Shah Interviews : Mary Carver

Shah Fazli
Mary Carver, So excited to have you with us tonight, and thanks everyone for joining this event, as a fire fighter you put down fire in people's houses, which they need and then as a romance writer you put up fire in peoples' hearts to make them warm, which they need, why so much caring, tell us about yourself enough please so we know how you can balance your life with fire? — with Mary Carver.

Mary Carver Well I am in love with my job. It also gives me the chance to write most days all the time. I am a mother of 7 and grandmother of some of the sweetest babies on earth.

Nancy Thurston Mary, am I in the right place to participate in your online party and ask questions?

Monica Hall is this the q n a? I'm lost.

Mary Carver yes i believe so

Mary Carver I am too

Catherine Mahoney Yes it is

Mary Carver ASk away, one question at a time

Mary Carver K. Now that we have figured where we are suppose to be...

Shah Fazli Yes, ask and and answer in this post, please.

Nancy Thurston Oh good! My first question is to wonder if A Thousand Years to Forever is going to be the first book of a series, just the way that The Kings of Angkor is going to be the first book in a series.

Mary Carver Yes, Nan it is. Though I didn't see it that way at first. BUT it was begging to expand and another story is coming from it.

Monica Hall Goodie more stories.
Was there a moment when you knew you had to write TKOA? and OTYtF?
When and where and what was happening to inspire you?

Robin Hanks LaRosa Hi Mary, I'm here!

Mary Carver If you go on the pre-launch Page I also put up my synopsis.

Mary Carver yea Robin!!

Mary Carver Monica are you here??

Nancy Thurston Thanks Mary. I am also wondering how your two books are most different from each other. (e.g., is their audience the same, etc.)?

Monica Hall I'm here I asked a question.

Kathie Noblit she is here somewhere lol Hi Mary!

Mary Carver Hey Kathie Noblit

Mary Carver Ok I have a question from Monica from above so lets me post that

Mary Carver here is the first answer. The moment I know I had to write TKOA was when talking with my son Brendan and he had initially asked me to just do research for him for a film of that name. I don't know if he knew it would be the bait I needed because i love to do research BUT while we talked I looked up things on the internet and by the end of the conversation I said "I not only want to research the story but write it. It was his idea BUT I morphed it into what I could see in front of me.

Mary Carver One Thousand Years to Forever was thanks to a mutual friend and brother of another friend though he doesn't know it yet.

Monica Hall Nancy had a question too.

Mary Carver Tom Proctor asked me while Iw as back in Business school if I had ever thought about writing paranormal and itw as the right time of the year for a gothic setting. The story changed a bit but I thank Tom for the idea

Mary Carver I am trying sis

Robin Hanks LaRosa Am I allowed to say they will love one thousand years to forever?

Darlene D Purington Hi Mary I am here. Monica had some great questions am also very intrigued by your energy and ambition! I am so looking forward to reading many more of your writings. Someone had said,"you put fires out in homes" and I do have to agree, "you do light the fire in the heart! Thank you

Monica Hall yeah. Where is Tom Proctor today? oh yeah. Snowed in in NY.

Mary Carver well Nan though both deal with other worldly stories. TKOA was a lot of fact based with a twist of fiction where as One Thousand Years to Forever is mostly fiction with a tad bit of history . In it's sequel it will have more history and the 3rd one will be back in time...

Mary Carver hey Darlene D PuringtonYes Robin you are allowed

Monica Hall Robin. Don't tease us like that.

Mary Carver Thank you Darlene. That is very kind. It comes from within for sure.

Mary Carver Yes and doing what he loves, movies and shows... I so love him and he is a great friend! BTW, where is his Sis??

Mary Carver So back to questions

Kathie Noblit Q. Have you ever had one storyline be interrupted by another?

Mary Carver If anyone is there ask away

Monica Hall I thought Linda was here. Guess we'll have to do.
Question. I know music plays a big part in your writing. Was there a particular artist or song that could be the theme song of One Thousand Years to Forever?

Nancy Thurston Mary, I am wondering where you get such incredible resolve and self discipline to write these books amidst such a full life as a mother and firefighter. You are an inspiration to me.

Mary Carver Yes and no. there is a saying amongst us knitters and how we just love to get our hands on yarn. I know Nancy will relate to this since she is my sister-in-law and used to raise alpacas... Now what's that got to do with writing, well a lot in fact

Mary Carver You are knitting with one yarn and another comes along and you are like"OMG that is so soft, beautiful..." Well you get the idea. Well I am working on a project and then out of nowhere a song will play or I will read an article and a story is born...

Mary Carver Monica as you know I love music and it's very important to me

Mary Carver I can't say like TKOA that there was one particular artist . I would have scenes that needed writing and one song or artist would help more then another

Mary Carver AC/DC was a big inflence

Monica Hall thank you.

Robin Hanks LaRosa Mine isn't a question as much as, Mary, I love how much your books take time to form the characters, letting us get to know them and really start to care about them and what happens to them.

Monica Hall I agee with Robin.

Diane McWhinnie Bateman hi Mary, I think I'm here. Not sure if anyone has asked, but when can we expect the second book out for TKOA? My Mom is drooling with anticipation as am I.

Mary Carver Thank you nancy. It does take a lot of resolve. I am very much a person who has to have a schedule and work great knowing what's going to happen. Now my writing doesn't always reflect that for sure. i don't write by an outline BUT by the seat of my pants

Mary Carver I pretty much work on scenes after in my head, meaning after the writing time, i work on the next scene in my head or do research if required

Mary Carver hey Di.

Mary Carver Good question

Diane McWhinnie Bateman Hey sweetie...and thanks!

Monica Hall I'm drooling right with you Diane.
Question. Do you have any other books that are not related to your two series waiting in the wings?

Mary Carver I have it all ready started and have been doing research on the characters. Since this series as some of you may know are fact based I like to have all my facts straight, down to little things. i spent almost 3 weeks in Cambodia in Dec. and Jan going to Angkor Wat for some of that time. To retrace the steps of the people i wrote about. So That will be soon in getting done...

Mary Carver Yes Monica Hall

Monica Hall Yes is not the answer fans needing to know want to hear.

Mary Carver I have a western that is just about done BUT then my Vampires came to me and begged to be written about... How could i not

Diane McWhinnie Bateman Fantastic! I am excited to read the second book.

Mary Carver Also... I have a book, takes place in Cambodia in the 1920s and will be based on real characters and about the thefts that took place at that time

Mary Carver It will be more of a mystery BUT will have romance

Monica Hall Question.
Is your son going to make TKOA into a movie?

Mary Carver Dd anyone read my blog that was posted a week or so. I know Di has cause that's how she won her book. BUT I was hoping to maybe have a give away here BUT so far all of you for the most part have read TKOA.

Kathie Noblit So then storylines HAVE been interrupted by others and actually taken over by them, lol.

Kathie Noblit um... oops, I haven't yet...lol

Diane McWhinnie Bateman It would be a wonderful movie Monica!

Monica Hall how could I have missed your post? or not won a book?

Monica Hall I want to be a Elephant Wranger. hint hint.

Mary Carver Yes, Kathie or i will keep writing what i am working on and get the outline or the first chapter of the story written so the characters leave me a lone for a bit.

Mary Carver In TKOA, Nurung is very patient

Kathie Noblit ok, now I'm lost. I am going to go grab all your books so I can have a clue..

Diane McWhinnie Bateman Mary, I'm not 100% sure how to phras this question. When you first realized that you were going to be an author, and you knew that first book was almost ready to go, how long did it take and what are the steps involved in publishing? Hope that made sense?

Mary Carver MONICA!!! How many times have you read TKOA???

Mary Carver I will fill you in later Kathie.

Mary Carver Hold on my pager is going off, BUT I'm not going anywhere...

Monica Hall *hangs head* as of last night.... 14. it's avoidance to finishing my own books.

Mary Carver I love you Monica!!!!

Monica Hall You have to take the call. You need to get firefighter of the month.....

Kathie Noblit ~smh~ Oh Monica... lol

Mary Carver K DI lets see

Mary Carver No I'm squelching it, it was an earlier monitor test and I didn't have my pager on...

Mary Carver K Di. I always loved to write. Loved writing letters to my two aunts as a child. Loved tow rite poetry. I can express myself a whole lot better in writing...

Mary Carver I took about a year to write TKOA.

Author A B McKinley Hey Mary, congrats on yer release

Monica Hall *hangs head even lower* You put me to shame.

Nancy Thurston I read your blog this past week about TKOA and the Titanic.

Mary Carver It was very intense. Not to say these other books weren't. I contacted a few publishers and got Dorrance. These next few books will be self published to keep the control in my hands not the publisher. these are my babies and I want them to have the proper care

Diane McWhinnie Bateman My final question my friend is, you have lived an incredible life filled with just about anything you can ask for, have you ever thought of writing an auto-biography?

Mary Carver yes, BUT there is way too much garbage there and kids involved so, no...

Mary Carver Yes Nancy!!!

Monica Hall Will you have a booth at the RNConference in Vegas? or is the trip play time?

Diane McWhinnie Bateman Understood...

Mary Carver I don't think i will BUT I will see if there is still some room to include me there. Also cost is a factor. BUT I will just have fun going.

Mary Carver So i guess Monica I would say more play time!!

Monica Hall Can't argue with play time.

Mary Carver Gosh girls you guys are like going into a burning building. and then the lull

Mary Carver No and it will be good to just have down time.

Monica Hall Did your characters ever take over your story and take it in interesting directions.

Mary Carver if you look down on this page Catherine Mahoney has posted some music videos of music that was vey important with TKOA.

Monica Hall I see that now. Sometimes my computer doesn't show things in order.

Mary Carver Yes Monica. It's funny i never could understand how an author could say that. BUT I will be writing and all of a sudden they are doing not quite what I thought they were going to do. i will say to myself. 'where in the world' did that thought come from?? It's them. they live in us authors and want to speak and live...

Mary Carver So who is still here??

Nancy Thurston I am!

Kathie Noblit Mary, are there plans to put your books into E format?

Monica Hall thank you.
Me ME
Where in the world (that you havent been to yet) would you like to travel to do research on a story idea. (and the old west is not an answer)

Monica Hall oooh kathie. I like that.

Mary Carver yes Kathie, the next ones will be E published with Create a Space printed

Mary Carver Once I am done with Dorrance I will re-do/format and e-publish, though it is on NOOK

Monica Hall does Dorance have a set time they hold your rights? and how do you like Create space?

Mary Carver Mm travel. i would love to go to Egypt to visit my great Uncle's grave and see his life's work, at Giza, Scotland and ireland

Kathie Noblit I ask because I have Kindle and find I am more inclined to download a book on it than to 'wait' for it to be delivered or have to make a trip to the bookstore. Lazy, I know.

Monica Hall OMG only 6 minutes left.

Mary Carver yes i can understand . It's easy. i love that and I love my Kindle BUT also love to hold a book. I have some favorite authors who i buy printed books of theirs...

Nancy Thurston Mary I just want to say that I have appreciated being included in this celebratory pre-launch party. The wonders of the internet!

Monica Hall I do the kindle for PC. love having my stories with me. The again I have 2 well work copies of TKOA with me right now.

Mary Carver Hey Karen Gilbert Staples!!

Mary Carver I appreciate that Monica!!!

Monica Hall M. You still never said where you woud travel to do more research.

Mary Carver I know Nancy I have loved it and it's flown

Kathie Noblit I grab on kindle, then I go purchase ones I find are must haves for my book cases. lol

Mary Carver Um To Northern California

Mary Carver yes Kathie i do too.

Karen Gilbert Staples Hi Mary my friend. Sorry, I am late, I just got home from work a bit ago. I had to come on though. I have been reading all the questions and comments. AWESOME!

Mary Carver Mm travel. i would love to go to Egypt to visit my great Uncle's grave and see his life's work, at Giza, Scotland and ireland

Mary Carver Thank you for coming Kay!!

Mary Carver Those places of travel could work into books just fine!!

Monica Hall Oooh Great places to travel and I'm sure you will be inspired.

Mary Carver I want to thank you all for coming before i run out of time. We will have to do this again. I want to thank Shah and Catherine Mahoney for helping me!!

Mary Carver yes Monica!!

Nancy Thurston Mary, do you plan to do any book signing tours around the country?

Kathie Noblit Thank you Mary, for taking the time to do this. It has been alot of fun!

Monica Hall Thank you for having this party. We'll spread the word about your great books.

Mary Carver Book stores are funny with new authors from small pub or self published so for now i will look into alternate ways

Mary Carver well it's 7pm

Darlene D Purington I am amazed how you put this together. All your writing. Your imagination is amazing. Please keep up the great writing and thank you for inviting me

Mary Carver For all of you who are still on thank you so much for coming. It truly means a lot to me!!

Nancy Thurston I wonder if something outside the box like coffee shops might be another possible venue. Coffee and books seem to go so well together.

Mary Carver yes, Nan that's a good idea.

Mary Carver Thank you all !!

Monica Hall I'll do your Northern CA research. I'll pm you about some other things...,... Thanks again for hosting this informative chat. Now the Tones can go off all they want.

Mary Carver You are a luv as all you are!!!!

Mary Carver Nite!!

Monica Hall have some tea for me.

Mary Carver I will

Shah Fazli Thanks everyone once again, it was a real great event because of you all attending and taking part, it was really amazing. Hope to see you all again soon.http://shahsightshop.blogspot.de/2013/03/the-kings-of-angkor-mary-stiehler.html