Hey Guys!

It's another fun day in the garden and I have the Goddess of Hope herself!🍁

I am talking about the talented Marilyn_McKnight on our Hot🔥 seat of Roses🤪 with her book titled, 'the Letters I Hope You Never Find'.

Because of my immerse love for you guys, I'll like to show you all the behind the scene of this interview.😄

Excited much?

Let's get started!💃🏽

Lilly: Hello!
I am on my way home now, I'll start the interview as soon as I'm settled.

Call!☎️
Call!☎️

(No, it should be Ring🤔)

Ring!📞
Ring!📞

MM: Lol😂😂 Lilly, I am here.

Lilly: ☺️Don't pay me any attention😁
I am just trying to get your attention
Oooh I just rhymed😍, dammmn! I'm good!💃🏽

(Laughs at my own dry joke)😊☺️😊☺️

(Crowd laughs)

Weeww! It really gets weird in the studio😅😅😅

Okay, Marilyn, let's get started; so, I took my time and read your story, "The letters I hope you never find". I have to say, it's the most emotional piece I've ever seen on Wattpad *sniffs* I almost cried while reading it. I had goosebumps all over my skin and my throat got too tight and I couldn't breathe🥺😫

What inspired you to write about it?

MM: Honestly, I have no idea. For the most part not many things inspire me to write.

Some ideas just hit me on the head and I decide to take the time to write about them. Some of them turn out good, while others don't.

Li: I'm sure this happened to be one of those marvelous ideas that just hit you. How could you write something sooo beautiful😫?

MM: I'm not sure what inspired me to write the Letters I hope you Never Find. The idea just came to mind one day and I figured I would atleast try to give it a shot. So, I did.

Li: Hmm, Of course you did and it turned out great. How did it feel when you finally figured this idea out?

MM: It was weird because once I developed the plot, which I changed multiple times, I became dedicated to writing it and finishing it in less than a month.

Li: Yeah, that's another thing I actually wanted to ask. It took you what, 12 days to complete the story? 😱Waoh!

MM: Yeah, it did! I just became so invested in finishing it; I spent countless nights pulling all-nighters just to finish it.

Li: (Gives Marilyn a standing ovation🥳🥳🥳🥳)
This should go as a challenge for the rest of us that spend years and decades on books! Let's be as determined as Marilyn! She completed this heartfelt story in 12-FUCKIN' days!!

Moving back into the story; Why did you decide to have a protagonist diagnosed with Cancer?

MM: I'm not sure why I went with Cancer to be honest. It was just something I didn't put much thought into. I researched a few kinds of Cancer and decided on Acute Myriad Leukemia because it's one of those rare kinds.

Li: Hmm🤔Why didn't you go with another rare disease?

MM: The original plot didn't include Cancer; it was just something I threw in there to make it more tragic. I originally planned for it to focus on main themes such as Anorexia, Depression and Anxiety.

Li: Waoh;🥺; such brains🥺; Why did you change the focus of the story though?

MM: After, a bit of thought, I decided that focusing it on something as scary and as real as Cancer will draw in readers and keep them hooked until the very last page.

Li: You really took a very very good decision. Cancer was the key!✌🏼

MM: Thank you. I know I could have gone with a different disease, but Cancer was just something that I knew very well and I wanted to base my novel around that.

Li: I initially planned to read just 2-5 chapters you know, just to get the hang of it. But your story got me so hooked, I went through every single chapter!

Her pain could be felt from the very first word you typed and I got so attached I couldn't stop🥺

MM: Thank you.

Li: The emotions in your story, they touched my very soul. I almost cried🥺 how did you do it?

MM: Oh, I bawled while writing it. I based Evelyn on myself and accessed my inner thoughts. It helped express how isolated and depressed Evelyn was feeling.

Li: Waoh!😱 how?
I know you guys are wondering why I keep asking 'How' a million times but if you could all just open this book, you will all see what I am talking about.

The level of rawness and thoughts were just too good. Please, Marilyn, what really pushed you to achieving that?

MM: I wanted a story that was raw and meaningful. So, I put my thoughts and emotions in there. The majority of the thoughts added into the story were Evelyn's but a few of mine were in there too.

Li: Wait. . .a few were yours?🤔 How🥺?

MM: Lilly, I believe that having a strong connection between the author and main character is important which is why I mixed our thoughts together.

Li: I am usually a very noisy reader but Evelyn's story really got to me to the point where I couldn't comment🥺 my hands were in pain😭
Good job on the delivery!

MM: Thank you, that means a lot!❤️

Li: So, let's talk about Sweet darling Eliot😍. Why did you introduce him to the story?

MM: Aww😍, Elliot, my baby.

When I first developed the story, I planned to have only Evelyn instead of adding characters.

I wanted to focus on her story more than anything. So I planned to tell her story with just her; no one else.

Li: So why did you add Elliot?

MM: I became bored with the idea of having Evelyn struggle with these problems alone.

She needed someone to help her through these challenging times, so I decided to throw Elliot into the mixture.

And let me tell you, that was probably the best idea, I have ever had!❤️

Li: Yeah, I think so too.
Elliot brought a lot extra points to the whole story.
But tell me, how did you feel after you added Elliot to the story?

MM: Adding Elliot to the story, allowed me to dive deeper into my thoughts and express Evelyn differently.

Li: Okay, Elliot really helped Evelyn and at a point I thought he was only a part of her imagination. Tell me, why  is he so cute😍😍😍?

MM: Haha! The cute part gets me sometimes too.😍

Li: What was really your goal in sending such a good looking guy to a dying girl🥺?

MM: Yes, he may be good looking, but my main goal was to show both the readers and Evelyn what kind of heart he had.

Li: Awww😍 Evelyn really needed him. Tell me more about the creation of sweet Elliot❤️

MM: During hard times, we need to surround ourselves with people that understand and are willing to help.

I developed Elliot to have those traits so he could understand Evelyn better and bring her out of her shell.

Evelyn needed someone to listen and having Elliot, really helped her do just that.

Li: Yeah, Elliot took the story to another level. It was a beautiful touch.

So, who was your favourite character?

MM: While I did love Elliot, I would have to say, Evelyn. She was so real with the world and how she felt about it; it helped move the plot along and hook the reader.

Her thoughts were dee, raw and meaningful: a touch of reality into the story.

Don't get me wrong, I love Elliot, but the connection between us wasn't as strong as the connection between Evelyn and me.

Li: You are right about that. I think Evelyn's  letters will help a lot of people going through depression or any kind of pain to understand that they are not alone.

Marilyn, to you, what is the most important aspect of writing?

MM: Some authors don't take the time to dive deep into the main character and how they feel, but to me, that's one of the most important things when it comes to writing.

Li: Given the time frame it took you to complete the story, how did you still manage to connect with Evelyn?

MM: Yes, I wrote the story in a short amount of time, but I still took the time to think about how I would feel if I were in her shoes.

Li: Hmmm, okay. Sophie would've buzzed me for this question but thank goodness she isn't here🤪

Evelyn. . . .is she going to die🥺?

MM: Well. . .in the sequel. . .maybe. . .

Li: What?
Aren't you gonna give me more?🥺😱😭

Please don't kill her🥺

Okay is the sequel out then?😩

MM: The sequel came out at the same time, which is why I can't stress the fact that people need to read the first book FIRST!!😁

Li: Oh, what makes people read the sequel first😅 something must draw them😁?

MM: The sequel is full of poems, so people typically are tempted to skip the letters and go straight to the poems.

Li: I am going to join you and spread the word!🤓

DO NOT READ THE POEMS FIRST, READ THE LETTERS FIRST!📢📢📢

I hope that's clear enough😇. The letters are short and quite easy to read so yeah, read them accordingly🤓.

Anyway, did you face any challenge when you wrote this book?

MM: Well, I wanted to express Evelyn in a way that showed how real she was with her thoughts and feelings. It was overwhelming trying to express my thoughts through a character and some nights I even cried because I became so discouraged with the story.

I knew that I wanted to bring tragedy and love and mix them into the story, but it was hard to do that.

Li: All your hard work and tears actually paid off because your story turned out to be a very beautiful and emotional piece.❤️💚

MM: Thank you for taking the time to read it. It means the world to me.❤️

Li: Before I forget, who made your cover? The cover for 'The letters I hope you Never Find' is a very intriguing one and I think matches the whole concept well.

MM: The credit for all my covers goes to my best friend -cosmicgalaxy-

She made the covers for both the first and second book and she even made the cover for the third which I plan to release soon.

Li: Kudos to her! She did a very good job!❤️

What moment was your favourite in the story?

I think mine was when she kissed Elliot and he left🥺. She thought he left because she had mouth odour or because she was a terrible kisser.😁

That part was both hilarious and sad😩. I wanted to laugh but then she started crying and I felt really bad for her.🥺

There was a lot of emotions just rolling in, in that one moment. I loved it❤️

MM: That scene is one of my favorites too, mainly because it was sad, but it still had that hint of humor, but I must say that the ending of the book, was my favorite. The book ended with such a positive message, i'm surprised I even wrote it.

Li: Lol, I totally get.😅

MM: It was almost as if I was writing it, but at the same time, I wasn't because I was so engrossed in what I was doing.

I didn't take the time to look over what I wrote at the end. I just let the words flow and as some of my readers have said, the ending left them with a bit of hope.

Li: Awwww❤️, How do you feel when your readers tell you that about your book?

MM: Hearing my readers say that makes me  so happy because that was my main goal for the end.

Li: You did a great job there!
Now tell me, did you have any moment you didn't like?

MM: Maybe when I had Elliot leave. I don't know why I made him leave, but it broke my heart seeing Evelyn sad.

Li: I figured he had to think about his actions properly. I can only imagine what he went through, falling in love with someone that might not live to see the next day is a lot of risk!

MM: Yeah, he was upset that he was falling for a girl that could possibly die. His actions were reasonable; I just felt bad that Evelyn felt like no one loved her or cared for her.

Li: Yeah, that was sad. Do you regret adding that scene?🥺

MM: I don't regret adding that scene; it brought the plot together.

Li: True.
So you mentioned her mother but you didn't mention her father, or did I miss something?

MM: No, I did not mention her father.

Li: Right.

Moving on, Why did you settle for the title, 'Letters I Hope You Never Find'?

MM: Oh goodness!🤦🏽‍♀️ the title is so long and boring. I wanted to have a title that was more alluring, but I couldn't come up with anything else.

The title itself pretty much explains what the book is going to be about, which is important, but I still don't like it.

Li: 😅Yeah, sometimes authors don't just like a certain aspect of their title or cover, it happens. But I think the title is quite alluring and builds lots of questions on its own.

But tell me your main reason for just going for such a title😁?

MM: Evelyn wanted to write letters about how her life was falling apart, but she didn't want anyone to find them, in fear of being judged. That's why I went for that title.

Li: Okay, let me ask you a funny question though🤓

Is there an Elliot with the bright blue eyes in your life?😁

MM: Haha!😅😅 I wish! But no, sadly, I am lonely.

Everyone has their Elliot out there waiting for them; they just have to find them.

Their Elliot can be anything, which is what I explained in the last letter.

Li: 😁Yes I saw that, don't mind me😅
But I have to contradict you a bit, you say everyone has an Elliot, why don't I have one?😭😭

MM: Well, your Elliot doesn't have to be a significant other, Lilly.

As I explained in the ending, your Elliot can be anything that helps you through a hard time in your life, whether it be a best friend, a significant other, God or even yourself.

The connection between you and your Elliot can be physical, yes. But more than anything, it must be spiritual.

The things of this world are Evil. But your Elliot whatever it may be, will help you to realise that there's more to this world than the things we see everyday.

Li: Waoh. . .🥺
So much knowledge. . . Are you a goddess🤔??

MM: Oh, no. Haha.😂

Li: So what are you?🤔
How can such a young human be so smart?😫

MM: I'm just a person trying to spread a positive message that will help others to continue holding on to that little thread of hope.

Li: ❤️❤️ I love you🥺😍 and to me you'll always be a goddess.

The Goddess of Hope🙏🏼

So, What book do you recommend for us?

MM: Can I recommend two?

Li: Why does everyone want to recommend two😂. . . because you are the goddess of Hope, I can't say no to you, so go ahead😁

MM: Okay😁 I would have to say "Intersecting Parallels", by my good friend @Docdrills. She's an amazing author who deserves to have her talent recognised.

Then there is also 'Finding You', by my cover maker -cosmicgalaxy-

Li: Okay, your Highness😁

So, do you want to give shout outs to your friends?

MM: Ooh yes! Shout out to;

-cosmicgalaxy-

@Docdrills

-EmsMustPotate

Maddy_0503

delwritesbooks

Goddess_of_Sarcasm

They inspired me to write  'The Letters I Hope You Never Find'

Li: Awww so I have them to thank for pushing you to birth this beautiful piece.

MM: Of course, they inspire me in so many ways.

Li: ❤️Thank you so much for gracing us with your presence and knowledge.

MM: ❤️❤️

And it's a wrap!

For Applicants remember to check the Notice Board chapter to confirm if your book has been lined up for an interview.

🌸

Until next time folks, remember the virus is till out there, protect yourselves and Stay safe!❤️