Interview of Marilyn Kapp

by Margery Harkness-Casares

Marilyn, your name is familiar to a lot of people. Your latest novel, WHERE THE FIRE THORNS GROW is a fantastic novel that has had great reviews. Is it anything like RETURN TO MADRONA?

Not really. WHERE THE FIRE THORNS GROW is a Romantic Suspense with a twist.

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I love the name of this new novel and the plot is great. This one is a suspense, is it not?

That's right. I love suspense in any form.

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I think you are coming up with new genres (though your reviewers call you a cross-genre writer.)

Yes, I have never liked to be constrained within a certain framework.

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This one has an amnesiac heroine, who is in a witness protection program, and paranormal elements. Yes, I'd say you are a cross-genre author. Is this the type plot you like best? Or just one type you write?

I love paranormal and have only written one book without at least a touch of it. Fire Thorns didn't start out to be paranormal, but I just couldn't resist.

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What made you decide to write this particular novel? Did you just one day get the idea, or was it a result of some event in your own life? Perhaps a dream?

Actually, at the time, I was fascinated with twins. WHERE THE FIRE THORNS GROW was my first start. It evolved into RETURN TO MADRONA. I did ECHOES OF DROWNING CREEK then went back to and finished WHERE THE FIRE THORNS GROW the way I had meant it to be in the beginning

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The setting sounds wonderful for such a novel. I know you are from Kentucky, but have you ever been to Puget Sound where your story takes place? Port Gardner Bay sounds like a great place to be.

Yes, I lived near there for twelve years. We actually lived in a house with the view described in the book.

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Have you, like most authors, been writing practically all your life? Or have you come on the writing scene recently?

I started writing as a child. They were all poems about the jungle. I was very big into the female 'Tarzan' type comics then. After I grew up the writing was put aside, except in my dreams, until I moved to Washington State and was able to take a course in creative writing.

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Do you have your work critiqued by other authors before you consider it polished and ready for publication, or do you do all your own editing?

Absolutely I have it critiqued by others. I had a tough group the first time around. I think there were about fourteen published authors in the group, including the well-known Willo Davis Roberts and Barthe DeClements

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What do you consider most important in such a novel? Is it the plot, or the characters, or both?

Both are important.

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I'm sure the setting plays an invaluable part in this particular novel, right?

Yes, although the events could happen any place, I wanted to show the beauty of the area

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A question that I always want to know the answer to is: Do you plan a novel out before writing it, or do you just sit down and write whatever comes to mind?

I start with an idea, work out the ending, then figure out what it would take to get there.

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Do you fill out forms and use an outline?

Heavens no! That would take all the fun out of it. Besides I hate forms of any kind.

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Do you rewrite as you go, or do you get the entire manuscript on paper before tackling the rewrites?

I do a lot of rewrites as I go until I get near the end. Then I just try to get it all out and clean up the whole thing later--after I get a bunch of opinions on it. I am confident in most everything I do-- except writing. A lot of the time, I don't even believe it when people tell it is good.

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Do you consider research a valuable part of writing any fictional novel, contemporary as well as historical? I think your work answers that question, as it is obvious you did a great deal of research on WHERE THE FIRE THORNS GROW. I really just want a good authors viewpoint on the value of research.

Research is extremely important. I have been stalled on a time travel for about three years because I can't find enough information to make me comfortable with what I'm writing about. You might think if there is not that much information out there, you could make it up as you go. But believe me, some authority on the subject would read it sooner or later and be sure to tell me what was wrong <vbg>

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You have taken creative writing classes, as most of us have, but I've always believed that one cannot be taught something that requires talent, one can only be taught the mechanics which will better showcase that talent. Do you think that is true?

Yes, I have taken several classes. You begin with the talent, but that talent needs to be nourished and trained.

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How much time do you give to your writing? And will you continue to write those good novels?

Unfortunately, I haven't had time in the last three or four years to write much. I have a straight suspense about three-fourths finished. I have been away from it for so long I need to become reacquainted with the characters. I just hope they haven't given up on me.

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Tell us something about yourself, personally. We can always see a little of the author in the author's work. What part of you, would you say, is in WHERE THE FIRE THORNS GROW? Other than your sweat, blood, and tears, that is. <g>

That's a hard one to answer. I think each character we create is a tiny sliver of one of our own traits. Maybe it is a hidden part of us. Even our villains come from our dark sides. It's just that some of us are darker than others, LOL.

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Thanks. Margery