Interview With Author Mariah Brotzman
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am twenty-six years old and I graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. I write middle-grade and young-adult fantasy novels as well as children’s stories. I work at UPS part-time and write in my free time. I enjoy reading, writing, listening to music, and watching TV. I also like video games. My favorite book series is Harry Potter. And my favorite author is Rick Riordan. I am currently reading Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare. I’m almost done reading it. I have two cats, Shadow, and Boots. This inspired one of the children’s stories I wrote and have yet to publish.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book that I published is Rosetta Dagotto and The Fight For the Underworld. It is a Young-adult fantasy novel that involves Greek mythology. It’s about a daughter of Apollo, Rosetta Dagotto, and a mortal ghost boy, Nova McNaughton, that must work together to defeat the god of darkness, Erebus and save the Underworld from his tyranny. Erebus has overthrown Hades and has taken Artemis captive. He is growing his army of darkness and plans to march on the mortal world and cause utter chaos as well as get revenge on the Olympian gods. Rosetta and her friends are the only ones that can stop him before it’s too late. This book was inspired by my love of Greek mythology. I took a mythology course in college and it was quite a learning experience.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I tend to come up with ideas for stories first before I come up with the characters and setting. One of my unusual writing habits is that I write down my idea and make an outline from that and then I let it sit for a bit before I go back to it and start the actual novel. Also, I prefer typing out my story vs writing it on paper.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors that have influenced me are J.K Rowling, Rick Riordan, and Cassandra Clare. Also, Christopher Paolini. They are the writers that I grew up reading books from.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a sequel to the book that I just released but I am also working trying to get children’s stories published. And I came up with an idea for a novel that I’m excited about writing. So, I have a lot of books in the works. But they will take time to finish and publish.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I promote my books using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. But I also have Goodreads where I promote my book as well.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is to read what you write. If you don’t have time to read then you certainly don’t have time to write. Which is why I read a lot of young adult fantasy and middle-grade fantasy. Reading helps me get into a writing mindset and it warms up my brain for writing.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I’ve ever heard is to never give up on my dreams. I was told this by one of my High School teachers and it stuck with me. Despite all the publishers and agents telling me no, I refuse to give up. My dream is to be a best-selling author and I intend to keep at it until I make it a reality.
What are you reading now?
I am reading Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare. After that, I plan on reading Beyond The Wand by Tom Felton and My Side of The Mountain. I have a lot of books on my want-to-read list.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Next, I plan to promote my current book and work on the sequel. After that, I will publish the sequel and possibly publish my children’s stories. I also write poetry so I might do something with that eventually.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I would bring Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Percy Jackson and The Olympians, City of Heavenly Fire, and Hatchet.
Author Websites and Profiles
Mariah Brotzman Amazon Profile
Mariah Brotzman’s Social Media Links