ONCE WICKED, ALWAYS DEAD: AUTHOR INTERVIEW AND BONUS ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDED
ONCE WICKED
ALWAYS DEAD

BY T. MARIE BENCHLEY

REMINDER ABOUT THE BOOK:

What happens when a family's darkest secrets put lives in jeopardy? How far would you go for love? Molly Madison is unaware of the Sociopath who is on the loose, creating havoc with a sense of their own justice. Her life is shattered by the sudden death of her beloved parents and the revelation of her husband Phillip’s affair – with another man – Molly leaves the life of Country Clubs and the luxury of city life in Florida and heads west to Montana, resolved to run the family ranch, and to move on with her life. Her attraction to Clayton Leatherbe, the ranch foreman, is instant, but before a romance can blossom, the ranch falls prey to sabotage by wealthy land developers determined to drive Molly out, and Clayton learns of a family secret and collides with the Sociopath that could put the ranch – and Molly’s life – in jeopardy. A sharp mystery that swirls with family secrets, betrayal, love and loss, Once Wicked Always Dead is a strong debut from an author with literary blood in her veins.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

1. Welcome T. Marie Benchley for an interview with BOOKIN' WITH BINGO. If my readers want more info about you and your work, where could they look?

My Web site is TMarieBenchley.com

2. Where did you get the inspiration or idea for this book? 

As a writer you never know where an idea for your next book is going to come from. It could be the interesting chap who you notice sitting at the table next to you, dining alone; it could be a tragic story which you read in the column of your morning newspaper. In my case, it was one evening when I was watching the news and I became transfixed by the image of a politician, who with his wife by his side, made a confession to the world that he had a gay affair. The fact that another politician was confessing his transgressions was not what I found so interesting. After all, living in today’s society I must sadly say we are becoming very used to politicians getting caught with their hands in various cookie jars.

What I did find interesting was the fact that his wife was standing in loving support by the side of the same man who had blatantly betrayed her. This was the particular moment that started my wheels turning. I could not help but wonder what this woman was really thinking as the cameras rolled. Was she angry? Was she being forced to stand there or did she really want to be there for him?

Then there was the question as to how this betrayal was going to affect her life, her future, her self-confidence. After being so deceived by someone she loved, would she ever be able to trust her own judgment in future relationships?

Throughout the week I pondered over this scenario. I found myself thinking of the husband who felt that he had to hide his real sexuality all of those years. I mean, could you imagine if you had to go through your whole life living a lie? What would that do to you as a human being? Would you unknowingly come across angry, and now that he was out of the closet did he feel a sense of relief? If you have a child and you do not allow this child to be themselves, will their future and those who love him end in tragedy?

My own answers to these questions are what generated Molly and Phillip Madison—two characters who had lived a large part of their lives based on a lie, then both finding the courage and strength to start over.

Now you may be asking yourself, well that’s all well and good about Phillip and Molly, but what about that crazy woman who is going around and killing all those men? How did you ever come up with something like that? Okay, let me explain it like this.

When writing any wicked, rotten type of character, it is not only a little naughty but it’s also fun. I am a happily married woman with two of the most wonderfully talented and lovely children in the world. I know that I have been truly blessed. So when you have such a wonderful stable life, it is fun to get down and dirty in your writing. Being a woman and a mother, I created a villain that viewed herself as a hero ridding the world of what she perceived of as evil. I wanted the reader to not only be shocked by what this sociopath was doing, but to ask themselves, did these evil-doers get what they deserved?

3. How did the title of your book come about?

The title “Once Wicked, Always Dead” came after I finished the manuscript and was not the original title I had in mind. I was not happy with my original title and one night over dinner, I was discussing my concerns with my incredible creative husband and out of thin air he made the suggestion to change it to “Once Wicked, Always Dead.” I loved it and felt it was a perfect fit for the book. Since then he has become my title master.

4. Do you see yourself in your characters? Which characters are easiest or more difficult to write?

As an author I just don’t create my characters, I give birth to them. I bring them to life and they become as real in my mind as you or I. All of my Characters have various personality traits that consist of either myself or others that I know or have run across throughout my life, so I never have problems creating them. I would have to say that I am a very strong woman with incredibly thick skin and an incredible amount of determination and grit, with that in mind, I would have to say that Molly would have the largest amount of my character traits in her.

5. What books would you say have made the biggest impression on you, especially starting out? What are you currently reading?

From as long as I can remember I have always been a huge fan of Literature and of course The great classics like Hemmingway and Walt Whitman. My Grandfather was a poet and I would have to say that he had the largest influence on me as a child. Currently I love Dan Brown and of course one of my all time favorite writers is Ann Rice, she has such a Poetic Style, with the way her written words role off the pages. Oh and of course Peter Benchley and Jaws, need I explain?

6. What is the next or current book/project you are working on?

I am in the mist of writing my next Novel “Mother Can’t Be Trusted” it is a fast pace suspense Novel. A fictional story based upon actual happenings and will be released fall of 2011. I would tell you a lot more but I don’t want to give away too many of the juicy details.

7. What is something about you that you would want people to know about you that we probably don’t know?

I am a definite believer in giving back to society and will be donating a portion of all my sales from Once Wicked Always Dead to the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

8. What is your advice to anyone, including young people, who want to be writers?

First of all I would like to say finish what you start! I can’t tell you how many very talented writers will start their manuscripts but never finish. After you finish and are ready to be publish, be tenacious and don’t take your rejections personally. The market is flooded with great books and the big publishers have a strong hold on the market. If you are unable to get an agent or publisher, you need to get creative, use the internet to your advantage. Start a blog and create a following. Also don’t forget about print on demand or E-book, for a smaller market it’s a great way and not as expensive to get your masterpiece out to those who really can appreciate your talent.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO SHIRLEY AT NEWMAN

COMMUNICATIONS, I HAVE ONE COPY

OF THIS EXCITING NEW MYSTERY

TO GIVE AWAY TO ONE LUCKY WINNER!

--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU FOUND INTERESTING IN THE AUTHOR INTERVIEW OF T. MARIE BENCHLEY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE OTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY YOU ENTERED FROM THIS BLOG. YOU MAY COMMENT ON MORE THAN ONE AS LONG AS YOU ENTER THEM EACH SEPARATELY.

+1 MORE ENTRY: WHILE YOU ARE AT T. MARIE BENCHLEY'S WEBSITE HERE, WATCH THE TRAILER AND PLAY THE $1,000 HIDDEN CHALLENGE CONTEST WHILE YOU ARE THERE...YOU COULD BE THE LUCKY WINNER!

+1 MORE ENTRY: TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

BE SURE AND VISIT TODAY'S EARLIER REVIEW OF ONCE WICKED, ALWAYS DEAD HERE

GIVEAWAY ENDS

6 PM, EST, OCTOBER 21!

GOOD LUCK!