Janie’s Secrets is a recycled novel. I wrote the original a dozen years ago as Plain Janie. It has been a slapstick comedy i.e. I Love Lucy style, an amateur sleuth similar to Janet Evanvich’s Stephanie Plumb series, check out One for the Money and Two for the Dough (a couple of my favorites and what influenced my writing for a while). But as I was copying other writers’ styles, I was still searching for my own voice.
When I first started writing The Leeward Files series, I never thought it would be more than three books. I wanted to tell Rae Lynne’s story supported by her friends’ stories. As I was writing Dana and Jenna’s books, I began to learn more about each character and the town of Leeward. I knew I couldn’t stop until the bad guys were caught and each of these characters had their happy ending (even if it didn’t last). But don’t worry, those of you who have read all the books, there is another happy story in the works for our characters but I do feel the need to torture them once in a while.
As I neared the end of The Leeward Files Series, I knew I still wanted to live in this town. I like it here. I wanted to tell Janie’s story and I wanted to bring in her crazy, somewhat dysfunctional family into the mix. So Plain Janie turned into Janie’s Secrets (there were other names for this book before I finally decided on this), and The Harrell Family Chronicles became a spin-off of The Leeward Files.
I am so excited to have Marie Savage with me today. I understand
you are a coffee lover. How do you drink yours? I like mine with just a little
half-and-half but I’ve skipped to 2% milk to cut a few calories.
Marie: I like mine with Heavy
whipping cream (part of the keto diet) My
coffee addiction is pretty much in every book I write.
Sherri: I’ve confessed my aversion to tea in
a few of mine. I see the shock on your face, can she really be a southern girl
and not like sweet, iced tea? <sigh>I’m afraid so.
You’ve had an interesting life.
Marie: I joined the US Air Force. I was
stationed at Castle AFB in Atwater California. It was there I met my soul mate
and spent the next twenty-four years.
Sherri: How long have y’all been married?
Marie: My husband
and I have been married for twenty-eight years now.
Sherri: It’ll be twenty-eight
years for me and the mechanic, come July.
How did we meet (real or virtual)?
Marie: (me and you?) We met on
Cain Raisers (virtual) If you meant me and my husband. We met in a bar. LOL
Sherri: Where are you from? Are you still in the Air Force and living
in California?
Marie: I’m originally from
the panhandle of Florida. Empty nester syndrome was about to hit us, so we
decided to leave the west coast and move back to my southern roots. We are
currently living in Hartford Alabama. I’ve always been a southern girl at heart
so I’m home.
Sherri: I’m a southern girl, despite my aversion to sweet tea. I was
born in Louisiana when my dad was stationed a Barksdale Air Force Base.
Have you ever been to eastern North Carolina/east coast United
States?
Marie: Yes. I have cousin in
North Carolina. I hope to visit them again real soon. The Carolinas are so
pretty.
Sherri: Do you write full-time or do you hold down another job as well as write?
Marie: Right now, I still have a fulltime job. When I left the military, I worked my way up to a corporate job with a grocery store chain in California. After twenty years, I decided it was time for my next chapter in my life so we moved to Alabama to be closer to family and I took a job that was less stressful so I could pursue my writing. I have a five-year plan to be a full-time writer at the end of year five. Right now, I’m on year two. <Crossing fingers > three more years!
Sherri: How long have you been writing?
Marie: I’ve been writing for
as long as I can remember. I was the kid everyone hated in school (not
seriously) because I loved doing essays and reports. I always loved reading
romance and one day back in 2015 my husband suggested I start publishing my
stories. I published my first book at the end of 2016.
Sherri: What do you enjoy about writing?
Marie: I love when the muse
hits and the story just flows onto the screen. It’s my escape.
Sherri: What do you despise about writing?
Marie: Edits!!
Sherri: When is your best time to write?
Marie: I usually get my best writing in the
mornings, (when I say morning, I mean 3am to 6am) but usually it’s just when I
have time.
Sherri: What are your writing strengths and weaknesses?
Marie: Not
sure on the strengths, I guess you would have to ask my readers. I like to keep
them turning the page and from the reviews of my books, I seem to do that. My
weakness is easy, deadlines. LOL
Sherri: Who are some of your favorite authors? What genres do you like to read?
Marie: Robyn Carr and Janet Evanovich are my two all-time favorite authors. I tend to like contemporary romance more, but I can get caught up in a historical from time to time. Unless it’s a recipe or self-help book, I tend to only read romance.
Sherri: Are you published?
Indie or traditional or hybrid?
Marie: Yes. I’m Indie published but in September I will have my first published book with Sweet Promise Press. I super excited about that.
Sherri: Do you have any other
hobbies or interests? Do these show up in your stories?
Marie: I love to go to thrift
shops and outlets, (I’m always looking for a bargain) One of my characters in
my WIP loves to thrift shop. I love gardening but I haven’t added that to my
stories yet.
Sherri: Who or what has most
influenced your writing?
Marie: My life. Each story
I’ve written, so far, has been based on something that has happened in my life
or the life of a loved one.
Sherri: What are your plans for the future (writing)?
Marie: My plan is to be a full-time
writer either self (Indie) published or traditional published. I have many stories in my head left to write.
Sherri: Tell me your journey to getting
published.
Marie: Once I decided to do this, I just asked
some author friends and basically learned by making mistakes. I still do. It’s a lot of work to Indie publish because
you not only have to write the book and get it ready to sale, but you have to
promote yourself. I love it though.
Sherri: Aw, are time is running out, I do hope you’ll come back to Creekside again soon. Until then, if you want to know more about Marie Savage check out her links below. Y’all have a great day and keep reading and writing.
About the Author
Marie Savage is a self-published contemporary romance author who has a love for family, friendships, patriotic spirit, and hometown pride.
Born and raised in the Florida Panhandle, she has always had a love for reading and writing, with the romance genre being her obvious favorite. Her desire to expand her horizons, led her to join the United States Air Force and proudly serve her country for six years.
While stationed in Atwater California, she met her true love and together they have shared life’s beautiful joys and tragic losses. After spending over half her life in the Central Valley of California, she has moved back home to the Wiregrass area of Alabama, where her passion for writing first began.
I just finished reading the latest Stephanie Plum novel. Like the first I ever read, clueless Stephanie, gets the bad guys and manages to get the good guys too. A friend and I had a discussion about Stephanie’s lack of growth and change. As fans, we love Stephanie but as writers, we question the advisability of keeping her the same for so many years. I’ve been reading this series for almost twenty years. When my friend Kay asked about Stephanie’s Peter Pan status, Ken, Alex’s assistant replied: when Janet started writing the Stephanie Plum series, she decided, Stephanie would always be thirty and never change like the Simpson. That at thirty she was young enough to still make those rash decisions an older, more experienced person wouldn’t make.
While I might disagree, knowing people in their forties, fifties and sixties and even one or two pushing ninety still making mistakes, I guess it is cuter if you’re thirty. I like the Stephanie Plum series and Top Secret 21 was one of the best in a long time. It was slightly different with some old favorites: Grandma, Lula, Briggs, Joe and the too hot for words Ranger. While I enjoy Stephanie’s antics, it is not something that is going to make me think. This is just for fun. Fans know that if they want a good laugh Janet Evanovich delivers. I am reminded about the critics who said Goldie Hawn did grow as an actress from one movie to the next. I did not agree. I adore Goldie Hawn she is one of my favorite actresses. She is funny. If she is in a movie, I know I am going to laugh. When I check out a Janet Evanovich/Stephanie Plum book, I know I’m going to laugh. That’s why I get the book. If you want something more in depth get War and Peace, but this isn’t it. But while it isn’t classic literature, it is good fun. I do not agree that Stephanie hasn’t grown or changed in the twenty plus novels and short stories. Her growth may have been slow but they are there. She is steadier, more determined, better at handling a gun and a crisis, protective of her friends and her family and willing to walk into danger even though she is terrified and ill equipped to handle it. And let us not forget her biggest asset, dumb luck and the men who are willing to use it to accomplish their goals.
Now about that thing with the marshmallow fluff?
sherrilhollister.com/Suspense She Writes Bookstore Dismiss
You must be logged in to post a comment.