Welcome! Please tell us your name and a little bit about yourself.
Hello! My name is Marie Lavender. I am a multi-genre author from the Midwest. I live with my family and three cats, though there will probably be eight when I get married to my fiancé.
I have been writing stories for years, since I was a child. At the age of nine is when I really started to plan on being an author. Stories always played out in my head, and it just made sense to write them all down. So, I pursued the dream, and even majored in Creative Writing in College. About five years after I graduated, I decided to really get into publishing my work. In 2012, I was discovered by Solstice Publishing, and I’ve been with them ever since.
What motivates you to write?
I can be inspired by anything really – current events, conversations, observations. Mainly, I guess I just let the muse take me wherever it wants. More often than not, characters come to me, demanding for their stories to be told. I follow them down the nutty path of writing.
What is the title of your most recent book? Give us a brief overview on what the book is about.
My latest book, which releases on November 15th, is called Blue Vision. The novel is about a young woman who comes across a strange man in the middle of a Montana winter. But what happens next is totally unexpected…
Here is the blurb:
Brooke Sanders just wants to get away from her life for awhile. A remote cabin in Montana fits the bill. She doesn’t expect to encounter a mysterious stranger with unusual blue eyes, or events that cannot be explained…
Colin Fielding is on a mission – scout a planet and return home to Endhivar. Simple really. What he doesn’t anticipate is that fate has a pretty twisted sense of humor. Suddenly, this human calls to him, every part of him, like the call of a true mate, and he can’t deny the connection as he gets closer to her.
Little do they know, someone is out to do them harm, as well as the world Brooke holds so dear. Can they stop what’s coming before it’s too late? Or will the universe lose a perfect gem?
What makes it unique from the other books out there?
I think Endhivar is what makes it different. Also Colin, the Code, and, of course, the connection between the two characters.
What is the title of your current work-in-progress or the most recent manuscript you’ve completed apart from your most recent book? Would you mind sharing what it is about?
The project I’m currently editing is called Directions of the Heart. It’s a contemporary romance/romantic drama collection of four stories. The best way to describe the book is that it’s comprised of eight different people on a journey of loss, growth, redemption, healing and romance.
I see that you’ve also self-published in the past. Which do you like better, publishing on your own or using a traditional publisher?
I like both. I enjoy the community of authors at the publishing company, knowing we’re all in the same place and we can learn from each other, learn from the publisher too. But I also tend to favor having some control over the various aspects of publishing (book cover art, release date, et cetera). Being an indie author, I get to experience both sides.
You consider yourself a multi-genre author. Did you always plan to go in different directions?
No, not really. Originally, I only planned to be a romance author. But the muse had different ideas. When I wised up, I realized I had to leave my mind completely open for stories. That’s when the best things come to you, right? The ones you don’t expect. Heck, last year, I even published a children’s fantasy novella. That definitely wasn’t planned! But I wouldn’t undo it either. It was a fun experience.
I had a professor once who gave me some really great advice. She told me not to limit myself to one genre, and she was right. Besides, I’m not a great conformist. I never liked boxing myself in with anything. Why should I do that with writing?
Your author tagline on your site is ‘exploring worlds one page at a time’. Could you expand a bit on that? What made you decide to pick that for your author brand?
It made an eerie kind of sense. Going along with the theme of being a multi-genre author, I took a good look at my 117+ works in progress, and I saw a trend forming. The stories were all over the place, just like I am in my likes and dislikes in life. Fiction is about building a world for the reader to become absorbed in. And my books are about different worlds.
Who are five of your favorite authors?
Five of my favorites are J.R. Ward, Chloe Neill, P.C. Cast, Kris Tualla and Nora Roberts.
How often do you write?
Well, it depends on the project, and whether I’m focused on it. If I’m editing, that can slow down progress on other story ideas. Mostly I write random scenes until I’m ready to start plotting and really get down to writing the bulk of the novel. After I’ve done all the research I can, and learned everything about the characters, I start making a timeline of the book and filling in the gaps. Of course, the characters still surprise me now and then. As for how often I write, once I’m heavily focused on a project, I try to work on the book a little every day, even if I’m only writing a paragraph, a whole scene or a chapter. Anything gets you closer to that goal.
What famous author would you compare your own writing style with?
I’m not sure I could compare my style to a specific author. But if a fan would like to venture a guess, I’m open to finding out. Personally, I feel more like I’m an unruly blend of different authors when it comes to my writing style.
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward. I’ve read it before, but sometimes I find myself reading the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series all over again. It doesn’t help when one of your favorite authors keeps adding to an already lengthy series. At the same time, I wouldn’t want her to stop writing.
Time for some quick questions:
- Favorite Quote? “You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.” ― Oscar Wilde
- Favorite Book? Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
- Favorite Book Series? Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill
- Favorite Movie? Kate & Leopold
- Favorite TV Show? Arrow
- Coffee or Tea? Decaf French Vanilla Coffee
- If you could have one superpower what would it be? Mindreading
If you could be one character from your own writing, who would it be and why?
Oh, I might choose Adrienne Bellamont Hill from the Heiresses in Love Series. The final book in the series, Upon Your Love, should be out sometime in 2017. Talk about someone fearless. I’d like to step into her shoes for a day!
Finally, what advice would you give to other writers?
Oh my God, please be patient! It will save you in so many situations. Just do the best you can, and don’t try to push too hard for everything to go faster. You’ll just run into roadblocks that you’ll wish you didn’t bother with in the first place.
Author Bio and Links
Bestselling multi-genre author of UPON YOUR RETURN and 21 other books. March 2016 Empress of the Universe title – winner of the “Broken Heart” themed contest and the “I Love You” themed contest on Poetry Universe. SECOND CHANCE HEART and A LITTLE MAGICK placed in the TOP 10 on the 2015 P&E Readers’ Poll. Nominated in the TRR Readers’ Choice Awards for Winter 2015. Poetry winner of the 2015 PnPAuthors Contest. The Versatile Blogger Award for 2015. Honorable Mention in the 2014 BTS Red Carpet Book Awards. Finalist and Runner-up in the 2014 MARSocial’s Author of the Year Competition. Honorable mention in the January 2014 Reader’s Choice Award. Liebster Blogger Award for 2013 and 2014. Top 10 Authors on AuthorsDB.com. Winner of the Great One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published Authors.
Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and three cats. She has been writing for over twenty years. She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 22 books in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, fantasy, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. Blue Vision will be book 23, where she breaks into the science fiction genre. She has also contributed to several anthologies. Her current series are The Heiresses in Love Series, The Magick Series, The Code of Endhivar Series and The Blood at First Sight Series.
http://marielavender.com/ Blogs: http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/ http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/ http://marielavender.blogspot.com/ Graphic design company: http://www.ambrosiainnovations.com/ https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58 https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender https://twitter.com/marielavender1 https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MarieLavender/posts http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marie-lavender/27/187/10a Amazon author page: Author.to/MarieLavender https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavender http://www.pw.org/content/marie_lavender http://manicreaders.com/marielavender/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu8HjRVYCFOqcIoX6ZxdqQ/videos
Author David Wiley 
Fab interview, great Marie. Thanks so much for hosting Marie. Good luck with all your books.
Thanks, Jane! 🙂