Interview with MaryCheetah
by Marie Schnoor

Over my wondrous vacation in Maui, I was bestowed the honor of interviewing MaryCheetah, the famed author of the "Best Thing" series. Our topics ranged from hot passionate love to heart transplants, with Maul in the center of in all! Now, it’s your turn to step into the twisted shrine that is the one, the only MaryCheetah!

MS. First, tell us a bit about yourself.

MC. I am a 37 year old American, born and raised in California, with the exception of some moving around we did when my father was in the Air Force Reserves. We made California our permanent home when he accepted a job in San Rafael, California. He worked there for 25 years, and we resided in Sonoma at the time. When my parents returned to Oroville, California (where I was born), I said, "No way!" and made the San Francisco Bay Area my home, which it has been for nearly 18 years. I now have a home-based business and work part-time for an
insurance claims office.

MS. What first attracted you to Darth Maul?

MC. I remember the moment distinctly. About a month before TPM was released, I had seen a promotional article somewhere featuring George Lucas and my eyes went instantly to Maul's photo. I said, "Mmm, I like him." And I knew it would be a matter of time before the fascination grew into something more like an obsession. While fascinations with fictional characters is nothing new for me, the intensity of the one I feel for Maul is unsurpassed. I would not wish this on my worst enemy.

MS. How did you come upon the DMEB?

MC. When my employer upgraded our computer systems in August, I was introduced to the internet. Guess which site I found almost immediately? I've been hooked since. Because of rules at work where the net is concerned, I could only observe the site until I become online at home in late September. Participating and interacting with these wonderful ladies has been a blast.

MS. If you could ask Darth Maul one question (assuming he was real/alive) what would it be? Why?

MC. My first instinct would be to fall at his feet and beg him to make hot passionate love to me (who wouldn't?)! However, self-respect would prevail and I would attempt to use all the feminine wiles within me to win him over--in any capacity. Just meeting the man would be such an honor! Anything extra would be icing on the cake. While having sex with him would drive me to ecstatic madness, I think having a meaningful conversation with him would be almost better. However, as I've made it abundantly clear, I believe Maul possesses an unreal, otherworldly sex appeal, the likes of which I've never witnessed before, and I am obviously not alone in my thinking.

MS. From the looks of the recommendations of your Best Thing  series, they have come to be quite a popular read. How did you come up with the plot, characters, and events?

MC. I am so pleased people liked this story so much because, quite frankly, when I wrote it, it was more for myself--a sort of therapy. I believe the reason people liked it is because I really put my heart and soul into that series. After all, it is yours truly as Maul's one true love. The way I justified his falling for me was that I reminded him of his mother. I came up with the initial plot line one evening while lying in bed listening to the radio and the theme song to that story came on. Best Thing  was only supposed to be a one installment story, but I received many requests to continue it, so I did. I have ideas for continuing it further, taking into consideration feedback I've received from people I know. A few say nay, but most say YAY!

In terms of events, I always do a careful outline before I begin writing, and the ideas just come to me, usually while lying in bed. In terms of characters, I created B2N0 (not so original) because I wanted Maul to interact with a more innocent character. I created Jebeldi as a typical low-life type possessing no respect for women. I believe all other characters are George's. While I love creating new characters and planets, sometimes it's just not going to work with what I have in mind.

MS. When I read your Best Thing  series, I noticed that it seemed a lot more personal than some of your other works. How did you convey such emotions through your writing?

MC. Perhaps it seems silly to some to write about oneself in a Fan Fic, but I did it for the fun of it and because of the aforementioned self-therapy. Since these Maul stories are the first "real" writing I've ever done, I don't really have a writing style, other than just putting words on paper that will hopefully be coherent and entertaining to those my stories appeal to. However, because I am the heroine in that series, I was able to convey my deep emotions for Maul by simply writing what I feel. That's why it was so therapeutic to write Best Thing.

MS. Was it hard to put such personal emotions in it?

MC. No, it was the easiest thing I've ever done. I adore writing about my own personal emotions for Maul. I have been shamelessly open about the depth and nature of my feelings for him, both online and in real life. Sure, I denied the way I felt in the beginning because I felt so ashamed, but soon I found myself unable to keep from talking about him. This is reflected in my poem Maul Addiction.

MS. You have also written quite a few short, one part stories, such as The Whisperer, Bugs for Breakfast, and A Claim of Insanity. How do you get your ideas for these?

MC. Usually while lying in bed (no surprise there). My very first Fan Fic submission was Bugs  and I got the idea for that when I asked myself, 'What could Maul possibly do to turn me off?' and the result was that story. A Claim came to mind one day when I simply imagined how people in my office would react to Maul's presence. Finally, The Whisperer  was a fantasy I had once, actually a few months before I wrote it, and I decided one afternoon to put it on paper.

MS. Which one is your favorite?

MC. Of all my Fan Fic, Best Thing  is without a doubt my favorite simply because it's MY story with my very own version of Maul, with my emotions, etc., and also because many readers have also told me it's the best of all my Fan Fic. I think it's wonderful that authors possess our very own version of Maul which belongs to each of us exclusively. When you think about it, there isn't just one Maul in the DMEB universe - there's an infinite array of them.

MS. If you could meet one of the characters in your stories (Besides MAUL!!) who would it be? Why?

MC. What do you mean? I've met them all, haven't I? Seriously, I think it would have to be Kyle Sarin because he's my and Maul's son, after all!

MS. Overall, have you made any errors in writing that you wish you could go back and change?

MC. Oh, yes, in Birth of Khameir. In all of my stories thus far, I did not take the time to do proper research. In "B of K", I wrote Jasmina donating her heart to Kheil without thinking about the medical ramifications and believability of the story. I made the mistake of thinking "anything goes" in the Star Wars Universe, which is something I will never take for granted again. I tried to fix it in the final chapter, but I don't know how well it went over.

MS. Obviously, you must not have that much of a problem with Erotica, since you have written a few pieces of yourself, but what is your opinion of M/M Slash as compared to M/F Erotica?

MC. I'm not sure if I have much of an opinion because I do not find it offensive, yet I do not find it erotic either. When I think of two males together, my thoughts go to my beloved friends who are gay and I can't really see Maul with another man. However, I know there is a wide audience for this sort of thing, and I am very happy people enjoy such variety. I prefer to portray Maul in a loving scenario with a woman who has captivated him, despite his commitment to the Sith. However, my beliefs about Maul and what I write in my Fan Fic are two different things. I believe A Brief Encounter  more accurately portrays Maul, as I believe the Sith would likely be celibate. However, no one really knows what their policy would be--maybe not even George himself.

MS. Any last thoughts?

MC. Yeah...when is Maul's ship gonna land?? :)

MnM

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