Urban-Reviews.com - Inside Out with Kathy J. Marsh

Kathy J. Marsh

Kathy J Marsh was born and raised in Wilmington, NC, and graduated with honors from Johnson C Smith University in Charlotte.

Writing is a recently discovered passion, and as with everything about which Kathy is passionate, she devoted many hours to learning her craft and writing her first novel. That novel, The Aura of Love, garnered a 2007 IPPY Award and is a Booking Matters Bestseller. In addition, her two short stories, Wedding Interrupted and Struck by Lightning, are available at Amazon Shorts.

Currently residing in Charlotte, Kathy is working on her second novel, Suddenly Younger.

Read An Excerpt from The Aura of Love: Click Here

Author's Official Website: http://www.KathyJMarsh.com
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Urban Reviews: Tell us all about your book The Aura of Love.
Kathy J. Marsh: The Aura of Love is a supernatural romantic suspense novel, which at its core is about intolerance and how the oppression of yesterday still haunts us today. Though the theme is serious, the story is romantic, suspenseful and very entertaining. It’s been described as subtly sexy, funny and thought-provoking.

The novel is about a woman who finds herself so wildly attracted to a man so different, she nearly loses everything important to her, including her family, her friends, and her fashion design business.

While Remy tries to resolve her romantic issues with Jace, someone is revealing everything her community wants to keep secret. When it’s revealed the traitor is someone they both know, it throws their lives into even more chaos, while impacting the outcome of their romance.

Urban Reviews: How did you come up with the storyline for The Aura of Love?
Kathy J. Marsh: The concept came from an article I read in Essence a few years back. It stated that more black women were dating men outside our race, and they wanted to read stories about themselves. I took that idea and instead of writing a straight-up story about a black woman and a white man, I used a supernatural slant and created beings with a visual component that make them different—their blue or purple auras– much like our skin color. Since I’ve always loved the supernatural and have always been an avid reader of those books, it seemed the natural thing to do. In addition, it gave me the opportunity to create some suspense since these beings want to keep themselves hidden from humans. They might not be able to though, because someone is revealing that very secret. Now, before the readers think I’ve gone too far out there, just let me say that these beings, called Auralites, look and act remarkably like humans; they just have a few powers that we don’t and probably wish we did. I know I do. 

Urban Reviews: Are there any anecdotes or accounts within the book that reflect on any personal experiences?
Kathy J. Marsh: LOL! There is one scene which is kind of autobiographical. The two main characters, Remy and Jace, are relaxing in bed, when Jace’s Dad bursts in. Jace is apparently thrown back into childhood because once his dad leaves in embarrassment, Jace jumps up to run after his dad. But, he picks up Remy’s jeans and tries to stuff himself into them. Remy cracks up since he can’t pull the jeans above his knees, though he keeps trying. In my case, it was a brother, not a dad, but it was just as funny.

Urban Reviews: What advantages and disadvantages have you had with getting your novel published?
Kathy J. Marsh: As a self-published author, I find the greatest disadvantage is the difficulty in getting my book in book stores. The advantage is I have complete control over everything: the cover, the book’s interior, the publication date, etc.

Urban Reviews: When did you decide that you wanted to become a writer and why?
Kathy J. Marsh: I came late to writing. I’m not sure it would have ever happened if a friend hadn’t convinced me—by convinced, I mean harassed me into a deathlike state—I should write because I have a good sense of story, quite the imagination, and a serious love affair with words. I laughed (English Comp and I had hated one another during every phase of school) and she yapped, and yapped, and yapped until, fed up, I fictionalized a personal airplane mishap. To my chagrin and her most vocal gloating, I discovered I loved writing.

Urban Reviews: Describe the moment when you first held a printed final copy of your book.
Kathy J. Marsh: Oh my goodness, I was delirious with joy. My little baby, through all of its trials and tribulations, had grown up. Along with the nearly indescribable excitement was a real sense of accomplishment.

Urban Reviews: Who are some of your favorite authors? Are there any authors within the paranormal/speculative genre that you enjoy?
Kathy J. Marsh: I have so many favorite authors; some who are in my genre are L.A. Banks, Tananarive Due, Anne Rice, Steven Barnes, Dean R. Koontz, Brandon Massey, etc. Some not in my genre are Bernice McFadden, Robert B. Parker, Terry McMillan, Diane McKinney-Whetstone, John Grisham, J. K. Rowling, E. Lynn Harris, Walter Mosley, Robin Cook, etc.

Urban Reviews: What are your goals as a writer? Do you ever want to be signed to a major publisher?
Kathy J. Marsh: My goal is to always improve my writing and to keep writing novels that are thought-provoking as well as entertaining. I would just love to be signed by a major publisher!

Urban Reviews: What can we look forward to next from Kathy J. Marsh?
Kathy J. Marsh: More books! I’ve gotten so many requests for a sequel to The Aura of Love, so that’s coming. But first, my second book, Suddenly Younger, is coming to life. It’s about a middle-aged woman who finds that she’s suddenly getting younger. As she tries to figure out what’s happening with her, and why, I explore feminine ageism. Once she gets involved with a much younger man, who just happens to be her doctor, I explore secrets, and the dynamic between an older woman and a younger man. The fact that she’s chronologically older, but physically younger, adds a new twist.