Q&A With Marilyn Levinson

by Maggie King

Marilyn Levinson is my guest today. A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for kids. Her books have received many accolades, and we expect more accolades in a year that’s shaping up to be a big one for Marilyn.

When I asked Marilyn about her upcoming releases and the “secret” of her success, this is what she shared. Enjoy!

2024 promises to be a busy year for you. Tell us what you’ll be publishing, and re-publishing.
Yes, 2024 is a very busy year for me, with eight books and a short story coming out. The new books: Rufus and the Witch’s Drudge, the second in my middle grade series, comes out in early April; my romantic suspense, Come Home to Death, comes out April 30th; and Booked On Murder, the eighth and last book in my Haunted Library series, will be released on August 6th.

I also have five books scheduled to be republished: my YA horror, The Devil’s Pawn, just came out. Coming soon are two books in my Golden Age of Mystery book club series, and two novels for kids: And Don’t Bring Jeremy and Getting Back To Normal.

My short story “Stabbed in the Heart” will appear in the anthology, First Comes Love, Then Comes Murder. (Note from Maggie: I’m lucky to share space with Marilyn in this anthology!)

Please share about how persistence has contributed to your success.
I wouldn’t be anywhere if I hadn’t persisted in writing more books and sending them out. Also, being involved in the writing community has kept me informed re which agents and editors are open to new authors and new series.

What part of writing is the most fun for you? The most challenging?
I love writing dialogue. I find some plotting situations, especially when writing mysteries, the most challenging.

How long have you been writing? What started you on your writing journey?
I suppose we won’t count the years in elementary school, though I still have my notebook of stories from then. I started writing when my sons were very young. I wrote short stories and poetry, then segued into middle grade and YA novels, and eventually into mysteries.

What characters in your books are most similar to you or to people you know?
I suppose my sleuths are most like me, though they are braver and more adventurous than I am. But truthfully, my characters come from my imagination and are not based on people I know.

What comes first for you, the plot or the characters, and why?
A simple story idea comes first. Then the characters and plot come to mind and work together. That said, my characters and their relationships with one another are of utmost importance to me.

How important is setting in your stories?
Setting is very important in my stories. For one thing, it impacts my characters’ personalities and their lives. Working in a small town is very different from working in a city office building. Setting also dictates activities because of the weather and the terrain. It also can play a role in the mystery aspect of the story.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Don’t worry. You’ll get there. 😊

Please share your process for getting your books re-published.
I told my agent, Dawn Dowdle, who has recently died, that I wanted to make my “Children’s Choice” middle grade novel Rufus and Magic Run Amok the first book in a short series. And so she got me a contract to republish Rufus and to write three more novels. She also arranged to have my YA horror republished. A new publisher asked to republish some of my older books, and a publisher I’ve known for some time asked to republish others.

How do you use social media as an author?
Since my readers are on Facebook, that’s where I’m in constant contact with them. I love Author Takeovers. I do guest blogs and virtual book tours when a new book comes out. I also post occasionally on Instagram and X. I love doing video interviews and chats. And I write a monthly newsletter.

What marketing strategy works best for you?
Hard to tell. The ones I mentioned above seem to work.

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As Allison Brook, Marilyn writes the Haunted Library series. Death Overdue, the first in the series, was an Agatha nominee for Best Contemporary Novel in 2018. Other mysteries include the Golden Age of Mystery Book Club series, the Twin Lakes series, and Giving Up the Ghost.

Marilyn’s juvenile novel, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, was an International Reading Association-Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice and has recently come out in a new edition. And Don’t Bring Jeremy was a nominee for six state awards.

Marilyn lives on Long Island, where many of her books take place. She loves traveling, reading, doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku, chatting on FaceTime with her grandkids and playing with her kittens, Romeo and Juliet.

Marilyn’s books are available for purchase on Amazon via her Amazon Author page.

The Devil’s Pawn is available for purchase at Barnes & Noble and Fantastic Fiction.

Connect with Marilyn on her website (signup for her newsletter), Facebook, Goodreads, X, BookBub, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Happy Valentine’s Day to the talented Writers in Residence and to the readers we treasure.