Q.
Science is usually associated with words such as cold, logic and exact. Back in
the day, women and romance in Science Fiction were seen as distractions.
“Crossing in Time” not only has a female protagonist but also a love interest
with a male protagonist that doesn’t erase her brilliance. How are your readers
reacting to this?
A
Kirkus reviewer (who must have been expecting hard sci-fi) summarized my book
as "two star-crossed lovers attempt to save
the world with sex" and "erotic
fiction dressed—barely—as sci-fi" (and that "dressed
barely" comment came after he panned the wordplay in the book.)
I
can't deny that reviews like that one sting a bit (okay, they sting a lot!)
because after spending thousands of hours writing the book, thousands of
dollars publishing the book (copyediting, proofreading, cover design,
typesetting, etc.), and way to many hours trying to get reviews for the book,
it's tough when someone tosses your work off as sordid junk.
But
the good news is, most of my readers like the book, and some love it, and when
readers say stuff like "it's the best sci-fi love story I've ever
read" or call it "clever and absolutely hilarious" make it all
worthwhile!
After
I received the Kirkus review, the book went on to win multiple awards, received
a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and made the PW "Great Indie
Stars of 2015" list (one of only twelve indie novels selected in 2015!)
In
the end, whether or not a reader connects with a book is a very personal (and
somewhat unpredictable!) thing. My goal is to get the book into the hands of as
many readers as possible and hope that some of them will connect with it (and I
live to read those reviews!)
Q. When
asked about time traveling, you seem to be interested in going back to do your
laundry (ah! I would go back to read a few books). What do you think about the
possibility of visiting the future? Is that something you would go for?
To
be honest, if I did go back in time, laundry would be the last thing on my list
(just like it is now!) I'm more interested in finding a volunteer to go back
and do the laundry. Any takers? ;-)
If
forced to choose between the past and the future, I'd go forward. I think it's
easy to be romantic about the past (simpler times, more relaxed, etc.), but it
would be tough to live without antibiotics, running water, or the internet (and
I'm well-aware that there are people TODAY who don't have those basic
necessities. We should fix that.)
Q.
I don’t have a favorite genre. Still, lately I don’t find myself reading much
Science Fiction. However, writers I’ve come across seem to focus on traveling
to different planets/galaxies instead of realities. What made you take that
step?
I
grew up reading Asimov, Heinlein, Le Guin, Clarke, and the rest of the sci-fi
greats. I loved their world building, and the glimpse they gave me of possible
futures, both good and bad. But what I love most are the characters. I can
never remember book titles, and a few years down the road I struggle to remember
all the plot twists, but the good characters stick with you. They change you,
became a part of you. I aspire to that with my writing.
As
far as science fiction, I use time travel as a plot device. It allows me to
examine the characters at different stages in their lives and twist things up a
bit (would you still have fallen in love with your mate if you had met ten
years earlier? What about ten years later? How much is love a
"timing" thing versus a "meant for each other" sort of
thing?)
One
of the toughest challenges with marketing the book is that it crosses genres
with abandon: sci-fi, action-adventure, romance, literary, mystery, and (yes
Kirkus reviewer who hated the book) some explicit sex. Real life is like that:
a mingling of different genres, unpredictable but compelling (and great sex is
one of the very best pleasures life has to offer.)
Bottom
line: I enjoy reading books that don't stick to some pre-defined formula, so I
wrote one that doesn't.
Q. If
you could have a famous scientist write herself/himself into your novel, who
would you choose?
Someone who was
ahead of his or her time and suffered a bit for following the science:
Semmelwise (hand washing), Boltzmann (atoms), or Wegener (continental drift). Illegitimi non carborundum (don't let the idiots get you down.)
Q. I
love how you've given graphics as headers to each chapter! Why did you
decide to do this instead of the more usual fancy (i.e. illegible) first
letter?
I'm
a serious Harry Potter fan (although a muggle, I'm sorry to admit), and I love
the drawings that J.K. Rowling puts at the top of her chapters. They are
whimsical and cartoonish but give you a hint of what's to come. So I copied her
idea. (Now if I could just copy her success 😏). My illustrator, Micah
McDonald, got an early edition of the book and came up with the illustrations
on his own. I had a great time going through the story elements that grabbed
his attention and coming up with chapter titles to fit.
(By
the way, you're the only one who's commented on them, Paul, so thank you! One
of the most rewarding parts of writing a book is finding a reader who
appreciates (and "gets") the wordplay (illustration-play?), hidden
meanings, and outside references. High five!)
Q. The
first-person point of view changes through the novel between 3 characters who
are very different from each other. Did you find it difficult to switch
your writing style from one character to another, or even face difficulties in
deciding from which character to base the point of view on?
Isabel: There were
times when I wasn't sure I wanted to trust a writer with my life, but D.L.
Orton cares about the same things I do, so I mostly just let the story unfold.
In the end, I wasn't keen on some of the scarier scenes (and I'm still sad about
that poor dog), but the author assures me that everything will work out in the
end. Right, Diego?
Diego: Mierda, it's
always a challenge to figure out what a woman is thinking—let alone what
they're going to do next—but I gave it my best shot. When you love someone the
way I love Iz, you find a way to make it work—or die trying. (And I'm not big
on dying.) I believe that beneath our differences—our languages, religions, and
politics—people are all looking for that one person who gives their life meaning,
that one heart that beats in time with their own, and I'm no different. I may
not always agree with the author on the best way to handle the situation, but I
try to play the cards I'm dealt to the best of my ability. And BTW, I'm still
waiting for my royal flush.
Matt: Bloody hell.
I'd love to say that being in a book was a doddle, but those damn Americans
can't even make a decent cuppa tea. Imagine being asked to trust one with your
black British nature? I expected things to go pear-shaped straight away, but so
far, Bob's your uncle—and the author does let me fly a plane occasionally.
Besides, math and science are the universal language, and once I get that
sodding time machine working, things will be tickety-boo. In the mean time,
could someone from the future send back some tea and biscuits?
Crossing in Time
Between Two Evils Book 1
by D.L. Orton
Genre: Action-Adventure, Dystopian, Time Travel, Love Story
The past isn't over, it's an opening. The future isn't hidden, it's a trap.
If she ever wants to see him again, she'll have to take the risk...
Publishers Weekly Starred Review: "Funny, Romantic & Harrowing!"
When offered a one-way trip to the past, Iz sacrifices everything for a chance to change her dystopian future—and see her murdered lover one last time.
After a perilous journey through a black hole, she wakes up on a tropical beach, buck naked and mortally wounded—but twenty years younger! With only hours to live, she must convince an enraptured but skeptical twenty-something guy to fix their future relationship and thereby save the planet (no one is quite sure why.)
But it's easier said than done, as success means losing him to a brainy, smart-mouthed bombshell (her younger self), and that's a heartbreaker, save the world or not.
Across the infinite expanse of space and time, love endures...
(Unfortunately, it’s not going to be enough.)
FALL INTO THIS EDGY, action-packed, darkly comedic, dystopian love story, and be prepared to encounter a finicky time machine, a mysterious seashell, and a very clever dog (some sex, some swearing, some violence, but no vampires and absolutely no ditzes.)
Content Warning!
This book contains material that may be disturbing to some, and in movie form, would be rated NC-17 for strong language, nudity, sexual situations, and violence (including attempted sexual assault, abduction, intense danger, miscarriage, confinement, a pandemic, religious fanaticism (Christian), government malevolence, and death).
Reader discretion is advised.
**Get it FREE!! **
Book Trailer
Lost Time
Between Two Evils Book 2
From the award-winning author D. L. ORTON comes book two in the Between Two Evils Series...
If someone took everything you live for, how far would you go to get it back?
When a faulty time machine deposits Diego at the top of a towering evergreen, he knows he's in the wrong place—but has no idea he's also in the wrong time. Naked and shivering in the primeval forest, he attempts to climb down—but slips, whacks his head on a branch, and tumbles into oblivion.
He awakens inside a darkened room, crippled and disheartened, and must come to grips with the realization that he is marooned in a bleak alternate future. In this universe, what remains of the human race is trapped inside a handful of aging biodomes. With his mission failed, his world destroyed, and the one woman he loves dead, he can find no reason to go on living.
Except Lani, the emotionally scarred doctor who must put Diego's broken body back together, refuses to let him die, and as Diego heals, their relationship becomes... complicated. He struggles to let go of the past but is unable to get Isabel out of his head—or his heart. Just when it seems he may be able to find some measure of happiness in a world teetering on the edge of extinction...
Another note arrives from his past: Isabel is alive—but not for long. Find the time machine, and go home before it's too late...
~ Hoffer Book Award Grand Prize shortlist
~ Colorado Book Award finalist
Dead Time
Between Two Evils Book 3
If someone took everything you live for, how far would you go to get it back?
From award-winning author D. L. ORTON comes book three in the Between Two Evils series...
Shannon fights to stay alive inside a rogue biodome and discovers something totally unexpected... Peter. Lani is forced into the role of the reluctant heroine but rediscovers her street-kid mojo and sets out to find everything she's lost. Diego receives another dirty sock (and a note) from the poorly aimed fireball express: "The window between universes is closing." If Diego has any hope of getting back to Iz, he must get to the Magic Kingdom and power up the time machine before it's too late.
What could possibly go wrong?
DL ORTON, THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the BETWEEN TWO EVILS series, lives in the foothills of the Rockies where she and her husband are raising three boys, a golden retriever, two Siberian cats, and an extremely long-lived Triops. ?ﾟﾏﾽ♂
In her spare time, she's building a time machine so that someone can go back and do the laundry.
$50 Amazon or Paypal
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Thanks for the shout-out! ♥️
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