Behind Their Books, with @marielavender1

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Welcome back to Behind Their Books. This time around we have a whole new set of questions and many great authors. The first author to answer these new questions is the multi-genre writer Marie Lavender!

Can you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

Sure, I come from a small town in the Midwest. For privacy, I won’t say which one, but let’s just state it’s ‘Small Town U.S.A.’. Not being exposed to city life, I think, actually made me open my mind to more fantastic realms in my imagination. I have two cats, and I live with my family. I love reading romance books and shopping at different places. Don’t trust me with a credit card! LOL.

What genre(s) do you write in?

I’ve published 21 books in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, romantic comedy, dramatic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. I’ve also tried writing in other genres, such as horror and time travel fiction. I mainly write for adults, though I have written a kid’s fantasy and a young adult mystery story.

In what ways do you enjoy reading? Do you use an ereader? Audiobooks? Paperback? Hardcover? All of the above?

I think I’m more old-fashioned. I prefer paper over an ebook. I’m not too picky. For convenience, I might choose paperback, but I won’t snub my nose at a hardback version either.

What were the last few books you’ve bought?

The Veil by Chloe Neill and The Sinner by J.R. Ward

What inspired you to become a writer?

I think reading a lot when I was a kid didn’t hurt. I was fascinated by the fictional worlds I read about. But more than anything, it was just that stories kept flowing through my head, and I couldn’t get them out of there unless I wrote them all down. That hasn’t stopped to this day, so I think I’m doing what I was meant to.

Do you have any advice to share with your fellow writers?

Just keep plugging away. Keep writing. Listen to the muse and tell the stories in your heart. They won’t steer you wrong.

Be patient with your personal writing journey. It will take as long as it takes.

Persevere as well. There will be naysayers along the way. Ignore them, and go your own direction. Keep pushing through, and don’t be afraid to try new tactics that will broaden your overall experience.

What got you into writing the genre or the subgenre you write in?

I’ve always been obsessed with the romance genre, so it’s no hardship for me to try different subgenres within that realm. But now and then, the muse leads me somewhere else that I didn’t even anticipate, and I have to keep an open mind. There’s a reason it’s guiding me there, too.

In my last batch of questions, I asked authors about the diversity in their writing. But writers are readers too! Have you always read diversely? If not, what steps have you taken to expand your reading, when it comes to more inclusive and own voices books?

I guess from the beginning I read multicultural romances now and then, and I didn’t really think about it until that became a thing. But I’ve always read different types of books. I’m open to anything really, whether the perspective is about a minority group or has an LGBT theme. I just have a soft spot for romantic stories, no matter what.

Do you think your high school self would be surprised with the career path you’ve chosen? Or have you always wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always wanted this. I think she might be surprised at some of the opportunities I’ve tried along the path, how I’ve put myself out there in ways I never thought I would. I’m definitely more daring than I used to be.

If for some reason you couldn’t write, at least on the scale that you do now, what would you like to be doing? If writing isn’t your primary job right now, what is?

If I couldn’t write, I would like to be reading books as a profession. Wouldn’t that be nice? LOL. Or, maybe own a bookstore or something. Work at the library? I would just want to be close to books in some way.

Outside of book-related things, what are some of your hobbies? Do any of them end up influencing your books?

Shopping is a big hobby of mine, which can get me into a lot of trouble financially. So, yeah, you could say being a fashionista bled a bit into one of my latest characters.

2020 is halfway over. How’ve you been holding up this year? Getting more reading and writing done? Less? Maybe getting by some other way?

Less writing probably, and more reading. But overall, I think it has been hard for a lot of writers to stay focused on their goals because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Find more about Marie Lavender from:

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If you’d like to be the next author interviewed, click on the image at the top of this post to find out how!