As you all read, I interviewed my awesome tweep, MaryAnn Kempher, in April of this year to much fanfare of her debut novel, Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder.
Now, the sequel Forever Doomed will soon be released!
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Thanks so much for hosting me Carmen.
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1. We want to know, how has life changed for MaryAnn Kempher since "Mocha, Moonlight and Murder" debuted?
How has it changed? It hasn't. Right after Mocha was published, I started writing my next book; Forever Doomed.
2. Did you expect most of what came from that novel's debut? Or did anything in the experience of publishing a first novel take you by surprise?
Upon Mocha's
publication, I was as happy and proud as I thought I'd be. What took me
by surprise was that I think I had unrealistic expectations. I don't
think I realized just how many books are out there for people to choose
from, and how difficult it would be to stand out in the crowd.
3. We know characters are often a combination of people we knew/know or various aspects of ourselves. Were those characters based on people in your life? And/Or yourself?
Elements
of my personality can be seen in Katherine. She's a little of a smart
mouth, and so am I. The dialogue between her and Scott could easily
occur in my house between me and my husband.
4. I was taken in by how breezy "Mocha" was. And with its unpredictability, family secrets, weird inner monologues, and self-doubts, I must tell you, the tone and its spirit felt very Japanese lit to me. What do you think of that assessment?
I like the term breezy. Mocha's not meant to
be a "serious" book, with twenty-dollar words. It's meant to be fun,
and entertaining, and something you'd enjoy reading at the beach or on
the couch with a cup of cocoa. I'm not familiar with Japanese
literature, so I don't know what you mean. :)
5. With all that was going on in "Mocha", the novel felt very grounded, not soap-operatic. How did you manage that?
Thank you. I think it's because of the dialogue, it's very realistic. I think it's how friends and family talk.
6. Now, "Forever Doomed"
will be out! I'm excited about this! Is it a sequel to "Mocha" or a
standalone? What can you tell us without spilling the beans?
It's both a sequel and a standalone. You
can read Forever Doomed on its own, but a lot of the characters from
Mocha are in it. If you read Mocha first, it's like running into old
friends. You get to see what everyone is up to--but you don't need to
have read Mocha to enjoy Forever Doomed.
7. This is a silly question, but what genre would
you put your mysteries under? A lot of times, readers tend to be very
genre-centric.
I googled Mystery subgenre definitions. FOREVER DOOMED has the elements of am Inverted/Howdunit and a Whodunit.
8. Since we are a writers' and artists' blog, what
compelled you to a sequel? I know, silly question, but it's different
for different writers.
Once I'd
finished writing Mocha, I realized that while I enjoyed writing the
romance between Scott and Katherine, what I'd enjoyed writing the most
was the mystery element. So, I decided I wanted to write another book
that was more mystery focused.
9. I have to tell you, I don't read mysteries, I prefer to watch them on TV. But now, I know I will start reading them more because of "Mocha". How does that make you feel?
Very flattered. Thrilled that you liked it. Hopeful you'll like the next book.
10. Any words to the readers? And when can we get our hands on "Forever Doomed"?
I'm super excited about this book. If
it's well received, it will be a series. I really like combining a
scratch-your-head mystery with a dollop of romance. Forever Doomed
should be available on the Kindle and Nook sometime during the first
week of December. Paperback within the second week.
Bonus question (You definitely don't have to answer this one): How was MaryAnn Kempher's Thanksgiving?
Both
good and sad. I'm very blessed and thankful to have a healthy, happy
family, but we lost our very much loved dog to cancer just a few days
before Thanksgiving. We will be forever thankful for the time Daisy was
with us, but will always miss her.
Please be sure to visit my author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/
Once Forever Doomed is available, I'll be shouting it from the rooftops, or at lease on Facebook. :)
