Nancy Madore achieved enormous critical acclaim
with her erotic "Enchanted"
series by Harlequin, which includes Enchanted,
Enchanted Again and Enchanted Dreams.
Madore is currently writing a historical /
speculative fiction / mystery series entitled "Legacy of the Watchers," which was inspired by her
life-long interest in ancient history and mythology. So far, there are three
installments in the series: The Hidden
Ones, Power of Gods and Masquerade. The fourth book in the
series, entitled The Fourth Trumpet,
will be released in February of 2015.
You can read more about Nancy Madore and her
books by visiting her website at www.nmadore.com.
Your real name
and pen name?
Nancy Madore is my maiden
name. Though I haven’t officially changed it back since my divorce, just about
everybody knows me as ‘Nancy Madore.’
About your
education:
My formal education is in writing
and journalism, but I have independently studied theology, mythology and
ancient history throughout my life, beginning with my very religious childhood,
where I was required to read the Bible on a daily basis. Ever since those early
Bible readings, I have been fascinated with this period in history when angels
and demons are said to have walked the earth. In studying other cultural
beliefs coming out of that same era (Greek mythology in the west and Zoroastrianism
in the east), I have noticed similarities in the depictions of these godlike (and,
conversely, demonic) creatures the people are attempting to describe. I can’t
help wondering what happened back then to inspire these parallel myths. Years
of speculation have led me to this series.
What career did
you plan during your education days?
I always wanted to be a
writer.
What is your
biggest source of inspiration in life?
I tend to me more inspired by
what’s not there than by what is.
Whenever I hear a story (particularly if it’s historical, although it could also
be a current event as well) I’m always fascinated by the many important details
that are left out. These are always the details I am most curious about.
What hurts you
most in this world?
That my existence in it must
eventually come to an end.
If you had to
live a day of your life as one of the living or dead personalities, who would
it be and why?
I would definitely want to be
someone from the ancient past…perhaps the notorious Lilith of Mesopotamia, or
one of Zeus’ many lovers in ancient Greece. More than anything else, I would want
to see one of these ‘divine’ visitors from the ancient past, whether they be
angels, or gods or demons. One day would never be enough!
What is your
favorite genre and why?
I enjoy reading all genres,
but I think if I had to pick a favorite I would choose classic literature, because
it makes you think. I love philosophy. The classics don’t generally feature action
for the sake of action. They’re more about the motivation behind the action.
Even horror writers, such as Edgar Allen Poe (one of my many favorites), had a
knack for getting inside his characters’ heads. I enjoy a story so much more
when this element is included.
What is the
purpose of your writing?
To, first and foremost, entertain—but
also to make the reader think.
Which of your
works has been published so far?
I currently have eight books
out in print. I began my career writing romance/erotica for Harlequin, where I
had my bestselling Enchanted series,
which includes Enchanted, Enchanted Again and Enchanted Dreams. At this point I became slightly disenchanted with
romance and erotica (or at least the kind you write). Of course, changing
genres while you’re on a roll is never a good career move, but I had this
burning desire to write about the ‘angels’ and ‘demons’ that I had read so much
about over the years. They had left their mark on me—just as they have on the
rest of the world. Our religions, our wars—even our greatest fears—all had
their start in the ancient world. So I began the Legacy of the Watchers series, which consists of three books so
far: The Hidden Ones, Power of Gods and Masquerade.
What are your
future plans?
I currently have only one plan
for my future: to finish my Legacy of the
Watchers series.
What four top
most things do you take care of while writing a book?
It’s hard to pull me away from
my writing once I begin a new project, but I have made it a practice to always
stop for family obligations. In addition to that, I try to remember to eat, I tend
to my garden when I can’t sit at the computer any longer and, every now and
then, I even make it to the gym.
How much real
life goes into fiction writing?
For me, there’s a lot of real
life in writing. Strange as it may seem coming from someone writing
‘speculative’ fiction, I have to believe
it to get into it.
Your dream
destination on Earth?
I would love to visit the
places I am writing about… Iraq, Iran, Israel, Egypt, Greece. A trip all around
the Mediterranean Sea would be a dream come true for me.
Your favorite
time of the day?
I’m into gardening in my spare
time, so I love mornings and late afternoons. In the mornings everything is so
fresh and brilliant. Then around 5:00 pm, the lighting completely changes so
that the flowers almost have an iridescent quality about them. Every day around
these times you can find me ‘perusing’ my gardens.
Your favorite
color and why?
I love pink, though I’m not
sure why. It’s kind of a girly color and I’ve always been a bit of a Tomboy, so
it doesn’t make much sense. But it’s the color I always reach for first.
What is the last
book you finished reading? What is the current book you are reading?
I’ve been on a Thomas Costain
kick lately. He’s an oldie but a goodie (from the forties), a historian whose
focus was European royalty. I just finished The
Conquerors (a wonderful historical account of various wars involving
England) and I am currently reading The
Moneyman, which recounts the incredible story of Jacques Coeur, the
moneyman for Charles the Seventh. Both of these are fascinating books from an
excellent author.
Your favorite
book and why?
I don’t have favorite books,
movies, celebrities or foods. My tastes change according to my mood.At some point in time, I have probably ‘loved’
just about everything. I guess that makes me fickle, but I prefer to think of
it as versatile.
What three words
come to your mind for each:
Technology: sleek, smart, correct
Life: glorious, tempestuous, short
God: missing in action
Humanity: kind, thoughtful, cruel
Terrorism: control, corruption, hate
Racism: control, corruption, hate
Childhood Abuse: sad,
regrettable, gripping
Love: generous,
kind, beautiful
Parenting: generous,
selfless, grueling
Old age: tragic,
painful, inevitable
Links:
Website: www.nmadore.com Google+ Page: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/105002227251403424920/105002227251403424920/posts Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Nancy-Madore/623246977750543?ref=br_rs Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/365496.Nancy_Madore Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/nanmadore
Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=nancy+madore+legacy+of+the+watchers
