Today we’d like to introduce you to Marilyn Baron.
Hi Marilyn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I decided to become a writer when I read Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I co-wrote my first book, “East West Island,” in third grade. It featured all of the children in my class and the teacher read it aloud in installments.
As far as my public relations business, I graduated from the University of Florida with a BS in Journalism (Public Relations) and a Minor in English (Creative Writing) and worked for AT&T in Atlanta for 13 years in public relations before I started my own PR consulting firm. I still have my PR business, Baron Communications, Inc., but in 2013 (after meeting my publisher at a romance writer’s conference), my first novel, Under the Moon Gate, set in Bermuda, was published with The Wild Rose Press. Before that, five of my short stories were published with TWB Press. In June 2023, The Wild Rose Press published my 29th work of fiction, a short story called “Blame it on the Moon.”
Contrary to conventional wisdom, I write in a variety of genres from women’s fiction to historical romantic thrillers and romantic suspense to paranormal/fantasy and cozy mysteries and in a number of formats from short stories and novellas to anthologies and full-length novels. I even co-wrote a musical with my sister called Memory Lane about Alzheimer’s, which was performed as a concert reading on February 23, 2019, by Essential Theatre in Atlanta.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a relatively smooth road. I wish I had started writing fiction earlier. I would advise any aspiring writer to jump right in. Don’t wait for the perfect time. There were a lot of rejections along the way, but with some exceptions, that’s to be expected. Don’t lose hope or give up on your dream.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I mentioned earlier that I write fiction in a variety of genres. I love to travel and often set books in places I’ve visited. I studied Italian and art history in Florence, Italy, during my senior year in college, so many of my books are set in Italy. A common theme in my books is Nazi art theft during World War II. The books in my new cozy mystery series, “The Case of the Missing Botticelli (2022)” and “The Case of the Forgotten Fragonard (2023)” incorporate those themes. I became interested in World War II after I read my father’s journal about his missions as a top turret gunner on a B-17, flying over Europe, including on D-Day. And although my books can deal with serious topics, they always feature humor and romance.
I’m proud to have received writing awards in Single Title, Suspense Romance, Novel with Strong Romantic Elements and Paranormal/Fantasy Romance. I was The Finalist in the 2017 Georgia Author of the Year Awards in the Romance Category for my novel, Stumble Stones and The Finalist in the 2018 Georgia Author of the Year Awards in the Romance Category for my novel, The Alibi. I am a Finalist in the 2023 Orange County Romance Writers Book Buyers Best contest in the Romantic Suspense category for my novel, “The Case of the Missing Botticelli.” The winner will be announced October 2023.
I’m an avid reader. I’m in two book clubs. I am a reviewer for The Book Review Crew and Authors on the Air. I try to give back to my community by my involvement in Roswell Reads, a one-city-one-read program in existence since 2005, as past chair and current member, and I serve on the Atlanta Author Series Committee, both sponsored by Friends of the Roswell Library and Friends of the East Roswell Library, branches of the Fulton County Library System as well as other partners (Roswell Cultural Arts and independent bookstore, Bookmiser.) These groups bring top-name local and national authors to readers. Roswell Reads promotes the value of reading, literacy, and lifelong learning through the shared community-wide experience of reading and discussing a common book. For example, our past Roswell Reads authors have included Delia Owens, Geraldine Brooks, Rick Bragg, Ann Patchett, Laura Morelli and more. This September 29, at 7 p.m. we’re excited to bring in author William Kent Krueger to the Roswell Cultural Arts Center. He will also be conducting a Writing Workshop on Saturday, September 30 at 10 a.m. at the Roswell Adult Recreation Center. And we feature virtual book discussions throughout the year. Our most recent Atlanta Authors program featured Hank Phillippi Ryan, interviewed by retired top anchor John Pruitt Thursday, August 3 at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center.
I’m also very proud of my husband, Steve, my two daughters, Marissa Baron and Amanda Kallin and my granddaughters, Aviva and Amelia. My family is very supportive of my writing.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
In my writing career and in interviews with other authors, the most important piece of advice I learned and can impart is, “Finish the Book! You can always improve a bad manuscript but you can’t fix a blank page.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marilynbaron.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marilyn.baron.5/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.baron.5
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarilynBaron
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgi_mIdt5MA
- Other: https://www.essentialtheatre.com/meet-the-playwrights-marilyn-baron-and-sharon-goldman/
