Meet the Author: Maggie Platt

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Publisher: Ambassador International
Release Date: April 17th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Allegory

Synopsis:

What if the nine Fruit of the Spirit and the Seven Deadly Sins were locked in a battle for control?

Abandoned as infants, Tovi and her twin brother were raised by an eclectic tribe of warm, kind people in a treehouse village in the valley. After her brother’s sudden disappearance Tovi questions her life and her faith in an invisible King. Ignoring her best friend Silas’ advice, she decides to search for her brother in the kingdom on top of the mountain.

Above the cloud, the Council of Masters receives their orders. Tovi and her brother are the objectives. King Damien has a plan and Tovi is the key. The Council of Masters want her, but will she remain unscathed?

Amidst the glamour of the kingdom above the cloud Tovi is torn between her own dark desires and unanswered questions. It starts with a snake and a crown. When the ring is complete, will her life be over?

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Maggie Platt is a writer, traveler, cancer survivor, and dreamer. Her greatest joys are being Auntie M to her amazing nieces and nephew and sitting with students and friends over cups of coffee and deep conversations. She works at her alma mater, Anderson University in Indiana, and she lives in a cozy little cottage nearby where students come to sit on her couch just to laugh, cry, and talk about life.

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Let’s Dig A Little Deeper

When did you know that you wanted to become a writer? Is there a specific memory where you remembering learning the power of language and stories?

I have been writing since before I can remember! And, I’m a hoarder of my stories, so I never threw out my journals and notebooks from when I was a little girl. I have STACKS of them! It really took a turn toward a passion in the 7th grade when my English teacher, Mrs. Padgett, encouraged me and told me I had a talent. I wrote a blog post about it (It All Started in 1997) last fall.

From the birth of an idea to a finished story, what does your writing process look like?

Oh boy. This is embarrassing! It took me OVER A DECADE to write this story! The idea just hit me one day: “What if the fruits of the spirit and the deadly sins were embodied by characters who were battling for control?” I played with the characters and the plot lines for a long time, writing a chapter here and there, and then would put it away for months at a time. But, I kept being drawn back to it. Over the years it changed a lot. The only thing the same from the first scribbles to the finished product is that there is a character named Tovi. That’s it! I really got serious about completing the manuscript about 5 years after beginning. I quit my job, moved to Florida (still can’t believe I was brave enough to do that!), and worked a day job so that I could spend my evenings writing. I missed my Hoosier homeland too much, and I moved back about a year later with an almost complete manuscript. I spent the next several years editing and rearranging. Now comes the biggest challenge: writing the sequel in one year instead of ten!

If you could meet any other author, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

Easy! J.K. Rowling. She is absolutely my hero. I would love to hear her talk about creating the world of Harry Potter and the experience of writing a series that has meant so much to so many people (including me).

What is the best piece of advice that you could give to aspiring writers?

Figure out WHY you are writing, and keep that as your focus. If your “why” is to educate on a certain topic, your process should look very different than if your “why” is to express yourself creatively or to establish a career that can support you financially. You may achieve all three (or other goals), but your focus and methods would be different. My “why” was to express my faith in Jesus Christ and hopefully help and inspire others who are wrestling with the same topics. With that being my focus, my next steps become clearer.

What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel and why?

Most of my favorites are beloved around the world, so this is a tough question for me! I’ll choose one that is overshadowed by others in its series: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (C.S. Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia series).

Fun Facts

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor – Cookie dough

Favorite Pizza Topping – I am passionately pro-pineapple

Favorite Movie – Pride and Prejudice (Keira Knightley version)

Favorite Dessert – Apple pie a la mode

Favorite snack to eat while you are writing – Cup of coffee or glass of wine! (I rarely eat while writing)

Favorite Drink – McDonald’s Diet Coke by a landslide

If you were a WWE Superstar, what would your entrance music be? Chorus of Billie Eilish “You Should See Me in a Crown”

What would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal? Platypus

If you didn’t write, what would your occupation be? I work in the Student Life department at Anderson University in Indiana (a private Christian college. Go Ravens!)

What do you enjoying doing when you aren’t writing or reading? Gardening! Mostly flowers. I call it my “dirt therapy.”

Would you rather have an endless summer or an endless winter? SUMMER

Thank you to Maggie Platt for being a good sport and answering my questions!

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