I previously published under the author name Marjory Kaptanoglu and you may still find some of my books listed under that name, despite great effort to complete the transition. Please bear with me, and thank you for your support. ❤️

 

What do you like to read? I began life as a voracious reader. I read everything from bubble gum wrappers (big Bazooka Joe fan here; does this date me?) to War and Peace. Yes, I have read War and Peace and loved it. I don't think I have the stamina for it any longer, however. For example, I don't seem able to even focus on this question. The answer is, I'll still attempt to read anything you put in front of me, but what I most like to read are novels featuring gripping, twisty plots and fascinating characters.

 

When did you decide you wanted to write? I've always loved to write. I like it better than speaking because it gives me time to devise a clever response, instead of saying something lame and then five minutes later thinking of the perfect comeback. Back in the day, I loved writing anything, whether it was a letter, an essay, or my daily to-do list. However, the fear of messing up kept me from trying my hand at fiction until I finally reached the grand old age of I-no-longer-give-a-bleep. My advice to you? I don't care if you're two years old, start pursuing your dreams immediately.

 

Where did you get the idea for your first novel, Dreadmarrow? My father died. Thanks, Pops! I'm kidding. Actually, I missed him so much I wanted to bring him back from the dead, like in those Greek myths where a naive young person travels into the deepest, darkest pits of somewhere, and pays a penny to the boatman to cross the River Styx and rescue the person they love. You know it's not going to end well but admire them for trying. Dreadmarrow is quite different, but it does feature a girl who seeks to restore her papa to life, with results I'm duty-bound not to reveal here.

 

What do you do for fun when you're not writing? I love hanging out with my family and friends, talking, eating, and playing board games. When I'm alone, I love walking on beaches and swimming in the ocean, though this horrifies my kids, who apparently believe I'm the perfect shark snack. So just for them, I check a handy app called Sharktivity and if no great whites have been sighted that day within 20 miles of my location, I venture in. Maybe someday I should find out how long it would take a shark to swim 20 miles. But really, I'd rather not know.

 

Is it true you once worked as a software engineer at Apple Computer? Yes, that was the younger, not-ready-to-starve-by-trying-to-make-a-living-as-an-author version of me. Instead of writing a book, I wrote the text-editing software that would help other, braver people write books. But I'm glad I did. Apple was such a fun place to work it often didn't feel like work. And even after I left the company, they were good enough to bundle my jigsaw puzzle app with every Macintosh for several years. Grateful former employee, right here.

 

Did you write screenplays after that? How did you guess? One of my short scripts won the Slamdance Screenwriting Contest and they made it into a film that premiered at their festival. It's called Dead in the Room and it's nearly an autobiographical story of my attempt to break into the film industry, except with a gun. I think you can still watch it on Prime Video if you're in the mood for a dark comedy in the vein of Breaking Bad for people with short attention spans.

 

Are you an indie author now? Yes

 

What is an indie author? An indie author is someone who writes, publishes, and markets their own books. I'm proud to be a part of this movement that is changing the way publishing works, and allowing far more books to reach readers than ever have in the past. The more books, the better, in my opinion. There will always be books you love, and books you don't love, but please keep in mind, one reader's Bazooka Joe might well be another's War and Peace.

 

Can I ask you something? Ask away. But if you want your question answered and possibly added to my FAQs, please subscribe to my newsletter and submit your question to info@margiebenedict.com.

 

Do you have anything to add? Thank you for your support of my work. Your purchases, reviews, and word-of-mouth recommendations allow me to continue doing what I love. You, dear reader, are the reason I strive to make each new story more unputdownable than the last.