An interview with Larry Goldsmith, author of Marc Marci
Larry G. Goldsmith is a financial forensic sleuth. He is a career licensed Illinois attorney, certified public accountant and financial forensic accountant. Being a financial detective led him to pursue writing fiction in his off-hour. Historical fiction is his passion as he revisits times forgotten while telling a romantic tale.
What is your favourite dragon in literature?
Norberta is my favorite from Harry Potter otherwise it is Puff the Magic Dragon from Peter, Paul and Mary.
Do you have a favourite part of the novels you have written?
I have another novel being published in August: ‘Bashert’. There is something special writing your first novel. One must overcome the inadequacies of actually writing that many words and pages. There is a unique sense of accomplishment once that first draft has been completed.
Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external harddrive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good? Has your writing improved significantly?
I have five novels that need to be rewritten and hopefully that they will be worthy of being published.
Over the years my writing has improved because I’ve learned from my editors. I’ve made my own corrections of their handwritten changes. Every time I edit a manuscript it gets better and I learn from the experience.
Some authors are able to pump out a novel a year and still be filled with inspiration. Is this the case for you, or do you like to let an idea percolate for a couple of years in order to get a beautiful novel?
In my writing, details matters, I spend a month or so researching a topic. For instance I knew very little of transgender before I spent countless hours and time performing research. To authenticate the time and place of the novel requires an additional research. I need to rewrite and edit my works between 6-to ten times until it is worthy. So the answer to your question is, it took me at least two years to produce a novel.
I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?
I sit in front of my computer to write my text but it is those sleepless nights is where my ideas come to life. Then I have a mad dash at 3 a.m. to write down the notes of my inspiration.
Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?
I have two standby editors. A retired professor and my wife. Both are thankfully very critical. I edit my own book several times and then I ask my wife to edit again. The publish then finds things that we all missed. For instance I had the character drink a Diet Coke, however a Diet Coke wasn’t a product for three years after the fact.
I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?
I’m old school like you. I can read some things online (News, short articles, and correspondences) but to enjoy the flavor of what I read I enjoy the feel of paper between my fingers.
I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?
My favorite genres are history and spiritual awareness. Learning from the past enlightens me as to the future. Mystery was previously my favorite.
Is it acceptable for a straight person to write about a character that is transgender?
Great question: Writers have since the beginning of time written about time periods before they were born and have written about characters from different lands or genders.
A woman author can write a novel with male characters the same way an American can write about a European character. However, it takes research. Many hours of research is required if you incorporate different cultures and lifestyles.
What did you want to say to the reader when writing Marc Marci?
The takeaways that I’d like the reader to come away with are:
- We all have hardships in life and we can overcome them
- People are people. Sexual orientation has no bearing of what’s in one’s heart.
- We were placed on this earth to perform good deeds to make the world a better place.
About the novel
Devastated by the sudden death of his parents, eighteen-year-old Marc is suddenly alone in the world. To cope with his grief, he travels to Europe where he hopes to find himself. His road to self-discovery, however, is not how he envisaged it. Twists and turns throughout the next decade add dimension and character to a passage he never imagined.
Initially, new friends, the nightlife of London and sudden trauma lead him to his biggest discovery; that he is happier as a she. As Marc becomes Marci, she adjusts to living as a woman while embracing all the highs and lows that life flings at her.
Marc Marci is an inspirational story of a young person’s journey, achieving happiness against the odds.
In a beautifully realized fantasy setting, it’s a love story, and yet at the same time other things are going on. To start with Lei isn’t that keen on being chosen – but decides to make the most of things to protect her family. I loved her fiery spirit, even if the early pages of the book were all a bit boring as they focused on the concubines getting to know one another.
This is a review by Suzanne, who specialises in reading and reviewing business books. I can tell you that she really enjoyed this book! She was either reading it because it was so good, or trying not to read it because she didn’t want it to end!
This isn’t the first memoir by a sex worker I have read (see my reviews of: 
I was a little hesitant to read this novel, because I had enjoyed 
It was a spellbinding story with lots of action and fun. The ending was happy, and very satisfying. All the things that I wanted to happen did happen. It would have been a bit better if there had been more pictures, because I really wanted to see the mirror. I didn’t like that it’s always a prince and princess getting married – I’d prefer if they didn’t get married, because then how will they rule each kingdom equally? Each should go back to their own country and rule it. This was the favourite one out of all the others I have read (approximately 4 books). I would definitely read it again, maybe in a month or so.
This book was not as good as the Magic in the Mirror or any other book in the series. It was the most disappointing book because I really thought it could have been longer than that, and I didn’t think that they would solve the mystery so quickly – this mystery wasn’t mysterious enough for me. It was a bit boring and the end was not satisfying.
I’m not 100% sure what I expected in this book. I initially didn’t pick it up to read because I thought it was a fiction novel and it triggered memories of Jackie Chan’s film, Around the World in 90 Days. However, when I finally picked it up I found an interesting non-fiction about an event I’m sure many people know nothing of!
I loved how each chapter of the book started off with a musical interlude so to speak, of different popular tunes with new Ethan-relevant lyrics added. There were only a couple of missing points where I didn’t get the musical reference.