Mary Brand is, in her own words an, “Author, Actress, Playwright, Lyricist and Incurable Romantic”. She is a writer of romance novels and has written and produced an original musical for the stage.
Mary, what genre of romantic fiction do you write and why did you choose it-or did it choose you?
I write paranormal with historical and humorous elements. As for why I write paranormal it’s more like the characters show up in my imagination and choose me.
You’ve considered yourself a storyteller all your life. Did you take classes in creative writing or are you self-taught?
Both. I’ve been writing stories since I was five. But I’ve taken a lot of creative writing courses, especially in college where English was my minor.
What books or writers have most influenced your writing career? Wow. That’s a tough question. I’ve learned so much from all of them. Since we are discussing romance, Catherine Coulter’s Night Storm, Johanna Lindsey’s Gentle Rogue and Arnette Lamb’s Highland Rogue are among my favorite historicals. But as for paranormal writers, Karen Marie Moning, J.R. Ward and Charlaine Harris create worlds and characters that never let you go.
You wrote a musical for the stage—book, lyrics and music. That’s an incredible accomplishment. What prompted you to take on such a task of love?
That’s an easy one. It was my husband John. He and I are both musical theatre actors. That’s how we’d met—at auditions. Plus I was a theatre major in college where I’d already written a show. Now John can really sing but he and I had never shared scenes together onstage except in chorus parts. I wanted to change that. I also thought it would be fun to play the devil. When I was healing from a surgery I decided to put my time to good use and write the book, music and lyrics for Life Is Hell!
What is your favorite aspect of being a writer?
I think it’s my favorite aspect of being a reader. I love when I fall in love with my characters. If I fall in love with them I figure my reader will too.
When you’re writing, do you focus on one story at a time or do you juggle?
It depends on which story’s character is more persistent. Currently I’m juggling three at a time. I guess that happens when you have a band full of alpha males.
In your books what usually comes first—characters or plot?
Definitely the characters come first. They tell me their stories and I just sit there and take dictation.
Please describe your typical writing day.
Weekdays I work at my family’s medical business until 3p.m. Then I come home and sit at the computer. I re-read the last scene and continue from there until about 5p.m. when I take a break for dinner. After 9p.m. I work until 11.p.m. or until I get tired. I might do free writing when I get stuck. And I try to start around 10:00 a.m. on weekends.
What do you consider the most important piece of advice for writers? Don’t give up! Keep writing. If your character isn’t doing what you want them to do, ask why. Is it because you don’t know who they are and what they want, or are you trying to go against their nature? Believe in your characters and, most importantly, believe in yourself.
Mary Brand: http://www.maryelizabethbrand.org
Texas Authors of Romantic Fiction: http://texasarf.blogspot.com
Northwest Houston RWA: http://www.nwhrwa.com
West Houston RWA: http://www.whrwa.com
Houston Bay Area RWA: http://www.hbarwa.com
Romance Writers of America: http://www.rwanational.org
Read about more wonderful romance novelists at
http://www.examiner.com/x-5288-Salt-Lake-City-Romance-Novels-Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-2533-Romance-Novel-Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-4981-Romance-Novel-Examiner
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