Hello Adult Fiction readers!

It's Glory_feeling 2, speaking on behalf of Adult Fiction. For our October interview, I decided to pay a visit to chat with author Marilyn Hepburn in 'anti-spider" Hospital for our meet up. 😄

GF2: Hello Marilyn!

(Smiles at a nervous author)

We made sure there weren't any spiders here for our setup, so please, dear author, do not be afraid.

Author Marilyn Hepburn: Thank you, Thank you, my dear! I know from my story's synopsis I can't just bear those little creatures! Darling, as they may look, but those 8-legged species can come with a vengeance if they see their spidey friends get smashed!

GF2: We're 99% sure what happened to you in Nurse Mcsexy won't happen to you again, dear author.

MH: Just 99%??? 😲

GF2: That's according to the hospital ... You do know they can't be always accurate, my dear. But please be assured. I'll be here to distract "Mr. Spider" if he comes around to bite us.
(Pats her back) 🤗

Would you like a cup of water to calm yourself down?🥤

MH: Oh, yes, please.  (After a cup of water is given to her, we continue our conversation.)

I trust you Glory! (Marilyn smiles, but is still nervous) 😰

So, can we please start the interview now?

GF2: Oh, yes Marilyn. Right Away. Ahem. 

How did you formulate your ideas for NURSE McSexy? I mean, you didn't go to an emergency room to meddle in a doctor - nurse love life relationship, did you? 

MH: 😂 Driving around the country to visit emergency rooms so I can meddle in other people's love 💘 lives? Now that would be living the dream. Hahaha! Kidding of course. 

Nurse McSexy started out as a true story. One evening, I caught a spider in my bathroom and released it into the wild. The next morning, I woke up with a body covered in itchy, burning red splotches. After a terrifying search on WebMD to determine what was wrong with me, I broke down and made a call to the 24-hour consulting nurse. Due to my symptoms, she highly recommended I take myself to Urgent Care. So that's what I did. Long story short, I was sitting half-naked in a room waiting for a nurse to examine my inflamed lady parts. To my absolute horror, the sexiest male nurse I've ever seen walked into the room. Little did I know at that moment--a Watty winning story was born. 🏆

GF2: Wow, Congratulations! Yes, that is quite a story! I hope you didn't suffer through a lot of pain for those 'scars'.

MH: Thank you. Well, I'm alright now. Thank you again for asking.

GF2: It's my pleasure. So, when did it dawn upon you that you wanted to write this piece? 

MH: It was shortly after my Urgent Care debacle. Despite the mortification, my Urgent Care experience was also incredibly enlightening. Because I spent A LOT of time (as in hours) by myself in the examination room, I had lots of time to think about life and its crazy coincidences. The story was partially outlined before I was discharged that night. The fictional parts of the tale were added later.

GF2: I could sense that. There's a lot of hilarious scenes in there! And how you despise the notion of a spider planning his revenge! 🕷️ Don't worry, I don't like the annoying little critters too if they get in my way! 😁

So, what inspired you to write? 

MH: I write stories so I can process a conflict I'm currently having in real life in hopes of finding answers through my fictional characters. Through the process of storytelling, new ideas or wisdom is often revealed to me which I'm able to apply to my current situation. It typically ends up being a win-win for both me and my characters. I like happy endings--in books and real life.

GF2: I think many authors as myself can relate to that. 😉 It's sort of "giving a pep talk to ourselves" 😆.

MH: Exactly! 

GF2: Thanks for your input. So, now let's get deeper into the author questions. 😁

 What is the most important thing about a book in your opinion?

MH: Books help you escape. Books help you learn. Books help you connect to parts of your mind and the universe you never knew existed. That being said, I think we're sometimes drawn to certain books for reasons beyond our conscious understanding because something within us senses there's magic for us hidden somewhere between the pages. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've randomly selected a book, only to discover the words inside it were exactly what I needed to read at that specific point in time!

GF2: 😅 So, what do you think is the hardest part of writing?

MH: For me, the hardest thing about writing is ignoring the negative voice in my head. The voice often says, "You're missing out on an enriching life when you sit at home--alone--typing a story that won't mean much to anyone. What if writing is keeping you a prisoner in solitude? You've sacrificed a huge portion of your years to write words no one may ever appreciate. Is it worth it?"

I don't always win the battle with my negative voice, but when I do it's because a story I've written has helped pull me through the darkness. I can only hope those same stories will help someone else pull through their own dark patches in life.

GF2: I see, it's more of like a what if situation, right? And if you can pull through, readers like myself and the team would surely love to read your stories.

MH: Yes, that seems correct. I'll try to be brave to write something to make my audience interested!

GF2: Well then,  let's continue ... what works best for you: Typewriters, fountain pen, dictation, computer or longhand? 

MH: I like to take notes on paper, but a laptop is my best friend as a writer. It allows me to collect pictures for inspiration, make charts for my nerdy data needs and--spellcheck. Thank God for spellcheck!  

GF2: Why of course, every writer should 🧡 their 💻 or other electronic devices! I'm sure that's their tool to get images and rough drafts started. Don't forget the all month editing! 🤭 

MH: That's for sure! 😉

GF2: Do you read much then, and if so, who are your favorite authors? 

MH: I could quite possibly be the slowest reader on the planet 😊. If you can imagine a sloth holding a book and skimming its pages, then you have a fairly good image of what I look like when I read. Difficulty processing words at average to high speeds is why I hardly read as a child. The Harry Potter books might be the only reason why I learned to read for fun (at 25 years old!). Despite their intimidating thickness, I couldn't put the Potter books down--so J.K. Rowling will always be one of my favorite authors. Aside from reading fictional stories by my favorite writers on Wattpad, I tend to be nerdy when it comes to my reading. My favorite books are often factual and self-help in nature--whether it be learning to decipher body language signals or tips on changing my mood with Feng Shui.

GF2: What is your take on the importance of a good cover and title? 

MH: A great cover and title are so important. It's similar to the first impression on a blind date. When there are literally millions of books in the sea, you have mere seconds to signal to readers your book is for them. What do human brains have time to process in five seconds? You guessed it--a title and cover.

GF2: In your opinion, does a bad review affect your writing? 

MH: Yes. I may have a thousand good reviews, but my mind tends to dwell on the bad one. Despite knowing it's literally impossible to satisfy everyone, the perfectionist in me strives to do it anyway. I've gotten better with negative reviews over the years because I've learned to decipher the difference between a reader's personal preferences versus constructive criticism. I tend to stick with my own personal preferences/style when it comes to my storytelling, but I welcome the opportunity to grow as a writer through constructive criticism.

GF2: And as we conclude our session, do you have any advice you would like to give to aspiring writers? 

MH: Why, yes. Write about the things that interest YOU. Write a story that highlights YOUR passions and unique knowledge/experience of the world. Blaze your own trail even if it's in a terrain that's not popular or trending. Writing should be about the inner journey and not the external rewards (although--external rewards are nice). 

GF2: Thank you, Marilyn, for taking your time to do this interview with me!

MH: It was my pleasure. And ... EEK!

GF2: I got this one! Please, remain still. 

(Gets her stick and traps Mr. Spider in a glass that she brought with her in case of emergency!)

Now, before I release it, Marilyn, I think we should run for it! On the count of 3   ... 1, 2, 3! 

And please remember if you are interested in reading Nurse McSexy, don't forget to click on the following link https://www.wattpad.com/story/76991480-nurse-mcsexy 

Gotta Run! Quick Miss author ... to the elevator!