Meet Marilee Brothers, Author of the Unbidden Magic Series

Today I'm really pleased to introduce you to a talented writer, Marilee Brothers, who is the author of the Unbidden Magic series. Her current book is called "Shadow Moon," and is the fourth book in the series. Welcome, Marilee!

Tell us a little about your background.

In the publishing arena, I’m a late bloomer. Married at 19, I soon became the mother of 3 sons. I finished college juggling family and work, all the while scribbling away in my spare time. Fast forward 35 years. The kids were grown and gone. My career in public education was over. Time to get serious about my writing. Since 2008, I’ve had six books published and have a contract to write two more for my current publisher.

What is one of your favorite books and why?

 

My favorite book is always the one I’m currently reading and right now, it’s Rena’s Promise, Two Sisters in Auschwitz by Rena Kornreich Gelissen with Heather Dune Macadam. Rena and her sister, Danka, survived three years in Nazi death camps against incredible odds. The book is a testament to the human spirit and, in spite of the horrific subject matter, uplifting and inspirational.

Why did you decide to write this book?

My current book, Shadow Moon, is book 4 in a 5 book series called Unbidden Magic. Books 1-3 are Moonstone, Moon Rise and Moon Spun. The first book in the series, Moonstone, was loosely based on a distant relative who grew up with a dysfunctional single mother and lived in a 24 foot travel trailer parked next to a cow pasture. I thought, “If ever a girl needed a little magic in her life, it was her!” Therefore, my protagonist, Allie Emerson, receives a magic moonstone on her fifteenth birthday.

What was your experience like with publishing?

I write for a wonderful independent publishing company called Belle Books. It was started by a group of women writers and, at first, focused on Southern fiction. They have now expanded to a variety of genres and are always looking for opportunities to promote their authors. I consider myself very lucky to be a part of the Belle Book family.

How have you marketed your book?

 Marketing is not one of my strengths. However, I do have a website and a blog called Book Blather. I also do the social networking thing. I’m on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. I love hearing from readers via the contact form on my website and always answer my emails promptly.

 What advice would you give to other authors?

Don’t give up on your dream (see question 1) and learn your craft. I thought because I could tell a story, I was a writer. I wasn’t. I took classes. I reached out to share what I’d written. I entered contests in order to receive feedback. I learned the elements of craft - point of view, how to write dialogue, story arc, plotting, etc. I’m still learning.

Please provide a favorite excerpt from your book.

Shadow Moon – Chapter One

“For the first time in months, Anna Starr Emerson, my newly-discovered, long-lost twin was the last thing on my mind.

Picture this: me boogying my buns off at the Peacock Flats H.S. winter formal with . . . are you ready? Cory Philpott! Yeah, that Cory. Pimply-faced, pudgy-around-the-middle, butt ugly inside and out Cory Philpott, who had once delighted in shaking a can of soda so it would explode in my face and make a mess out of my only decent outfit and then brayed his donkey laugh.

If I’ve learned one thing in my short life, it’s this: people are not always what they seem.”

Where can readers find you and your book?

My website is www.marileebrothers.com. My blog is Book Blather, http://bookblatherblog.blogspot.com. I have an author page on Facebook, www.facebook.com/marilee.author. Follow me on Twitter @MarileeB. My books are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on the Belle Books website, www.bellebooks.com.

Thanks Marilee, I love your blog and look foward to reading your books!

--KSR Writer