1--What is the title of your latest release?
THE FALLEN FRUIT
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
A chronicle of a Black family with a time travel curse.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I always knew my story would primarily take place in Charlottesville, Virginia on the land where my sixth great-grandmother lived. After discovering Amy Bowles-Farrow (1735-1797) and her amazing life purchasing hundreds of acres as a free Black woman right after the American Revolution, I couldn’t help but imagine the lives of the Bridge family.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
In a heartbeat! My book has multiple protagonists, and each of them brings a unique perspective. Amelia in the 1920s wants to become a physician and help others, but she wrestles with survivor’s guilt. Reba in the 1810s faces the time travel curse as she wrestles with being the best mother possible to her three children. Sabrina in the 1780s loves a man she can never have and must contend with his time travelling. And finally, Cecily, a history professor from the 1960s, learns about each of these women and her inevitable fall in time. Oh, the conversations I’d have with them!
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Resilient. Courageous. Resourceful. Any of these three words would fit the primary protagonists in my book.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I researched multiple time periods to finish The Fallen Fruit, and I enjoyed my deep dives into each of them, but I must say, learning the slang from other time periods was so much fun. As we grow up, we see firsthand how language evolves from one decade to another. I really enjoyed reading old literature and newspapers to see that change in action.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I am too much of a perfectionist to edit when I’m done. I would never finish my work since I tend to do multiple drafts.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Love this question. I love, love red velvet cheesecake. Especially if the cream cheese is well-made.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
My writing space is an office in my basement. I painted the walls a cozy dark blue color and my desk faces the window to the backyard. My favorite time of the year is the wintertime. I love watching the trees sway with snow.
10--Who is an author you admire?
I have always been a fan of Octavia Butler and her work shaped the writer I became.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
This one is hard. My first science fiction book from Octavia Butler, Dawn, blew my mind, but I must admit, I fell in love with urban fantasy thanks to Kelley Armstrong’s book Dime Store Magic.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I got the call for The Fallen Fruit around lunch time when I was vacation with my family in Tampa. It was a lovely day on March 22nd in 2022. My book had been on submission for a few months, and I was hopeful for a sale. To my surprise, my agent Jim called with an offer from HarperCollins.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
This question is hard! I’m all about falling into any book. I would say though I have a sweet spot for speculative fiction that taps into fresh ideas and directions. Those don’t come every day, and those books stay with me for a long time.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
My Fair Lady
15--What is your favorite season?
I love the fall. Not too hot. Not too cold.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
When it’s possible, I love to relax on my birthday. Give me a great book or movie and I’d prefer to chill over travelling.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I love to binge TV shows. I’m really looking forward to the next season of From on AMC. I’m also a fan of anime and I devoured Jujutsu Kaisen. I’m really looking forward to season 3.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I could probably eat Korean barbecue for the rest of my life. Yep.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I’m a bit of a workaholic so I tend to rest watching TV or reading books.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
Right now, I’m working on my next speculative historical fiction project, as well as an exciting project with another project about early women physicians. I tend to balance multiple projects, so I also have plans for more romance books too.
Combining history and fantasy, a sweeping multi-generational epic in the vein of Kindred and The Time Traveler's Wife about a woman who travels through time to end a family curse that has plagued her ancestors for generations.
On a rainy day in May 1964, history professor Cecily Bridge-Davis begins to search for the sixty-five acres of land she inherited from her father’s family. The quest leads her to uncover a dark secret: In every generation, one offspring from each Bridge family unit vanishes—and is mysteriously whisked back in time. Rules have been established that must be followed to prevent dire consequences:
Never interfere with past events.
Always carry your free Negro papers.
Search for the survival family packs in the orchard and surrounding forest. The ribbon on the pack designates the decade the pack was made to orient you in time.
Do not speak to strangers unless absolutely necessary.
With only a family Bible and a map marked with the locations of mysterious containers to aid her, Cecily heads to the library, hoping to discover the truth of how this curse began, and how it might be ended. As she moves through time, she encounters a circle of ancestors, including Sabrina Humbles, a free Black woman who must find the courage to seize an opportunity—or lose her heart; Luke Bridge, who traverses battlefields, slavery, and time itself to reunite with his family; Rebecca Bridge, a mother tested by an ominous threat; and Amelia Bridge, a young woman burdened with survivor's guilt who will face the challenge of a lifetime—and change Cecily's life forever. It is a race through time and against the clock to find the answers that will free her family forever.
Shawntelle Madison’s historical fiction debut is an enthralling, page-turning family saga about the inevitability of fate, the invincibility of love, and the indelible bonds of family.
Multicultural African-American | Science Fiction [Amistad, On Sale: September 3, 2024, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780063290594 / eISBN: 9780063290617]
Shawntelle Madison is a web developer who loves to weave words as well as code. She’d never admit it, but if asked she’d say she covets and collects source code. After losing her first summer job detassling corn, Shawntelle performed various jobs—from fast-food clerk to grunt programmer to university webmaster. Writing eccentric characters is her most favorite job of them all. On any particular day when she’s not surgically attached to her computer, she can be found watching cheesy horror movies or the latest action-packed anime. She lives in Missouri with her husband and children.
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