I am so delighted to introduce you to today’s author, Mary Ann Marlowe. Mary Ann works by day as a computer programmer/DBA. She spent ten years as a university-level French professor, and her resume includes stints as an au pair in Calais, a hotel intern in Paris, a German tutor, a college radio disc jockey, and a webmaster for several online musician fandoms. She has lived in twelve states and three countries and loves to travel. She now lives in central Virginia where she is hard at work on her second novel.
Mary Ann, please tell us your story behind the story …
If my relationship with music were on Facebook, the status would be “complicated.” To the outside world, music and I may seem to have it all together, but if you dig a little, you’ll discover a lot of dysfunction lurking under the surface.
My favorite musician and I have a healthy relationship. Although I’m an ardent fan, I don’t consider myself weird about him. He plays huge venues. I show up, watch the show, then go home. I love him, but he doesn’t know I exist. This is normal, right?
On the other extreme, I’m married to a bass player who occasionally drags me to his gigs where I feign enthusiasm while hiding my desire to be home in bed reading a good book in my PJs. (Please don’t tell him this.) I think this is also probably normal. Familiarity breeds boredom, after all.

Me and Jason Castro
Here’s where I confess my crazy. Over the years, as I’ve sought out midlist artists in smaller venues, I’ve crossed into the weird middle ground between distant fan and familiar friend. It started innocently enough: I built a fan site. (You’re probably cringing already.) I swear, even then, my motives were pure. I only wanted to share the love with other fans. Then I started meeting these online friends at shows, hanging around until the venues closed, and getting to know musicians who stayed to talk with us after. Over time, lines blurred and friendships formed—although not always reciprocated to the same degree I’m sure.
Thus began an era of me supporting musicians in a hands-on, possibly unhealthy way. On the mortifying end of the spectrum, I’ve created way more fan sites than any adult should admit. I’ve helped lead street teams. I’ve been that fan who brought baked goods to the band. I’ve been asked, “Haven’t you been to enough shows?”

Personally signed CD – Alex Trugman
But on the cooler side, these musicians recognize me and smile when they see me in the audience. They sometimes put me on the guest list if I ask. One artist emailed back and forth with me as his songs went from demos to fully produced tracks on his CD. I can’t express how awesome it was to be a part of that process.
Being a giant dork has had other perks. Because of my web experience, I ended up working directly with Atlantic Records to moderate a couple of their fan sites and discuss marketing strategies with managers. Because of my baking, I befriended the entire band—and their family members. One time a bass player picked up a bottle of novelty wine named for a musician and brought it to me several cities later. Another time a musician’s mom fetched me from the airport before a show and took me to a barbecue in her backyard.

Me and Matt Hires
But for every cool story, I can match it with an embarrassing anecdote I’d like to bury alongside radioactive waste.
When I started writing Some Kind of Magic, I didn’t intend to tap into those experiences as much as I did, but as soon as I dropped my MC, Eden, into a small club, her world became something so familiar to me, I automatically knew everyone she’d encounter. While Eden herself is, for the most part, the cool, collected music fan I wish I could claim to be, she confronts many much more invested fans—fans who run websites, fans who bring cookies to the band, fans who hang around after the show hoping to meet the artists. I know these people because they’re all me. So, although I poke fun at that aspect of fandom, I do so knowing that I’m poking fun at myself.
GIVE AWAY!
Mary Ann has kindly offered to give away two e-books to two lucky readers. All you need to do is leave a comment below telling us about your biggest music star crush – present day or past. Get your comments in by Sunday 12 March, 2017 to be in the draw. Good luck!
UPDATE: And the lucky winners picked out of a hat are Diane Curran and Pamela DuMond. Congratulations!
You can buy Mary Ann’s book here:
Buy links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2azmRNe
Target: http://bit.ly/2if36yP
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2aQWvYs
Indigo: http://bit.ly/2fnLmTr
Google: http://bit.ly/2eXWpQl
BAM!: http://bit.ly/2eZTIMT
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/2ejnWdE
Penguin Random House Audio: http://bit.ly/2feO8ey
Audible: http://adbl.co/2hOo4U6
And you can find out more about Mary Ann here: http://www.maryannmarlowe.com
You seem to interview some interesting people
Thank you so much, Barbara! I’m lucky there are so many interesting authors around. 🙂
My biggest music crush would have to be Michael Bolton . I saw him live in Melbourne a couple of years ago – his music still hits the spot ❤️😊
Don’t you love it when you fid someone who hits the right mark, all the time? I’m so glad you got to see him!
Fun interview. I liked the viewpoint of a fan and the relationship of fans to performers.
Thank so much! I enjoyed Mary Ann’s views and such a fun story!
My favourite band as a teen was Moving Pictures. I had a photo of me with Alex, the lead singer, when I was about 16 after an open air concert at Birkenhead Point (back in the days when those concerts were free). Then in 2001, Alex brought a pared down version of the band to Coffs Harbour on an acoustic tour. Another after gig photo and it turned out to be exactly the same pose. The experience inspired a manuscript called ‘I’m with the band’. I blogged about the two photos and my teen music obsession on a YA blog and in 2011, Alex left a comment to say they were back and on tour. We have since become FB friends and I have managed to see the band a few times almost every tour, even travelling 600 kms to see Alex play solo. I’m always down the front, dancing, singing, photographing and videoing. There’s the obligatory after gig photos (I have quite a collection now) and last year my teddy bear (Bondage Bear) even managed to get on stage with Alex for a treasured photo. What i love about the guys is that they are down to earth, appreciate their fans and are still rockin’
https://dianecurran.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/moving-pictures-rocked-the-state/
You and I sound like long lost kindred spirits!
Oh yes, Di, such a great story you have as well!
I was in love with Dan Fogelberg for years!
Amazing how our music crushes endure time, eh, Pamela? 🙂
As a kid it was NKOTB, specifically Joey. Currently it’s Jon Bellion.
Thankfully my tastes have changed since I was 12yo.
Oh, I LOVED NKOTB! I’m glad my taste has changed since I was 12 as well but I do like putting on the odd tune and being transported back to those fun days of being a tween.