YA Feature: Sharon Ledwith

This week's author is Sharon Ledwith author of The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis. Enjoy the interview and leave a nice comment for Sharon below and of course don't forget to check out her novel!

Can you please tell me a little about yourself and how you got into writing?

Honestly, I have to admit I was a late bloomer. I didn’t start writing seriously until 1995. That’s when I took two college courses that changed my life. The first one was called Planning your Novel, which was an introductory workshop for, Writing your Novel. I met a couple of wonderful would-be writer gals, and we formed a writing circle after the classes were done. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Can you tell us a little about your new YA novel The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis which released May 18th?

It’s a time travel fantasy. The blurb says it best:


When Amanda Sault and her four classmates are caught in a major food fight at school, they are given the choice of suspension or yard duty. It was a no-brainer. A two-week crash course in landscaping leads the kids to discover a weathered stone arch buried in an overgrown backyard. Instead of a forgotten lawn ornament, it turns out to be an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis. Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from an evil force—the five children, along with two offbeat adults, are sent on the adventure of their lives to save the Earth from an uncertain future. The Timekeepers’ first mission lands them in England in 1214, where they must find an adolescent Robin Hood and his band of merry teens before history is turned upside-down.

Where did you get the idea for The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis?

Both the idea and inspiration came to me through a dream I had around 1998. In this dream, I saw seven arches, and there were seven people (five kids, two adults) with crystals in their hands, walking up to these arches. It definitely had an“Indiana Jones” feel to it. At that time, I was writing a paranormal romance (before there was a distinct genre) and had no intention of writing a middle-grade/young adult book like The Last Timekeepers. But this idea kept growing in my mind, and wouldn’t leave, like some mystical force pushing you from behind. So, I thought I’d challenge myself and write a novel—a series—that would appeal to my son, who at the time was the target age of my audience. I’ve always loved the time travel genre, so I imagined the arches I saw vividly in my dream as time portals. It was a no-brainer for me.

Is The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis the first in a series?



Yes. I have a boatload of books planned for the series. Since there are five main characters in the series, each gets their point-of-view per book. I want to have it so that the kids go through an entire high school year (starting with the end of grade eight), so that’s five books times four years which equals a total twenty in the series. It’s either a very ambitious endeavor or I’d better start looking for a straight jacket that fits me. Oh yeah, did I mention the prequel I’m writing? Norman Bates, come get me!




Why should we read The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis in one sentence?


Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the only hope for our past.

Some bookie questions:

Fave book as a child?

Fave YA author?

I admire both J.K. Rowling and Rick Riordan as authors and visionaries.

Fave 2012 YA release?

But the year isn’t finished! Okay, if I have to pick one, I’m going with…drat you, I can’t choose! And there’s so many I want to read from Euterpe, the Musa Publishing YA imprint.

Fave book of all time?

That’s a toughie! I loved To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and I really liked the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, although that’s quite recent. I think it was because of all the research involved. I also like A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens because of the impact it’s made throughout the years.

If you could invite 2 characters from any books who would they be an why?

Ebenezer Scrooge—after his transformation—because I could get him to foot the bill at the expensive restaurant we’d be dining at, and Quasimodo because somebody needs to ring the dinner bell.

Last word from the author.....



Yes. First, Megan, I want to thank you for having me on your virtual home today. It’s been a fun gig! Presently I’m working on the prequel to the Last Timekeepers series, entitled The Legend of the Timekeepers. I also have a complete manuscript of the second book in the series called, The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, but there’s the fun job of revising it for Jordan Jensen’s point of view.

Buy The Last Timekeepers:

Musa Publishing

Amazon

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The Last Timekeepers facebook page

Twitter: @sharonledwith