Some Great News!

Wow, what a week this has been! On top of some major production on the WIP, Fatal Consequences, I finished up the proposal for Fatal Flaw (which, pending acquisition committee approval would be Fatal Book #4) and I got the first look at the cover for Fatal Justice. I absolutely LOVE the way the Harlequin design team is building the brand for the Fatal Series. The covers are gorgeous! I also love the glimpse at Sam and Nick as the designers see them, which is so exciting.

Here's the blurb on Fatal Justice:
Standing over the dead body of the man she’d dined with the night before, Sam was suddenly hip deep in another high-profile case.

The fact Washington, D.C. Metro Police Lieutenant Sam Holland was one of the last people to see Supreme Court nominee Julian Sinclair alive just complicates matters even more. On the plus side, her relationship with Senator Nick Cappuano is heating up—but it’s also attracting a lot of unwanted media attention and generating front-page newspaper articles.

The pressure is on for Sam to find Sinclair’s killer, but a new lead in her father’s unsolved shooting puts her in unexpected danger and her habit of keeping secrets threatens to derail her relationship with Nick. Once again, Sam and Nick discover that mixing romance with politics can be fatal…

Can't wait to get this one out there in January!

Next on the excitement-o-meter was the release today of the Fatal Affair Audio Book from Audible.com. You can check it out here. I wondered how long it would take to tell the full story and the verdict was 11 hours!

While we're on the subject of Fatal Affair, I was so pleased to hear this week that Harlequin will be releasing it in print in July 2011 as part of it's Direct to Consumers program. People who subscribe to Harlequin's Reader Service program for romantic suspense will receive a copy. I'm sure there will be other ways to buy the book, and I'll let you know about that once I know more. I can't wait to see the print copy of Fatal Affair!

Next on the news feed is the first look at Everyone Loves a Hero! I posted a two-chapter excerpt here. Everyone Loves a Hero is now available for pre-order here, and I'm running a contest for those who pre-order. Send me proof of purchase by midnight Oct. 22 (marie@marieforce.com) and I'll enter you into a drawing to win one of four Advance Reader Copies. You can also win by following me on Twitter @marieforce and telling me in 140 characters what makes a good hero.

Here's the back cover copy on Everyone Loves a Hero:

Being a hero isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…
After a heroic blizzard landing makes him famous, First Officer Cole Langston thoroughly enjoys the playboy lifestyle that comes with his fame and good looks. Until he meets the one woman he wants more than anything and finds it impossible to convince her of his love.

especially when everything you’ve ever wanted is at stake…
Olivia is a talented artist, working at an airport kiosk to get through school. When drop-dead gorgeous Cole rescues her from an obnoxious customer, their instant attraction turns into something much deeper…

With jealousy and insecurity rearing their ugly heads as Cole and Olivia fall hard for each other, they’ll either figure out how to trust, or they’ll both miss the connection of a lifetime…

Looking forward to giving away the ARCs for ELaH, so make sure to enter one or both of the contests before next Friday at midnight!

Popping In to Say Hello

Ohhhh, I've been the most awful blogger lately! My apologies for that! I've been writing away on the third Fatal book, Fatal Consequences, and the proposal for book 4, Fatal Flaw. I'm having the best time with Sam, Nick and their cast of supporting characters. There's a LOT going on in Fatal Consequences, and I'm looking forward to writing THE END--and finding out who done it! I've also got an idea for a fifth book that I'd call Fatal Proposition. I love spending time in the "Fatal" world and am hoping to write a novella covering Sam and Nick's wedding and honeymoon, which will be REALLY fun. :-) I've got such a fun plan for their wedding, and I hope readers will enjoy it.

Yesterday, I received the cover for Fatal Justice, and I LOVE IT! I'm just waiting to hear that it's final before I share it with you. The folks at Harlequin are doing a beautiful job of building the Fatal brand, and i couldn't be more delighted with the new cover.

In other book news, Everyone Loves a Hero is now available for Pre-Order. Just click on the cover to the right to check it out on Amazon. About the book:
Everyone loves a hero. That's the problem.
Hero pilot Cole Langston is learning to live with—and enjoy—his newfound fame and the rabid female attention that comes with it until a lucky punch knocks some sense into him and opens his eyes to true love. When his copilot suffers a heart attack in flight, Cole lands the jetliner in a blizzard and revives the stricken captain. Catapulted to national hero status, Cole has more women vying for his attention than he knows what to do with. They all have one thing in common: they try without success to bring this happy-go-lucky pilot down to earth. Then comes an airport altercation, a punch to the face, and the lovely Olivia—a shy, timid artist who does what no other woman has ever managed to do: steal Cole's well-protected heart. With women coming on to him everywhere they go, Olivia struggles to believe that Cole is ready for a committed relationship. His biggest problem is getting rid of all his extra ladies before the only one he wants figures out that she's one of many.

I promise I'll be back to more regular blogging once I finish Fatal Consequences!

A Little Thing Called Deadline

Wow, I have been woefully out of touch on the blog lately! I've been knee deep in the writing of Fatal Consequences, which is due November 30. I'm doing pretty well so I'm not too worried about making the deadline, but I do feel compelled to spend most of my free time chipping away at it. The good news the third time around with these characters is that I know them and their world so well now that it is flowing easier than the second book did. That's a relief! Speaking of the second book, Fatal Justice, it's gone to copy editing, which takes it that much closer to its January publication date.

A few other updates since we last chatted:
1. My kids have officially started 10th and 6th grades, and so far so good!

2. Brandy the puppy continues her naughty ways, providing daily comedy around the house.

3. Work has been busier and crazier than ever!

4. The Red Sox have tanked, thanks to injuries that plagued them all season.

5. I've been reading a lot. I go from an appetite for historicals to an appetite for contemporaries and then back again. You can see what I've been reading on the sidebar.

My favorite recent book is a Blaze called Hot Island Nights, by Sarah Mayberry, which was just fantastic. I highly recommend it. What're you reading lately?

Best Review EVER! 4.5 Stars from Romantic Times

FATAL AFFAIR
by Marie Force

Genre: Thriller, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

RT Rating: 4.5 Stars
This thriller involving sexual mutilation, political intrigue, and scandal is tastefully written. The author does an excellent job with no gratuitous descriptions or, even, murders. Force’s skill is also evident in the way that she develops the characters, from the murdered and mutilated senator to the detective and chief of staff who are trying to solve the case. The heroine, Sam, is especially complex and her secrets add depth to this mystery. Furthermore, the reignited romance between Detective Sam Holland and the senator’s chief of staff/best friend, Nick Cappuano, is lightning-quick and intense. Their relationship works perfectly in a mystery that is all about asking, ““who are you really?” For those looking for a romance, there’s plenty to go around, but this novel is definitely a thriller. The senator’s death and his enigmatic Kennedy-esque family are the stuff of edgy soap operas. This novel is “The O.C.” does D.C., and you just can’t get enough.

D.C. detective Sam Holland is recovering from a case gone wrong when she gets the chance salvage her reputation with the high profile case of the murder and mutilation of Senator John O’Connor. To complicate things more, the senator’s chief of staff is Nick Cappuano, a man Sam shared a night of passion with years ago and never heard from again. As Sam enlists Nick’s help, the sparks fly, but getting involved with a witness is definitely against metro police protocol. As Sam struggles to track down a killer, she can’t deny that she’s falling for Nick. But will her newfound romance blind her to the fact that she’s in very real danger? Reviewed By: Maria Planansky

Read it online!

Thank you, Maria and RT!

What's New and Exciting?

Where in the world has the last month gone? Let's see, what's new around here? Well, I've been to Orlando twice this summer. Once for my company's annual conference at the World Center Marriott and then back again 10 days later for RWA's annual conference at the Swan and Dolphin. After being at the World Center, the S&D didn't do it for me. And it was hot. Damned HOT walking between the two hotels, which I didn't enjoy. The RWA conference, itself, was excellent and I was glad I went. I got to meet all the wonderful ladies behind the Carina Press effort and attended the Carina dinner followed by the Harlequin party. Held at the ritzy Waldorf Astoria, the party was everything I expected. Lots of fun! I danced until my feet ached and then danced some more.

I've finished the line edits to Fatal Justice, and last week, I received the wonderful news that my Fatal Series with Carina will be moving forward with book 3, Fatal Consequences. This is the first time I've sold on proposal, the first time I'll write to a deadline (Nov. 30) and the first time I've had the synopsis written ahead of the book. I've never been much of a plotter, but after writing Fatal Justice (book 2 in the series) I realized I needed to do some sort of outline because the police procedurals require far too much brain power to rely solely on memory and grit to get through them. So I'm looking forward to experiencing the writing process from this perspective. I don't expect I'll change my routine for the straight contemporaries, but for the romantic suspense books, the plotting might turn out to be my salvation! I'll keep you posted!

On the home front, we've had a wonderful summer of great weather, lots of time on my dad's boat, long days at the beach and fun times with friends. Jake has finished sailing camp for another summer. He so loves that and will begin counting down to it beginning in April next year. Emily nannied for one of my cousins, who has six- and three-year-old boys whom she loved spending time with. So everyone has been busy and content, which makes my work-at-home life so much easier than it used to be when I used to hear "I'm bored" 50 times a day! Life is good!

One other bit of news: I'll be giving away a new Kindle if I can get my fan page up to 5,000 by Sept. 30. To enter, stop by the page, "like" me, and tell me why you'd like to win: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Force/248130827909. We've got a LONG way to go to get to 5,000, so do me a favor and tell your friends!

So what've you been up to this summer?

The World According to Brandy: My Side of the Story

By Branderson Cooper "Brandy" Force

I understand my mom has been spreading malicious lies about me on Facebook. First, she told you about the...um...pooping incident in the car. Allow me to explain. They took me to the doctor and he gave me some medicine that knocked me out. When I woke up, my belly was sewed together and I had a lampshade on my head. That look really didn't work for me. The other dogs in the neighborhood were making fun of me. It was a mess. The people I live with kept shoving pills down my throat, and I blame the pills for the in-the-car pooping incident. Even I, who have a seemingly endless supply of poop at the ready at all times, can't poop twice in 20 minutes unless I'm on something. Agreed?

Now, about the welcome mat situation. Can I help it if they put a mat at the door that I find particularly tasty? What's a girl to do with that kind of temptation and nothing but time on her paws? Personally, I find rectangular welcome mats somewhat passe. I mean who doesn't have one of those? How many families can say they have an isosceles triangle for a welcome mat? When the triangle welcome mat becomes the "in thing" will anyone remember that I was the one who started that trend? I like to think of my design sense as avante garde. Deal with it!

The dog door I installed on the back deck was just practical. Easy in, easy out. No muss, no fuss. That's what I'm all about. Busting through the second screen to the big deck just seemed to make sense from an engineering standpoint. If I have access to the small deck, why not the big deck, too? I knew you'd see it my way.

Finally, about yesterday's sofa peeing incident. That was definitely Mom's fault. She went away for DAYS and DAYS and didn't even tell me she was going. Then she came back and rather than spend the entire day playing with me, she was busy on that damned silver thing with the apple on it. So when she put it on the downstairs sofa, I figured if I took a whiz on it then maybe it would have to dry for a while before she could use it. That would buy us some play time, right? Apparently I didn't pee hard enough because after she flipped out, she cleaned it up and went back to work. Rather than play time, I got a time out. Major fail. That silver thing is my enemy when it comes to scoring time with mom. I'm getting out my hard hat and protractor and going back to work to figure out a way to get rid of it. I'll report back to you on my progress.

A Visit to Washington, D.C.

(More snippets from the blog tour! This one was written for the Australian Romance Readers!)

Thanks for having me back for another visit the day before my new book, Fatal Affair, launches at Carina Press. I thought I’d talk to you all today about one of my favorite places to visit: America’s capital city!

Driving into Washington, D.C. at night from the Northern Virginia side of the Potomac River is one of my favorite things to do and see. On the far right by the Tidal Basin is the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument. I never look at Jefferson that I don’t think of my late dog Roscoe getting a big idea to jump in the freezing water many years ago and us having to fish him out. Oh how we laughed! He was not the sharpest tool in the shed sometimes!

Moving along the waterfront we come to the Lincoln Memorial, Kennedy Center, the Watergate, and Georgetown University. As we cross the 14th Street Bridge, airplanes leaving Ronald Reagan National Airport fly overhead, so close that it feels like you could reach up and touch them. Looming in the distance, the U.S. Capitol stands watch over the entire city. Just crossing the bridge, you begin to feel the heartbeat of Washington.

I’ve driven over the bridges that lead into Washington hundreds of times and that night view never, ever gets old for me. There’s something so magical about the monuments lit up at night, especially Lincoln. Before the mid-1990s, I had only visited Washington as a tourist. In 1996, I was hired by a company headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, which is just over the 14th Street Bridge from the city. Suddenly, I was in and out of Washington all the time, and I soon discovered there was a lot more to the city than what the tourists see. For one thing, there is traffic. Lots and lots of traffic! There are beautiful neighborhoods and then there are desolate stretches marked by poverty and neglect. America’s capital city is no different in many ways than most other large cities, but the monuments lend an aura of history and magic that make it a one-of-a-kind destination.

Often when starting a book, one of the biggest decisions authors face is where to set their story. However, when starting Fatal Affair, I knew a United States Senator was going to be found dead in his Washington apartment. The idea of setting a book in one of my favorite cities was exciting. And then Fatal Affair grew into a series, and Fatal Justice will soon follow, also set in Washington. As I ponder book 3 in the Fatal Series, the opportunity to set multiple books in Washington makes me giddy with writerly joy.

I’m curious about your impressions of Washington. Have you visited America’s capital city? Or just seen and heard about it on T.V. and in the news? Do you follow U.S. politics at all? What do you really think of what goes on in Washington? Honestly! I want to know! :-)