Thoughts At One In The Morning: Interview and Giveaway with Marie Landry & Spotlight on her latest release, Something in the Air!

I am so happy to have one of my dearest friends and fellow author Marie Landry on the blog today. She and I chatted a little bit about her latest book, Something in the Air, and some other fun things...

Interview with Marie Landry

Jessica: Hi! Welcome to Thoughts! I'm so happy to have you on the blog to talk about your books. First off, tell us a little bit about Something in the Air.

Marie: Thank you for having me, Jess! Something in the Air is a coming of age story that focuses on self-discovery, friendship, love, and the importance of pursuing your dreams. Plus there's a hot, sweet Irishman as the love interest that I'm quite fond of. ;-)

Jessica: Speaking of that hot, sweet Irishman, I have to say that you really captured Declan's accent/manner of speaking perfectly in the novel. Did you have to do some research for that?

Marie: Thank you, I'm glad you think so! I'm mostly Irish on my mum's side, so I've been fascinated by Ireland and Irish people for as long as I can remember. I've always had an ear for accents, cadence, and phrasing, so while I've picked a lot up from listening to people, I did do some research - common Irish phrases and wording especially. I dated someone who's Irish, so that's where I picked up the Gaelic terms of endearment Declan uses with Rose...and trust me, they really are as swoonworthy as they sound!

Jessica: I believe it! Were there any challenges that you faced while writing this book?

Marie: This was actually one of the most challenging books I've written. I started writing it in the summer of 2013 and got stuck around 50,000 words so I set it aside. It took about a year and a half for me to get back to it, and I don't think I would have gotten past my mental block with the story without the help of my amazing critique partner. She read what I'd written so far, gave me feedback, and helped me brainstorm until I finally knew where I wanted the story to go.

Jessica: Now that it's November, a lot of writers are participating in NaNoWriMo, including you. What are you working on for it?

Marie: I'm doing NaNoWriMo in an unconventional way. I'm starting out by writing a short holiday story that's a follow-up to Something in the Air. Once that's done, I'll be working on a contemporary YA project that I started a few years ago and never finished.

Jessica: Have any of the stories you wrote during NaNoWriMo been published?

Marie: For 2013's NaNoWriMo I wrote the second book in my Angel Island companion series, After the Storm.

Jessica: You had the amazing opportunity to go to Europe this summer with your friend Krista. You've been sharing some pretty awesome pictures on your blog for Wanderlust Wednesday. Will you be using some of that trip in future stories?

Marie: Definitely! I'm working on a short story right now that's a follow-up to Something in the Air, and it's set in London. I also have several other story ideas that involve travel in the UK and Europe. I fell completely in love with London and Rome in particular on my travels.

Jessica: Something I've always admired about you is how you champion diversity not only in the books you write but the books you read as well. What are some books that have especially touched you that you think everyone needs to read?

Marie: Thank you! I really do think diversity in all forms is so important. Everyone deserves to see themselves reflected on the page. A few of my favourites are Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson (LGBTQ romance), The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler (POC main character with a disability), Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone (the main character has OCD), Dumplin' by Julie Murphy (deals with weight and body issues), and Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli (LGBTQ YA). These are just a few of my favourites, but you can see a more comprehensive list on my blog.

Jessica: It's almost been four years since you published your first book, Blue Sky Days. What have you learned from this journey as an author?

Marie: I've learned so much. With the help of a great critique partner, beta readers, and editor, I feel like I've grown a lot as a writer. I've also learned how invaluable the writing and book blogging community is. Their passion and dedication still amazes me.

Jessica: I agree! Thank you so much for stopping by Thoughts to chat with me! Could you tell my readers where they can follow you and learn more about your books?

Marie: Thank you for having me! I'm available pretty much everywhere online - I have a blog, plus I'm on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can learn more about my books on my blog and from GoodReads.

About the Book

Her life hasn't gone as planned, but she's about to realize that sometimes the best things happen when you stop expecting life to be a certain way...

When Rose Morgan put off her college plans to help her mother through a difficult time, she thought it would just be a bump in the road of her journey. She got a job to help pay the bills and started picking up the slack at home. But three years later, her bumpy ride hasn’t smoothed out yet, and Rose feels stuck. She’s working at a job she hates and living with a manipulative mother. She’s tired of feeling like her life has stalled, tired of the resentment and anger building inside her with each passing day.

Then Declan Connelly appears in her life, and even though the hot Irishman is seriously tempting, Rose is determined not to let him in. She’s afraid to suck anyone into her bizarre life, especially someone who seems too charming for his own good. She soon learns there’s more to Declan than his sexy accent and charismatic personality, though. He’s a good man, and he wants Rose in his life, baggage and all. He’s got his own, and he isn’t scared away like she originally feared he would be.

Everything in Rose’s life is changing quickly. It’s finally her time--time to figure out what she wants and what her future holds. Time to get swept off her feet and not fight it. But when her plans might take her away from all the amazing new things in her life, including Declan, Rose has to make a choice. Is she willing to chase her dreams, even if it means letting go of love?

About the Author

Marie has the best job in the world—one where she gets to make stuff up for a living and shamelessly eavesdrop on everyone around her. She writes happily ever afters while dreaming about the day she’ll have her own epic love story to tell. Most days you can find her writing, reading, fantasizing about traveling the world, listening to U2, watching copious amounts of TV on DVD, or having grand adventures with her nephews and niece.