Monday, November 17, 2014

On this day four years ago...

On this day four years ago... I self-published for the first time.
To mark this amazing anniversary, I thought I'd share the story behind how I came to try self-publishing for the first time... I wrote seven books before I sold one in 2007 and ended up doing three books with my first publisher, who wasn't interested in the other books I had written. They rejected most of my earlier books, including Treading Water, True North, Fatal Affair and Maid for Love. Fatal Affair later sold to Carina Press, and the Fatal Series has had a happy home with Carina and Harlequin since 2010. But I had all these other books already written and no one was interested in publishing them. I had readers asking for more of my books, and we were trying to sell them, but the rejections kept on coming. In the summer of 2010, I came close to selling True North to a big NY publisher. My agent and I really thought it was going to happen until we received the rejection that contained the nine words that changed my life: "No one wants to read about a super model." Um, okay then. By then I had received tons and tons and TONS of rejections, and I'd learned to roll with them. They didn't bother me anymore, but that one did. First I cried, then I got MAD--really, really MAD. My unlucky-in-love super model was someone regular women could relate to because she wanted what so many people want: love and family and a place to call home. I believed in her, and I believed in True North.
The True North rejection led me to investigate the new trend of self-publishing through Amazon's new Kindle Direct Publishing program. At that time, it was a risky proposition for an author who had books coming from two different publishers a few months later (the second Fatal book and my third and final book with my first publisher). Self-publishing was so new to the ebook space, that no one knew for sure if I could be sued for publishing on my own ahead of publisher releases. I told my husband I was going to do something that could get us sued. To his credit, he said, "Let me know how it works out."  However, I was under no contractual obligation that would stop me from venturing into the realm of self-publishing. So on Nov. 17, 2010, I self-published True North quietly and without any fanfare. A month later, I self-published The Fall. I sold about 50 copies of True North in the first month and maybe 150 of both books the next month. A free offering of an earlier book the following February, gave a boost to all my books, and my self-pub numbers really took off. I sold nearly 7,000 copies of both self-published books in February 2011. I self-published The Wreck in March, the first month in which I sold more than 10,000 books in a single month. Maid for Love was released in April, Fool for Love in May, Ready for Love in June, Georgia on My Mind in September, Treading Water in October, Marking Time in November and Starting Over in December. I ended 2011 with 650,000 self-published ebook sales and on the last day of 2011, I left the job I'd had for 16 years to write full time.
Fast forward to the end of 2014... Every book I've written is now on sale--all 37 of them (22 are self-published). I've sold more than 3 million copies of my books, mostly in the last three years. I have six of my good friends and my husband working with me. I've been on the New York Times bestseller list 11 times as of last week and I've been blessed with loyal dedicated readers who have made this amazing career possible.
Oh and about True North.... It has sold close to 75,000 copies in the four years it's been on sale, and the dedication now reads: "To the editor who famously said, 'No one wants to read about a super model,' thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. A MILLION times over, thank you."
Now you know the rest of my story. Thanks to my amazing, awesome readers for making all my dreams come true. xoxo

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

New McCarthy Book Out Tomorrow!

Take the ferry back to Gansett Island for yet another installment in the popular McCarthys of Gansett Island Series! Kisses After Dark features Shane McCarthy and Katie Lawry. Shane and Katie first came together in Gansett After Dark, when Shane saved her from a rip current and nearly drowned in the process. The sparks between them were evident from the very beginning and carry through in Kisses After Dark! Here's what you can expect in the new book:

She's avoided men all her life...
Growing up with an abusive father, Katie Lawry learned a thing or two about men and has made a conscious choice to stay far away from them. Until the day of her brother Owen's wedding when she's rescued from nearly drowning by Shane McCarthy. With everyone who matters to Katie assuring her that Shane is one of the good guys, she feels safe to give in to the attraction that simmers between them. Katie has waited a long time to take a chance on love, but is Shane the right guy for her?
He's ready to move on...
More than two years after a painful divorce, Shane has a life on Gansett Island that makes sense to him. With his father, sister and beloved baby nephew living close by and a job that he enjoys, Shane is content if not entirely happy. One thing he knows for sure is he's tired of living in the past. Spending time with sweet, sensitive, sexy Katie Lawry makes him feel hopeful again, and he might be ready to risk his heart again.
Surrounded by the Gansett Island community, Shane and Katie take an important step forward together, but is their new relationship strong enough to withstand an unexpected challenge?


Enjoy Shane and Katie's story while catching up with some of your Gansett Island favorites in this latest book in the New York Times bestselling McCarthys of Gansett Island Series!
Here's a sneak peek at a scene from Kisses After Dark:
Katie looked at him for a long time, trying to find the courage to ask for what she wanted. “What you did before, at the clinic… Would you do it again?”
“Hold your hand?”
She shook her head, amused by his teasing.
“Put my arm around you?”
“Not that either, but I did like when you did that.”
“Oh, wait, I know.” He scooted closer to her, cupped her face in his work-roughened hand and leaned in to brush his lips over hers. “That?”
“Yes,” she said breathlessly. “That.”
“You liked that, huh?”
She nodded as her heart pounded.
“I liked it, too.”
“Did you like it enough to do it again?”
“Let me think about that.”
A gurgle of laughter escaped from her lips, which had been pressed tightly together.
He leaned in so his lips were a heartbeat away from touching hers. “I’m done thinking.” And then he kissed her again, and Katie couldn’t seem to breathe or move or do anything other than wait to see what he would do next.

REMEMBER: Info about our quick five-day contest is included in the back of the ebooks and includes an opportunity to win a trip for two to the 2015 Reader Weekend in Rhode Island next June! Reader Weekend includes a day on Block Island, the real-life inspiration for Gansett Island. The contest link will ONLY be found in the ebook so read fast to enter the contest!
Preorder Now to read first thing on Wednesday!
Kindle US: http://amzn.to/1Ctsplc 
iBooks: http://bit.ly/Ye2ajh 
Google: http://bit.ly/1o5T6md 
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1rkrIon

Kindle UK: http://amzn.to/1rTH4na 
Kindle AU: http://bit.ly/1rYfi9c 
Kindle CA: http://amzn.to/1ufEwhT

UPDATE: Nook readers, watch for Kisses After Dark right around midnight on Wednesday, October 1.

In Print:
http://amzn.to/Zem2mv

Signed print copies:
http://marieforce.com/store

Read the excerpt of Chapter 1:
http://bit.ly/1uetlGc

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Available Today! I Want to Hold Your Hand, Green Mountain Book 2

Happy Release Day, Hannah and Nolan!
I haven't been this excited, nervous or filled with anticipation about a book release in a LONG time. I poured my heart and soul into Hannah and Nolan's story, I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND, out NOW. My fingers and toes are crossed that you all love it as much as I do! Not sure I will sleep tonight waiting to hear what you all think of it!


Make sure you also check out the print version, in stores this week, with a special bonus story A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, featuring Hannah and Nolan.


The Selfie Contest is Back!
Submit your selfie with I Want To Hold Your Hand to be one of 10 Green Mountain Prize Pack Winners

This contest was so much fun for All You Need Is Love, Marie is bringing back the selfies to document all the places you find I Want to Hold Your Hand. Send “selfies” of you holding the print version of I Want To Hold Your Hand in a bookstore or retail outlet, along with your name, email address, location and the store where you saw it to author@marieforce.com. Our goal is to receive photos from all 50 states and as many countries as possible. We will post the photos on Facebook throughout release week! Everyone who sends in a photo **AND POSTS THE SELFIE ON THEIR OWN FACEBOOK WALL** will be entered into the drawing for one of 10 Green Mountain Prize packs that include:
  • Signed copies of All You Need Is Love and I Want To Hold Your Hand
  • Green Mountain Series swag
  • Stuffed Fred the Moose
  • Special items from the Vermont Country Store
  • $100 gift card to the book retailer of your choice
The more photos you send and post to your Facebook wall, the more chances you have to win!
ONLY photos submitted to the author@marieforce.com with the info requested above will be entered into the drawing. Not all entries will be posted to Marie’s Facebook page. Entries will be chosen randomly to be displayed by Marie. 

Get it NOW!

In the US:
Kindle: http://amzn.to/HRYOKo
Nook: http://bit.ly/1aFxlC3
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1hLoGaN
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1niGauN
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1dipKAA

In print at:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1nEtfUZ
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1cTBWpb
Chapters/Indigo: http://bit.ly/1jR4wHc
IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1lKjD8g
Books-A-Million: http://bit.ly/1c8ZqY8
**Also at Target and Walmart**

In Canada:
Kindle CA: http://amzn.to/18EO1Qf
iBooks CA: http://bit.ly/18dSOYm
Chapters/Indigo: http://bit.ly/1k2esTs
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1niGauN

In the UK, Let Me Hold Your Hand:
Kindle UK: http://bit.ly/AmUKLetMe
Nook UK: (not available yet)
iBooks UK: http://bit.ly/1ngUXEf

In Australia and New Zealand, Let Me Hold Your Hand:
Kindle AU: http://bit.ly/AmAusLetMe
iBooks AU: http://bit.ly/1upP5yK
iBooks NZ: http://bit.ly/1kCwKXa

On audio at:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1po9OC5
Audible: http://bit.ly/1kqQjpT
iTunes: (not available yet)

Request a book plate: http://bit.ly/1nmb487
Order signed print copies: http://bit.ly/1dmIwlw

Sunday, April 6, 2014

FREE Beach Read Today!

Get MAID FOR LOVE FREE TODAY!
With 675 five-star reviews on Amazon Kindle, MAID FOR LOVE is a fan favorite, and the perfect antidote to endless winter! Ready to put some sand between your toes? Get MAID FOR LOVE and read about what happens when hometown hero Mac McCarthy returns to Gansett Island and accidentally knocks a down-on-her-luck single mom off her bike. If you love Mac and Maddie in book 1, follow their story throughout the entire McCarthys of Gansett Island Series, now at 10.5 books--and soon to be 11 books! Get MAID FOR LOVE here for FREE TODAY!

In the US:
Kindle: http://amzn.to/146hHyP
Nook: http://bit.ly/ZJtdCC
iBooks: http://bit.ly/16L9EJQ
Google: http://bit.ly/1h9Sn1O
Kobo: http://bit.ly/19QKLBw

In the UK:
Kindle: http://amzn.to/1468qdt
Nook: http://bit.ly/18JANBG
iBooks UK:http://bit.ly/1bmbqUc

In Canada:
Kindle: http://amzn.to/12ssyBm
iBooks:http://bit.ly/1bmf3tb

In Australia & New Zealand
Kindle AU: http://bit.ly/1iHhWLL
Ibooks AU:http://bit.ly/1eVPPCV
Ibooks NZ:http://bit.ly/1f48sFt

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Who Has Ten Kids? Well… Let Me Tell You!

From the very beginning of my thoughts about the Green Mountain Series, I pictured ten kids growing up in a red barn in Vermont. That image was very vivid in my mind right from the start. I’ve had a few dour people infer that I went with ten kids in the new series to ensure I could write ten books. Well, that is and isn’t true at the same time. It is true in the sense that I’m hoping to write about ten siblings who interest me. It’s not true because check me out on Gansett Island. “Only” five McCarthy kids, and here we go into book 11 with no end in sight. I’m writing the eighth book (plus a novella) about one couple in the Fatal Series. So I don’t need 10 kids in a family to propel a series. I went with ten kids because that’s how I saw the Abbott family in my mind.

I’ve always been fascinated with big families, possibly because I’m one of two. My brother and I grew up surrounded by cousins, all of whom came from bigger families than ours. Two cousin families had four kids, one had five and another had six. My brother is great, but I wanted sisters and maybe another brother or two so I’d have more people to fight with. Of course, having lots of siblings probably looks a lot better on paper or on TV than it does in reality, but I had a bit of a yearning for a bigger family. My cousin Jen, who has always had long, thick hair, will tell you she has no feeling in her scalp. When you ask her why, she says, “I’m the youngest of five” as if that explains it all.

I remember being able, as a very young kid, to list President Kennedy’s eight siblings in perfect birth order, and I loved TV shows about big families, such as The Waltons (RIP Daddy Walton) and Eight is Enough. I think it’s possible I was doing research for my books all the way back in the 70s and 80s, sitting in front of a TV that received only three network channels and was dependent on rabbit ears for reception.

So knowing about my fascination with big families, imagine my delight when I heard from reader Molly Lyon in a Facebook comment in which she told me she had grown up in Vermont with nine siblings. Ten kids in Vermont! Hot damn! I also thought it was awesome that her name was Molly, which is the name of the Abbott family’s mother. I asked Molly if she’d be willing to answer a few questions about growing up in a family of ten kids—in Vermont of all places—and she generously shared some of her favorite memories along with a few heartaches.

Her parents, Mitchell and Alice Sturgeon, were married in 1962. In 1971, they built a three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath home on property in Georgia, Vermont, next door to Mitchell’s parents on land the family had previously farmed. Alice was one of five siblings and Mitchell Sturgeon Jr. was an only child. Their children were born over 19 years: Michelle (1967), Michael (1968-1985), Molly (1969), Melissa (1971), Mary (1973), Matthew (1975), Margaret (1976), Mark (1979), Mead (1982) and Miles (1986). Michael died in a motor vehicle accident in 1985, an event Molly referred to as “extremely hard.”

“In September 2006 we almost went through it again when Miles was in an accident that left him in coma for two months and hospitalized for four while he re-learned everything,” said Molly, who lives in Fairfax, Vermont today. “Both of these events brought us closer together and makes us appreciate each other that much more. My parents were so strong throughout each scenario, and I’ve learned so much from them both.”

Molly shared stories about family vacations that involved cramming into Mitchell’s Vanagon. That detail will probably work its way into Abbott family lore, because I love the visual of twelve people on a road trip in an old-fashioned VW bus. Can you imagine the bickering? The first time the Sturgeon family made the trek to Florida to see their grandparents, Molly was in fourth grade, and she remembers fun stops at amusement parks along the way. The next trip to Florida in the Vanagon was slightly less fun as all the kids were bigger, and the heat in the van quit working.

Other family outings included day trips to country fairs and happenings in their home state, until her six-year-old brother Matthew got caught up in an exhibit at the Champlain Valley Fair and didn’t follow the family crowd. “Fortunately, security found him safe and sound,” Molly said. “I think that might have been the last time we went to the fair for our ‘vacation.’”

She recalled four girls sharing what had been intended as the home’s master bedroom, but went to the girls because they needed both closets, which were still too small for the clothes of four girls. “The bickering over sharing clothes was never ending,” Molly said. “Margaret, being the last and fifth girl, was the impetus for adding a bedroom in the basement, and the boys were banished so us girls could be split up.”

I asked Molly how her mother stayed sane while raising ten children. It came down to Monday night card night with the ladies, she said. “My mother has been dubbed a saint by many, and I’m sure crazy by some,” Molly said. “She led by example. Her sanity was preserved during her weekly Monday night card game with ‘The Card Ladies’. For more than forty years, every Monday night, she would leave us with Dad (or we would be banned from the dining room when she hosted) and play cards. She had a bag full of pennies just for cards, and that was her therapy and outlet.”

Molly’s father had his own way of coping. “I think my father’s sanity came from working, doing the grocery shopping, which he started doing during the gas shortage in the 70s and loved—he was the coupon king and knew what was on sale where and could stretch a penny further than anyone—and gardening. He was our quiet rock and is greatly missed.” Mitchell died in 2010 after a battle with cancer. “Last year, in his honor, we participated in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life,” Molly said. “Our team name was Mitchell's M's. We plan to do it again this year.”

Somehow Mitchell and Alice managed to provide for their brood and ensure their children had everything they needed. Mitchell worked in a factory all during Molly’s childhood. Her mother worked briefly as a nurse and then was a stay-at-home mom. In the mid- to late-70s, she started taking in neighborhood children and ran a daycare until 2006.

“We were always fed and clothed, some of us in more hand-me-downs than others, and never felt like we were missing out on anything,” Molly said. “We played sports and musical instruments and somehow, some way Mom and Dad always found a way to get us the equipment and instruments required. I realize now they went without so that we could have what we needed. I’ll never forget when Michelle and I wanted an album. Without a birthday or Christmas near, we were saving our money so we could buy it ourselves. One day my father came home with the album just because.”

Now all her siblings live within 30 miles of each other. They are all married, except for the youngest, Miles. All of them except for Molly and one other have children, and Molly is the aunt to 14 nieces and nephews, including a new set of twins. “Sitting around my mother’s table sharing stories is the best,” she said. “Old boyfriend stories, who did what and the ‘remember whens’ are priceless. I couldn’t imagine being an only child. We always had something to do and someone to do it with.”

Molly said my reference to the TV show Eight is Enough reminded her of another funny family memory. “Your mention of Eight is Enough reminded me of a bumper sticker my uncle made for the van after baby number eight was born... ‘8 IS ENOUGH.’” 

I loved hearing Molly’s stories about growing up in a big family. My husband is one of six kids, and when they’re all together, their favorite thing is sit around a dining room table (usually with lots of beer) and tell stories about who did what to whom and when. Hilarious laughter is always part of their gatherings.

They talk about the time one of their friends shot a flaming arrow into the neighbor’s roof while the neighbor was on vacation. They talk about redirecting the sprinkler system at the nearby country club and how their dad used to defrost a hand-size space on a frozen windshield and drive them to school looking only through that small patch of clear glass. Then there was the time my husband Dan’s younger brother Joe jammed a toothpick into my husband’s back and later ratted out Dan when he decided to run away on his bike—on the interstate. Or when Dan nearly floated out to sea during a visit to his married sister in Virginia Beach or when he shot out all the windshields in cars at a junkyard with a BB gun. Except it wasn’t a junkyard. It was a body shop, and he made the mistake of returning to the scene of the crime the next day... And yes, I married a hellion. Thankfully he mostly grew out of his hellion ways!

When I was a kid, I wanted what my husband and Molly had.

Now I get to make it up. And that—and only that—is why the Abbott family has ten kids.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Romance Isn't Just for Women

It’s Never Too Late to Fall in Love: Eshel Travis eshel travis

“I have fallen in love with you,” begins a letter 68-year-old Eshel Travis wrote to Marie. “Let me diagnose my condition.”

Mr. Travis goes on to explain that he used to watch four or five movies a day. During his 46 years of marriage, including several years or retirement, his wife, Pam, has unsuccessfully attempted to encourage him to read a book. “Any book,” as he says. Prior to falling in love (with Marie), it had been more than 30 years since he read a book. When he did read, as a teen, however, he recalled he didn’t want to stop.

In December of last year it all changed. Mr. Travis opened up the e-book application on his computer for the first time.

“I picked your book, Maid for Love, out of all the ‘free’ books out there, and my life changed…I fell in love with your writing and the characters in the book, and I could hardly put the book down.”

Mr. Travis worked for the majority of his life as a construction inspector, examining things like roads, bridges, highways and sewer mains before retiring. He also owned and operated two locksmith shops. So what would some of those brawny co-workers say if they know of Mr. Travis’s book choices today?

“They’d probably just laugh. They’d think it was hilarious.” But clearly he doesn’t care. He just keeps devouring the books.

Mr. Travis is so pleased with the books and the way Marie brings you into the lives of the characters that he’s shared them with his daughter and daughter-in-law, forewarning them that there were some steamy scenes. He said they were just fine with that caveat.

“She’s got a real talent and a brain that astounds me,” Mr. Travis says of Marie.

Mr. Travis speaks of his wife’s reaction to his new habit—which has, by the way, resulted in his giving up his movie channels—in the conclusion of his letter to Marie.

“You, young lady, have made a major impact on my life, and I love it…my wife loves it because the home is now quiet almost all day long! She works from home on her computer and loves the silence…so you have made a fantastic blessing for us both.”

Seeing the World Through Marie’s Words: David Minton david minton2

Normally it wouldn’t be odd to hear someone say that by reading Marie’s books, “I could see everything so clearly [it] made me feel like I was living the lives in the book.” However, for 38-year-old David Minton, the statement is very telling.

Mr. Minton is blind.

A 1998 accident cost Mr. Minton his sight. Prior to the accident, he had been fascinated with reading. Since he was a child he liked to read a variety of books, including romance, horror, mystery and suspense. When he became blind, he was able to find books that used various technologies such as a digital talking book player from the National Library Services for the Blind, the iPhone and iPad mini, audio books and digital downloads to allow him to read them. A co-worker at his place of employment, where Mr. Minton is a customer service representative, told him about Marie’s books. He started with Maid for Love. That’s when he noticed he could see what she was writing about.

“The writing is described in a way to help me visualize the surroundings, and I get so involved that I can almost smell the breeze off the water’s edge.”

Mr. Minton says he likes Marie’s books because “They are so down to earth. Mrs. Force’s writings are things that could really happen in this lifetime, not in a fantasy.”

"My friends think it's cool that I would rather pick up a romantic book than any other book,” he says. “A man needs to put the macho side down and show his soft side.”

He advises other men interested in reading these books not to be afraid, to open their heart and see how love can really be.

 “Hats off to Marie Force,” he says. “The men in her books are superb. I hope [Marie] never retires from writing.”

A Sentimental Reader: Ray Schulte ray schulte2

“My wife [Katherine] laughs at me while I read romance novels,” says Ray Schulte. “She thinks it’s funny when I start crying from happiness. Just yesterday, I was reading Chance for Love and my eyes were watering and she asked me if I was reading Marie’s new book. She knew because I am a sentimental guy and I will laugh and cry while reading, especially Marie’s books.”

The world of words was essentially lost to Mr. Schulte until last year when he turned 59 . He rarely read prior to that and when he did (mostly for work), he didn’t enjoy it because he would skip lines after finishing sentences. This necessitated him having to read things twice, a cumbersome and frustrating endeavor.

Then Mr. Schulte got a tablet and downloaded the Kindle app, allowing him to adjust the font size of books. Voila! His reading problem was gone. And in the past 18 months he’s read about 150 books, including all of Marie’s.

 “There is just something about Marie’s writing that gets me into the story from the first page. It’s hard to explain, it’s almost like a dream and seeing and watching the story in person. The whole world stops around me while I am reading her stories. No other writer has the ability to get me that deep into the story. I really love reading about all the family and friends from past books that show up in the new books.”

Transitioning from Westerns to Romance: Dale Brooks Dale Reading 2

Eighty-year-old retired machinist Dale Brooks needs to keep warm during the cold Wisconsin winter, which he says tongue-in-cheek is not a problem when reading Marie’s books.

Mr. Brooks says he’s read every book of Marie’s he can get a hold of.

 “They are all good. They have good stories to them. That’s mostly what I look for—entertainment and a little steam here and there.”

Mr. Brooks has been married to wife, Dianna, for 32 years. He used to read lots of westerns, including those of Louis L’Amour. Later he would branch out to other authors of westerns, some who added romantic stories to the mix.

And then—he can’t even recall how it happened—he found Marie’s books and was hooked.

What would the more manly men say of his book selection?

 “I really don’t worry about what they say. I’m not that macho. I’m 80. I got over that.”

A Writer Learns: Greg Davis Greg-1 2

Greg Davis wants to move to Gansett Island. Sure, he knows it’s a fictional island inspired by Block Island, Rhode Island, Marie’s home state. But the way she describes the scenes and the characters is just so darned REAL.

“I told her in an email that she breathes so much life into her characters I wondered if they spoke to her, saying, ‘Thanks, Marie. We’ll take it from here. Just try to keep up.’,” Mr. Davis says.

Mr. Davis knows a bit about writing. He’s been a technical writer for more than 25 years, specializing in end user computer user documentation. While that may not be fertile training ground for contemporary romance, he’s also an aspiring writer working on stories in a number of genres, including science fiction, fantasy, and science fiction romance. Mr. Davis is an avid reader, as well. He has nearly 400 books on his Nook and previously had six copier paper boxes full of paperbacks. He’s a fan of science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance and he loves books with high page counts (more than 500 pages will do). He says he’s a fast reader and anything less than 500 pages leaves him feeling cheated.

Mr. Davis first learned of Marie’s books when he received an email notification from Bookbub.com, a site that sends readers notifications of free and discounted ebooks that match their interests. He received a bundle of the first three McCarthys of Gansett Island books: Maid for LoveFool for Love and Ready for Love.

 “…After Book 1, I was hooked,” he recalls. “I am now reading Book 9.”

 “Even though the books are a high page count, the pacing of the story and the plot itself breezed along. I didn’t want the books to end and couldn’t wait to start on the next one.”

Mr. Davis has written to Marie on several occasions to tell her how he’s been wowed, yet again, by her writing.

 “There were a couple of times specific scenes in the books caught me by surprise and evoked a strong emotional response,” he says. “I have never had that before while reading ANY book. It surprised and shocked me. I wasn’t embarrassed as a guy that it happened, just awed and dumbstruck at the mastery to pull that off. "

Marie’s writing, he says, has made him aspire to higher levels of mastery in his own.

He has also told Marie he can envision the McCarthys of Gansett Island Series becoming a movie, a TV miniseries or a television series, although he worries they wouldn’t meet the high standards Marie has set and reached in her books.

Asked if his friends or family are surprised about his reading contemporary romance, Mr. Davis simply says, “They don’t seem to mind. My wife is surprised at how much I am reading lately.”

Cheryl L. Serra is director of public relations for Marie Force.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

***All New Selfie Contest!***

The publisher of ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE soooo loved the selfie contest, they asked us to do it again! Fun fun FUN! We have all new FABULOUS prizes up for grabs! Here’s how it’s going to work and please make sureyou read ALL the way to the end so you can see the many ways to WIN!

Starting TODAY, get back out there and find ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE in your local bookstore or order your copy from an online retailer and take a picture of yourself holding the book. We want to see you WITH the print copy of ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE (sorry, no ebook copies for this contest). When you’re out and about, consider getting a copy of the book for a friend who loves to read and hasn’t yet discovered Marie’s books. And remember, books make great gifts for birthdays and other important events! Better yet, once your friends have the book in hand, they can enter the selfie contest too!

For each of the next THREE weeks, we will award a $100 gift card to one selfie photographer. You can enter as many times as you’d like to increase your chances to win. Entries carry over to the next week’s drawings, but we need ALL NEW selfies. The earlier ones will not count for this NEW contest. We will award the gift cards on Friday, February 28, March 7 and March 14. But wait, there’s MORE! On Friday, March 21, we will award YET ANOTHER grand prize trip to the Green Mountain Series Launch Party on June 28 at the Vermont Country Store in Weston, Vermont! This package includes:

--Two nights lodging for up to two guests in Weston, Vermont.
--$750 toward airfare for two from anywhere in the United States. We suggest flying into Manchester, NH (2.5 hours away), Burlington, VT (2.25 hours away), Hartford, CT (2.5 hours), Albany, NY (1.75 hours) or Boston, MA (3 hours).
--Reimbursement of up to approximately $300 for car rental and fuel to be used for transportation from the airport to Weston, VT.
--A special breakfast with Marie for you and a guest.
--$100 gift card to the Vermont Country Store
--$100 gift card to Bryant House Restaurant at the Vermont Country Store
--Your very own stuffed “Fred the Moose”
--Signed copies of All You Need Is Love and I Want to Hold Your Hand

Everyone who enters a selfie in the next three weeks will be entered into this grand-prize drawing. In order to WIN the prize, however, you must be able to answer three new questions about the short story TO KNOW HER IS TO LOVE HER, which is found ONLY in the back of the print book. (It will be released to e-readers on Marie’s website in May.) ALSO, everyone who enters this new Selfie contest will get our ALL NEW Green Mountain Romance sticker! UK, Australia, New Zealand readers: You are looking for YOUR LOVE IS ALL I NEED and your selfies count!

WAIT, there’s one more chance to win! If you SHARE this post, you will be entered into a drawing to win yet another super fun prize pack that includes signed copies of Marie’s books, Fred the Moose and other fabulous swag. Everyone who clicks the SHARE button on this post will be entered into the SHARE drawing!

So go forth and take those selfies and SHARE this post to get your friends out there taking pictures, too! We will feature as many selfies as we can on Marie’s Facebook page!

You must send your selfie to author@marieforce.com to be entered into the drawing. If you’d like the Green Mountain Romance sticker, please include your postal address (international entries permitted) and let us know if you’d like to be on the list for occasional postcards and other items by mail. NO selfies posted directly to Facebook or Twitter will count as entries. The only way to ensure that your entry is counted is to email it to author@marieforce.com.

HAVE FUN!!!

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Why the Beatles? And other things you need to know about the Abbotts of Vermont!

I’m so excited that it’s finally February and the the release week for ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE! I thought it would be fun to help prepare for release week by telling you some more about my new family as well as what inspired the titles for the series. What I didn’t know when I picked Beatles song titles for my new Green Mountain Series is that the week the first book came out would also mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles arriving in the U.S. for the first time. What a happy little coincidence! 

Long after I sold the first two books to Berkley Publishing, I struggled to come up with great titles for the books. When writing a series, titles that “speak to each other” is a critical aspect of the branding challenge, so I needed something that satisfied a number of needs. The title of the first book had to reflect the story AND it needed to work in concert with the titles for the upcoming books. I was truly stumped and under the gun to produce my titles. I turned to music, as I often do when looking for inspiration. A Google search of the most popular love songs of all times included several Beatles titles, including ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE, which was a PERFECT fit for book 1. I kept coming back to that title and then found myself on a site that listed all the Beatles songs and it sort of took off from there. Once I decided to use Beatles song titles, I wanted to give the titles a connection to the series, which is how dad Lincoln Abbott became a crazy, over-the-top Beatles fan. Ironically, at least to my children who are Beatles fans, I am not. I like the Beatles. I love a few of their songs, especially “Let it Be,” which I hope to use in the series, and the "Long and Winding Road." Otherwise, I’m not obsessed the way a lot of my friends are. I even made a Beatles mistake in the first book that wasn’t caught before the print books were finished. I’ll let you see if you can find it.

Another funny aside on the titles is that in the U.S. titles can’t be copyrighted. However, we found out that the United Kingdom recently tightened its copyright laws so if a title is “reasonably recognizable” it can’t be used for something else. As my editor in the UK said, “I think you’ll agree that Beatles song titles are ‘reasonably recognizable’ in the UK. LOL! Thus, the slight variation on the titles in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India. ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE is YOUR LOVE IS ALL I NEED. Book 2, I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND is LET ME HOLD YOUR HAND and Book 3, I SAW HER STANDING THERE is I SAW HER STANDING THERE. Works for me! Luckily, the Beatles boo-boo was caught before the UK version went to print. Phew!

Now we’ve mentioned Lincoln, the Beatles fan, and his wife Molly Stillman Abbott. Her grandparents founded the Green Mountain Country Store during World War II, and it’s run today by Lincoln and five of their ten children. The ten kids are: twins Hunter and Hannah, 35; Will, 33; Ella, 32; Charlotte, 30; Wade, 29; Colton, 28; identical twins Lucas and Landon, 25; and Max, 22.  Molly’s dad Elmer is very much a part of their lives and is known for his free advice and his loving yet meddlesome involvement in his grandchildren’s business. My plan is to write a book for each of the Abbott kids, so there’s lots of fun and excitement to come from the Green Mountains!

Hunter is a CPA who oversees the finances for the store as well as the variety of other family business interests, such as the sugaring facility run by Colton, the Christmas tree farm run by Lucas, Landon’s woodworking business and Hannah’s handmade jewelry.  Max is still in college at the University of Vermont, but he helps Colton at the sugaring facility, which produces more than 25,000 gallons of maple syrup each year that is sold in the store under the family label.  Hunter, Will, Ella, Charlotte and Wade help their dad run the store and often engage in a bit of a push-pull with him over his big ideas to modernize their small-town business.  Lincoln’s determination to enter the modern age with a website for the store brings Cameron Murphy to the fictional town of Butler, Vermont, located in the state’s Northeast Kingdom. The series opens with Cameron’s auspicious arrival during mud season when she runs her Mini Cooper into Fred, the town moose, and finds out that wearing $500 suede boots to Vermont in mud season isn’t the best idea a “flatlander” could ever have in the mountains. Second son Will comes to her rescue, and the rest… well, read about what happens next this week in ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE!



And get the book here on Tuesday:

Preorder the ebook here:
Kindle US:http://amzn.to/161ScB8 
Kindle CA:http://amzn.to/IHnLs4
iBooks:http://bit.ly/1feiIsD
iBooks CA:http://bit.ly/1f45JvA 
Nook:http://bit.ly/139VI8d 
Google:http://bit.ly/1glkJFt

Those of you looking for it in PRINT, start checking your favorite retailers this weekend and remember the great SELFIE contest:
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1hnZWBW
Walmart: http://www.walmart.com/ip/27204304 
IndieBound:http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780425266762

The print version will also be available in Target stores, and you can preorder a print copy from Amazon:http://amzn.to/1fWNCvj

The audio book is available for preorder at Amazonhttp://amzn.to/1ftJ2ly and coming soon to other retailers!