Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?
Yes. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to post on your blog.
BlindSided is about Lexi Archer. She’s eighteen, and her entire world is in a tailspin. When we first meet Lexi, she wakes up in a hospital bed, handcuffed to the rail, and realizes she doesn't remember the events from the previous night. Once she’s released from the hospital, Lexi's transferred to the Milwaukee County Jail, where she's informed about her pending charges for first-degree murder.
Of course, she’s in shock, and throughout the story, we see Lexi trying to cope with her mental health diagnosis while trying to figure out what happened.
This book is the first in The Forgotten Daughter series. All books in this series will focus on mental health.
Do you have a favorite character?
Yes. I try not to have a favorite character in any book I write, but with all ten titles, I have not succeeded.
My favorite one for BlindSided is Jackson- Lexi’s father. He has been stuck in an ongoing nightmare for years while trying to do his part as a dad to Lexi. After an incident involving his daughter, he’s forced to put aside his “victim card feelings” and do everything in his power to try and protect her.
Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all?
Yes. It was in one of my crime fiction novels, Promised Lies. The character who started out as a minor in my outline turned into a major character. But he didn’t overshadow my protagonist. Instead, the character worked in tandem, making the story even more powerful.
Powerful enough to keep him in the second novel.
What factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?
One of the factors that influenced my decision to self-publish was wanting to keep writing at a pace that would allow me to write and share my stories. As a writer, all I do is think. Scenarios, what would be the end result if this happened? I had so many stories to get out of my head that I learned quickly that the best way to process an idea was to keep a notebook with me just in case.
I was afraid that if I didn’t write down the idea or a scene, I would lose my chance to try and create a story. Have I had ideas that were totally lame? Absolutely. I’d push it to the side and put it in the “maybe later” pile.
So, I went through the process of creating my own business, Criminal Lines Media LLC.
What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?
My writing process-it depends on the story. It depends on my writing mood. Am I in the constant writer flow with the words I need at the ready being typed onto the page? Or am I going to work harder (I always set a four-hour time block to write), sitting at my desk, and staring at my laptop? Hoping to complete a chapter.
I must have space, quiet, or a movie which depends on my writing mood. A door to close, allowing me to shut out all the noises going on in my home. Thank goodness for my husband. We work in shifts. The above is my process for writing my first draft.
For edits, classical music is what I listen to stay focused on any manuscript.
Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?
Yes. I have some of my books on Barnes and Noble and Apple Books.
What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?
The advice I’d give new authors deciding to self-publish is to write and keep on writing if you’re in it for the long haul. Working with a writing mentor, editor, and an experienced cover artist with a portfolio is a good start. That is what worked for me. From one author to another, I encourage you to find what works for you.
Take the time with your book. Have someone else read your book to help catch mistakes. Having a second or third pair of eyes reading your manuscript helps. Will we catch every mistake before the first print? Not likely. But after you’ve had time away from the book you worked so hard to write, go back and read the one for sale. Use this as an opportunity to see what you have missed.
The pressure that was there prior to publishing is no longer an issue. However, if you can take that time with a reading buddy and if there are any mistakes, update your published book file if you’re up for it.
The best thing ever for us writers is to hope that we catch everything we need during rewrites. Keep on, keeping on!
Besides writing, do you have any other passions?
I love building dollhouses!
Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night?
The fun facts about me are I have my fur baby, an old English bulldog named Pepper. I love vanilla with hot fudge. Decaffeinated tea while I continue to enjoy being a night owl!
What’s next for you?
I’m focused on my upcoming new releases for 2023. Also looking forward to taking a few days off to finish my latest dollhouse kit.
Blindsided
Marguerite Ashton
(The Forgotten Daughter, #1)
Publication date: July 13th 2020
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult
Diagnosed with depression, Lexi Archer prefers to continue outpatient treatment. But someone else has other plans.
BlindSided tells the story of Lexi Archer, an eighteen-year-old woman who wakes up in a hospital bed, handcuffed to the rail, and realizes she doesn’t remember what happened the night before.
After being released from the hospital, Lexi’s transferred to the Milwaukee County Jail, where she’s informed about her pending charges for first-degree murder.
Intent on proving she’s innocent, Lexi places a phone call to her stepsister asking for her help. As Lexi gets closer to the truth, she unravels ugly secrets about her dead mother that will change her life forever.
Goodreads / Amazon
Author Bio:
When Marguerite Ashton was in her twenties, she took up acting but realized she preferred to work behind the camera, writing crime fiction. A few years later, she married an IT Geek and settled down with her role as wife, mom, and writer!
Her blog, Criminal Lines: Settled Writer Past 40 is her outlet while building dollhouses and plotting out her next book.
Marguerite lives in Wisconsin and enjoys RVing.
Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook
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