Summertime and the Living is. . . Hectic

Our summer got off to its official start today with our first outing on my dad's boat. We took Brandy the puppy with us and had a great time introducing her to the boat. She was very curious and a little bit nervous at times, but overall she took to it quite well. My dad said she was so well behaved that she can come anytime. Of course he is one of her biggest fans, so I wasn't surprised to hear him say that! We bought her these funny little paw mittens for swimming because we learned the hard way with other dogs that they will claw you to shreds while swimming if they don't have something over their paws. Brandy hated them, naturally, and worked hard to get them off as soon as she could. All in all, it was a great day for her on the boat. We got a kick out of watching her check everything out.

On the writing front, one more day until FATAL AFFAIR hits the digital bookshelves. I'm so excited to get this book out there that I wonder if I'll sleep tomorrow night. My Carina editor and I are working on the edits to book 2 in the Fatal Series, FATAL JUSTICE, which will be out in January. Soon I'll begin work on the third book, tentatively called FATAL CONSEQUENCES. I'm looking forward to diving back into Sam and Nick's world for more political intrigue, murder and romance.

As of Monday, buy FATAL AFFAIR here!

I've got a fun blog tour lined up, beginning today with the Australian Romance Readers and continuing throughout the week. I'll be giving away a copy of FATAL AFFAIR at every stop, so make sure you come by and comment for a chance to win!

Monday, June 21
Book Addict
Romance Reader at Heart
RomCon
Emily Bryan

Tuesday, June 22
Thoughts in Progress
Julie James

Wednesday, June 23
We Write Books
A Journey of Books
The Book Girl

Thursday, June 24
Fresh Fiction
Laurie's Book Blog

Friday, June 25
World According to Books

Saturday June 26
Appearance at Middletown Public Library, Middletown, Ri
Come by at 3 p.m. to talk books, romance, publishing and writing

More opportunities to win the week of June 28! Come back next weekend to find out where I'll be.

In other news, I received this lovely icon to note Love at First Flight's First Place finish in the Single Title Division of The Lories Best Published Contest! And from a reader today, this lovely email: "First Class Book! Ms. Force: I just finished reading Love at First Flight ( in one day!). I wanted to let you know that I have become a HUGE fan of your books. Thank you for sharing your gift with the world." If that doesn't make an author's day, nothing ever will. Thank you to everyone who writes to tell me what my books meant to them. I can't tell you how much that means to me.

More Reviews for Fatal Affair

From Book Junkie: The author makes the reader part of the action, effortlessly weaving the world of politics and murder in which the character’s come alive on the pages. The plot was addictive and scandalous with so many family secrets from a top Virginia political family as well as perfectly illustrating intricacies of Nick and Sam’s fragile, yet burgeoning relationship that will draw you in and not let go. Drama, passion, suspense, Fatal Affair has it all! Read the full review.

And from World According to Books: Superb!!! (Definition: Of unusually high quality; excellent). That is what comes to mind if someone were to ask me what I thought about this book. Marie Force does it again. Her writing is flawless; her suspense is gripping; her romance is passionate; her characters are real; and the surprise twists in the storyline are some of the book's greatest strengths. What I love about her writing is her ability to draw the reader into the book as if they were part of the story. She grabs a hold of you and doesn't let you go until the very last page. Read the full review.

In other news, I received this from the Lories for Love at First Flight:



And I received edits to Fatal Justice, which will be out in January. So I'll be diving back into that book as soon as I get all my blogs written for next week!

Another Reviewer Top Pick!

Rating: 5/5

This book was awesome. I was hooked almost immediately and just didn't want to put it down. Interruptions were not welcomed as I became more and more intrigued with Sam's case. Sam and Nick's relationship was a fantastic bonus.

The mystery was terrific. There were plenty of suspects and not many clues. Throughout the story, you would think you might have a lead only to find it was a dead-end. The twists that the plot took were unexpected and really wretched up the drama and suspense. John was liked by everyone, so who killed him? Was it due to the immigration bill that was coming to vote on the day he was found dead? Was it due to his kinky sex life? Was it an old political rival?

If the mystery was terrific, the characters were superb. Sam played by the rules and her ethics were untouchable. She knew her job and how to do it, so why was she almost bending the rules for Nick? Nick came from a poor background and ended up rubbing elbows with the rich and powerful. Some of his quirks came from his childhood and could drive Sam crazy. Sam's partner is a 29 year old virgin who is thinking about saving himself for marriage. Sam's dad was a chief who was paralyzed while making a traffic stop. John's parents want to protect his good name. All in all, unique characters with their own personalities that bring you into their world.

Romance, mystery, power and intrigue are all the essential elements of this wonderful book. The ending surprised me yet it made perfect sense.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves a romantic mystery. Read the full review.

Reviewer Top Pick!

Title: Fatal Affair
Fatal Series

Genres: Romantic Suspense / Mystery

Score: 4.75 / 5 - Reviewer Top Pick

Review: When Nick Cappuano finds his best friend, Senator John O'Connor, dead he is in for one heck of an investigation. The investigator assigned to the case is none other than Sam Holland a lady he had a one night stand with. Six years hasn't changed their attraction, but they have a case to solve.

The case leads these two to unearthing powerful secrets the Senator kept hidden. Nicks car ends up getting blown up in the course of them solving the case.

Will these two be able to turn their one night stand into something more or will the end of the case be the end to them also?

I really enjoyed this book as the plot was really interesting and it kept me guessing all the way through. The characters were great in that Sam was a tough girl, but also a caring woman when it came to Nick. They both interacted well with each other as the tension ramped up. The action in this book also will keep you on the tips of your toes, as it's so realistic. This was just a great book overall.

This is a suspense that never stops. Add it to your book list today.

Another Great Review for Fatal Affair!

From The Romance Studio:
Fatal Affair
Marie Force
Romantic suspense
Available from Carina Press
ISBN: 978-1-4268-9026-0
June 2010

A one night stand six years ago stands between Detective Sam Holland and a murder victim's right hand man. Their unforgotten passion hinders their working relationship but the dead Senator's sex life may have gotten him killed. With pressure from every direction Sam has to find the killer even when her own life and the lives of people she loves is threatened.

Marie Force gives us a suspense that mixes the Washington, DC political atmosphere with murder and romance. The characters seem more believable than in many tales partly because of their real human flaws. Sam has dyslexia which has slowed her down but not stopped her from pursuing what she wants in life. Her dad was crippled in the line of duty but Ms. Force proves that a broken body doesn't mean his mind is hampered. Nick's obsessive compulsive neatness will bring smiles to the face of the reader who lives with someone like him.

The characters help make the story but it's the plot building and suspense that help make this such an excellent murder mystery. This author excels at both as the plot thickens before the suspects start being murdered. All of our great ideas about the murderer have to be rethought.

Not many great books are complete without romance. Nick and Sam burn up the pages. Her ethical values don't stand much chance against his determination not to let her go again. This book starts out strong and keeps getting better. Marie Force is one of those authors that will be on my must read list in the future.

Overall rating: Five hearts
Sensuality rating: Very sensual

Reviewer: Dee Dailey
June 8, 2010

Pre-order Fatal Affair, out June 21, 2010

End of An Era

This month, my youngest child will finish elementary school. While we're all more than ready to see him move on up to the middle school, I face the bittersweet end of an era in my life as a mom. You all know that I work full-time from home on the day job. What that means is not all that much happens around here during the day. In the morning, the elementary bus picks up at the end of my front walk and then drops off in the afternoon. For the seven school years we have lived in this house, my day has been framed by those pick ups and drop offs. The bus monitor has faithfully fed biscuits first to Consuela and Roscoe and now to Brandy. In fact, when Consuela died, Dan joked that maybe now Bernice, the elderly monitor who has seen my kids safely to school for seven years and provides AWESOME dog biscuits, could afford to go out to dinner once in a while.

I remember our first year in this house, the only school year my kids were ever in the same school. They squabbled daily over whose turn it was to stand on the rock that used to sit at the end of our sidewalk where the bus picks them up. Last fall when we had our front yard remodeled, Emily asked if I was really going to get rid of the bus rock. I admit that gave me pause, but we did get rid of the big monstrosity! After all, once his sister wasn't there to squabble with anymore, Jake lost interest in standing on the bus rock.

My school mornings begin at 7:30 when I get Jake up and moving for the 8:30 bus pick up. Dan handles the early shift with Emily, which these days consists of a little bit of yelling when she runs late. But otherwise, she pretty much takes care of herself in the morning and has for some time now. Next year, Jake moves to the early shift with Dad, who will drop him at school on his way to work. This gives Jake an extra half hour in the morning that my tortoise desperately needs.

So where will that leave me? Without a kid to put on a morning school bus for the first time in 10 years. I make jokes about what will get me out of bed in the morning if I don't have a kid to put on a bus or a boss expecting me in an office at a certain time. Of course my job will still beckon as it does every day and I will get up and get to it, but my days will begin much differently without that hour with Jake. I'd be lying if I said I won't miss that one-on-one time with him, even if most of it is about me saying HURRY UP will you? Even in 5th grade I have to remind him every day to brush his hair AND his teeth and wash his face with something other than spit on the ends of his fingers. Can you see why I'm concerned about Dad taking over the early shift?

In the 12 years I've worked from home, summer vacation has been the toughest time of the year for me. This year, however, I'm really looking forward to it as both my kids have had their struggles in school this year. We all need a break. But as June 22 approaches, I'm acutely aware of the ending of a era. When you're in the midst of these school years, it feels like they will go on forever. And then you wake up one day and your oldest is in high school and your "baby" is heading for middle school and you know it won't last forever. I'll miss those bus pickups and so will Brandy. But most of all, I'll miss my mornings with Jake.