Liberian Literary Magazine
Author Interview 4
SPOTLIGHT AUTHOR
MARY WILLIAMS
Promoting Liberian Literature, Arts and Culture
chemical make-up? Was I hit
by lightning and didn't
remember? As unlikely as that
seems, it would at least be an
answer. All I know is that I sat
down and the words came to
me. Many, many words. And,
thankfully,
they
haven't
stopped.
3)
What books
most
influenced
life/career most?
Mary Williams
Thank you for taking this
time with us, we appreciate
it. Let us kick off by you
telling us a little about youchildhood,
education,
upbringing etc. Tell us a
little about yourself
I was born, raised and live in
Washington State, USA. (With
a few detours in between). I
have
a
degree
in
photography. It never became
a profession, but it is a
wonderful hobby. I've been a
rancher, a bartender, a
salesperson and an aspiring
writer.
I have a loving and supportive
family. You need one when
you decide to spend hours and
hours alone, in the basement,
with nothing but you and your
computer.
2)
Why writing?
I'm probably like ninety
percent of all writers. It is
something I've always wanted
to do. Actually doing it was
another matter. I started
dozens of times, but nothing
came out
besides
the
occasional
incoherent
sentence. On a good day I
might get a paragraph. There
was no flow or ideas.
Until one day it all changed. I
can't say why. A shift in my
have
your
I write romance novels.
Proudly and unapologetically.
Though not a romance in the
traditional sense of the word,
Little Women was the first
book that made an impact on
me. The love and support
between these women has
carried over into my books. I
believe in strong women.
Friendship is the big theme in
my Harper Falls series. It is
the bedrock of that holds the
stories together.
4)
How
do
you
approach your work?
With
determination and
dedication. It has truly
become my passion and I take
it seriously. Every day,
without
fail,
I
write
something. Sometimes ten
pages, sometimes a few
paragraphs. I refuse to slack.
Fail to write for one day and
it could easily lead to two. I
won't go back to regretting
the books I haven't written.
The stories are in me. I can't
wait to get them out.
5)
What themes do you
find yourself continuously
exploring in your work?
The strength of women and
how important it is to support
not undercut another woman.
It isn't the center theme of
every book, but it always
creeps in. A supportive
mother figure, a friend.
37
Somewhere in the book, you
find women helping women.
6)
Tell us a little about
your book[s]- storyline,
characters,
themes,
inspiration etc.
I started with the idea of a
series set in a small town
much like the one I grew up
in. Harper Falls is fictional.
Affluent. Quirky. An idealized
version of my hometown. The
idea for the series came to me
from a song called If You Only
Knew. This turned out to be
book three. Teenagers who
are torn apart because one is
trying to save the other from
hurt and heartache. Ten
years later, in order to win
back the woman he has
always loved, he has to tell
her the truth. Why did he
break her heart? If she only
knew, would she understand
and give him a second
chance? The other books
flowed from that one idea.
Three women, friends from
childhood, who left Harper
Falls to pursue their dreams.
Now they are back—where
they truly belong.
My second book series,
Hollywood Legends, stems
from my love of movies. The
characters in Harper Falls
were always quoting from one
movie or another. I decided it
would be fun to set some
books in the film industry.
DREAMING WITH A BROKEN
HEART, book one, is about a