Romantic suspense
author Maren Bradley Anderson is here today to
chat about her Western romance, Fuzzy Logic.
Bio:
Maren Bradley
Anderson is a writer, teacher and alpaca rancher in Oregon. She teaches
English at Western Oregon University and novel writing to new authors. She
fills her days caring for alpacas, playing with her kids, and reading books
that make her laugh. Her novel, Fuzzy Logic, was released in 2015 by Black
Opal Books, and her adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for children
was performed in July 2015. Her poetry has appeared in The Timberline
Review.
Welcome, Maren. Please tell us about Fuzzy Logic.
In short, it’s a
romance set on an alpaca farm. Here’s a blurb:
After divorcing her
unfaithful husband, Meg Taylor buys an alpaca ranch to finally do something on
her own. Almost as soon as she arrives, she meets not one, but two,
handsome—and baffling—men. She thinks choosing between the shy veterinarian and
her charming securities co-worker is her biggest problem, until life and death
on the ranch make her re-evaluate more than her love life. At least her new
life is nothing like her old one.
What inspired you to write this book?
To
tell the story of the origin of this book, you need to know a little of my own
back story.
Over
a decade ago, my husband and I bought some land and were looking for some
livestock. I wanted horses because I’m a girl and have the “I want a horse”
gene. But Charles wanted something different. We thought about llamas, but then
we went to an alpaca show and fell in love.
Alpacas
are smaller than llamas and are bred for their warm fleece. They look like a
cross between a giraffe and a Tribble from Star Trek, and they have very
cat-like personalities. And they hum like Zen monks.
When
I was looking for an idea for another book, I realized at some point that I had
read lots of romance books that were centered on horses and horse ranches, but
I’d never read one about an alpaca ranch. Voila!
Almost
everything that happens to Meg on the alpaca farm (that’s alpaca-related) came
from something that happened to us on the farm. But the book was just an
epiphany.
Chick Lit on an Alpaca Farm! Thunderbolt!
Most
of my ideas don’t come that easily, but I’m glad that one did.
Excerpt from
Fuzzy Logic by Maren Anderson:
He hadn’t said
anything since we’d left the barn. I replayed the events leading up to me
sitting in the hostile air of the truck.
My heart sank when I
remembered the image of Evan in my frilly pink robe holding coffee in my
driveway.
“Cody?” I said when I
couldn’t stand the silence any longer. “Are you mad?”
He glanced at me, his
eyes flashing. “Why would I be mad?” he growled.
“He just kind of
showed up last night,” I said.
“Don’t,” he said. “I
don’t want to know.”
“I just want to tell
you that I’ve been thinking about you, us—”
“And he just showed
up and spent the night last night. I hear you.” Cody swung around a corner so
forcefully that I gathered the baby alpaca more tightly into my arms to keep it
from sliding.
“Please, give me
another chance,” I said. “I’m not ready to let you go.”
“But you’re not ready
to let him go, either,” Cody said. Pain was sharp in his voice.
“Please,” I said.
“Give me whatever time limit you want.” I was afraid to touch him, so I
clutched the baby animal to my chest and hoped.
He glared at me
again, but his eyes softened before he looked back at the road. He made a turn
into a parking lot and turned off the key. He turned to me and looked into my
eyes. “A week,” he said. “One torturous week, and I’m done.”
I nodded, afraid
breathing would break this reprieve.
What exciting story are you working on next?
The prequel to Fuzzy
Logic.
Bigger projects
include a book based on the Lilith myth (she was Adam’s first wife before they
were thrown out of Eden), and a medical thriller film or TV show.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Always. I’ve been
telling myself bedtime stories since I can remember, and I wrote my first
“book” when I was 9. However, I didn’t take it seriously until after my first
child was born. Nothing like a baby to make you realize that 1) time is not
infinite and 2) if you have any dreams, they have to actually be acted upon if
you are to realize them.
Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day
like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to
write?
I keep thinking I’d
like to write full time, but I actually like teaching at the university.
I find time to write
by doing it first. I try to write an hour each weekday BEFORE I grade or do
anything else work-related. That way, when I’m exhausted, melted in front of
the TV after the kids are in bed, I can watch my mindless shows without any
guilt.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I like to write fast.
I normally write first drafts in a month or so. The drafts are terrible and I
usually have to work months to get the next drafts to where I like them. I love
writing fast because it frees me to work on story and keeps me from getting bogged
down in the little stuff.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
This. I wanted to be
a writer and a professor. Granted, I’m an adjunct and a baby writer, but here I
am.
For a while, I wanted
to be a veterinarian. Then I realized the gross things they actually do. Now I
write about the gross things they do. And I only have to take one shower a day.
:)
Anything additional you want to share with the
readers?
Keep an eye out for
the prequel to Fuzzy Logic, and also for my new book Closing the
Store. It’s the story of a woman who runs for President, and then
accidentally calls a sex strike.
Links:
Thanks for being here today, Maren!
