Q: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

A: I wish I could say I had a lightening bolt strike me and sat down to write a book.  Actually, it was more like a slowly evolving idea. I have been jotting down ideas for different books for years but never had I seriously considered making a firm commitment to produce a book until recently, when I went to graduate school.

Q: How and when did you make this dream a reality?

A:  I earned a Masters Degree in Counseling in 2000. My book came from an idea I had for a thesis. When I expressed the idea in a paper I presented in class, several students said, “You ought to write a book.” My professor echoed their sentiments. That is the first time I entertained the idea of being a writer.  I realized I WANTED to be a writer. My book is called: The Relationship Trap: Women Who Ignored the Warning Signs That Said…This Guy’s Not For You!

It is a collection of true stories of fourteen women who were in relationships that did not work. They tell what they learned from the experience and give their advice to other women, hoping others will benefit from their experience and not have to go through what they did.

Q: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned so far in your writing career?

A: 1) Know your audience. My book is aimed at women–women who are dating, women in relationships, and women who are considering entering a relationship.

2) Honor their voice. The women who tell their stories in my book had the courage to risk opening old wounds. I wanted to honor their voice as they told their stories of difficult relationships and how they survived to become stronger, wiser and happier. Their advice is filled with wisdom and compassion. In this book they found a voice.

Q: What are you working on right now?

A: My next book is called Amazing Things Happen To Ordinary People: Stories of Everyday Miracles. I am looking for people who have stories to add to the book. It is almost finished and I just need a few more stories. Somehow people began to tell me stories of unusual things that happened to them, when they learned I was a spiritual person, and I began to write them down. Since my first book is a collection of stories, I thought this collection would become my second book. If anyone out there has a story of an unusual event in his or her life, I would love to hear it. Perhaps it will wind up in the book.

Q: Name some authors or books that have influenced your writing life in a positive way.

A. Natalie Goldberg’s book, Writing Down the Bones was the greatest influence. It gave me my jump-start. It gave me the courage to put my words on paper.

Q: What have you recently read or what are you reading right now that you would consider an outstanding work?

A: John Adams by David McCullough. This is a scholarly but quite readable book. I enjoyed it so much I bought two others by him, 1776 and The Johnstown Flood. I am not a history buff but these books were so interesting I devoured one after another.

Q: What excites or ignites your soul?

A: Several things. First of all, helping people. This is the reason I wrote The Relationship Trap. Secondly, learning. I am thirsty for knowledge and I never want to stop learning. Third, an artistic masterpiece ignites my soul. Just viewing a magnificent painting can bring tears to my eyes. And last, creating another chapter of my book or painting a watercolor transports me into a state of delight and anticipation. Helping, learning and creating. These ignite my soul.

Marilyn was born in Williamsport, PA and grew up in New York City, where she went to Hunter College. She graduated with a double major in Early Childhood Education and in Fine Art. She taught first grade for 3 years in Charlotte, NC, where she moved after she married, and then retired to be a stay-at-home mom. She also lived in Mexico City for 8 years and became bilingual. Over the years she painted and sold her watercolors, both in the US and Mexico. In 1990, after a divorce, she moved to Scottsdale, Arizona and promptly entered her watercolors in a two-month art show.  In Charlotte she facilitated a divorce support group for 4 years, which later inspired her to go back to school in Arizona and embark on a counseling career. She obtained a Masters Degree in Counseling with a specialty in Marriage and Family. She met her husband one week after graduation and they married a year later. After graduation she began writing her book, The Relationship Trap: Women Who Ignored the Warning Signs That Said…This Guy’s Not For You! Visit Marilyn at www.marilynfrazer.com

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