Learning To Be Very Creative.

Wow!

Here's another amazing author, 

Marlayna Glynn Brown

I am a single parent of four teenagers who are now 19, 18, 16 and 14.  My oldest son is attending college at California State Long Beach but I'm happy to report he still calls home in the middle of the night to hear a loving and accepting voice.  Their father left when they were 5, 4, 3 and 1 so it's long been the five of us with me running the show.  Maintaining a regular job was just not in the cards for me.  Various illnesses, school meetings, doctor's appointments and must-not-miss school performances did not make me the ideal employee.  I've been fired more than anyone I know!  As with most challenges in life, I learned to be very creative with making money while being completely present for the needs of my children.  

God bless the internet!  I started consulting as a marketing agent which meant I could write articles and press releases any time I could create the time to log in.  For creative release, I blogged.  And blogged and blogged.  And these two actions honed my writing talent while drawing out a desire to write about my experiences.  During a lull in the economy, I worked solidly for three weeks and wrote my first book.   

As my children grew so did our expenses, which required me to be more creative in continuing my education and funding four teenagers.  I obtained my Master of Science in Human Services and purchased a Nikon camera as a congratulatory gift for myself.  Instead of entering the counseling field, I started taking photographs and found myself winning contests and making money.  I've since combined my marketing skills with my knowledge of photography and am now representing two very talented photographers at www.mgbrepresents.com.  This career has in turn given me the gift of more time to be able to write so I am once again back to glorious square one.

Overlay has had a very strong start as it's only been on the market for less than a month and available exclusively on Amazon for Kindle.  I am personally promoting my work and am contacting book clubs, book stores and sending press releases.  I've had two book clubs express interest so far.  Overlay has been very well received because it deals with a subject many know but don't like to discuss - the alcoholism of a family member.  I'd like to see the book gain traction in an effort to help anyone dealing with addiction.  

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Bio: 

Marlayna Glynn Brown is an Austin, Texas author, screenwriter, actress, producer, poet and photographer. Marlayna was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada and bases many of her unusual characters and unexpected story lines on true events.  She wrote, acted in and produced her first short film, People That do Something in 2009. Her first memoir, Overlay, was published on Amazon in 2012.

Marlayna received a BA in literature from California State University, Long Beach, attended Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, California and recently completed her Masters degree in Human Services.

However, she insists most of her real learning has come from her avid love of travel and her four teenaged children.

A Strengthened View

I am so fortunate today to have

Marlayna Glynn Brown

as a guest. 

She has just released her latest book, City of Angels.

READ ON!

Interview:

What inspired you to write your first book?

I've long been an ardent journalist. I made the decision to craft my journals into a book and then found that recording some events I had not shared with others (including my own journals) affected me greatly. The completion of some chapters left me feeling jubilant and free.  Some caused me to lay my head on the keyboard and cry.  Recording these events gifted me with an entirely strengthened view about life that I felt inspired to share with others.  

Is there a message in your novels that you want readers to grasp?

As a memoir, Overlay is unique in that it tells the tale of one girl coming of age in 1970s casino era Las Vegas. In the 1970s Las Vegas attracted a transient motley crew of bizarre characters.  Alcoholism and addiction were rampant, and Nevada boasted one of the highest rates of child abuse and neglect in the 1970s. The overarching message is that one can survive and shine, no matter the circumstances of their birth and childhood.

City of Angeles, the sequel to Overlay, takes the story from the other characters and places it squarely in the lap of the main character.  She moves from helpless victim to strong victor. The message in City of Angeles is that one can and must learn to navigate life in order to succeed and thrive, regardless of the past and its pitfalls.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write according to what works for you.  I sit down and write as the spirit moves me.  I may write 15 hours a day for three weeks and then not at all for a month.  I’ve learned the hard way that I cannot force the muse.  She arrives when she pleases and departs just as easily.  

What marketing techniques have you used to sell your books and which ones have been most successful?

I am a prolific writer and marketer so the list of techniques I have utilized is quite long and ranges from tapping my immediate network to reaching out across email, social media, websites, blogs and other sites.  I’ve been very direct in contacting local bookstores, libraries, book clubs and other clubs and have offered to speak.  Most successful at this juncture has been my Kindle Promotions with Amazon.com.  There is an entire subculture of ebook-lovers that feed and market to each other.  I've written a short handbook available on Amazon detailing the techniques and sites I have utilized called Promoting, Marketing and Publishing Your Book. 

Why should we buy your books?

My memoirs are true stories of success against all odds.  If I managed to become the first college graduate in my family, remain relatively sane, and raise four fantastic children - then anything is possible. I'd like to share that light with others, and inspire them  to rise above those who have transgressed against them, caused them pain or injured them in some way.  I've reached a point in life where I am truly thankful for all of my experiences, both good and bad, as each has given me an opportunity to grow and thrive in ways I couldn't have imagined. 

I am currently crafting the third and final installment in the trilogy Memoirs of Marlayna Glynn Brown which will be a painstaking biopic on surviving the devastation of divorce while single parenting four beloved children.  Simultaneously, I am also writing a non-fiction account of my solo travels as a responsibly hedonistic single woman in her forties with one goal in mind: to say yes to everything.  I'm currently enjoying the research for my travel book very much.

Is there a special place that you prefer when you write?

Anywhere as long as it is silent.

What is your POWER WORD?  Why this word?

Great question.  My power word is thankfulness.  I am always grateful for the ability to learn, thrive and grow.  Many times throughout the day I say to myself, “Yes.Thankyou.Moreplease.”

Please feel free to add any additional question that a reader might ask you, and answer that question. 

Have you forgiven all of the characters in your memoir?

Not only have I forgiven them, I have felt immense gratitude for their roles in my life.  Coming up against the big dogs early in life taught me how to stand up for myself, fight for what I believe in, set boundaries, and most importantly - how to say NO.

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Marlayna Glynn Brown Bio

I am a published writer and an award winning photographer.  These are the primary ways I communicate my personal experience to humanity. I am also a screenwriter, actress, producer, poet, yogi and photographer. I was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada and base many of my unusual characters and unexpected story lines on true events.

My first memoir, Overlay - A Tale of One Girl's Life in 1970s Las Vegas, was published in March 2012 and is available in print and Kindle format. I published City of Angeles, the next sequel to Overlay, this past July. My 2009 short film, People That do Something, is based upon a chapter from Overlay and can be viewed at www.marlaynaglynnbrown.com and Youtube. 

My promotional representation company, mgbrepresents, allows me to assist other authors, photographers, artists, musicians and creative spirits in exploring the best ways  to communicate their personal experiences to humanity.  We are each on our own journey and no two journeys are identical.  Doesn't that absolutely fascinate you?  Learn more at www.mgbrepresents.com.

Find her amazing books at Amazon.com

                                      City of Angels

                                      Overlay