Interview With Author Merry Brown

  Today's Guest Author 

Merry Brown

   Hello, it's good to be back. My apologies for having been away for so long, I've been feeling a bit under the weather. Anyway, on to more exciting things. Today I have an author Interview with new YA Paranormal writer Merry Brown. Currently she has two YA Paranormal book series in the works. Her first & debut book series is called The Exiled Trilogy. At this point in time she only has two of the three books to this trilogy in print. Book one of The Exiled Trilogy is called The Knowers & book two is The Second Fall. Her second series is The Four Families Series. She also has two books published in this series too, book one is Gold Manor Ghost House & book two which just came out about a week ago is Crimson Hall Ghost House. Both series are wonderful & though they can be categorized as YA Paranormal I will warn that the real focus of both series is the human element. She does a great job with character development, pulling you in by making you invested in the people the story is about. Of course what else do you expect from a teacher of Philosophy. I have to admit that my personal favorite is her Four Families Series. I think the thing that fascinated me about series is that the whole story primarily takes place on the set of a TV show.  Before I get into the actual interview I just want to share the two reviews I wrote for the first book of each series, the description of each series, & what the cover of all four books looks like. Of course if none of that interests you & you just want to skip to the interview itself than please feel free to scroll to the bottom & enjoy.

The Ranting Bookworm's Review of: The Knowers: The Exilled Triology,  #1

   Just when you think you've read every type of supernatural book there is & know everything there is to know about the topic, an author like Merry Brown surprises you with something new. I don't know what to say without ruining the surprise of what some of the people in this book are, but what I will say is that it surprised me & for as much stuff as I've read in this genre it takes a lot to surprise me. The book was a little slow at first, but that was only because the author is great at building her characters & getting you invested in who they are. This is the second book I've read that Ms. Brown has written, the first in the Exiled Trilogy, & I was just as happy with it as I was the last book I read. I am now a full fledged fan of Merry Brown books & I hope more people join me in my love for all she writes.

 

Synopsis

   Will’s sole ambition is to get out of high school alive and away from his vicious father. His brilliant plan to fly below the radar blows up in his face when he gets involved with the mysterious Lizzy. Will worries for Lizzy’s safety, exposing her to his dangerous world, only to discover what Lizzy really is and what she fights. How can Will, a Knower, and Lizzy, a daughter from The Garden, possibly find a way to be together?  

The Ranting Bookworm's Review of: Gold Manor Ghost House: The Four Families Series, #1

  I loved the concept of a YA Paranormal Fiction taking place on the set of a new TV show that's being filmed. It was a fresh new approach. The characters are all either very likable & or just plane fun to read about. I really don't have a bad thing to say about it. As I don't like to rehash the synopsis of a book since that can be easily found on the book cover or in the Goddreads descriptions, I will keep this short. Occasionally there were a few typos, but it wasn't so bad it interfered with the story & quite frankly I haven't read a book lately that doesn't have something that slipped past the editors. I also really felt like the characters where real people from the entertainment business with paranormal problems. Obviously this ends with a bit a of an open ending, but not so open that you are left feeling heart-sick due to lack of some resolution. I finished the story craving more & I can't wait to read the second book in the series. Thank You, Merry Brown for introducing me to your books &  making me fall in love with your writing. You have gained a new fan.

*** A quick note to those interested in the book covers to the Four Families Series. There is an eerie beauty to them, but I think some of it is missed when you don't have the books in front of you. Both books have a similar picture on the back of the book with the character in a slightly different pose. Gold Manor Ghost House for instance has the same picture on the back of the book as the front, but in that one the girl is looking directly at you with her crazy off color eyes, much like the eyes of the character Anna. The second book Crimson Hall Ghost House shows the girl from the front of the book on the back as well, but there her scarf is removed & her hair is down.

 Synopsis

Anna thought life was going to be awesome. She was right…and wrong.
Won her dream job acting in a hit TV series. Check.
Working with her best friend. Check.
Met the boy of her dreams. Check.
The set’s haunted and she’s in the middle of a supernatural war. Uh, check?

  Anna Rose Ellington is sixteen and living in Hollywood, hoping to be a star. Anna just landed a major role on Ghost House, Teen TV’s new fall drama. A show promising to be so hot, Meg Sweet (the reigning teenage diva), signed on for the lead, and Adam Lewis (international rock sensation) is a principal player.

  Her dreams are falling into place until she gets on set and begins questioning her sanity. It’s true she has an unusual dream life, where once in a while her dreams literally come true. But it’s been a while. On top of her dreams not staying put in her brain, including the guy she’d been dreaming of for years, the house they’re filming in, Gold Manor, might actually be haunted. But that’s the least of her worries.

*** Another quick note. As you may have noticed, I only have reviews for the first book of each series. That is due to the fact that I've only read the first of each. As soon as I read & finish the next two I will post my thoughts on them on here too.  

The following is the Author Interview As Promised

(TRB=the Ranting Bookworm aka Jolene, MB=Merry Brown)  

• TRB: How do you feel being a teacher of philosophy helps & or effects your writing? I find it difficult to believe that the two don't effect each other, whether intentionally or not.

            MB: It is because of my philosophical interests that I decided to write.  I love reading YA paranormal novels, but many of the philosophical assumptions I’ve come across drive me crazy!  Certainly in the Exile Trilogy I get on and off my philosophical soap box quite a few times.  In the Four Families series, my perspective is still present, as it is for most writers.  I think I will always work in philosophical themes I’m passionate about.

• TRB: I noticed all your books have some sort of basis in or connection to either Bakersfield, CA or Martin, TN. Do you do this because you find it easier to write about places you're familiar with or just because you love them so much?

           MB:  Both, really.  I was happy to set the first book of the Exiled Trilogy in my hometown of Bakersfield, CA because I wanted Lizzy to see the beauty present, even there.  I thought it would be fun for The Four Families to be primarily set in Martin, TN, where I currently reside.    

•  TRB: What made you choose the YA Paranormal genre to write for? Is this a genre you set out to write about or was it just a happy accident?

            MB: As a philosopher I love thought experiments.  Writing in the paranormal genre is suited for thought experiments because you have the rules of the normal world, with a few exceptions.  You get to play the “what if” game: What if everything is as it is, but… and you get to see where the exception(s) takes you.

• TRB: The Paranormal theme in your stories always seem to be a secondary theme / element. I find the human relationships seem to be the actual focus of the stories, would you agree & is it on purpose?

            MB: Yes!  What is more interesting that real relationships?  To me, nothing.  The paranormal sets the world askew, sets up the drama, but the heart of the matter, the driving force is the relationships.

• TRB:  What inspired you to place the Four Families Series on the set of a TV show?

            MB: When I started writing Gold Manor Ghost House, before it had a name, there was Anna who had vivid dreams that sometimes followed her into the waking world.  I was quite a few chapters into the story, but I didn’t know what surrounded Anna.  At that time, my oldest child was into a teen TV drama and the idea of a TV show as a backdrop hit me. 

It just about killed me, but I started the book over, saving only the idea of Anna and her dreaming condition.

• TRB: Where did the inspiration for Four Families back story come from, is it drawn from some sort of already known mythology or is it all your own creation?

            MB: I came up with it.

• TRB: How many books can we expect from the The Four Families Series, so far we have two?

            MB: I’m planning at least two more in the series, maybe three.  I’m not certain.  In my mind The Four Families is a TV series and I’m writing episodes.

• TRB: Why did you start writing books? What inspired you to start writing your first book The Knowers: Book One of The Exiled Trilogy?

            MB: I started writing because I was under the misimpression that if I was writing, I wouldn’t be eating.  As a weight loss strategy of sorts.  Well, I’m here to tell you it’s easy to eat and write at the very same time!

I wrote The Knowers because I wanted to write a love story for my boys to read.  I’ve read many YA romances that didn’t paint the picture I wanted them to see the possibility of, so I decided to write it myself.

• TRB: When can we expect the third book to your Exiled Trilogy?

            MB: Early 2015?  It’s tentatively called The United.

• TRB: Now back to some slightly more personal questions about you & your love for writing. As a teacher, mom, & wife how do you find time to write? 

            MB: I think it’s like anything.  If you care, you can usually find the time.  When I’m inspired to write, I write.  Sometimes I really want to write, but I have to work or take care of the people I love.  But I’ve arranged my schedule such that when there’s down time, I write (for instance, all members of my family are currently asleep!).

• TRB: When you sit down to write what are some of the comfort items you like to have near you to help your creative juices flow? (music, coffee, tea, a pet, pics, etc...)

            MB: I usually drink coffee, I eat snacks (when I can, I love a piece of orange cake from The Looking Glass), and I usually listen to music.  I’ll put my headphones on, choose an album and put it on repeat.  The music recedes into the background and I’m in the zone.

• TRB: Who is your literary hero?

            MB: Can I say Plato or Augustine?

            TRB: Of course you can, they count ;-)

• TRB: How often do you write?

            MB: During the school year I meet with my writing partner, Lisa Smartt (you should look her up!  She has a great Southern romance series, Doug and Carlie), three times a week.  Some days I have to work on lectures or grade, and some days I watch cat videos, but many days I eventually settle down and write.

• TRB: Is there any advice you might have for new & or aspiring writers that you never got when you first started, but looking back you would have liked someone to have shared with you?

            MB: In the beginning, after I published my first book, I couldn’t think or talk about anything else.  I drove those around me crazy! Find someone who writes and is doing what you do to talk to about it because you will drive your friends insane if you don’t.  This is your interest, your life, not theirs.  Find others writers to talk to.

It is really hard!  Only do it because you love it.  Have realistic expectations. 

• TRB: Did you have a parent or teacher that inspired you to follow your dreams & ambitions for writing?

            MB: My parents have always been supportive of my endeavors.  My husband too, for which I am very grateful.  But as for writing, given my proclivity to misspell any and all words in the English language and beyond, I never wanted to write until recently.

• TRB:  How do you feel about the whole eReader vs Paper debate?

            MB: I have no feelings about it, really.  I personally prefer paper.  I say, read, read, read!

• TRB: Do you have any other book ideas, aside from the two you already have going, in the works that you can share with us?

            MB: After I finish The United, the last book in The Exiled Trilogy, I plan to write another Four Families book.  Then I plan to write a stand-alone dystopian book about … I guess you’ll have to wait a few years to find out!

• TRB: Finally, is there anything I may not have covered already that you would like to share with us about yourself & your writing?

            MB: I love to write and I love to share my stories with others.  I feel incredibly blessed that my life took this unexpected turn into the world of writing!  Thank you, Jolene, for all of your enthusiasm and support.

  To finish this post I would just like to add a very hearty thank you to Merry Brown for being kind enough to find the pictures I needed to do this post & to answer my silly questions. I have many more fun post in mind for the future, just stop by on occasion & see what I have going. I also have several authors set up for a 3rd interview, but haven't decided who I'm going to harass next.  I don't want to make any promises, but I think you can expect to see one from Mr. Jeff Bauer author of Sadie Sapiens. Thanks & feel free to post any thoughts , questions, & complaints down below. Lets try & stay away from the complaints though if we can, LOL.