My Core Story

Since last year's RWA Conference, I've been thinking a lot about something Jayne Ann Krentz said in her luncheon speech. It was about knowing your core story as a writer, and remaining true to it in all your books because it's what readers come to expect from you. So I started to think: What is my core story? I'm not sure I have just one. I've given this a lot of thought, mind you, and these are the core stories I've come up with that resonate through most of my contemporaries (I am excluding the Fatal books because they are an entirely different animal altogether!):

1. I'm told I do love triangles pretty well. I enjoy writing them and examining all the various implications for all three parties.
2. For some strange reason, I like to write about fame in all its many iterations and what it does to regular people.
3. I often work in the "gray area" between the black and white of right and wrong. I like what goes on there, the murkiness and the uncertainty.
4. I like to write about families and family dynamics.

You will find some or all of these themes in all of my books. Line of Scrimmage and Love at First Flight featured love triangles. Everyone Loves a Hero looks at what fame can do to a regular guy and his relationships with regular people. Recently I decided to post two of my unsold books because readers were asking for more, and I have plenty more to give! True North touches on issues related to fame and how it can impact one's desire to lead a "normal" life. In a way, it contains a love triangle because Liana has to choose between the man she has come to love and the high-profile career she thought she wanted. The Fall is all about that grey area, what goes on in the murky place between right and wrong. It was fun to take a doctor who thought he knew himself so well and show him he knew nothing at all. It also contains one hell of a love triangle and is fat with family dynamics! Here's some more about True North and The Fall:

True North
The first time Travis North lays eyes on Liana McDermott, she’s wearing the most hideous bridesmaid dress he’s ever seen. He doesn't immediately recognize the world-famous model who is attending her cousin Enid's wedding at the country club he owns. Thanks to Enid's shameless matchmaking, Travis and Liana become acquainted and later embark on a two-week fling intended to be free of emotion and entanglement. As Liana's return to work gets closer, however, Travis wonders how he'll ever let her go when the time comes while Liana considers whether he might be her true north. Two high-powered careers, two amazing weeks and a love that comes along just once in a lifetime. Is she ready to give up her career for a different kind of life? Does he want the same things she does? After insisting on an emotionless affair, she can't very well ask him. Or can she?

Find True North here. Thank you to everyone who has bought True North this month. I'm truly blown away by the reception it has received.

The Fall
Dr. Ted Duffy has finally met a woman who makes him ache with desire. Too bad she’s dating his best friend of twenty years. This simple premise has momentous consequences for Ted in “The Fall,” a story that explores the bonds of friendship, the expectations of family, and the power of love to unite and divide. Ted is a third-generation pediatric oncologist in Boston. He is thirty-seven years old, married to his work, and his patients are his kids. He and his college friends spend summer weekends in Newport, Rhode Island, which is the only break Ted gets from the grind of his job. After a devastating loss at work, he leaves for Newport where he meets his friend’s new girlfriend, Caroline. During that first weekend together, Ted and Caroline fall in love. When they later act on their feelings, shock and disbelief ricochet through his tight-knit group of friends and family. A highly respected doctor, a beloved son and grandson, a loyal friend, Ted is stunned by his sudden free fall from grace. Sometimes love is not enough...or is it?

Find The Fall here.

Hope you enjoy these new offerings and I'm curious to know what you all think about core story. Do your favorite writers tend to stick to certain themes? Are you always looking for those themes in their books? Are you disappointed when you don't find them?

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!

Fun day as an author

I just told my husband, Dan, that today I feel like a real, live working author. All of this happened today:

1. I had a really fun e-mail exchange this morning with an editor who is considering one of my books. Fingers crossed!

2. I drove to Duxbury, Massachusetts where I met my friends Emily Bryan, Dalton Diaz and Hannah Howell for lunch. We are all members of the New England Chapter of the Romance Writers of America, so we've met lots of times before. It was great to have a chance to visit with Hannah, who is a New York Times bestselling author of 50 (!) books! We had a great chat and Hannah told us she was published for 10 years before she felt like she was earning a living wage. Whoa! Nothing happens fast in this business.

3. Emily, Dalton and I sat on a panel at the Duxbury Free Library where we spent Valentine's Day talking about romance and how we got started as writers. We had a fantastic crowd who asked awesome questions.

4. I had a great chat with an attendee named Donna, who has finished her first book and was looking for advice about what to do next. (See below for more on my chat with Donna)

5. We signed books after the talk, which is always fun. The library director was in charge of moving us from the auditorium to the signing area. She said to the attendees who had lined up to speak with us, "The authors can speak with you after their signing, but I have to get them to where they need to be." I was tempted to look over my shoulder and say, "Is she talking about ME?"



Here I am (left) with Dalton Diaz, Hannah Howell and Emily Bryan. Hannah was good enough to sprinkle NY Times bestseller pixie dust on us. :-)

6. I returned home to a request from my chapter to do a critique for a new writer, which I enjoy doing.

7. And, I received this email from a reader: please add me to your list to keep updated on your books. Love at first flight is my favorite book and I will never get tired of reading it.

All of this in one day. My cup runneth over, and I'm enjoying every minute of this fabulous journey.

So back to my discussion with Donna. During the talk, I mentioned that I have a full-time job and two busy kids. She was curious as to how I manage to juggle a writing career, too. It is definitely a juggling act because my family and job come before the writing and have to be attended to during the day. That leaves me the after dinner hours each day to devote to my writing. That's not a lot of time. A couple of years ago, when I decided to get very serious about writing and getting published, I realized I had to make some adjustments.

I had to start saying NO a lot more often. I have no time to volunteer at my kids' schools. Once in a while I still participate in something that directly affects them, but otherwise I say no. I all but stopped drinking any form of alcohol. If I go out to dinner and have a few drinks, I come home and want to go to bed. If I don't drink anything, I'm good for a couple of hours when I get home. I've cut back on the dog-choking social life we used to have. I just can't do everything, and unfortunately, sometimes we have to say no so that I'll have time to take care of writing business. Are these sacrifices? Sure they are. I miss having more free time to read, to hang out with friends, and to just do nothing.

However, days like today make all the sacrifices worth it. Thanks to everyone who came to our event in Duxbury, to the organizers who invited us, and to the authors who shared the stage with me. We're living the dream, and we know it.

More of My Personal Pet Peeves

You've been waiting breathlessly for this list, right? Well, I've been doing a LOT of reading lately, and my list of peeves grows longer by the day. So here goes nothing...

1. Abandoning the core couple halfway through the romance. I've read a few books lately where the main couple is all but forgotten for the last half of the book. I love a good sub-plot as much as the next reader, but if you've asked me to commit to your couple at the outset, give me their full story. Please.

2. Data dumping. I don't want to know your characters' entire life story in the first ten pages. Don't do this to me. Nothing is more boring to read than nonstop recitation of past history. There are so many clever ways to get this job done. Please be clever.

3. If you build me up with crackling chemistry and sensual encounters that lead to the happy couple landing on a bed, please oh please do not have the next scene open with the sun creeping through the blinds. I beg of you. Show me what happens. Especially if you are writing for a line that promises a certain heat level. I have expectations. Please meet them.

4. Please remember your characters' names. I recently read a book where the name of a secondary character changed halfway through the book. I notice these things. Please remember the names of the people you create. If you don't, who will?

5. Kids in romances who are bratty, not cute. Thinking of what I would say to the kid takes me out of your story. Please discipline your bratty fictional kids the same way you would if they were actually yours. Don't make me have to do it. Don't make me.

UPDATE: Bonus Peeve that I thought of last night after I posted this: unplanned pregnancies in romance. Sorry, ladies (and gents), it's 2010. We all know how to prevent pregnancy. The unplanned babies need to stop. We're also grown ups, not horny teenagers in the back seat of Dad's car. The minute you foist an unplanned pregnancy on me, I think your characters are too stupid to live. ESPECIALLY if one of those characters work in the medical field in ANY capacity. That makes them even stupider. Now I have a pregnancy SCARE in my next book because of a "malfunction." I think that's different, but you may disagree. If you do, let me have it! :-)

Those are the latest additions to my list. Tell me some of yours!

OH and please don't forget to vote for Love at First Flight for Best Book of 2009 at the Long and Short of It Reviews! We're in 2nd place!!

Airplane Love, It's Not Just Fiction

First off, a huge thank you to everyone who came out this week to welcome my friends Sharon and Cheryl to the blog. Congratulations to Razlover and Mary G who won copies of Cheryl's books Slave and Fugitive. We hope you'll check back and let us know how you liked them! That imagination of Cheryl's... whooo!

One of the things we authors do to gain insight into what's being said about our books is to set up Google alerts with our names and the names of the books. No surprise that Line of Scrimmage leads me to a lot of football sites, especially during the season. Love at First Flight, however, has taken me to some interesting stuff, such as the effort by a New Zealand airline to book romance excursions. Most recently was this story on CNN about a couple on the US Air flight that splashed into the Hudson a year ago yesterday who have since fallen in love. Read the story here.

The thing I love best about this story is her fear of birds and his fear of drowning and how they converged on that fateful day. It's a story made for Hollywood and seems destined to have a happy ending. Isn't that what we love best in romance land?

Have you ever seen someone on a flight and wondered what if?

Reemerging

Sorry for the long radio silence. This has been on heck of a crazy summer around here!! Between launching Love at First Flight, my daughter performing in a play, both kids going to sailing camp three days a week, the annual cousin invasion, the RWA conference in Washington, my work conference in New Orleans, planning my 25th high school reunion (which is tomorrow) and oh yeah, that pesky thing called a JOB, this summer has been OFF THE CHARTS!

Up here in New England we had craptastic weather for all of June and July so beach season didn't even really get under way until August. We put many fewer hours than usual on the boat this year thanks to the weather and the schedule from hell, but we're hearing September and October will be nice. We think that's the very least of what the weather gods owe us! My crazy children will swim right up until mid-October, long after most sane people have quit. Right on September 1, the day the kids went back to school (and my oldest to high school--sniff sniff) the weather became September-esque. Clear and cool and absolutely lovely. This is my favorite time of year, and I plan to enjoy it.

On the writing front, I wrote THE END last night on a book I wrote this summer, in the midst of mayhem. I hope to be able to tell you more about the book very soon! I'm very excited about this one, and had the time of my life writing it, which was why I was able to fit it in amid all the other goings on this summer. I started it June 1 and finished it yesterday, September 3. When we were in Block Island a couple of weeks ago, I was so into it that I wrote long hand on the beach because I couldn't shut the story off. Those are the most magical writing experiences and something to treasure no matter what becomes of the book.

Well, that's what's up around here. What have you guys been up to?

New Review

Sorry to be so absent lately. This summer has been utter madness around here! The kids go back to school in 15 days, so I should get my life back before too much longer and get back to regular blogging again! In the meantime, here's a new review from Long and Short Reviews, which gave Love at First Flight a coveted Best Book rating!

Love At First Flight by Marie Force
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense
Heat: Spicy
Length: Full (398 pages)
Rating: Best Book
Reviewed by Larkspur

What if the guy in the airplane seat next to you turned out to be the love of your life?

Juliana, happy in her career as a hair stylist, is on her way to visit her boyfriend of ten years who's working out of state. She's wondering why they're not engaged yet. Michael is going to his fiance's parents' home for an engagement party he doesn't want. A states' prosecutor, he's about to try the biggest case of his career, he hates the distraction, and he's having doubts about the relationship.

They sit together on the plane, and discover they're on the same flight coming back. When the weekend is a disaster for each of them, they bond on the plane ride home. But life is full of complications, including their exes, who don't want to let go, and when Michael's trial turns dangerous, the two must confront what they value most in life...

Marie gives us a touching, heartfelt and dramatic love story with memorable characters and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Not many authors can give you a romance novel that is ripe with heart stopping suspense and make it work, well Marie Force definitely can and does with Love at First Flight. Her main characters are involved in a love triangle that make you root for each of them at different times in the book, and said characters are well developed and so interesting that when the story's over you wish there were more to read. If that’s not enough she throws her readers into a murder trial with seriously evil bad guys and sequestered witnesses starring her supporting cast of characters which are so good they could support their own story. Her writing style is wonderful and her descriptive dialogue takes you to all the places the book visits in vivid detail. The love scenes are sultry and sensual and sexy and add a certain depth to the story.

So if you love a great romance with a lot of suspense, and you're not opposed to using a box of tissues as a prop and you like your love scenes on the sizzle burner. Then this should definitely be your next read. Great work Marie!!

Another Crazy Week/RWA Photos

I keep waiting for things to slow down, but the relentless pace continues! I've been meaning all week to write and say a huge THANK YOU to all the friends who made my first blog book club meeting such a success. It was so great to have the chance to talk to you about the book (as well as potential future books) and to hear what you thought about various controversial decisions I made for Michael, Juliana, and their cast of supporting players. Readers are key to everything we do as writers, so let me say thank you again so much for your support of me and my books!! Congratulations to Pat L. who won the Love at First Flight Grand Prize Gift Basket and to all who answered the daily questions about the book on my website.

While I'm talking about readers and how much I love and adore you all, I wrote this for a blog stop at Love is an Exploding Cigar this week, but I wanted to re-run part of it here in case any of you missed it:

This last month has been an exciting whirlwind as my second book, Love at First Flight, hit the shelves. I’ve been on a “blog tour” and been part of four different book signings. I had a party for my friends and family, who are such wonderful supporters and deserve their own signing!

Then I went to RWA and experienced a major “first” in my writing career—connecting with readers who’ve enjoyed one or both of my books. Both books have been published since last year’s conference, so this was my first one as a truly published author. At the literacy signing, three women rushed up to my table just after the doors opened because they wanted me to sign copies of Line of Scrimmage. They gushed about how much they’d loved it, and by the time they were done, they had me in tears. I kept looking over my shoulder, for surely they had to be talking to one of the other authors in the huge room!? I said to them, “You ladies do know that Nora is in this room, right?” They laughed and said they’d come to see me. Overwhelming.

Another woman came up to me at the dessert reception after the RITAs to tell me she’d picked up Line of Scrimmage at the Sourcebooks signing earlier in the day and had spent hours in her room reading, skipping the sessions she’d planned to attend. Thanks for your kind words, Michele from Texas! I'm so glad you enjoyed Line of Scrimmage! Again, however, as we were talking, I wanted to glance over both shoulders to find the author she had to be talking about behind me. You mean me? There simply are no words to describe that moment of connection with a reader who truly gets what you were trying to do with a story.

This past Monday evening, I hosted a book club party on my blog where I posted questions about my new book, Love at First Flight, and encouraged readers to sound off about some of the romance rules I broke in the story. Eight minutes after the start time, no one had shown up. I was beginning to sweat. Oh well, I thought, it was worth a shot. And then they came and came and came . . . I typed like a mad woman for over an hour while my husband sat next to me on the sofa cracking up at all my muttering and sputtering. I said at the beginning I would’ve been happy with fifty comments (including my own) but ended up with nearly one hundred. This ability to interact with readers, whether in person at conferences such as RWA, or through the various blog stops, is my favorite part of this new phase in my writing career.

Technology has made the bond between author and reader so much more immediate and intimate. Over the last year, readers have become friends and frequent correspondents. They love to tell me what they liked, what they didn’t like, what made them laugh, what made them cry. Nothing is more gratifying from my end than to hear that I made them feel something, even if that something was anger.

So to all my readers out there, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have made this last year so incredibly rewarding. I'm working hard to make sure there will be more to come!

A few more fun photos from RWA:

Me with Nora Roberts. Her books made me want to be a romance writer, and it was a huge thrill to meet her in person. Did you see the photo I posted a few days ago of Nora with my daughter after the Ritas? Thrilling!



I was signing books at our Sourcebooks signing on Saturday and glanced over to see this HUGE line waiting for ME. Another pinch-me moment! Thank you to Emily, my able daughter/assistant and birthday girl, for taking this photo!



With Emily at the RITAs:




The Sourcebooks gang going to dinner:

Love at First Flight Book Club Meeting

Whoo hoo! It's party time! I'm so excited to be here tonight to talk to my lovely readers about Love at First Flight. This book breaks a few of the more firmly entrenched romance rules, so I've been looking forward to this opportunity to hear what you have to say! I've been blessed with wonderful reviews and lots of emails from satisfied readers. However, I know there were a few twists and turns that had you muttering to yourself! Tell me about those mutter moments and maybe win one of the prizes I have sitting here with me on my sofa!

Picture a well-stocked bar and some hot, shirtless guys serving up a wide variety of tasty treats. (FOOD, people! Get your minds out of the gutter!)

One last warning for those who haven't read the book... This meeting will be fat with spoilers, so don't click on the comments if you haven't read the book yet. You can always come back later and weigh in.

With no further ado: ready, set, CLICK on the comments and let's get going!

Love at First Flight Book Club Meeting TONIGHT

Come by TONIGHT at 7 p.m. EDT tonight for a book club discussion about Love at First Flight. Want to tell me what you REALLY thought when you know who did you know what? :-) Here's your chance! I look forward to talking with you in the comments section where we'll air it all out. I'll be giving out some great prizes and awarding the Love at First Flight Grand Prize Gift Basket, so come on out to play and win!

Book Signing Party

Last Thursday, I held a book signing party in Newport, RI, for my friends and family, all of whom have been so incredibly supportive of my writing career. In fact, Love at First Flight is dedicated to all of them. Without their overwhelming enthusiasm and encouragement, I never would've made it to book seven--Line of Scrimmage. I was delighted when more than 100 people showed up and my Barnes & Noble rep friend was thrilled to sell 85 books. Here are some photos from the big night! I'll post some more from tonight's B&N local author event in the next few days.









With a bunch of girlfriends, including (far right) and (third from right), my daughter's fourth and third grade teachers.



With my dad, who like last time, got the first signed book out of the box:



And with Jake, Emily and Dan at the after party hosted by our friends Ilana and Warren where I realized my 10-year-old son was playing pool at 12:45 a.m. and said, "Maybe we should go home!" A good time had by all!

Love at First Flight A Review Top Pick with Night Owl Romance

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters came alive and you truly could see and understand the conflicts and power plays that were happening. The story had a fullness about it as it encompassed two careers and two people’s friends and families. There was a real feel to the story and scenes that reinforced that feeling. Things didn’t randomly happen to move the story along but happened within the story in a logical manner.

The characters were terrific. Juliana had security in Jeremy. She needed that security and leaving it was tearing her apart. She was attracted to Michael but felt a loyalty and commitment to Jeremy. This came across extremely well. Michael came across as a guy that knew what he wanted but was willing to compromise for those he loved. He wants to do the right thing and is willing to put himself out to do it. While he is willing to work with those he loves, he is not willing to let them run his life. This comes across with his relationship with Paige and with his family. Jeremy and Paige aren’t even written poorly. Each comes across as a complex character with issues and desires. Their interactions with Juliana and Michael are normal reactions to the situations they find themselves in.

This isn’t just a romance novel or a legal story or any other classification but a mixture of many that cannot be separated. It’s a fantastic mix of romance against a legal story with danger lurking around every corner. There are high-speed car rides as well as romantic dinners with walks along the beach. An assassin comes into play as well as a teenage witness. It’s a book that should interest a broad spectrum of readers.

Read the full review.

More Launch Day News: A Bunch of New Reviews!

Is it a good omen that my beloved Boston Red Sox secured a come-from-behind victory in Baltimore on the day my book, set in Baltimore, launched? Hmmm, what do you think?

Launch Day was crazy and hectic, but tons of fun! Thanks to everyone who came out to comment on the Launch Parties here and on the Casablanca Authors Blog as well as on my post at Happily Forever After! Just a reminder that the Launch Party comment period is open on my blog and the Casa blog through July 4, so leave a comment to enter to win a copy of one of my books. Tomorrow I'm giving away more books at Magical Musings and Crave More Romance.

Today, we received FIVE new reviews for Love at First Flight and I loved them all!! Here they are with highlights, in no particular order:

Musings of a Bibliophile: The romance between Micheal and Juliana was angst filled. There were some moments where I thought things couldn't get any worse, and of course, somehow they did. Michael and especially Juliana, had to work out the problems within themselves before they could move on to a healthy relationship. Once they had done that, things fell into place and in the end, everything seemed to work out just the way it should.

Overall, I really liked Love at First Flight. This book was my first by Marie Force and after reading it, I'm eager to try her previous release, Line of Scrimmage, and I look forward to what's to come.

My Thoughts . . . Your Thoughts: The worst part of the book was the ending! I didn't want it to! Michael, Jeremy and Juliana pull out all the stops at the end, and are all truly fighting for what they want and believe in. It was such a perfect ending to a great love story. The thing that I came out with is that love knows no bounds. Michael made that very clear.

What a fun story! I look forward to other books by this author. True romance books aren't usually on the top of my list, but it was very well written and I really enjoyed it. I had planned on giving this book away here on my blog, but I can't part with it. This is one that I know I'll read again.

The Book Binge: Marie Force really has a knack for getting the reader emotionally involved with her characters. I felt the same way when I read Line of Scrimmage and Love at First Flight is no exception. I have to give kudos to her for writing such an unconventional romance so well. The fact that she could engage my emotions throughout the whole book really is a testament to her skillfulness of storytelling.

Cheryl's Book Nook: Another good read from Marie Force. Her last novel, Line of Scrimmage was an instant hit with me. What I like about these books are the characters. They are people that readers can fall in love with. Plus the story lines are very believable. I liked that Michael and Juliana met on an airplane and that they are complete opposites. Like the saying goes…opposites do attract. Juliana and Michael share this great chemistry between the two of them. I can’t wait to read more by this talented author. Marie Force is a force to be reckoned with!

Book Loons: Marie Force hits all the right marks with Love at First Flight, a story that's got a little bit of everything: a great premise, endearing characters, a racy romance, and a nice dash of suspense as Michael struggles to balance personal life with a high visibility gang member murder trial, a situation that ultimately draws Juliana into the line of fire. Marie Force knows how to tell an emotionally charged and entertaining story.

Taking the Blogosphere By Storm Today

Launch Week Madness! Come see me at:

The Wet Noodle Posse where I'm talking about that One Magic Moment

The Book Addict on Pop Syndicate where I'm all about Rules Schmools:

And Novel Thoughts where I'm talking about Friendship Turning to Love

I'm giving away copies of both books, so come leave a comment to be entered into the drawings!

Happily Forever After Gives L@FF 4.5 Stars

Love At First Flight is the tale of how a chance encounter can change the course of your life forever...

Michael is a handsome, young lawyer who has not only been managing his career, but a long distance relationship with his fiance, Paige. This story starts out where Michael--although in the midst of prosecuting a huge case--is called away to Florida to attend an engagement party. His engagement party to be exact, and one being thrown by his wealthy in laws. Never one for flashy parties, he's anything but thrilled about having to go. But is doing so to keep his fiance happy.

By chance, his flight is delayed, and while waiting to board he meets the one person who would change his life forever.

Juliana, a hairdresser (I'm diggin' the hairdresser bit *wink*) has also been dealing with a long distance relationship with her high School sweetheart, Jeremy. After nearly ten years together, Juliana has been feeling like something is seriously up with Jeremy's behavior lately. He's been acting strange on the phone and she's hoping that her current trip down to Florida will help settle any worries she might be having about their relationship and his feelings toward her.

While waiting to board the plane she meets, Michael and the two hit it off immediately and get to chatting. Michael is fascinated and scared of his immediate attraction to Juliana. Her beauty, her scent, her sweet disposition...He knows he loves his fiance and yet, he can't seem to figure out why he would be so attracted to this woman he just met.

They remain travel companions through the remainder of the flight. Sharing tales of how they are each coping with their long distance relationships and of their plans for the future.

Juliana is also instantly taken with Michael's charms. He's funny, kind and easy going. As luck would have it, during the course of their conversations they realize that they would be returning on the same flight at the end of the weekend. They agree to accompany each other back and share tales of how their weekend panned out.

The plane lands, and Michael and Juliana go their separate ways.

Over the course of the next two days both Juliana and Michael are forced to face some harsh realities. Michael realizes that if he is to go through with marrying Paige, he will never be free of his future father in laws grip, and of course Paige's never ending demands. He is a man who likes things simple. A nice house, a few kids, and with Paige as his wife, he knows nothing will ever be simple. Michael comes to the decision to call off his engagement.

Juliana is faced with a devastating betrayal and the realization that after years of talking about marriage and kids, her relationship with Jeremy may not be all she believed it was. Heart broken, she realizes that she and Jeremy need a break. Three months away from each other to see if they are truly meant to be together.

When Michael and Juliana meet up on the return flight home, what had began as a cordial companionship blossoms quickly into a trusting friendship. They understand each other's turmoil and in turn offer each other a shoulder to cry on.

But before long that friendship blossoms into a all consuming love. But Juliana is intent on keeping her promise to Jeremy, and when the time comes for Juliana to make her decision, will she choose the man who had loved her for as long as she can remember, or the man who is promising to love her forever?

Ms Force did a wonderful job of drawing you in to the story. She made it very realistic in the sense that not only did I fall madly in love with Michael, but she forces you to really feel for Jeremy (Juliana's first love). You are struggling inside as to which man you really want her to be with.

Here are two examples of what I mean:

Michael:

They went upstairs to his room where he grabbed a heavy blanket and led her to the secluded roof deck. The lights of the city twinkled in the clear night sky as Michael drew her down next to him on the blanket. He tugged the shirt over her head and then did the same with his own.

Her eyes fixated on the engagement ring hanging from the chain around his neck.

"Do you think we can pretend?" he whispered reaching up to unhook the chain. "That just for tonight you're mine and this belongs right here?" Sliding the ring on to her finger he kissed his way up her neck. Page 216

Now Jeremy:

"You're the only one for me. You always have been, and you always will be. Don't stop loving me, Jule. I don't think I'd survive it." Page 267

My heart broke for both of them. And it isn't until the very end that it becomes perfectly clear who she was meant to be with all along.

My only issue while I read was that it seemed to take Juliana so long to make her decision. But in hind sight it makes complete sense. As I mentioned above, I was struggling with my own decision as to who she should choose, so how could the woman IN the situation not? LOL. Men, see what they do to us ;)

I will definitely be looking forward to future releases by this author.

My rating 4 1/2 stars

Thank you Barbara! Read the review and comments.

Five Stars for Love at First Flight!

Thank you so much to Kara at the World According to Books blog for her wonderful review of Love at First Flight. Honestly, she left me speechless! Here's what she had to say:

Love at First Flight - Marie Force
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2009
Pages: 383
Genre: Romance

I had the immense pleasure of being asked to review another book written by Marie Force. I absolutely loved her first book Line of Scrimmage, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on her next book.

After reading this book, I have to say that Marie Force has written another hit - at least with this reader. The first pages grab your attention, and the book holds it until the very end. I was ready for the emotional impact from the book (because of her unique writing style), but I wasn't prepared for the suspense and intrigue that encompassed the story. Marie Force certainly knows how to pull on your emotions when penning the romantic aspects of her stories, but I was equally impressed with her ability to draw out the suspense. It had me sitting on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next - both with the decisions they each had to make and with the intrigue behind the high profile trial that was going on throughout the book.

To recap the story a bit...Michael and Juliana meet at the airport heading in the same direction to meet their significant others. Michael is an attorney who is meeting his fiance for the weekend, and Juliana is a beautician who is meeting her boyfriend of ten years. They discover that they are on the same return flight and agree to meet and discuss how their weekends went. Needless to say, both were disastrous, with each of them breaking it off with their intendeds. This starts the relationship between Juliana and Michael. Get ready for a roller coaster ride through laughter, tears, nail-biting scenes, and life-altering decisions. Michael is the prosecuting attorney in a high profile case which leads to his life being in danger. Juliana, being connected with Michael, is not safe either. What will happen to their love? Will they get through the trial alive; what will happen in the end - together or back to their old lives?

While some creative license was taken with the legal aspects surrounding witness protection, it did not in anyway detract from the story. I look at it this way - fiction is just that - fiction. I loved how strong both Michael and Juliana were. There wasn't that airhead quality in Juliana - she kept her head on straight, made wise decisions, and didn't take chances concerning her safety during the trial. Michael was everything you could want in a hero - strength, intelligence, protective, and he loved with his whole heart. He was there for Juliana - even in the darkest of hours, and his love never wavered. Ahhhh to be loved like that!!

What else can I say - I loved this book. It is definitely on my keeper shelf. And a HUGE "Thank You" goes out to Danielle from Sourcebooks for giving me the opportunity to read this book and review it. And to you, Marie Force, what a talented author you are - your characters are captivating and come to life through your writing - they jump out of the pages and into the reader's heart. The plot is well-developed, flows smoothly, and engages the reader from beginning to end. Emotions are strong and written with such clarity that you feel them inside as if they were your own. Congratulations on your new release - and here's to many many more!!

Rating: 5/5
Pages: 383
Completed: 6/9/09

Love at First Flight: Another Review

From Connie at Once Upon a Romance:

For some time now, they’ve each been conducting long distant relationships…

Their flight has been delayed. Michael Maguire and Juliana Gregorio are both on their way to Jacksonville FL to see their significant others. He’s to attend his engagement party and she’s hoping for a romantic weekend with her long-time boyfriend. Michael and Juliana hit it off instantly. There’s an ease to their conversation as they talk about their jobs (he’s a prosecutor, she’s a hair stylist) and their lives.

The weekend turns out to be catastrophic for both of them. They commiserate on the plane back to Baltimore, but it doesn’t end there. Michael and Juliana’s lives entwine and connect in ways they never imagined.

Michael has been prepping for a high profile case. Juliana is attempting to work through her personal issues with confusion nipping at her heels. The pressure and stress is building. Add to that threats targeted at Michael, which seem to be coming from the defense. Danger follows them and catches up to them more than once, but they find comfort and strength in each other’s company and arms.

Unfortunately the trial isn’t the only thing they have to worry about. Michael’s ex-fiancée won’t give up and Juliana’s ex(ish)-boyfriend can’t seem to let her go. Once the trial is said and done, there are other decisions that will have to be made. Decisions that could break hearts and change lives.

I read this book in less than a twenty-four hour period. I can’t remember the last time a story held me as mesmerized as Love at First Flight; I couldn’t get enough and wanted more (though I could have done with out a select word used frequently). It’s a great story that knits together friendship and new-found love around bitter and sweet emotions, fear and sacrifice, and heartache and joy.

While the threats were real and seemingly around every corner, I appreciated how Ms. Force kept control of the situation, or perhaps it was just that her characters were mature, had their heads on straight. Michael and Juliana (most especially, which I was really thankful for) were always smart when it came to the threats, there were no impulsive actions, no stupid decisions. Finally, a heroine I could truly enjoy reading about.

Ms. Force pens so much more than a simple romance, her voice has that "certain something" which captivates the reader from first word to the last. She creates a story and characters the reader can embrace and cheer on whole-heartedly with a smile and a lump in the throat.

Thank you, Connie!

Love At First Flight: New Review

From Natalie at Wild on Books:

Love at First Flight

Marie Force

Juliana is on her way to see her boyfriend Jeremy. Michael is in the same airport waiting on a flight to take him to an engagement party being hosted by his soon to be in-laws. They strike up a conversation and promise to look for each other after the weekend is over to compare their visits on the flight home.

Juliana’s weekend goes nothing like she ever planned. Jeremy is just as she remembered him except for his admission that he has had thoughts of cheating. Juliana does her best to forgive him but when his cell phone rings while he is showering and a woman’s name pops up on the caller ID, Juliana knows that she and Jeremy need a break.

Michael’s time with his fiancée Paige and her parents is pure torture. Paige’s father is a military man through and though and as such, makes no qualms about trying to find Michael a job in Florida so that Michael and Paige can live close to home. When an announcement is made at the engagement party – one that Michael had not been notified about – he sees red. Enough is enough and Michael has had enough. Breaking off his engagement to Paige is the hardest thing he has ever done but it is something that had to happen. Now Michael can concentrate on the upcoming trial of two murderous mob bosses in peace.

Juliana and Michael see each other in the airport as planned and enjoy the flight home. What starts out as simple conversation with a stranger turns into something so much more and before Juliana and Michael know it, they are spending every waking moment together.

LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT is a captivating look at how two strangers can build a relationship of love and commitment. Juliana and Michael had no idea when they started talking before their flight that they would end up together. Michael was swamped at work with a trial to worry about – Juliana needed to be concerned about her boyfriend and her mother. Michael’s treatment of his fiancée Paige was infinitely better than I thought she deserved – especially after every single thing she put him through. I despised her from the first scene and never really warmed up to her. I found Paige to be selfish and the typical spoiled rich princess. Michael put up with her more than I would have and I caught myself trying to tell him how to handle her. As for Juliana, she was loyal to a fault but I never doubted her feelings for Michael – even with Jeremy still trying to win points with her and get back in her good graces.

When you add in the intrigue and suspense of Michael’s high profile trial, I found myself on the edge of my seat frantically reading to find out what happened. Realistic to the ‘nth’ degree, I could see the events unfolding in the courtroom and felt like I was right there to witness them.

The love Michael and Juliana felt for each other seemed to happen quickly and simultaneously but I never discredited their feelings. The love they found themselves sharing with each other was that of soul mates and it was exactly what each needed. They loved sensuously and every touch was full of emotion and caring. I found their exploration of each other to be fascinating and it was as if I was witnessing a realistic and committed relationship unfold.

LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT by Marie Force is most definitely a keeper. It is an astounding book. I loved every single word!

Thank you, Natalie!

July 20: Join Me for a Book Club Chat

We're going to talk about Love at First Flight right here on the blog on Monday, July 20, from 8 p.m. Eastern Time until we're done! So get your copies early and get them read so we can talk about all the juicy details. I'll pose a couple of questions and then we'll burn up the comments talking our faces off about Michael, Juliana, Paige, Jeremy, Rachelle, Mrs. R, the rotten Benedetti brothers, Juliana's dysfunctional family, Michael's sisters—the whole gang.

I want to know what you think of a few things that happen in the book. And, you can ask me any questions you have about the plot, the characters, the settings, the writing process. It's open mic night on the blog!

July 20, 2009
8 p.m. EASTERN
Bring Your Questions, Your Opinions and a Glass of Wine!

**There Will Be SPOILERS, so if you haven't read the book, don't look!

**A prize will be awarded to the most insightful book club participant!

Check out my blog tomorrow, June 6, on the Casablanca Authors Blog where I talk about Love, Sex and Murder as it applies to Love at First Flight!

Twenty-four days to go!!