Megan Hansen Shepherd

What about The Island of Dr. Moreau and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde inspired you to write your own interpretation of the story?  I loved the classics when I was a teenager. These in particular bring up such fascinating and frightening ideas about the dark extremes of science. Even if medical technology has improved since they were written, scientific ethics haven’t necessarily, so I think the basic themes are still relevant for modern readers. However, these books had very few female characters, and I wanted to explore retelling them from different, feminine perspectives.

Even though you based your story on The Island of Dr. Moreau and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, how much research did you have to put into it?  I did quite a bit of research for both books, including taking a trip to London to capture to feel of the dark streets of Whitechapel. I heavily researched Victorian-era medicine and surgery, as well as more disturbing topics like vivisection and galvanism. And of course, there was lots of historical details I needed to research—what people wore, what sayings and curses were popular at the time, that sort of thing.

What can you tell us about HER DARK CURIOSITY without giving too much away?  HER DARK CURIOSITY is a direct sequel to THE MADMAN’S DAUGHTER, picking up in London about six months after the events on the island. We learn what has happened to Juliet, and the fate of everyone left behind on the island, and we learn that there is a new danger stalking Juliet—a mass murderer who seems to know quite a bit about her. Once more, Juliet has to face a danger that is very personal.

Can you tell us what story the third book will be based on?  Yes! It’s inspired by FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Shelley. It isn’t a direct retelling—rather, it’s inspired by the legacy of Frankenstein and the science of galvanism. There’s plenty more dark experimentation and twists and surprises. 

The Madman's Daughter trilogy is gothic and dark.  What about the genre and tone inspires you to write?  I’m in love with the rich atmosphere of Gothic literature. It’s so haunting and mysterious that it feels like anything could happen. It’s easy to believe that ghosts are real or people are capable of monstrous things. And I love how timeless the feel is of Gothic literature.

What does it feel like wrapping up a trilogy?  Will we see any of these characters again?  I’ve just finished the first draft of the third book. It’s bittersweet—I’ve been with these characters for years and it’s both strange and satisfying to wrap up their story. I can’t give too much away, but many of the characters from the first novel are present in the second and third; some live, some die, and some have very unusual fates…

Has your writing process changed throughout the course of the 3 books or has it generally stayed the same?  By now, I’ve developed a system for writing. I love organization, so I use lots of charts and graphs and outlines and sticky notes. But at the same time, each book is different. Each time I start one feels like the first time I’ve ever written a novel. It’s still just a blank page you have to fill, hopefully with something worth reading, and that can be so incredible challenging!

What can you tell us about The Cage trilogy?  THE CAGE will be my next trilogy, coming out summer 2015. It’s a YA science fiction about a superpowerful race called the Kindred who abduct human teenagers for a “human zoo.” There’s madness, and danger, and escape, and romance, and I’ve had so much fun working on it!

Any advice for aspiring writers?  I know it’s difficult not to obsess over getting published, but it really is so much more important in the long run to write a high-quality novel you are proud of, then to get published quickly. Take your time to really study writing, read everything, get your work critiqued. Getting published is the easy part—the hard part is writing a great novel. Once you’ve honed your craft and understand what makes books marketable and come up with a great idea that you’ve executed well, then getting published will come naturally. Focus on writing the book, not publishing the book.