Interviews

DECEIVED Blog Tour: Author Interview with Madisyn Carlin

Saraina Whitney

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing the wonderful author of DECEIVED, Madisyn Carlin! She gave some AMAZING answers, so sit back and enjoy!! (I added some commentary, which I hope you don’t mind. *winks*)

Thank you for having me, Saraina!

(My pleasure, Madisyn!!) Which character was hardest to write? Which was the easiest?

My assassin character, Therese Westa, was the most difficult to write. For some reason, no matter how hard I tried, her character remained rather flat and uninteresting. I was finally able to strengthen her after some advice from my sister and betas. 

My grumpy, sweetheart-in-disguise character, Rogan Cetrin, was the easiest. My sister would tell you the reason for this is because we’re quite similar in personality. I say it’s because he’s the first character who came to me. I encountered a few snags while writing him, but for the most part it went smoothly.

Where were you when the idea for DECEIVED came to you? What was that like?

I was in bed. It was early morning on Thanksgiving 2019. I remember waking up and telling myself I simply must remember the idea. It took me a while to fall asleep afterwards, since I was already excited about where the idea might go.

(THAT IS SO COOL.) Which character is most different from you? In what ways?

I have something in common with all of my main characters. Perhaps the character most different from me is Holder. He’s a sweet guy with a mellow and laid-back personality. He is good with people and most like him and he has a good sense of humor. I am quite the opposite.

(Aww, Holder… who else loves him? *grins because I know pretty much everyone does*) Which part of the story gave you the most trouble?

Therese’s chapters gave me the most trouble. She’s not sarcastic and spirited like Ivelle, lovably grumpy like Rogan, or endearing like Holder, so I had to find a unique aspect of her personality to really help shine through. 

Would you rather make your readers laugh or cry, and why?

I’m all for making readers laugh, but I rather make them cry. Usually a reader cries when a book really touches their heart or is just so applicable to a certain problem they’re facing. Ultimate healing comes from God, but He can use tears to help the healing process, and I’d like my books to be used as tools that help others heal. 

(I SO AGREE!) Which character do you most relate with and why?

Rogan is my favorite character, there’s no question about that, and I relate to him personality-wise. However, I also relate to Therese. Being an eldest sibling, I know I would do whatever I needed to so my younger sibling is protected and provided for.

How do you feel about writing characters whose personalities are opposite from yours?

That’s both daunting and interesting. Daunting because I never know if I will get their personalities correct and interesting because all I need to do is ask myself, “What would I do in this situation?” and then write them doing the opposite. Extroverted characters are definitely the most difficult to write.

What is one of your favorite scenes in the book? Was it easy to write?

One of my favorite scenes is when Ivelle begins questioning her false belief in the stars. The seeds of truth are planted and her doubts begin to help shape her decisions. 

What was your process for creating your fantasy world?

I knew from the beginning there was an evil king. That was what I built Orm and its traditions around. From that came a false religion (the worship of the stars), a kingdom-wide celebration (King’s Day), and several sayings (e.g., “What in the stars is going on?”). Orm literally means darkness, so I did what I could to make the kingdom dark. Even the colors red and black have specific meanings, which are discussed in the  book. 

Naturally, you need those who rebel against royalty, so that’s where the smugglers, black market, and Ivelle came in. Then you need those who protect the king and enforce his rules, so Rogan and Holder easily fit into that category. There are even some unique swords and daggers that are integral to the worldbuilding. You can see one type on the cover. 

(That’s so fascinating! And the world felt SO real to me, so you nailed it!) Did the characters or the plot come first to you?

The first vestiges of both arrived at the same time. While the scene which first came to me won’t be used until Book Three, I was quickly able to determine Rogan was a central player (he even came with his name, which means I didn’t have to hunt for days on end for the perfect one!). After I figured out who and what he was, the rest, both plot and characters, slowly shifted into place.

Pen or pencil?

Pencil. I am forever making errors and, as such, need a way to erase them.

Why is the message/theme of DECEIVED so important to you?

DECEIVED’s themes are loyalty, sacrifice, and how darkness can never snuff out the truth. Loyalty is huge for me, both personally and in my books, so that is a theme that is always integrated. 

The theme of sacrifice came about when I was forming Therese and when I was writing a certain journal entry which contains a particular Bible verse. In Orm, it’s every man for the king and, to a lesser degree, every man for himself. Sacrifice is integral to the character arcs of all four MCs.

The final theme is extremely important to me.  We live in a world of darkness. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the never-ending evil and to feel hopeless as we watch the world disintegrate and do its best to eradicate Truth. Orm is a dark, horrendous place ruled by an utterly atrocious villain. I wanted to illustrate how no amount of darkness can ever conceal God and His Word. He is the Maker of all. The true King. No forces of evil, no schemes of the enemy, can block Him from us. There is hope in that, and I want others to be reminded of that hope as they read DECEIVED.

(AMEN! That was beautiful!) Thank you for the wonderful answers!

About the Author

Madisyn Carlin is a Christian, homeschool graduate, blogger, voracious bookdragon, and author. When not spending time with her family or trekking through the mountains, she weaves tales of redemption, faith, and action.

Want to connect? Find her social media links here.

Preorder Info

If you have preordered DECEIVED or order it during the duration of this blog tour (April 25 – May 7), and want some swag (character card and autographed bookplate), go here!

Giveaway!

For a chance to win an autographed copy of DECEIVED and a character card, go here! Don’t have have social media? No worries; all you need to do is leave a comment at every blog post to be entered. The giveaway ends May 10th.

DECEIVED Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, April 25

Madisyn Carlin | Intro + Book Spotlight

Joy Woodbury | Book Review

Tuesday, April 26

Madisyn Carlin | Release Day! + Fun Facts

Vanessa Hall | Author Interview

Autumn | Book Spotlight

Wednesday, April 27

Esther | Book Review

Saraina | Character Interview: Therese

Joy Woodbury | Guest Post

Thursday, April 28

Madisyn Carlin | Group Interview

Kristina Hall | Book Review

Friday, April 29

Vanessa Hall | Book Spotlight

Olivia | Book Review

Sherrice | Author Interview

Saturday, April 30

Madisyn Carlin | Character Spotlight: Holder

Stephanie | Character Spotlight: Rogan

Sherrice | Book Review

Olive Creed | Book Spotlight

Monday, May 2

Vanessa Hall | Book Review

Grace Johnson | Guest Post + Book Spotlight

Stephanie | Book Spotlight + Character Spotlight: Ivelle

Tuesday, May 3

Madisyn Carlin | Meet the Characters

Stephanie | Book Review

Wednesday, May 4

Grace Johnson | Author Interview

Saraina | Character Interview: Rogan

Thursday, May 5

Madisyn Carlin | Character Q+A

Issabelle Perry | Character Spotlight: Therese

Friday, May 6

Grace Johnson | Book Review

Autumn – Author Interview

Jenavieve Rose | Book Review

Saturday, May 7 

Madisyn Carlin | Blog Tour Wrap-Up

Olive Creed | Author Interview

Katja Labonte | Book Review

Saraina | Author Interview

Do you like reading and/or writing characters whose personalities are opposite from yours? Are you a fan of mechanical pencils (like me 😉 )? What are your favorite allegories or stories of good vs evil?

Side note: the subscriber interview (or Q&A, whatever you want to call it 😉 ) is officially closed today! Thank you all for your awesome answers!!! Expect the interview sometime next week!! 😀

9 thoughts on “DECEIVED Blog Tour: Author Interview with Madisyn Carlin”

  2. Pingback: DECEIVED Blog Tour Wrap-Up – Madi's Musings

  3. Lovely interview, ladies! It’s funny – sometimes extroverted characters can be easier for me (even though I’m not extroverted at all). Sometimes my introverts tend to get a little too quiet, I think, and therefore they don’t have enough to say/think!

    And yes, mechanical pencils are the best! 🙂

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    1. Thank you!! Ah yes, that’s a GREAT point about the extroverted characters sometimes not having enough to say or think! Lol, I relate with that! 😂

      Haha yes, go mechanical pencils!

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  4. Thanks for the interview, girls!
    Sometimes I get a great idea in the middle of the night, but instead of trying to remember, I just fall back asleep XD. Of course I forget it by the morning.

    Also, I second mechanical pencils! (would leave them on my nightstand to write stuff down, but I have a habit of losing them…lol.)

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thank YOU for reading!!! Oh, that’s happened to me sometimes… so tragic XD Yes! Mechanical pencils are the best! (Talk about it – same for me.)

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