About the author: Elizabeth Marx pens deeply emotional romances that take her readers on a roller coaster ride between desire and despair. Often described as hilarious, heartbreaking, and heartwarming, she’s not afraid to add a sprinkle of magical realism just when you think you know what’s going to happen. Because let’s face it, a happily ever after has to be earned.
Elizabeth resides in Chicago with her husband, girls, and two cats who’ve spelled everyone into believing they’re really dogs. After traveling extensively, she still says there’s no town like Chi-Town.
**Contact Elizabeth: Website Facebook Twitter
INTERVIEW
Describe your books in five words: Heartbreaking, Earnest, Alluring, Redeeming, and Tempting.
Tell us about your writing/editing/publishing process: I usually write about two titles a year. I write straight through version one and usually end up with three drafts, going through the manuscript evaluating different aspects: plot, description and settings, and then a line by line review of dialogue. By the third draft, I have a good idea what sort of image I think would represent the theme of the book so when I send the title to my editor I start working with my cover designer on the cover in conjunction with writing the blurb and other marketing materials. Once I get the book back from my editor I edit it and go through it at least twice. Then I send it to beta readers and copy editors for review, once I get those back I go through the manuscript for the final phases.
Salty or sweet? Sweet, salty, sweet, nah, both. LOL!
At what time of day do you think you work best? I usually wake up with an idea or two for whatever manuscript I’m working on. I usually get up and jot all these ideas down. I use different sized Post It notes so I can easily attach them onto pages in a manuscript. Then I write or do interviews or blog posts in the morning at lunchtime I usually spend some time working on Twitter. After lunch I’ll go back to either writing or organizing marketing, etc.
If you could meet any other author, who would it be? Easy, Jane Austen, she’s my favorite author and I’m a big history buff so I think I’d really enjoy a conversation with her. The first question I’d ask is who was the real Mr. Darcy? And what happened?
Do you have any writing rituals? My stories come to me in scenes, so I write the scenes I know and then I create a loose outline around that. I do a lot of writing in notebooks and notes on my phone. If something comes to me I always write it down, even if it’s the middle of the night in a hotel in Omaha and the only thing I have to write on is TP in the bathroom. LOL, seriously this happened to me in the middle of the night and I didn’t want to wake my kids looking for something to write on.
Is the social media a hinder or a help? Social media is a blessing and a curse. How else can Indie authors get word out about their work? Unfortunately it takes a lot of time to organize and schedule posting but once you get a system down social media can be very helpful. But there’s always a pull that we feel like we need to see what’s up on FB, who’s saying what, etc. The one great thing is the speed with which information is relayed, especially on Twitter.
What made you want to be a writer? I’ve always written, in grade school short stories. I won a city wide writing contest in 8th grade and then in high school I wrote a lot of bad poetry and song lyrics and then during college more creative writing. I’ve always been very expressive, especially with words.
Hard/paperbacks or eBooks? I publish in paperback and eBooks and I read all three. Recently I’ve noticed that authors published by the big publishers, their hardbacks are within fifty cents of the eBook price of a title. I end up buying the hardcover even though I’m playing into their hands and keeping their business model alive, of course that’s their goal with their pricing strategy.
Every author must have (a): Every author must have the ability to read people and understand what motivates them, it’s the key to writing memorable characters.
What do you want people to take away from your books? A sense of hope and that the power of love can and will conquer everything, even the worse loss.
What are you working on right now? The release of Just Close Enough is on Dec. 1, 2015 the second book in the Alabama Secret Series. In the small secretive town of Crossroads, a Russian playboy comes looking for revenge and what he finds is a young woman who can help him fulfill that goal, but he quickly realizes he can’t get close enough to her without falling for her.
I also have a new title coming at the beginning of next year: Tell Me Something Real. It’s a coming of age contemporary romance about two college students. A graffiti artist is trying to figure out if she wants to display her work in galleries or the side of brick building, while the heir apparent to a political dynasty is working his way through every girl on campus, until Kami asks him, “Tell me something real, something so real it hurts.”
**Buy “Just In Case (Alabama Secrets Series Book 1)” now!:
**Buy “Just Close Enough (Alabama Secrets Series Book 2)” now!:
**GIVEAWAY**
Leave a comment below with your email address with the reasons why you love Southern romances!
Your prizes: Elizabeth will give away an autographed copy of JUST IN CASE & JUST CLOSE ENOUGH to one winner U.S. residents only, and one pair of ebooks of JUST IN CASE & JUST CLOSE ENOUGH to an international winner.
**Giveaway ends on December 21st!
