Marina Anderson | My Writing Journey

I often think how lucky I’ve been in my writing career. My first book, DEVIL’S CHILD, was published in 1983 using my real name of Margaret Bingley. It wasn’t the first book I’d written, that was BETRAYAL – which was published later under a pseudonym so that people didn’t think it was a horror story - and has recently been republished as an e-book, this time using my real name again. My publisher, Piatkus Books, put me in touch with a brilliant agent early on, Maggie Noach, who sadly died far too young several years ago. She was always a huge support to me, and I am still with her agency. DEVIL’S CHILD was later published in America, as many of my paranormal books, and I thoroughly enjoyed writing every one.

At that time I was typing on a large manual typewriter, using a white paste to cover up mistakes, and every re-write was a massive undertaking. Proof reading was so arduous it almost put me off writing and re-writing sections was very hard work! Three of these books were ‘Book of the Month’ in the Book Club magazine, which was almost the only way that you could get publicity for books in those days. When Piatkus felt that horror novels were going out of fashion I switched to writing for Scholastic Books, who published crime novels for young teenagers. I wrote two for them. Today’s teenagers would find them incredibly juvenile and boring, which shows how times have changed. I also wrote my short horror story THE RING for a Scholastic anthology, and it’s often used for storytelling competitions in America even now.

After BETRAYAL was published I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write, but just as I’d decided that perhaps my writing days were over along came Virgin Books with their plans for the Black Lace imprint, erotic novels for women written by women. My agent suggested that I tried to write one of the four launch books. I was very fortunate to have my attempt, CASSANDRA’S CONFLICT, accepted and it was reprinted numerous times during 1998 and crept into the bottom of the Sunday Times best seller list. The critics all hated it, and one female reviewer said she could tell I was really a man! It was successfully reissued in 2008. By this time I was using a computer and the whole process was much easier. After a time I switched publishers, and pseudonyms, and began writing erotica for Little Brown as Marina Anderson, and that’s what I’m still doing more than fifteen years after my relationship with them began.

So since 1983 I’ve been fortunate enough to have over thirty novels published. I can’t imagine not writing, but one day either I’ll decide I want to stop, or no one will want my books any more. Whatever happens I will have had a very happy career and seen incredible changes with the advent of the internet, the arrival of e-books and my beloved computer. I don’t think I could type one page on a manual typewriter these days!

About Marina Anderson

Marina Anderson is the pseudonym of British author Margaret Bingley, whose novels have been published all over the world. Margaret uses this pseudonym for her series of erotica novels. She also publishes erotica for women under the pseudonym Fredrica Alleyn.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

About HOTEL OF SEDUCTION

Are you ready for a weekend away at the Hotel of Seduction?

Grace has won the man of her dreams - and her fantasies. Brooding, sensual, wealthy and handsome, their days and nights are filled with pleasure. But can this enigmatic man truly love her?

Together they have set up a secret, exclusive hotel for adventurous couples, designed to open their guests' eyes to the darker, deeper side of desire. But one of the visitors has an agenda, and David is becoming distracted by a new arrival.

As they explore the delights on offer, Grace realises this is a test: if she fails, she will lose David to his next passing fancy. If she succeeds, she will secure his love for ever, and he will finally invite her into his world . . .

Take some time away and allow yourself to be seduced by the Hotel of Seduction.