Today on Reade and Write I’m thrilled to welcome Patricia Gligor back for another interview! She’s here to discuss her brand-new, just-out-today book, Marnie Malone. Happy Book Birthday, Pat!
Tell us about Marnie Malone.
Marnie Malone is my fifth Malone mystery. I think the best way to tell you about it is through the blurb:
Someone is stalking Marnie.
It’s Marnie’s last week at the law firm of Cliburn & Reeves and she feels like she’s riding an emotional roller coaster. Up when she wins the divorce and custody battle for Callie Jackson against her abusive husband, Jed. And plummeting down when one witness after another decides not to testify against Mark Hall, an attorney at another Charleston firm and an “alleged” serial rapist.
Marnie receives one threat after another and she constantly feels the need to look over her shoulder, convinced that someone is stalking her. With Sam out of town on business, she’s alone in the big, old farmhouse and strange things are happening. Noises in the attic, creaking floorboards and someone watching her from the woods.
As she tries to determine the identity of the stalker, the list of men who have grudges against her grows longer each day. In her line of work she’s made enemies. Is the stalker someone from the past or one of the men on her list? And, how far will he go?
It sounds exciting! How long did it take you to write?
I started writing Marnie Malone in the early summer of 2015, after the release of Mistaken Identity. I was making progress when, unexpectedly, my mother sold her house and I had to move both of us into apartments. So, from October until the beginning of January 2016, I put the book on hold; there was simply no time to write. I finished writing and proof-reading the manuscript and I sent it to my publisher this past August.
Do you write linearly, or do you write each scene separately and then piece them together like a puzzle? Or is there some other path you take to writing a novel?
For each of my Malone mysteries, I started with a stack of notes, ideas for the book. Then I compiled them and created a chapter-by-chapter outline, listing what absolutely had to happen in each chapter. I guess you could say I wrote the book in my head first – to a degree. As I wrote, the outline was updated as necessary because, as in life, things didn’t always work out the way I’d originally planned. Often, my characters had other ideas.
This is my favorite question: Tell us a secret about one of your characters- something that’s not in the book.
I wracked my brain trying to answer this question and then I had to smile. Because I realized that any secrets my characters had were revealed by the end of Marnie Malone. A fitting and necessary conclusion (at least for now) to a series I’ve loved writing.
What time of day do you do your best writing?
I’m a morning person so I do my best writing then. As the day progresses and other responsibilities pop up, my creativity lessens. By evening, I’m lucky to write a cohesive sentence. Or my name. LOL
Can you tell us what you’re working on now?
I’m currently working on something different. A mystery/suspense standalone told in the first person. I hesitate at this point to call it a Romantic Suspense novel but there will be a strong romantic element, which has a huge impact on the plot.
Tell us about the dedication in Marnie Malone, if you wish.
I’m dedicating Marnie Malone to my brother, Steve, and my two beautiful nieces, Amber and Kelly. Family and friends mean everything to me!
Do you prefer to read a physical book (with paper pages that really turn), or do you prefer an E-reader, or perhaps audio books?
I definitely prefer a physical (paper) book. However, I read a lot of books on my Kindle, only because I’m on a limited budget and I can get so many more books for my money.
Remind us where we can connect with you.
You can connect with me (and I hope you will) at:
My blog: http://pat-writersforum.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patricia.gligor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PatriciaGligor
Where is the new book available?
Marnie Malone can be ordered through your local book store and is available online at:
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/gnvn4kq
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Patricia+Gligor/_/N-8qa?_requestid=305533
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?Query=Patricia%20Gligor&ac.morein=true&ac.title=Patricia%20Gligor
Thank you for inviting me to be your guest, Amy. I had a lot of fun responding to your questions.
Pat, it’s always a pleasure to talk to you and I look forward to having you here again! Best wishes and congratulations on Marnie Malone!
Until next week,
Amy
Congrats and happy release! Always on the look out for a mystery especially when it features a female protagonist/pseudo detective.
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Lidy,
Thank you! I hope you’ll read my series. Besides Marnie, there are a few other female amateur detectives that might surprise you.
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A great interview as always, Amy, I got to nominate for the Anthony Award this year since I went to Bouchercon in 2016. I used your 2016 novel (Jade) for one of them. Wish you luck. Patricia, I like Marnie Malone.
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Thanks for stopping by, Linda. I like Marnie too. 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by, Linda! I like Marnie too. 🙂
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Congratulations Patricia! I know what a long haul it is to go from beginning to end of writing a novel and finishing a book with a much loved character. This book sounds pretty darn scary. But I’m hoping it all turns out well in the end. I guess I’ll just have to read it to find out ! 😁
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Thanks, Pamela! Only another writer can truly understand what writing a book entails. There’s so much more to it than “meets the eye.” 🙂
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Only a million details or so… !!
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I’m reading one of Amy’s books now and I want to finish that before I start Pat’s book. LOL I sure wish I had more reading time. Two authors I enjoy! Looking forward to your book, Pat. I wish I was one of those people who can read more than one book at the same time.
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Thanks for stopping in, Marja. I only read one book at a time too. I can’t imagine doing it any other way. 🙂
BTW, I’m also a big fan of Amy’s books – and yours.
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Congratulations on the release, Pat.
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Thanks, John! It was a long time coming and I’m very excited about the book!
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I like the sound of Marnie Malone – I think we’ll get along famously, so off to Amazon I go too 🙂
Thanks for sharing this, Amy, and good luck to you, Patricia, with your new release.
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Thank you, Lynne! I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Marnie and writing about her. Because she’s played such a big role in the series, I decided she deserved a book of her own. 🙂
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Wonderful, Lynne! Thank you for stopping by!
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Happy release day! Amy interviewed me on my release. Such a great way to celebrate.
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Yes it is, Maggie! Don’t you just love the questions she asks?
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Thanks, Maggie!
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Amy, I finally have the direct amazon link to “Marnie Malone.”
http://tinyurl.com/gnvn4kq
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Thank you!
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Amy,
I want to thank you for inviting me to be your guest. 🙂
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Pat, it’s a pleasure and an honor to have you here. Good luck on your release and congratulations!
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Good morning ladies! Marnie Malone keeps popping up on my Facebook page. Time to head on over to Amazon to download it. Absolutely love the Cover!
I hope you ladies have a great week and as always, “Keep Reading and Writing.”
Sharon
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Good morning, Sharon! You’ve just started my day with a smile. Thank you!
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Marnie Malone keeps popping up in my feed, too–the universe is trying to tell me something! Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day!
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Always listen to the universe, Amy. LOL
I hope you enjoy the book!
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The universe never steers me wrong. 🙂
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