November 17, 2014
THANKFUL AUTHOR BLOG ROUNDUP
Featuring Marlow Kelly
What I'm thankful for:
I’m thankful for a nice, comfortable home and a wonderful family. What more could a woman want?
What I'm thankful for:
I’m thankful for a nice, comfortable home and a wonderful family. What more could a woman want?
Hi Marlow, thanks for being with us today, tell
me three words that describe yourself starting
with A, B, and C.
with A, B, and C.
Appreciative - because
I’m a lucky woman with a wonderful husband and a great family.
Balanced – Okay maybe
this is more or a goal than a description, but I strive to balance my life and
my priorities. I want to always remember family comes first – no matter what.
Cheerful or Crazy - I had
trouble deciding between these two. There are people out there in the world who
would describe me a cheerful and nice. Then there are others who would say I’m
catnip crazy. (I suppose we all have a crazy side.)
What are your three favorite things?
Spending time with my family
That first cup of coffee in the morning.
And chocolate – enough said.
What for you is the best part
of writing?
I love writing my first draft.
I enjoy making the story up as I go. Although I have a rough outline of the
plot I don’t know what the characters will do or say until I type. It’s a
journey of discovery for me. I’m learning who my characters are, their
strengths and weaknesses, what they like, and the experiences that have formed
them.
What is the worst?
The worst part of writing is
rereading my first draft and realizing how bad it really is. It’s not that the
plot or characters are don’t work it’s just that the manuscript is so rough.
Sentences need to be edited, and any gaps in my research must be explored. My
work goes through several edits before I consider it good enough to show my
editor. Then, of course, there’s more editing to do.
Was there any particular
inspiration for your characters or story?
My novella A Woman of Honour
was inspired by watching the BBC Scotland series A History of Scotland by Neil
Oliver, specially the episode Bishop Makes King. It explains how Bishops
Lamberton and Wishart orchestrated the Scottish Wars of Independence, and how
they aided Robert the Bruce.
Bishop Lamberton was also the
guardian of one of Robert I Generals, James Douglas. Edward I of England killed
James’ father and confiscated all his lands. Once he was old enough, James
joined forces with Robert and the rest, as they say, is history.
How much is your character like you?
My character, Isabel Douglas,
is nothing like me. She’s at least six feet tall, taller than most men at the
time. She’s also extremely thin. She is the sister of John Douglas (A fictional
character.) Bishop Lamberton is also her guardian. She has always felt that
she’s a burden and accepts that it’s her fate to become a nun
I on the other hand am short
and round and could never in a million years become a nun. I can’t imagine ever
being that obedient. The words ‘Does not play well with others’ should be
tattooed across my forehead.
Will there be more books in your series, or
can you tell us about any previous books?
I have written
three novellas, “A woman of Honour” was the first, and I’m happy to announce
that my second novella “A Woman of Love” has just been contracted by The Wild
Rose Press and is in the final stages of editing. The last story is “A Woman of
Courage.”
Although they have
been contracted as a series, they are stand-alone stories and do not have to be
read in any particular order. In fact, they aren’t even set in the same time
period. “A Woman of Honour” is set in Medieval Scotland, Victorian England is
the backdrop for “A Woman of Love," and “A Woman of Courage” takes
place in Early-Christian Ireland at the time of the Viking raids.
Each story
features a heroine who, through no fault of her own, has found herself in a
crisis situation. In my head I collectively call these stories Honour, love and
Courage. To me these are the embodiment of a woman’s best qualities.
Each of us in our
own way possesses honour, love, and courage. These traits provide us with the
strength to continue through the daily grind that can sometimes seem
overwhelming. It takes love, honour, and courage to run a home, care for sick
children, do housework, cooking, cleaning, and then there’s work and careers.
And let’s not forget the bad days when everyone we meet is cranky, annoying, or
just plain mean.
My books are meant
to provide a few hours enjoyment, an escape from the drudgery that can
sometimes seem all consuming.
Angela, thank you for having me on your blog. I suppose that's another thing to be thankful for. I'm surrounded by generous authors, such as yourself, who give budding writers like me a chance to connect with your readers. Thank you
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the chocolate, Marlow! And spending time with family…. Good luck with the books!
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrea.
ReplyDeleteI have so enjoyed this "Thankfulness" series of author interviews! And, Marlow, I'm with you on loving that first draft--it's a joy to write. Your series sounds wonderful!
ReplyDeleteNice post! Best of luck with this series!
ReplyDeleteThank you Katie
DeleteThanks Laura, it's so nice of you to say so. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteReally nice interview. And don't worry Marlow, it takes a crazy person to be cheerful in this world. :) Best of success.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lynda
DeleteMarlow, great interview. I just read something that will make you crazy...there will be a shortage of chocolate soon. Start stocking up now :-) Thanks for your honesty about writing...I share the angst!
ReplyDeleteOh my, a shortage of chocolate. That is CRAZY. Thanks for stopping by, Rolynn.
ReplyDelete