+(2).jpg)
.JPG)
Mary Alice Monroe is a master storyteller, and her latest book, Last Light over Carolina, is a prime example. Southeastern Charm publisher Kristy Ensor said, “This was by far my favorite read of the summer! The book is filled with underlying themes of love, forgiveness and commitment, and it’s a real page turner. This was the first book by Monroe that I have ever read, and I’m an instant fan! She so vividly describes her characters and the scenery. You just feel like you’re right there in the story, and I was drawn in from the first page to the very last.”
Ensor recently chatted with the best-selling author and found her to be very warm and engaging. During their conversation Mary Alice admitted that she is a natural-born storyteller. “I was the 3rd eldest of ten children, and I was always telling stories to my siblings. I wrote my first story when I was eight years old,” said Monroe. In fact it was her 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Crawford who was the first mentor to really inspire her to write. Impressed with the stories Mary Alice had written, Mrs. Crawford asked Monroe if she had ever thought about being a writer when she grew up. At the time, Monroe said she didn’t even know you could write as a profession. Once she learned that, she was convinced that this is what she wanted to do. But it wasn’t until many years later that Monroe would actually make her dream reality. She found herself bedridden during one of her pregnancies. Knowing that she had always wanted to write a book, her husband gave Monroe a notebook and basically told her to write the novel that was lingering inside of her. She began writing, and actually wrote her first book during that time. So basically she birthed a book and a baby simultaneously.
When Ensor asked her how she developed such realistic characters, the author responded with “I’m very intuitive, and studying people is really organic to my research.” She definitely does her research. She’s very hands-on and usually spends at least a year researching each of her projects. For instance, prior to writing her new release, she spent time out in out in the shrimping community in the low-country of South Carolina. She went out and interviewed shrimpers, their wives and actually spent time out on the shrimp boats doing hands-on work. Additionally, she draws from personal experiences to capture such heartfelt emotions & feelings which is evidenced through her characters.
Monroe is in the midst of her book tour for Last Light over Carolina, and she’s also busy working on her next writing project called – The Butterfly’s Daughter due out next July. That book’s sure to be another great read! Be sure to check out the feature article about Monroe in the summer 2010 issue of Southeastern Charm. In the meantime, to learn more about this wonderful author and her work visit – www.maryalicemonroe.com.
Ensor recently chatted with the best-selling author and found her to be very warm and engaging. During their conversation Mary Alice admitted that she is a natural-born storyteller. “I was the 3rd eldest of ten children, and I was always telling stories to my siblings. I wrote my first story when I was eight years old,” said Monroe. In fact it was her 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Crawford who was the first mentor to really inspire her to write. Impressed with the stories Mary Alice had written, Mrs. Crawford asked Monroe if she had ever thought about being a writer when she grew up. At the time, Monroe said she didn’t even know you could write as a profession. Once she learned that, she was convinced that this is what she wanted to do. But it wasn’t until many years later that Monroe would actually make her dream reality. She found herself bedridden during one of her pregnancies. Knowing that she had always wanted to write a book, her husband gave Monroe a notebook and basically told her to write the novel that was lingering inside of her. She began writing, and actually wrote her first book during that time. So basically she birthed a book and a baby simultaneously.
When Ensor asked her how she developed such realistic characters, the author responded with “I’m very intuitive, and studying people is really organic to my research.” She definitely does her research. She’s very hands-on and usually spends at least a year researching each of her projects. For instance, prior to writing her new release, she spent time out in out in the shrimping community in the low-country of South Carolina. She went out and interviewed shrimpers, their wives and actually spent time out on the shrimp boats doing hands-on work. Additionally, she draws from personal experiences to capture such heartfelt emotions & feelings which is evidenced through her characters.
Monroe is in the midst of her book tour for Last Light over Carolina, and she’s also busy working on her next writing project called – The Butterfly’s Daughter due out next July. That book’s sure to be another great read! Be sure to check out the feature article about Monroe in the summer 2010 issue of Southeastern Charm. In the meantime, to learn more about this wonderful author and her work visit – www.maryalicemonroe.com.
.jpg)
