Marlo Berliner
It's May already, and so far this year I hope I've introduced you to some new authors whose books you've added to your shelves. But I'm not stopping there, oh no! There's still a bunch of awesomeness to come, and today I have the very special, award-winning Marlo Berliner with me!
Formerly an accounting manager for a Fortune 500
company, Marlo Berliner is now an award-winning author. Her first book, THE
GHOST CHRONICLES, was released in November 2015 to critical acclaim. The book
won the 2016 Golden Leaf Award for Best First Book, was awarded FINALIST in the
National Indie Excellence Awards for Young Adult Fiction and received the
Literary Classics Seal of Approval. Marlo writes young adult, women's fiction,
and short stories. She is also a freelance editor with Chimera Editing. Marlo
is represented by Eric Ruben of The Ruben Agency.
When she's not writing or editing, Marlo loves
reading, relaxing at the beach, watching movies, and rooting for the Penn State
Nittany Lions. After having spent some wonderful time in Pittsburgh and Houston,
she's now back in her home state of New Jersey where she resides with her
husband, two sons and a rambunctious puppy named Max.
What an impressive bio! And here we go with the interview...
Is this
your first published book?
Yes
What’s it
called?
THE GHOST CHRONICLESWhich genre?
Which age
group?
15-115
Is it a
series or standalone?
A series
Are you an
agented author?
Yes
Which
publisher snapped up your book?
Teddy Blue Books (my own imprint)
How
involved have you been in the whole publishing process of your book?
100% involved!
Do you
have another job?
I’m also a stay-at-home-mom and
freelance editor
Did you
receive many, if any, rejections prior?
Yes, many, through several rounds of
querying to agents and editors. The book got very far with dozens of them, but
ultimately no one bit so I decided to self-publish it.
What
created/what were you doing or watching when the first idea for this book
sneaked up on you?
I was on the beach at the
Outerbanks, NC reading Harry Potter, Chamber of Secrets along with my son. The
chapter called The Deathday Party ignited the spark that lit the fire that
would become THE GHOST CHRONICLES. But the whole idea for the book really came
together after I stayed at the Angel of the Sea, a famous bed and breakfast in
Cape May, NJ and heard the legend of the haunting there.
How long
did you plot/plan until you started writing it?
Only a couple weeks. Basically, I
just dove into writing it.
Once you
started, did the story flow naturally or did you have to step in and wrestle it
into submission?How many drafts did you write before you let someone read it? Who was that someone?
Did you
employ an editor/proofreader or did you have a critique partner/beta readers
before you started querying?
I had a few beta readers before I
started querying, and afterwards, a professional editor.
Roughly
how many drafts did it take before you sent the manuscript off into the real
world?
Like I said, just those two drafts
and then off to an agent it went.
How many
drafts until it was published?
Easily a dozen.
Has the
book changed dramatically since the first draft?
I originally wrote the story in a
very distant third person POV and then revised it to be very close third
person. I also changed the ending chapters substantially.
Are there
any parts you’d like to change even now?
A few tiny things here and there,
but nothing much really.
What part
of writing do you find the easiest?
Taking a book from rough draft to
finished product. That’s when my writing truly flows and the magic happens, as
long as I can stay in the ‘groove’.What part do you find hardest?
Do you
push through writing barriers or walk away?
I try to push through, even if it
means leaving one chapter and working on a different one. Occasionally though,
I have to step away to gain perspective.
How many
projects do you have on the go at the same time?
About three.Do you think you’re born with the talent to write or do you think it can be learned?
How many
future novels do you have planned?
For this series there will be a
total of three books. After that, I have five other novels currently in the
works. And folders full of ideas for others!
Do you
write other things, such as short stories, articles, blogs, etc?
I’ve written several short stories
that I may put into a compilation.
What’s the
highlight of being published so far?
Hearing
from fans! Every time I get an email from a fan saying they can’t wait for the
second book in THE GHOST CHRONICLES series it makes my day and spurs me on to
write faster.
Give
me one writing tip that work for you.
I swear by Michael Hauge’s story structure.
And one
that doesn't.
Character interviews. My
characters just don’t speak to me or come to me like that.
Can you
give us a clue or secret about the next book?
Much of the book takes place in
Cape May at the Angel of the Sea again, but there’s also a scene that takes
place in Boston.
What question have you always wanted to be asked but never have? What would the answer be? Did you ever experience anything paranormal, or anything you couldn’t explain while staying at The Angel of the Sea? And the answer would be, yes!
Fantastic interview! Thanks for joining YAtopia, Marlo, and we wish you all the best with the series.
If you would like to follow or find out more about Marlo and her books these links might help!
Buy links -
Social links -
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