Today’s Guest for our Whether I’ll Live or Die?
Pre-Launch party is
Marni Mann
and her book?
“Memoirs Aren’t Fairytales”
Tell us some stuff about yourself like where you are from, your family, your job, your hobbies, etc?
I?m a New Englander at heart, but now I?m a Floridian, inspired by the sandy beaches and hot pink sunsets of Sarasota. I?m a writer of literary fiction with a mainstream appeal, taking my readers on a dark, harrowing, and gritty journey. When I?m not nose deep in my laptop, I?m scouring for chocolate, traveling, reading, or walking my four-legged children. My debut novel, Memoirs Aren?t Fairytales, was published by Booktrope in 2011. The sequel, Scars from a Memoir, will be released fall 2012.
What is your favorite thing to do to relax?
Whether it?s planned or spontaneous, I travel as much as I can. My destination could be on the other side of the pond, somewhere in the middle, the west coast, or an hour north from where I live. It?s important to get out of your environment and decompress as often as possible.
?How long have you been writing?
I?ve been writing since I was able to hold a pen and could produce something that didn?t resemble a bunch of squiggles. It?s my form of expression. It?s when I drop my inhibitions, reveal the darkness that lives inside, and turn completely vulnerable.
?What is your writing schedule like? Do you listen to music when you do?
I write or do something writing related for a minimum of eight hours a day. My day job is extremely flexible and I work from home, so I?m able to dedicate a lot of time to writing. Depending on the scene or project I?m working on, music could be shaking my house or gently playing through my speakers. But it?s always on.
Tell us the name of your book and what it is about.
Title: Memoirs Aren?t Fairytales
Back Cover Copy:
?I could feel my chin falling towards my chest, my back hunching forward. My body was acting on its own, and my mind was empty, like all my memories had been erased. There was scenery behind my lids. Aqua colored water and powdery sand that extended for miles. I was never going back to coke. I wanted more heroin. And I wanted it now.?
?Leaving behind a nightmarish college experience, nineteen-year-old Nicole and her best friend Eric escape their home of Bangor, Maine to start a new life in Boston. Fragile and scared, Nicole desperately seeks a new beginning to help erase her past. But there is something besides freedom waiting for her in the shadows?a drug that will make every day a nightmare.
?Heroin.
?With one taste, the love that once flowed through Nicole?s veins turns into cravings. Tracks mark the passing of time, and heroin?s grip gets tighter. It holds her hand through deaths and prostitution, but her addiction keeps her in the darkness. When her family tries to strike a match to help light her way, Nicole must choose between a life she can hardly remember, or a love for heroin she?ll never forget.
In your book you talk about Abuse or addiction, sometimes both, what made you write about this?
I have addicts in my life and a particular situation occurred. It flattened me. I?d seen the different places addiction could take someone, emotionally and physically, and I held their hand through those times. But this situation was too much for even me. I had questions, there were no answers, and no clarity in sight. My pain turned into Memoirs Aren?t Fairytales.
?Is the abuse you wrote about from firsthand experience, research or some other knowledge? 
Some of the abuse was inspired by things I?ve experienced/witnessed and some was based on research. The descriptions of being high came from listening to real voices of addiction. I interviewed addicts while they were sober, preparing their shots, injecting, and detoxing.
?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?
There?s a will inside you that?s stronger than your addiction. That will is to get clean. To live. To wake up each morning and the first voice you hear isn?t your addiction. It?s from the people who love and support you, and who are proud of your success and accomplishments. Find that will. Utilize the resources that are available such as 12-Step meetings, counseling, or rehab.
?What did you hope to accomplish when you wrote this book?
The underlying message is addiction isn?t a choice; it?s a disease. I know I can?t change the world?s perception and make everyone believe addiction is a disease. I know I can?t convince every teenager?not to?try drugs. But if I can change one opinion or stop a young adult from heading towards that downward spiral, my novel is a success.
What projects are you working on now?
I have two novels coming out late summer/early fall: A young adult (YA) version of Memoirs Aren?t Fairytales and its sequel, Scars From A Memoir. I recently started writing my fourth novel. It?s a dark literary piece that follows the lives of two young women.
Where to Contact Marni Mann:
Website: http://marnismann.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MarniMann
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mcbmann
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13267836-memoirs-aren-t-fairytales
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Purchase Links
To purchase from Amazon – Click cover photo
Barnes & Noble:
Excerpt
Coke gave me energy.?Ecstasy made me dance and want to be touched.?Shrooms made me hallucinate.?But heroin.?Shit.?Heroin was kind.?It didn?t trip me out like acid or bring me into a dark hole like PCP.?It showed me the quietness of the waves.
My Review:
Recently I had the opportunity to read this book and I must admit that I had a hard time putting it down. Ms. Mann did an incredible job of showing exactly what addiction does to not only your mind and your body, but to the friends and family members that addict.? Her ability to put the feelings and emotions of the addict down on paper in such a way that you could imagine what they were seeing or tasting was excellent.? It was very obvious that Ms. Mann did quite a bit of research into this book.??
This is a great book for any person who has wondered what the fuse is about addiction, or for someone who has a loved one suffering from it.? It will give you great insight into how the mind works and why they say the things they do.
I look forward to reading the sequel!