Welcome back, Marsha. Why do you write the kind of
books you do?
I like to write all of my
books as inspirational books to give others hope so that they may know that joy
does come in the morning. I also, like to write them in novel form to develop
the characters and theme, describe the beauty, instill the moral, and proclaim
the victory in the end.
Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the
happiest day in your life?
There have been so many of
them. Nothing compares to coming to know the Lord and truly experiencing the
reality of His love. But meeting and marrying my Mike and having each other to
climb the mountains, fight the battles, and claim the promises is at the top of
the list, along with the birth of my two children. But then, so are the days of
each and every birth of my nine grandchildren and every special day that I get
to grow with them and be a part of their lives. “This is the day, that the Lord
has made-and truly I rejoice in all of them.”
How has being published changed your life?
Being published has been
life-changing for me. My stories are true stories, so writing them were very
healing to me. Also, every time that I hear that God changed a life because
someone read my books, gives me more joy than I could have ever known when
writing them. Having the books published has opened many doors for me to go to
many diverse venues and advocate, speak, and present to others how that we can
overcome, and become whole, and that we are not defined by what has happened to
us in our lives.
What are you reading right
now?
I sometimes read several books at one time. I use different sides of my
brain. Just kidding. I have been enjoying both The Paradigm and The
Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn. On a lighter side- It's a Wonderful Life-The
Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern who wrote this short story which
the movie “It's a Wonderful Life” was based on. Which is my favorite movie of
all times. And I want to reread the book that inspired me to write my books, Not My Will by Francena H. Arnold, as I
haven't read it for a long time.
What is your current work in progress?
I write like I read—usually
doing several projects at one time. I have some different ideas that I want to
develop. One, is a story based in heaven. In heaven, I keep running into this
person that I can't quite recognize in my heart as I have all the others. As I
continually run into him, each time the familiarity becomes
clearer but still vague until one day as I'm walking and talking with the Lord,
He reveals to me who it is.... I also
am busy writing a four-week study titled, “Victim to Victor” for Teen Challenge
and will present and teach it as an elective for their curriculum. I would also
like to develop this study into a book. I love writing children's stories and
poems and would like to make a compilation of these in an easy-to-read book.
What would be your dream vacation?
Have you ever watched the
movie, The Shack?
Yes.
There is a little cottage in
the woods surrounded by beautiful flowers everywhere with a lovely lake. I
would love to be there, where I could walk, and decompress and write and write.
It would also have to have a piano there, so my husband could sit and write his
music. And to be truly perfect, there would have to be a waterfall somewhere
within walking distance.
How do you choose your settings for each book?
Actually, my books have been
true stories and the settings are real places. But, also, whether I write
fictional or true, I actually see the setting in my mind's eye. I can see it as
if it is a painting or picture in front of me and I just begin to write it in
detail-like a painter paints a picture, except I paint it with words.
If you could spend an evening with one person who is
currently alive, who would it be and why?
Wow. This answer will
probably get a rise one way or the other from people. But, truly, I'd like to
spend an evening with Donald Trump. The reason why? Because, I believe he would
truly listen to what I have to say. I would talk to him about the needs here in
America
What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?
I love to play sports-all
kinds, from swimming to playing all types of ball. Good thing, because out of
the nine grandchildren, eight are boys and only one little girl. I love to play
games, too. My favorite thing to totally chill out and enjoy is drawing
landscape pictures on an Etch-A-Sketch. Quite challenging-try it-but relaxing
also.
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how
do you overcome it?
I find that time itself is my
greatest obstacle. There is so much that I love to do that if I live to be 100,
I'd still have just touched the top of the list. Also, second in place as an
obstacle is the crazy stupid distractions and interruptions—like solicitation
calls, junk mail, and e-mail. Often, I will write at night where I can be
totally absorbed in my work, way into the morning. Only problem is, it makes
for a rough next day.
What advice would you give to a beginning author?
I tell those who really like
to write—write from your heart first. Don't focus on the grammar, spelling, or
even your complete story line. Just let what you want to write flow forth. Then
secondly, put it down and let it set. Then go back to it and clean it up good.
Hack it, edit it, rewrite it, and make every word important to the story or
take it out. I also tell people that everyone who has a story to tell may still
not be true writers. I tell them if they want to go the way of writing a book,
be prepared to write it, rewrite it, rewrite it, and did I say rewrite it, and
then edit it, over and over again, until you know that it is the complete and
perfect creation of what you wanted to express. Anything short of this-just
enjoy journaling.
Tell us about the featured book.
This featured book is The
Shattering II- Breaking the Silence. It is a sequel to my first book- The Shattering-A Child's Innocence
Betrayed. Both books can be read in any sequence and stand on their own as an
individual read. This book again is an inspirational book of the joy of
overcoming more than victimization. This book lets the reader embark with the
main character, Julie. You are able to experience with her the hope that
prodded her forward at every crossroad, through every obstacle, and share the
sweetness of discovering with her the reality of a God who truly never left her
alone—loved and carried her in the darkest hours, and led her on a healing
journey that made her whole.
Please give us the first page of the book.
Julie nervously paced the
floor, back and forth. Her mind raced. No matter how hard she tried, she could
not organize her thoughts. They bounced around inside her head like ping pong
balls, ricocheting one against the other, until Julie thought that her head
would burst. What can I do? What can I do? Julie could hear the sound of voices
rise from downstairs as the argument escalated. There was no stopping them.
Julie had tried and tried countless times before to help settle her dad and
stepmom’s arguments, but tonight, this would be impossible. Things had gone too
far. There was no turning back. Julie walked quickly to the window and pulled
down the blind with a quick jerk. As she let it go, it snapped at the top and
continued to spin. Julie reached and unlocked the window, and then with a quick
thrust pushed it upward. Dampness had made the wood frame swell as Julie tugged
at the window earnestly to get it to open further. It was late. Julie leaned
out the window. She shivered as the cold air rushed past her. Looking up into
the sky, tiny snowflakes caught onto her eyelids causing her to blink. The full
moon cast its light, brightening the surroundings. The porch roof on the other
side of the opened window was covered with a fine dusting of snow. Julie pulled
the blind back down and left the jammed window open.
How can readers find you on the Internet?
Thank you, Marsha, for sharing this book with my blog
readers and me.
Readers,
here are links to the book.
The Shattering II: Breaking the Silence
- PaperbackThe Shattering II: Breaking the Silence - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance
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