threat from a vicious serial killer, she scrambles to solve the case before it takes her life—200 years before she was even born.

Beautiful and brilliant, Kendra Donovan is a rising star at the FBI. Yet her path to professional success hits a speed bump during a disastrous raid where half her team is murdered, a mole in the FBI is uncovered and she herself is severely wounded. As soon as she recovers, she goes rogue and travels to England to assassinate the man responsible for the deaths of her teammates.

While fleeing from an unexpected assassin herself, Kendra escapes into a stairwell that promises sanctuary but when she stumbles out again, she is in the same place - Aldrich Castle - but in a different time: 1815, to be exact.

Mistaken for a lady's maid hired to help with weekend guests, Kendra is forced to quickly adapt to the time period until she can figure out how she got there; and, more importantly, how to get back home. However, after the body of a young girl is found on the extensive grounds of the county estate, she starts to feel there's some purpose to her bizarre circumstances. Stripped of her twenty-first century tools, Kendra must use her wits alone in order to unmask a cunning madman.
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound
Google Play : iBooks : Kobo