Hello All! September is upon us, and after a week’s holiday in my father’s homeland on the Greek island of Limnos, I’ve returned rejuvenated and ready for another busy winter. For the first blogpost of this new season, I am pleased to welcome Mary Blowers, a diverse writer who, other than fiction, also writes on the subjects of faith and health, among other things. Let’s get to know her better, shall we?
Blood Moon is the second volume in the Anthology of the Heart series. Mary Blowers has once again pulled together authors from all over the globe to create a life-changing read.
12 Authors, some never before published, wrote on the subject of Transformation. Blood Moon is a multi-faceted title referring to the three blood moons that have already occurred and one to come later this year. What transformation have they been a part of and what changes are yet to come? Is it the end times? No one will know until the day and the hour that He appears. Jewish teaching states that blood moons on Jewish feast days predict major events. Time will tell if it will be true this time. The blood moon phenomenon itself is an intense transformation that baffled and frightened people of the distant past, and possibly in some regions even today.
In the meantime, enjoy these 12 stories about Transformation. Change is often helpful, and always interesting.
Novella involving a woman’s search for meaning and her journey through dreams and nightmares.
The Prophecy of Enchantria is a Christian themed preteen genre fantasy adventure starring Pandora! She encounters problems interacting with people at school but then discovers a portal to a secret world in her backyard with its own set of challenges! Find out how she solves problems in a world where all is not as she expects.
Christianity and Mysticism is a perusal of Christian Mysticism, Rosicrucianism, Hermeticism, Kaballah, psychic mediums, and other topics relating to the spiritual life and death. Four Spiritual Laws of Christianity are linked inside, as well as a free offer for another Christian book and a link to the author’s blog at http://maryblowers.com
Hello Mary and welcome to my blog!
Hi Fros, it’s great to be here.
Tell us a bit about your work; what do you write?
I’ve written hundreds of book reviews for money, for reviews in trade, or just because someone asked me to, including Lior Zoref, Sigrid Fry-Revere, Braxton Cosby, Rakesh Sethi, and Wali Collins. In addition I have been published in 2 magazines, a Reader’s Digest compilation, and self-published 13 books.
That’s impressive! Are there any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?
I love knitting, gardening, collecting antiques, and reading. In the past I have painted, crocheted, and made jewelry.
(Click to enlarge any image)
What lovely photos! Have you painted this tree?
Yes, I have.
Wow, well done, it looks wonderful! Love your garden, too. What are you working on at the moment, Mary? Tell us a little about your current project(s).
I’m currently writing an exciting historical novel about a serial killer, from the viewpoint of characters in the killer’s life.
What genres do you read mostly, and what are you reading now?
Typically I have read a lot of non-fiction, mainly health books, as my other passion is natural health. More recently I have been reading novels for other indie authors, to review for each other.
Oh! Sorry, I have to say, I’ve had a few hairy experiences exchanges reviews with authors and wouldn’t recommend this to my readers. I hope you have better luck than me there, Mary. Personally, I only approach readers on FB groups now for a review and it works beautifully for me. Are there any sites or writing tools that you find useful and wish to recommend?
I have just discovered Joanna Penn and Nick Stephenson, who have several videos on YouTube about getting more readers. But something that really inspires me is reading other authors’ work. After I’d written many book reviews, I found myself really getting into the rhythm of writing and would recommend reviewing as a catalyst for your own writing. It’s wonderful practice. Read the kinds of things that you would like to write.
Yes, Joanna Penn is a great resource! I take this opportunity to also recommend Bookbub Partners, a great site for author tips I just discovered thanks to my wonderful author buddy, Nicholas Rossis. Nicholas’s blog is also chock-full of author tips, by the way! On to the next question, Mary: tell us about your website/blog. What will readers find there?
My blog started as a place to show my book reviews. As I wrote more and more, I also found that I enjoyed sharing writing advice from other authors and an occasional guest post. I’m open to more guest posts! If you or any of your readers wish, they can contact me directly. I could post a book launch or other topics suggested to me. I also host an occasional giveaway of a book I’ve reviewed and announce my own new releases there.
This is most kind of you! Thank you very much, also on behalf of my readers. Would you describe your workstation for us? I wonder if there are any favorite objects on there you have for inspiration!
Yes, I have some family photos and a vintage poster I’ve always loved since childhood. There are also some of my own paintings and quirky antique collectibles. I enjoy items that are a little creepy so those things inspire me!
(Click to enlarge any image)
Oh, the vintage poster looks lovely but I don’t think the snowman is creepy! Either that, or I have a very creepy collection of Christmas ornaments, LOL! Tell us, what do you enjoy the most as an indie author that you imagine you wouldn’t if you were traditionally published? If you had a choice would you still go indie?
I’ve never had a whole book traditionally published, but from talking to other authors it can be very frustrating. Long waiting periods before publication, differences of opinion on everything from title to cover to content, and misunderstandings in the contract are just some of the problems I’ve heard about. I love the freedom of self-publishing in that I can upload a book in a very short time and make changes myself as necessary or desired. I guess it’s about control!
Is there anything you like to do to get the creative juices flowing when you write?
My office overlooks a wooded area with occasional deer, turkeys, woodchucks (it’s not a bird), rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and probably foxes and coyotes. It’s up high and I can see a very long way from my window, which is quite relaxing to me and gives me the space to exercise my brain.
Sounds idyllic! If you could have one superpower what would it be?
Definitely flight. I have had flying dreams and always enjoyed flying cartoons as a child.
If you could choose another profession, what would that be?
I wouldn’t want any other profession–but my other passion is the medical field. Alternative medicine can be risky and is not always well received, so I would likely go into the nursing or physician assistant field if I were to reroute, but I do enjoy making remedies for myself and family members.
Thank you for this lovely chat, Mary. It’s been wonderful to have you.
Many thanks, Fros, for the invitation.
Mary Blowers was told in school that she had a gift for writing essays and was even compared to Emerson. Now she writes on topics from faith, to health, to fiction, and loves all of it. Her dream is to be a full-time writer, or at least not have to have another job to pay expenses. In the meantime, she writes almost every day for at least 30 minutes, working around her hours at the day job as an executive assistant. She is on track to finish her current novel by the end of the year, which will be a departure from the norm, a horror story about a serial killer from the past.
She has published 13 books of her own including two anthologies, and an essay is included in “Best Life Stories” from Reader’s Digest. She is also a contributor to Halo Magazine and West Michigan Christian News.
Mary lives in Southwest Michigan, USA, in a mid-twentieth century home with her husband and two cats. She has one son who lives nearby and she enjoys spending time with her mother and caring for her. When she’s not writing she enjoys knitting, gardening, and walking for fitness. She and her husband have just finished a major landscaping project at their home (see photo). She is also a long-time student of natural health methods and certified Master Herbalist, Nutrition Consultant, Holistic Health Practitioner and Weight Management Coach.
You can join her mailing list to get an occasional free book and be the first to hear about new releases. Sign up at http://eepurl.com/bmKaL5 and get a free book within 24 hours! View her writing/book review blog at http://maryblowers.com
Visit Mary’s Amazon page
Visit Mary’s website and blog
Join her mailing list and get a free book http://eepurl.com/bmKaL5
Other links for Mary and her books:
Createspace https://www.createspace.com/5204619
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MaryBlowers
Lulu http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/MaryBlowers
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryBlowers
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaryBlowers.author
Have you enjoyed this post? Follow the blog (see right sidebar) and miss no more posts! Sign up to Effrosyni’s newsletter to keep up to date with her news and special offers (very sparse emails). Interested to read more? Head over to Effrosyni’s Blog, where you’ll find her earlier interviews, book reviews, author tips, travel articles and even Greek recipes!
