Interview: Insights with Joanna Volavka

Recently, Joanna Volavka, author of Threadwalkers, was interviewed by Joel Van Valin for Time Travel Nexus.

Miranda, the heroine of Threadwalkers, likes books, cats, and Amelia Earhart. How similar is she to the sixteen-year-old Joanna Volavka
Joanna VolavkaMiranda and teenage me share a few things, particularly the love of books and cats, but we are also quite different. I was a total band geek in high school and also in a bunch of clubs and, while not a “popular” kid, was very outgoing, whereas Miranda pretty much just hangs with her closest friends and is a little more on the introverted side. Of course there will always be a little of me in each of my characters, though! Adult Joanna, for instance, is fascinated by Amelia Earhart and various other unexplained bits of history.
What made you want to write a time travel novel?
This story didn’t begin its life as a time travel tale—it actually began as a ghost story and grew into time travel as I asked myself what kind of scientific explanation could be given to ghost sightings. Seeing different points in time clicked for me, so naturally the next question was if you can see another point in time, is it possible to visit that other point? Hello, time travel!
You currently live in Chicago, but most of Threadwalkers takes place in North Carolina. Is there any particular reason you set the novel in the southeast?
Looks like I need to update my bio in a few places—I relocated to southern California in December, and am basking in the mild winter weather! But I set the story in North Carolina because that is where I went to high school and it’s still home in a way. I wanted to delve into a setting I knew, and while the town of Henley is thoroughly fictional, it has elements from many places I’ve lived or visited, including in North Carolina, Illinois, and Michigan.


For the complete interview, click HERE or visit 
timetravelnexus.com/interview-a-few-questions-for-joanna-volavka/

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