Marcelle joins me on my group for our author talks. She’s snarky, funny, thoughtful, and insightful.
Bio
Marcelle Valentine has long dreamed of being an author. She wrote her first story at the age of twenty-four, but after trying unsuccessfully to find an agent, she gave up briefly on her dreams of being a writer. Only deciding to try again in her forty’s. She is the author of the Scarred by Fate Series. She lives in Ohio with her husband; she has two children, three grandchildren, and a lovable ‘lazy’ gentle giant.
Tell us about yourself.
I am a sarcastic joker introvert who only comes out of my shell after I have gotten to know you. I tend to crack jokes (hence the sarcastic part), so I always want to get to know the people around me, allowing them to get to know me. I am married to a wonderful man who supports me one hundred percent in anything I do. I have two children: a daughter and a son. They have graced our family with the little lights in my life my three grandchildren. Who are the ones that help keep me grounded when grandma goes a little crazy. And did I mention my four-legged baby? He’s a Great Dane who thinks he a lap dog, at least where I’m concerned.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
Early on, I always had a great imagination. I wrote my first story in my twenties but could not get an agent to pick it up. In early 2021 I started getting the itch to write again. In April 2021, I took the leap as I began the Scarred by Fate Series. I wrote several chapters and sent out feelers on those chapters (admittedly, these feelers mainly were with family, although they did not know the book belonged to me) to see what people thought of my book. My daughter helped get these books in some of these people’s hands, simply telling them it was a friend who wrote it and wanted to receive honest feedback on the book. Was this pipe dream something I could make a reality? Thankfully all the feedback I received, or more accurately my daughter received, was positive; they all wanted to read more.
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
I really love horror and PNR (paranormal romance), but honestly, I will read just about anything that catches my attention. If it is well written, I’ll read it; aside from war stories, this is just one area I cannot make myself enjoy. My genre for Scarred by Fate is a PNR, but the book I wrote in my twenties was a horror story. I can see as I continue writing branching out to thrillers, yet I don’t think I will ever be an author who can write a contemporary romance. Not that it isn’t a great genre, and I have read books in this genre; it’s just not how my brain is wired, so I don’t think I would do the genre justice. There are a lot of fantastic contemporary romance authors; hence I’ll leave this genre to them.
Is your book for adults, young adults or children?
The Scarred by Fate Series is absolutely written for adults, but I would love to write a YA book or even a series as I continue on this path. I have young nieces who want to read my work. Also, I have thought about writing a children’s book paying homage to my grandkids. I have a grandson who is autistic, not to mention a granddaughter who started her own YouTube channel. My other grandson has this carefree attitude with a smile that could brighten anyone’s day; they all amaze me every day, so I would love to give them something back, sharing in the joy they have given me.
What is your current release or project?
I am currently working on the fifth and, possibly, the final book in my Scarred by Fate Series. I am debating the idea of a sixth book for the series that would delve into Logan’s council. I also have two planned projects that I am not ready to discuss quite yet, but one would be another series while the other would be a stand-alone novel.
Tell us about the key characters
Kenna is my female main character. She’s guarded, protective of anyone she loves or cares for, sarcastic, and has experienced a tremendous amount of loss and tragedy in her twenty-six years, yet these events have all formed her into the woman she is. Logan is my male main character; he is dedicated, kind, handsome, and once Kenna comes into his life, he makes it his mission to help her. Kat is the character that seems to resonate with readers the most; she is silly, innocent, she has no filter so she tends to say whatever pops into her head. Not only do I love writing her, everyone that I have had the opportunity to speak with regarding my series all tell me in no uncertain terms how much they love her.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
This is a synopsis of book one, Ritual Nightmares: Chased for years by the demon who killed my family, I find safety with the incredibly handsome but deadly reluctant ruler Logan. Will I find the strength to let down the walls I’ve built up to let him in? And as I fall for him, will I allow Logan to put his life and the life of the family I’ve chosen on the line so he can keep his promise, or will I continue running to keep them all safe.
I know what you’re going to say Demons don’t exist, but I’m here to tell you how wrong you are because I’ve had one chasing me since I was eleven years old. Completely on my own since that one fateful night in the woods; my family is either dead or has disowned me well, except Olivia. I run, trying to stay one step ahead of my nightmare and the endless questions when people find out who I really am. Finally, finding what I hope will offer me safety, if only for a short time, I make my home in a small town named Charming.
This is where I met him and the rest of the people I claim as the family I have always wanted. Logan is strong, determined, something so much more, and when he decides to help me, he makes it very difficult to refuse. Specifically, because he is drop-dead gorgeous, none of these things are helping me keep him at arm’s length, but when signs that my nightmare Mictulant is getting closer; will I choose to stay with them, possibly putting their lives at risk or will I run? Losing the people I care about because of my nightmare once again.
Share an excerpt
I bite the left side of my lip, suppressing the groan building up, and force my eyes back up slowly. He leans forward with his arms crossed in front of his chest, making his biceps bulge and ripple when he moves. I fantasize what it would feel like to have those arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. Warmth spreads through my stomach and settles in between my thighs, making me shift slightly. He brings his left arm up, resting his hand on the side of his face. I watch as two of his fingers drop down under his mouth, my eyes following his every movement. I continue my eye assault, moving up to those perfect lips of his and only stopping when my eyes make contact with his. The side of his mouth hitches up, revealing that sexy little grin and cue the dimples. His buddies are having a loud debate about who the best baseball player of all time is, and one of them, named Cash, hits his shoulder to weigh in on their conversation. My cheeks flush, knowing he had just caught me checking him out, but worse, I think he was doing the same thing to me. His grin increases as he shifts back in his chair, ignoring Cash entirely. Thankfully before I can embarrass myself any further, Kat sticks her face in mine.
“Whatcha looking at chica?” Which is her way of telling me she knows exactly what I was looking at. I clear my throat and look down at the bar as she starts singing, “K-I-S-S-I-N-G first comes.”
I slap my hand over her mouth, making her mumble the rest of it, “For the love of God, Kat, please don’t.” She’s mumblings something else under my hand but then goes silent. “Are you done?”
She shakes her head, yes, but when I remove my hand, she sings out, “Bom chicka wow wow.”
I groan and put my head down on the bar and begin lightly hitting it repeatedly. Hoping it might knock some sense into me. “He’s still watching chica.” She whispers to me in her sing-song voice.
“Lightning, Lava, Earthquake, Tsunami….”
“Oh, I know things that kill!”
“Nope, things that I wish would happen to get me out of this hell.”
“Oh, so drooling over boss man is hell?”
“Kat, just drop it!”
“Okay, I guess I won’t tell you that Logan and I weren’t the only ones to see you mentally undressing him.”
I pull my arms on top of the bar, resting them on both sides of my head as I begin making little crying noises, “Please don’t tell me all the guys saw it too. I don’t think I could face any of them ever again.” I groan out as I lift my head slightly to look at Kat.
“Nope, they are all completely oblivious to your totally hot fantasy.”
I pull my eyebrows together, she takes my face in her hand and turns it, so I am looking at one very pissed off Priscilla staring back at me. I am suddenly happy that laser death ray eyes are not a thing, or your girl would be toast. After getting her point across, she turns and stomps back towards the break room.
Do you have a favorite scene?
It’s tough to pick one when it comes to the series, but I guess if I have to pick one that I believe stands out, it would be a scene from book two where Kenna goes looking for Logan and Griffin. It is the ah-ha moment that provides a ton of information, and if I did my job correctly, the one you did not see coming until it is revealed.
What advice would you give a beginner?
Never let someone else tell you that you can’t. I have a saying it’s something I tell myself whenever I begin to doubt what I am doing: The greatest novels of all time began with a thought and one word written. In short, write the story you have in your heart but allow the space and grace to understand this is your baby, and like all other babies, sometimes we can be too close to our work to see where it may be falling short. If someone is offering you constructive advise take it with all hopes they are doing it to help you, which will only benefit your story.
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Website https://www.marcellevalentine.com/
Purchasing links https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09GMVJV93