Ask the Author: Marianne Perry
Answered Questions (11)
Marianne Perry
One of my favourite places in the world is Venice, Italy. Hence, reading Donna Leon’s books has and will continue to be important. On recent visits to Venice, I have visited sites she has mentioned and traced the actions of characters.
Marianne Perry
I put the cap on the lipstick, looked into the mirror and admired my bright new mouth. I smiled and my teeth fell out, my tongue disintegrated and I lost the ability to speak.
Marianne Perry
I have a real mix of a pile including: Goodnight from London by Jennifer Robson; The Girls by Lori Lansens; The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley; and My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. I read comments from Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; listen to what my friends are saying about their books; and browse book stores. My pile is in a constant growth mode. How wonderful and lucky I am to have the opportunity to read. Thank you to the writers and Goodreads. Blessings always.
Marianne Perry
Do something every day. Even when writing full-time is years in the future, at best, do something small. Read a newspaper article, blog, advertisement, cereal box, label. Is this effective writing? Notice how the sun rises or how your children tie their shoes. Observe details. Train your mind to notice and record bit by bit. Talk to people. Listen to people. Watch people. This will all help shape you as a writer when you are able to devote more time to the craft.
Marianne Perry
Whatever experience one has whether personal or vicarious serves as material. All of life is relevant and worthwhile.
Marianne Perry
Why did my parents uproot their lives in Toronto a few months prior my birth and return to my father's hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario? Married for five years, they'd a home, my father a business and my mother's family there. What had made them suddenly leave?
Marianne Perry
Thanks for taking the time to respond. Much appreciated.
Marianne Perry
I am currently writing my second novel and thought it a perfect time to comment on this question. My first book, The Inheritance is a historical fiction/romance inspired by genealogical research and travel to southern Italy in an attempt to solve family mysteries. Why would a young woman leave her home and never return, I asked myself?
My second book also grows from solving family mysteries? What happens when a woman inherits a 100-year-old Italian deed and finds a holograph will in her mailbox from her long-dead godfather? This story is suspense and mystery as opposed to historical fiction/romance so I am stopping and staring out the window quite a bit to figure things out.
It's frustrating when writer's block strikes but I am learning to understand it usually signifies a time when my brain is working at the subconcious level to help me develop characters or imagine plot twists. When this happens, I try and be gracious and go for a walk or do housework. I also dedicate these periods to working on building my Pinterest boards or chatting on Twitter with fellow writers.
Yes, writer's block is frustrating yet, it seems, an inevitable part of the process. Blessings to all readers and writers. Thank you.
My second book also grows from solving family mysteries? What happens when a woman inherits a 100-year-old Italian deed and finds a holograph will in her mailbox from her long-dead godfather? This story is suspense and mystery as opposed to historical fiction/romance so I am stopping and staring out the window quite a bit to figure things out.
It's frustrating when writer's block strikes but I am learning to understand it usually signifies a time when my brain is working at the subconcious level to help me develop characters or imagine plot twists. When this happens, I try and be gracious and go for a walk or do housework. I also dedicate these periods to working on building my Pinterest boards or chatting on Twitter with fellow writers.
Yes, writer's block is frustrating yet, it seems, an inevitable part of the process. Blessings to all readers and writers. Thank you.
Marianne Perry
My priorities in life have always been family, genealogy and travel. Researching my family history had enabled me to learn about my ancestors as well as travel to Calabria, southern Italy, my ancestral homeland. Over the years my efforts have led to many discoveries. I've solved several family mysteries and my experiences have inspired me to write. My writing includes non-fiction genealogical research articles in magazines and professional journals as well as an historical fiction, The Inheritance. My novel is fiction, of course; nevertheless, the story did grow out of genealogical research aimed at learning about my grandmother's life in the early 1900s in Calabria prior to her emigration to Ellis Island, New York and then eventually, to Canada.
Marianne Perry
My second novel, a suspense entitled, The Chase, will be published in 2026. The story was also inspired by genealogical research about my family’s secretive ancestral history. A contemporary tale, the protagonist receives a decades old troubling letter revealing disturbing truths and a holograph will from a long-dead relative bequeathing her coastal property in Italy. A single-parent, she struggles to balance a career, relationship with adult children, helping to care for her dementia-afflicted mother and a compulsion to solve this mystery. The Chase unfolds in Canada, the USA, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy and South America. Further details will be forthcoming.
Marianne Perry
The Inheritance was inspired by my genealogical research to solve family mysteries. My paternal grandmother's early life in Calabria, southern Italy had always intrigued me. She emigrated to Canada in 1913 but no one knew much about her years prior to this. I conducted research and travelled to southern Italy twice on a quest to learn more about her and the family. The Inheritance is fiction but the story emerged from what I learned!
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