Mara is the featured author on the major national and international podcast for authors, The Authors Show. Founder Danielle Hampson interviews Mara about the latest book in her series, what it means to create a saga, how to sustain characters over a long arc of story, and how lived experience illuminates her best-selling novels.
October 29, 2024
Join Mara as she is interviewed by fellow best-selling author Mike Howard on his Ronin Leadership Podcast. They discuss leadership in the author community, the author’s journey, how core values show up in our books, and the layers that go into creating successful stories.
”The Creative Odyssey Of Mara Purl; From Bestselling Novels and Beyond”
Link to Interview
Episode #77 – October 18, 2024
Mara Purl interviewed by host Judith Briles
Author U Your Guide to Book Publishing
“Artificial Intelligence”
Link to Interview Page
February 8, 2024
Mara Purl interviewed by host Judith Briles
Author U Your Guide to Book Publishing
“Author’s Inventory”
Link to Interview Page
February 1, 2024
Mara Purl interviewed by host Judith Briles
Author U Your Guide to Book Publishing
“How to Create Characters You Love and Love to Hate ”
Link to Interview Page
August 19, 2021
Mara Purl
Featured on Red River Radio’s No Limits with Barbara M. Hodges
Link to Interview Page
October 21, 2019
Mara Purl is the best-selling author of Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, which have won more than 30 book awards. As an actress, Mara’s regular role on the TV soap opera Days Of Our Lives opened the door for her to create her own soap. Mara was awarded the 2003 Peak Award for performing her one-woman play (co-written with Sydney Swire) Mary Shelley – In Her Own Words. She has co-starred in six productions of Sea Marks by Gardner McKay, and stars as Julia in Becoming Julia Morgan. Having been part of the all-star cast of Milford-Haven USA, she is now a noted audio book performer. Mara is a frequent speaker at writing and author conferences, works privately as an authoring coach, and serves on the boards and advisory boards of several professional organizations.
Mara Purl
Featured Author on “The Authors Show”
Link to Interview Page
August 19, 2019
Mara Purl is interviewed about being named 2019 Top Female Author for Fiction and about her best-selling, ground-breaking series, The Milford-Haven Novels. Don McCauley, well-known for his probing questions as a radio talk show host, talks with Mara about the stories-behind-the stories of her best-selling saga, and asks the big questions: why does she write? What are her big goals? Why do her books make a difference? Mara will share insights into why her saga means so much to her readers, and how she created her multiple award-winning saga, the Milford-Haven Novels.
Mara Purl interviewed by host Judith Briles
Author U Your Guide to Book Publishing
“Story Arcs and Character Arcs: Using Screenplay Structure in your Fiction Writing”
Link to Interview Page
January 31, 2019
Get savvy writing tips and tools for authors to engage in starting today – the result: you enhance what you are doing forward as you move forward with writing plots, storylines, and characters. Author, Narrator, Actress Mara Purl joins Judith Briles for an hour of a dozen plus ideas that will delight and surprise you. Loved the tips about screenplay secrets that every fiction writer can use in this podcast of AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing
Interview with Mara Purl
KVEC News/Talk 920 AM and 96.5 FM
Link to Interview Page
October 3, 2017
Lisa Guy with The Monday Club and Mara Purl, in the title role, were interviewed about the stage production of the play Becoming Julia Morgan by Belinda Taylor, which is about Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan.
Interview with Mara Purl
KCBX News
Link to Interview Page
October 4, 2017
Mara Purl, in the title role, and director Linda Wilson were interviewed about their stage production of the play Becoming Julia Morgan by Belinda Taylor, which is about Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan and her life on the Central Coast of California.
Interview with Mara Purl
Question Reality Radio Show
Link to Interview Page
June 18, 2017
Mara Purl was interviewed about her new story, When Otters Play, a prequel to Book Three in the Milford-Haven Novels.
Voices and Views
Interview with Mara Purl by Judith McKay – host at KCMJ in Colorado Springs
April 23, 2017
Judith McKay and best-selling author Mara Purl discuss the book “Faith: Essays from Believers, Agnostics, and Atheists”, by Victoria Zackheim (Editor). As one of the contributing essayists, Mara provides background and she and Judith delve into this thought-provoking collection of personal essays.
Voices and Views
Interview with Mara Purl by Judith McKay – host at KCMJ in Colorado Springs
April 16, 2017
Mara Purl discusses her upcoming novella “When Otters Play,” her next novel “Why Hearts Keep Secrets” and the genesis of her Milford-Haven Saga, which was featured at this month’s Pikes Peak Library event, “Mountain of Authors.”
Author U Your Guide to Book Publishing
Mara Purl interviewed by host Judith Briles
Using Drama & Conflict to Soar Your Writing
August 11, 2016
Judith’s guest is Mara Purl–author, speaker, and actress who will be performing next month in “Sea Marks” at the Author U Extravaganza. And we Daring Greatly in our writing? What can fiction authors learn from drama? -What is sub-text? Why do so we NOT say what we mean?
Interview with Mara Purl
La Literati – interviewed by James Dennard
November 5, 2015
La Literati is happy to welcome back author Mara Purl to our show. She was our first guest. Mara pioneered small-town fiction for women with her popular and critically acclaimed Milford-Haven Novels. Her beloved fictitious town has been delighting audiences since 1992, when it first appeared as Milford-Haven, U.S.A- the first American radio drama ever licensed and broadcast by the BBC. The show reached an audience of 4.5 million listeners throughout the U.K. Her books and stories include “Where The Heart Lives” and “When Otters Play”.
Interview with Mara Purl
KCBX FM Radio – interviewed by Jordan Bell
October 27, 2015
Hear from local actress and author Mara Purl about her upcoming role in the play “The Other Woman.” She’ll explain how the play’s themes and messages are important for the act’s beneficiary – the SLO Women’s Shelter.
Interview with Mara Purl
Lisa Smith & Nancy Reid, co-hosts of Big Blend Radio’s Happy Hour Show
October 21, 2015
Author Mara Purl discusses her new short story “When Otters Play” and upcoming novel “Why Hearts Keep Secrets” with Nancy J. Reid & Lisa D. Smith – publishers of Big Blend Radio & TV Magazine, for Big Blend Radio’s Happy Hour show airing live from the historic Coronado Motor Hotel in Yuma, Arizona, the headquarters for the Big Blend Spirit of America Tour of all 408 National Park units.
Author U Your Guide to Book Publishing
Mara Purl interviewed by host Judith Briles
October 15, 2015
Killer Dialogue for Fiction and NonFiction Show
Judith’s guest is Mara Purl–author, actress and host of a drama radio show that was wildly popular on the BBC. Learn: -What is sub-text? -Why do so we NOT say what we mean? -What are the circumstances and how does the writer show what’s happening? You are going to get a detailed explanation with examples and techniques for enriching and enhancing the dialogue in your fiction, your scripts and your narrative non-fiction.
Interview with Mara Purl
The Authors Show – interviewed by host Linda Thompson
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/theauthorshow
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAuthorsShow
August 25, 2015
Mara Purl is interviewed about her book Where the Heart Lives on one of the premier radio programs that features authors exclusively. Linda Thompson, the well-known and insightful radio and television talk show host, trains her laser-like focus on Mara and book two of her best-selling saga, probing the reasons she wrote the book, her themes, who her readers are, and what they can hope to gain by reading Mara’s book. Mara will share insights into why her saga means so much to her readers, and how she created her multiple award-winning saga, the Milford-Haven Novels.
Interview with Mara Purl
Culture Zone, Keith Simon – host at KCME in Colorado Springs
March 26, 2015
Mara Purl discusses the new book “Faith” edited by Victoria Zackheim and published by Simon & Schuster, an eclectic collection of essays by well-known authors with a wide range of beliefs and non-beliefs.
Interview with Mara Purl
Culture Zone, Keith Simon – host at KCME in Colorado Springs
Link to Interview Page
February 17, 2015
Mara Purl discusses her upcoming performances, co-starring with Christopher Law, in “Sea Marks” by Gardner McKay at the Mezzanine, the hot new performance space in downtown Colorado Springs, Colorado. These performances are a tribute to Mara’s father – who first directed the pair in this same play three decades earlier – in honor of Raymond Purl’s 100th birthday.
Interview with Mara Purl
Your Guide to Book Publishing
Link to Interview Page
February 12, 2015
Good writing has to grab the reader immediately, then draw them into the world the author has created. It may seem that it just takes “talent” to accomplish this. Actually, it also takes skill. Talent can’t be taught. Skill can. Mara Purl, a best-selling and award winning fiction and non-fiction author, was interviewed by Judith Briles, The Book Shepherd and host. Mara also wrote and produced a hit show radio drama for the BBC. Mara presented an interactive Flash-Fiction Session where participants actually created a piece of work in 45 minutes. Throughout the interview, these aspects were discussed:
- Premise: What’s your story about? What’s one of your deepest beliefs as a writer? How do you get it on the page?
- Narrative Voice: What do you have to say? What “voice” will say it?
- Character Development: 1st person, 2nd person and 3rd person. One can be limiting; one puts the reader in the hot seat; one is the reader.
- Story Structure: Screen writing has one of the tightest kinds of structures. Map your story scene-to-scene, plot point to plot point.
- Dialogue: How do you make it sound real? How do you get characters to say both what they mean, and what they don’t mean?
- Killer Copy: How do you distill your story down to a 1-to-30 second “elevator speech?”
Interview with Mara Purl
Question Reality Radio Show
Link to Interview Page
July 13, 2014
Mara Purl was interviewed about her career as an actress, writer-producer, and author on LA Talk Radio’s Question Reality, the premiere Hollywood career show. Priscilla Leona, the high-energy host, is dedicated to helping her listeners “question the reality of the business” as they work to match their talents with actual opportunities by interviewing successful professionals. As a “triple-threat,” Mara shared stories about transitioning from her successful acting work to creating her own serial drama and then adapting it into her Milford-Haven Novels.
Interview with Mara Purl
Women Talk & Empowerment Show
Link to Interview Page
February 17, 2014
Shareta Berry, Minister and Radio Host, interviewed Mara on her program “Woman Talk & Empowerment,” which focuses on helping women and teens learn good habits, get education, and move away from destructive or abusive situations, which are issues close to Mara’s heart!
Interview with Mara Purl
Big Blend Radio’s Happy Hour Show
Link to Interview Page
February 5, 2014
Two dynamic women — Lisa Smith & Nancy Reid – a daughter-and-mother team – decided to pack their bags and spend four years on the road, visiting each and every National Park in the U.S.! As interviewers and on-line magazine publishers, they have a vivid interest in any and all subjects, with a few special interests. With Mara, they talk about one of their favorite mutual subjects — how life is different in Small Towns. They talk about creativity, the writing process, Mara’s journey from head to heart, and deciphering the code embedded in Mara’s book titles. And since these interviewers are originally from Tucson, they discuss Mara’s upcoming appearance in March at the Tucson Festival of Books!
Interview with Mara Purl
La Literati Radio
Link to Interview Page
January 27, 2014
Mara Purl was honored to be the very first guest on this debut of “La Literati” Radio Show, where the focus of hosts and avid readers Tosha Woody and James Dennard is to support the creative and literary arts, to be a listening for artists, and to explore the elements of creativity. Their in-depth conversation with Mara goes way beyond the usual questions and includes discussion about Mara’s “Reader Meter,” the relevance of fiction, “POV” or Point Of View in fiction, and how fiction helps us to shift our awareness from “head” to “heart.”
Interview with Mara Purl
Plaid for Women Blog Talk Radio
Link to Interview Page
January 23, 2014
Mara Purl and dynamic radio host Sarah Zink on her program “Plaid for Women” share a commitment to empowering women, with Sarah as co-founder of the exciting organization www.PlaidForWomen.com that is just going national. Their interview begins with a fascinating discussion of e-books versus print books and recaps Mara’s journey from actress to writer to producer to novelist. Then their conversation gives listeners practical tools for women in everyday life, like carving out time and harnessing creative talents in today’s economy. Most important, Mara shares her concept of Living From the Heart, and in the last moments, Mara issues a challenge to those who want to create a new practice this year of LISTENING to their hearts. Join the challenge by e-mailing MaraPurl@MaraPurl.com.
Interview with Mara Purl
Conversations With Authors – KSER Independent Radio, North Puget Sound
January 19, 2014
Mary Dessein’s passion for all-things STORY, which led the eclectic and energetic radio host to create her program “Global Griot”, a term that refers to the African custom of preserving culture through story-telling, a weekly show for Indie Radio in the Pacific Northwest. She starts the interview by asking about story, and Mara’s answer leads the session off with Story as Truth-Telling. From there, they discuss the creative process, Mara’s journey from head to heart, and this same journey as it is represented by the characters in Mara’s Milford-Haven Novels, story telling from the heart.
Interview with Mara Purl
Two Talk Radio
Link to Facebook Page
September 21, 2013
Starla Faye is the dynamic host of L.A. Talk Radio’s Two Talk Radio, and is such an avid and voracious reader that she brings awareness to thousands of new books to her millions of followers every week. In this hour, she first interviews Wendy Wilkinson (“Pirates Plunder”), then Mara Purl. With Mara she discusses research in South Central L.A. (where both Starla and Mara’s character “Del” grew up) and the Central Coast. Then when she asks “Why write fiction?” Mara takes listeners into her journey from head to heart.
Interview with Mara Purl
The Curvy Writer Radio Show
Blog Talk Radio
Link to Interview Page
September 17, 2013
DJ and Sherry chat with Mara Purl, and it’s a real “girlfriend” conversation about how the heck these busy writers keep up with creativity, technology, deadlines, spouses, families, and all the other plates they’re spinning. But along the way, they get around to discussing book covers and branding, serial story structure and the new media, women’s fiction versus men’s fiction, and what Mara loves best about writing her Milford-Haven Novels.
Interview with Mara Purl and Wendy Wilkinson
Authors on the Air
Blog Talk Radio
Link to Interview Page
August 13, 2013
Authors on the Air presents Wendy Wilkinson and Mara Purl, friends who write literary fiction. Mara Purl pioneered small-town fiction for women with her popular and critically acclaimed “Milford-Haven” novels. Early editions of her novels have won 15 gold and finalist literary awards. Mara began her acting career on “Days of our Lives” and is a motivational speaker. Wendy Wilkinson, a NYT best-selling non-fiction author, wrote her first literary fiction novel, “Pirate’s Plunder,” after spending many months in the Caribbean writing a recipe book for actor Morgan Freeman that includes many of his famous friends. Both authors talk about the importance of character strength and storyline building in their beautiful literary works.
Mara Purl Interview
American Voices with Senator Bill Bradley
SiriusXM Radio Channel 124
Link to American Voices site
American Voice Facebook page
August 11, 2013
Mara Purl is interviewed by Senator Bill Bradley on his ground-breaking national radio program American Voices, on SiriusXM Satellite Radio. The former Senator and NBA star is a masterful interviewer who springs out of left court with the unexpected question, the one that Mara says “made me think-out-loud and see more clearly where I am and what I’m doing.” Mara and Bill discuss writing, e-books versus print books, living a life in the arts in today’s economy, and living not only from the head, but from the heart.
Featured Guests Mara Purl & Wendy Wilkinson
The Roaring Success Radio Hour
June 5, 2013
Authors Mara Purl and Wendy Wilkinson – two writers with very different styles led a discussion on writing women’s fiction, and how their varied career paths influenced their writing.
Mara Purl Interview
PIKA Radio
Manitou Springs, Colorado
Link to PIKA radio site
PIKA Radio Facebook page
April 8, 2013
Part One:
Part Two:
http://www.pikaradio.podbean.com/
https://www.facebook.com/PikaRadio
https://twitter.com/pika_radio
Mara Purl and charming interviewer Tammila Wright have two in-depth, intuitive and fun conversations! Mara discusses being a “hyphenate” (author-actress-producer-musician), embracing a life in the arts, the skill of self re-invention in these tough financial times. And she traces the story of developing her original story “Milford-Haven U.S.A.” from BBC radio drama to best-selling novels and short stories. Mara makes the connection between her fictional small town, and the special appeal of the real small town of Manitou Springs.
Your Guide to Book Publishing with Dr. Judith Briles
AuthorU
Link to Interview Page
January 2012
Mara shares fiction strategies, creating characters, themes and how to market your book.
KTAOS Radio
Taos, New Mexico
Link to KTAOS radio site blog
KTAOS Facebook page
January 2012
Mara’s answers to questions
1 – about being a “hyphenate”
2 – about acting on “Days of Our Lives”
3 – about the world of reading today; book tours & blog tours
4 – about “Women’s Fiction” versus “Romance” books
5 – about connecting with my readers
