7 Questions I Always Ask +1 with Mari Mancusi, author the SCORCHED series
Today for 7 Q’s I have Mari Mancusi, author of the Blood Coven series, GAMER GIRL, and her latest series, SCORCHED. The newest book in the series, SMOKED, comes out in September, and readers are waiting with bated breath. Here’s what Mari has to say about her books:
Sourcebooks Fire, September 2015.
E. Kristin Anderson: What was the first spark of inspiration for your latest novel?
Mari Mancusi: The film Reign of Fire, which is a little known post-apocalyptic dragon film starring Christian Bale and Matthew McConaughey. I was blown away by the concept (if not the execution) and wanted desperately to write a book like that someday. But, of course, I had to give it my own spin. So I added time travel, something I have done a lot of in my writing career, and brought the boys from the dragon apocalypse back to present day to try to stop it. So think: Terminator meets Reign of Fire and that’s the inspiration for the Scorched series.
EKA: What kind of planning do you do before you start writing?
MM: I usually have a detailed synopsis that I use as a guideline while writing. But as for digging into the actual manuscript? I just need a good first sentence. Once I have that first sentence, things start flowing from there.
EKA: If you could have lunch with any writer living or dead, who would it be?
MM: Cory Doctorow and we would talk Disney and videogames the entire lunch.
Open Road Media, Kindle Edition, December 2012.
EKA: What is the first book you remember reading and enjoying as a young reader?
MM: I loved Zilpha Keatley Snyder books. She wrote paranormal middle grade books that were both fascinating and dark. I especially loved BELOW THE ROOT, her dystopian series, which was turned into a video game when I was young.
EKA: If you could go back and time and tell your teen self ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY, what would it be?
MM: The relationship is OVER. I mean, really, stop pining—he’s never coming back! And besides, better things are ahead!
EKA: If you haven’t had a book challenged or banned, would you want this to happen to you? Why or why not?
MM: I have never had a book challenged or banned, but if I did, I would be proud that my book had struck a chord and made someone uncomfortable. While I’m a huge fan of books as simple entertainment and don’t feel every book has to teach a lesson or be “important” in some way (junk food books can be really satisfying!) I do think that it’s important that kids have access to novels that delve into darker realities and may speak to their personal experiences and help them realize they’re not alone.
Dutton Books for Young Readers, November 2008.
EKA: What kind of book do you really want to try to write, but haven’t ever attempted? And what do you think is holding you back?
MM: I’d love to write high fantasy, but it’s an intimidating genre because there are so many amazing voices already published and I’d have to find a way to give it my own personal spin. But as someone who loves to read in the genre and adores everything medieval-esque, I think it would be a blast to try.
EKA: You’ve written and published a lot of different book series. What do you think the most important element is when it comes to writing a series, in order to keep reader interest from book to book?
MM: Compelling characters that people want to keep reading about. No matter what the cool plot or setting or fast pace or whatever—it all comes down to the characters who jump off the page.
Mari Mancusi.
Mari Mancusi is a two-time Emmy award-winning television producer and author of novels for adults and teens. A graduate of Boston University, she now lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and young daughter. When not writing or producing she enjoys traveling, snowboarding, reading fantasy novels, and her favorite guilty pleasure: video games.
