Monday, May 30, 2011

Reader Mail

I've gotten some lovely notes from readers in the last few days, and I thought it would be fun to share a few with you! Thanks to everyone who has written to me via email, Facebook and Twitter to let me know you're enjoying the McCarthy Series! I'm delighted to hear from all of you!

Subj: Dear Marie,
 
I just love love, love,  your books. I have read all the available books, except for “the fall” which I still have to get. I don’t’ know how you do it, sometimes you read a book and some parts are not so  good, well your books are always good beginning to end. I always feel disappointed when a book has ended. My favorite book is “the wreck”. I hoop you continue to write many more books for me to enjoy.

With Kind regards(met vriendelijke groet),
Your Dutch fan living in Cape Town(SA)
Claudia

(SUCH a kick to hear from a reader in South Africa! Thank you, Claudia!)

Subj: Gansett Island Series

What a wonderful series to discover on this very, very rainy Memorial Day weekend in western SD. I would definitely buy another trilogy :-) 
Thanks for supplying me with reading pleasure this weekend. I can almost smell the salty breeze from the ocean!
Anne from South Dakota

Subj: I love "Fool for Love"

Hello, Marie!
 
I am a huge fan of yours. I discovered The Wreck completely accidentally about two months ago. It took me a week to devour your available catalog. I appreciate the consistency with which you write; I always know that a "Marie Force" will be riveting, affecting, absorbing, and moving. Fool for Love was no exception.
 
In reading Fool for Love, one of the reasons I am drawn to your work became apparent. I love your heros and heroines and their contrast to the majority of romantic pairs in contemporary romance. The men are strong, but not brutish. Their strength comes from their honesty, respectfulness, and tenderness. The heroines are (to paraphrase Burt Bacharach) are not trying to make themselves over for their men. They are true to themselves and are valued for their kindness, intelligence, and work ethic. This attention to the internal values of the characters makes them incredibly relatable and appealing. I find it to be a real anomaly in contempory romance; I appreciate this very much. I also like the supporting characters and delving into their stories. The main events of the book do not occur in a vacuum. It helps to flesh out the events and to make the situation that much meatier.
 
So, to answer the question you posed to your readers at the beginning of the Gansett Island series (and in the beginning of FfL), I would adore reading more about the folks on Gansett Island. The images of the quaint island village and its residents are incredibly vivid for me (and I'm sure for other members of your audience). Probing into the lives of Grant, Adam, and Evan seems like a great place to go. It may be interesting to explore why Tiffanie is so sour and dissappointed by life. I would read any story about the Gansett Islanders that you wrote.
 
Ultimately, this email is intended to serve as a "Thank you". Thank you for writing such memorable and engaging stories. Thank you for crafting characters that are true to themselves and true to each other. Thank you for not being afraid to really sucker punch the readers. Because these are all of the things that hook me as a reader and really care about the outcomes for the characters.
 
Appreciatively,
Amy

Subj: New Favorite

Hi. I just wanted to say I was romance novel snob and only read Julie Garwood, Nora Robert and Judith McNaught books but when I thought I would branch out and read something new I came across your book True North and I was hooked!! Lol. I have all your books on my kindle and I think your story's are funny, smart and entertaining!! You definitely  have a new fan and I can't wait to read more of your books.  

Sincerely,

Kelly

Subj: New Book

Marie!
 
OMG!!! I received your email at 8:37 this morning!  I had just come back home from my morning jog.  Immediately, I downloaded FOOL FOR LOVE on my kindle, jumped in the shower and scurried my husband and daughter out of the house. (daddy-daughter time is so needed in times like these)
 
WOW, just finished it!! AWESOME, AWESOME, AWESOME!  I have cried,laughed and fanned myself from the heat of Joe and Janey's love affair!  Thank you so much for this book.  I loved Maddie and Mac's story and this one made me want to move to New England!
 
You have made this one of the best Memorial Day weekends ever!  Thanks again!
 
Cherrell

Subj: Fool for Love

Marie,

Just finished Fool for Love and if you are looking for votes as to whether you should do another trilogy with the "other brothers" then here's my vote!

Have really enjoyed the first 2 books and looking forward to the 3rd one in a few weeks.

Bobbie

Subj: The McCarthys of Gansett Island

Dear Ms. Force,
 
I must say that I loved the first two books of The McCarthys of Gansett Island. Cannot wait until the third is out in July. I truly hope you write more books to this series. I would love to read about the brothers.
 
I have read your books The Wreck and Love at First Flight and have loved both of them. I am working up to reading the rest of your books but they are usually heart wrenching to me so I have to be in the mood for a story like that. I love your characters. Their lives are so real I feel like I am there when I read your books.
 
I love your stories. Please keep it up.
 
Thanks for your wonderful writing.
 
Caroline

I spent this weekend with my fifteen-year-old daughter while the boys were at the Indy 500. She got to read all these lovely notes as they arrived. So, to keep me humble, she offers the following:

Subj: Okay, so U suck

Ok hi so I just finished fetal affare and it was bad I mean there were like NO vampires in it.... I mean like fatal and vampire are like synonyms or whatever right? Ok so if ur books sucked anymore they'd be vampires lol bye
xoxoxo
emily from antarctica

LOL--leave it to the teenager to bring me back down to earth! Thank you for all the love this weekend. I've enjoyed hearing from all of you (well, except Emily!)

Hope you've had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!