Port Town Publishing: Tell us a little about yourself. Where you live, your occupation, your family etc.
Mary Ann: I live in East Tennessee surrounded by some of the most beautiful country you'd ever want to see. I retired from office work in 2002 and for the first time in my life I'm doing what I want to do. My mantra is: "If it ain't fun--don't do it." Most of my friends are writers and my days are filled with book club meetings, writer's groups, book signings, readings--anything to do with writing. I have one son who is (as the dedication says in "Surrey Square") the world's coolest dude. My oldest son was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1998, but the world didn't stop turning, so I got out of bed and went back to work. I have three lovely and gracious granddaughters.
Port Town: How did you go about becoming published and how long did it take?
Mary Ann: I started my first book "Remember Me With Love" in the early 80's. I worked on it off and on for five years and thought it was finished. It was--the first draft. After several more years of rewriting, polishing, tightening, all the things you do to rough text, I sent it out and got a truckload of rejections. Finally Southwest Publishing of Arizona and Barbara Sue DeBolt accepted it. I loved working with a small press. Plus, in 1995 the novel won the publisher's Golden Book Award for suspense (which seems to be my favorite thing to write) and I went to Mesa, Arizona to the awards dinner, met the publisher and several of her authors. After the book was out of print for more than ten years, I asked Jean Hackensmith at Port Town Publishing if she'd consider re-issuing it. And she has just released it. When I finished "Surrey Square." I watched Port Town's website for the announcement: "We're Now Accepting New Manuscripts." I sent it in, Jean took it right away, and she has been a joy to work with. Everything zips back and forth in emails. Quite remarkable, this internet voodoo business. Not like when Barbara Sue and I were doing "Remember Me..." Back then everything went by smail mail and I wonder now how we ever got anything done. Good bless small presses!
Port Town: How did you come up with the idea for "Remember Me With Love" and "Surrey Square"?
Mary Ann: "Remember Me With Love" streaked across my brain in a flash. Jonathan Ames was sort of pattered after a rather weird man who used to come into my office. I was always afraid the would ask me out and I probably would've gone just to break the monotony of my life. I woke up on Saturday morning and lay there thinking about him: what if he asked me out and I ended up marrying him (he had tons of money) and then he got killed and I was charged with his murder? So, there it was. I had the beginning and the end, and all I had to do was cobble together 50,000 or so words to tie the whole thing together. And this time, when I started typing, my characters moved and spoke and misbehaved and I had a hard time keeping up with them. As for "Surrey Square" (which won a 2007 IPPY award) I haven't the faintest idea how it came about. I think it's probably the best thing I've done and I put everything I knew about writing fiction into that book. Isn't it strange that I can't remember now where the idea came from?
Port Town: What audience do you anticipate for your books?
Mary Ann: Mature readers. Readers who can read unsavory things and not be offended.
Port Town: Anything coming up the future that we should know about?
Mary Ann: Well, I have six chapters of "Rooney Boone" which is the story of a young girl, (probably 12-13) who runs away from reform school. She's a good kid but sort of a smart-mouth. We'll see...
Port Town: Any comments to your readers?
Mary Ann: Only that I hope they like my work. I love getting emails from readers who have just finished one of my books and they tell me they couldn't put it down. What writer doesn't like to hear that? And I hope they'll check out my website: www.maryannartrip.com