Book Title: Eternally Artemisia – Some loves, like some women, are timeless
by Melissa Muldoon
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 312 pages
Genre: Fiction General, Fiction Women
Publisher: Matta Press
Release date: March 2019

Synopsis

They say some loves travel through time and are fated to meet over and over again. For Maddie, an art therapist, who wrestles with the “peculiar feeling” she has lived previous lives and is being called to Italy by voices that have left imprints on her soul, this idea is intriguing. Despite her best efforts, however, proof of this has always eluded her. That is, until one illuminating summer in Italy when Maddie’s previous existences start to bleed through into her current reality. When she is introduced to the Crociani family—a noble clan with ties to the seventeenth-century Medici court that boasts of ancestors with colorful pasts—she finally meets the loves of her life. One is a romantic love, and another is a special kind of passion that only women share, strong amongst those who have suffered greatly yet have triumphed despite it.

As Maddie’s relationship develops with Artemisia Gentileschi—an artist who in a time when it was unheard of to denounce a man for the crime of rape, did just that—Maddie discovers a kindred spirit and a role model, and just what women are capable of when united together.

In a journey that arcs back to biblical days and moves forward in time, Maddie encounters artists, dukes, designers, and movie stars as well as baser and ignoble men. With Artemisia never far from her side, she proves that when we dare to take control of our lives and find the “thing” we are most passionate about, we are limitless and can touch the stars.

Praise for Eternally Artemisia

“A true Renaissance woman, Melissa Muldoon weaves her passions for art and Italy into a stirring saga that sweeps across centuries. As her time-traveling heroine Maddie reconnects with kindred souls, we meet Artemisia Gentileschi, the 17th-century artist who overcame rape and ignominy to gain respect and acclaim. Historic figures such as Galileo and Mussolini also come to life in this intricately plotted novel, but the women who defy all constraints to take control of their destinies are the ones who prove to be eternally fascinating.” — Dianne Hales

What a lovely story! Melissa weaves the lives of 4 women across time, all with some connection to Artemisia Gentileschi, a 16th century Italy painter. They represent the feminine strength that arises from life challenges, each with their unique intelligence. Underlying their stories is the idea that love transcends all, even time, love is timeless. As with her other books, Melissa fills the story out with interesting facts and references to the Italian life, culture and it’s history, her attention to detail is immaculate . I loved all of the many connections in this story that tied it all together, very cleverly done. Wonderful read, I would highly recommend it. – Lize, Amazon Reviewer

Melissa Muldoon does a phenomenal job blending fiction, romance, art history, and the Italian language into this gem. For fans of historical fiction, romance, and time travel, I strongly recommend this novel. –Exemplary Editing, Amazon Review

Interview

What are some of the themes in your new novel Eternally Artemisia?

My third novel “Eternally Artemisia,” like my first two, is set in Italy and tells the story of a woman who is on a journey of self-discovery to find love, uncover hidden truths, and follow her destiny to shape a better future for herself. My protagonist—Maddie—is an art therapist and through art retreats, she leads in Italy, she helps other women through the aftermath of physical violence and rape. But this is just one of the themes of the book. In her professional life, Maddie may deal with the raw aspects of sexual violence, but this doesn’t keep her from believing in the power of love. Deep down inside she maintains there can be loves so poignant and profound the people who experience this deeply personal connection are destined to meet over and over again. This feeling is further fueled by Maddie’s childhood fantasies of time travel, and all through her life she wrestles with the “peculiar” feeling that she has lived past lives.

As the story unfolds in a villa in Tuscany just outside of Montepulciano, Maddie begins to connect with these previous existences and discovers the loves of her life. She establishes a bond with Matteo Crociani a nobleman from the Court of Cosimo II de’ Medici in Florence, as well as with the seventeenth-century artist Artemisia Gentileschi who was raped by her painting instructor at the age of sixteen. But Artemisia survived this horrendous event and went on to become the first prominent female artist of her generation. Still, today, she continues to be an influencer and a source of inspiration—not only because of her talent but by her courage to persevere despite great odds.

“Eternally Artemisia” celebrates the idea that when a woman dares to take control of her destiny and find the thing she is most passionate about, she discovers she is limitless and will transcend the scope of time.

What was the biggest mental/writing challenge you faced along the way while writing this book?

“Eternally Artemisia” is an intricately plotted novel that blends the past with the present and like my first two novels, I bring to life contemporary protagonists as well as historical characters from the seventeenth century. Since the story weaves together many ideas, it was quite a challenge to balance them all and keep all the many threads of my story from tangling.

First and foremost, I wanted to communicate Artemisia’s story—but I wanted her to speak to my reader’s in her own voice. To do so, I needed to bring her to life as a fully-fledged character living in her own time. I also wanted to create a contemporary character—my twenty-first protagonist Maddie—who could speak to the problem of violence against women in the modern age as well as the restorative powers of art therapy. So, to keep the reader moving through different centuries to the present age, I introduce the theme of time travel. I explore the idea that people who are intensely connected are destined to meet over and over again over time. With each new re-incarnation, they meet for the first time and recognize one another instinctively.

It was a challenge and a joy, not only to develop and flush out Artemisia’s character as a sympathetic protagonist but also to create the different versions of Maddie to fit the various periods she inhabits throughout the book. She assumes the personalities of an Art Therapist, a fashion designer, a Venetian courtesan, and several other personas—but always her character takes the form of a strong, inspirational woman, who draws her courage from Artemisia’s role model.

Do you ever get writer’s block—how do you deal with it and overcome it?

I believe what people generally refer to as writer’s blocks, really boils down to this: simply not knowing what you want to communicate in the first place. A writer becomes stuck, because he has nothing new to say, or perhaps he is intimidated by the act of putting words down on paper, for fear of making an error.

As I’m quite a voracious writer and am constantly brainstorming, researching, reading and creating stories in my head, I don’t often let myself get bogged down by “writer’s block.” If I do happen to get confounded by a plot twist, I deal with it by going on long walks, listening to good music and meditating in order to center myself. I figure out—or remember—what is the point or big idea I want to convey and then I’m able to continue on.

As I continue moving forward, I keep asking myself at every point in the story, what do my readers need to know next. That always seems to answer the question of how I should proceed with my next chapter and keeps my story flowing until the very last word. I remind myself, the important thing is to get thoughts down on paper, even if sometimes they seem a bit jumbled. I remind myself I can always fix a badly written paragraph, but I can’t fix one that isn’t written.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received, about writing, or about life in general?

In regard to writing the best advice I’ve received is: Write without fear… Edit without mercy.

In regard to life: She believed she could, so she did.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Writing a novel is hard work and requires a lot of time and dedication to the craft. But first you have to have a highly creative and unique idea that only you can tell in your own way and in your own words. To successfully complete a novel, you must have the ability to disassociate yourself from your work and critically review what you have written, in order to tear apart your work over and over again to make it better. It also takes a thick skin to accept criticism and the willingness to correct your work when you go off the rails.

I came across a quote from JK Rowling the other day which resonated with me: You have to resign yourself to the fact that you waste a lot of trees before you write anything you really like, and that’s just the way it is. It’s like learning an instrument, you’ve got to be prepared for hitting wrong notes occasionally, or quite a lot.

I love the analogy. For me it is true that writing a novel is a lot like learning a new instrument. Right off the bat, you can’t expect to play a Mozart Sonata if you’ve never played a piano before. The same is with a novel. You start with a big idea and after the first flush of creative writing is over and you have finished your first draft, the real work begins as you start the editing and rewriting and embellishing the story. During the rewrite you are composing and practicing over and over again the key notes of your symphony that in the end make it rich and melodic.

About the Author

Melissa Muldoon is the author of three novels set in Italy: “Dreaming Sophia,” “Waking Isabella,” and “Eternally Artemisia.” All three books tell the stories of American women and their journeys of self-discovery to find love, uncover hidden truths, and follow their destinies to shape a better future in Italy.

Melissa is also the author of the Studentessa Matta website, where she promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog written in Italian and English (studentessamatta.com). Studentessa Matta means the “crazy linguist” and has grown to include a podcast, Tutti Matti per l’Italiano and the Studentessa Matta YouTube channel, Facebook page and Instagram feed. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Programs, which she co-leads with Italian schools in Italy to learn Italian in Italy. Through her website, she also offers the opportunities to live and study in Italy through Homestay programs. Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.

She has also studied painting and art history in Florence. She is an artist, designer, and illustrated the cover art for all three of her books. Melissa is also the managing director of Matta Press. As a student, Melissa lived in Florence with an Italian family. She studied art history and painting and took beginner Italian classes. When she returned home, she threw away her Italian dictionary, assuming she’d never need it again, but after launching a successful design career and starting a family, she realized something was missing in her life. That “thing” was the connection she had made with Italy and the friends who live there. Living in Florence was indeed a life-changing event. Wanting to reconnect with Italy, she decided to start learning the language again from scratch. As if indeed possessed by an Italian muse, she bought a new Italian dictionary and began her journey to fluency—a path that has led her back to Italy many times and enriched her life in countless ways. Now, many dictionaries and grammar books later, she dedicates her time to promoting Italian language studies, further travels in Italy, and sharing her stories and insights about Italy with others. Melissa designed and illustrated the cover art for Eternally Artemisia, Waking Isabella, and Dreaming Sophia.

She also curates the Dreaming Sophia Art History blog site and Pinterest site: The Art of Loving Italy, where you will find companion pictures for all three books. Visit MelissaMuldoon.com for more information about immersion trips to learn the language with Melissa in Italy, as well as the Studentessa Matta blog for practice and tips to learn the Italian language.

Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  Pinterest  ~ Instagram

Giveaway

Prizes: 1st Prize: Win a 3-book set (Dreaming Sophia, Waking Isabella, and Eternally Artemisia) by Melissa Muldoon; 2nd and 3rd prizes: Win a paperback copy of Eternally Artemisia (open to USA & Canada / 3 winners total)

(ends July 5, 2019)

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