Author Carol James Marshall
JV: Who would play you in a movie?
Is Predator a real answer, because that’s who I’d want to play me. It’s probably reverse as in I want to be Predator, but meh.
JV: Day jobs before you starting writing fulltime?
I worked for my local school district as an assistant to one of the speech therapist. I loved that job, speech therapy is fascinating. In another life I would have been a speech therapist.
JV: Do you have a muse?
Music, almost every character I have in my books or the whole book in general has a soundtrack that goes along with it. For example Taylor Momsen lead singer from The Pretty Reckless is my muse for Lisa my main character in my Women of the Grey series. I had been thinking of Lisa, when I saw the music video for Miss Nothing, from that Lisa was born. For my current manuscript I’m listening to a lot of Elizabeth Cook and Moreland and Arbuckle. Whenever I need to feel the groove of my character or scene I put the music that inspired that section on blast and sometimes repeat.
JV: Write at night?
I don’t have a specific time to write since I’m somewhat spastic about it. I write in anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour at a time then get up and do something. This tends to happen all day long. I do not do word counts or anything like that, mostly I sit I write till I feel like I got out what needed to get out then I wander off. Kinda, like vomiting.
JV: Tell me about your current Book:
That is a difficult question, because I have 3 books going on right now. Starburst (Women of the Grey) (Volume 1)
Hard to narrow it down, that being said I’ll give you a nibble of each. Starburst is your introduction to Lisa and the Women of the Grey world. It is creepy, mysterious and I love to pull a reader in with the depth of my characters emotions. We get to know the Women of the Grey by how they deal with humans. Red Drug book 2 in my series dives deeper into the world of the Grey, giving the reader sneak peeks at what is really going on behind closed doors, but never giving it all away. Red Drug is decidedly darker than Starburst and at times I’m told disturbing. The Demon Dealer is my nod to Stranger Things with a bow to Stephen King. Just imagine if you could purchase a demon of your own?
Red Drug
JV: How would you classify it?
The Women of the Grey series are Science fiction horror/thriller. The Demon Dealer is horror.
JV: What are you working on now?
I hinted above at The Demon Dealer, but I am also plotting and getting notes together on Stainless Steel book 3 in the Women of the Grey series.
JV: Where is your favorite place to be when you write?
The answer is weird because I hate cooking, but my kitchen. I will drag my laptop to the kitchen every time I sit to write or work. I haven’t a clue why.
JV: A lesson you have learned about the business of writing?
Wow, I have so many I am still learning. I have recently decided to go completely independent. Before I was querying agents and publishers, I have stopped that and consider myself a self publishing student. What I believe above all else is never under estimate the value of a professional editor. Before you release your book to the world it needs to have 2 or 3 rounds of editing from the author and an editor. You can add cover also. The first two covers for Starburst were awful. When Red Drug was ready I realized I need to brand myself, have a concept for my books. I had the cover for Starburst redone, and I am so in love with it.
Give me your links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Starburst-Women-Carol-James-Marshall/dp/1537377051/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487607963&sr=8-1&keywords=carol+james+marshall
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caroljamesmarshall/
Twitter: @MarshallJCarol
Website: caroljamesmarshall.com goes live Feb 25.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15652313.Carol_James_Marshall
BONUS ROUND Red Drug excerpt
Lisa was at the point when anger mixes with terror, and it seemed like those two emotions shouldn’t mix. They had no business being at a party together. Then, she heard a door open…Lisa heard footsteps, but could see no eyeballs. Squinting and reaching as far as she could, Lisa could see nothing; she couldn’t tell if there was movement. In a blink there was one single breath hitting Lisa’s ear with a whisper, “We are all the same and none different.” Then silence.
