GET TO KNOW BEE MURRAY & NIOBE MARSH
An
interview with the USA Today Bestselling authors of
Bad Blood: A VamPR Nightmare!
Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about
yourself and how you became an author?
NIOBE:
My name is Niobe Marsh and (just like many authors) I’ve always
wanted to write since I was very young. I made books for my parents,
friends, anyone who would take them. In 2012, I started a horror
movie review site with a dear friend and gathered a group of amazing
women to write about the horror genre. NaNoWriMo 2015 gave me my
first novel and the willingness to give writing a try for real. I
formed my publishing company in 2017 and published while still
working two day jobs. I’ve only just become a full-time author, and
I couldn’t be more happy, terrified, and thrilled all at the same
time.
BEE:
Helloooooo! My name is Bee Murray. I also grew up with this innate
desire to tell stories. We moved a lot growing up and my boxes of
books just kept getting bigger and bigger! They were my constant in a
sea of change. Back then, I preferred to escape the world into these
beautiful, imaginative worlds of my favorite authors for hours at a
time. And, if we’re being super honest, I still love to do that —
I just rarely have the time! When I wasn’t reading, I was filling
up notebooks full of stories and musings and ridiculously complex
characters.
Fast forward to now, I’ve been
in the indie publishing world since 2013. I write under several pen
names and across genres. As of 2021, I own my publishing company.
Together, with Niobe, we are plotting and scheming to take over the
world one book at a time! While I would love to be a full-time
author, I currently still work a day job in the nonprofit sector.
Where were you born/grew up at?
NIOBE: I
was born in Vancouver, Canada and grew up on a farm on Vancouver
Island. I’ve lived all over the place, and in 2015 I convinced my
husband that we should move overseas. We’re now happily settled in
the South Island of New Zealand in a little cottage in the woods. The
wifi’s good and no neighbours are the best neighbors.
BEE:
I was born on the West Coast of the USA. I grew up all over the place
and have traveled extensively. I currently live in the rainy Pacific
Northwest with my partner, kid, and cat!
How to find time to write as a parent?
BEE:
*dies laughing* Time? What is this time you speak of? It’s hard,
I’ll be the first one to admit that. It’s easier now that my kid
is a little older and more self-contained but between the day job,
pandemic homeschooling, and just life logistics with my family —
time is at a premium. As a writer with ADHD, that means time
management is also a constant struggle. I sacrifice sleep for my
words. I write after my kid goes to bed or sometimes during breaks at
work. It’s a balance. I’ve had to learn not to be so hard on
myself, especially after the Year That Was Nuts, aka 2020.
Do you have a favorite movie?
NIOBE:
SO many. I’m a movie junkie. I’m addicted to fantasy, historical
drama, and SciFi. My favorites (aka the ones I watch all the time)
are Stargate, The Fifth Element, The Mummy (1999 obviously), Troy
(it’s so bad, but I can’t stop), 300, Elizabeth, and Lord of the
Rings (all of them).
I don’t know if I could ever
pick just ONE movie to name my favorite.
BEE:
MOVIES! I love going to the movies, and I miss it desperately. I
actually love going to the movies alone in the middle of the day.
Just sitting by yourself in the dark with a giant popcorn that you
don’t have to share. That is *chef’s kiss*.
As far as favorites? I’m not
sure I actually have a drop down, knockout winner for a favorite. I
tend to be eclectic in tastes, and musicals are always a fave. Mulan
and Hercules are frequent fliers over here. My kid is obsessed with
The Rock’s remake of Jumanji so we watch that a lot. I watch a lot
of things with subtitles and documentaries. I will say I used to have
an unhealthy obsession with American Outlaw because of Colin Farrell.
It’s my not-so-secret shame. :-D
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
NIOBE:
I’ve never actually held a paperback copy of one of my books in my
hands, but I imagine that’s the moment it’ll feel really real.
Otherwise, I’m not sure I’ll ever feel like a REAL writer. Sure,
I write and publish things, but imposter syndrome is a beast, yo, and
I struggle with it regularly. Being able to provide for my family and
put my cats through college is the goal, and I treat writing like a
job. One day it’ll feel real. I’m sure of it.
BEE:
That’s such an interesting question. I think I’ve always thought
of myself as a bit of a writer. I am a person who writes things and
often gets paid for it. For me, thinking of myself as a writer is
easy. Identifying myself as an author is harder. Maybe it’s the
imposter syndrome, like what Niobe was talking about or something
else, I’m not sure. The first time I got a fan letter from a
stranger was a tremendous moment for me. It was kind of social proof
that someone outside my immediate circle had read something I wrote
and liked it enough to come find me and tell me. That was a magical
moment, and I felt like an author that day. Readers: if you ever love
something from an author and want to gush about it but feel awkward
reaching out? Do it anyway. It’s like feeding joy directly to your
favorite author. We love that.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
NIOBE:
I have an urban fantasy series written under a different pen name
(Meredith Medina) that I always imagined could make a good TV series.
Witches in New York, witch hunters, brooding punk vampires, ancient
goddesses. It’s got CW written all over it. Bad wigs and all.
BEE:
*glances at steamy romance backlist* Uh. Well. Laughs.
I think my MMF menage romance could make a really steamy, fun movie.
I could see that on HBO or something. Otherwise, Pisces Paranormal PR
Agency! You’ll see it when you read Bad Blood. There’s a certain
cinematic element that we put into this that I would LOVE to see on
the big screen.
