Why I'm a Selfish Author :-)

So it's occurred to me recently that I'm a rather selfish author. Now, now, it's TRUE. I write my books the way I want to and don't spend much time obsessing or worrying if there's something about them people don't like, or if a reader doesn't like the entire book. That's okay. That's their prerogative. I've decided it's far, far, FAR more important that I please myself than it is that I please anyone else. See how selfish I am? :-)

Let me give you an example. When it comes to my McCarthys of Gansett Island Series, there is a small camp of readers who do not like the fact that I include rather extensive stories for characters other than the hero and heroine. I absolutely get why they don't like it. The thing is, though, I like it. I love going back and revisiting couples who starred in past books and seeing what's up with them. Sometimes it's big stuff. In Season for Love, for example, Grant and Stephanie from Falling for Love hit a rather big speed bump in their love story. Doesn't that happen in real life? Don't people who are madly in love one minute start to wonder in the next minute if this thing that's sprouted between them will go the distance? See, I thought so! That's right when it starts to get interesting to me. How about you?

In Longing for Love, book 7, Evan and Grace from Hoping for Love will hit a bump when her parents come to the island for a surprise visit and discover that not only does their daughter have a boyfriend she never told them about, but he's living with her, too. Something tells me Evan is going to be rather hurt by the fact that she never bothered to tell her folks about him. Will that be the main story in Longing for Love? Nope. Tiffany and Blaine will be the main attraction in that book, but life hasn't stopped for the rest of the Gansett Island community, and I like to write about that. I suppose that makes me a selfish author, and shockingly, I'm quite okay with that.

The first person I have to please with my books is ME. If I don't love them, how can I expect any of you to love them? I will be the first to admit there is a LOT going on in Season for Love. I can totally see how some people might think it's too much, and I've already acknowledged that we can't have story for every past couple in every future book. Season was  definitely Laura and Owen's book, but I also used it as a wrap-up of the first six books and a launch pad for the next few. Did I succeed? I'll let you tell me!

The vast majority of readers, especially those in my McCarthy Reader Group, enjoy the subplots and want more of them in future books. Those of you who agree with them are in luck, because I do, too. And since I'm a selfish, selfish author, I plan to please myself first and foremost. :-)

Of course I'm teasing about being selfish. I always hope readers will enjoy my books, but if I'm not enjoying the writing of the books, there won't be any more. I've made a career out of breaking the mold a bit, such as the Fatal Series that features the same couple in every book (supposedly a no-no in romance) and now the McCarthy Series that keeps past couples front and center in future books. You may not always get what you expect from me (hello, Seamus and Carolina?), but just as I hope to keep things interesting for you, I've got to keep things interesting for me, too. Thus the road less traveled. I hope you'll continue to come along for the ride, even if I take you places you didn't expect to go. After all, my journey would be absolutely no fun without my lovely readers riding shotgun.

So tell me, are you in the "Want more of the past characters" camp or the "Want less of the past characters" camp?

HOPING FOR LOVE, McCarthys of Gansett Island Book 5, Out TUESDAY!

I'm really excited to announce that Evan McCarthy's story, HOPING FOR LOVE, book 5 in the McCarthy Series, will be out this coming Tuesday! I think this might be my favorite of all the McCarthy books. I really enjoyed writing Evan and his love interest, Grace Ryan. Until he meets Grace, Evan is one of those toxic guys we all know to stay away from. He's out for a good time and a commitment-free life. Grace has recently undergone lap-band surgery and lost a lot of weight. She's venturing in the world of dating and men for the first time at 28. She's looking for a man, not an overgrown boy. Evan, who is immediately taken with her, realizes pretty quickly that he's going to have to make some big changes if he's to stand a chance with lovely Grace. Can he do it?

Read an excerpt from HOPING FOR LOVE.

Grace's character was fun to write because, among other things, she's an inappropriate laugher, like yours truly. Many of the stories Grace shares about her inappropriate laughter (wakes, funerals, weddings, etc.) are actually my stories, including an incident that occurs in a restaurant when she's out to dinner with Evan. Been there, done that, laughed about it. Like me, Grace has trigger words and trigger people who she can't make eye contact with in a tight spot. This was far more fun to write about than it is to live through!

Another thing you can expect in HOPING FOR LOVE is more of Owen Lawry and Laura McCarthy. I hadn't intended to give Owen and Laura their own book, but their story presented an opportunity in HOPING so SEASON FOR LOVE will follow HOPING. It will take us through winter on Gansett Island (even though it will be out this summer) and will include a wedding and an engagement in addition to Owen and Laura's story. After that, the series will skip forward to the following summer with Tiffany's book, LONGING FOR LOVE, followed by Adam McCarthy's story, LOOKING FOR LOVE. While I was writing HOPING, I had an idea for a follow-on series that would keep the action on Gansett for some time to come.

REMINDER: As a self-published author, I'm not able to offer this or any of my books for pre-order. The retailers don't provide that option yet. I hope someday they will. For now, I will do my best to have the book available by March 6, but please know that much of it is out of my hands once I upload the book.

I hope you enjoy Evan and Grace's story as much as I loved writing it!

Dear Diary: Back to Work, NYC, WIPs and The Oscars

Ahhhh, what's that I hear? The sound of silence? Well, not entirely... The kids are back to school after 10 days off, but Brandy and Louie are having their first morning wrestle and the guy is here to take the doors off the rooms in my house. The doors are the final frontier in the recent home renovation project. For nearly 10 years, we've lived in a house that has all different doors on all different rooms. I scratch my head wondering when that was ever in style. Umm, never? We've been saying we were going to do this job for ages and now, it's ON. So one final week (I hope) of disruption in the house before things really get back to normal.

Over the vacation, I took my kids to NYC for a few days. (Photo to the left was taken at the top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The building under construction to the right of the Empire State Building is the new World Trade Center tower.) We got very lucky with balmy weather that made walking around the city much more pleasant than it would normally be this time of year. The kids ice skated at Rockefeller Plaza, we went to the top of 30 Rock and my daughter got to see Jimmy Fallon practice his monologue. Funny story about the monologue... They were giving away tickets in the NBC Experience store, so we grabbed three and of course never looked at them. When Emily heard she was going to meet Jimmy Fallon (one of her favorite comedians), she had to go back to the hotel to shower and change. I thought that was really cute. She was like a giddy little kid, and I haven't seen her like that in a long time. We get back to NBC and we're told by a self-important security guard that Jake can't go in because he isn't 17. "Well," he mutters under his breath, "she isn't either." Okay, shut up now, please! Emily has always looked much older than she is, even though she won't be 17 until July. No one would argue if you said she was 20 or older. Jake, on the other hand, won't look 17 when he IS 17.

What was funny about the whole incident was that he was far more indignant about the crack to his age than he was about not getting to see Jimmy Fallon. So here I am in NYC with a major dilemma: do I let my kid go off by herself to see one of her favorite comedians or do we scuttle the whole thing? She was very good about it and said if Jake can't go in, I won't go either. Another mom standing in line with her two girls spoke up and offered to take Emily with them. She needed two more tickets to get her group in, so we gave her our tickets and she took custody of Emily, which was very comforting. I did tell her, "If you steal her, you deserve her, and she's VERY expensive to have around." The other mom, who was there with two teenage girls of her own, thought that was funny. I think she can relate! Of course it all worked out fine, and Emily actually exchanged words with Jimmy Fallon, which is the highlight of her life thus far. The other mom waited with her until we were reunited which was really great of her. While Emily was in the show, Jake said he would've been really bummed if she'd had to miss it because of him. There's hope for him yet, but he did tell me he "needed" a Coke to get him past the disappointment. Such an operator! One of my friends pointed out that letting Emily go off by herself in NYC was a good "dry run" for 18 months from now when I might be leaving her there for college. Sniff... I don't like to think about that!

Speaking of college, while we were in NYC, we toured NYU for Emily. I can sooooo see her there. Sigh... It's four hours by car from here, but a quick one-hour flight. She would have some amazing opportunities as an NYU student. Now we'll have to see about getting her in. I think it's great that she is seeing these schools now and realizing what she needs to do grade-wise for the rest of her junior year to make it happen. We also went to see the 911 Memorial. After living through that searing day, I wasn't all that keen on going to the memorial, but both kids really wanted to see it. In the end, I was glad I went. I think the memorial is beautiful and fitting and so incredibly sad. Have you seen the memorial? If so, what did you think? If not, would you want to?

Not much work got done while we were in NY, but over the weekend I wrote the first two chapters of McCarthy book 6, Season for Love. I needed to get the first chapter done so I can include it in the back of Hoping for Love. Season will feature Owen and Laura with snippets of stories for all the earlier couples as winter sets in on Gansett. It will show our island friends over the holidays with a wedding thrown in and possibly an engagement. Book 5, Hoping for Love, is off to the proofreader for a last look before it goes live in March. This week, I'll also be showing off the cover of Hoping for Love at the McCarthys of Gansett Island Reader Group on Facebook, so make sure you join the group for the first look at Evan and Grace's cover and to be the first to hear the release date.

This week, I'm back to work on Fatal Attack. Time to kick that book into high gear! I've also been chipping away at Duchess by Deception in my "spare" time. If you're keeping score at home, yes, that's three books currently in various stages in three different genres: contemporary, romantic suspense and historical. And you wonder why I worry about my head exploding?!

Finally, what did you think of the Oscars? I thought the show itself was a major SNORE. I hate all the stupid "bits" and the acrobats and other junk that sucks up time I'd rather see given to the winners so they aren't played off five seconds after they get on stage. Billy Crystal was just okay, in my opinion. Robert Downey Jr. was hilarious and should be next year's host. I was disappointed that my fellow Rhode Island native Viola Davis didn't win, but I love Meryl Streep, and as always, she was classy and perfect. (LOVED Collin Firth's Mama Mia comments. I don't know about you, but I could listen to him read the phone book. He's adorable!) I loved Meryl's dress, too. Normally, she's somewhat of a fashion disaster, but last night, she was spot on. Angelina, please keep your leg in your dress. We really don't care. I swear. Brad, love that you're sporting "The Rachel" these days. Nice tip of the hat to Jenn. The only nominated movie I saw was "The Descendants." I had soooo many issues with that movie and the plot (they're going to hunt down the mother's lover while she is DYING in the hospital? Really?), but I had no issue with two hours of George Clooney on the screen. Dreamy. I was thrilled to see Christopher Plummer win as well as Octavia Spencer. I'm looking forward to seeing "The Help." What did you think of the Oscars? Have you seen any of the movies? Which one is must-see?

Happy Monday!

Dear Diary: The Beautiful Thing About Ebooks

There are so many beautiful things about e-books. They are easily accessible, user friendly and never go out of print. They are available on a moment's notice and fit neatly on groovy devices we take with us everywhere we go. From the author's point of view, they are also easily updated, which is what I spent this morning doing. I updated the entire McCarthy series and created new files for the various retailers. I redid the Author's Note in each book to account for the fact that there will soon be five books in the series, and I updated the About the Author pages, as well as the reviews and list of available books to include new ones. It was a good "housekeeping" job that needed to be done. I'll also be refreshing the book descriptions on the various retail sites to include reviews, testimonials and a listing of the other books in the series. While all of this takes time and effort, I'm thrilled to be able to do it myself.

Speaking of housekeeping, I've just done a slight overhaul to my website. I've added a "Connect" button that lists all the ways readers can connect with me, from this blog to the reader groups on Facebook to Twitter and beyond. I've added a "Reviews" link to keep all my reviews in one central place, and we added a tab for the Treading Water Trilogy. The website is always a work in progress, so if there's anything you'd like to see there that I've missed, just let me know. On the back end, my lovely web guy Dan helped me to set up a sidebar feature that will allow me to make a single update to the sidebar that will then show up on every page. That might seem like a small thing, but as the site grows, it's a huge time saver to be able to hit every page with one update. It's the little things that make my life easier!

On the writing front, I hit 12,000 words on Fatal Attack yesterday. It was one of those perfect days when everything is firing on all cylinders. That book is off to a great start and the hardest part—the set up—is done now. I got to write a really fun Sam and Nick at home scene last night that I loved. I so enjoying hanging out with them. At this point they feel like old friends, and I know them so well that writing them gets easier all the time. The hardest part of the Fatal books is always the police investigation portion. I like where that part of Fatal Attack is heading. While at the gym yesterday (let there be no wasted time), I figured out the nuts and bolts of what will be the book after Attack, Fatal Mistake. That one is going to have a sports theme to it, and I'm looking forward to writing that. I'm also plugging away on my historical, Duchess by Deception, and thinking about the opening chapter of Season for Love, book 6 in the McCarthys of Gansett Island Series. I'll need to do that opening chapter soon so I can include it in the back of book 5, Hoping for Love, when that's released in March. So, there's a lot going on inside my poor tired brain, but it's all good and I'm having so much fun!

The new dog Louie seems to be settling in well. It's amazing how fast he and Brandy have worked out things like whose bowl is whose, who is allowed on what portion of the sofa, who I belong to (BRANDY, if you ask her, and LOUIE, if you ask him) and various other pack details. I posted a video of them playing tug of war with one of their toys last night. They sound like cute little one-horsepower motors! Since we're still training Louie on the invisible fence, we're not letting him run free in the yard yet, so we have to walk him out to his rope on the tree (hopefully, for just another day or two). One thing I have noticed about him is for a skinny little 39-pound dude, he is FREAKISHLY strong. Yesterday, I was bringing him in, lost my balance and ended up face down on the cement porch with skinned knees and a bruised elbow. I imagine it was quite a sight for any passing motorists! I managed to hang on to him as I recovered my senses, but it was a lesson to make sure I'm being careful where he's concerned. He's small but scrappy! I also discovered today, much to Dan's dismay, that Louie is a digger. Brandy went through a fierce digging phase that has only recently ended. Poor Dan...he fights a losing battle with the grass and the digging dogs are not good for growing grass. I see a lecture from Dad in poor Louie's future... I wonder if he will listen?

Song I can't get out of my head: still Set Fire to the Rain by Adele. Day five.... My family is going to shoot me any minute.

Who I love on American Idol: Phillip Phillips. My daughter predicts he will win. What do you say?

Looking forward to: More Idol as well as Grey's and Private Practice tonight

Hope you're having a great day!
xoxo
Marie

Dear Diary: Much to Report

Hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day! Ours was very nice with flowers and candy and a nice dinner with the kids. We talked about going out but the idea of dealing with crowds and slow service wasn't appealing. Maybe we'll go out tonight instead. I'm all for any plan that involves me NOT cooking!

One of the members of my Fatal Series Readers Group wondered what Sam and Nick were doing for Valentine's Day. So I penned a little story that features Sam taking the lead on romance's biggest day. Yes, you read that right! SAM is taking the lead for once. If you'd like to find out whether or not she pulled it off, join the group and click on the "Docs" tab at the top. I also just revealed the name of the book that will follow Fatal Attack to the group! I spent my gym time today pondering the murder mystery for the next book, and wondering if there's something wrong with me because I get a charge out of thinking up new ways to kill people. Hmmm.... Lots of fun stuff coming up for Sam and Nick! I'd like to know if the 2500-word Valentine's Day story counts toward my word count for yesterday. The husband says no. I say yes. LOL! I made some good progress on FATAL ATTACK yesterday, and I like the direction this one is taking.

On the McCarthy front, the copy editor reported in last night that book 5, HOPING FOR LOVE, is her favorite one yet. Yay! She said, "Well, I think I said the last book was the best one yet, but I was wrong, because THIS ONE is the best one yet! OMG, love, love, loved it." Thank you Linda Ingmanson! Linda does a great job editing my self-published books, and I love working with her.

I'm pleased and excited that TRUE NORTH is now available in print. I'm working on getting all of my self-published books available in print, so watch for the McCarthys in print, coming soon! Will post the links here and on my website when I have them.

A couple of updates from yesterday: Thanks to my Facebook friends, I figured out why the iPhone wasn't ringing. I'm now intimate with my mute switch. Who knew? Thanks to everyone who helped! I'm getting the hang of it, and I know I will like it. Eventually. On the home front, Louie is settling in nicely and Brandy seems to be getting used to her new "brother." They love to wrestle and chase each other around the house. He's fit right in like he's always been here, which is great. Dan had a feeling about him, and I have to say he was right! (Don't tell him I said that though.... LOL)

I want to talk a little bit today about pre-orders and why some of my books aren't available for pre-order and others are. The simple truth is that Amazon and other retailers don't yet offer pre-order capability to self-published authors. I really hope that will change before too much longer. This means the new McCarthy book won't be available for pre-order, but will go on sale on the designated release day in March (still to be determined) and not before. I wish this wasn't how it worked, and I've talked to Amazon about changing the policy, but no movement yet. The Fatal Series books are published by a division of Harlequin. Since traditional publishers are the only ones who can do pre-orders, that is why the Fatal books have been available for pre-order when the others are not. I hope that sheds some light on the behind the scenes situation. I know this is frustrating for a lot of readers. Believe me, it's frustrating for me too because I answer a LOT of questions about this issue! Here's hoping there will be a change in this policy before too much longer!

Have a great day!

Dear Diary: I Might Be a Valley Girl

The whirlwind that is launch week continues with lots of fun and excitement surrounding FATAL FLAW! Thanks to everyone who has written to tell me you've enjoyed the latest installment of Sam and Nick's adventures. One of the comments I've heard a few times is that series are supposed to go downhill after book 3, which was news to me. LOL! Readers have told me the Fatal Series is getting better, and they can't wait for the next one. Of course I love hearing that and will continue to do my best to make sure we're heading uphill rather than down. Thanks to my Nook readers for putting FATAL FLAW in the Barnes & Noble Top 100! That's quite a thrill!

Fatal Series readers might be interested in hearing my interview with RT Book Reviews in which I talk about Sam and Nick and what makes them special to me. Like most people, I hate to watch myself on video because I always think, Do I really sound like an overgrown Valley Girl? Apparently so! I'll be on TV in the Providence, RI, area on Monday, talking about romance in advance of Valentine's Day. I'll post the link to that interview when I have it. I'm going to do my best not to sound like a Valley Girl this time. Like... Oh my GOD! :-)

McCarthy Series Readers may want to join the fun at the McCarthys of Gansett Island Readers Group on Facebook where this week the girls are casting the guys for the imaginary movies they are going to make of the books. If you have some thoughts about who could play Mac, Joe, Luke, Grant, Evan, Adam or Big Mac, come on over and join in the fun! Speaking of the McCarthys, Evan's book, HOPING FOR LOVE, is heading to the copy editor today! I can't wait to get it ship-shape and out to you in March. More to come on a release date when I have it.

I had a really great time yesterday with my friend Karen Lawson's book club in Defiance, Ohio. Thanks to the magic of Skype, I was able to join in their chat about TREADING WATER, which was really exciting. You all know how much that book means to me, and to be able to debate the issues in the book with readers was such a thrill. Thank you Karen and the ladies of Defiance. I think I'd like to live in a town with that name. Do you think it comes with an attitude to match its name? Maybe I need to set a book there. Hmm... If you'd like to Skype me into your book club, let me know! I'd love to come. It's so much fun to talk about my books with readers!

I've really fallen off the gym wagon this week (and last). I somehow managed to hurt my foot, and I've been trying to stay off it. Dan has diagnosed me with a stress fracture. I'm really hoping that isn't the case as I imagine the fun my brother and cousins would have teasing me about my foot being under such STRESS that my bones are breaking! Let's face it, they could have a field day with that one!

Well, I am off to finish a re-read of FATAL FLAW to refresh my memory and get myself in the right frame of mind to dive back into FATAL ATTACK! Have a great day!

Dear Diary: The Cheese Whiz Effect

Someone was asking me today if I'm keeping busy with my new job. Umm, yes. Yes, I am. In fact, I have no idea where the days are going. Time is flying by as if I stepped into a machine that puts life on overdrive. You know that January was full of home renovations that took way too much of my time and brain space. This month, it's all the details of incorporating my business and establishing new bank accounts and various other details that involve phone calls from the lawyer, the accountant and the bank.

Today, I actually used a Cheese Whiz analogy to describe the way my writing life has exploded to fill the available time. You know how the whiz is compressed into the can but explodes the minute you let it out? That's what's happened to me since I left my job to write full time. The new "job" (that still never really feels like a job) has exploded to fill the available space, and I love everything about it!

Thanks to everyone who gave Fatal Flaw such a great release day! I so appreciate all the lovely emails and comments about the book. Once I get Hoping for Love off to the copy editor, I'll be back to Sam and Nick and their latest adventure in Fatal Attack. All the chatter on the Fatal Flaw Readers Group has me jonesing to get back to that world for another visit. If you've finished the book and want to join the chat, just click on the link. We'd love to have you!

Dear Diary: Launch Day and Other News!

Happy Launch Day for FATAL FLAW, book 4 in the Fatal Series! Sam and Nick are back with a whole new adventure.

Back from their honeymoon, Senator Nick Cappuano and D.C. Police Lieutenant Sam Holland are ready for some normalcy after the whirlwind of their wedding, but someone has other plans for them. When Sam discovers wedding cards containing thinly veiled death threats, she's not sure if she or Nick is the target.

Already on edge, Sam and her team start investigating a series of baffling murders. The victims are well-liked with no known enemies, and the murders are carried out in a clean and efficient manner. Unable to find a clear motive for the deaths, she feels like she's chasing her tail.

With no obvious connection between the victims, Sam soon suspects that she may be the ultimate prize in the killer's clever game. When the danger starts to hit a little too close to home, she has two goals: find the elusive murderer and manage to live long enough to enjoy her happily ever after.

Read an excerpt!

Get it at:
Kindle/Amazon
Nook/Barnes & Noble
iPad/Apple
Kobo
Carina Press
All Romance E-books


Audio Book
Audible
iTunes

I'm really excited to get this one out to readers. I finished it back in July, and it's been hard to keep quiet about everything that happens in this new book. When you're done reading, join the reader chat at Fatal Flaw Readers Group on Facebook. But don't join the group until you're done reading since we'll be spilling spoilers over there.

My lovely beta readers, Ronlyn and Kara, who love to tease me about everything they can think of, reminded me last night about some of the off-color names I had for Fatal Flaw during the writing. I can't repeat any of them here, but suffice to say this book put me through the paces. For the first time in 20 books, I rewrote the entire first chapter when I was three-quarters of the way through. Something just wasn't working, so Ronlyn, Kara and I put our heads together and discovered the story had a... wait for it.... FATAL FLAW! LOL! Once we figured that out and I redid the first chapter, it was smooth sailing to THE END. I learned a lot writing this particular book, and I think it'll be easier to write future Fatal books knowing what I do now. Let's hope so anyway!

In other news from this weekend, HOPING FOR LOVE, book 5 in the McCarthys of Gansett Island Series, is now finished! I love the way Evan and Grace's story came together. It was so fun to write Evan as he resisted the overwhelming feelings he had for Grace until he could no longer deny that his life as a single guy is O-V-E-R. It couldn't have happened to a better man, and Grace is a lucky girl to have one of the McCarthy brothers madly in love with her! I had planned to write Tiffany's book next, but over the weekend I decided I might do a "winter on Gansett" book before I get to Tiff. I'm toying with the name SEASON FOR LOVE for this one. Let me ask you this: How do you feel about reading a Christmas-related story when it's not Christmas on the calendar? I'd love to hear your thoughts on that!

For my fellow New England Patriots fans out there, I have one word for us all: OUCH. That one hurt. They didn't look like our usual Patriots last night with the receivers missing more than they caught. While there is always next year, I plan to lick my wounds for a few more days anyway! How about you?

News on my latest addiction: Downton Abbey. If you aren't watching this show, you're missing out on some great TV. I realized this weekend that Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) is the same guy who didn't recognize Julia Roberts' character Anna as a huge movie star in Notting Hill. Loved that scene! Today I found season 2 of Downton online and started watching the two-hour season premier. After an hour, I had to LITERALLY drag myself away and get to work. It's that good. Do you watch it?

Well, back to work promoting FATAL FLAW and proofing HOPING FOR LOVE. I'm also planning to do some work this week on my historical romance in the making: DUCHESS BY DECEPTION. Did I tell you my agent LOVED the first half? Now I just need to finish it up, and I can't wait to get to that as well as the next Fatal book, FATAL ATTACK. Busy, busy!  Hope you have a wonderful Monday!

Dear Diary: The Sound of Silence

Ahhhhh, it's done! The big carpet/tile upstairs/downstairs disaster is finally finished and no one will be coming to bang around in my house today. I am soooo glad we did it, but I'm even more glad it's over. It looks fantastic, and we are very happy with the outcome. Working in a "war zone" of renovation and repair is not conducive to creativity, that's for sure. We have one final frontier to face and that is the replacing of the doors on all the rooms. We think the guy who lived here before us went to a door yard sale because they are all different. That has bugged me for more than nine years, so we're finally doing something about it. And then we will REALLY be done!

Sorry to miss a day of the diary yesterday. I was at a funeral in the morning for one of my dad's cousins, who died over the weekend. He is in Florida, so my brother and I went as his representatives. Ironically, Mary ended up being buried about 100 yards from our mother, which should please both ladies as they were great pals in life. I like to imagine my mother up there welcoming Mary, and saying something to the effect of, "Glad to see you! We could use a spark plug like you around here!" And I like to think of Mary telling my mom, "You won't believe what Marie is up to these days!" since my mom didn't live to see any of the great stuff that has happened with my books. (Although I like to believe she knows all about it and is helping to make it happen.)

I had to laugh the other night when our governor delivered the state of the state message (verdict: it's not good), and the local news never mentioned the governor's name until 11:10 because they were too busy with Super Bowl coverage. As always, in Rhode Island, our priorities are straight!

Today it is back to work on HOPING FOR LOVE and lunch with my childhood best friend. Looking forward to both! Another bit of good news: my agent really loved the "half a historical" I submitted to her. She is a lover of all things historical, so to have struck a chord with her feels like a big accomplishment. I'm excited to get back to work on that book and finish it up. It's a whole new genre for me, and I'm loving the grand experiment. I hope you will too when you get to read it!

Have a great day!

Dear Diary: The First Month

Here we are at Jan. 31, the end of my first month as a self-employed writer. So how did it go? Well, it's been an interesting time of transition and discovery, that's for sure. As I've mentioned before, I expected things to go on pretty much as they had when I was working full-time from home for an outside company. The biggest surprise of this month is that wasn't the case. I'm finding I have to be a lot more self-motivated than I was when I had requests from coworkers and contractors and association members framing my days. It's also been an adjustment "giving myself permission" to write during the day after so many years of only being able to write at night. That adjustment seems to be happening finally. Yesterday, I wrote nearly 5,000 words in HOPING FOR LOVE. Yay! I'm really loving this new McCarthy book, and I hope you guys will, too. I've been torturing poor Evan, who can't quite figure out what's so different about this one woman who turns his head around and makes him forget all about his best laid plans to stay far, far away from anything that smacks of commitment. Super fun!

Another thing I'm trying to "train" myself to do as new life enters the second month is to allow for an occasional night or *gasp* full day OFF. Imagine that. I honestly can't remember the last time I took a full, complete day off from all things "work" related. Nothing about writing books or corresponding with readers feels like "work" to me, so that's part of the so-called problem. I like my work. Thus, it doesn't feel like work to me. Not a bad problem to have, all things considered!

I'm getting excited for the release on Monday of Fatal Flaw, book 4 in the Fatal Series. Here's what you can expect in the new installment:


Back from their honeymoon, Senator Nick Cappuano and D.C. Police Lieutenant Sam Holland are ready for some normalcy after the whirlwind of their wedding, but someone has other plans for them. When Sam discovers wedding cards containing thinly veiled death threats, she's not sure if she or Nick is the target.

Already on edge, Sam and her team start investigating a series of baffling murders. The victims are well-liked with no known enemies, and the murders are carried out in a clean and efficient manner. Unable to find a clear motive for the deaths, she feels like she's chasing her tail.

With no obvious connection between the victims, Sam soon suspects that she may be the ultimate prize in the killer's clever game. When the danger starts to hit a little too close to home, she has two goals: find the elusive murderer and manage to live long enough to enjoy her happily ever after.


If you haven't yet pre-ordered a copy, you can get it here:
Kindle
Nook
iPad

Also, if you haven't yet joined the Fatal Series groups, we're having a lot of fun chatting about the earlier books as we prepare for the launch of book 4. Find the groups here:

Fatal Series

Fatal Affair

Fatal Justice

Fatal Consequences

Fatal Destiny

After you've read the new book, you can join the Fatal Flaw Reader's Group to dish with other readers. Just don't join until AFTER you read so we don't have to worry about spoilers. 

Thanks to all of you for reading my books. You'll never know how much I appreciate you!

Have a great day!

Dear Diary: Surf's Up!

What a gorgeous day in Rhode Island! It's not often that January 28 counts as a gorgeous day in my neck of the woods, but it's a balmy 45 degrees today. I'm sitting at the beach watching scores of surfers wait for the next great wave. Admiring their grace and balance, I watch them fly over the surface of the water with breathless anticipation of the inevitable crash. Despite growing up at the beach, I've never once tried to surf. After failing to conquer gravity on skis, I can't imagine I'd be very good at surfing.

As I do every Saturday this time of year, I dropped Jake off at his hockey practice and went to do a few errands. I returned to the rink, which is just up the hill from the beach intending to write for the thirty minutes remaining in his practice. Then I said to myself, "Are you freaking crazy? The beach is right down the hill! You're going to sit in a PARKING LOT facing trees when you could look at awesome surf and white sand and water sparkling with the thousand diamonds of bright sunshine?" Good thing half of me has some sense, huh? Watching the surfers is absolutely mesmerizing, and it's giving me some ideas of how Evan McCarthy might expend some of the considerable rage he feels when a sweet, lovely woman finally manages to penetrate the tough outer shell he's used to protect himself from love his entire adult life. Oh the possibilities...

After a trip to the gym, I got some good work done on Hoping for Love yesterday. I'm really enjoying this story about two people in the throes of first love somewhat later in life than most people experience it.   As always, the Gansett Island crew is providing lots of fodder for my overly active imagination! From where I'm sitting, I'm looking toward Block Island, the real-life inspiration for my fictional Gansett Island. I'm thinking a lot about ideas for new Gansett stories, even beyond the original plan for the McCarthy siblings and a few of their friends...

So what're you up to this weekend? Anything fun?

Dear Diary: Best Laid Plans

The furniture I ordered on the Internet arrived yesterday in five boxes so heavy we couldn't budge them when they were placed in our dining room. We had put Brandy on the back deck for the delivery since she would've been totally underfoot greeting the delivery men if we'd let her run free. So now we have five stupendously heavy boxes blocking the sliding door. Dog is trapped, quickly figures that out and begins to panic! Thirteen-year-old son to the rescue! Jake devised a plan to bring her in through one of the windows that face the back porch. Success! Brandy was none to keen about being hauled through a window, however. The Brandy rescue was the good news. The bad news was that the dresser and part of the bed arrived damaged. Of course we discovered this just as the California-based retailer was closing for the evening. Hoping to get resolution—quickly—today since Dan and I are cellar-dwellers until our new bedroom furniture is set up. Jake said last night that he's tired of all this house stuff. I'm with you there, buddy! This is what happens when you put it off for years and then decide to do it all at once!

I totally forgot to mention that I hit the gym on Monday. Now why is this a big deal, you ask? Well, let me tell you... It's the first time I've gone on my own without a date with the trainer. I see her on Wednesdays and Fridays. Adding the third day on my own has been the goal, so this week I started adding that extra day. Of course after lugging furniture around last night, I'm sore as hell, but I'm still going today. Damn it. LOL

Yesterday I mentioned the very fun groups we've formed on Facebook and membership exploded, especially in Marie Force Book Talk. It's great to have so many new members hanging out over there, and I hope more of you will come join the fun! We're also having some great chats on the Falling for Love group about important topics, such as whether David Lawrence, who cheated on Janey McCarthy in Fool for Love and does something downright heroic in Falling for Love, deserves a HEA in a future book. Hmm, what do you think?

The writing of Hoping for Love continues to go well with the word count almost to 43,000. I can "see" the finish line in my mind, and I'm looking forward to writing the last half of the book. I'm having fun, as always, with the Gansett Island crew! I also want to say thank you to everyone who gave Falling for Love such a terrific launch week. I've been so excited by the reader response to book 4. Thank you all so much!

In other news from yesterday, I've agreed to be the President-Elect of the Romance Writers of America's (RWA) Published Author Special Interest Chapter. Gulp. This is my first leadership position within RWA, and it's something I felt I could take on now that I no longer have the day job to contend with. I'm looking forward to getting more involved with PASIC!

So what are you up to this week? Anything fun or crazy?

Dear Diary: Reader Mail

Before I get into today's post, I have an update from yesterday. We broke the news to Brandy that her under-the-bed office is shutting down, since our new bed will have drawers and not provide access to her favorite hideout. Later in the evening, I went into my room and noticed Brandy had barfed on the bed, which has never happened before in the two years she's lived with us. And they say animals don't understand English? Mine does! I've always thought so, and now I have proof. She's pissed, and she's letting us know it!

Yesterday was a really good writing day that took me up to 41,000 words on Hoping for Love. Things are heating up between Grace and Evan, but he's about to do something he'll regret for some time to come. Can't wait to dive back into their story! I mentioned this yesterday to some of my readers, but I thought it would be fun to bring it up here too: I hate writing love scenes. In fact, I hate writing them so much that it takes me a day or two to "recover" before I can go back and re-read what I wrote. My readers tell me they like my love scenes, which I really appreciate, but they do give me grief! What's funny is, like the act itself, when it's going well, I can tell. Everything is firing on all cylinders (literally—LOL) and it's "coming together" the way it's supposed to. Okay, enough with the puns. You get the picture!

Today I wanted to talk a little bit about my readers. I've been blessed to encounter the nicest, friendliest, most supportive group of readers. We are having BIG FUN over at Marie Force Book Talk where we now have 95 members, and we're growing every day. I really enjoy being able to hang out with my reader friends on a daily basis. Our Falling for Love Readers Group is now up to 75 members, and you're welcome to join us after you've read the book since there are spoilers galore in the individual book groups. We have groups for each of my books as well as the McCarthys of Gansett Island Series and the Fatal Series. Anyone is welcome to join, so come on down! For a full listing of all the reader groups, visit my Facebook page. They are listed under "Info."

In addition to all the fun we have on the groups, I receive such lovely email from readers after each new release. Here is a sampling of what readers are saying about Falling for Love:

Naomi wrote:

This book had so much going on that it kept me so excited the whole time. And I loved it when you left so much possibility for at least 2 or 3 more books! I can't wait to find out about Owen/Laura. I loved the banter between Grant and Stephanie.  Gals with attitude are always great! And love scenes were very steamy, yet really tasteful.  I enjoyed reading it.

Anyway, I enjoyed every word.  There is so much hope for more stories!  I love it! I can't wait to read Evan's story, as well as Adam, Owen and maybe Doctor David?!?! Now, I'm getting myself ready for another Fatal series!  I've already pre-ordered it. So while I wait, I'm reading Love at First Flight once again! Thanks for all the books you write.  You make me laugh/cry and make my day a lot more enjoyable!

Anna wrote:

Just finished Falling For Love, and it was sooooo good!! I loved it!! I am so glad that there is more to come. You are amazing, and you have such a gift for writing. You blow me away every time with your books, and I am always left wanting more. Thank you for all your hard work in writing such excellent books!!!!!

Jill wrote:

I have just finished reading Falling for Love which I only found online yesterday...don't know how I missed it  and as usual absolutely loved it. I am pleased to hear that you are now writing full time as this means not only more books  but more often as well....A win win situation....Can't wait. Best wishes for a long and happy career.

Rhonda wrote:

You've done it again!!!! I couldn't put this book down! It killed me to have to work today and not sit at home to read!!! You're writing really makes me feel like I'm right there in the story with them. You truly have a amazing gift! And I loved the first glimpse of Evan's book. 

Karen wrote:

I then decided to try your McCarthy series and have been consuming them like a crazy woman. I read Maid for Love and Fool for love within two days and I'm hooked. I just started Luke & Sydney's story and was so happy to see that I have Falling for Love waiting for me once I finish Ready for Love. I cannot wait to hear more about my favorite couples, Maddie & Mac, Janey & Joe and the rest of the family. I just read your blog and found out that you're now a full time author. Congrats! I promise to keep you in business and will look forward to reading more of your books. 

Alyson wrote:

Picked up the McCarthy series & I swear to you, a marching band could have gone thru my bedroom & i'd have been none the wiser. My mom RAVES about the Fatal series, but I'm going to have to wait till the last one comes out so that I can have a marathon. Write faster! You're fabulous. :)

Now you see why I love my readers. Thanks to every one of you for making my new life as a full-time author possible. If you keep reading, I'll keep writing. Deal?