WELCOME TO THE TRAIN MEG!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meg Bonney is a mom, writer, blogger, freelance writer and TV extraordinaire. Her YA fantasy novel Everly is due this November through Pandamoon publishing.

 

 

 

 

TAKE ONE…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Were you born and raised in Wisconsin?

Meg Bonney: Yes, I was! I work in Illinois and often get asked why I don’t just move there, but I am in love with Wisconsin. My town is right on Lake Michigan and the lakefront is gorgeous. I can’t imagine moving away from it.

It sounds like a nice place. I should have asked you for pictures!

 

 

 

*Which diva cat rules the household?

That would be my older cat, Sammy. He is the less dominate cat between my two kitties, but Sammy is the most demanding of his humans, for sure. He will meow at you and jump on the counters if he can see the bottom of his food dish. He is a snuggler but gets so mad when you move. He’s a total diva.

Wow. Sounds like a domineering feline-diva cat snuggler. Yikes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*What did you study in college?

I went to school for Paralegal studies. I work for a large company in the Mergers and Acquisitions legal department. It’s really fast paced and keeps me on my toes.

Oh cool! I enjoy legal stuff. We’re going to get along just fine. Sherrie, another blog-buddy of mine is also a paralegal. 

 

 

*Why did you pick to write YA Fantasy?

That’s always been what I gravitated towards as a reader and as a writer. I think that there is something more magical about those teen years before you are slammed with actual real life problems. It’s just a much more emotional time and I love writing characters at that age. And Fantasy is just plain fun. I take the firm stance that real life is boring. Fairies, goblins and magic just make anything more exciting.

I’ll completely affirm, that life is rather boring at times. Mundane even. That’s why being a writer is so much FUN! You can live an adventurous life over and over again. 

 

 

 

*Tell us about your upcoming Everly Trilogy

Everly is the story of Madison Rosewood and her quest to save her aunt. She and her best friend, Jason must travel to a hidden world called Everly where Aunt Ruth is taken in order to save her from a terrible fate. Once they get there, Madison comes to realize that Everly holds all of the answers she has been searching for about her family and her past. Book 1, which will be out later this year, introduces you to the world of Everly and the emotional struggles that Madison must face when she gets there. Book 2 and Book 3 will continue to chronicle her journey as she tries to figure out where she fits in and how to manage the devastating events of Book 1.

I like your premise! Sounds very interesting and adventurous. Love the name Everly. It gives it a nice fantastical feel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Can you give us a snippet about the protagonist?

Madison lives on a tiny Florida island with her icy, fitness trainer Aunt Ruth and her cousin. Madison is the star athlete on her school’s track team. Even though she is a gifted runner, she has no passion for it and yearns for something more. Her life goal has always been to find her birth parents and escape the constant work outs and self defense classes that her Aunt makes her participate in. She is withdrawn and snarky to everyone but her best friend and constant companion, Jason. She is outspoken and doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her. She is far from perfect but always tries hard to do right by the ones she loves.

YES. I feel like I’m already drawn into the story. Love the dynamics of the relationships here. I was just reflecting on this today actually. Our characters and the ones we love in our favorite books round out in dynamic relationships. Just think of Sherlock and Watson. Stories or movies that have a great sidekick are more enjoyable than the typical lone wolf hero. 

 

 

 

*Which medium do you enjoy more, reading or TV?

That’s so hard! I guess I would have to say reading because your imagination has no budget. But TV is great because of the community aspect, especially when you are watching a show live and you can discuss and theorize together. That’s very fun!

I can’t wait to ask you more questions since you’re a TV buff. I’ve been enjoying comparing and contrasting the two mediums a lot recently.  One of my favorite authors, K.M. Weiland, will be posting an analysis about the movie Avenger Civil War this week. If you’re so inclined, check out her site:  Helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Who are your favorite TV characters and what do you enjoy about them?

I love Buffy Summers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She is flawed yet strong and faces her destiny with determination even though her lot in life isn’t always fair. She is one of the greatest television characters ever. I also really like Bellamy Blake from The 100. He tries so hard to do the right thing but is tragically misguided and makes some pretty terrible decisions. I love characters that want to be the good guys but have a hard time aligning their goals with their morals.

Please don’t stone me, but I haven’t seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer yet. I’ve always been the slow one in the family. Go figure. BUT I LOVE BELLAMY and the entire 100 series. I was so hooked on the first two seasons!!!  Then I dropped off the map for some reason. 

 

 

 

 

“I love characters that want to be the good guys but have a hard time aligning their goals with their morals.”

 

 

 

 

*Who are your favorite fictional characters and what do you enjoy about them?

Hermione Granger. She goes from stuck up young girl to brilliant young woman over the course of the story and its captivating. Her journey is still one of my favorites. I also really like Batman. He is just so complex and the older I got, the more I grew to appreciate how messed up he really is. He is one of the most emotionally screwed up heroes out there and that makes him super interesting to me.

Hermione certainly sounds popular. Not acquainted with her either, but I have a feeling I will be pretty soon. Batman is once of the best characters ever crafted. Definitively a timeless classic that keeps coming back again and again. Even the whole story of Batman is classical. Gotham city with its backstory, villains, police department etc. Gotham the television series is also EPIC. Loved it until I fell off the map again. 

I got a kick out of your appreciation for Batman’s twisted emotional state. Because we can totally relate to these “screwed up” characters. That’s why I never could relate to Superman. He too *super* if you know what I mean. Even Clark Kent is essentially flawless. In Avengers Civil War they tried to make Captain America go through some sort of change, or arc, perhaps. But it utterly failed in my opinion. Simply due to the fact that he’s too flawless. Mind you I’m no expert, but he’s seems too confident and sure of himself to have flaws. Captain America is the representation of our idolization of old school heroism and is the epitome of American idealism. He stands for freedom, rights, liberty etc. But too perfect if you ask me.  

 

 

*Which inspires you more TV or reading?

Reading is what made me want to write. I spent most of my childhood reading and it solidified my love of books and storytelling. TV inspires me in my writing when it comes to character development. There are certain things that a show can do subtly with characters that you maybe can’t do in a book. There is a lot more chance for subtle moments in TV that you may not get in a book simply due to the point of view of the story.

Yes, I find the contrast between these two mediums very fascinating. I also get inspired by TV. That’s actually how I got started writing!! I kept watching all these awesome shows with great characters until the light bulb finally went off in my head. Every time I’d watch something interesting I’d say to myself, write it yourself…write it yourself. So I did! Or, am still writing. But there are things we can do in books that you won’t get in a movie. Like fully develop a character the way you want without the time restraint of a movie. 

 

 

 

 

~Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere~ Mary Schmich

 

 

 

 

 

*Tell us about PureFandom.com.

PureFandom.com is all about the fans and their nerdy loves. I write recaps and reviews for them covering Supernatural, Agents of SHIELD and The 100. I also write all sorts of news items. They are a site dedicated to fandom and working with them is a blast!

Sounds like it. That would be so fun! I love Agents of SHIELD and the The 100. They’re wonderfully written and keep you on your toes the whole time. 

 

 

*Tell us about the hiddenremote.com and your contributions.

For Hidden Remote, I will be covering Supergirl! Supergirl is making the big move to the CW and I think it’s going to be an amazing change for them. I can’t wait to cover it! #girlpower

You go girl!! (Pun fully intended).  🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*When will your book be available?

My book will be available later this year! I am in the crazy editing stage and its been a blast so far. I love sharing stories with people and I can’t wait to share the world of Everly with you!

We can’t wait to read your story! I bet you’re an excellent storyteller. Looking forward to it. 

 

“Great stories happen to those who can tell them” -Ira Glass

THANKS MEG PLEASE COME AGAIN!

Connect with Meg!

Meg Bonney

@MegBonneyWriter

Blog

Pinterest

Benjamin Thomas

@thewritingtrain

http://www.thewritingtrain.com