New McCarthy Book Out Tomorrow!

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

She's avoided men all her life...
Growing up with an abusive father, Katie Lawry learned a thing or two about men and has made a conscious choice to stay far away from them. Until the day of her brother Owen's wedding when she's rescued from nearly drowning by Shane McCarthy. With everyone who matters to Katie assuring her that Shane is one of the good guys, she feels safe to give in to the attraction that simmers between them. Katie has waited a long time to take a chance on love, but is Shane the right guy for her?

He's ready to move on...
More than two years after a painful divorce, Shane has a life on Gansett Island that makes sense to him. With his father, sister and beloved baby nephew living close by and a job that he enjoys, Shane is content if not entirely happy. One thing he knows for sure is he's tired of living in the past. Spending time with sweet, sensitive, sexy Katie Lawry makes him feel hopeful again, and he might be ready to risk his heart again.

Surrounded by the Gansett Island community, Shane and Katie take an important step forward together, but is their new relationship strong enough to withstand an unexpected challenge?

Enjoy Shane and Katie's story while catching up with some of your Gansett Island favorites in this latest book in the New York Times bestselling McCarthys of Gansett Island Series!

Here's a sneak peek at a scene from Kisses After Dark:

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

REMEMBER: Info about our quick five-day contest is included in the back of the ebooks and includes an opportunity to win a trip for two to the 2015 Reader Weekend in Rhode Island next June! Reader Weekend includes a day on Block Island, the real-life inspiration for Gansett Island. The contest link will ONLY be found in the ebook so read fast to enter the contest!

Preorder Now to read first thing on Wednesday!
Kindle US: http://amzn.to/1Ctsplc 
iBooks: http://bit.ly/Ye2ajh 
Google: http://bit.ly/1o5T6md 
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1rkrIon

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

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

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

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

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

FREE Beach Read Today!

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

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

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

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

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

SURPRISE! A New Gansett Island Novella On Sale NOW!

SURPRISE!!!!! Wondering how I spent my Christmas vacation? Wonder no more! I spent it on Gansett Island, writing CHANCE FOR LOVE, a novella featuring our heartbroken billionaire, Jared James! CHANCE FOR LOVE is now LIVE for Kindle, Nook and Kobo, and coming at midnight to iBooks! I’m so excited to surprise readers with this new Gansett Island novella that’s been a top-secret, hush-hush project for the last couple of weeks. Keep in mind that a novella is much shorter than a regular book. This story is 25,000 words (vs. the usual 100,000 words or so that you normally get from me) and includes two special add ons: Will and Cameron’s first kiss in All You Need Is Love, out on Feb. 4, and the first-ever look at the cover of Fatal Jeopardy, which is out on March 24. 

Now, about CHANCE FOR LOVE….

Billionaire Jared James has everything a man could ever want except for the one thing money can’t buy…

After forty days holed up in his house on Gansett Island nursing a broken heart, Jared James decides enough is enough. Determined to snap out of the funk he slipped into after his girlfriend refused his marriage proposal, Jared organizes a party for the friends who’ve seen him through the worst of his heartache. Now if only he could stop thinking about the love of his life and how he will survive the rest of his days without her…

She was Elisabeth all her life until Jared made her his Lizzie…

Elisabeth “Lizzie” Sutter knows she has no business chasing Jared after she turned down his lovely, heartfelt marriage proposal in a moment of sheer panic. It didn’t take long for her to realize how foolish she’d been. Now all she can do is hope it’s not too late to set things right with the one man she can’t live without…

Author’s Note

We got to know Jared in Time for Love, when David and Daisy befriended David’s elusive landlord who’d come to the island seeking refuge after a bad breakup. We saw him again in Meant for Love, when he reconnected with Wharton classmate Jenny Wilks. Readers were eager to know more about the woman who’d broken Jared’s heart, and they wanted to know what I had in store for him. The more I thought about his story, the more I realized what I needed to do. I hope you’ll enjoy this brief visit with some Gansett Island friends as well as the introduction of a new couple.

Get it here:

Kindle US: http://amzn.to/1j1yKfJ

Kindle Canada: http://amzn.to/1hMd9rd

Kindle UK: http://amzn.to/1caaWOa

Kindle Australia: http://bit.ly/1dfKiba

B&N:  http://bit.ly/1ae3cOG

Kobo:  http://bit.ly/KdPvou

iBooks:  http://bit.ly/1hM8YeX (Available at midnight tonight)

Meant for Love, On Sale Today!

Release day celebration! MEANT FOR LOVE, McCarthys of Gansett Island Book 10, is now ON SALE! Jenny the lighthouse keeper finally gets her happily ever after with Alex Martinez in this latest installment from Gansett Island, which features some of your favorite characters from past books too!

AND SPECIAL BONUS! At the back of Meant for Love, get the FIRST EVER sneak preview of ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE, Book 1 in my NEW Green Mountain Series, coming February 4, 2014!

Get MEANT FOR LOVE this week to participate in the fabulous launch week contest with all kinds of prizes, including a trip to Newport, RI for Reader Weekend 2014, up for grabs! Details can be found in the back of the ebook!

Kindle/Amazon: http://amzn.to/1cqm6Br
Kindle UK: http://amzn.to/1bfi394
Kindle Canada: http://amzn.to/18bPl60
iBooks: http://bit.ly/H4pLdO
Nook: http://bit.ly/1bNQuUQ
Nook UK: http://bit.ly/17gkTLK
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1fDNJrU

Get your SIGNED print copy here:https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9WZRMGM

Hope you enjoy Jenny and Alex as much as I LOVED writing them!

Announcing MEANT FOR LOVE Release Week Contest!

We have a contest with fabulous prizes to go along with tomorrow's release of Meant for Love! The contest will run from Nov. 18 through midnight, Nov. 25 EST and will require you to provide Marie with your TOP FIVE favorite lines from Chapter 2 and beyond in the book. Make plans to read the book in time to submit your favorite lines by the deadline!

Winners will be contacted and announced the first week of December.

Randomly selected winners will receive one of these great prizes!

First prize winner will receive a trip to the 2014 Memorial Day Reader Weekend in Rhode Island (airfare in continental US, three nights hotel and registration fee). The Reader Weekend includes a day in Block Island (weather permitting), the inspiration for Gansett Island. International winner must be able to get to a US point of entry. Click here for details about the Reader Weekend in RI.

Second prize $250 gift card to the e-book retailer of the winner's choice

Third prize $100 gift card to the e-book retailer of the winner's choice

Two runners up: Signed copies of all 10 print books in the McCarthy Series and a Gansett Island beach towel

Enter the contest HERE:https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J3GWWZP

My Favorite McCarthy Book: Meant for Love, out Nov. 18!

Only 12 more days until MEANT FOR LOVE, Book 10 in the McCarthy Series, hits e-readers! I'm sooo excited for this book, which is now my personal favorite of the McCarthy series. Why? 

I've loved Jenny since we first met her in Book 6, and learned that she lost her fiancé on 9/11. Her life since then has been a difficult journey that led her to Gansett Island and a job as the lighthouse keeper. I've found her to be an interesting character from the beginning, and I've enjoyed watching her become an essential part of the Gansett Island "family" of friends.

Her love interest, Alex Martinez, had a great career in Washington, DC, but had to come home help his brother Paul run their family business on Gansett and care for their mother, who has dementia. I loved writing Alex! He's gruff, rough around the edges and curses like a sailor, but there's a heart of gold underneath all that gruffness. Between the family demands and the business demands, he has a lot on his plate when he meets Jenny during a scorching heat wave on Gansett. The sparks fly between these two from the first minute they meet, all the way through to the Epilogue.

Both of these characters have lived through difficult times, and they take comfort from each other as their relationship goes from smolder to serious while the temperature rises on Gansett Island! I so hope you all enjoy reading Meant for Love as much as I loved writing it! I can't wait to hear what you think of Alex and Jenny!

Preorder now:
Amazon Kindle: http://amzn.to/1cqm6Br
Kindle UK: http://amzn.to/1bfi394
Kindle Canada: http://amzn.to/18bPl60
Apple/iBooks: http://bit.ly/H4pLdO
BNNOOK Press: Coming Nov. 18 (no preorder permitted)
Kobo: Coming Nov. 18

Preorder the PRINT version: http://amzn.to/HxNen4

Read Chapter 1: http://bit.ly/16fLkO3

Proof that FREE Really Works...

I've been wanting to speak out a little more often on what works—and what doesn't—in selling books in an attempt to aid those who are navigating the maze of publishing these days, whether you've chosen self-publishing or traditional publishing. I've got a foot in both camps, but I don't mind saying publicly that my self-published books make way more money than my traditionally published books do. It comes down to the law of averages: if you are earning less than $1 per book, you have to sell a LOT more books before you hit thresholds anywhere near what you reach when you are making $3.87 per book. 

I've blogged before about the runaway success of my free offering of Maid for Love last year. Beginning June 15, Maid for Love, book 1 in my McCarthys of Gansett Island Series, was free at all major retailers. I set it to free at Apple and Kobo (very easy to do at both retailers) and then notified Amazon of the price change. They matched it. To my knowledge, there is only one way to make a book free at B&N: I distributed a free copy to B&N via Smashwords, and eventually that copy appeared on the retail site. At that point, I took the paid book "Off Sale" on my dashboard, so only the free Nook version showed up on the retail site. Over the next few months, we saw more than 600,000 downloads of Maid for Love across all platforms. Sales of books 2-6 exploded. Book 7, Longing for Love, was released in October of 2012 and had the strongest week one showing of any book of mine to date. Because it was initially offered as a Kindle exclusive, it didn't make any of the bestseller lists, but it posted numbers that were definitely in the bestseller range. Book 8, Waiting for Love, was released Feb. 18 on all platforms and hit no. 6 on the New York Times ebook list, no. 11 on the NYT combined print/ebook list, no. 15 on the USA Today list and no. 6 on the Wall Street Journal ebook list. I believe the bestseller list showings tie directly to the free offering of Maid for Love. 

Because the Maid for Love offering was so successful, I asked Harlequin to offer Fatal Affair for free around the release of book 5, Fatal Deception, last November. It took a bit of begging and some pleading, but they decided to put Fatal Affair up for free for the month of November. It did so well that I begged for a second month and December was added as well. I haven't heard exact numbers but the downloads were in the 300,000 range and sales of the other four books were in the 180,000 neighborhood. Book 5, Fatal Deception, became the first of my books to hit a major bestseller list, coming in at no. 99 on the USA Today list. Did the free offering spur that placement? What do you think? I say definitely!

I've done some messing around with the price of Maid for Love in recent weeks. I set it back to $3.99 for a while and it did okay, with maybe 100 sales per day across platforms, but I noticed an overall slowdown of sales for books 2-8. So I dropped the price to 99 cents. Again, it did okay, but not great. So I've set it back to free on Apple and Kobo, distributed a free version from Smashwords to B&N and notified Amazon of the lower prices. Maybe they will match, maybe they won't. For now, it's 99 cents at Amazon. On March 24, there were 150 Apple downloads of the free version in the U.S. iBookstore. I figure if even HALF of that 150 buy the other seven books in the series, that's 525 books sold at a profit of $3.87. That translates to $2031.75 in profit as the result of ONE DAY of free sales at ONE retailer—and that's if only HALF the free readers like the book enough to buy the rest of the series. If they all do, that's a profit of $4062 for one day of free downloads at one retailer. That more than offsets the "loss" of offering book 1 for free. If they love the McCarthy Series, I have 17 (soon to be 18) other books available, and if they buy all of them over time as well as any future books I may publish, then that's a huge win, all thanks to one free book that acted as a gateway between me a reader who is now a fan for life.

In this digital age of publishing, "discoverability" remains our greatest challenge. How do we get readers to find our books? Most of us are readers in addition to being writers. Most of us have taken a chance on a new-to-us author because they offered a free book. Most of us might not have paid even 99 cents to try a book by an unknown author. But what is lost when you try something for free? Nothing. What can be gained by offering a book for free? See above! 

Questions? Feel free to ask away. I hope to post more often about my self-publishing journey, so let me know if there are topics you'd like to hear more about.

True Confession

My name is Marie Force and I am guilty of ignoring my blog. There. I said it out loud. I can't believe it's been almost three months since I posted here! You'd think I had nothing to say, which couldn't be further from the truth. If you've gotten to know me at all, you know I've always got plenty to say! So what's new?

FATAL DECEPTION, book 5 in my FATAL SERIES, will be out on November 12. I'm really excited about this book, which in my humble opinion, is the best one yet. Sam and Nick are back with more married adventures. You'll see more of series favorites Freddie, Gonzo, Jeannie, Skip, Graham, Laine and of course, SCOTTY! I've also come up with what I think is a fun way to get our superstar wedding planner, Shelby Faircloth, back onto the canvas in a more enduring role. She was so damned fun to write and her dynamic with Sam made me laugh out loud more than once, so how could I not find a way to get her back into the series? If you haven't already pre-ordered your copy, you can do so now at:


Kindle
Nook
Apple

More retailers coming soon! Here's a bit about what you can expect in FATAL DECEPTION: 

The wife of the White House deputy chief of staff has been beaten to death, and their one-year-old daughter is missing. D.C. Police Lieutenant Sam Holland is in charge of the murder investigation, but she's forced to collaborate with Special Victims Unit detectives as well as thorn-in-her-side FBI Special Agent Avery Hill. Then, a cold case of her father's resurrects old hurts—a distraction Sam cannot afford. 

As Sam's investigation heats up, so does Nick's political career—and the heat carries over to their bedroom. Will Sam put the pieces in time to catch a killer and find the baby, or will ambition, greed and lies prove fatal?

Read an excerpt here.

I get a lot of questions about the Fatal Series, so let me answer a few of them here.

How many books do you plan to write in the Fatal Series?

I don't know yet. I figure as long as I'm having fun with Sam and Nick and readers are enjoying their adventures, I'll keep writing the series. 

What will the next book be called and when will it be out?

Book Six will be called Fatal Mistake, and I believe it's scheduled to be out in June 2013. 

Will the Fatal Series be coming to print?

YES! I'm pleased to report that books 1 and 2, FATAL AFFAIR and FATAL JUSTICE, will be out in  2013 in what's called mass market paperback format (meaning they will be in bookstores and retail outlets close to your homes) from HQN, which is a Harlequin imprint. I'm hoping the rest of the books will follow soon after. In the meantime, the series has been coming to print via eHarlequin.com. Fatal Consequences is currently available there in print.

Will Sam ever have a baby?

I'm not sure yet how that will play out. I do know that bringing a newborn in their lives would vastly change the landscape of the series, and not necessarily for the better. So if and when Sam has a baby, I do expect it to be much later in the series. 

Will we ever find out who shot Skip?

I believe we will, but I'm not sure when yet!

If you have other questions about the Fatal Series, please feel free to post them in the comments. I'm happy to provide the answers—if I have them!

In other news...

Right now I'm working on two books at the same time. COMING HOME, book 4 in the Treading Water Series, will hopefully be out by Christmas, and WAITING FOR LOVE, book 8 in the McCarthys of Gansett Island Series, will be out early next year. Right after that, I'll be diving into FATAL MISTAKE as well as book 1 in my new Green Mountain Country Store Series that's coming in late 2013. If you're interested in audio books, watch for the McCarthy Series coming to audio in 2013!

So that's what is keeping me busy at the moment! Hope you're doing well and getting lots of reading time! 

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?

The Fun Continues on Gansett Island

Season for Love, Book 6 in the McCarthys of Gansett Island Series

His idea of permanence is the old van that takes him from one gig to the next. . .

Owen Lawry has made a living as a traveling musician and enjoys his footloose and fancy free lifestyle. But after meeting Laura McCarthy and helping her to land the job as manager of his grandparents' hotel on Gansett Island, Owen decides there's something to be said about a roof over his head and a warm, sexy woman in his bed.

Laura, a newlywed who discovered that her husband never quit dating, came to Gansett for her cousin's Janey's wedding, but ended up staying after she met Owen and took on the renovations to the dilapidated Sand & Surf Hotel.

As Owen and Laura's attraction simmers during months of close proximity, they form a tight bond that will be tested when her estranged husband refuses to grant her a divorce. As summer turns to autumn and Laura and Owen take baby steps toward love, favorite characters from past Gansett Island stories continue to live their happily ever afters.

Read an excerpt from Season for Love.

Get it at:

Kindle/Amazon

Nook/B&N

Kobo

iPad/Apple

All Romance E-books

Smashwords

I had the BEST time writing this new book! It features a couple we first met in book 4, FALLING FOR LOVE, and they've been on "slow burn" status ever since. In Season for Love, Owen and Laura go from slow burn to BOIL as their romance takes off. While you'll have a front row to Owen and Laura's romance, you'll also hear from past favorite couples, including Mac & Maddie, Joe & Janey, Luke & Syd, Grace & Evan, Grant & Stephanie, among others. In this book, I'll introduce you to some new friends on the island who will be featured in future books.

Readers often ask me how long I plan to write the Gansett Island Series, and this is my answer: As long as you all are enjoying it, I'll keep writing it. :-)

Hope you enjoy Season for Love!

End of the Fifth Month

Five months of self-employment in the bank and what have I learned? Well, first I truly LOVE working for myself. As if that's any sort of news flash, right? I was talking to a friend who recently left my former company, and I was telling her it takes a while to de-program from the pace we used to keep. Our jobs were BUSY. We were on a constant merry-go-round of deadlines, publication schedules, editing, writing, designing. It was nonstop. We loved it, but it was a lot to manage. For me, it was doubly complicated by the thriving writing career that cropped up from something that started as a hobby and turned into something more than I ever could've imagined. As the fifth month ends, I think I've succeeded in deprogramming. I don't think about what I SHOULD be doing for the day job at this time of year anymore. I've stepped off the merry-go-round. I'm still a little dizzy because merry-go-rounds make me sick, but I'm better than I was.

I've learned that I'm not quite as disciplined as I thought I was. After working at home for 13 years, I figured, hey, I've got this covered! Turns out that when you don't have 27 co-workers and their needs framing your day, it's easy to forget that you are supposed to be WORKING right now. It's me vs. the computer and sometimes me loses. I've learned that's okay. You can't force the creative process. If it ain't happening, walk away and do something else for a while. The words will come back. I've learned that I need to compartmentalize. I'm fortunate to receive quite a lot of reader mail every day. I've learned that each email does not have to be answered the minute it is received. Now I save reader mail--the nicest part of my day--for the end of my day and that seems to be working out well. I can take an hour or two at night and veg in front of the TV and answer emails.

I've learned to not let my accounting and bookkeeping slide. I update my business accounts every day rather than twice a month. Of course I hate that part of self-employment, but it is a necessary evil. Luckily, I have an accountant who does the true heavy lifting, so all I have to do is provide the info. That sounds easier than it is, especially if I let it slide. I'm trying to be more disciplined about that. What's funny is my mother was a bookkeeper by trade. She would've taken care of the accounting books before the other books, you know, the ones that MAKE the money? :-)

I've learned that it's okay to take a day off every now and then, and I've learned it's fun to take a day off just because I can. I recently worked 12 straight hours getting Season for Love ready to go to the copy editor. That night I was making dinner and it occurred to me that I could take the next day off if I wanted to. The day after that, too. So I did. And I loved every minute of my two days off, even though I worked for a portion of both days. "Work" these days doesn't feel like at all like work.

Finally, I've learned that it's okay to exhale. Eighteen months after I self-published my first book, my business is booming, I'm writing a lot, I've got plans for books that will take me well into next year and things are good. Breathe... For the first time in YEARS, I feel like I can breathe...

I'm thankful every day to the readers who continue to make my lovely new life possible. You are among the true blessings in my life, and I am grateful for every one of you.

Now for some book news:
Reminder that Fool for Love, book 2 in the McCarthys of Gansett Island Series is on sale for 99 cents for a brief time. Get it while it's cheap! You will enjoy it more if you read book 1, Maid for Love, first.


Joe Cantrell, owner of the Gansett Island Ferry Company, has been in love with Janey McCarthy for as long as he can remember. At the same time, Janey has been dating or engaged to doctor-in-training David Lawrence. When things go horribly wrong between David and Janey, she calls her “fifth brother” Joe, one of the few people in her close circle who lives on the mainland. Janey decides a few days with Joe is just what she needs before she goes home to the island to face her parents and family with the news of her broken engagement. It was bad enough for Joe loving Janey from afar, but having her in his house is pure torture. Will he take advantage of this opportunity to show her what they could have together? And what will Joe’s best friend and Janey’s protective older brother Mac have to say about it?Get Fool for Love here:
Kindle: amzn.to/KYoYWO
Nook: http://bit.ly/KaIXGA


Apple: http://bit.ly/MWm0qH 


Kobo: http://bit.ly/KcnHQW

Catching Up

So I had this big idea about blogging every day, and then I wake up to realize a month has gone by with no posts. I continue to be committed to blogging more often, but the best laid plans...

It's been a busy month around here! In April, I ventured with the family to Spain, where our daughter was born nearly 17 years ago when my husband was stationed there in the Navy. We had a great time showing off our old stomping grounds to the kids. At 16 and 13, they were at the perfect ages to appreciate the adventure of visiting a foreign country. One side benefit I hadn't expect is that Jake, who will be in 8th grade next year, will be more interested in starting Spanish classes than he might've been before the trip. We'll do whatever we can to interest him in school, so that was a plus. Emily loved seeing where she was born as well as the first home and the beach boardwalk that was the site of her very first outing.

For our part, we were surprised by how environmentally conscious Spain has become since we were there. Hundreds and hundreds of wind turbines and solar farms dot the landscape. The car we rented, a jazzy Mercedes (mama loved that car!), had a fuel-efficient feature that shut it down when idling. Hotel room keys are required to get lights in the rooms. We were surprised to realize Europe is so far ahead of the U.S. on these things. Because the European Union came into existence after we lived there, we had to figure out the ins and outs of the Euro, which was an adventure. Dan and I were both surprised that our rusty Spanish came back as if it had been yesterday when we last used it. The funniest episode I had occurred when ordering room service in Spanish and getting all the way to the end and not comprehending a question. So I said, En ingles? And he says, "Anything else?" LOL! Then he said, Room number? I said, "839." He growls, En español! He wouldn't let me cop out at the end, which I thought was hilarious! Then there was the trip to the farmacia to get cold medicine for Jake. Since I didn't know how to say sneeze or cough in Spanish, I worked around that with fake sneezes and coughs. The pharmacist says, "AH!" Jake and I got a good laugh out of that. When in doubt, improvise!

The other lasting impression is how very, very nice the Spanish people are. There's an old-world courtliness that you don't see very often anymore, and even the kids commented on how nice everyone was. We felt very welcome and totally safe everywhere we went. Well, I didn't feel very safe sitting in the midst of a rowdy group of bachelor party revelers on the flight from London to Madrid, but I was thoroughly entertained!

In other news, I've had an exciting month on the book front! We sold the French rights to the McCarthy Series at auction, Fatal Consequences won a Bean Pot Award (left), Fatal Destiny won a Holt Medallion while Fatal Justice and Everyone Loves a Hero received Awards of Merit from the Virginia Romance Writers, and I had the honor of delivering one of the keynotes at the Romance Writers of America New England Chapter conference in late April, which was a real thrill.

I'm hard at work on Season for Love, book 6 in the McCarthys of Gansett Island Series, and I'm still hoping to get that out in June. After that, I'll be finishing Fatal Attack and then turning to McCarthy book 7, Longing for Love, featuring Tiffany and Blaine. I also plan to write the much-requested fourth book in the Treading Water Trilogy (which will ruin the whole "trilogy" concept--haha), called Coming Home. It will feature Kate Harrington and Reid Matthews, closing the circle left open in Marking Time. I know a lot of you have wanted to see closure for Kate and Reid, and I'm all about giving my readers what they want. :-)

Back to work I go! Tell me what you've been up to lately!
xoxo
Marie

My New (Ad)Venture

Happy Monday! It's a gorgeous day in Rhode Island, a little blustery, but the sun is out. I had a fun and productive weekend and spent some time launching my new formatting service for authors looking for someone to help them prepare their books for electronic publication. Don't worry—I haven't totally lost my mind. I'm hiring some people to help me out with this so I can continue to do what I do best: WRITE!

I've posted all the information about the Formatting Fairies here. I'm looking forward to working with my fellow authors to help them to maximize the myriad opportunities available to us today. I'll also be posting regular tips and pointers, gained from publishing 12 books on my own.

I moved some mountains this weekend on Season for Love, the next McCarthys of Gansett Island book. I'm really enjoying Laura and Owen's story as well as the subplots unfolding for some of our earlier couples. We'll meet some new characters and lay the groundwork for sizzling future romances. Fun, fun, fun as the island hunkers down for a long, cold, cozy winter.

We had dinner this weekend with one of my college friends, and afterward we went to play the slot machines at this ginormous gambling hall that is the first thing visitors to Newport see when they come off the bridge (cringe). I hadn't been in there since I was 17 and got caught (two months shy of 18) by one of my mother's friends, who promptly ratted me out to my mother. At that time, the building was devoted to Jai-Alai, a fast-paced game that's popular in Latin America. Now it's all slots, all the time. I hadn't played in so long, we had to ask how to do it. Sort of embarrassing! Being there reminded me of my late mother who LOVED to play the slots. She was never addicted or anything like that, but she never missed a chance to pull the handle. She'd hate the fact there are no more handles to pull. It's all buttons now, and no quarters to hear clinking into the tray when you win. She loved that part, too. We spent (lost) a grand total of $15 between us, but had lots of laughs in the process.

What did you do this weekend? Anything fun?

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: 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: 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!