Interview with Marian L. Thomas, author of The Caged Butterfly @marianlthomas01 #interview #bookclubreads #vbt #kindlebooks #booktour



Award-Winning Author and Speaker, Marian L. Thomas, has penned five engaging novels to date. Her books have been seen on national television stations such as the Oprah Winfrey Network, Ovation, and the A&E Network. She has been featured in print magazines, newspapers and a guest on local, national and online radio stations. For her book, I Believe In Butterflies, Marian ranked among the top 100 Most Popular Authors in Literary Fiction on Amazon. She spent most of her teen years in Oak Park, Illinois, but now resides in a suburb of Atlanta with her husband. She enjoys a good bag of popcorn, a plate full of pasta, and a grape pop.

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Q: Welcome to The Writer's Life!  Now that your book has been published, we’d love to find out more about the process.  Can we begin by having you take us at the beginning? 

When did you come up with the idea to write your book?


My writing journey for The Caged Butterfly launched November 1, 2017. That’s when the yearly writing challenge held by NaNoWriMo, began. Writers have 30 days to write 50,000 words or more. The challenge concludes on November 30th.


Q: How hard was it to write a book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make the journey easier for other writers?


Writing a book in 30-days is a challenge, in itself. Writing a book in 30-days that tells the story of four characters triumphs and sorrows, is another. My advice…take it one page at a time. Allow only one character to take over your creative thought process for that one page, then move on to the next page. Storytelling is a process. Being creative is the result of that process.


Q: Is there anything that surprised you about getting your first book published?


My first book was all about lessons learned, as they say. From the book cover creation process to the moment I held it in my hands and realized that I was a published author.

I think the calling myself an author, was the biggest surprise. When I started writing my first book, my goal was simple…to finish. The realization of what a published book meant to me and for me, came later.


Q: What other books are you working on and when will they be published?


I’m a huge fan of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, so I am writing The Cookbook, an endearing story of how a cookbook saves the marriage of a couple who meet one Georgia summer day in 1940.


Q: What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?


In The Caged Butterfly, I think readers will be surprised that I’m not afraid to show the ‘rawness’ of a character. The shell-shock that tragedy has is real. What causes that tragedy or how that tragedy is dealt with, is something that must be brought to the surface when writing characters that are influenced by the rawness of life.


Q: Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?


Cecilia_L, a book reviewer said it best, regarding the message of The Caged Butterfly:  “Rich in dialogue and featuring a memorable cast of well-developed characters, The Caged Butterfly will not be soon forgotten. Reminiscent of The Help, though there are many bittersweet moments in the story, there are also instances of joy and humor.

“What I enjoyed most about this book were the realistic dialogues between characters. Whether it was Millie and Jean dishing about the neighborhood residents over biscuits and gravy, or Boney Bass Bryan imparting street-sense smarts to Tim, the conversations were thoroughly engaging. Tossed in the mix were gems of wisdom such as, "Rich folks got too many issues trying to stay rich," and "If you got to lay down in wrinkled sheets, just remember who did the wrinkling."


Q: Thank you again for this interview!  Do you have any final words?


Thank you for having me and for such a great interview. Readers are welcome to connect with me via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. 


About the Book:

Title: THE CAGED BUTTERFLY
Author: Marian L. Thomas
Publisher: L.B. Publishing
Pages: 307
Genre: Women’s Fiction

BOOK BLURB:

Who Would Think That One Act of Love Could Affect Four Generations?

On December 29, 1930, Mildred "Millie" Mayfield gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Addie. Millie teaches Addie three things that she feels matters most in life; inner beauty, reading books and giving your “special something’ only to the man you marry. Addie lives up to the first two. On one autumn night in 1949, Addie falls for the irresistible red curls and vibrant green eyes of a young man from the other side of the railroad tracks. Neither knowing that the consequences of their love would have lasting effects. Known as one of the greatest white jazz pianists in New York, Timmy Taylor never had a reason to question his identity – until truth and betrayal strike. Will Timmy be able to push past the pain? Beautiful and talented, Nina Taylor inherited her father's gift, but not his looks. Certain that's how he made it big, she dives deep into an obsession that could be deadly. Will Nina learn to love the skin she’s in before it’s too late? Spanning from 1920 to 1996, this captivating tale of secrets, betrayal, and forgiveness will pull at the strings of your heart, and keep you turning pages while you pray for a happy ending.

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