Featured Author: Melissa Marr

I was in the bookstore this summer when I saw a group of shiny books about faeries that I knew I HAD to have. I knew I would love them. I just knew. I wasn't disappointed. I entered Melissa Marr's world of Faeries and have been in love with faeries every since!

Let me introduce you to Melissa Marr!

Bio:
Melissa has never been good at choosing just one path. After finishing high school with the dubious honor of being voted "most likely to end up in jail," she went to college and graduate school. There curiosity (and tuition bills) led her to the dual jobs of teaching and slinging drinks at a biker bar. During the daylit hours, she indulged in long literary chats; at night, she lingered with intriguing people with one word names.

Eventually, she went on to bartend at a number of other weird little bars, teach lit both live and online, and discover the joy of tattoos. All three have been great rushes. The latter borders on addiction, but is held in check by the desire to attend the opera without flashing too many tattoos.

After marrying someone who shares the love of ink--on the page and on the skin--Melissa began moving around the country. In the process, she discovered how vast the Mojave really is, how many incredible museums are out there, and how hard it can be to think about settling in one place. She's continued teaching along the way, but traded beer-slinging for book writing.

Minutia:

I buy the theory that who we are is reflected in the minutia, so here are my pieces and parts--

Music-- I love most anything acoustic, traditional Irish & Scottish music, old blues (preferably in bars, live), old punk, rock, or reggae. Honestly, I've yet to find a genre I can't like.

Current Playlist-- Jem, Sugarcult, Ramones, Damien Rice, Tegan & Sara, Linkin Park, Poe, Sex Pistols, AFI, Marilyn Manson, The Used, and Shivaree

Literary authors-- Faulkner, Christina Rossetti, R. Browning, Rilke, Baudelaire, and Kate Chopin.

Recent Reads that Made me Pause in Awe -- Szymborska (in translation) and Laurie Halse Anderson's YA novel Speak.

Repeat Reads -- Eliot (The Wasteland), Conrad (Heart of Darkness), Dillard (The Writing Life), Browning (dramatic monologues), Shakespeare (comedies &/or tragedies, no histories please), Chaucer (C. Tales), and the list just keeps growing.

Books in General--I read an average novel in a few hours, so I have stacks of paperbacks tilting precariously all over the house. My shelves are filled with everything from a biography of Chesty Puller to murder mysteries and folktales. Except for inspirational novels and self-help books, I read most everything I can get my hands on.

Dessert-- tiramisu, still-hot brownies, fresh raspberry pie

Food-- fresh bread, beef stew, green peas, sliced cucumbers, potatoes, clementines . . . I'm a "kick" eater. I want one specific food non-stop for days on--living on heaping plate of peas for meals--and then I move on to something else for a while.

Place-- tidepools, the beach off-season, the Mojave, ghost towns, abandoned buildings, ruins, museums, small dying cities, Sundays downtown in cities where I can wander around towering buildings with few people

Flowers/Plants-- Weeping Willow, Joshua Tree, Calla Lily, Ivy, Iris, wild flowers, cactus, plants that sprout where it seems impossible to thrive, plants that sway, flowers that leave the air thick enough to taste . . .

Tattoos--6 stargazer lilies, a very lengthy vine, a religious symbol in a washed water-colour palate, and a full back piece of Ms. Muse dancing on bones and flowers (in progress). Sigh. It's not nearly enough, but I'm trying to pace myself.

FAQ's

Melissa's Books:






Other Works

How Melissa got Published and Blurbs

Melissa's Blog

Melissa's Website


All info can be found on Melissa Marr's website