Marianne Curley

Author profile

born

May 20, 1959 in Windsor, New South Wales, Australia

gender

female

website

http://www.mariannecurley.com/

genre

Literature & Fiction, Young Adult, Science Fiction & Fantasy

influences

music, photographs and nature

About this author

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I was born on the 20th of May, 1959 in Windsor, New South Wales, Australia. The youngest of four children, I lived with my family in a small timber house on the banks of the Hawkesbury River. I started my school life at St Monica’s Primary School in Richmond, catching the bus with my brothers and sister every day until a major flood caused the Hawkesbury River to break its banks and sweep the family home away. Along with the destruction of our house, the fierce-flowing river took all our belongings. My parents managed to save only a few precious photos. The year was 1964 and I was five years old.
After the flood, we moved in with relations in Richmond for a few months. It was a tight squeeze with my sister and I doubling up in a big bed with...more I was born on the 20th of May, 1959 in Windsor, New South Wales, Australia. The youngest of four children, I lived with my family in a small timber house on the banks of the Hawkesbury River. I started my school life at St Monica’s Primary School in Richmond, catching the bus with my brothers and sister every day until a major flood caused the Hawkesbury River to break its banks and sweep the family home away. Along with the destruction of our house, the fierce-flowing river took all our belongings. My parents managed to save only a few precious photos. The year was 1964 and I was five years old.
After the flood, we moved in with relations in Richmond for a few months. It was a tight squeeze with my sister and I doubling up in a big bed with our three female cousins. We then lived with family friends on a farm on the outskirts of Sydney, while my parents purchased a small property at Plumpton where they had a red-brick house built. While my older brothers went to St Patrick’s Boys High School at Blacktown, my sister and I attended Marayong Primary School, then later attended Rooty Hill High School.

I discovered books at school when I was about eight-years-old. The first novel I recall reading was the Charles Dicken’s classic, Oliver Twist. I loved this book, but more than anything, I loved the effect this book had on me. Swept up in the excitement of this other world, I soon became a voracious reader. The Library at school, and then high school, turned into my favourite places. I spent many lunch sessions roaming the aisles and scanning the shelves, always on the hunt for my next adventure. When I was in my teens I liked to read long dramas and devoured most of James A Michener’s lengthy sagas. I think I read every book written by Leon Uris that had been published at that time. Then one day I read a novel written by Anya Seton called Katherine. This novel ignited my love for historical fiction. I still have this book on my shelves at home.

Growing up, I wasn’t big on outdoor activities, but I enjoyed sport and played Hockey for my High School. I also played Squash (Racquetball) with friends every Thursday for many years. After I finished Grade Ten and passed my School Certificate examinations, I went to a technical college and learned secretarial skills. I graduated from my secretarial course in first place and immediately found work for a solicitor in a Government office, where I stayed for the next six years. When I was nineteen, I met a young man named John Curley, and four days after my twenty-first birthday we were married. We had a new house built in a young emerging suburb called St Clair, where I soon chose to be a full-time mother. My first child was a baby girl we called Amanda, born in December 1981. Danielle was born fourteen months later in February 1983, while my son Chris was born in March of 1986.

But the family wasn’t complete yet. Over the next few years we saw many pets come and go - for one reason or another! We started with tropical fish and mice without much success, then a few rabbits that were quickly followed by two guinea pigs. Unfortunately, one night a roaming pack of dogs got into our yard and the rabbit pen, while both guinea pigs escaped from their enclosure and drowned in the neighbour’s swimming pool! After a while we tried our hand with ducks, but the yard just wasn’t big enough so eventually we found homes for them amongst the neighbours. Then we built a fabulous aviary, except a couple of our birds came to a dreadful end when a carpet snake wormed its way through the wire enclosure and ate two of our canaries for breakfast! We then bought a cat from the RSPCA, but it was already sick and kept growing sicker until one day, about three weeks later, it ran away and was never found. And finally we welcomed two character-filled dogs to our home. The first was Chippa, an Australian Silky Terrier that we bought for Chris for his seventh birthday. And then there is Mi(less)

combine editions
Books by Marianne Curley

Average rating: 4.01 · 9,669 ratings · 823 reviews · 5 distinct works

	Old Magic 3.87 avg rating — 3,693 ratings — published 2002 — 18 editions	My rating:
	The Named (The Guardians of Time Trilogy, #1) 4.05 avg rating — 2,470 ratings — published 2005 — 16 editions	My rating:
	The Dark (The Guardians of Time Trilogy, #2) 4.14 avg rating — 1,858 ratings — published 2003 — 12 editions	My rating:
	The Key (The Guardians of Time Trilogy, #3) 4.13 avg rating — 1,641 ratings — published 2005 — 11 editions	My rating:
	Hidden (Hidden, #1) 3.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — expected publication 2013 — 3 editions	My rating:

More books by Marianne Curley…

Series by Marianne Curley

The Guardians of Time Trilogy (3 books)
by Marianne Curley

4.10 avg rating — 5,969 ratings

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Quotes by Marianne Curley

“This wind is mystical yet tame, and it sings to me.”
― Marianne Curley, Old Magic

48 people liked it

“He says, "I have loved you since the first moment I saw you. I wanted you then, and when I thought you didn't want me, I turned my love into hate."

"Ethan..." Before I say another word his mouth comes down over mine and he kisses me.”
― Marianne Curley, The Key

28 people liked it

“For a moment Ethan simply stares. Before him is the monster of his nightmares: his sister's murderer, the beast who robbed him of his greatest love. How easy, how fulfilling would it be to take Marduk's life? But the arrow in Ethan's fingers slips to the ground.
"No. even revenge is too great an honor for you."
As the night falls and brings an end to this long day of darkness, Marduk inhales his last staggered breath and his body turns to stone.”
― Marianne Curley, The Key

18 people liked it

See all Marianne Curley's quotes »

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