Sue's Interview with TKegl about her fic 'Beyond Time'

 Beyond Time

After the Cullens leave Forks, a twist of fate lands Bella in Chicago in 1918. She thinks it's a second chance to build a life with Edward, but when she finds him, he's not quite what she expected. Can Bella create the future she's hoping for?

I had my reservations reading this fic. It was rec'd heavily on Twitter by Spanglmaker9. I gave it a shot because well, lets face it she, has not steered me wrong yet ..

Why did I have reservations? Well it starts out as a New Moon fic. I did not like New Moon -  the original. I also do not like Vampire fics. (I know, I know. SUE you read TWIFIC! WTF is wrong with you not liking vampires?? I just don't *shrugs*)

For me the saving grace of this fic is that it gives Modern Day Bella a chance to see life in the world that MADE Edward.

The fic starts out after Edward has left in New Moon. Bella goes on a spirit quest and somehow ends up in the past. This for me is where the fun begins.

She ends up in Chicago and tries to figure out WHY she is there. She figures that since she does not have Edward in the future she will have him in the past.

Now comes the hard part. This human Edward is not the same Edward she remembers. HER Edward is well more refined. I guess you could say he is more controlled, he has years of living as an immortal. This new Edward is 17. He is human, he is flawed, he is a product of his time.

How will a thoroughly modern Bella fit in the world at the turn of the century?

Will human Edward fall for her? How long will she be in the past?

I love this fic it made me cry, it made me laug,h it made me wanna slap Edward for his sexist ways. It made me wanna slap Bella for trying to force her time on the past. It is a great read ! give it a try you will not regret it

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What was it that gave you the 'spark' for your story? Was it a picture? A moment or event? Can you remember the initial inspiration?

I can't remember a particular event that inspired it. I was reading a lot of

fanfic, and the idea gradually came to me - What if Bella met Edward when he was 17... before he'd had nearly a century to learn restraint and patience? Would he still be the "perfect" guy? Or would he be like most teenage boys - kind of an ass? LoL! Anyway, that's where it all started. The time travel aspect was the only way I could see for modern-day Bella, who'd known restrained Vampward, to meet teenage, early 20th century Humanward.

Do you have a particular process when it comes to your writing, perhaps a certain mood, environment or music? Do you have any 'triggers' to get you in the writing mood?

I spend a lot of time staring into space and writing in my head. I'm sure

people must think I'm stoned or something! LoL! Seriously, when I'm sitting in a waiting room, I'm writing in my head. When I'm standing in line at Starbucks, I'm writing in my head. I carry a notebook around, so if I'm in a place where I can jot stuff down, I do.

Otherwise, it's generally my laptop at the dining room table, with a lot of coffee! I can't listen to music when I'm writing. I end up singing along and getting nothing done! I do, however, often write with the TV on... I find that kind of white noise soothing.

Maggies boarding hous

Give us an elevator pitch. Say you're in an elevator with a prospective

reader for 2 minutes – what would you tell them about the story?

Oh, this is hard since people have told me my summary for Beyond Time is kind of a turn-off, and I know when some people hear "time-travel fic" it's an automatic "Uh, no thanks!" But okay, I'll try...

It's a crazy story about Bella going through a Native American ritual involving hallucinogenic mushrooms. She passes out and finds herself in Chicago in 1918. At first, she doesn't know if she's crazy, dreaming, or tripping out on the mushrooms... but eventually, she decides to go with it - and sets out to find Edward. He's not really what she expects though - he's arrogant, sexist, and a bit of an ass. Still, she's drawn to him, and in the midst of their schnarky banter, they find there's a mutual attraction. Bella sets out to save Edward from the influenza epidemic, to try and have a human life with him. Edward doesn't make it easy, though... and Bella has her work cut out for her if she's going to accomplish her plans.

There's a lot of butting heads as Edward resists the attraction, but we all know these two are meant for each other. Oh, and there's kitchen sex. LoL!

Do you picture particular actors for your characters, or are they someone

else entirely? If so, who?

Oh, I picture the movie actors as the canon characters. Maggie is based on a character from Little House on the Prairie I remember from when I was a kid. Samantha I see as an old silent movie actress - Mary Pickford or Anita Page. They always have kind of a glowy halo around them when you see pictures of them - that's how I see Samantha. Tom I see as a Jake Gyllenhaal-type. The rest are kind of their own people - I don't really see actors when I think of them.

Is the story all planned out or do you do it as a fly by the seat of your

pants thing?

It's all planned out. I outlined it from the very beginning. I have made

changes to details within the outline, but haven't strayed from the main plot points since I started.

Do you have a Beta and would you like to give him/her a shoutout here?

I have two fabulous betas - Tiffanyanne3 (who writes a wonderful story called

"You Should Know") and aecarlso, as well as two pre-readers, GoSpikey and KateTheGreat13... they talk me down when I'm freaking out and catch the mistakes that make me want to slam my head on the desk! LoL!

Have you got any other projects going on? Any planned for the future?

Once Beyond Time is finished, I plan on finishing Just One of the Boys, my

silly boyband fic. I have a couple of ideas bouncing around for what I write after that. In one, Bella's on the run from a government agency that's tracking down people with "gifts". Her family is captured and she runs into the hills to hide and comes upon a small community of people with gifts like her that are living in hiding.

The other sprang out of a Twitter discussion about how people hate Mike Newton. I'm convinced that the only way he could get some love would be if he were the one to bring Bella and Edward together. I'd call it: Mike Newton, Matchmaker.

What was it that brought you to Twilight fanfic? What is it that has kept

you here (besides your own writing)

Well, I loved the saga and read it over and over, but like a lot of fic

readers, I wanted more. A Google search led me to Wide Awake and I was hooked... I just kept finding and reading wonderful stories. I made a banner for an author on FFn named Psyche001 who wrote this amazing story called Set in Stone (it now has a sequel called In Darkness or Light - go read them both!) She invited me to follow her on Twitter - through that I met some amazing readers and writers of fanfic who eventually supported me when I started my own story.

What keeps me here? I love the people and I love the stories. I've met some

really fun and interesting people through fanfic. It's fun to be able to talk about the stories I love with other people who also

appreciate them. I don't have that in RL - these girls are just as crazy as me! LoL!

Do you have a background in writing?

Yes, but mostly in non-fiction writing. I worked in television news for nine

years, so my writing consisted of news stories. When I left TV, I worked as a freelance writer mainly for the web, although I a did a little print as well. But Beyond Time is the first fiction I've written that's been read by anyone.

How about your creative self-confidence? By nature writers tend to be a

notoriously insecure lot so how are you finding the online writing

experience?

I do struggle with that. It's difficult to get a negative review. In fact, I

just got one for my latest chapter. I take it personally, because writing is, in essence, extremely personal. It comes out of you, and when someone says it's no good, it does hurt. The negative always sticks with you - and it can be a little paralyzing. That's why I never write a negative review.

Do you tell your friends and family that you're an online author with a

devoted following, or is this something that you tend to keep for yourself?

Nope. It's a big secret. Nobody knows in my real life.

Is there a particular character in your story that you identify with the

most?

I'd have to say Bella, since I write the story from her POV.

Which RL author(s) inspires you?

Well, Stephenie Meyer, of course... LoL! I'm also obsessed with the Fever

series by Karen Marie Moning. She does an amazing job of balancing action and suspense with sexual tension. For humor, Janet Evanovich. I love her snappy writing style.

Edwards House

Did any FF authors inspire you? What was it that had you reading FF and

thinking "I could do this"?

Oh tons of them have! Of course, as I mentioned Psyche001 was, and continues to be, a big inspiration to me. AngstGoddess003 wrote the first fic I read, so that was an eye-opener. I had no idea fanfiction even existed until then! BellasExecutioner is the queen of writing emotional heartfail... tropicalsorbet, feathersmmmmm, and m81170 for humor... SnowqueensIcedragon for intrigue and lemons.

What advice would you give to an aspiring fanfic writer?

Just write! Jump in and do it - but get a great beta!

Give us a Random Fact about yourself?

Ummm... I make possibly the best Chicken Marsala on the planet. And I learned how from a novel I read that I can't for the life of me remember the title of!

If you could have 15 minutes with anyone alive or dead real or fictional

who would it be and what would you say to them?

Besides Robert Pattinson, telling him repeatedly "Oh, you're just so pretty!"

while I gaze at him adoringly? LoL!

Ummmm... I'm such a nerd, but I'd have to say Julie Andrews. I grew up with

her movies and saw them over and over and I just adore her. What would I say to her? I'd probably be all fangirly and embarrasssingly fawning, and maybe try to get her to sing "I Have Confidence" from The Sound of Music with me... LoL!

What is your FanFic Pet peeve?

Overdone cliches, angst for the sake of angst, and dragging out a plot when

it's very obviously run its course.

What is your Fandom Pet peeve?

People who take themselves too seriously. I mean, this is FANFICTION! It's not like any of us are making a living at it - it's just for fun. Authors who brag about themselves or their stories drive me insane.

Readers who move beyond the realm of constructive criticism and into just

being plain mean. Relax, people... look at some pretty pictures of Rob, read a

good lemon, and have some FUN!

Anything else you would like to add?

Just that I so appreciate everyone who reads my stories and takes the time to

tell me what they think. We all say we write for ourselves, but let's be

honest - there's really no point if nobody's reading! So thanks!

Sue's Interview with TKegl about her fic 'Beyond Time'