Jasmine's Place Issue No. 14 - December 2014 | Page 19

Mary L. Ball is an inspirational fiction author and lives
in North Carolina between the wondrous mountains
and beautiful beaches. She writes about real-life
problems, suspense or mystery blended with
romance.
Mary hopes her books encourage people to see the
wonder of love and a divine guidance that awaits
everyone.
Here she talks about how her plots are formed, and
the craft of writing a romantic novel.
How are your plots formed?
The plots to my stories derive from
questions left unanswered or
unresolved situations. Those issues
pull at my heart and demand to be
retold with a different
prospective.
Do you envisage your characters
before your plots or the other way
round?
I always have an idea of a plot, and
then the characters.
We're focusing on romance in this
interview, but please give the
readers an idea of the other type of
novels you write.
I write inspirational fiction. My debut
novel, Escape to Big Fork Lake is a
contemporary fiction with a suspense
plot. Stone of Destiny has a splash of
mystery.
I have another inspirational
Fiction out now, titled, Redemption
in Big Fork Lake, but all of these
books are mixed with romance.
Why do you write romantic novels?
Humans are dependent on one
another. Relationships can be
complicated, or people make them
difficult. I enjoy taking characters
through the many stages of
commitment and finding resolutions
to common situations that often will
plague a couple.
Are there any romantic cues in your
life that you take inspiration from?
Everyone defines romance
differently. With me, it’s the daily
activities of a mate, showing
kindness to a spouse. Many of my
prompts come from my husband.
JASMINE'S PLACE
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