Heroes of Faith Blog Tour with Marlene Bateman Sullivan...

Marlene Bateman Sullivan, best-selling author, is back for another visit and this time she's talking about her newest novel, Heroes of Faith!

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? 

What’s writer’s block?  To me, writing is a job, you just plug away at it. Some days are easier than others, but you just go on.  Most of the time, I’m revising, so I just read what I’ve written and try to make it better, sharper, funnier, more mysterious, etc.  It’s hard sometimes, but I just keep on, doing my best.

Thanks Marlene! I'm happy you stopped by!

Find Heroes of Faith at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Books & Things