Today we’d like to introduce you to Marie Lestrange.
Hi Marie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been a voracious reader for as long as I can remember—any genre, any story…I just wanted to consume them all. Stories were never just stories to me; they were places I could disappear into, especially the ones that explored fear and the unknown. My parents were both in the Air Force, which led to a childhood filled with many moves and new faces and friends, and I think that birthed a need to always seek out the next exciting adventure…especially in things unknown to me.
I spent 14 years as a Special Education teacher, which I was and am still very passionate about, which I hope translates into my writing and in the community every day. That path led to my doctoral work, which meant living in a world of highly structured and polished academic writing. Once I’d finished, I felt my calling changing, solidified during Covid when our schools were shut down. For the first time in a VERY long time, I was able to tap back into my creative interests. I needed a break from all that neatness. I wanted something messier, more intuitive—so, at the recommendation of my fellow writer husband, I turned back to fiction, but this time with intention. Growing up with intense Anxiety and a plethora of neurodivergencies, I thought it would be fun to tap into a topic I was so intimately familiar with: Fear. There’s something so deeply human and oddly beautiful in its complexity, providing that adventure I craved. What began as a creative escape quickly became something much more consuming—in the best way—and now through multiple Historical Horror books published (see where that researcher background still snuck its way in? lol) I am truly living my dream by owning our very own spooky little bookstore and oddities shop with my husband!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh my stars, not at all! There have been many a sleepless night, copious amounts of work on my mental and physical health (which is an ongoing journey), and a continuous but highly intentional path that has allowed me to come into my own and truly live as my authentic self, as weird and wild and curious to others as it may be.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At my core, I am what you could call a “multi-passionate” person. Whether it’s my ADHD or just a streak of lunacy, when I am faced with a new challenge, discover a new hobby, or have a new business idea: I truly believe that I can do it. It took far too many years for me to truly “embrace my genius” as I call it, but I cannot explain how inspirational and wonderful of a feeling it is when I meet someone that follows my work and tells me they’ve been inspired to try something new themselves. I paint. Sculpt. Craft. Sing. Play nine musical instruments (with piano being my number one and longest creative love). And now, I write. I tend to lean in the historical direction, because oh what a studier I am, and there’s nothing more fun than researching a person/place/topic/idea and then plotting and planning a ficitional narrative around it, weaving all sorts of historical funsies within. I’m known best for my spicy/spooky novels Crimson Cobblestones and The Devil’s Colony, but also find great enjoyment in various poetry and short story endeavors as well. I’m beyond fascinated with and adore all things Gothic Victorian, so this influence absolutely bleeds into the work that I hold most dear. I believe that what sets me apart from others is, again, that multi-passionate aspect that I bring into my work. For instance, while Crimson Cobblestones was published three or four years ago now, I initially wrote the book with full intentions for it to be adapted into a musical theatre piece. Since that time, I have written and composed over 25 accompanying songs to accompany the book, waiting for the day I turn my sights on bringing that element to reality.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Quite frankly, with the amount of hard work, grit, and sheer stubborness and determination, I truly can’t attribute luck as having played a vital role. I’ve lived through some TRENCHES to get to where I am, and I’m still working to build the life and business I so vividly envision for the future. Sure, some bad luck or happenstances have halted what I saw as my intented target, but these things only push me further, pivoting to adapt to my surroundings. I used to believe firmly in “blooming where I was planted” but of late have much more followed the mantra of “Growing my own way.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://crimsoncultbooks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lestrangebooks/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/293821643540601
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@marielestrangebooks?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
