Here at Danville Public Library, we are proud to feature the works of more than 150 local authors. Each Monday, we are featuring one of our beloved local authors by sharing a bit about them and their work.
This week, we feature local author, Molly MacRae.
We asked her a few questions about her past and present work, her favorite books, and what her writing process is like.
What made you decide to start writing? Did you (or do you currently) have another career?
I love everything about stories and books. In my previous careers, I’ve been a museum curator, bookseller, and library associate at Champaign Public Library.
What do you love about writing? What is challenging about it?
I love discovering all these stories in my head. The challenge is untangling them and making them coherent and compelling.
Do you have a writing routine? Daily? Whenever the fancy hits you?
It’s my dream job, but dream jobs are still jobs. With a few exceptions, I work every day.
Which of your books gave you the most pleasure in writing? Which was the hardest?
I’ve enjoyed them all, truly, but if I have to choose I’ll go with Last Wool and Testament, book 1 in the “Haunted Yarn Shop” mystery series. For hardest, I’ll go with Plagued by Quilt, book 4 in the same series – because that book reveals information about Geneva, the ghost in the series, that made me cry as I wrote it.
What’s one piece of advice you’d offer to young or beginning writers?
The real writing is in rewriting. Revision is the key to success.
You’re stranded on an island with one book (written by another author). Which book did you bring?
Any books in progress at the moment? Expected publishing date?
Argyles and Arsenic, book 5 in my Highland Bookshop Mysteries, comes out March 1st , and I’m finishing up a book in the Museum of Mystery series (a continuity series written by multiple authors – I wrote book 6 and will finish book 11 in mid-February).
We’re so grateful for this author’s participation in our Local Author Spotlight post. Be sure to check out Molly’s books at Danville Public Library!
