Website: http://www.mkempher.com
Welcome MaryAnn! Your book, Mocha, Moonlight and Murder, sounds fantastic. Can we begin by having you tell us how
you came up with that wonderful title?
MaryAnn: My main character has a love of Starbucks.
It is her weakness. The murder happens at night under the moonlight. So, Mocha,
Moonlight, and Murder.
What is it that drew you to writing romance?
MaryAnn: I’ll be honest, I don’t consider myself a
romance writer. Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder is book one of a seven book
series and is considered a romantic suspense. However, romantic comedy with a
mystery sub-plot is more of an accurate description. The remaining books in the
series are mysteries with a lot of humor.
Can you tell us a little about the main characters?
Can you tell us a little about the main characters?
MaryAnn: The two main characters are Katherine
O’Brian and Scott Mitchell. For their own reasons, neither finished college.
Now, they meet in the last class they both need for their degrees. They start
out as friends and become friends who fall in love. The path is bumpy and
funny. While their love story unfolds, a mystery develops. Katherine has a
stalker, the man she saw disposing of a dead body.
They say all books of fiction have at least one pivotal point where the reader just can’t put the book down. Can you tell give us one of the pivotal points in your book?
They say all books of fiction have at least one pivotal point where the reader just can’t put the book down. Can you tell give us one of the pivotal points in your book?
MaryAnn: I think that point depends on the reader
and what they like the most, romance or mystery. When Scott and Katherine first
meet, it’s funny and maybe that’s when some people become hooked. On the other
hand, it might be when Katherine stumbles upon the killer as he disposes of his
victim, which happens early in the story.
Can you explain to us why it was important for you
to write your story?
MaryAnn: I don’t have a deep answer. I just know
that once I start a book, I have to finish writing it. And once done, I feel so
complete.
What are you working on now?
MaryAnn: Two main characters from book two through
seven are getting their own series. Trust me, anyone who has read those books
will be thrilled. These two characters are liked very much.
Final question: do you have any advice for the yet-to-be-published writers?
MaryAnn: Assuming the book is finished and you are
self-publishing, pay to get it professionally edited and proofread. This can be
expensive, but it’s worth it. Also, pay for a professional cover. Give a lot of
thought to the back-cover blurb. The first thing people see is the cover, then
what do they do? They read the blurb. So, both are extremely important.
All of the above, except the cover, still applies for those seeing to have their book traditionally published. If you are, and are lucky enough to have an agent request a partial and then a full, you’ll want your book to be highly polished before sending to that agent.
MOCHA MOONLIGHT AND MURDER is available for purchase at Amazon.
