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WORK TITLE: The Fallen Fruit
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WEBSITE: https://www.shawntellemadison.com/
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COUNTRY: United States
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RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Des Moines, Iowa; married; children.
EDUCATION:Iowa State University, B.S. degree (math); Lindenwood University, M.F.A. (writing).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and web developer. Also worked as a fast-food clerk to computer programmer.
AWARDS:LA Times Most Anticipated Fall 2024 Book, and Washington Post Noteworthy Book for September 2024, both for The Fallen Fruit.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
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A web developer and computer programmer, Shawntelle Madison has also written more than a dozen science fiction, fantasy, and romance novels. She’s known for writing the urban fantasy romance “Coveted” series, about a New Jersey-based werewolf, Natalya Stravinsky, who collects holiday trinkets, sees a therapist, and defends her pack. In an interview online at Dear Author, Madison commented that the idea for the series came from reading about obsessive compulsive disorder: “A huge what-if jumped out to me and Natalya the werewolf was born—a holiday trinket hoarder with OCD… Toss in a handsome wizard vying for her affection, the man she loved and lost five years ago, a therapy group for the anxious and enchanted, and the South Toms River pack leader ready to throw her to the wolves, and an adventure of redemption is waiting to happen.”
Madison published her debut historical fiction title, The Fallen Fruit, in 2024, which became an instant USA Today bestseller. In this multi-generational epic, African American history professor Cecily Bridge-Davis in Tennessee in 1964 inherits 65 acres of land in Virginia. When she investigates, she finds an old cabin, a family Bible with the names of generations of her ancestors, and instructions on how to survive the family curse—one child from each generation is mysteriously whisked back in time. Cecily falls through time to meet her ancestor Luke Bridge, the first one to experience time travel. Ultimately Cecily wants to break the rule about not changing the past; if she changes one thing, she can break the curse and prevent generations of family trauma.
“An abrupt ending and some wonky pacing disappoint, but Madison expertly navigates the time jumps,” declared a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Calling the book a crafty, page-turning spin, a Kirkus Reviews contributor noted: “Madison shows considerable skill and narrative control. To her credit, it’s hard not to be reminded of Octavia Butler’s Kindred.” Sarah Rice in Booklist said: “the misfortunes Cecily learns about will also appeal to fans of intricate, multigenerational tales” and compared the book to Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s classic One Hundred Years of Solitude.
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BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, August 2024, Sarah Rice, review of The Fallen Fruit, p. 43.
Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2024, review of The Fallen Fruit.
Publishers Weekly, July 29, 2024, review of The Fallen Fruit, p. 41.
ONLINE
Dear Author, https://dearauthor.com/ (May 23, 2012), review of Kept; (December 10, 2012) “Debut Print Book: Coveted by Shawntelle Madison.”
Shawntelle Madison website, https://www.shawntellemadison.com/ (January 1, 2025).
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shawntelle Madison has written over 15 science fiction, fantasy, and romance titles, most notably the urban fantasy series Coveted. She earned her undergraduate degree in Math from Iowa State University and her MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University. Her debut historical fiction title, The Fallen Fruit, was an instant USA Today bestseller and has received widespread critical acclaim, including being named an LA Times Most Anticipated Fall 2024 Book and a Washington Post Noteworthy Book for September 2024.
Please contact Jim McCarthy, a literary agent with Dystel, Goderich, and Bourret, for any business-related inquiries.
Ms. Madison is originally from Iowa, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Math from Iowa State University and an MFA in Writing from Lindonwood University. In her spare time, she also works as a web developer. Ms. Madison currently lives in Missouri with her family.
About Shawntelle
Shawntelle Madison is a bestselling author of more than a dozen speculative fiction and romance titles. She lives in Missouri.
Longer Bio
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shawntelle Madison has written over 15 science fiction, fantasy, and romance titles, most notably the urban fantasy series Coveted. She earned her undergraduate degree in Math from Iowa State University and her MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University. Originally from Iowa, she currently lives in Missouri with her family, where she works as a web developer while writing more novels. Her debut historical fiction book, The Fallen Fruit, was an instant USA Today bestseller and has received widespread critical acclaim, including being named an LA Times‘ Most Anticipated Fall Book and a Washington Post Noteworthy Book for September.
More About Shawntelle
Education: BS in Mathematics from Iowa State University, Minor in Computer Science, MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University
Birth Place: Des Moines, Iowa
May 23, 2012
Debut Print Book: Coveted by Shawntelle Madison
JaneInterviewsDebut-book / Interviews / New Author Interviews6 Comments
I’ve had some concerns by readers who are primarily print readers that the coverage at Dear Author has been too focused on ebooks. When I asked the readers what they were interested in seeing, they responded that they would like to know more about print debut authors. We developed a little questionnaire and every Wednesday at 10:00 AM CST (as long as we have content) we’ll post the questionnaire answers along with links to the author’s site and a buy link to her book. I hope this helps people discovery new books. Now, on to the answers.
Coveted-Final-Cover
Name of debut release: Coveted
Release date: 04/24/2012
Publisher: Ballantine Books
2 sentence summary: Natalya Stravinsky, a werewolf with an undeniable compulsion to collect holiday trinkets, must summon her inner strength to help defend her estranged pack against their rivals and prove herself worthy of her pack. Toss in a handsome wizard vying for her affection, the man she loved and lost five years ago, a therapy group for the anxious and enchanted, and the South Toms River pack leader ready to throw her to the wolves, and an adventure of redemption is waiting to happen.
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Characters: Natalya Stravinsky, Thorn Grantham, Nick Fenton
What makes this story different: Coveted is more of a romantic comedy. It’s about a woman determined to change her life and fight for what she’d once lost. Of course, a few laughs, a cast of colorful secondary characters, and some supernatural creature group therapy along the way never hurts either.
Is this a series?: Yes, this is the first book in the series with the next one coming out in the fall.
Why you wrote this book: The idea for this book came from an article in a medical journal. The article on the front page was about obsessive compulsive disorders and went in-depth on describing the symptoms and treatment for patients. A huge what-if jumped out to me and Natalya the werewolf was born—a holiday trinket hoarder with OCD.
I really wanted Natalya to feel relatable and be real. The pain of feeling alone without family—or a pack in her case—is something many people face today. Especially when the secrets you keep in your home is something that ostracizes you from others. I could easily relate to Nat’s situation and this really helped bring the story to life.
Why is this your first published book? How many did you write before? I’ve written two books before this particular book sold to Random House. Both of them were paranormal romances. I think out of the three heroines I’ve developed so far, Nat “feels” the most vivid and real in my mind.
What’s your writing process? I’m not an everyday writer. It took me a while to figure that out and now I’m comfortable with my process. For me, my words sit in a well waiting to be tapped in a well—and sometimes that well can run dry unless I give it time to refill. When I do write, I do it in sprints using Dr. Wicked’s Write or Die or I’ll just write directly in Scrivener. I’ll take a break for a day or even a week, but when it’s time to work, I will knock out 5-10K per day for a period of time when I’m in the zone.
Your next published book. The next book in the Coveted series is Kept, which will come out in Fall/Winter 2012. I can’t wait to reveal the new cover to everyone.
The last book you read that you loved. The last book that I read and still think about often was Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. It’s an 80s nerdfest of epic proportions. The book was very original and brought back a lot of great memories about the music and technology of that decade.
Now if I was thinking in terms of romance books, I’d have to say hands down that I fell in love with Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series. I started the series through audiobooks, since I’m a very slow reader, but each time I came back to listen to the next book, I can’t help but sigh thinking about Bones. Frost is a master storyteller and I can’t wait to finish the one I’m listening to right now.
The last book you read for research. I read Debra Dixon’s Goal, Motivation, Conflict before I write new material. Each and every time. Her book helps me take a raw idea and focus it into something useful. I recommend that book to everyone and I even made a tool on my author website to create GMC grids.
The romance book character you most identify with. . This one is hard. There are many books where the heroine resonated with me, but I think the character I’ll never forget is Cherijo Grey Veil from the StarDoc series by S.L. Viehl. From the get go, Cherijo looks like any other woman. She’s not the strongest or even the tallest—but through her wit and her intelligence she gets out of the most dire and difficult situations. The saying, “Don’t judge a book by the cover” definitely applies in her regard. And that’s one of the things makes her very powerful. I can only hope that when I’m facing problems I can come them just like Cherijo has in those wonderful books.
You can check out more about Shawntelle Madison and her books at http://shawntellemadison.com
Guest Post: Interview with Shawntelle Madison
I’m thrilled to present another guest for you on my blog today, and this one is extra special because it’s my first-ever interview, too. 🙂 Shawntelle Madison, author of the recently released COVETED, has graciously agreed to answer some of my questions…I hope you enjoy!
Linda: Hello, Shawntelle, and thank you so much for stopping by my blog today! I have to admit that I haven’t quite finished Coveted yet, but I’m thoroughly enjoying the book so far and can’t wait to see how things turn out. I’m so hoping Natalya comes into her own and really kicks butt by the end…I’m loving these little glimmers of something that I’m seeing in her (I’m about halfway through). It’s very much an uphill battle for her though, and that’s quite an issue you’ve given her. What made you decide to make her obsessive-compulsive?
Shawntelle: Before Coveted came to life, Natalya as a character was born first. I was reading a physician magazine with an article about obsessive compulsive disorders on the front. As I was reading the article what if scenarios ran through my head. One of the questions I asked myself was what would happen if a werewolf had OCD? What issues would they face with their family and their pack? What would force her out of her comfort zone and make her stand up to achieve the one thing she desires the most: to feel and have the things everyone else takes for granted.
Linda: You describe OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) with remarkable intimacy. Do you know someone who lives with the condition?
Shawntelle: I’ve actually been told that before a few times by readers. I don’t know anyone exactly like Natalya. I’ve met others who prefer a very clean home or they are bound and determined to perform a certain activity in a particular way. I guess when they say write what you know I found that I “knew“ Nat. She just flowed out of me naturally. Living in her head is a definitely a place I slide into comfortably.
Linda: I’m intrigued by your take on werewolves and how you’ve attributed so many wolf-like behaviors to them, even when they’re in their human form. What made you decide to take this approach? Do you have any first-hand knowledge of wolf packs through studies?
Shawntelle: There is a statement Thorn says to Natalya in the book, “You’re not a human. You’re a woman who runs as a werewolf.” What I meant by that statement is that Nat and her inner wolf are two parts of one being. She is not just a human. She can’t separate herself from the feral part of herself. Thus, the mannerism of her werewolf side come out naturally as she goes through her daily life. I’ve had a bit of an introduction into pack dynamics, but nothing extensive.
Linda: I love that Natalya’s family background is Russian (so is mine on my father’s side!). Why Russian?
Shawntelle: I love studying foreign languages. One of the languages I studied in college was Russian. It was so much fun to learn not only the language, but the culture. As the story unfolded in my head, I just saw these characters come to life. They just happened to be Russian as I wrote. Okay, I’ll admit it, if you’ve read the story, you’ll notice I like the food too. Just a little.
Linda: COVETED is your first published book. Are there any others lurking in your desk drawer that didn’t make it? (I have several, lol!) If so, any chance you might dust them off in future?
Shawntelle: I wrote a few other books that sit in the fault. Maybe someday when I have spare time (I still find it funny when I write those words.) I’ll dust them off and rework those stories.
Linda: What can readers look forward to next from you? A sequel to COVETED, perhaps?
Shawntelle: The next book in the series, KEPT, will come out in late November. I love writing colorful characters within a large cast so you’ll likely see more of that from me.
Thank you so much again for joining me on the blog today, Shawntelle. I wish you every success with COVETED and can’t wait for KEPT to come out this fall.
If readers have anything they’d like to comment on or ask Shawntelle, she’ll be checking in over the day…so ask away! 🙂
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.
If you’d like to connect with her, you can find her on Twitter as Shawntelle, on Facebook, as well as through her website. She also does blog posts on Wicked Authors (Mondays) and Magic & Mayhem Writers (Wednesdays).
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Q&A with Shawntelle Madison
Shawntelle Madison is the author of the new novel The Fallen Fruit. Her other novels include Coveted. She lives in Missouri.
Q: What inspired you to write The Fallen Fruit?
A: The idea for the book came from my family's history. I love genealogy and during my research I learned about my sixth great-grandmother, Amy Bowles-Farrow, who lived as a free Black woman in post-American Revolution Charlottesville, Virginia.
Bowles-Farrow bought land, a rarity for a woman of color during that time period. My imagination went wild as I considered what it would be like for her family to live right next to major plantations such as Dunlora and Monticello. That what-if question turned speculative and the time-travel aspect was born.
Q: What did you see as the right balance between history and fiction as you wrote the novel?
A: This question is hard to answer. When it comes to writing history and fiction, I tend to treat the writing process like cooking a dish like gumbo. I have to take my time and add a little bit of this, take away a little bit of that.
Now, I will be honest. There were moments where I wanted to go deeper with the history, especially during the American Revolution, but it's important to keep the flow of the story going and keep readers engaged.
Q: Can you say more about why you decided to include a time travel element in the book?
A: Great question! The story of my ancestors was quite exciting as is, but I’m primarily a speculative fiction author. The what-if question often pops up as I develop ideas and I couldn't resist following Alice in Wonderland's white rabbit down the hole to see what would happen if a family of free Blacks in Virginia had a time travel curse.
Q: The Kirkus Review of the novel said, “[I]t's hard not to be reminded of Octavia Butler's Kindred, as well as The Time Traveler's Wife and some of Ray Bradbury's time-displacement stories.” What do you think of those comparisons?
A: That review from Kirkus is amazing and I'm grateful they took the time to read it.
Also, I'm truly humbled by the comparison to such incredible authors as Octavia E. Butler, Audrey Niffenegger, and Ray Bradbury. Their works have been game-changers, and to be mentioned alongside them is an honor beyond measure.
I think it's a testament to the power of The Fallen Fruit that readers are able to see connections between my story and theirs. I hope it suggests I've tapped into something deeper and more universal, a resonance with themes and ideas that have captivated audiences over the years.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: My next project is another historical fantasy about an unusual haunted house. I've had a lot of fun working on that creepy book.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Thanks so much for interviewing me. I can't wait for everyone to read The Fallen Fruit.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
The Fallen Fruit.
By Shawntelle Madison.
Sept. 2024. 448p. Amistad, $28 (9780063290594); e-book
(9780063290617).
Family secrets abound as Cecily explores her unexpected inheritance. While she's been estranged from her father's family, the death of the aunt who raised her reveals that 65 acres in Virginia are waiting for her. But the mind-boggling discovery she makes is that her family is gifted--or cursed--with an inherited ability to fall through time. Enough family members have done so that there are rules written out and buried caches of supplies for those caught unprepared. Cecily must decide whether to break one of the cardinal rules and change a past event in order to save her family. Madison (A Dreams Last Embers, 2023) weaves in details from her own history and the real Free State to ground the more fabulous elements and give this world a fascinating depth. Cecily's journey will interest those who enjoyed the time traveling of Octavia Butler's masterpiece, Kindred. The family mystery, the generations spanned, and the misfortunes Cecily learns about will also appeal to fans of intricate, multigenerational tales like Gabriel Garcia Marquez's classic One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Rice, Sarah. "The Fallen Fruit." Booklist, vol. 120, no. 22, Aug. 2024, pp. 43+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A808396751/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4e6cb1ed. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
Madison, Shawntelle THE FALLEN FRUIT Amistad/HarperCollins (Fiction None) $28.00 9, 3 ISBN: 9780063290594
An intriguing hybrid of historical romance and fantasy suggests that going back in time may be one way to weed out generational trauma.
"My family tree has poisoned roots," Cecily Bridge-Davis announces at the start of this haunting saga about the "curse" of time travel. It is May 1964 and Cecily, an African American professor of history, has come into possession of her father's 65-acre patch of Virginia farmland. When she leaves her Tennessee home to see what's there, she finds an empty cabin, a spool made from a maple tree, and a family Bible with a yellowed flyleaf listing the names and birth dates of every Bridge family member born on the farm from the 1760s to the 1920s. She also hears from an elderly local about a long-ago murder-kidnapping implicating one of her ancestors. Which turns out to be slightly less shocking than discovering the reason why some of those ancestors vanished for decades: One Bridge offspring in each generation is somehow transported back in time. She also finds a map with locations of strange containers along with a list of "Bridge Family Rules" for time travel: "Never interfere with past events." "Always carry your freedom papers." "Search for the survival packs in the orchard." "Do not speak to strangers unless absolutely necessary." Cecily presses her inquiry into the family's temporally peripatetic history all the way back to the 18th century and such precursors as Luke, whose tumble through time takes him from freedom to slavery and eventually into the Continental Army, where he undergoes the travails of Valley Forge. After her forays in the library for more information, Cecily herself is compelled to leave 1964 for 1911, where she takes a different identity and eventually gets a teaching job in circa 1924 Washington, D.C., where she tells one of her students, a young woman named Amelia Bridge, that they're related and that "Millie" must make the most important time jaunt of their shared family history. Sometimes all this gets even more complicated than it reads here. But Madison shows considerable skill and narrative control. To her credit, it's hard not to be reminded of Octavia Butler'sKindred, as well asThe Time Traveler's Wife and some of Ray Bradbury's time-displacement stories.
A crafty, page-turning spin on chronicling Black family history.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Madison, Shawntelle: THE FALLEN FRUIT." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A802865134/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=348bdc08. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
The Fallen Fruit
Shawntelle Madison. Amistad, $28 (448p) ISBN 978-0-06-329059-4
Madison (the Flea Market Magic Mystery series) chronicles a professor's efforts to break her family's curse in this ambitious time travel narrative. In 1968, Black history professor Cecily Bridge-Davis inherits 65 acres of land in Virginia from her father's family. She plans to sell, but while searching the property, she stumbles upon a family Bible, within which are the records of a long-held secret: in each generation of the Bridge family, one member mysteriously vanishes, transported to the past. Driven to uncover the truth and understand the implications of this curse, Cecily launches an investigation that brings her into contact with her own ancestors. Among them is Luke, the first Bridge to fall through time. From him, Cecily learns that a single change in the past could impact the future. Armed with this knowledge, Cecily meets Luke's mother and tries to convince her to make different decisions and so alter their futures, breaking the curse. An abrupt ending and some wonky pacing disappoint, but Madison expertly navigates the time jumps, weaving together a robust shared history for the Bridge family. Readers looking for complex historical speculative fiction will be pleased. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Sept.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"The Fallen Fruit." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 29, 29 July 2024, p. 41. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A803782788/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0e321249. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
December 10, 2012
REVIEW: Kept by Shawntelle Madison
JaneC ReviewsUrban-Fantasy / werewolves5 Comments
Dear Ms. Madison:
The “Coveted” series is narrated by Natayla, a werewolf on the very bottom of the pack hierarchy. She suffers from OCD and overall weakness in strength. I wasn’t sure from the text whether it was for psychological disorder or physical weakness that made her pack view her with disgust but she is concerned that her own relative weakness in the pack puts her family in jeopardy. When her father disappears, Natayla gathers up her meager courage and attempts to rescue him.
Natayla comes from a large Russian immigrant family, all of whom are werewolves. Most of her family loves her and accepts her as she is, except her aunt who views Natayla as a blot on the family name. She is given a chance to be fully enfolded into the Pack by completing a series of physical challenges that she must undertake in human form. Her brother gets her ex lover, Thorn, to train her for these.
Kept Shawntelle MadisonNatayla finds that her father owed a blood oath to a criminal underworld boss. His task was to deliver something. Natayla agrees to do this for her father. Fortunately for Natayla, three of her friends show up to go on this venture with her. The sudden appearance of her friends and the ease at which Natayla finds her father is typical of the story’s weakened suspense thread. While the story relies heavily on this action/suspense narrative to move forward, the resolution to dire situations always appear to be quick and easy.
Another problem with Kept is that much of the story seems to rely on the first in a series, Coveted. There are events that took place in the previous book which affect both her personal romantic life, her position in the pack, and the overall pack dynamics. While info dumps are largely viewed with disfavor as a writing technique, a judicious use of it in this book could have aided reading comprehension. Major reveals occur in this book that explain Thorn’s behavior toward Natayla. When they came out, I felt a bit sorry for those who had read Coveted. It was likely a reveal those readers had been yearning for.
An love triangle is included in the story. Natayla longs for her former lover but she is also attracted to a white wizard she met in therapy. While Thorn plays the traditional alpha male role familiar to romance readers, Nate seemed to be the better choice.
Natayla is an appealing narrator. She doesn’t feel sorry for herself and she is actively trying to overcome her weaknesses, but her OCD is played off for laughs. I wasn’t quite sure if it was the debilitating disease that it can be and how it affected her werewolf status, or whether it was just an irritant used to inject humor in various places. (Oh look, they are at a disgusting rest stop. Where are my wipes?) Her big family and their love for each other was another welcome component to the book. While I struggled with the middle part and felt that Natayla’s OCD wasn’t well incorporated, there is still a lot in the Coveted series that appeals to the urban fantasy/romance lover. C
Best regards,
Jane