Talkin' Tuesday with Mary Ann Loesch!

Good morning! *opens door to let Mary in* Please excuse my stuff nose. It seems everyone in the house has the Autumn head cold. My husband is still sleeping but that means we won't have him standing over us asking, "Watcha, doing?" LOL I made some fresh coffee to share. Gosh, it's really raining outside. Guess the roof isn't going to be started today. 

Ready? *rubs hands together* Lets do it! 

Today on Talkin' Tuesday I have the mischievous Mary Ann Loesch. She's a little on the dark side, which we all love, and I can't wait for you all to meet her! 

   
-What's your favorite read & series?

I like so many things, but right now, I’m getting back into the Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich. I really like her humor and her character, Ranger, makes me hungry for chocolate. I also enjoy the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher, as well as, Dexter by Jeff Lindsay. Who knew rooting for a serial killer like Dexter would be so cool?

-What/who got you reading?

My parents were a huge influence on me when it came to reading. My dad read to me every night when I was little, and my mother was an elementary teacher. She always had the latest kid books and made sure I read them! I fell in love with Nancy Drew and was convinced that I would become a detective. Or a librarian. Then I could have access to all the Nancy Drew books anytime I wanted!

I still think I could be Nancy!

 
-You have a young adult novel as well as the Urban Fantasy series you’re in the middle of. How do you jump from one genre to the next without getting confused?

Very carefully! I love my YA series and it’s very different from my Hell’s Leak books. I think the only thing that is tough for me sometimes is the YA “voice.” You have to make sure you don’t sound too grown up or else young readers will never buy into the world you’re creating.

I thought about writing YA, but my mind is wayyyyyy too dirty. *snickers* 

 
-Too organized Plotter or Maniac Panster?

Ha! I’m in the middle. I love to plot but wish I was more organized.

-When writing, must you hide from the kids? Where do you go and what kind of death threats do you shout?

I hide from my child, her friends, my husband, and our two dogs. They always want to chat right when I’m in the middle of a gripping scene. The worst is when I’m working on a steamy, sexy moment between characters and the neighbor kids decide they want to talk to you about all of life’s issues. Talk about a mood killer! I try to lock myself in my bedroom and make sure everyone knows I’m off limits for a while. Sometimes it works, but sometimes….well, not so much.

I swear there is a homing beacon us that we don't know about!

 
-I love your website! What was your thought process in creating it?

I’m a fan of Tarot cards. Not so much a believer in them, but I enjoy looking at the artwork on the different decks. The Fool card represents creativity, the inner child waiting to unlock his/her potential. I really liked that idea for the front of my webpage which is why I included it there. I was lucky enough to work with a web designer who knew what I wanted. I also wanted to combine elements of things found in both my Hell’s Leak series and my YA series, Bayou Myths.

-Is there anything we all would be shocked to know about you?

I have strong feelings of lust for Justin Timberlake and secretly dream of drinking dirty martinis with him on a daily basis.
LMAO

 
For Fun
Red & sexy or Black & mysterious?

Black and mysterious. Gets my blood pumping!

Wine with cheese or Beer with TV?

Wine with cheese please! I am gas station connoisseur of wine, by the way. If you ever need a reference on cheap wine found at your local convenience store, I’m your girl.

Paperback or ebooks?

 Love them both! I just got a Kindle and can’t seem to put it down.

Independent kitty cat or adoring lovable dog?

Love me some dogs! Especially the small, dachshund kind.

Great cook or master at ordering take out?

I’m really good at heating things up in the microwave.

Romance, comedy, or horror movies?

Depends on what time of the month it is!  LOL

What's your biggest pet-peeve, in the world, that makes you want to beat something/someone?

When someone in my house (I won’t name names), takes the last of something but leaves an empty box behind.
 
Back to Work
-You started your followup to 'Nephilim' a little while ago and said it was like visiting old friends. What kind of outlines do you keep so your characters don't get mixed up and start yelling at you?

I like to write a rough synopsis of what’s going on in the current story before I actually write it down. I find that Excel spreadsheets are my friend and allow me to keep up with major plot points.

-Are you insanely organized or are there note written on everything?

I like to be organized, but even as I say that, my eyes are roaming to the generous amount of handwritten clutter all over my desk.

At least you can find your desk! :)

 
-What's the biggest misconception people have about you & your writing?

That I have all the time in the world to do it. Writing is work and it takes time. Granted, it’s fun work for the most part, but I think some people don’t realize how much the struggling writer wishes for more time to do it.

Do you get the, "But, you were home?" or "You work at home, don't you find your house easier to keep up on?" LOL NOOOO!!!!!!! I'm working!!!

 
-Do you ever get so overwhelmed you want to quit?

Yes. But not with the writing. I get overwhelmed with the process of promotion. I love guest blogging (Thanks again for having me here!), but there is so much work when it comes to getting your name out there. It takes away from the writing process. However, it’s a necessary part of being a writer and I’m learning to roll with the punches.

-You have a wonderfully supportive husband. Does he look at you as if you're nuts when you talk about your characters as if they're really people? (LOL We're all nuts, you know!)

Actually, he’s just as bad about it as I am! Chuck is supportive and I don’t know what I’d do without him. When I’m really stuck on a scene or situation, I’ll talk to him, and he’ll make suggestions that usually get my characters out of trouble. It always makes me laugh when he does that because he is not a book reader. I’ve never actually seen him pick one up!

-What part of writing makes you want to pull your hair out and scream like a banshee?

Editing. Why can’t I get it right the first time?

-When was your first short story published and do your students know what your 'other' career is?

My first short story was published three years ago and was related to my current novel, Nephilim. I’m pleased to announce that it is going to be available, along with several of my other short stories, in an upcoming anthology called All Things Dark and Dastardly. CONGRATS!

When it comes to my students, I’m always really careful about talking about my other career. In my position as an elementary theatre arts teacher, I see every kid in my school. That’s about 700 students. Since what I write isn’t age appropriate for them, I don’t mention it. However, some of their parents know about my novels, and so occasionally I’ll have a student ask about it due to them overhearing their mom or dad mention it. I always tell them, “Yes, I have published books, but they aren’t for kids.”

-Any advice for aspiring writers?
Keep working! Don’t let the little things stop you from writing.

Thank you, Mary for coming. Today she is sharing her story, Niphilin, with us! Enjoy, and totally checkout her website!

BLURB:

When sin stains your soul, he tattoos your skin…

Tattoo artist Nathan Ink is more than he seems. An angel living in secret on earth, he forces his clients to face their flaws by tattooing images of their sins on their bodies, but this glimpse into the soul often results in his clients' deaths. Although Nathan avoids the other angels, when they ask him to keep an eye on Faye, a nephilim being stalked by another of her kind, he reluctantly agrees.

The angels have kept Faye in the dark about her stalker, but to keep her close to Nathan, they've tasked her with investigating the high mortality rate of Nathan's clients. Despite her distaste for his methods, she finds herself fighting a growing attraction to Nathan, and discovering he's not a rogue after all forces her to question her own mission. When Faye learns her stalker is another nephilim who intends to use her to breed a new race of hellish beings, teaming up with Nathan may be the only way to prevent a genocide.
WARNING: Contains strong language and violence

You can check Mary Ann Loesch at:  http://www.maryannloesch.com to learn more about my urban fantasy, Nephilim,  published by Lyrical Press, Inc or click here to buy it! http://tinyurl.com/3m5wech.

Everyone have a Sparkling Day and I'll see you next week when Rachel Brimble comes back for a visit!
Rebecca Rose