Mary Monroe

Mary Monroe
Deliver Me From Evil

Interviewed by: Lauretta Pierce
February 26, 2008


Q.    Mary, how did you come about the idea to tell a story about a spouse setting up her own kidnapping to get away from her husband?

A.   I was in a bad marriage myself once so I know how desperate a situation like that can be. I considered everything from murdering my husband and my in-laws-from-hell to faking my own death. However, a fake kidnapping for my character was a lot more creative.



Q.    How did you come about Christine's character?

A.   Christine is a composite of myself and a couple of my friends. I experienced some of the same situations that pushed Christine to the edge. Writing about traumatic situations can be very therapeutic.



Q.    How did you come about the idea surrounding Christine's parents?

A.   I had to come up with something that would explain some of Christine's bad habits. Despite the fact that her parents had endured such misery themselves, they eventually came around anyway. Once Christine heard about what her parents had gone through in their native country, she understood their actions and behavior toward her more.



Q.    How did you come about Wade's situation surrounding his so-called acting career?

A.   A lot of people want to be stars so they go to Hollywood in droves. Wade had the looks, the talent, and the ambition but not the luck. The grim reality is that for every Denzel there are hundreds of Wades.



Q.    How did you come about J.R.'s situation surrounding his family?

A.   I embellished some of my own experiences with my former husband and his family. My situation was not nearly as bad as Christine's, but it's something I could only go through again on paper. Writing this book provided some "closure" for me. I got the last word!



Q.    How did you come about the title DELIVER ME FROM EVIL?

A.   The title just came out nowhere and it seemed to fit.



Q.    What message would you like readers to receive from Christines relationship with Wade?

A.   It takes more than good looks and good sex to make a relationship work. Especially when the man involved is broke and still living with his mama.



Q.    What message would you like readers to receive from Wade's betrayal?

A.   The universal message in all my stories is: God don't like ugly. The bottom line is no matter what you do, you eventually get what you deserve.



Q.    What message would you like readers to receive from J.R. and Christine's marriage?

A.   Never let your guard down. Be honest about your feelings, put your foot down and take some control the first time you feel uncomfortable about a situation.



Q.    Will you give the readers a brief description of your next book and when it will be released?

A.   My tenth book SHE HAD IT COMING will be released September 2009. It involves a woman who works on a glamorous cruise ship who is married to two men at the same time in two different cities. She's enjoying every minute of it. But when her jealous best friend finds out all hell breaks loose