Monday, July 26, 2010

Interview with Romance Author Marcia Lynn McClure

Marcia Lynn McClure is surrounded by the gorgeous and captivating desert land of New Mexico, creating the perfect mood to write her romance novels. Her parents and grandparents were a great influence. She grew up hearing “tales of runaway buckboards, mule-drawn plows; stories of hardship and tragedy, love and loss.” These family legends led Marcia to writing novels. She is the mother of three children and has one grandson. Marcia is a romantic at heart and the author of 22 “clean” romance novels.

Escape into adventure, mystery, and the captivating kisses of Marcia Lynn McClure romance!

Weathered Too Young: When Lark appears on the Evans’ porch, Tom instantly hires her to keep house and cook for himself and his cantankerous elder brother, Slater. It doesn’t take long for Slater Evans to unknowingly capture her heart. Lark’s true age is not the only truth she has kept from Slater and Tom Evans. Darker secrets lay imprisoned deep within her heart. However, secrets are made to be found out. Would Lark discover the love she’d never dared to hope for?

Hello Marcia! In your novel, Slater Evans says: “I hate rabbit stew. We’re ornery old men, set in our ways, and we don’t take kindly to change.” I love this quote! Please tell us about your book: Weathered Too Young, and what kind of man this Evans fellow is.

Slater Evans is delicious! Masculine, brooding, and hiding secrets…yet with a clever wit and sense of humor! Basically he’s the kind of cowboy one might see in one’s dreams! “Perfectly imperfect!” I adore him! He so tugs at my heartstrings…and he’s irresistible. Very heroic, too…of course!

Hey, I love perfectly imperfect men. Where do you get your ideas? Do you get most of them from life experiences?

I absolutely DO get most of my ideas from real life experiences! So many character attributes and events in my books are based on personal experiences, family history stories, etc. A few of my reader favorites that were based on true life: Brevan McLean’s plowing accident, Dusty getting ‘stuck’ to Ryder, Reb Mitchel stripping off his shirt so Sage can take a peach cobbler out of the oven…and the list goes on and on!

To me, that makes a story even more intriguing. You once wrote that if your readers close one of your books with “a contented sigh and a delighted smile, feeling rejuvenated, cheerful and edified,” then you have achieved what you set out to do. Please tell us your thoughts.

My goal is to (though it may sound way too cliché) sprinkle sugar! Life is too stressful…too fast-paced…too demanding. We all need moments of respite…just some time to let our minds and bodies escape for a time…to rejuvenate. I want my books to be that escape…something a reader can pick up and bathe in…relax, smile, laugh, maybe even weep…but something that makes them feel uplifted when they’re finished…helps them to pick up and carry on with a delighted little smile on their face because they just lingered in something delightful. I just want to “sprinkle sugar.” Once (at a fan club meeting)…when someone asked me if I ever get down in the dumps and stuff…I said, “Sure! Of course! Everyone struggles!” The woman asked me why I never showed it, and I said, “Because I’d rather be a sugar-sifter than a manure-spreader.” I didn’t think much of it at the time, but for me it’s a great analogy of my feelings…and of what I want my books to be. Does that make sense?

It makes perfect sense to me. I need that little uplift simply because of life’s little trials. What does your family think about your writing?

My daughter loves my books…whew! She writes, too…and is awesome with the mystery angle. She thinks the whole thing is fun! My husband and sons…well, they don’t mind it…too much. It’s just that they do tend to get mobbed when they attend events with me…and since they’re all sort of shy (although ridiculously handsome), it’s sometimes uncomfortable for them. But in the end…I think they just look at it like it’s just a normal part of life!

That’s wonderful. I remember the very first time my daughters picked up one of my novels and began reading. I was a nervous wreck. I, too, write historical romance, and I was so afraid they wouldn’t like it because most of them were into fantasy or Jane Austen. How can you compete with that? I remember how relieved I was when they told me that they loved my writing style…whew! What a relief!!! Okay, Marcia, it’s time to tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

Do you mean like trivia stuff? Like, when I was four years old I almost drowned in a manure pit or that I was lead vocalist for several pop/rock bands in college? Or do you mean like a life philosophy? Hmmm…as far as my feelings on life…here’s one that’s very important to me: Everyone you meet should feel better about themselves because they met you. Not that they should think you’re great…they should be assured that THEY’RE great. We’re here to “esteem” one another…and that’s what we should do…that and sprinkle sugar in our wake!

I have enjoyed this interview immensely. Now I know the real you… (and I’m not talking about the manure, either… Poor you!) Marcia, you have sprinkled sugar all over my path. All we need is a little sweetener in our lives.

34 comments:

Mozi Esme said...

I love the sugar sifter vs manure spreader analogy!

janemaritz at yahoo dot com

We posted about this giveaway at Winning Readings: http://winningreadings.blogspot.com/2010/07/weathered-too-young.html

Linda Kish said...

How do you almost drown in a manure pit?? That must be horrible.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Darlyn said...

Perfectly imperfect? Sounds very intriguing! I would love to read the book!

darlyn225 at gmail dot com

thanks a lot!

Anonymous said...

I like your thoughts that everyone should go away from meeting you thinking that they were better for it not because they think you are great but because you helped them feel that they are great. I am going to try doing that having been on the receiving end from some very nice people.

I look forward to reading some of your books.

Helen Kiker
hdkiker@comcast.net

Misha said...

Great interview! Please enter me.

Misha
mishamary@gmail.com

Serena C said...

This books sounds great! Please enter me.

sclarke710@live.com

BookHounds said...

Hi Linda...no need to enter me - I just posted this for you on win a book!

http://winabook.westofmars.com/2010/07/26/weathered-to-young-by-marcia-lynn-mcclure/

Linda said...

Loved the description of Slater as perfectly imperfect. The story sounds great. Thanks for the giveaway.

scottsgal said...

Lark - love the name! Sounds like the perfect summer read
msboatgal at aol.com

Anne Payne said...

Your interview made me smile and chuckle, so I know your book would! I would love to read it :)

homesteading@charter.net

Pam at Daysong Reflections said...

The book sounds like one I'd like. Please enter me.

pam[at]daysong[dot]com

Anonymous said...

The author makes me want to read the book and then the interview seals the deal!!!!

Please enter me.

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Meredith said...

The manure pit incident sounds awful! Glad you made it out!

meredithfl at gmail dot com

Cindy W. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cindy W. said...

Oh, I love the analogy where you said “I’d rather be a sugar-sifter than a manure-spreader.” We can make or bake our happiness daily. Choose to have a happy day or chose to have a bad day. I love your thinking. I also would love to read this book! It definitely sounds like my kind of read. Also, I absolutely love the cover art! I would love to be entered into your giveaway and thank you for the opportunity!

Smiles,
Cindy W.

countrybear52[at]yahoo[dot]com

karenk said...

enjoyed this posting very much :)
thanks for the chance to read this wonderful novel :)

karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com

holdenj said...

The characters and story sound great. I really enjoyed the interview today as well! Thanks for the chance.
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

brendajean said...

OOOOOOOOO! I love all of Marcia's books and would love to own this one! Great Interview :)

bchild5@aol.com

RaNae said...

Not entering the contest, just want to say I thoroughly enjoyed the interview. Thx for bringing these interviews to us. Now, I need to find one of Marcia's books.

Bakersdozen said...

I think this book sounds like a good read. I want to win. vidomich(at)yahoo(dot)com

Tamsyn said...

I really enjoyed the interview. Sugar and manure? And ornery old men? Definitely, I've got to read this! Please count me in for the contest.
tamsyn5@yahoo.com

Naasom A. Sousa said...

Great interview. This book sounds like very interesting. Please enter me. Thank you.

letrassantas at hotmail dot com

apple blossom said...

Please include me in this giveaway thanks
ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

msdarcy said...

I enjoyed the interview and love anything that Marcia writes! Please enter me!

msdarcy22@aol.com

Jan said...

I enjoyed part about Reb Mitchel stripping off his shirt so Sage can take a peach cobbler out of the oven. What a hero!

Please enter me, this book sounds great! Thanks for the chance.

alongtheway at telus dot net

Pink Panther said...

I am definitely intrigued. Count me in! :) You can reach me at luvpinkpanther@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Marcia, your beautiful smile tells much about you! I enjoy humor and laughing - it's so healing and you must be a fun person to be around. Sprinkle a little sugar in life as you go and drawing on your life's experiences to write about is encouraging to me. I've been through many bitter and sweet experiences in real life and have wondered if anyone else could draw inspiration from reading about them in a good story form. Please enter me in your giveaway. Thank you, Linda for the interview to introduce Marcia to us.

Blessed Be in Christ,
Barb Shelton
barbjan10@tx.rr.com

Lisa said...

I prefer all my men as well as myself to be "perfectly imperfect" it makes life more interesting that way. One of my favorite quotes comes to mind, "Boring women never make history." It's attributed to ELenore Roosevelt. In any case, I love mysteries! And I have had the amazing opportunity to travel to Tikal and Palenque and would love to read your mystery set in the jungles of Mexico and Guatemala. Having been there I think the story will be that much more "real" for me. Thanks! Lisa (lisart2rn@yahoo.com)

Latter-day Saint Mom said...

Like how she phrases what her goal is, "My goal is to sprinkle sugar!"
cparkins14 AT teancum.net

clschaan said...

would love to read this

cheryl_429@hotmail.com

Debra Erfert said...

I love cowboys, and this was a great interview. Please enter me too.

debraerfert@yahoo.com

Alaina C said...

I love your books, you one of my top favorite authours! I have read the ebook of this, and it is my second favorite book of yours. (my favorite is The Highway Man of Tanglewood, of course) I want this book.
acthetxrm@yahoo.com

wmmahaney said...

I love that some of her ideas come from real life experiences.
The book sounds wonderful.
wmmahaney(at)att(dot)net

Linda Weaver Clarke said...

Congratulations, Tamsyn. You are the winner of Marcia McClure's book. I know you'll enjoy it very much.