Today's Special - - Marnee Blake

I'm so excited to welcome debut author, Marnee Blake to the Dish today. I met Marnee online many years ago and it's been fun to watch her journey from reader to blogger to published author. She was a 2014 and 2015 Golden Heart ® finalist and I think we all knew it was just a matter of time before we would have the opportunity to read this talented author's stories. Her debut novel, Altered will be released December 28th. I highly recommend it! For more information about Marnee and her book, visit her website and follow her online at Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads. 

Welcome, Marnee! Congratulations on the release of your debut novel, Altered. Please share with our readers what they can expect from this book.

Hi PJ! Thanks for having me here today! I hope that Altered is as much fun to read as it was to write! It’s full of fast-paced action and high-stakes. It has science fiction elements, but it’s set in our contemporary world, so I hope readers find it accessible. The book is the first in a series.

I loved this book! It had me riveted to the pages from beginning to end. What was the inspiration behind the story?

First, I’m so glad you liked it! The idea for the story evolved over time. I remember reading about the Blackwater scandals in the late 2000s, and the idea of military companies that believed themselves to be “above the law” intrigued me. Around that time, I read an article positing that healthy people should be able to use brain-boosting drugs, like Ritalin or the drugs used to help memory-impaired aging patients, to achieve higher brain function. These two things sort of melded together in my head, and Altered was born!

Altered is your first published novel. What’s been the most exciting part of your debut journey? The most challenging? The most surprising?

The most exciting part of my debut journey is knowing that people I don’t know are reading things that I wrote.  What a thrill! The most challenging? Well, people I don’t know are reading things that I wrote.  How scary! LOL!!  Surprising? I’m not certain. I have so many wonderful mentors and friends who have been willing to answer questions for me and have squired me along. I’m truly blessed. But, what I’ve found most gratifying and humbling are the readers who have already reached out to say they have read. I know that no one has to read my stories, but when they do—and when they say they like it!—it has really touched me. So, thank you to everyone who’s reading. It means so much to me.

After reading Altered, I'm confident that many people will be telling you how much they enjoyed the book! Altered is a New Adult, Sci-Fi Romantic Thriller. What is it about this sub-genre that speaks to you as an author? As a reader?

I love reading action-packed stories. I love feeling like I have to keep reading, that I need to know what happens next. Those nights when my eyes are droopy, but just one more chapter… They’re the best. When I started this story, I wanted to write something like that.

You succeeded! I stayed up way past my bedtime because I just had to know what happened next! 

As I read this book, I kept envisioning it playing out on the big screen. If Altered were to be made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?

I love this question. Especially because when I was writing, it felt like it was playing out in my head like a movie. I think Carey Mulligan would make a great Blue. She’s petite, has a deceptively sweet face that I suspect hides a keen intellect, and I get the impression there’s a lot of spunk in her. For Seth, I think Scott Eastwood would do a great job.  Because…Scott Eastwood.

Oh man, I can so see them as Blue and Seth! 

Readers are left with quite a cliffhanger at the end of Altered. When will the next book in the series be published? How many books are planned?

Yes, while Blue and Seth find happiness together, some of the overarching storylines continue in the second book.  Currently, there are only the two books in the series planned, but I love the world, so we’ll have to see what the future holds! The second book is currently with my editor. I don’t have an exact release date yet, but as soon as I know something, I’ll let everyone know.

 

Blue and Seth are fascinating characters facing some mighty big challenges. What would you like readers to understand about these two?

Both Blue and Seth have been dealt some tough hands. Both of them have been left by people who should have been there for them, so they have trust issues. But, even though they’re very different, with different issues, they learn to lean on each other, that they don’t have to be islands in this world. Life can be complicated. Finding people to walk the journey with makes it a little easier, I think

Seth, Blue, and their friends are trying to adjust to their newly acquired super powers. If you could choose a super power for yourself, what would you choose and why?

Oh, this is a great question.  Because having any special power would undoubtedly come with pros and cons. I mean, being that different from everyone would be lonely. Hmmm… I’d love to be super strong, maybe. Then I would never have to have anyone open a pickle jar for me. Those things are tricky. J

Several years ago, when I was having trouble sleeping, I tuned into QVC and ended up ordering a set of three kitchen tools, one of which pops vacuum sealed jars with hardly any effort required. Best. Purchase. Ever. 

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not busy writing books?

I have two little boys, so they keep me pretty busy. When I’m not refereeing, er, I mean, overseeing my children, I love to crochet and knit. Something about keeping my hands busy clears my mind. And I love to bake. Cookies, cakes…anything with sugar.

They say we always remember our first. What book (or author) was your gateway into the world of romance fiction?

I started reading my mother’s Harlequins when I was in middle school. Which might be why I always answer, “Is this appropriate for my X-aged child?” with a shrug and a “maybe?”  But, the first author that I began to seek out myself was Jude Deveraux. I read through Mountain Laurel, the Twins…and by the time Sweet Liar came out I’d branched out to Judith McNaught and Nora, and there was no looking back.  

Great books! 

What’s next?

Right now I’m working on a speculative YA. Also fast-paced and full of action. Again, a lot of fun to write.

Thanks so much for visiting with us, Marnee! Would you like to ask our readers a question today?

Thank you so much for having me! It’s been so much fun to visit with you all. As I said, I think PJ's question about super powers is a great one. So, what about you, readers? If you could have a super power for yourself, what would you choose and why? And, I think that making laundry disappear and reappear in drawers—clean and folded, of course—is a completely valid choice. J

LOL! I totally agree! What say you, readers? Tell us about the super power you'd like to have. I'm giving away a Kindle copy of Marnee's debut, Altered to two people who leave a comment. I hope you love it as much as I did! 

When "normal" ends, survival begins...

The sickness came on suddenly and violently. When it was done, waitress Blue Michaels was different in a really strange way. And the entire town of Glory was dead...except for her.

Only that's not exactly true. A handful of people made it, including U.S. Army Specialist Seth Campbell, who was caught in the wrong town at the worst time. He's fierce and protective, and way too good-looking. As much as they need a leader—as much as Blue wants to trust him—there are too many questions and not enough time for answers. Now they are hunted. But what their pursuers don't know is each of them has strange new powers. And they'll use their "gifts" to survive...no matter who stands in their way.