Guest Author Interview with Isabelle Markus
I recently had the opportunity to interview fantasy author Isabelle Markus, author of The Thief of Destiny duology. I hope you enjoy our Q&A! –AJ
Hi, Isabelle. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to interview you today. Can you introduce yourself and your book(s) to our readers?
My pleasure! Thank you for inviting me!
I’m Isabelle Markus, geneticist by day and writer by night. My debut novel, The Awakening of Marcianna, was published last year and is the first book in the Thief of Destiny duology. The book is a mix of urban/contemporary fantasy with paranormal women’s fiction genres, focusing on a married pediatrician with three kids who discovers she’s a supernatural creature awakening to protect the destiny of humankind.
Would you like to talk a little about your writing process?
I love listening to music while I write, it spurs my imagination! In truth, I’m a pantster, as they say, though I desperately want to be a plotter! I’m typically shoehorning writing sprints between my scientific work and my kids’ activities. I write lovely outlines for my books, and then decimate them during my writing sprints. As cliché as it sounds, my characters sometimes take on a life of their own, forcing my hand into situations I did not even dream of when outlining.
The Awakening of Marcianna is a coming-to-power story, but one that features a much older main character from what is typically seen (ie, she’s not a teenager). I really liked that about the book. What was your motivation to create her character?
I love reading various subgenres of fantasy, but I’ve always wanted to see more of myself in the characters. In my debut novel, I explored what would happen if a modern woman with the demands of work and family, suddenly had an emergence of power and a calling to save the world. I wanted to push on the bonds of family and friends in this situation, and have them be part of the journey as much as possible. Basically, I wanted everything about Marcianna Caruso and her human life to feel very real and identifiable to the reader. So much so that when the story takes a darker turn, the reader will still feel that connection with Marcianna and her plight, and will hopefully see themselves in her extraordinary position.
Marcianna’s “guardians”, Tarquin and his associates, are rather interesting beings who seem to be immortal. Can you elaborate on how you came up with them, and give some details about what they are?
The traits of Tarquin and his immortal ‘family’ came about when a critique partner thought Tarquin was a vampire based on his description. I decided to lean into that observation as this assumption/hypothesis would be very reasonable for characters who’ve already suspended disbelief in the face of total weirdness. And it also made for a good joke in the book!
In reality, Tarquin and friends are Marcianna’s guides into her new life, having participated in her awakenings over millennia, and they have a special connection with her (this is so hard to describe without spoilers!).
And speaking of your book two, The Transcendence of Marcianna, I noticed it’s available on Kindle Vella. What has your experience been with using that format?
My experience with Vella was overall positive. I used this book to gain experience on the platform, but I never anticipated anyone would read it there. But a few people did! And the bonus that authors receive for publishing on that platform was surprisingly good.
Do you have any upcoming releases you’d like to talk about?
Book 2 of the Thief of Destiny duology, The Transcendence of Marcianna, is coming out February 7th. An ebook pre-order is currently available, and the book will also be offered through Kindle Unlimited as well as a paperback wherever books are sold.
What project(s) are you currently working on, and can you share anything about them?
Right now, I’m completely dialed in on wrapping up Book 2 for its upcoming publication. However, I do have more books planned in the Thief of Destiny world, though they’ll not be written from Marcianna’s point of view. I’ve had several enthusiastic readers championing their favorite characters as leads in the next book. So, we’ll see who is next to tell their story 😉.
Besides being a writer, what do you like to do in your spare time?
Ha-ha… what spare time? In my non-working hours, I mostly spend time with my family. You’ll likely find me cheering on my kids from various sport stands, stuffing myself with popcorn during movie nights, or at a Bruins hockey game with my husband.
I’d be remiss not to note that I started writing for the first time in a long time as my 40th birthday loomed. And simultaneously, I also decided to try my hand at sailing. So, now I’m an author and a sailor. Apparently, when you’re on the cusp of turning 40, you become far more daring.
Do you have any parting thoughts you’d like to share?
Sure! First and foremost, thank you for inviting me to share my writing journey and discuss my books. I hope this interview encourages readers to explore fantasy novels with a less-than-typical main character, and writers to write the characters they’d love to see in books, not worrying they’re somehow not main character worthy. I also want to take this opportunity to remind those individuals on the fence about fulfilling their childhood writing ambitions that it’s never too late to take the leap. So go out there and make those dreams come true!
A huge thank you to Isabelle for taking the time to chat about her books.
The Thief of Destiny duology is available Amazon.com, or you can learn more about Isabelle and her series on her website, isabellemarkusauthor.com