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| Madeleine D'Este (Author) |
First of all, Madeleine, before we talk about your book, it would be lovely to know a little about yourself.
I see from your website bio that you list your interests as 'podcasts, knitting, forteana, indie films, kettle bells and long blacks', so let's hear a little about these pastimes. What kind of podcasts do you enjoy?
I do a lot of walking (to counteract the
vast amounts of sitting), so I love my podcasts. At the moment, I like writing
podcasts e.g. The Creative Penn or So You Want to be a Writer or Science
Fiction and Fantasy Marketing Podcast. I also like other non-fiction podcasts
on personal development/entrepreneurship, films, health/wellbeing and forteana.
Not Charles Fort so much but his legacy.
I’ve been interested in the “unknown” for as long as I can remember, from
aliens, ghosts, folklore and the unexplained.
Kettle bells are cast iron weights with
handles, originally Russian – fabulous for strength training workouts.
A long black is
a black coffee in Australia, like an Americano but stronger. We take our coffee
quite seriously in Melbourne.
I might need to check with my mum about
this one. I have been dabbling with writing for years and years, with countless
unfinished novels in the drawer. I’ve also tried multiple genres, at one time I
was trying crime, then urban fantasy but it didn’t seem right.
I was doing some soul-searching and
realised that writing a novel was my number one goal in life, so I decided to
get serious and have a proper crack at this writing thing.
I understand you have several other projects than your current release on the go at the moment (I'm sure you're dying to talk about your latest...patience, we'll get there in a minute ;-) ). What are they, and how have you managed to write them?
I’m currently querying with a dystopian
female-led novel, Return to the Monolith which I wrote with the assistance of
an editorial consultant. This is part of a trilogy. I also have seven other
episodes of Evangeline in the works.
So, now we know a little about you, how about you tell me something about your book, Evangeline and the Alchemist?
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| Evangeline and the Alchemist (cover) by Madeleine D'Este |
In 1882, "Marvellous" Melbourne was flush with gold-rush
cash and the British Empire’s second biggest city. Evangeline, a seventeen year
old reformed urchin and acrobat, is settling into a new comfortable life in
Melbourne with her long lost father, Professor Caldicott. But, learning to be a
lady is awfully dull. Then, one day, the police arrive, seeking the Professor’s
expertise in catching an Alchemist. Is this a chance for Evangeline to test out
her new invention and save the day? With regular breaks for tea and cream buns,
of course.
Cream cakes and inventions, fake gold and kung-fu, Evangeline and
the Alchemist is a fun short read, perfect for a flight, commute or lazy
afternoon.
Evangeline and the Alchemist is the first in a series of novellas
of mystery and mayhem set in steampunk Melbourne. Other upcoming episodes in
The Antics of Evangeline include Evangeline and the Bunyip – where Evangeline
faces a mythical Aboriginal monster. I’m planning eight episodes in total.
Steampunk stories are generally set in London but I was inspired
by the history I see around me every day. In Victorian times, Melbourne was a
major city, hosting the 8th World Fair in 1880. Even today, the streets of
inner city Melbourne are filled with grand sandstone buildings and houses from
this era.
I wanted to explore Victorian sensibilities in the Colonies, the
clash of classes and cultures in the new world and the ridiculousness of
wearing full coverage dresses with bustles in 40’C summers. All with a dash of
science fiction fun.
Steampunk is a science-fiction genre based in the Victorian era
but with anachronistic technology, generally steam-powered.
Steampunk creates an alternate world where Victorian innovations
are taken to new heights and fun inventions are inserted alongside the
Victorian clichés of parasols, whiskers and London pea-soup fogs.
Thank you so much for taking the time to join us, Madeleine.
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| Madeleine D'Este |
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