L. Marie Thomas Interview

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.
A. I am a child of God, wife, mother, homeschooler and writer. I grew up in Littleton, Colorado, and our family now lives on land out in the country. My dad was an undercover narcotics agent when he met my mom while she was a secretary at the DA’s office in California. I grew up listening to crazy stories that most kids don’t hear about, which shaped me and my writing. Another thing that shaped me was the fact that after my family moved to Colorado, I grew up right down the street from Columbine High School. I was in middle school when the shooting took place, and I strongly believe that it shaped me as a person and caused me to want to make a difference, especially in the lives of young adults. The most important thing it taught me is that the world is a fallen place, and I want to be a light while I’m here.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
A. It had to happen twice for me, and I’ll explain why. The first time I realized I wanted to be a writer was when I was eight or so. I wrote songs and poetry, but mostly stories. I even wrote a screenplay about a terrorist group that injected a deadly virus into mosquitos and released them into the U.S. (My story ideas have since gotten better.) As I grew up, I continued to write songs and poetry, and even a novel when I was in the 8th grade that my teacher mentioned I should try to have published, although I never did because I was too scared. When high school hit, I became more concerned with boys and friends and all the other things that concern teens, and I stopped writing. I got married at twenty, and my focus then shifted to learning how to be a wife. It wasn’t long before I became a mentor. It changed my life. I suddenly remembered the power of stories as I sat across from teenagers who were struggling. I would tell them my own stories of insecurity and fear and anxiety and watch how they soaked up the words like a sponge. I began writing again. I started my first novel Good Heart during this time.

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?
A. I am very new to all of this, and independently published, but I do have one of those moments that changed everything for me. Last summer, my dad was diagnosed with heart disease and needed to have a triple bypass. It rocked our family and we had to cling to God more than ever. My dad was always gently pushing me to get published and said that he hoped to see it happen in his lifetime. When we suddenly realized he might not live very much longer, I worked to get Good Heart done. I sent it to an editor, hired a graphic artist for the cover and got advice from a publicist, then self-published on Amazon and started to get it out to people. The response has been overwhelming. Best of all, my dad survived the surgery and he and my mom are now thriving on their ranch here in Colorado. He loves that he’s able to see the start of my career. We meet weekly to help stay on track with marketing goals, etc., but mostly so that I can soak up every minute we have while he’s still here on this earth. Sometimes I just sit and listen again to his stories of being undercover, and I can’t get enough. Life is short, and each morning that we wake up with breath in our lungs, it simply means that God is not done with us yet.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release Good Heart?
A: Of course! Good Heart is the first book of a series about a wealthy family who disappeared fifteen years ago, and no one knows why. Now, the truth is about to get out. Eighteen-year-old Lyla Brooks – trapped in a scarred body and tortured by nightmares – has no idea that she’s heiress to a fortune. Her parents are determined to keep it that way. Lyla is sent away to a small town called Good Hart, Michigan, to lay low with her reclusive older brother until things either blow over…or blow up. Lyla feels she has a second chance at life, all while bodyguards are covertly watching her every move. She also wants her brother to date her new friend, a sweet and intriguing woman, but that woman might be an undercover journalist.
Called a “must-read” and a book that “certainly does justice to broken hearts,” Good Heart is an uplifting and suspenseful page-turner that touches on deeper issues of insecurity, fear, and grief.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Good Heart?
A: I challenged myself to write a character who is a light, but in a novel that could be picked up and enjoyed by someone who might only read secular fiction. I started out by writing Lyla first, and knowing that she was going to a small town on the shore of Lake Michigan to stay with her reclusive older brother. My mom enjoyed the story, but she called me one day and asked me what the deeper, more “suspenseful” reason was for Lyla to go there. “Is her life in danger?” The story took off from there. My mom was a huge part of helping me to develop the plot. Themes started emerging almost on their own, and each of the characters definitely has a little piece of me in them, whether they like it or not. 🙂

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?
A: Definitely Lyla’s strength and her light. She has a zest for life and affects everyone around her without even knowing it.

Q: What inspires you to write?
A. A story well-told is mostly what inspires me to write. Whether I’m listening to a great song, reading a novel or even watching a show, I inevitably find myself at the piano or at my writing desk. I have read Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion series probably fifteen times and am inspired each and every time I do. I am passionate about storytelling in many forms, and excited (and a little fearful) to share it with the world. But it must be done. Bill Bright once said, “There is an old adage which states that our stories do not simply reflect society, they shape it…Although I have authored more than sixty books over the years, I have come to the conclusion that a good novel on biblical themes can reach many more people than most theological words. God Himself, upon coming to the earth in the form of Jesus of Nazareth, chose stories as His primary mode of communication. He used fiction.” This quote hangs on the wall where my writing desk is, and it reminds me why I do what I do.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?
A. I am working hard on Good Heart Book 2, and along the way some backstories have emerged that I might release to my readers on my newsletter. I’m also doing lots of research, including touring a castle and a yacht, shadowing a hotel manager, and talking to bodyguards! So fun!

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?
A. I love hanging out with my family and friends, along with singing, songwriting, decorating and drawing. I’m also loving connecting to readers and other authors through social media. As I mentioned before, I am a mentor, so advocating for mentoring is huge for me. We are also starting to share our stories of when we adopted our three daughters from foster care all at once, and the time we took in two teenagers in order to closely mentor and disciple them as well. As Lyla says in Book 1, “Life is such an adventure.”