Meet Marlena Smith-Burris

Marly’s Instagram handle is @SouthernCreativeSoul. She has been a beta reader for some of my books and has revealed the covers for The Aerowyn Tales. She has always been supportive of my endeavors. Since Marly is an author, she knows what a writer needs to keep encouraged. Her creativity doesn’t just stop at writing. She has a podcast called Shrouded In Darkness (@shroudedindarknesspodcast) and a side business called 3 Bears Snacks (@3bearssnacks on Instagram), which sells delectable treats.

Find Marly here: https://www.instagram.com/southerncreativesoul/

If I visited Marly’s home town, we’d go to 7Brew, the local coffee place, and she’d order a dirty chai. I’m not a chai fan, so I’d find something else that I’m sure I’d like to drink.

Grab your own favorite beverage and enjoy getting to know Marly.

(In parenthesis I wrote my reactions to some of Marly’s answers.)

Interview

Ideal Reader

Carla: Why do you think you’re my ideal reader?

Marly: I like to think that I’m open-minded when it comes to reading, which means I’ve yet to find a genre I didn’t like. Also, as a fellow writer, I appreciate what it takes to publish a book. It’s not always easy to put yourself out there, and that’s exactly what you’re doing when you’re an author.

Personal questions

Carla: What brings a smile to your face?

Marly: I’m genuinely a happy person so there’s a lot! My family, our pets, knowing I made someone else happy, reading a good book, coming up with a good idea for a story, diving into said story bring me joy.

(I love watching all her pets on Instagram. Animals are such great fun and stress relievers.)

Carla: What are your favorite activities? If money or time was no object, what activities would you do?

Marly: I love traveling and road trips.  I love finding new places, meeting interesting people, experiencing new towns and discovering new mom and pop shops.

Favorite Book

Carla: What are your favorite books, and what did you love about them?

Marly: That’s not a fair question. Growing up, I loved books like Sarah, Plain & Tall and Number the Stars. As I got older, I fell in love with romance books and became obsessed with Jane Austen. I used to consider myself a hopeless romantic so it fit. Now, I’ve significantly expanded my world into other genres. And I love my indie authors. There are some true hidden gems out there. Of course, I love your Bellarose stories. Anyone that can take a classic and modernize it or put a twist in it, I’m totally game.

(I agree it’s not fair. There are too many favorites for me to list. Books touch different parts of our lives at various times, and they can often become the perfect companion we need at the time.)

Why My Books?

Carla: What attracted you first to my books?

Marly: Not only do we have a mutual friend that speaks highly of your writing, but I also love your covers and your social media presence. Plus, you have such a knack for transforming classics into something new and exciting.

(I hope to get that mutual friend, my first fan, to do an interview)

Carla: What do you like most about my writing?

Marly: I partly answered this with the above question, but also, your writing pulls the reader in. You know how to paint a picture with your words.

(I’m smiling A LOT!)

Genres and Tropes

Carla: What genres do you typically read?

Marly: Rom-Com, Thriller, Fantasy, Retellings…

Carla: Where do you get your book recommendations?

Marly: Mostly social media and fellow book lovers.

(That’s why we authors talk about our books so much on social media. We hope to get new readers.)

Carla: What topics, genres, or tropes are you currently looking for?

Marly: I typically don’t choose anything particular. I usually will go by someone’s recommendation, or the book cover, or it’s just an author I enjoy.

Carla: What makes a book worth recommending to a friend?

Marly: It needs to pull you in and keep you invested. A book that’s hard to put down. One that makes you say, “just one more chapter…”

Frustrations

Carla: What frustrates you about books? What do you feel is missing?

Marly: It’s rare for me to not finish a book, but this did happen recently. And with a very popular read. I can usually handle a couple steamy scenes, but when that appears to be the author’s focus, it takes away from the actual story.

Carla: What kind of story do you feel you need right now?

Marly: I’m sad to admit that I’ve been in a reading slump lately. Life is simply too busy right now. I need a feel good story. One that makes your heart happy. Maybe something with a small town vibe.

Carla: What type of content makes you stop reading a book and put it down?

Marly: Ah yes, similar to what frustrates me… Over-the-top steamy scenes and/or aggressive relationships.

(I totally agree. My books don’t have steamy or explicit scenes.)

Extras

Carla: What kind of “extra” content would you love from an author?

Marly: I love getting to know authors. Who they are when they aren’t writing. Also, the behind the scenes elements – where ideas come from, how you brainstorm, and so on.

(I plan on doing more of this with my books.)

Carla: What makes you buy a book? Is it the cover, the blurb, or reviews?

Marly: Yes to all of those. The cover, though, that’s usually what intrigues me first.

(It’s so hard not to be attracted to the cover first. We’re human after all)

Thank you Marly!

I want to thank Marly for volunteering to be interviewed. Check out her books, snack store, and podcast. Help out small businesses!

If any of Marly’s answers sound like you, then perhaps you’re my IRA too! Now would be a good time to get my books and find out.