We sat down with author Gabrielle Meyer to chat about her latest book, Across the Ages. In Across the Ages, Gabrielle Meyer transports us between 1727 and 1927. She explores the life of a woman with the extraordinary gift of time crossing. From her inspiration drawn from the mysterious Anne Bonny to the intricate plotting behind her dual-timeline narrative, Gabrielle offers a glimpse into her creative world. Discover her motivations, writing routine, and the deeper messages woven into the story.

Could you give readers a glimpse into the world of Across the Ages? What themes and characters can they expect to encounter when delving into your story?

Across the Ages is set in both 1727 and 1927. It’s a story about a woman born with the gift of time crossing. When she goes to sleep in 1727, she wakes up in 1927. And when she goes to sleep in 1927, she returns to her life in 1727. No time passes while she’s gone. Her time-crossing mother abandoned her as an infant, and she has no idea why she has this gift. As she sets out to find her mother in 1727, she encounters a ship full of pirates on the hunt for a missing treasure. In 1927, she’s the daughter of a prominent minister, but her brothers are messed up in bootlegging and corruption. Redemption, finding home, and struggling to know right from wrong are big themes in this story.

How did you bring your story to life? Please tell us about the inspiration behind Across the Ages.

This is the fourth book in my Timeless series, and it was originally inspired by Anne Bonny, the young woman who ran away from home and became a pirate in the early 1700s. Anne dressed as a man on the pirate ship, though she was married to the captain, Calico Jack Rackham. When the ship was captured, Anne’s life was spared, because she was pregnant. After a short time in prison, she disappears from the history books. I always wanted to know what happened to her and her baby—so I wrote the ending myself.

Reflecting on your journey as an author, what motivated you to pursue storytelling?

I grew up above a carriage house on a historic estate and asked my mom lots of questions about the people who had lived there in the 1890s. That was where I fell in love with history. Then, I became a tour guide at the Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site in my hometown, where I spent ten years telling the story of the Lindbergh family. My love for storytelling was born there. As an adult, I combined the two things I love and started writing historical novels.

Can you share a little bit about your writing routine? Are there particular habits that helped you draw inspiration?

I am a super-plotter, which means that I have a detailed outline before I start each story. I need to make sure all the pieces line up before I start, so I don’t have a mess of rewrites later. For several months before I start a project, I begin my research, then the week before I write the story, I fill in my outline. Each day, I sit down, read the chapter I wrote the day before, making small corrections as I go, then I write the next chapter. This process helps me complete a full-length novel in about a month.

Navigating the early stages of writing can be challenging for many aspiring authors. What valuable advice would you offer to those looking to embark on their own writing journey?

Over the years, I’ve learned that the best thing you can do for your writing career is to finish your story, submit it to agents and editors (if you’re seeking traditional publishing), and then set it aside and start working on your next story. Each story teaches you something new. My best advice is to write the first book, set it aside, write the second, set it aside, write the third, and so on. Before my first 20,000-word novella was published, I had written five full-length novels that have never been published. But those novels taught me so much. Nothing is wasted.

Within Across the Ages, is there a particular scene or moment that resonates deeply with you? If so, what makes it special?

I think the scene that resonates the most with me, and this is probably true for all my books, is the final scene. The moment when the character is at peace with her journey, when she’s hopeful and resolved because she’s learned something new, and when you see her in her happily-ever-after. This is the scene that the whole story builds towards, and it feels so satisfying.

Speaking of the story, what underlying message or messages do you hope readers take away from the pages of Across the Ages?

I never set out with a message, but I usually find one as I’m writing the story. I think the message in Across the Ages is that there is nothing new. History tends to repeat itself, and each generation faces their own difficulties, challenges and triumphs.

Looking ahead, are you working on any future releases that we can anticipate? If so, our readers would love to hear an exclusive sneak peek!

Across the Ages is book four in my Timeless series, but there will be book five, six, and seven to look forward to! Book five, Every Hour Until Then, will be released in May 2025. It’s about a woman who lives in London in 1888 and Washington, DC in 1938. In 1938, she’s invited to the London Museum as a guest curator to create a ground-breaking exhibit on Jack the Ripper and his reign of terror, but she quickly learns that her sister from 1888 will be Jack’s last victim. With the help of her handsome childhood friend, she goes on a perilous journey to uncover the man that history has chosen to hide and must decide if she’ll forfeit her path to save her sister.

You can find Gabrielle’s Timeless series here. If you want to read other author interviews, check out the interview with Nicholas Williams or Anne van Zwieten