Interview of Mary S. McGuire

By Karen Hudgins

With RACHEL’S JOURNEY being published in November. I think readers, writers and authors will be curious about who wrote such a great book. So let’s help them get to know you.

Karen: What fascinates you most about writing historical romances? Have you always written stories set in the past?

Mary: If we learn from the past, it will often prevent our making the same mistakes in the future. It was enlightening when I completed writing RACHEL, set in the 1850’s, only to realize how much her problems of balancing career and family are applicable today.

No, not all of my books have been set in the past. Next year, I will have a trilogy of contemporary romances coming out—-A TIME TO TRUST, A TIME OF FORGIVENESS, AND A TIME OF FULFILLMENT—each with a different heroine and each with a unique challenge.

Karen: Some authors feel as if they’re linked to another time. Is this true for you? If so, when?

Mary: No, time is so fleeting; human nature is more enduring. I, do, however enjoy reading about various eras. In fact, I don’t dare turn on the History Channel or I’d spend my whole day sitting there mesmerized.

One funny incident surfaced when I was taking a writing course at SMU and they critiqued some of Rachel. A student asked me if I had researched the speech of the people in the book since it sounded authentic. I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was the way we talked when I was growing up around my grandparents and other older family members.

Karen: What advice do you have for beginning historical romance writers?

Mary: Find a character or an event that piques your interest and go from there.

Karen: Do you continue to research while you write, or do it before you begin your story?

Mary: I try to do some basic research first, but something always comes up so it is really an on-going process. Gee, isn’t it wonderful we have the internet to help us?

Karen: In a “free-association” style, what immediately pops into your mind for: HERO, FAVORITE MOVIE, AND JEWEL?

Surprisingly enough, a hero who is no longer as revered as he should be is Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Favorite movie is hard. I love the old westerns, but the recent ONE BRICK AT A TIME was a moving presentation about coping with modern life.

Jewel? If taken literally, it would be an amethyst, my birthstone. We have many human jewels in our lives. For me, Gene, my husband, is that kind of person.

Karen: How do you fuel your creativity? Ever feel it is stronger or weaker at certain times?

Mary:  I’m not certain how I fuel my creativity. Sometimes, it is as simple as being alone or reading a good book or enjoying humor. When I have writer’s block, I find picking up a pencil seems to let the words flow more easily than using a computer.

Strangely, I find I am more creative when I experience stress; maybe, it is an outlet for me.

Karen:  Could you tell us about when you first began writing, and what it was like? What made you know that writing was for you?

Mary: I’ve always “scribbled”, especially in school. I thought everybody wrote in one form or another so it’s been a gradual awakening.

Karen: What characteristics or skills do you think every writer must have, either inherently or learned?

Mary: A command of the language and grammar is basic. Beyond that, it is an inner urge which cannot be denied.

Karen: Finally, Mary, what do you do for just plain fun?

Mary: I play bridge a little, read, visit our kids and grandkids. Most of all, I love sitting outside with my husband amid his trees and flowers.