Synopsis
Our
fast-paced society loves adventure and it loves a hero—but what about
Latter-day Saint heroes? Are there
any? There are plenty! Heroes of Faith, True Stories of Faith and
Courage, is a collection of twenty-four riveting
stories
about people who rose above difficulties and impossible odds to emerge
triumphant.
You’ll
read about stalwart men and women who stood firm and valiant in the gospel in
spite of dangerous mobs, flying bullets, physical handicaps, extreme hardships,
and dictatorial regimes.
It's
fascinating to read about the exploits of real heroes and when that hero is
acting in accordance with the principles of the gospel, the adventure is not
only thrilling, but inspiring as well. In these days of increasing trials and
tribulation, we can all use some worthy role models, especially those that strengthen
our faith and increase our testimonies.
Biography
MarleneBateman Sullivan was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She graduated from the University of Utah
with a BA in English. She is married to Kelly R. Sullivan and they are the parents
of seven children. Her hobbies are gardening, camping, and reading. Marlene has been published extensively in
magazines and newspapers and has written a number of non-fiction books, including: Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines, And
There Were Angels Among Them, Visit’s From
Beyond the Veil, By the Ministering of Angels, and Brigham’s Boys. Marlene also
wrote the best-selling novel, Light on Fire Island.
A
busy writer, Marlene is set to have three books published this year. Gaze Into
Heaven, a fascinating collection of over 50 documented near-death experiences
in early church history, was published earlier this year. Next came Motive for
Murder, the first in a mystery series featuring the quirky private eye, Erica
Coleman. Then, Heroes of Faith, a collection of stories about people who acted
heroically in the face of grave trials and handicaps was released by Cedar Fort
Inc.
Interview:
Did
you always want to write books?
I’ve
wanted to write ever since I was in elementary school. After two years of college, I got married and
having children put back my writing because—let’s face it—you can’t do everything
at one time. To everything there is a season. But I continued writing as I
could. I concentrated then on writing for magazines—articles and stories. Then,
as the children got older and I had more time, I started writing books.
You
began by writing nonfiction—Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines, then a 3-book
series about true angelic experiences, and then this year, Gaze Into Heaven, about
near-death experiences in early church history. What made you turn to fiction?
I
started writing nonfiction because I was afraid I couldn’t write fiction. I
longed to write fiction, but didn’t think I could do it. I didn’t realize that non-fiction writers
must also write well. I didn’t believe in myself. Since writing fiction was something I really
wanted to do, I decided to try. It was hard, but I kept working and re-writing
for three years until I felt I had a great book, Light on Fire Island, which
turned out to be a bestseller. Yay! And just last month, my second novel, a
mystery, Motive for Murder was released. Double yay!
How
did you learn to write?
Learning
how to write is an ongoing process. I
started in elementary school, did more writing in junior high, and so on. I’ve
spent countless hours on manuscripts that were never published, but I don’t
count that as a loss, since it helped me improve my writing. I have a bookshelf full of books on writing
and every weekday morning, I try to read 2-4 pages. I underline important parts, then type them
up, which hopefully, sets the ideas in my brain. When I’m done with the book, I
print out up my notes and save them in a master binder so I can look them over
now and then.
Who
is your favorite author?
One
of my favorite authors is Maeve Binchy.
I just love her writing, you get really involved in her characters and
just fall in love with them. There’s a
goodness about her books. She writes
about Ireland and its just so interesting. I just finished Minding Frankie,
which is good. Glass Lake is really
amazing, as is Firefly Summer. I’ve read
everything she’s written.
How
do you overcome writer's block?
Thanks Marlene! I'm happy you stopped by!
Find Heroes of Faith at:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Books & Things
Hi, Marlene. Congrats on your new release! It sounds like you've been writing up a storm with the books under your belt, both fiction and non-fiction. What an inspiration message to deliver with Heroes of Faith!
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