On this day four years ago...

On this day four years ago... I self-published for the first time.

To mark this amazing anniversary, I thought I'd share the story behind how I came to try self-publishing for the first time... I wrote seven books before I sold one in 2007 and ended up doing three books with my first publisher, who wasn't interested in the other books I had written. They rejected most of my earlier books, including Treading Water, True North, Fatal Affair and Maid for Love. Fatal Affair later sold to Carina Press, and the Fatal Series has had a happy home with Carina and Harlequin since 2010. But I had all these other books already written and no one was interested in publishing them. I had readers asking for more of my books, and we were trying to sell them, but the rejections kept on coming. In the summer of 2010, I came close to selling True North to a big NY publisher. My agent and I really thought it was going to happen until we received the rejection that contained the nine words that changed my life: "No one wants to read about a super model." Um, okay then. By then I had received tons and tons and TONS of rejections, and I'd learned to roll with them. They didn't bother me anymore, but that one did. First I cried, then I got MAD--really, really MAD. My unlucky-in-love super model was someone regular women could relate to because she wanted what so many people want: love and family and a place to call home. I believed in her, and I believed in True North.

The True North rejection led me to investigate the new trend of self-publishing through Amazon's new Kindle Direct Publishing program. At that time, it was a risky proposition for an author who had books coming from two different publishers a few months later (the second Fatal book and my third and final book with my first publisher). Self-publishing was so new to the ebook space, that no one knew for sure if I could be sued for publishing on my own ahead of publisher releases. I told my husband I was going to do something that could get us sued. To his credit, he said, "Let me know how it works out."  However, I was under no contractual obligation that would stop me from venturing into the realm of self-publishing. So on Nov. 17, 2010, I self-published True North quietly and without any fanfare. A month later, I self-published The Fall. I sold about 50 copies of True North in the first month and maybe 150 of both books the next month. A free offering of an earlier book the following February, gave a boost to all my books, and my self-pub numbers really took off. I sold nearly 7,000 copies of both self-published books in February 2011. I self-published The Wreck in March, the first month in which I sold more than 10,000 books in a single month. Maid for Love was released in April, Fool for Love in May, Ready for Love in June, Georgia on My Mind in September, Treading Water in October, Marking Time in November and Starting Over in December. I ended 2011 with 650,000 self-published ebook sales and on the last day of 2011, I left the job I'd had for 16 years to write full time.

Fast forward to the end of 2014... Every book I've written is now on sale--all 37 of them (22 are self-published). I've sold more than 3 million copies of my books, mostly in the last three years. I have six of my good friends and my husband working with me. I've been on the New York Times bestseller list 11 times as of last week and I've been blessed with loyal dedicated readers who have made this amazing career possible.

Oh and about True North.... It has sold close to 75,000 copies in the four years it's been on sale, and the dedication now reads: "To the editor who famously said, 'No one wants to read about a super model,' thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. A MILLION times over, thank you."

Now you know the rest of my story. Thanks to my amazing, awesome readers for making all my dreams come true. xoxo

Eight Years Ago Today

Many of the most important things in my life have occurred on the 18th of the month, which has made 18 my lucky number. Both my kids were born on the 18th, and on this day in May 2005, another of my "kids" was officially born when I wrote the words THE END for the very first time in TREADING WATER. Little did I know then, during this moment of tremendous personal satisfaction and achievement, that Treading Water was an overwritten, 150,000-word, self-indulgent DISASTER. I also didn't know then that Treading Water would mark the start of the most incredible journey, filled with many soaring highs and just as many crushing lows.

Treading Water took me on a roller coaster ride of edits and revisions and rewrites and critiques and soul searching and questions for the ages: What would I do if I was in Jack's situation? Several of my late mother's friends read it, told me it kept them up all night and demanded I write a follow-on story for one of the characters whose story was left unfinished in Treading Water. I had many deep conversations with friends who'd read the book and found themselves questioning their own belief systems.

I began to think... If this book had affected the people in my life so profoundly, maybe, just maybe it would strike the hearts of others, too. I worked on that book for YEARS after I wrote THE END. Even as I wrote a bunch of other books, I returned over and over again to Treading Water, applying everything new that I learned to that first book. Traditional publishers, however, had absolutely no interest in my square peg book, which was heartbreaking at the time. I'm skipping a huge chunk of my writing career story as I jump forward to the fall of 2011 when I self-published Treading Water at a lean, mean 92,000 words. Over six years, I cut 58,000 words (!! almost another full book !!) from that first version. Talk about killing your darlings!

Taking the advice of my mother's friends, I wrote book 2, Marking Time, in three months, and have hardly changed a word since I finished it in early 2006. I learned all the most important lessons about storytelling, pacing, character development, point of view and over-writing from Treading Water. It was then and remains today the ultimate book of my heart. My company is named for Jack, the architect in Treading Water: HTJB, Inc. The House That Jack Built. Everything goes back to Jack and Treading Water.

Almost eight years after I wrote THE END that first time, I got to see my name on the New York Times bestseller list. And then it happened again, with a different book, three weeks later. I have thousands of readers who wait with anticipation for my next book, which is the absolute dream come true times a million because I never dreamed it would be as amazing as it is to have such incredible readers. I have a career I could've only imagined on that day eight years ago today. As a very special thank you to all the friends and readers I've met along the way on this amazing ride, Treading Water is currently free in e-book format. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you all.
xoxo
Marie

Kindle: http://amzn.to/10ugEpi
iBookstore: http://bit.ly/WA9Cwb
Kobo: http://bit.ly/11BZKJN

**We are waiting on Nook to make it free at http://bit.ly/WNAs3R. It's been submitted and is in the queue! So check back frequently.** In the meantime, you can get it for free in ePub format for the Nook at Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/98722

Celebrating a Special Anniversary with THREE Freebies!

This week marks EIGHT YEARS since I wrote THE END for the first time, and I have a very special offering of all three of the first books in each of my series FREE for a limited time! See below for details about how you can pass this info along to your friends and be entered into a drawing in which you AND your friend(s) can win a $250 gift card to the book retailer of your choice!

The book that started my writing career, TREADING WATER, book 1 in the four-book Treading Water Series, is free for the first time ever!
Kindle: http://amzn.to/10ugEpi
iBookstore: http://bit.ly/WA9Cwb
Kobo: http://bit.ly/11BZKJN
Not yet free at Nook, but coming soon, so check back often: http://bit.ly/WNAs3R

Also free, FATAL AFFAIR, book 1 in the soon to be six-book (plus a novella) Fatal Series:
Kindle: http://amzn.to/15tB9do
iBookstore: http://bit.ly/10wel9G
Kobo: http://bit.ly/10J2QpK
Nook: http://bit.ly/18wRSvh

And MAID FOR LOVE, book 1 in the soon-to-be nine-book McCarthys of Gansett Island Series!
Kindle: http://amzn.to/146hHyP
iBookstore: http://bit.ly/1267O6N
Kobo: http://bit.ly/XSNijt
Nook: http://bit.ly/ZJtdCC

Interested in winning the gift card? Make sure you're on my mailing list at http://marieforce.com/. Details coming soon to those who are on the list!

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

Exciting News!

I was very honored to learn yesterday that the book of my heart, TREADING WATER, was included the Joyfully Reviewed Best of 2011 listing. Of all the books I released in 2011, you all know THIS is the one I would've wanted to see on that list, so it was particularly thrilling to get this news. You can view the complete Best of 2011 list here.

Here is what Joyfully Reviewed had to say about TREADING WATER upon its release in October of 2011:

Jack Harrington’s life is pretty good.  He has a beautiful wife and three wonderful daughters.  Until one day when it all comes crashing down around him.  His wife is hit by a car and left in a coma.  With no chance of a recovery, Jack must pick up the pieces of his and his daughter’s lives.  So far he hasn’t been the most attentive dad.  He’s always worked hard to provide for his family but since the tragedy he’s learned what’s most important—and that’s his girls.  Life moves on and Jack struggles to manage work and family.   He never expected another opportunity at love to walk into his life but she does.

Andrea Walsh is an interior designer working for the hotel Jack’s company is building.  When she comes to Newport for design inspiration, she finds more than she bargained for.  The chemistry boils between her and Jack but the complications in both of their lives make it seem impossible for them to have a relationship.  Andi isn’t exactly itching to start something.  Her ex left her when they discovered their son was deaf.  She fears being abandoned by another man but their feelings cannot be contained.  They embark on a long distance relationship that soon becomes more than they ever imagined.  Is it possible for these two to get a second chance at love?

Wow wow wow…that is my constant thought after finishing Treading Water.  I find myself still gripped by the powerful emotions that Marie Force brought forth in Treading Water.  Life is full of endless possibilities and Treading Water shines a light on all that can be had if a person is willing to grab it.  Jack may be over forty but he proves it’s never too late to change.  After his wife’s accident and horrible prognosis he’s forced to change everything he’s ever known.  The reevaluation of his life spotlights the areas where he was lacking.  The relationships with his daughters become his number one.  I love the journey Ms. Force takes the reader on in Treading Water.  We get a front row seat to Jack’s personal tragedy and the years that follow.

Ms. Force asks the question, “Is it possible to be sad and happy at the same time?”  When Jack meets Andi he is forced to deal with not only his burgeoning feelings for her but the guilt he feels at saying goodbye to the relationship he had with his wife.  I adore Andi.  She is such a strong woman who walks into this difficult situation with her head held high and good intentions to pave her path.  I love that Ms. Force kept surprising me.  When I thought something cliché would happen she would throw me a curve ball.  Treading Water is a definite must read! Treading Water creates an emotional firestorm within the reader.  It shines the light on the good and the bad in life and proves that one moment can change everything and it’s never too late to find love.  Marie Force grabbed my heart and squeezed every ounce of emotion out of it but most importantly her monumental story left me blissful.  Treading Water may be fiction but it gives me hope; hope in everyday people and happily ever after.  I cannot wait for the next book in this trilogy, Marking Time.

I want to thank Miranda and Joy for all their lovely support of my books and for this incredible honor!

In other news, FATAL FLAW received a four-star review from RT Book Reviews last week. Here is what RT had to say about Book 4 in the Fatal Series:

Genre: Romantic Suspense, General Romantic Suspense, E-book
Sensuality: HOT

RT Rating 

For those Fatal readers hoping to get in on the Sam and Nick honeymoon action, take a walk. This is a very different read than the other Fatal installments, mainly because we know that Sam and Nick are going to be okay. Sure, they may be the targets of a homicidal maniac, but their relationship is solid. That said, this novel does a good job of bringing readers into Sam and Nick’s new life to spend time with the people that populate it. Fatal diehards will appreciate the integration of all the couples, which is as flawless as the integration of Sam’s family into the series. Another one of Force’s main strengths with this series is she consistently addresses issues of deep concern to women such as stalking, immigration status, fertility issues and sexual assault. This novel’s real achievement is the smart, sensitive way it documents the struggle of DC cop Jeannie McBride to deal with the emotional challenges of life after being raped. Force shares how the trauma has changed Jeannie’s relationship with unyielding honesty and respect, which readers are sure to appreciate.

Lieutenant Sam Holland is acting unlike herself: she doesn’t want to go to work. But after having two weeks of honeymoon bliss can anyone blame her? Sam just wants stability and plenty of time with her new husband Senator Nick Cappuano. However, the settled married life she craves is not to be. First, she discovers their wedding cards have been laced with eerie death threats, and it’s not clear who is in the cross hairs. Then murders start happening and well-liked community members are picked off with no obvious motive or suspect in sight. To top it all off, Sam has hit a wall in her hunt for answers to a longstanding family mystery. As Sam puts the different puzzles together, she realizes they may be related. But who could want to harm her now and when will she and Nick be able to enjoy their fairy tale ending?

Thank you to Morgan and Maria! I appreciate RT's support of my books!

Dear Diary: Leap Day Giveaways and Other Musings

Happy Leap Day everyone! Since this day only comes around every four years, we have to take the time to celebrate in high style. My most faithful readers know there's a connection to Leap Day in Everyone Loves a Hero. In honor of Cole and Olivia and the leap they take together, I'll be giving away TWO copies of Everyone Loves a Hero here on the blog. To be entered to win, tell me about a time you took a leap of faith and how it changed your life. YOU MUST include your email address to be entered into the drawing and ONLY entries posted to the comments section of this post will be considered. The contest ends at 5 p.m. tomorrow, March 1, and winners will be posted tomorrow night. Leap away!

I'm also offering a giveaway copy of Maid for Love today on my friend Pamela Clare's blog where we are celebrating Pamela's "12th" birthday. She is a very accomplished 12-year-old, and if you haven't read her I-Team books, you are sooooo missing out. I'm very much looking forward to diving into her historicals once I finish the final book that I'm judging for the RITAs (the romance writing equivalent of the Oscar). I got a great batch of books this year that really held my attention, but I'm looking forward to digging back into my TBR pile! At Pamela's blog, some of my other writing friends are offering giveaways as well: Julie James, Bella Andre, Joyce Lamb and Joan Swan. Come comment about your favorite birthday memory to be entered into the drawings for seven different books!

In other news, this week I set a goal of getting the new Fatal Book, Fatal Attack, to 25,000 words by Friday. This morning, I hit 20,000, so it's looking good for making the goal for the week. Perhaps I will even exceed it. I made it back to the gym this morning after being off with the kids last week. I always love being there, but I hate getting myself there. It's a mental hurdle I'm working to get past as I keep the gym front and center on the schedule. Another interesting thing I noticed yesterday is that when I was working two full-time jobs, I took a heartburn pill almost every day. I can't remember the last time I took one. Interesting what stress does to a body!

My other big news is that my daughter is now a licensed driver. I've had many people tell me you haven't really experienced parenthood at its finest until you kids start driving. I'm happy for her that she passed the first time around and that she will have some increased independence, but I am also worried, too. People drive like maniacs around here. I'm not worried about her. I'm worried about them. So, to all the crazy drivers who live near me, keep away from my kid please. She's a very good kid, and I want her to be safe always. Sigh...

Today I'll be Skyping into my reader friend Karen Lawson's book club to talk about Marking Time. We did Treading Water last month and had a great time, so today we're doing book 2. I'm always happy to join the book club chats and with Skype I can be there "in person." If you'd like me to join your book club meeting, send me an email to get on the schedule.

Lastly, who did you like among the guys last night on American Idol? I liked Phillip Phillips the best. How about you? And what did you think of the Parenthood finale? I love that show SO much it's not even funny! One thing I have to say is WHOA, DREW! Who knew you had that in you, my shy friend? Did you watch? What did you think? Can't believe we have to wait six months for more of the Bravermans.

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!

MARKING TIME is Now ON SALE!

“Marking Time” continues the story begun in “Treading Water” as Clare Harrington begins a new life. She’s considered a miracle, but everything that’s happened since she recovered from a three-year coma has been something less than miraculous. Now left to grapple with the aftermath of a selfless decision, she is home from the hospital and trying to figure out what the next chapter in her miraculous recovery has in store for her. Meanwhile, her eighteen-year-old daughter Kate, a talented singer and songwriter, sets out to pursue her musical dreams in Nashville. Her parents have agreed to allow Kate to spend a year there, but they couldn't have anticipated Kate falling in love with a much older man. Her newly divorced parents are forced back together to confront their wayward daughter. Spanning from Newport, Rhode Island, to Nashville, Tennessee, to Stowe, Vermont, "Marking Time" is the story of new beginnings and new loves. 


Read an excerpt of Marking Time.


Get Marking Time:
Amazon
B&N
Apple
Smashwords

Other retailers coming soon!

Treading Water Winner

Thanks to everyone who came out this week to join in our conversation about some of the tough issues covered in Treading Water. I think we decided there really are no easy answers to some questions in life. I promise you that Clare gets her happy ending in Marking Time, so I will look forward to another chat after you've had a chance to read that one!

If you didn't get the word about the new reading group that was born as the result of this discussion, find us on Facebook under my main profile Marie Force (Author). The name of the group is Marie Force Book Talk. The group is open to anyone who has enjoyed my books and wants some reading buddies for future books. Thanks to Amanda for suggesting the group. We're already having fun over there!

Now, for the winner of the advance copies of Marking Time and Starting Over: JOY! Contact me at marie@marieforce.com and I will send your copies a few days ahead of the launch dates for each book. Thanks again, everyone. It was a great thrill to see readers debating the finer points of the book of my heart.

UPDATE: Whoa, I totally forgot to say yet another thank you to Jennifer Marriott and Kellie Harker who got the ball rolling on this week's fun and were wonderful hostesses! Thanks ladies!

And Now for My Take...

Yesterday, Jennifer and Kellie posted some great questions about Treading Water, and we had a spirited conversation about the book. Before I invited them to come on the blog, I answered some questions for them. So I will post our Q&A here and look forward to hearing what readers have to say.

Question 1 from Jennifer and Kellie: Was Andi Jack's "true love?" I know you touched upon it when Jack himself asked Jamie his opinion of what Jamie thought would've happened had Jack met Andi while married to a healthy Clare. I mean he was going to meet her anyway...the project was in the works, etc regardless of the accident happening to Clare, right? I feel like Jack would still have been torn about his relationship with Clare. I guess what I'm leading up to is WHAT IF the roles were reversed and it was Andi he was married to and ended up in a coma and Jack had met Clare...would he have had the same pull he did with Andi? I don't think so. I think his bond to Andi was stronger than it was to Clare? He even admitted to it when he told Andi that she knew him better than ANYONE ever had.

Question 2 from Jennifer and Kellie: Clare - There's a part of me that feels like she gave up on Jack too soon. I would've preferred if Clare and Jack lived together for a bit in the same home after her hospital stint and then Jack would be then be the one to approach Clare that it just wasn't going to work although he had given it his darndest to make it work. Andi would already have the twins and in her own way moving on with her life....although heartbroken. There's a part of me that thinks that if I was Andi I would still wonder if Jack was really over Clare so it would've felt better for ME had he lived with Clare and realized it was really done.

Marie on Questions 1 and 2: The thing I like best about TW and Jack's dilemma is that it's one of those things where you can't possibly know what you'd do unless you are IN the situation. I'm with Jamie: Jack might've looked, he might've been attracted to Andi, but before Clare was injured, he wasn't in a place where he'd be OPEN to what might be possible with Andi, which made all the difference. That said, in the end, I do think Andi was Jack's true love. He and Clare had a great run, but by the time she rejoined the land of the living their time had come and gone. It took great courage on her part to be able to recognize that and not belabor the point by trying to get back what was already gone. Remember, she had a couple of months to watch and observe and by the time she made her decision she knew he was hopelessly in love with someone else. What else COULD she do?

From the author's standpoint, I needed to get Jack out of the marriage "cleanly" so he could end up with Andi. Readers were committed to their relationship by then, and there was no other possible ending but for them to end up together. When I was writing the first (of many) drafts, Clare had woken up and I was like, well, this is a fine mess. Now how do you propose we get him out of this? LOL! And please rest assured, Clare gets her happily ever after in Marking Time with a guy I love almost as much as Jack!

Another thing I want to say is that Andi never had any reason to doubt that Jack truly loved her. Look at what they went through to be together. He had proven himself to her. I don't think she relished the idea of him "choosing" her over Clare. Then she'd have to live with the fallout of that. I think, especially knowing what happens in book 2, it was better for Clare to be the one to pull the plug on the marriage. In the opening chapters of Marking Time, she is grappling with the reality of that decision and she is quite heartbroken over it when she gets home to the house he built for her and it really sinks in that she will have to live the rest of her life without him. Sigh....

Question 3 from Jennifer and Kellie: The Ending - Thank You for a Happy Ending. You had me worried there. The ending made me love Clare. In the end, we were both so impressed with Clare's strength and dignity. She did the RIGHT thing although it would've killed ME to do what she did.

Eric - Adorable and so touching how Jack adopted him and changed Eric's last name to Harrington. Perfect.

Marie: I'm glad you approve of the ending. I love the way the whole thing came together in the end and that Jack managed to make it all work out the way it was supposed to. I loved writing Jack and Eric's relationship. The scene where Eric tells Jack he loves him gets me every time.

My turn to ask a question: What would you do in Jack's situation? Your spouse is in a coma, you are told he or she will never recover and you have a second chance at love. Would you take that chance?

Just a reminder that I'm giving away copies of Marking Time and Starting Over (copies will be provided the week of their respective releases) to two commenters this week. Comment on yesterday's blog or today's to be entered into tomorrow's drawing.

Jennifer and Kellie Take Over to Talk About Treading Water

By: Jennifer Marriott and Kellie Harker

Type faster Jennifer, before Marie comes back...

Hi, we’re Jennifer and Kellie and we’ve taken over Marie’s blog. Well…..“taken over” might not be completely accurate. She did give us permission and all, but we are so excited to be here we can’t stop giggling like school girls. Marie asked us to share “our” story with you.

K - So last March, it was March right Jennifer?

J - Yep, March!

K - Ok, last March I finished Marie’s book The Fall and was left with lots of questions and emotions. I wrote a blog post about this being the first book I read that made me feel so much all at once.

J - Marie is a master at emotionally “messy” books.

K - Messy is exactly right, Jennifer! Feeling entirely too brave, I sent a link to Marie with a link to my blog, www.mommywishdom.com, and went back to bed. When I woke up hours later I realized Marie had posted a link to my blog on her twitter and Facebook page! Marie, HERSELF had come and commented and slowly other people started commenting as well.

J - Including me! That’s where I came in. In Kellie’s post she admitted she had read 120 books in the last year and I knew we’d be friends. I finally “met” someone who read as much as I did. We commented back and forth and got to ask Marie a lot of questions about her books and she took the time to answer each one. It was just awesome!

K - We can be honest, we were totally star struck.

J - SQUEE!!! We couldn’t believe she took the time to answer our questions. A few weeks later Kellie and I started emailing each other about this book or that book and at some point we decided to read a book together and then meet online to talk about it. We would start a book on a Monday and have an online discussion just between the two of us around Thursday. It was a virtual book club….with two very cool chicks as members.

K - Oh we should mention. We’ve never met. Jennifer lives in New Jersey and I live in Arizona. If we had met through a classified ad it would have read something like “Enjoys devouring romance novels, time alone with our Kindles and looking for someone to have long chats on the internet with about books” We both would have answered that ad..

J - So true! It was SO fun. Our friendship grew quickly from that point. We could no longer wait to finish a book before we started commenting. We were e-mailing and then soon we were texting every day. It started with texts about the characters, story lines and soon followed with our own personal lives, discussions about our children and families and all that fun stuff. Recently, we finished Treading Water and the text messages going back and forth were classic. When we finished the book we of course sent Marie our questions. Here is just sample of our texts to each other about Treading Water:

J - I’m at 57%. I swear at this point I would dump Jack.
K - What??? Dump jack? R U ill?

J - Are you reading? I don’t think I can move on.

K - Tell me when you get to the beginning of Part 3 and tell me what you’re thinking!

J - I think I’m about to cry. Poor Andi
K - My heart is absolutely broken for her. Can you imagine?

K - We tried to keep out any comments that would give the ending away for the few of you out there who may not have read it yet. Hurry though because the next book is coming out soon and you'll want to keep up. Marie didn’t pay us to say that either.

J - When Marie wrote back and graciously answered all our questions again she asked if we'd be willing to write a blog post about "Our Story" and share how we met, meet online to talk about the books and share the questions Marie gets after we finish her books.

K- I think we’re still star struck.

J – Ya think?!? Totally!!

Here are a few of the questions we posted to Marie about Treading Water. What do you think? Thanks for letting us stop in and tell a little about us. We met through Marie's books, quickly became close friends and share an absolute love for romance novels. Doesn't get much better than that! Come leave your comments and let us know what you think about the questions we were rattled with after reading Treading Water.

1. Was Andi Jack's "true love?"

2. Do you think Clare gave up on Jack too easily?

3. If Clare had not made the choice she had, what do you think would have happened between Jack and Andi?

Marie: Thanks so much to Jennifer and Kellie for sharing their totally cool story of how they met through my books. I LOVE that, of course! So, weigh in on their three questions and tomorrow I'll post my answers as well as a few other questions we talked about as we planned these blogs. On Friday, I'll give away copies of all three books in the Treading Water Trilogy, so make sure you comment today and tomorrow to be entered into the drawing. 

What a Fun Fun FUN Launch Week!

The first sign of good news for Treading Water came early yesterday. I woke to a flurry of emails from readers and friends who told me they'd gotten a notice from Amazon letting them know my new book was on sale.

I had a feeling it was going to be a very good day, and I wasn't wrong. By the end of the day, the book was at no. 17 for ALL of Kindle, which makes it a Kindle bestseller! Commence happy dancing in an Elaine-from-Seinfeld kind of way, since I'm still recovering from surgery after all!

Treading Water began climbing the charts. I wonder if Nicholas Sparks was feeling the heat from the new kid in town...

The news got even better as the day went on...

And better still...

And then today I found myself in some very good company with two of my all-time favorite authors. Pinch me please!

Of all the books of mine that could be in this position, this is the one I would've chosen. It's my all-time favorite, the book of my heart, the first book I ever wrote. Thank you to everyone who has given me this thrill ride of a lifetime.

On Anniversaries and Milestones and Lessons Learned Along the Way

Today is the sixth anniversary of the first time I ever wrote THE END. I finished my first book, Treading Water, on May 18, 2005 with great fanfare and celebration. My family took me out to dinner, there were flowers from the hubby and excitement from my dad, who'd been after me to "write that book" for years at that point. Sadly, my mother, who had died nearly two years earlier, wasn't there to join in the fun, but I believed then—and I continue to believe today—that she's had a hand in all the wonderful things that have happened in the last six years. After all, she was the one who put a book in my hand every night before bed and said, "Read." And I read and read and read some more. Reading has always been my no. 1 hobby. Over 10 years as a Navy wife, my favorite books got moved more times than I could count, but parting with them was never an option. Nineteen years of marriage later, I still have them. One of my prized possessions is a first-edition copy of Love Story, which is one of those books you wish you could read again for the first time.

Since I loved to read and writing was the only thing I've ever been any good at, I suppose writing fiction was my destiny. Last week, I finished my 18th novel, and I'm happy to report it's still fun, although no. 18 was greeted with considerably less fanfare than no. 1 received. I believe it went something like this: "Congrats, Mom. That's awesome. What's for dinner?" :-)

I thought it would be fun today to recount a few of the lessons I've learned in the last six years.

Lesson No. 1: Nothing Ever Goes as Planned
When I finished Treading Water (still, in my humble opinion, the best book I've ever written), I was surprised to discover the romance fiction world had been invaded by vampires. They were everywhere in 2005-2006. Contemporary romance was a dying genre, and few agents or editors were taking on new contemporary authors. When I realized there was literally no market for my lovely book, I did what I was told not to do: I wrote two sequels. Those three books are still my favorites, and they are the ones my core group of readers still talk about all these years later. After six years and five published books (with three more coming soon), guess what? Treading Water is out on submission to publishers. Contemporary is making a big comeback. I've had a bit of success with my earlier books, and my ebooks have really taken off. The time is right for my most-loved book to have its moment. Whether or not it will sell is anyone's guess, but I remain optimistic. I have no doubt that my readers would go crazy over those three books, so keep your fingers crossed that an editor will, too. Getting back to the nothing goes as planned heading: I kept writing, and my seventh book became my debut, Line of Scrimmage. Go figure! (If you haven't read the story behind Treading Water and The House That Jack Built, check it out.)

Lesson No. 2: Writing May Be a Solitary Endeavor, But It Doesn't Have to be Lonely
I have made some of the best friends of my life within in the romance community (writers and readers), and they've made this perilous journey so much more fun and bearable than it would've been otherwise. I won't name names here, but you know who you are, and you know what you've done to prop me up, so I will just say thank you.

Lesson No. 3: The Publishing Business is a Marathon Not a Sprint
People ask me all the time what the secret is to getting published—and staying published. I give the same answer every time: you have to want it with every fiber of your being. Just like people who run marathons or climb mountains, an inner drive fuels writers to keep showing up every day, to keep putting butt in seat and fingers on keyboard when it would be so much easier to just say ENOUGH already. You can't ever give up. Years ago, when nothing was going the way I'd thought it would (see Lesson No. 1), I kept telling myself the only thing I knew for SURE was if I gave up it would never happen. It's as true today as it was six years ago.

Lesson No. 4: Don't be Afraid to Take Chances
I wanted to write this series, you see, featuring a DC cop and a U.S. Senator in every book. I wanted it to be a romance series with mystery and politics and an enduring love affair between two complex characters. I was told it couldn't be done. I was told that romance demands a new couple in the second and subsequent books. I was told to write it to formula. I didn't do what I was told, and my Fatal Series is the result. I could've given in and done it the way "they" wanted it done, but I wouldn't love writing that series quite as much if I hadn't done it my way. I was also told you shouldn't write the second book in a series before the first one sells. Twice now I have benefitted GREATLY from not listening to that advice. Write whatever is calling to you, and don't listen to people who tell you "it's just not done." Maybe it just hasn't been done YET. For five and a half of my first six years in publishing, self-publishing was a taboo. And then, seemingly overnight, it wasn't. I gave it a whirl, and it's been the BEST thing to ever happen to my career. Take chances. Sure, you might fail, but wow, if you succeed, it's so much sweeter because you took a risk. Those other books I wrote along the way? I worked on them constantly for years. Any time I learned something new or identified a bad habit, I went back and applied it to my earlier books. One of my favorite quotes is luck is the convergence of preparation and opportunity. When this new opportunity arose to deliver my books to readers, I was READY, and the response to those books has made me feel VERY lucky indeed.

Lesson No. 5: Trust Your Gut
If you sense that someone is feeding you a line of bull, they probably are. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. If a relationship you've worked years to attain with an agent, an editor, a critique partner or anyone else affiliated with the business isn't working, don't be afraid to speak up. You are your own best advocate, and it's true what they say that no one will ever love your book as much as you do. A writer friend of mine told me the other day that she loves how much I love my books. Well, hell yes, I love them. If I didn't love them you'd certainly never get to read them. I love all 18 of them. Some more than others for sure. I didn't always love the process of creating them, but I love the end result or they'd be under the bed where no one could ever see them. None of my books are under the bed, and I hope you'll get a chance to read them all someday.

Lesson No. 6: Listen to and Respect Your Readers
One of the things I've come to realize is that in the publishing pecking order, readers tend to fall pretty far down on the list. In MY world, they are no. 1. Everything I do is for my readers. Every ounce of work I put into a book is for one reason: because I will be asking my hard-earned readers to part with their hard-earned money, and I want them to come away entertained and moved in some way or another. Sometimes they leave happy. Other times they are mad with me (I love that just as much) and sometimes they've fallen a little bit in love with one of my characters (Nick Cappuano anyone?) If readers finish one of my books thinking and feeling SOMETHING, ANYTHING, then I've done my job. I have kept all of the emails I've received from satisfied readers, and I treasure every one of them. I know what my readers want from me because I talk to them often, via email, Facebook and Twitter, and I am listening.

Lesson No. 7: Protect the Work
Writing and storytelling are the most important parts of my "job." They come first and foremost, ahead of promotion, attending conferences, networking with other writers and fooling around online. Without words on the page, there's nothing to promote or sell or read. Protecting the work sometimes means living like a hobbit, saying no to social events that sound fun and forgoing the glass of wine that would make me so sleepy nothing else gets done that day. Protect the work. It's everything. But it's also important to know when it's just not happening on a given day and not trying to force it. That, too, protects the work.

Lesson No. 8: Keep Your Priorities Straight
I've had a great run as a writer. I've been blessed beyond my wildest dreams with so many wonderful moments along the way. But writing is not my full-time job. I have one of those, and it gets all my attention every day before I write a word because it, too, has been one of the great blessings in my life. And before either of my two "jobs" come my two children, who are the most important people in my life. They are tied for No. 1 (and no, I do not have a favorite, contrary to what they might say), and they always come first. All I really care about is seeing them to successful adulthood (and hopefully getting a few grandchildren if they are feeling kind toward their mother). Anything else that might come my way via my books is frosting on an already very nice cake. My husband and kids have been my top supporters, my greatest champions and biggest fans. They come first. Period.

Lesson No. 9: I'm Doing Exactly What I Was Meant to Do
To everyone who has read my books, to friends and family who have encouraged and supported me over the last six years, to the first editor who said yes, to the publisher who took a chance on an unconventional romance series to the wonderful agent who has stuck with me through thick and thin, thank you. Because of you—all of you—I'm doing exactly what I was meant to do, and I'm loving every minute of it.

The House That Jack Built

Yesterday at the library event, the librarian mentioned the story I have on my website that I titled The House That Jack built. It's about my writing career, how it all started and the first character who ever took up residence in my mind as a real live person. I realized I've never shared that story with my blog readers, so here it is!



The House That Jack Built
Writers work toward the ultimate goal of publication. We stress over sentence structure, editing, agents, pitching, querying, etc. The list of things to stress about is endless. But how often do we stop to take a moment to appreciate the special journey we are on as authors? Since I started to write seriously four years ago (UPDATE: make that seven years now!), after saying for years I was going to, I've had a few amazing things happen to me that never would've happened if I hadn't embarked upon this journey. I have several anecdotes, but this is my favorite....

The first character to take up occupancy in my mind as a living, breathing human being, was a handsome, successful architect named Jack Harrington. Jack and I ran around together for a long time before I ever put fingers to keyboard to tell his story. I wanted to write about a man who has it all—a wife he still adores after twenty years of marriage, three beautiful daughters he'd do anything for, and a life most people would envy. That life is turned upside down when his wife is hit by a car and plunged into a coma. I wanted to show Jack's struggles to rebuild his life as he becomes the custodial parent for his daughters—two of them teenagers with all the accompanying issues—and I wanted to show his conflict when he finds a new love. These issues make up the core of my first book, "Treading Water," which led to two sequels, "Marking Time," and "My Side of the Street." It's "Treading Water," however, that is the book of my heart.

Since I finished "Treading Water," I've thought of my writing as "The House That Jack Built," tying into his career as an architect and the unexpected building blocks that came from "Treading Water." As I was finishing "My Side of the Street" in July 2006, I decided to drive out to Chatham, Massachusetts, so I could finish it in the town where it was set. Yes, this was a huge indulgence, but it coincided with the half-way point of summer vacation and my kids were driving me nuts. I had earned this night away! The first thing I did when I got to Chatham was drive around to check out the four streets I had chosen from hundreds on a map to place my characters' homes. I figured if there was, say, a cement factory on both sides of the street, the people of Chatham would know I hadn't bothered to come out there and check—if I was lucky enough to see the book published. I am pleased to report there were houses on all four streets, but on the corner of the fourth street, there was something else—a red house with a sign on the side that said, "The House That Jack Built." No, I am not kidding, and yes, I sat there and cried. If ever there was a "sign" that I was on the path I was meant to be on, there it was. It was without a doubt, one of the most amazing moments of my life, and I will never, ever forget it. (Thanks to my friend Janet Campbell for taking the picture for me!)

That same week, after I got home and told my sister-in-law this story, she approached me at a family party to say, "You won't believe this! I was having trouble sleeping at my friend's house the other night and got up to see if she had a magazine or something I could look at." She found an old copy of Architectural Digest, which is mentioned in "Treading Water," and there was a spread with the headline "The House That Jack Built." She had torn it out for me and that page is framed over my desk to remind me that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and it's about the journey, not the destination.

I still have fingers and toes crossed for the "Treading Water" books. Maybe someday...