Chatting with Marie Navarro
Interviewer – How do you select the names of your characters?
Marie – Different ways. I come across names I like and keep a list. For example, Lily’s last name, Kingman, came from a place in Arizona. I used to travel across the country and came across a lot of great words and names. My character Sir Elo’s name came from the band Electric Light Orchestra. I have a huge family, so I have a large source for secondary characters.
Interviewer – What do you consider most unethical practice in the publishing industry?
Marie – Most vanity presses. This is just my opinion. While I had several solicit my work, I have not used their services myself. However, I know of writers who have and have been cheated out of a considerable amount of money or paid good money for poor quality product.
Interviewer – Did you ever consider using a pen name?
Marie – I actually did at first. My series was originally released under my pen name JoElle Martin with my first publisher. I never could really connect to the name. I decided to use my real name when I began working with my new publisher.
Interviewer – How many unpublished and / or unfinished books do you have?
Marie – I guess I should start with the number of published books. Four of my novels are published. Three of them are a young adult series. The fourth is the first of a romance series. I’m almost finished with the second book in that series. I have two other partially finished manuscripts for the series. I have five more very clear ideas for more novels.
Interviewer – Do you Google yourself?
Marie – Of course I do. I would argue that anyone who says they don’t is lying.
Interviewer – Name a time where you witnessed that words have power.
Marie – When I was a child, I obviously noticed the power that stories had to draw me into the book’s world. But, even at a young age, I observed how words that people used in everyday life conversation could make other people feel. I never believed the “sticks and stones” saying. It is a lie.
Interviewer – If you were not a writer, what career would you choose?
Marie – I’ve already done it. I wanted to work for a major airline. I’ve done that. I wanted to be a truck driver. I’ve done that. Being a writer is what I am. I’ve been writing since I was in school.
Interviewer – What do you find most difficult about writing characters who are of the opposite sex?
Marie – For some reason this isn’t difficult at all for me. In fact, I often find writing from my male characters point of view easier than the female. I feel I understand my husband and adult son well, maybe that is why. I don’t know.
Interviewer – What type of scene is hardest for you to write?
Marie – Any scene when I am not in the mood to write. If I can’t get lost in my work I do not write well. I usually will still make myself write. However, when I leave and comeback, feeling inspired and in the story, I find I end up doing a lot of rewriting.
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