Interview: Marley Gibson

Today I'm very pleased to interview friend and fabulous author Marley Gibson. The 2nd book in her Ghost Huntress series hits the shelves this week. And one lucky commenter will have a chance to win a copy of Ghost Huntress: The Guidance this week. You have until Midnight (CST) Thursday to leave a comment and qualify as a winner. The lucky recipient will be announced on Friday's blog!

Now, everyone give a warm welcome to Marley!

MF: Tell us something surprising about yourself.

MG: Surprising? Well...I've turned into quite the adventurer lately. Life begins at 42! I just got certified to SCUBA dive (recently saw about 60 dogfish shark a few feet from me), I went parasailing, and waverunning with a school of dolphins leading the way.


MF: How did you get the inspiration for your Ghost Huntress Series?

MG: I was looking for a new high concept idea to try and sell when I was at the New England Romance Writers Conference in March 2007. I sat in on the presentation of the New England Ghost Project talking about ghost hunting and using psychic abilities to connect with spirits. As I sat there in their session, the whole first GHOST HUNTRESS book came to me like a movie and I knew I had to write about teenage ghost hunters!


MF: What authors do you read?

MG: I read as much as I can get my hands on. I loved Stephenie Meyer's TWILIGHT series and I adore the Simon Pulse romantic comedies by Jenn Echols, Wendy Toliver, Niki Burnham and others. I love reading my friends books and have many of them in my to be read pile - Linda Gerber, the fabulous Melissa Francis, Tina Ferraro, Stephanie Hale, Simone Elkeles, Tera Lynn Childs, Dona Sarkar-Mishra. Really looking forward to Heather Davis' NEVER CRY WEREWOLF. As for adult books, I love anything penned by Roxanne St. Claire, Jessica Andersen, Gena Showalter, Sandra Brown, Barbara Delinsky, and I love rereading classics like GONE WITH THE WIND and BRIDGET JONES, which I can never get enough of!

MF: Who is your favorite character (of your own or another book)?

MG: I have to say that Bridget Jones is an all-time favorite characters. She's an adult, but there are so many naive, childish elements to her that make her so endearing. She's got a heart of gold, would be fun to hang out with, and she's a complete and total mess...which makes her remarkable REAL.

MF: What five things are always in your purse?

MG: 1. My BlackBerry; 2. Black eyeliner; 3. A bottle of "emergency" Zantac; 4. Rose quartz dowsing pendulum; 5. Benedryl in case of a tree nut attack!


MF: What music are you currently listening to?

MG: I love anything House/Dance/Trance -- anything with a bass line beat that gets my heart going. I love writing to Dance music and I love driving to it, as well. The louder the better. I adore Kaskade, DJ Tiesto, anything by Ultra or Ministry of Sound.


MF: Tell us about your pets.

MG: Sadly...I am pet-less at the moment. My kitty fur babies, Stanley and Natasha, stayed with my husband when we divorced. However, the shelters are full of wonderful kitties who need loving, caring homes. I've been on the road a lot lately promoting my books, but come the first of the year, I plan on adopting two fur babies and spoiling them rotten. I love animals...their hearts are pure and their love is real.

MF: One item of makeup you can't live without.

MG: Black mascara. It's my lifeline. Thanks to America's Next Top Model, I wear Lash Blast by Cover Girl and I just luuuurve it!


MF: First thing you drink in the morning.

MG: Water, usually, but I know know to take my caffeine cold in the form of Diet Coke. I just love the bubbles in the morning.


MF: Worst high school memory.

MG: I'm a cancer survivor...age 15...sophomore year in high school. It wasn't so much the cancer that was the worst memory, but the fact that I lost my waist-length hair AND I was a varsity cheerleader. However, our football team shaved their heads that year to "look tough" and everyone just thought that I had that much school spirit, as well. My hair grew back quickly -- maybe in 6 months -- and it led to a whole short-punky look for me that I kept until college.


MF: If you could go back in time and talk to the teenage you, what would you tell her?

MG: I would tell her to have more self-confidence. While I wasn't exactly shy as a teenager, I didn't have much self-confidence. I think it was because I was born in the north and grew up in the south and was always considered as "different." Today, I would tell that girl to embrace that difference and not apologize for who she is and where she came from. All teens go through self-confidence issues...as do most adults...but we all just have to find our place in the world and be happy with who we are.

MF: What are you working on next?

MG: I'm very excited that my publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, wants to buy more books in the GHOST HUNTRESS series! Books 4 and 5 are in the works in my head...I'm writing out the synopsis for each so I can work on the story arcs that will continue throughout the series. I'll let the Fictionistas be the first to hear the (working) titles are GHOST HUNTRESS: THE COUNSELING and GHOST HUNTRESS: THE JOURNEY.

Thank you for joining us today, Marley! Good luck to you! Everyone don't forget to run out and buy yourself a copy of Ghost Huntress: The Guidance this week!