 Marnie
Schulenburg is a Wisconsin native who applied her journalism degree
to newspaper and television reporting jobs, followed
by editing stints for a political magazine and an industry
journal. That led to a new career as product and marketing
manager for medical device companies. Sometime during
that period, she began writing fiction and continued
on and off as she launched and operated a management
consulting practice specializing in strategic planning
and market research.
It was while researching treatment options
for a friend diagnosed with cancer that Ms. Schulenburg
stumbled across the premise for A
Test of Survival and could not let it go. One-size-fits-all
chemotherapy fails many people, who often go on, sicker,
to risk different drugs. She learned that most medical
providers aren’t telling patients about the lab
test called ‘ex vivo’ in her novel, or are
citing arguments against it that are out-of-date and
flawed.
“Of the many motivating forces that inspired
me during four years of researching and writing this
novel,” Ms. Schulenburg says, “one single
question – why aren’t people told about
this test – pretty much got me up and to the desk
every morning.”
Although this is a writer who would prefer
reader interest be fixed on her fictional characters,
she was advised to eke out enough biographical facts
to meet the recommended page length for websites and
so, offers the following …
Childhood?
I feel lucky to have been raised
in the 50s and 60s in Wisconsin’s Fox River Valley,
because we knew genuine freedom. Our mother would open
the door on a summer morning and off we’d scatter
to the four winds.
You started writing. .
. Late, I do everything late. I hope
that applies to death. My favorite teacher, Mr. Schroeder,
praised an 8th grade essay ‘On the Lowly Pretzel’
and told me to be a writer. My first published novel was a mystery (Murder
Off the Record). Regarding sales of that book, well-intentioned
friends would ask, Why don’t you just go on Oprah?
Press HERE for audio of helpless laughter.
Personal life?
An extended family, great friends, and other handy distractions providing me with an abundance of writing procrastination options.
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