B.L. Marsh B. L. Marsh has been writing and telling stories her entire life. She is a music teacher, guest lecturer and runs music Master Classes. In her reading of the Bible and other extra-biblical texts however, she began to daydream about the characters, about how life was back then, and how cool it would have been to walk in the Garden with God. Her stories weave a new mythology revolving around Genesis and the history of our world.
When she is not writing or teaching, she spends her days hanging out with five of the coolest boys on the planet and at night can be found doing completely ridiculous things like reading Joseph Campbell and Jane Austen and watching the same 3 movies on TV.
What is your favorite thing about being a writer?
I love to delve into an imaginary world and really become a bystander as I watch the story unfold.
What genre(s) do you write?
YA Fantasy and Urban Fantasy
What genres and authors would we find you?
YA Fantasy and General Fantasy. With C.S. Lewis, George R.R. Martin, J.K. Rowling, Christina Benjamin
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Expanding into a series instead of a single novel.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I am a plotter, through and through
Why do you think people should choose your books over another author?
I don’t think they should. There is plenty of time to read them all.
What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?
To always ask questions. Never stop learning.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
That we are not alone.
How long have you been a writer?
3 years
How much time did it take from writing your first book to having it published?
18 months
What other careers have you had?
I am also a private clarinet teacher, and musicologist.
Do you write under more than one name? Why?
Yes. Because I don’t want children to find my other books in a search under my name. They aren’t ready to read those things, quite yet.
Are any of your characters based on real people or events?
Some are.
How would you describe yourself if you were “speed dating” your readers?
I’m a little shy and nervous around large groups of people. I love reading and taking walks in nature. I love trees and Christmas time. I love to cook and create meals that are an experience to eat.
What’s something fans would find fascinating about you?
Usually when I tell people I have 5 boys, they ask a lot of questions about what our life is like. I usually just tell them that it is never boring.
What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?
I suppose it would be that my story, or more correctly Lilith’s story, should not take away from your own faith, it should draw you closer to your creator.
What books or authors have most influenced your life?
The single most influential books in my life are the Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
How do your family and/or friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?
My friends think it’s pretty cool. My kids think I make a million dollars a year, because of course all authors make that amount.
Where are you from?
I am from a small town in Texas, called Orange.
How do you come up with the titles? The titles in the series is all based upon various mediums that the history in the books are stored and recorded.
Has your life changed significantly since becoming a published writer?
Yes. It has been amazing journey.
Do you work on one project at a time? Or do you multi-task?
Just one. I can’t do more than that. Too many things to keep track of. Perhaps when I’ve done this longer. But one is enough for me now.
When not writing, how do you relax?
With 5 boys, there is not a lot of relaxing. But when I do get a spare moment, I actually read.
Here are some questions just for fun.
What is your favorite vacation spot?
Disney World.
What kind of kid were you in school? Which social path did you take?
I was a nerdy kid. I hung out with the same kids all the time. Later on, I joined the band and those were my friends.
Which food could you not live without?
Can I have 2? I’m not sure I could live without Dr. Pepper and French fries.
Do you have any pets?
We have 3 rabbits. Isabel, Lilith, and Chelsea
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you travel?
Edinburgh
Do you have a favorite beverage that you drink when you write?
Dr. Pepper
Have you ever felt as though you were born in the wrong era? If so what era did you belong in?
Yes!!!! A thousand times yes!!! I should have been born in Victoria England.
What genre of books do you enjoy reading? Do you have a favorite author?
I love reading anything really. My favorite author is C. S. Lewis.
Please tell us 5 miscellaneous facts about yourself.
- My hair turned grey when I was 21. I’ve colored it ever since.
- I don’t like to leave my house.
- I am a Scoutmaster
- I am part of a prayer order.
- I only use pencil to write with
Where can readers find you and your books?
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1V5LmX1
Amazon eBook: http://amzn.to/1V5LA0m
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/526193
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-lilith-scroll/id978197417?mt=11
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lilith-scroll-blmarsh/1120121956
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-lilith-scroll-1
Excerpt:
Darkness surrounded Daniel as he entered the dreamscape. He sat down on the vaporous floor and concentrated on finding Lilith. It was always easier to be brought into a dream rather than enter one unannounced. Patiently, he waited for her mind to open. Something glistening to the right caught his attention. The doorway into her thoughts looked like a fairy door from nineteenth-century fiction. It was small and brown, fashioned of weathered wood. Someone had carved an intricate pattern into the surface and edged the carvings with some kind of metal, but that alone was not the most interesting feature. No, it was the tribal sign on the door—the emblem for the Tribe of Adonai, the Royal Seal. The hinges were old and rusty and the door looked as if it had seen many battles for entry.
To the right of the door, a key hung in midair. There was nothing remarkable about the rusty skeleton key other than the triquetra on the top and carvings down the shaft. Along the outside edge, were tiny infinity symbols, thirteen in total.
Daniel reached for the key slowly. He was hesitant to grab it, feeling the invisible force protecting it while holding it place. Closing his eyes, he spoke the spell signaling his allegiance to the Tribe of Adonai and the key released. Taking it in his hand, Daniel then placed it in the keyhole. The key turned effortlessly in the lock, and the door opened to reveal a beautiful garden with a huge tree in the middle and a waterfall behind it. Daniel walked through the door and was shocked. He heard the door creak close behind him and disappear. He was in her dream. Where was she?
There. What is she doing in Eden?
He walked over to the scene unfolding in front of him. A little girl around twelve—she was before her Age of Decision Ceremony as she bore no markings—stood next to a large tree. There was also a boy about the same age. Daniel couldn't make out what they were saying, but the children were laughing.
Suddenly, a darkness overcame the scene, and Lilith started screaming. She shoved the boy behind her.
"Please, don't take him! You must not harm him. I will die without him! Take me instead," the little girl pleaded with the darkness.
The boy struggled to cast a spell to save her, with no regard for his own safety.
They joined hands and faced the darkness. "From nothing comes everything, from nothing comes everything, from nothing comes everything," the children chanted, over and over. The dark magic surrounded Lilith. Its attempts to enter her heart were thwarted by an invisible shield extending from her and wrapping around both of them. In the end, their magic was not strong enough, and the darkness took her away.
Darkness surrounded Daniel as he entered the dreamscape. He sat down on the vaporous floor and concentrated on finding Lilith. It was always easier to be brought into a dream rather than enter one unannounced. Patiently, he waited for her mind to open. Something glistening to the right caught his attention. The doorway into her thoughts looked like a fairy door from nineteenth-century fiction. It was small and brown, fashioned of weathered wood. Someone had carved an intricate pattern into the surface and edged the carvings with some kind of metal, but that alone was not the most interesting feature. No, it was the tribal sign on the door—the emblem for the Tribe of Adonai, the Royal Seal. The hinges were old and rusty and the door looked as if it had seen many battles for entry.
To the right of the door, a key hung in midair. There was nothing remarkable about the rusty skeleton key other than the triquetra on the top and carvings down the shaft. Along the outside edge, were tiny infinity symbols, thirteen in total.
Daniel reached for the key slowly. He was hesitant to grab it, feeling the invisible force protecting it while holding it place. Closing his eyes, he spoke the spell signaling his allegiance to the Tribe of Adonai and the key released. Taking it in his hand, Daniel then placed it in the keyhole. The key turned effortlessly in the lock, and the door opened to reveal a beautiful garden with a huge tree in the middle and a waterfall behind it. Daniel walked through the door and was shocked. He heard the door creak close behind him and disappear. He was in her dream. Where was she?
There. What is she doing in Eden?
He walked over to the scene unfolding in front of him. A little girl around twelve—she was before her Age of Decision Ceremony as she bore no markings—stood next to a large tree. There was also a boy about the same age. Daniel couldn't make out what they were saying, but the children were laughing.
Suddenly, a darkness overcame the scene, and Lilith started screaming. She shoved the boy behind her.
"Please, don't take him! You must not harm him. I will die without him! Take me instead," the little girl pleaded with the darkness.
The boy struggled to cast a spell to save her, with no regard for his own safety.
They joined hands and faced the darkness. "From nothing comes everything, from nothing comes everything, from nothing comes everything," the children chanted, over and over. The dark magic surrounded Lilith. Its attempts to enter her heart were thwarted by an invisible shield extending from her and wrapping around both of them. In the end, their magic was not strong enough, and the darkness took her away.
