Time With Norma Jeane: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas
Publisher: Broadback (January 13, 2020)
Category: Time Travel, Historical Fiction, Time Slip, Women’s Fiction
Tour Dates March and April, 2020
ISBN: 978-1671646032
Available in Print and ebook, 258 pages
Description
Time With Norma Jeane: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas
A young woman is hurled back to 1954 to spend a week with Marilyn Monroe. Together, they embark on their own personal journeys — one a coming-of-age — the other, Marilyn's journey, a struggle to reconcile with her past and perhaps change the future.
Review:
Guest Post:
Why Choosing Your Setting Is
Important
Elyse Douglas
Book Tour
Time with Norma Jeane
Whenever teachers discuss story elements with high school students,
they cover character, plot, setting, conflict and theme. Setting often seems the easiest to pin down. After all, it’s usually pretty obvious, isn’t
it? The story takes place in New York in
the 1950s, or on a ranch in 1930’s California, or on a beach during a war, or on
a farm in Missouri right before the Civil War.
When you start writing your own novel, you quickly realize
that it’s not just the where and when of the entire novel that’s
important. Equally important are the
settings of each scene, those important places where the plot unfolds, where
the characters reveal themselves. As
writers, we believe that the setting must be just as alive as the characters
and the plot in order to keep the story moving and vibrant. In a practical sense, the setting is another
entity that the characters interact with and respond to.
In Time with Norma Jeane, the main setting is a town
in Connecticut where young Darla lives and where Marilyn Monroe lived for a
short time in the 1950s. It is easy for
Darla to time travel during her walk in the woods. She simply slips into a different year in the
same location, so that, at first, she isn’t even aware that she’s time
traveled. The terrain is familiar. But then the setting becomes disturbing;
something doesn’t feel right. Her
landmarks (including her own house) aren’t there. This brings tension to the scene and forces
her to respond to the unexpected aspects of her setting, just as she must respond
to a stranger who behaves in unfamiliar ways.
We see new aspects of Darla’s character as she interacts with this new
place.
When Marilyn and Darla go on a road trip, they experience several
new settings together. One is a Bed
& Breakfast in a small town in New Hampshire. When they first see the B&B, Darla
notices its similarities to the House of Green Gables, and she (and the reader)
expect it to be a simple, charming house where they can relax and be taken care
of. When things don’t go as smoothly as
Darla had anticipated, tension is created.
She experiences the quirkiness of the house and its owner, who has
certain routines and expectations. Darla
grows especially uncomfortable when Mrs. Blodgett insists on reading playing cards. Darla feels threatened when Mrs. Blodgett
tries to analyze her and predict her future.
This setting forces Darla to confront aspects of her past and present,
leading her to make a big decision about her future.
There are other setting changes in Time with Norma Jean,
including two diner scenes. A diner can
be a friendly place, a lonely place, a frightening place or a boring
place. The author sets the mood through
his/her descriptions. In these diner
scenes, a certain expectation of what will happen is created through the
descriptions of the diners and the customers, but then unexpected events occur
in both places, creating tension. It’s
as if the characters and readers think they’re visiting Grandma, but there are
other people around Grandma’s table who make their lives uncomfortable. The ensuing scenes allow us to see different
aspects of the characters as they are forced to grow, to take chances, to realize
certain things about themselves, to overcome obstacles.
In short, you create a mood within each setting and then plop
the characters down and let them duke it out.
And that’s what makes a story interesting and fun.
Elyse Douglas - 2020
Praise Time With Norma Jeane: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas
“A delightful and enthralling read! Elyse Douglas captured magic and put it on the page.”—Ambling Bookworm Reviews
“This is just an astonishing read that will have you hooked on page one and won’t let go till the last. I read it all in one sitting and could not put it down.”—Donadee’s Corner Reviews
Praise Lost Mata Hari Ring: A Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas
“I am amazed by the research done into her characters, especially since with this book it is a known woman from the past – Mata Hari. From the moment Trace falls back in time, the descriptions of people and towns created a vision in my mind and I could imagine myself there observing the situations. This book captivated me to the end! If you like books that delve into past lives along with time travel, this is a book you should pick up and read!”-Storeybook Reviews
“I must say that the authors did a fantastic job in writing this book. I do not believe that time travel is possible nor do I believe in reincarnation. But while I was reading this book, I believed it was all possible. Part of me envied Trace Rutland for what she experienced, for the things she got to see. What an exciting thing! Well, except for the being thrown in prison part. Once I was about halfway through the book, putting it down for any length of time proved to be impossible.”- Lisa's Writopia
“This book has it all mystery, romance , history. I really enjoyed it as I didn't really know that much about Mata Hari. I like historical fiction and this book was filled with history. I am not a believer in past lives but I found myself being drawn into the story and holding my breath to see what would happen next. A very well done story. I would recommend it if you like historical fiction.”-Mindy, A Room Without Books Is Empty
View Trailer Time With Norma Jeane: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas
https://youtu.be/UY4N_zLm3WQ
About Elyse Douglas
Elyse Douglas is the pen name for the married writing team Elyse Parmentier and Douglas Pennington. Elyse grew up near the sea, roaming the beaches, reading and writing stories and poetry, receiving a master’s degree in English Literature. She has enjoyed careers as an English teacher, an actress and a speech-language pathologist.Douglas has worked as a graphic designer, a corporate manager and an equities trader. He attended the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and played the piano professionally for many years.
Website: www.elysedouglas.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/douglaselyse
Facebook: www.facebook.com/elyse.authorsdouglas
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Giveaway Time With Norma Jeane: Time Travel Novel by Elyse Douglas
This giveaway is for the winner's choice of print or ebook however, print is open to Canada and the U.S. only and ebook is available worldwide. There will be 3 winners. This giveaway ends April 22, 2020,midnight pacific time.
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1 comment:
I have never read a book by Elyse Douglas before. This one makes me think about who Marilyn Monroe was as a person, Looks like a wonderful piece of writing
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