Today’s Guest for our Whether I’ll Live or Die?
Pre-Launch party is
Marissa Farrar?
and her book?
“Alone”
Tell us some stuff about yourself like where you are from, your family, your job, your hobbies, etc?
I have a young family and I live in Devon, England, where I?m originally from. I?m lucky enough to be able to write full time now, but I used to work in pharmaceutical sales and I have a degree in zoology. I don?t have many hobbies apart from reading and writing!?
What is your favorite thing to do to relax??
A long, hot bath and a good paperback is my idea of relaxation.?
How long have you been writing??
I?ve been writing for as long as I?ve been able to! I decided to take my writing seriously just out of University, when I realized I?d spent the whole of my years studying trying to find time to write. I was finally published eight years after that, and I was able to say goodbye to the day job two years later!?
What is your writing schedule like? Do you listen to music when you do?
I write every day, whenever I can. When the children are in school and pre-school, I use that time to write. Evenings are my main time for productivity and I often work late into the night. I do listen to music when the family aren?t around, but I?m just as likely to have Dora the Explorer on in the background to keep the youngest happy.?
Questions about your book:?
Tell us the name of your book and what it is about.?
My novel is called ?Alone? and is the first book in the ?Serenity? series. It?s currently free to download from a number of sites.?
In your book you talk about Abuse or addiction, sometimes both, what made you write about this??
When I started writing ?Alone?, I asked myself the question, ?what reason would a woman have to enter into a relationship with someone she knows is a vampire?? The answer that came back to me was, ?if what is happening at home is more terrifying?. This was how I knew the main character ?Serenity? was in an abusive marriage.?
Is the abuse you wrote about from firsthand experience, research or some other knowledge?
?When I was in my late teens I did experience a bad relationship. He was never physically violent toward me, though he did threaten it, but he was extremely controlling and possessive. He never let me go out to meet with friends, and if I tried to wear make-up or nice clothes, he?d always accuse me of cheating. Luckily I woke up to that relationship and cut my ties before it went any further.
If you came across someone who was in the shoes of your lead character (I know that sometimes this is you the author), what would you tell them??
?I?d tell them that no matter how much you love an abusive spouse, they?re never going to change. The way they act isn?t about you and what you?ve done, but about who they are inside. Nothing you ever do will change that. However terrifying the thought of leaving might be, what lies in the future will only be worse if you don?t get out. Once those years of your life are gone, you?ll never get them back again.?
Do you do any special fund raising for these issues? Or are you involved in any specific groups that help others that have been involved in these issues??
Yes, I?ve donated a percentage of my earnings from the book to a charity for victims of domestic abuse here in the UK.?
What did you hope to accomplish when you wrote this book?
?I wanted to write a book that would move people, make people think, and hopefully create characters that the reader will come to love.?
Your other work: What else have you written?
?A lot! My fifth novel, ?Underlife?, will be out this August. I?ve also written numerous short stories which have been published through a number of different presses.?
What projects are you working on now??
?I?m currently working on the fourth book in the ?Serenity? series, ?Dominion?, which I hope to have out in October.?
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If you would like to contact Marissa Farrar:
Facebook:?
https://www.facebook.com/marissa.farrar.author?
Twitter:?
http://twitter.com/MarissaFarrar
Blog:?
http://www.marissa-farrar.blogspot.co.uk/?
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A few months ago, I picked up Marissa’s novel Alone and fell in love with the characters.? I got in touch with her and asked her to be apart of this launch because of the message she put in her story.? Books don’t have to be general fiction to lay it on the line for Domestic Violence! If you are a paranormal fan in the slightest – pick up her book and check it out!
My review of Alone:?
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I’m not sure where I found this book, but I am so glad that I did. Marissa Farrar is a new author for me, and I enjoyed her writing style immensely.
“Alone” deals with a very sensitive subject, Domestic Violence. Something I know a thing or two about and I have to take my hat off to Marissa for showing the emotion and the details of a terrible subject off in a way that was so realistic. People find the topic of Domestic Violence uncomfortable and don’t want to read or hear about it, yet if they did, they just might be able to help themselves or someone they love.
Add in the paranormal aspects of the vampire and it puts a whole new slant on this series. The writing was solid, the editing very smooth.
I’m glad I picked up this novel when I did and proceeded to download the rest of the books in the series as soon as I finished this one. It was one of those books that I didn’t want to put down.
Thank you Marissa for putting a very serious problem into writing in a way that others may learn from it.
To Purchase Alone:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble:?
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alone-marissa-farrar/1020987935?ean=2940033000272&itm=1&usri=marissa+farrar+alone?
Smashwords:?
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/124324?
If you are a victim and need help – or if? you know someone in an abusive relationship PLEASE ask for help!??
Call the National Domestic Hotline Number NOW!
1-800-799-7233
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