Saturday, February 16, 2013

Marian likes to weave mystery with romance



 Hello Marian, and welcome to Adventures in Authorland. Please get comfortable and tell us a little about your adventure.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I've written my whole life but took it seriously about three years ago. I was laid-off from my job and then wound up with open-heart surgery. So I my recovery time to write the novel that had been in my head for years.

What books have most influenced your life most?

When I was moving from New York to New England my history teacher gave me The Red Badge of Courage because I loved history. The emotions that book pulled from me at sixteen and still do to this day amaze me and the ending had me reeling.  I've re-read since and still have the same reaction.

What book are you reading now?

I'm reading a proof of my next book As the World Ends and in between that I'm reading A Little Bit of Baby by RC Bonitz.

Do you see writing as a career?

I do. I love writing, though I'm still looking for a day job. To further my writing career I take various refresher courses online, such as grammar, POV, or any other class that perks my interest. I think it is important to invest in your career.
 How many books have you written?

So far I've written four books.  IF I FAIL and BURN IN HELL, Jake Carrington Mysteries and AS THE WORLD ENDS (self-published) and I'm polishing (re-writing) LOSS OF POWER at the moment, while working on the third book in the Jake Carrington series MATED FOR LIFE.

Which is your favourite?

I love them all, but BURN IN HELL, A Jake Carrington Mystery which released last week is my favorite. I worked at a cemetery/crematory for years. Inside my head I would create stories knowing someday down the road I'd write that book.

In which genre do you prefer to write and why?

I love and read mysteries. I also love romance, so I write mysteries with romantic elements.
.
 Jean, I want to thank you for hosting me today. I'm excited about my newest release. It's the second book in the Jake Carrington Mystery series, BURN IN HELL. It's an exciting time for me and Jake. In September 2012 we saw the first book published and five short months later the second hit the shelves last week.

Blurb


Single again after he and Mia broke up, Jake meets and starts dating a woman who runs a cemetery/crematory. Kyra's (Key-ra) job doesn't bother Jake until he finds evidence she is burning bodies for the mob along with the legitimate ones.  Here's a little taste from the beginning of the book. I hope you and your guests enjoy it.
           
Excerpt BURN IN HELL:
With her head down, she sat at her machine, waiting on the supervisor to come back—to unlock the machine so she could play again. More than anything, she needed to win. A hand landed on her shoulder, startling her. Jerking away, Kyra turned to see who belonged to the hand. Crap, not the supervisor. Joe Dillon, not exactly the person I want to see right now.
“Hi, Kyra.”
“Hey, Joe.”
“How’s it going?” Her host sat down next to her.
“Not good,” she whined.
“I’m sorry to hear it. You know you have a payment due soon?”
Double crapola. “Yes, I know.”
“Why don’t you leave the machine for a while? Come have something to eat with me?”
What could he be up to, she wondered?
“Why?”
“Why? Kyra, let’s discuss your loan payment over dinner, explore your options.”
What options? There weren’t any. All week she racked her brain trying to find a solution to the mess. Though a quiet guy, Joe scared her. Deep inside, she understood he could destroy her. Not a person she’d want to cross.
“Kyra? Please, no one’s going to touch your machine. Maybe a break will change your luck?”
“What the hell. I could eat,” Kyra hissed. Something had to change.
“How about a steak?”
“Fine.”
They got up at the same time, bumping into each other. Joe sat back down, let Kyra get up first. He followed her as she headed to the Trenton Steak House. Joe grabbed her arm and pointed to the private elevator that went directly to the entrance to the Whale Room. She looked at him. He smiled.
“What’s up, Joe?”
“I think you need a real break Kyra, so we’ll head up.”
Curiosity got the better of her, but she figured she’d find out what he was up to in good time. Then the fear hit her. Maybe she shouldn’t leave the floor with him. She owed the casino seventy-five thousand dollars. Behind on her payments, she spent three grand tonight trying to win her next payment. Stupid—how could I be so stupid? I should’ve made a partial payment with the three grand instead of gambling tonight. They wouldn’t beat up her up, would they? Tasting the bile as it violently pushed up from her stomach, scorching a path to her throat. Kyra couldn’t control the tears that flooded into her eyes when she started to choke.
“Are you all right, Kyra?”
“I don’t want to leave the public floor, Joe.” Kyra’s hands shook along with her entire body. Unable to control her voice as it cracked, her mind searching for an escape.
“I have a deal for you, but I can’t discuss it in an open area. We’ll discuss it upstairs, over dinner.” He smiled.
Oh yeah, she thought, the farmer leading the cow to the slaughter. “What kind of deal?”
“We’ll discuss it upstairs,” he repeated firmly.
“You’re not going to break my legs or anything like that. Are you?” she half-heartily joked.
“No such thing, Kyra. Relax.” Now’s the time too really worry, she thought. Just like the “trust me” phrase, it gave her the willies.
* * * *
Joe Dillon studied Kyra as they rode up in the elevator. To look at her, you’d never guess she’d lost control of her life. He liked her curves, her full lips, and the wild, curly red hair. Shorter than he, she stood about five feet four inches—he didn’t like looking up at a woman. Too many women today were taller than him. He looked into her green, green eyes, his mind taking off in all directions. Not now, Joe. Kyra’s not worth the trouble. He knew she had a son—her divorce a by-product of gambling. The boss told him this morning she was losing custody of her son. What woman gambles to the point of losing her child? Joe thought about the deal he’d be offering her, dragging her down even further. He pushed the guilt from his mind. Not my problem. Kyra did this to herself. If I ever caught Camile gambling, I’d break her legs. Joe saw what gambling did to families. Too much heartache for too little reward, he mused.
Joe thought of the deal he’d lay on the table for her—two choices—wondering which one she’d choose. Neither was pleasant. I’m only the messenger. That’s how he justified his work. Blinded by greed, these people put themselves in this position with their gambling addictions.

BIO:
One of ten children, Marian took to writing to explore new and adventurous places. While her friends traveled on planes for vacation, Marian traveled in books. With an overactive imagination, it didn’t take long for her to start creating her own characters and stories. IF I FAIL, A Jake Carrington Mystery that released in 2012, is the first book in the series.
As an avid reader, she discovered mysteries by reading the Daily News as a youngster. Intrigued by the real life crimes, and how the police worked and eventually solved them, ignited her imagination beyond the ordinary.
An English professor marked her final paper with an A, but wrote a note that said, “Well done, though you’re not Virginia Woolf yet, so add a little action to the story.” That one line had her punching up the action in stories to come.
Marian has many plans (books) for Jake Carrington and his crew. She invites you to discover these wonderful characters and share your impressions at: marian.author@gmail.com or www.marianl.com
Buy links:
Burn in Hell Book trailer: http://youtu.be/AP2r5W7zeTo

16 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for having me here today, Jean.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Marian, I enjoyed reading the excerpt of Burn in Hell and will shoot over to Amazon and like your novel and will download a copy. All the best for your publication.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amy, thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt. I'd love to hear back from you after you read the novel. Enjoy your weekend.

      Delete
  3. Marian, as I've said before, Burn in Hell is a wonderful book, like its predecessor. Your life experiences only serve to enrich the character of Kyra. What makes her even more real is her humanity, her weaknesses, and the interplay between her and Jake is great as she tries to regain control of her life.

    Can't wait to read the next book!

    Best wishes always!

    Julie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, Julie, thank you so much. I try hard to make all the characters believable, like us all.

      Delete
  4. Terrific Interview Marian.
    I thought the occupation you gave to Kyra was an unusual one, though it also lent to making her all that more intresting of a character. The quandry Jake found himself in was equally as riviting when he finds himself caring about Kyra, all the while knowing in his gut something is terribly wrong.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Roberta. People used to be stunned when I told them what I did for a living. Though it was one of my favorite jobs working there.

      Delete
  5. Good interview. Interesting situation, Marian. Like the hook. Makes me wonder how you can pull of the HEA. Good luck with sales.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marsha, my books are mysteries with romantic elements but I do after making them suffer get the characters there. :)

      Delete
  6. Hi Marian (hugs) - hello Jean...nice place:)
    Marian, I saw you were here so thought I'd drop in and say 'Hi'...everytime I stop in at one of your interviews I learn something new about you...thank goodness you think of writing as your career because you're darn brilliant at it *smiles*
    Have an excellent day, ladies;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, KayDee, you made my day. Thank you so much, Marian

      Delete
  7. Hello Marian, all I can say is I think your Jake Carrington series is great. Keep them coming.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lorrie, so happy you like Jake. I think I'm in love with him. :)

      Delete
  8. Wild cover -- "Burn in Hell," and intriguing title. Best wishes with your release.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The cover, title, and excerpt of BURN IN HELL are amazing. Good luck, and keep writing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great to see you all over the place, Marian!

    ReplyDelete