Hello, folks! Are you ready to meet another fabulous author? Say hello to Mar Café (MarCafeWrites)! She is the author of the gothic romance novel, Carpe Noctem, shortlisted for the Wattys 2022!
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"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."
On the cusp of the 20th century, blue blood heiress Lucy Penn has lost everything: her betrothed, her family and home, and even her ability to walk in the sunlight. As she struggles to acclimate to her new nocturnal existence, she makes the acquaintance of Dr. Thomas Reed: an intelligent and tortured immortal, still haunted by the horrors of his past.
As the pair grow closer, Lucy becomes privy to a frightening world far below the surface of polite society, in which beings of ancient and unfathomable power live outside the confines of humanity.
Carpe Noctem (or "Seize the Night") follows Lucy on her journey through the shrouded streets, eerie hospitals, and aristocratic parlors of nighttime London.
As she seeks to exhume the insidious and terrifying purpose behind her transformation, Lucy finds herself drawn deeper into a dark nocturne world of unimaginable folklore and intrigue, begging the question: can love be found after death?
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AUTHOR BIO: I am autistic, so writing has been the most comfortable way for me to share my thoughts and odd imagination with others. I have always been greatly influenced by classic literature. Often in life, I've been told I was born in the wrong decade/century. I agree! Writing historical fiction is an especially strong passion of mine, and I love including real historical places/events/people in my fictional works.
1. Hi Mar Café, we're delighted to have you with us today! Let's start. Tell us something surprising about yourself.
By day, I'm a flight attendant.
2. When did you start writing? How has your writing journey been so far?
I began writing short stories when I was about 14. They were terrible! But I enjoyed writing so much that I kept at it. Unlike the other creative arts, in which youth is highly prized, writing is something that only gets better with time, age, and practice. It has been stressful at times, but I've thoroughly enjoyed my writing journey thus far!
3. How did you come up with the idea for your story? And what are your inspirations for the world you have created?
I love historical fiction, especially the Victorian Era and the Roarin' 20s. "Carpe Noctem" was actually my attempt to pay homage to great Gothic novels such as "Dracula" and "Frankenstein". Most of my characters are based on some character from classic Gothic literature. I tried to write not only the dialogue, but the also the prose in the verbiage and style that would have been used in the 1890s.
4. Tell us about the main character and what is special about them.
Lucy Penn (as is mentioned in the narrative) is an impossible duality. She is innocent and kind, but she is a vampire. Pure and monstrous in equal measure. Unlike most young women in the Victorian Era in England, she prizes knowledge and education above all else – something that serves her well in sussing out the answers to her own mystery.
5. If you could be a character in your story, who would it be and why?
Virgil. He's ancient, powerful, all-knowing, but also a snarky little punk. He's definitely the funniest character in the novel, but is also a hunter and is capable of kicking some major demon a**. All while quoting Shakespeare, of course!
6. What challenges did you face while writing this story?
I had to do a great deal of research regarding the layout of London in 1899. It was a very different city then than it is now!
7. What are your favorite books? Both on and outside Wattpad?
My favorite novels will always be the Classics, though I do have an extreme affinity for a good mystery/suspense. On Wattpad, I love anything by annkreeves or bigfivedonaldduckfan. They are absolute story telling geniuses!
8. If you could give any advice to your fellow writers, what would it be?
Don't get discouraged if your novel is not stereotypically "marketable." Keep working on it, keep believing in it, and you will find your target readers!
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Thank you so much, Mar Café, for joining us today. And all of you reading, we hope you found that inspirational! Give her stories some love!
