Interview with Marilu Mann *Contest Scavenger Hunt*

CONTEST: Scavenger Hunt



1. What is the name of my series from Ellora's Cave?
2. What is the name of the club Carly and Tony go to?
3. I mention a Girl Scout camp on my website. What is the name of it?
4. Who is the hero of the proposed third book in Lusting Wild series?
5. Who is the heroine of Changing Hearts Lusting Wild 2?
Contest Winner receives a free download of Changing Times (available 5/7/2008) Contest entries should be sent to: marilu2mann@gmail.com Subject: CONTEST-InterviewBlog


Marilu Mann is such a sweetheart, she has offered a download of her book Changing Times , now that sounds like a hot story...especially coming from Ellora's Cave! So just answer the 5 questions and email her the answers to be entered in the contest! Now on with the interview, stay tuned for a blurb!

Blurb:
New Orleans sizzles when Dr. Carly Chambers finds herself in the hands, or paws, of sexy shifter and antique dealer Tony Pantera. Though the memory of his murdered human lover haunts him, Tony can't deny the sensual scent of this doctor his friends kidnapped. Carly is now in danger because of his enemies.
The Turn Skins are power-hungry shifters who want to expose themselves to the world and take over through fear. Tony and his friends stand in their way. Carly proves to be a tool for Turn Skins when they learn that Tony can't resist the attractive doctor. And Carly is happy to stroke this shifter's fur. Their erotic encounters hurtle them into the path of danger and death.
Can Tony protect his human lover from the Turn Skins who don't care if she's hurt as long as they get their way?

Author Pen Name: Marilu Mann

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

MM: I write erotic paranormals, sexy romantic suspense, and erotica. I've always been an avid reader. Since I can remember, I've wanted to put my own stories down on paper to share with others. I first started seriously seeking publication in 2001.

I think the overwhelming need to let my stories out is the most compelling motivation for me to write. Sometimes I feel like a crazy woman with all these scenarios rattling around in my head. I play the "what if" game so much that my friends are probably glad I'm writing. I shut up when I write. *smiles*

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

MM: Honestly the first time I wrote a story and shared it with my mama. Her reaction to it was such a thrill. I imagine it must be what a dancer or painter or carpenter feels when someone responds to something they've created. It's a rush to know that you've strung words together to tell a story that makes someone smile.


Of course I was nine at the time so part of her smiling might have come from reading about a horse who goes to sleep in some bushes and wakes up with a baby colt beside her. LOL! Still, I never looked back from that point. I have been writing for as long as I can remember. For the last several years the goal of writing has been joined by the desire to see my name in print and my stories making someone gasp in wonder or smile.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?


MM: I had an English teacher who was one of the most feared in my high school. She was truly one of those (genteel Southern) ladies who made you work that much harder to get her approval. One of the things she said really struck me. She was talking about Shakespeare. Her opinion was that he wasn't a particularly great author, but he made people feel with his words. And I realized I wanted to do that too.

CA: I had one of those English teachers as well, NOONE fell asleep in his class, and I think I actually learned more in his class than my whole high school life! Wild!!

MM: Specific author heroes are so numerous it would be impossible to list them all. In my own genre I look to those writers who create really memorable stories (JR Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Mary Balogh, Christina Dodd, Kim Harrison). Their stories sweep me into their worlds and don't release me until the very last page. I hope that my books will create that same sense of escape for my readers.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?


MM: I have a day job so it varies. I try to write every day. I carry a small word processing device with me that allows me to write on my lunch break at work. When I do write, I turn off everything including my phone and the internet access for my computer. And my friends know that I can be a bit of a grouch if they interrupt me. If I must leave the internet on, I put a notice up on my instant messenger program clearly warning people to NOT message me. LOL! I'm really quite friendly unless I'm lost in my own world talking to my characters.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

MM: Thrilled!

CA: What was your biggest challenge in writing your book(s)?

MM: I remember at one point I called a friend to complain that my characters were just standing there talking to each other. They weren't DOING anything. I mean they were boring me out of my skull. Each book has had a point where I worry that I can't get them to the end.

When I start a book, I know the basics. How they meet. How they fall in love. How they live happily ever after. What I don't always know is how I'm going to get them to that HEA. It's like a puzzle for me. I have to put all the pieces together and make them fit. I often write scenes out of order because I know I'll get to that particular point. I just have to figure out how.

For this first book, I think my biggest challenge was getting into the head of a man who turns into a panther. I mean… that's not someone you meet every day, right? I had to really understand Tony to make him real.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

MM: Read. LOL! It's true! I always have a book around—often more than one! And I love to cook. For me cooking is like writing a truly great story. Each ingredient has to be mated with something else to create the flavorful sensation that is compelling enough to want to take another bite.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

MM: I have two books and a novella coming out this year. The two books are both part of my series Lusting Wild from Ellora's Cave Publishing, LLC. The novella will be a part of EC's Jewels Of The Nile ongoing series. I've written another shifter book and am writing the fourth one righ tnow. Also in progress, I have a paranormal detective agency with men and women who each have one special power. Then there's my series about seven Faery sisters who must find their own true love or their race is in danger of dying out. I have other series started as well.

As to which is my favorite? That's a difficult choice because frequently it's whatever I am working on at the time. That's the project I will be the most excited about in that moment. I'm very excited about the upcoming release of Changing Times simply because it is my first publication.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

MM: A little of both, really. I will meet someone or read about someone and think they have an interesting characteristic or job. Then I will weave that into a character. For instance, Carly Chambers, the heroine from Changing Times, is a busy ER doctor. She is very career-driven. I know so many women who pour themselves into their jobs and don't leave any room for a personal life. Carly is a gumbo of several of these women.

CA: Do you have any advice for the aspiring writers out there?

MM: Yes, and it is that same old saw you hear from everyone. Keep writing. Do not stop. Do not let anyone's rejection of your passion keep you from doing what you love. Learn from your mistakes and always have another project ready to be worked on. And do join any writer associations that you can. I am a member for Romance Writers of America and the local chapter networks have been invaluable to me.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

MM: I love to hear from my readers! They can email me at http://us.f589.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=marilu2mann@gmail.com Or if they are on MySpace, I'd love to have them add me! That's http://www.myspace.com/MariluMann And a reader can always learn about my upcoming books and read excerpts at http://www.greatmta.com/ . Changing Times is available at http://www.ellorascave.com/ in e-format as of May 7, 2008. The sequel, Changing Hearts, does not have a release date yet.

CA: Is there anything you would like to add?

MM: I hope readers will enjoy the world I've created for them. It's modern New Orleans for the first two books and then we are off to the wilds of Wisconsin for the next two. My stories are waiting for your reactions. Please let me know what you think about them.

CA: Marilu thank you so much for offering a great contest and sharing a little bit of yourself with me and the readers of my blog this week! You’re a new author to me but your blurb is awesome, when I get time to read a book for me…I’ll look you up! Hugs, Crystal