Embedded Files
Written Author Interview with Author
Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in Oklahoma and grew up all over the west, Colorado, Wyoming, California, then to Arizona and Florida. I have a furry family. Also, a feathered family. I love cats, but my best buddy was my big dog, a 50-pound cocker spaniel named Tivis, or TV for short. I miss him still.
I have a brother who is phenomenal and a beautiful, talented sister. My daughter is the most wonderful woman on the planet. Uncles and Aunts, Cousins, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, I am blessed to still have my mother who is living with me.
Hobbies—wow. Cooking, baking, gardening, crafts, woodworking—and writing!
I retired from the USPS as a manager—27 years—but have tried a little of everything. Waitress, dog washer, lawn maintenance, caregiver for developmentally disabled adults, now casual labor for Citrus County Parks and Rec. Did I leave anything out? Oh, yes! Writing!
Which genres(s) do you write?
Cozy Mysteries, Humor.
What are your favorite genres to read?
I read EVERYTHING.
Where do your ideas for your books come from?
Everything around me—be careful of what you tell me or it might end up in a book.
What might your next book be about?
Funny you should ask that. I’m on the last chapter of my newest—Mobile Mulch and Murder. Once again, Patty is up to her neck in trouble. Oh, wait, that’s the body that’s up to her neck, not Patty. Still, she’s in trouble again…
What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?
Trying to write it—I have to relearn, every time, that my characters write the book. Very dialogue-driven, the books rarely progress as planned and nearly never end as expected when I started.
Do you (or have you) base your characters on real people?
Other than me? Never say so!
How many books have you written?
Seventeen of my own, but I have also published and helped others publish about thirty more.
Do you hear from your readers much? If so, what kinds of things do they say?
Funny you should ask that. There I was, muddling along with three books in my working file and not happy with any of them. I include my contact information on everything (!). Out of the blue two weeks ago; I received an email from a complete stranger. Well, not a complete stranger. She’s read my books, so she knows me very well, but I don’t know her. She wanted to know when the next book was coming out in the series because it had been too long, and the last one had also been after a substantial gap. (I was busy writing another series.) I immediately scrapped everything I was half-heartedly writing and started Book 10, the one I’m nearly done with! Don’t hold your breath, beta writers, editing…
What do you think makes a good story?
If I engender emotion, it’s a success. I prefer laughter, but will take what I can get.
Did you always want to be a writer?
Slight change in the question—I have always been a writer. It just took me a while to learn to make the crayon go where I wanted it to…
Thank you, Mary Lu, for the insight into your writing journey. Check out some of Mary Lu’s stories on the Book page:
www.sites.google.com/view/theindiescribes/books
For additional titles, check out Mary Lu’s Amazon Author Page:
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