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Book Brew w Coffee Crew

Interview-Marilee Brothers

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CTR: Welcome to our next author, Marilee Brothers. First, please give us a bit of information about the book or books you’re sharing today. At least ISBN, Publisher and buy link please! Also the genre and heat level if applicable.

MB: I’m sharing a short story called The First Thanksgiving. Currently, I’m working on the fourth book in my young adult urban fantasy series called Unbidden Magic. The first three books are Moonstone, Moon Rise and Moon Spun. Two more are planned in the series.

CTR: What is your favorite historical period or region and why? Did you enjoy history while you were in school or was it frankly boring? How would you suggest we teach history to kids now””(i.e.) can fiction maybe be a tool here? Do you think we can and should learn from the past or is it now irrelevant to modern times and issues?

MB: My grandmother was French and several years ago, I had a chance to visit her home area of Angers, France in the Loire valley. Angers was the medieval capital of the ancient region of Anjou. In the center of town, there’s a beautiful walled castle on the banks of the Maine River. I’d love to go back to that time and drop in for a visit.

I had some wonderful history teachers that made the subject fascinating. I had others that made it dry as dust. I would love to see historical fiction used more frequently by teachers. Also, movies like “Saving Private Ryan.” It’s amazing how little today’s kids know about World War II. As the saying goes, “Those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it.”

CTR: Do you think historical accuracy is important in fiction? How about the use of modern speech and politically correct ideas instead of those that faithfully portray the period? Do you find this good, bad, a necessary evil or something you shun?

MB: Readers of historical fiction are pretty savvy. They want to be transported to a different time and place. I don’t think they would tolerate historical inaccuracy or using political correctness in place of an honest portrayal. I know I wouldn’t.

CTR: Can you share a favorite author and title that perhaps inspired you to write in the historical genre?

MB: Along with millions of others, I love Diane Gabaldon’s Outlander series. Time travel and historical accuracy are a dynamite combination. And who could resist Jamie and Claire’s on-going love story?

CTR: Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving family tradition or story to share? Does the old “Over the river and through the woods to grandma’s” verse resonate with you in terms of childhood memories or stories you heard or was your family pattern quite different? How about a recipe that you associate with this harvest and thankfulness time of year? What is your favorite dish of your family or circle’s traditional feast?

MB: Well, there was the time our Labrador Retriever snagged the half-thawed turkey from the counter and made a run for it. “Nuff said!

CTR: If there was such a thing as a time machine where would be the first place you would go once you had a ticket to ride? Do you think you’d want to stay or just look around and then come right back to today?

MB: I wrote a book called Castle Ladyslipper that was set in 1172 during the reign of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Between the two, they ruled all of England and a large portion of France. They had a severe falling out. Each raised an army and they waged war against each other. I’d love to travel back in time and drop into one of their castles. Wouldn’t want to stay, though. No antibiotics. Women were basically chattel who were married off to improve their families’ fortunes. Life expectancy was roughly 30 years.

CTR: I have to agree with you there! The middle ages were pretty horrible in a lot of ways; most of the romance books set at that time are really fantasy IMHO!! But we can still enjoy them!

Where can our readers find out more about you and your writing? Please share your web site, social network pages, blogs or any other contact areas you maintain

MB: Please visit me at www.marileebrothers.com. While you’re there, enter my monthly contest for a chance to win a $10 iTunes download or a box of Aplets and Cotlets from my home state of Washington. My newsletter is called the Obsessive Page Turner. If you subscribe, you will be entered in another contest for a signed copy of one of my books. I’m also on Twitter and Face Book.

CTR: Thanks for being part of our November event and please come back whenever you have a book to share that fits the theme or just to visit with us!!

Author

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0 COMMENTS

  • Yadira A.

    Hi Marilee!
    I haven’t had the chance to read Diane Gabaldon’s Outlander series, but I hear so much good things about it I’ll have to pick up soon:) Castle Ladyslipper sounds like a good read… I agree with that time period is fascinating but I wouldn’t want to stay either. Washington is my home state too!

    yadkny@hotmail.com

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You’ve just typed The End. Sigh! You’re done…

Not so fast. You can be absolutely sure that somewhere in that stack of pages are: embarrassing plot holes; limp love scenes; sentences that clank instead of ring; conflicts that go nowhere; colorless cardboard characters; and fight scenes with absolutely no punch.

But don’t despair. That, my dear romance novelists, is why God made rewrites.

In this month-long online class, New York Times bestselling author Angela Knight will demonstrate how to excavate the outstanding book buried under layers of dreck. She’ll cover everything from finding and plugging logic holes to transforming a dull love scene into something that will make your reader’s toes twitch.

What’s more, you’ll be able to email your work to Angela for private critique and help figuring out how to fix problematic scenes.

Topics include:

Introduction -- What the class will cover
More than Storytelling -- A terrific story does you no good if your writing is limp, confusing or so illogical you break your reader’s suspension of disbelief. This lesson will explore why rewrites are crucial to excavating and polishing your gem of a story.
Merciless reading -- Spotting problem scenes and deciding on a solution.
Hunting Holes -- Plugging pesky plot holes. “Oh, my God, this makes no sense! How am I going to fix this without throwing out the book?”
Razor Blade Fangs -- Using emotion to give a dull scene big, sharp, pointy teeth.
The Dance of Dialog – Adding interest and sparkle to flat dialog
For God’s Sake, Tell a Joke – Snark, smartassery and sarcasm.
Spicing up the sex – What to do about a love scene that just lies there.
Tear Jerking – Depicting the character’s pain without getting maudlin.
Blood, Sex and Romance -- Giving a fight scene maximum punch
Down in the Dumps – Repairing info dumps.
Fixing a shi**y sentence: How to spot and fix sentences that stop readers in their tracks.
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