Interview with Marilyn Nichols Kapp

by Mary S. McGuire

Marilyn, we are all looking forward to your book, RETURN TO MADRONA, debuting in November. It sounds very, very exciting and spine tingling. Since all of us haven’t had the opportunity to know you as well as we’d like, here are a few questions which I hope will help us:

Mary: You have a diverse range of interests, gardening, carpentry, and other areas. How have these wide-ranging hobbies influenced your writing?

Marilyn: I think they provide a wider range of color from which to draw background, settings, characters and so on. You will probably find a little of each of them in all of my books.

Mary: You are both an author and an accountant (our CFO). Do you feel these fields are complimentary or just diverse?

Marilyn: Oh, complimentary. The exact science and subjective art provide a relief from each other when I get bogged down in either. Besides, accounting is like reading a mystery--especially if the numbers don’t balance at the end of the month.

Mary: Besides your current book, RETURN TO MADRONA, what other projects do you have planned?

Marilyn: I have ECHOES OF DROWNING CREEK, set in the early days of WWII coming out in March 2002 from Wings-ePress and WHERE THE FIRETHORNS GROW coming in June. I have a time travel and a mystery started but can’t find the time to work on them. Wings and my day job keep me pretty busy. And like Haley in Madrona, the years are leaving their residue.

Mary: Did you have one illuminating event (light bulb moment) that helped you decide to try your hand at writing?

Marilyn: Well, the desire has always been there. The light bulb came on when I learned there was a course in creative writing available from the local community college and I might actually be able to learn how to do this thing I wanted to do so much.

Mary: When you sketch out your plot, do you adhere to an outline or do you let your characters develop their own personalities?

Marilyn: I don’t like outlines. I have a general story line in my head but prefer to build twists and turns out of what has happened up to the moment. I usually know how the story ends before I know how it begins. Sometimes the last comes way before the first.

Mary: Do you have a pet peeve about some mistakes authors often make?

Marilyn: Definitely. I really hate repetitions. They are jarring. My desire is to have the writing flow so smoothly the reader is not so much aware of the words used as the story unfolding. Repetitions are like speed bumps in the road.

Mary: Are there other details about yourself or your life you would like to share with us?

Marilyn: Let’s see. I’ve been widowed twice. I have a son and a daughter, two grandsons, one granddaughter, four and 7/9 great-grandchildren. I live alone and revel in my independence. My part-time day job gives just enough structure to my life to enable me to fully take advantage of the other days in the week.

I have had a variety of jobs over the years and lived in several areas of the country. But Kentucky is home. I guess some of that ‘Dark and Bloody Ground’(the Indian meaning) is in my blood.

Mary: Thank you for helping us, and best luck.

Marilyn: Thank you, Mary. I’m looking forward to your RACHEL’S JOURNEY in November as well.

And don’t forget to visit Marilyn’s web page…