Interview with Marlayne Giron

Welcome to Cindy's Book Reviews I am so happy to introduce you to my readers.

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a Messianic Jewish believer in Jesus, an author, adoptive mother and survivor. My entire family is Jewish. but I am the only one who believes.  In my youth I attended a reformed Temple and observed the high holy days mostly out of a sense of cultural obligation to Judaism rather than devotion to God. Like many Jews, I was raised with an anti-Christian/anti-Jesus “bias” and was taught that it was the height of betrayal to my Jewish heritage to "convert". Growing up I had little to no interest in “religion” and at the age 13 considered myself an atheist.  At this time the “Jesus Movement” was in full swing and I found myself a “prime target” for the “Jesus Freaks”. 

Despite my aversion to all things religious, I miraculously came to faith in Jesus as Messiah in 1977 as a direct result of watching the television film, “Jesus of Nazareth” by Franco Zefferelli. Upon reading the Old Testament I discovered that believing in Jesus was the fulfillment of my Jewish faith and not a betrayal as I had been taught. It is my desire to reach others with the Gospel who share the same aversion I used to have at being preached at, or have no interest in reading the Bible and won’t attend church. My first book, The Victor, was written with that audience in mind. At the age of 22 I met my future husband, Michael Giron, whose face and name I had put into a short story three years before ever meeting him. On our first date, Michael was even told by one of his friends that I would be his future wife. We have been happily married since 1986.

How long have you been writing books?  When did you write your first book (published or unpublished).

I began writing stories with my best friend, Lisa  at age of 12.  We would take turns sleeping over each other's homes and one of those times she produced a typewritten story in which she had put us in as the characters.  We read it aloud to each other and it was so much fun that I created the second story for the next get together.  From then on we took turns typing these stories which were based on a very popular television show at the time: The Six Million Dollar Man.  We wrote hundreds of similar short stories each and I wrote my first novel based on this tv show when I was 13 (which I still have). Lisa had always wanted to be a teacher (and is currently a H.S. math teacher) so pretty soon I found her red-marking my stories for spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors.  This would make me furious and I became determined to write a story she couldn't find fault with.  This decision, in addition to the spirit of competition to see who could write a better story really honed my English skills. As a result of writing so much,  I intuitively picked up on a lot of creative writing techniques.  Unlike Lisa, who has a Masters in Mathematics, I never went to college or studied journalism.  I have never submitted short stories or articles to writing contests etc., but I have always able to get consistent employment as an administrative assistant because of my typing and writing skills.  I have even reviewed and edited scientific reports of Ph.D's  with Greek equations in them and typed a doctoral thesis for a former boss.

What kind of setting do you enjoy writing in most?

I don't have much choice in the matter. My computer is in the family room so that's where I'm stuck. I don't like to be shoved off in a room away from everyone. I once stayed at a B&B in Cape Code, MA where the proprietor had their desk in a little cubby which over looked her English garden and the Atlantic Ocean and I thought what a great place that would be to write in!

You write books about the paranormal.  Do you think it is important for Christians to understand about the paranormal, why or why not? 

In Plain Sight is the only "paranormal" book I have written. I was challenged to write an Amish book and being a native of Southern California (the land of fruits and nuts) I wasn't sure I could write one that was just like all the others so I decided to do something completely original and different. I came up with the back cover teaser first which was my only "outline" for the story and then I just began to type. It marries ideas from the movie "Signs", Romeo and Juliet, and Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis. I'm not into paranormal stuff at all, I just wanted to write an Amish book that was completely original with a greater spiritual message behind it. There's quite a surprise on the last page.

In Plain Sight book blurb: In Plain Sight is an Amish paranormal love story. The easiest way to describe it to say it is a combination of several different concepts that came from other books and movies: Romeo and Juliet, Signs, Out of the Silent Planet and the Bible.

Make a Wish is a compilation of stories of wish fulfillment's, what is your favorite story from that book?

 The story I cried at the most while I wrote it was Three Wishes. I finally got to meet the recipient of that story and hug her neck last November for the first time. These stories have made a unique bonding experience between me and a lot of the people I wrote them for.

The Victor was is a medieval love story, written from the inspiration of a song by Amy Grant, tell the readers more about that and have you gotten to meet Amy?  Did you have her sign your book? 
The Victor was inspired by her song "Fairy Tale" from the "My Father's Eyes" album. After 30 years and 2 attempts I finally got to meet Amy Grant, my favorite Christian artist and probably the one “celebrity” I most wanted to meet since it was her song, “Fairytale” from her Father’s Eyes Album 30 years ago that was the inspiration for my book, The Victor.  I just wish I had not been sweating for 10 hours straight before I did. I looked like a wreck and she looked…well, she looked gorgeous. I think she is one of the most naturally beautiful women I have ever seen. I got to spend just a couple of minutes with her before she went onstage to perform at the end of a very long, hot day. Just enough time to show her the book her song inspired, let her know about our mutual acquaintenace, John Styll (current President of The Gospel Music Association and my former boss at CCM) and the fact that we both had a daughter with the same name. Mine spelled Karina; hers spelled Corrina. Showing her the book and telling her that it had been her song that inspired it jogged her memory but she admitted that she had not read it yet. I left right after getting the photo. It was 7:30 by that time and all I wanted was to get into a hot shower and clean off. I found out later that night that had I or any of the other authors stayed longer we would have gotten the opportunity to go aboard her bus for 45 minutes and really get to talk with her and have her sign things for us but it was a last moment decision on her part and most of us had already left having been there all day. She did sign a copy of the book for me which I still have. 

Other famous celebrities who have a copy of The Victor are: Sarah Palin, Nicholas Sparks, Lisa Whelchel from the Facts of Life and Women of Faith, Scotty McCreary (American Idol from 2 years ago), Pastor Chuck Smith, Hugh Hewitt, Arthur Blessitt, and George W. Bush.

Share one quirky thing about yourself, connected to your writing. 
I always like to put something personal in each of my stories (kinda like Alfred Hitchcock showing up in a cameo appearance in each of his films). My mother and brother in law make appearances in the book In Plain Sight.

So just a quick wrap up, tell my followers where they can read more about you, purchase your books, and what is next from your "pen". 

In Plain Sight and The Victor are available in both ebook forms for all readers. Make a Wish is paperback only. You can get personally autographed books through my blog at www.psalm451.net or via Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=marlayne+giron

I'm putting the finishing touches on a 4th book called Plain and Simple right now.

If you homeschool Junior High or High School students, there is a companion Lesson Plan on The Victor. It has been Lexile scored at 1060 and is worth 15 Accelerated Reader points.
 

Thanks for stopping by, it was very nice to "meet" you!