Made in NH– Authors: Marilynn Carter
By Amy Ray
This is the sixth in a series of ten-question interviews of authors who represented NHWP at the Made in New Hampshire Expo booth.
Marilynn Carter’s book, No Fret Cooking, is a cookbook blending simple, healthy, yummy recipes accompanied by music to cook and dine by. Together food and music are paired that take you on a culinary adventure to nurture, tantalize, and stimulate your body, mind, and spirit as you prepare and enjoy your food. The focus is on fresh, local, organic ingredients without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Alternative ingredients used to create gluten-free, dairy-free, raw, vegetarian recipes that even children love.
Marilynn will be at the New England Authors Expo (Danversport Yacht Club, Danvers, MA) on Wednesday, July 29th from 4pm - 9 pm.
Amy Ray: What inspired you to become a writer?
Marilynn Carter: The universe and my wanting to bring awareness about the food we eat and our health and how to make healthy changes easily.
AR: What is the most challenging aspect of writing for you?
MC: I consider myself more of an educator than a writer, so writing has never been a focus for me until the cookbook which has been a bit easier to write as it’s about bringing awareness to others through personal experiences so pretty much the writing just flowed.
AR: There are many typewriter fans here at the Writers’ Project. How do you write: computer, typewriter, longhand, dictation…?
MC: Mostly on my computer but sometimes write in spiral notebooks and then transfer onto computer.
AR: Plotter or Pantser? (Do you plot ahead of time or fly by the seat of your pants?)
MC: Neither a plotter nor pantser pertains to my writing. I know what I want to share with people and it’s a matter of finding time to do so.
AR: What was your path to publication: agent with traditional publisher, small press, indie publishing or self-publishing?
MC: As information changes so quickly in the health industry, I wanted to get my cookbook out as soon as possible so I decided to self publish.
AR: How long did it take you to get from your initial inspiration to the finished product?
MC: Initially I had no idea what kind of cookbook to do or what the whole process meant so I wasn’t totally committed to it and at the time I started, we decided to sell our home and move to NH so lots of time went by. But once I got back to the cookbook, it took about two years for completion as needed to wait for Steve (Carter) to complete the music to accompany the book as I didn’t have that idea when I was first working on the book nor did I know I was going to ask him to do two CDs.
AR: How do you market your books?
MC: Many ways including bookstores, libraries, networking events, private author events, expos, cooking schools, restaurants, local TV shows, interviews, press releases, and always open to unique ways to market.
AR: Do you have any advice for other writers?
MC: Write about what you know about and what you enjoy in life and that knowledge and joy will come through in your writing. I believe everyone has a story or something waiting within them to be shared with others.
AR: Are you working on a new writing project?
MC: Yes, a book about Reiki. As a practitioner and teacher it is my passion to help others. This book will be informational as well as experiential and will include lots of true experience stories as told by me, some of my students and clients.
AR: What are you reading now and is it on an eReader or a traditional book?
MC: I do not enjoy reading books online and feel everyone spends way too much time using electronics, so I prefer real books. As I read a book I like to get comfy and feel the pages. Sometimes I take notes, underline and turn down pages for easy future reference. I read a variety of books, have several to read but too busy to start one yet.
Amy Ray’s book, Dangerous Denial, is a Silver Falchion nominee in the category of Best First Novel: Thriller/Mystery. Ray also has a short story in the New Hampshire Pulp Fiction anthology, Love Free or Die. She lives on the seacoast and is a longtime member of NHWP.