Welcome Marley Gibson

Marley Gibson is the multi-published author of the popular young adult series, GHOST HUNTRESS, as well as penning non-fiction books, THE OTHER SIDE: A TEEN’S GUIDE TO GHOST HUNTING AND THE PARANORMAL, with Patrick Burns of TruTV’s Haunting Evidence, as well as CHRISTMAS MIRACLES and THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS co-authored with NYT’s bestselling author, Cecil Murphey. She also has a contemporary romance series, Resisting Temptation, available digitally. Her next young adult book, RADIATE, will be an April 2012 release and is a fictionalized version of the cancer she had as a teenage cheerleader.

An avid traveler, closet gourmet chef, and certified SCUBA diver, Marley lives on the road full-time in her RV motorhome affectionately known as Midge, with her husband, Patrick Burns, and their two rescue kitties, Madison and Boo. She can be found online at www.marleygibson.com, on Twitter @marleygibson, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/marley.h.gibson

RECENT RELEASES

I have two books out: one fiction, one non-fiction. For non-fiction, the book is THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS and although it’s been out a month and a half, it’s in its third print run. It’s a heartwarming collection of real stories from real people about how they were moved, motivated, and/or affected by the spirit of the Christmas season. It’s sort of a Chicken Soup for the Soul type of book with short submissions. The amazing Queen of Christmastime and NYT’s bestselling author, Debbie Macomber, was gracious enough to write a foreword for the book. You can get the book here: Amazon. Or here: Barnes & Noble

The second book is my first contemporary romance/chick lit that is out digitally through Barnes & Noble exclusively until December 28th (my bday, as well) and then will be available on Kindle and other devices. This was my first chick lit book I wrote that was originally titled A LAPSE OF VIRTUE. This book almost sold on three separate occasions. My awesome agent, Deidre Knight, and I took matters in our own hands. I updated it, made it more focused on the romance, and we published it digitally.

The sales numbers are great on it and I’m anxious to continue the “Resisting Temptation” series.” Download it here on Nook for only $2.99.

GET TO KNOW MARLEY GIBSON

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite holiday?

MARLEY: As a ghost huntress, I really love Halloween and everything surrounding it. However, I just adore New Year’s Eve. I love watching the ball fall in Times Square and counting down. The hope of a new year…starting fresh…setting goals. It’s perfect! 

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite movie of all time?
MARLEY: It may sound trite, but I am still in love with GONE WITH THE WIND. Cinematic magic at a time when sound and color were still new. Sweeping and epic with amazing actors. I lose myself in it every time I see it. 

MAUREEN: Where do you most like to read and how often?
MARLEY: In bed and sadly, not as often as I’d like. Sometimes my own writing steals me away from TV and other people’s books. 

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?
MARLEY: A deeply romantic romance where the couple doesn’t stand a chance but make it in the end. Emily Giffin’s SOMETHING BORROWED was that for me.

MAUREEN: What’s the first book you remember reading?
MARLEY: Had to be a Curious George book. I still have several of them from the 60s – not in great shape, but I have them. I also had this book about a girl with a really messy room and how by the end, she had a spotless room. Always loved that one, too. 

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite “love” word?
MARLEY: “Mine.” 

MAUREEN: What really scares you?
MARLEY: As a ghost huntress…this is a good question and I can honestly say, I’m more frightened of the living than the dead! Seriously! 

MAUREEN: Who was your favorite teacher in grade school? Why?
MARLEY: First grade teacher, Mrs. Eunice Ledbetter. She was my first real reading teacher and she always gave gold stars for reading passages or stories without stumbling over words. I had a LOT of gold stars. 

MAUREEN: Do you believe in ghosts?
MARLEY: Not sure. I’ve collected a lot of evidence and experienced a lot of things. Are they ghosts? I don’t know. Are they demons? Angels? The wind? Again…I don’t know. We can’t prove any of it scientifically. I just know it’s….something… 

MAUREEN: Where in the world would you most like to visit?
MARLEY: As a SCUBA diver, I am jonesing to go to Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The diving there is supposed to be superb and it’s affordable to stay on the island. Only thing is, it costs a fortune to fly all the way there. LOL! 

MAUREEN: What’s next for you as an author?
MARLEY: Wow…I’m working on the next GHOST HUNTRESS book (THE JOURNEY) which will come out digitally. I’m also working on more books in the Resisting Temptation series, as well as shopping more non-fiction proposals. Gotta make some gas money to put in the RV…that gets 8 feet per gallon. = ) 

MAUREEN: Do shapeshifters exist?
MARLEY: Not sure…never seen one. 

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite hobby?
MARLEY: Cooking. Although, is it really a hobby? You have to eat? But I love trying new recipes and techniques and new foods. 

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite fairy tale?
MARLEY: Toss up between Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella (Sorry Snow White) 

MAUREEN: What’s the best vacation you’ve ever been on?
MARLEY: Barbados. Gorgeous island. Excellent diving. Delicious food. Wonderful people. Tons of activities. And we did it for a week wicked cheap! 

MAUREEN: Cats or dogs?
MARLEY: Love dogs, but I’m a total cat person. We rescued two 7-week old kittens in January 2011. They’re a brother and sister who lost their mother and sibling when a dog attacked them. They were so scared when we met them, but they’re over that now. Madison and Smokey Farquhar Penwick Booregard IV, or Boo, as we call him, are completely spoiled, happy, and loved fur babies who just turned a year old and live with us on the RV. They love traveling, riding in the car, and visiting different people’s houses and hotel rooms. 

MAUREEN: Hiking boots or high heels?
MARLEY: Neither…flip flops, baby! 

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite cartoon character?
MARLEY: Bugs Bunny will always be the boss. 

MAUREEN: What hidden talents do you have?
MARLEY: I can pretty much play any brass instrument. 

MAUREEN: What was your favorite book when you were twelve?
MARLEY: Little House in the Big Woods (more commonly known as Little House on the Prairie, even though that was the third, I think, book in the series) 

MAUREEN: What turns you off like nothing else?
MARLEY: Racism. Stupidest thing on the planet. 

MAUREEN: Would you rather sky dive or scuba dive?
MARLEY: Hello…certified SCUBA diver here. = ) 

MAUREEN: What sound or noise do you love?
MARLEY: The popping of a champagne cork. 

MAUREEN: What book would you want with you if you were stranded on a desert island?
MARLEY: Why, the entire GHOST HUNTRESS series! = ) 

MAUREEN: Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?
MARLEY: Oh yeah…always…House, Dance, Trance, Electronica blaring through the headphones. Helps me focus on the writing and block out the world. 

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite kind of cheese?
MARLEY: Double Gloucester…mmm… 

MAUREEN: Vanilla or chocolate?
MARLEY: Swirled together. 

MAUREEN: What was the first story you remember writing?
MARLEY: I wrote a story when I was about five about my grandfather’s car in the driveway. I believe my father paid me a quarter for it. 

MAUREEN: Who’s your favorite villain?
MARLEY: Lord Voldemort. Brilliant creation. 

MAUREEN: What’s the most romantic thing anyone ever did for you?
MARLEY: My (now) hubby, Patrick…when he met my mother hugged her like he’d known her for years and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She blushed like a school girl and I was even more madly in love with him for doing that. 

MAUREEN: What was your first boyfriend’s name? Would you want to meet him again?
MARLEY: Lance in college. Won’t give his last name. Let’s put it this way…all my friends called him “Lance in his pants.” ‘Nuff said. 

MAUREEN: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?
MARLEY: Thank you for loving my characters as much as I love writing them. Please keep reading! I have a lot more stories to tell. 

MAUREEN: If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what profession would you take up?
MARLEY: At this point in my life, I am completely OVER climbing the corporate ladder. I was a marketing events director for years, then downsized to an executive assistant for years and then was laid off. Corporations only care about the bottom line and what’s best for the top dogs. I’ll never do that again. If I couldn’t write anymore, I’d want to do something that helps people and/or makes them happy or smile. I’d gladly be a waitress, bartender, hotel front desk clerk, or a scuba shop worker. 

MAUREEN: Is Elvis really dead?
MARLEY: Dear God, let’s hope so. That man was a mess! 

MAUREEN: What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?
MARLEY: Shout and pump my fist in the air. Seriously. There is NO high in the world like getting to the end of the book and finishing it. Nothing rushes your adrenalin like it. If you’ve done it, you know what I mean. 

MAUREEN: If you could interview one person (and it doesn’t have to be a writer) who would it be?
MARLEY: Bill Clinton. No matter what you think about his politics, the man is brilliant, well-versed, and funny. Would love to chat with him for hours. 

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite desert?
MARLEY: Favorite desert? Ummm…the Mohabi? LOL! I think you mean dessert, right? These days, I can’t get enough Key lime pie, but I’m a sucker for a chocolate chip cookie. Mostly in the dough stage. [ED note. That's hilarious. I thought I corrected that in our master list of questions ages ago! I mean, yes, we did mean desert. Me? I like the Sahara.]

MAUREEN: If you were given a chance to travel to the past where would you go and why?
MARLEY: Man…so many places and times were so violent and didn’t like women very much. It might be cool to be an adult during the Apollo space program heyday instead of a very little kid. The whole atmosphere of the space race and getting to the moon first. Such brilliant minds and talented scientists got us there – brave men who took the chance to ride an exploding firework built by the government’s lowest bidder. That’s faith! And we did it. That would be cool. 

MAUREEN: What do you like on your burger? (and do you take your burger veggie or beefy?)
MARLEY: Mmmm…well, for years, I was a turkey burger girl and I still love them, but I rediscovered beef in 2009. I love it medium well with mayo, ketchup, iceberg lettuce, bacon (crisp!), Swiss cheese, and sautéed mushrooms. And a LOT of napkins…’cause it’s gonna be a mess. 

MAUREEN: What do you do to unwind and relax?
MARLEY: Play Bejeweled Bliss obsessively. 

MAUREEN: Strawberry daiquiri or a beer?
MARLEY: Sorry, I’m a wine girl. Loves my pinot grigio. 

MAUREEN: Do you believe in alien abductions?
MARLEY: I think I do. I’ve talked to a lot of people who are otherwise quite sane who tell very interesting stories. I can’t believe they’re all crazy. It’s a very interesting subject that I’d love to do more research on. 

MAUREEN: Vampires or werewolves?
MARLEY: Vampires aren’t your friend, they don’t sparkle, they don’t go to high school, and they will eat you. Werewolves…can’t get past Michael J. Fox as TEEN WOLF in my youth. 

MAUREEN: What was your favorite subject in school and why?
MARLEY: History. Don’t know…I just love…the history of how things came to be. Who made things happen. Why they happened. What’s the backstory. I guess that’s why I love writing so much. I can create my own world and how it got there. 

MAUREEN: Do you remember your grade one teacher’s name?
MARLEY: Yep! See the aforementioned Mrs. Ledbetter. I used to pass off my lunch carrot sticks to her as “my mother made extra for her.” I was a weasel, eh? 

MAUREEN: Who was your first best friend? Are you still in touch?
MARLEY: Maree Harris. Met her when we were five years old at the Presbyterian Church. We were emailing yesterday about our Alabama Crimson Tide going to the BCS national championship in January! 

MAUREEN: Did you belong to a clique in high school? Which one of the standard high school stereotypes did you best fit in to?
MARLEY: There were only 500 people total in my school – grades Kindergarten through 12th – and my class had 28 people. We were pretty tight-knit. Eighteen of us had been together all the way from first grade. There were cliques, of course, but it was nothing like it is today. I was a band geek from sixth until tenth grade. Sophomore year, I was a varsity cheerleader and everything changed. Not just on the popularity level, but I discovered a tumor in my left leg. I had bone cancer and had to have my left fibular removed, followed by radical chemotherapy and radiation. I lost all of my hair, but I only missed cheering for one football game. I was told not to run or jump on my left leg, so I didn’t. Put all the weight on the right side of my body. I had worked very hard to be a varsity cheerleader and nothing was stopping me. My book, RADIATE, that comes out April 2012, is a fictionalized version of what I went through. I can’t wait for it to be released and I hope it helps other teens who are going through their own struggle…not just with cancer, but anything. You CAN overcome and RADIATE. 

MAUREEN: What is your favorite tradition from your childhood that you would love to pass on or did pass on to your children?
MARLEY: Well, I’m a stepmom now and am learning as I go. I think the tradition is…laughter. My parents always laughed and still do. I make my stepkids laugh all the time and they will quote me back to me. That means all the world to me. 

MAUREEN: What is something that not a lot of people know about you but you WISH more people COULD know?
MARLEY: That I’m a cancer survivor. 

MAUREEN: Salsa or guacamole?
MARLEY: Neither…sour cream!

MAUREEN: Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?
MARLEY: Sure, I do. I want to know what people think. I don’t really let it influence my writing. I’ve been around long enough that my skin is tough. Fortunately, I haven’t had many bad reviews. I just appreciate that people take the time to have an opinion on the stories. 

MAUREEN: What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?
MARLEY: Being my own boss and the freedom of creativity. 

MAUREEN: Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?
MARLEY: Tea…iced with two Sweet ‘n Lo 

MAUREEN: What does it mean to love someone?
MARLEY: To be completely in sync and harmony with another person…your other half…the part of you that you’ve searched for and just know when it’s right. And knowing that you never want to be without them…even to go to the grocery store. LOL 

GOTTA ASK -- GOTTA ANSWER ☺

MAUREEN: Did you really get married under water?

MARLEY: Yes! We really did! At the Christ of the Abyss statue in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, FL. The dive was a shallow one, only about 25 feet. The conditions were rough that day with massive 6-8 foot waves, which caused visibility underneath to be less than stellar, but it was amazing. Here’s a non-edited YouTube video from my camera mask’s point of view. Unfortunately, Patrick’s camera failed. But here’s the proof. And my $2 veil from Wal-Mart stayed on my head the whole time! 

Marley's underwater wedding on YouTube

A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK READERS

Have any of you had your own paranormal experience? If so, what?

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

A lucky commenter will win one (1) copy of THE OTHER SIDE: A TEEN’S GUIDE TO GHOST HUNTING AND THE PARANORMAL and one (1) copy of THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. 

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MARLEY

www.marleygibson.com
www.ghosthuntress.com
@MarleyGibson
@HauntedHighways
www.facebook.com/marley.h.gibson