| Angela Marie's latest novel! Available on Amazon! |
Hey readers! I had the opportunity to interview fellow Catholic author, Angela Marie! If you're looking for fairy tale romances with faith based plots, you've come to the right place! Owning most of her books myself, I can attest to their originality, suspenseful plots, dynamic characters, and happily ever after endings! Check out what inspired Angela Marie to become an author, her favorite books and characters, and advice to aspiring writers! Click here to view her books and see her book trailers here!
1. What inspired you to become an author?
My Eldest Sister always wrote fictional stories when we were growing up. Even before we started using the computer to type, she would have stacks of notebooks filled with humorous and exciting handwritten stories that she would let us read. I looked up to my eldest sister and wanted to imitate her, so I began writing stories too. And I enjoyed thinking up new characters and plots so much, that I’ve been writing ever since! It was my eldest sister who strongly encouraged me to look into self-publishing options after I wrote the first five volumes of the Catholic Kingdom Series as a birthday gift for her in 2013. Now my eldest sister and I make a great team; she helps me to think of ideas for new stories, along with giving me invaluable input for scenes. She and my youngest sister–my #1 fan–also provide me with indispensable “prayer support.” None of my writing endeavors would go so well without the continued kind intercession of Our Lady of Good Success, St. Vincent Ferrer, St. Jude, St. Michael, the holy angels, and so many others!!
2. What is your favorite book that you have written and why?
Impossible to answer! I honestly like them all, in their own way. The Catholic Kingdom Series began my self-publishing efforts, so that makes it rather special. Night Falls Over Sol took a “darker” direction that I thoroughly enjoyed–such a fun mixture of “drama” and humor in that one!, while To Fynde a Husband started out as a little “something” that my youngest sister and I were going to write together. We came up with the initial characters and the first couple of chapters, and then I got stuck, and I had to set aside that project to work on something else; I later returned to it with my eldest sister, the two of us surprising our youngest sister with a completed book for her birthday. I really enjoy how that unique, lighthearted tale turned out. Once Upon a Time Stories marked a new phase in my writing. I’m extremely pleased with those first two parts and how my writing improved with each new volume of the “fairytales retold” series. The five books of the Evangelistae Kingdom Chronicles comprise my most “epic” story. The Catholic Colonies was something quite different from anything that I had been writing up until that point and it was neat doing a “mysterious” plot; I loved the strained relations and conflict between two of the main characters. Lastly, I consider my most recent standalone novel, The Prodigal and the King’s Daughter, to be my “masterpiece,” Dei gratia. You’ll soon see why! It will be officially available on Amazon in mid-April of this year.
3. Who is your favorite character from your novels and why?
That’s really hard; I have so many characters, and they all have their different personalities. They do fall into certain categories though, and I have to say that I find it the most fun to write the blunt, tactless, short-tempered type of characters, such as Ross (from Once Upon a Time Stories), Macaire (The Evangelistae Kingdom Chronicles), and the Prodigal. Why? I think because they add another level of emotion to the scenes, and get to say some of the best lines. That being said, I love it when all of the different characters interact and react to each other.
4. What is your favorite book that you have read and why?
This is much easier to answer! My favorite fictional book is Enemy Brothers, by Constance Savery (1943). I love everything about it: Miss Savery’s excellent style of writing, the plot, the characters, and Dym is my absolute favorite fictional character ever,–never to be topped. Honorable mention goes to Bond and Free by Jean Connor (1913). That one’s a gem!
5. Who has been the most influential author in your writing?
My eldest sister, first and foremost! Then, some of the greatest Catholic authors of the 1800’s and early 1900’s: Eleanor C. Donnelly, Fr. Francis J. Finn, Mary T. Waggaman (Shipmates is another gem!), Meriol Trevor, Fr. Lasance, and the Very Rev. J. A. Keller, D.D. (with special mention of Jean Connor for Bond and Free). Also, Constance Savery: specifically for, Enemy Brothers,Reb and the Redcoats, and Emeralds for the King. My sisters and I love to read a lot of “old books.” What I read affects how I write, so I’m always careful about what literature I look at when working on a project. I often turn to the authors that I mentioned for inspiration. And, speaking of inspiration, Therese, it was hearing about your latest novel, Act of Hope, which providentially inspired me with an intriguing idea for a plot that led to the writing of The Prodigal and the King’s Daughter. Thanks bunches!
6. How does your Catholic Faith contribute to your writing?
My main reason for entering the self-publishing business was to counteract the many bad, immoral books available on the market with wholesome, enjoyable, and truly Catholic fiction. There are so many fantasy books that create their own worlds, “religions,” and use magic, excluding Our Lord from the story. While I know that a book does not need specific mention of the Catholic Faith to be good and moral, I prefer to be a Catholic novelist in the fullest sense of the word. So, the True Faith contributes everything to what I write! I am most happy when creating fictional lands set in the “real world,” and being able to share the beauty of Holy Mother Church through situations based on actual supernatural events in the lives of the saints, with a full awareness of God and His Divine Providence, Our Lady, the angels, the spiritual realm present everywhere around us, Purgatory, and the preternatural activities of the devils. This beautiful quote from Fr. Finn is my main inspiration to write books that are wholly, traditionally Catholic, while still providing a fun and thrilling reading experience: “One of the greatest things in the world is to get the right book into the hands of the right boy or girl. No one can indulge in reading to any extent without being largely influenced for better or worse.”
7. What advice would you give to someone who wants to be an author?
Why do you want to be an author? If you love to write, then write! If you think that others would enjoy reading your stories,–that they’re really good and worth printing, and you want to share them with a wider audience, then self-publishing is a great way to make your books available to the public without any hassle. I have found CreateSpace, now KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), to be the most reasonable, free, and easy to use service provided at the moment; the major plus for me is being able to have full control over my own works. There’s no harm in trying to show your manuscript to a big publishing company, too, if you want to go with that route. On a more serious note, I would add: Every word that we authors pen and publish will be marked down either for or against us at our particular judgment. For the sake of your immortal soul, never write anything that would offend your guardian Angel, ever at your side. And last of all,–(and this is simply a personal quibble of mine): When formatting a book document, always justify your main text!
Thank you, Angela Marie, for your inspiring interview! Look for her next novel in April!
