Author Marianne Rice visits the #RB4U Blog today! #AtFirstBlush @mariannericeaut

Welcome to Romance Books 4 Us, a place for all romance and all genres. We’re very happy to have you here with us today. First, tell us a little bit about yourself…

Please tell us a little about yourself…

Thank you for having me today! A little about myself...well, I’m a mother of three crazies--16,14, and 11 years old--(which also makes me a chef, maid, servant, chauffeur, therapist, judge, and nag), a wife of an overworked and incredibly loyal husband, a full time teacher, a writer, and a lover of dark chocolate, wine, and Chris Hemsworth.

What or who initially inspired you to become a writer?

No one in particular, but I fell in love with the contemporary romance genre. After reading hundreds and hundreds of books, stories of my own started forming in my mind. It was when I was home on maternity leave with my then 4, 2, and newborn that I started writing.

What kind of research do you do for a novel and how extensive do you get?

Well, it didn’t start out as book research, but a few years ago my sister-in-law and a few friends of ours visited some local wineries and we fell in love. I especially love the story of the Zanellos of Zorvino Vineyards in Sandown, New Hampshire. What a fun couple and a gorgeous vineyard! I was hooked not only on their fabulous wine, especially their Fragole Z (a strawberry blend wine) and Mapplez (apples and maple syrup!). From here, At First Blush was formed, and then my Well Paired series fell into place.

Do real life events find their way into your stories?

I don’t force them, but if something in my life has inspired a story, or I’ve said, that has to go in a book, it will. The opening scene in Wilde for You is loosely based on real events and many of the conversations and one-liners from kids in my books come from my son.

When do you write?  Early morning? During the day sometime or all day?  After the kids go to bed?

I write when I can. I go in spurts of writing every day and then not at all for months at a time. As a teacher, the summer gives me the most writing time. I write a lot during school breaks as well. I make yearly writing goals since my days are dictated by crazy sports schedules.

Do you ever see yourself as the heroine/hero or find yourself relating to them when you write a story?

I don’t write myself into stories intentionally, but I’ve found pieces of myself in characters. Rayne, the middle sister in Sweet on You is the one I can identify with the most. She is always taking care of everyone else, trying to be the peacemaker in the family. I can relate. Other than that, there may be a line here or there that I’ve said to someone at some point in time, but I don’t base any of my characters on family or friends.

Do you have a special place you like to do your writing? Such as an office, a spare room, the dining room table, your couch?

When the kids were little, I could only write when they were in bed. Now that they’re older, I write where I can. I’m currently sitting by the fire while my middle is in the kitchen making pancakes for her friends who slept over last night. In the summer, I write in my bed when I wake up. At night, I write in my office. I guess weather and time are a factor.

As a reader, what types of genres do you enjoy? And do you think they influence the genre/genres you write in?

I love contemporary romance and women’s fiction. My new release, At First Blush, is a blend of both. Some of my favorite contemporary romance authors are “crossing over” and I love the genre. But really, I just write. When I type THE END I figure out what genre it is. My Well Paired series seems to be a blend as well. It’s romance driven, but a lot of family and emotional angst woven in.

What is your ideal romantic vacation?

Warm weather, chaise lounge, cocktails, books...oh, wait. You said romantic. ;-) I suppose anywhere with my husband without the kids. Which rarely happens. If we can combine my first response and add my husband at my side, I’m good!

Where can our readers find you

Email: mariannericeauthor@gmail.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mariannericeaut

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariannericeauthor/

Website/blog: http://www.mariannerice.com

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Marianne-Rice/e/B00SICUIRM

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/MarianneRice

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marianne-rice    

Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/s58mzq

iBooks: http://smarturl.it/zeb6r0

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/at-first-blush-3

B&N:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/at-first-blush-marianne-rice/1127779053;jsessionid=311F147D27BCAF936FDEDA7C95276577.prodny_store02-atgap03?ean=2940155053996

At First Blush is now available!!

Alexis Le Blanc enjoys her simple life in Crystal Cove, Maine. After taking a chance on romance and getting rejected, she has given up on love. Now she devotes all her time to running her family’s winery, Coastal Vines. She wants to keep it small and traditional, but her parents have other ideas—hence why they hire some big-shot marketing executive from Napa Valley to rev up business.

When Benito Martelli shows up in her family’s tasting room, she’s more than stunned to discover he’s the man who wined and dined her the night before. Alexis is beyond peeved at his deception in trying to get into her good graces for the sake of making money on her winery. At first, she wants nothing to do with him or his big business ideas, but she’s pleasantly surprised when they come to a compromise, and even more surprised when she gives in to the sparks between them.

Unfortunately, things don’t go quite as planned and Alexis is faced with complications she never could have predicted. Promises and secrets unravel, and she must decide if love and wine are as well paired as she hoped.

Author Marianne Rice dishes on #Pinterest today on #RB4U @mariannericeaut

Pinterest: An anxiety-inducing, time-sucking, fun, relaxing and inspirational tool.

Unless you’ve been living in the wild and don’t have access to the Internet, you’ve probably heard of Pinterest. I’m here to tell you…I’m addicted.

Wonderland. Time-sucking vortex. Writing inspiration. Recipes. Crafts. Fun. Shoes. Hot guys. Black hole. Feeling of inadequacy. Anxiety inducing. Hero inspiration. Relaxing…are some of the words used to describe Pinterest.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Pinterest, here’s the basic gist. You make a “board” and give it a title (desserts, quotes, writing tips, hero inspiration etc.) Your page can have as many or as few boards as you’d like. Totally your choice. When you search within Pinterest for whatever the heck you want to search for, click “pin” and select which board you want the image/website/link to go to. Easy peasy and organized for future reference. Most websites and blogs have a direct “Pin” link so you can click and pin even when not on Pinterest.

I started using Pinterest years ago as a way to save recipes I found online. At first I only had a “Recipe” board and quickly learned I needed sub categories to help organize the bazillion recipes I saved. I now have boards for desserts, breakfast, snack, main dishes, soups…you get the picture. My son was diagnosed with celiac disease two months ago so now I have Gluten Free Desserts, Gluten Free Snacks etc. My account got so huge that I made two: One for personal use and the other for the author side of me.

So how do I use Pinterest as an author? Research. I have a “Hero Inspiration” board where I keep pictures of beautiful men. I have a “Heroine Inspiration” board as well (not sure why I don’t have as many images there as I do in my Hero board. Hmm). I also have a board for each book, whether it’s published yet or not. If there’s a hero or heroine whom I use as inspiration or who looks like my characters, I pin them. I also pin quotes or other “things” that have to do with my books. And of course, my covers.

There are times when I’m working on edits for one book, writing another and pimping yet another. Sometimes I forget what my hero/heroine look like! I refer back to my Pinterest boards and sigh and stare and drool…and then get back to writing.

And, yeah. Because I have an itsy bitsy shoe addiction, I have a Shoe Porn board. And a Dessert board. And a Girly Drink board. It’s not all writerly stuff.

Is Pinterest a time suck? Heck, yeah. And I love it. Come visit me on Pinterest. You can follow all my boards or select which ones inspire you. Check out my board for Then Came You, which came out a few weeks ago (it’s FREE on Kindle Unlimited).

https://www.pinterest.com/mariannericeaut

Thyme Wilde doesn’t make long-term decisions—until she falls in love with one…

Easily bored and quickly distracted, Thyme enjoys her freedom, so being a temp at her sister’s company is the perfect job. But when she takes a position as a nanny, she instantly falls in love with the five-year-old princess named Maddie—and just two months later, Maddie’s parents are killed in a plane crash, leaving Thyme in an unfamiliar role of responsibility.

Multi-millionaire architect Grayson Montgomery lives in the lap of luxury—but at a cost…

Being the sole heir of his family’s fashion empire and his father’s architectural firm, Grayson has never lacked for anything. But in return, he must stay subservient to the matriarch of his family—his grandmother—and date the heiress of their largest business partner. The only freedom Grayson has is his architectural designs, which are his true passion.

One day changes Grayson’s future forever…

A lawyer summons Grayson to Maine for the reading of the will of a woman he once knew. He doesn’t expect to be named the father of a five-year-old orphan. Then he meets his newly-discovered daughter—and her incredibly sexy nanny.

While acting as Maddie’s loyal nanny, Thyme develops feelings for her new employer that are more than professional. And after several passionate nights with Grayson, it’s clear the feeling is mutual.

When it’s made evident Grayson sees her as a convenient placeholder, Thyme must push aside her desires and put Maddie above herself—even if it means sacrificing her heart to do it.

Amazon: bit.ly/thencameyou

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Then-Came-Wilde-Sisters-Book-ebook/dp/B01D10A52I/

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/Then-Came-Wilde-Sisters-Book-ebook/dp/B01D10A52I/

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/Then-Came-Wilde-Sisters-Book-ebook/dp/B01D10A52I/

Sign up for my newsletter and you’ll be automatically entered to win free stuff every month! http://www.mariannerice.com/connect.html

To read more about Marianne’s books, you can find her here: amazon.com/author/mariannerice

https://www.facebook.com/mariannericeauthor/

http://www.mariannerice.com/

https://www.instagram.com/mariannericeauthor/

https://twitter.com/mariannericeaut

https://www.goodreads.com/MarianneRice

Marianne Rice writes contemporary romances set in small New England towns. When she’s not writing, Marianne spends her time buying shoes, eating chocolate, chauffeuring her herd of children to their varying sporting events, and when there’s time, relaxing with fancy drinks and romance books. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and on her website at www.mariannerice.com

Interview of Author Marianne Rice #RB4U #Romance @mariannericeaut

Latest Book: False Impressions

Buy Link: http://goo.gl/rqT03b

AUTHOR BIO:

Marianne Rice writes contemporary romances set in small New England towns. When she’s not writing, Marianne spends her time buying shoes, eating chocolate, chauffeuring her herd of children to their varying sporting events, and when there’s time, relaxing with fancy drinks and romance books.

http://mariannerice.weebly.com

Q: How did you celebrate publishing your first book?

A: My first book came out on the Monday after a school vacation week (I’m a teacher). I had to work but had a Facebook Launch Party that night. It was so much fun!

Q: Your novel is being made into a TV series/movie. Who’s in your dream cast?

A: Nick Bateman is my hero inspiration for Cole Tucker. YUM. Who cares if he can act? He’s so pretty to look at. And Theo James would play his twin brother. Double yum. I picture Reese Witherspoon as Samantha Chase. She’s adorable, tiny, and strong.

Q: What’s your writing schedule like? Do you strive for a certain amount of words each day?

A: I work full time and have three active children. I write when I can, but get most of my yearly totals done during the summer. I never know when I’ll have uninterrupted writing times so I spend my non-writing time thinking about my books. When I have a moment to sit down, I can bang out my story pretty quickly. I aim for 10,000 words a week in the summer and spend the school year editing.

Q: How much of yourself is hidden in the characters in the book?

A: I haven’t put myself in my books yet but there are tiny bits and pieces of people I know scattered throughout. Nothing obvious, though. A trait here; a trait there. I don’t want to model a character after a family member or friend…too intimate.

Q: Of all your characters, who’s your favorite, and why?

A: From my McKay-Tucker series my favorite is definitely Cole Tucker. He’s hilarious and the king of cheesy pick-up lines, but he’s hurting inside and has a soft, sensitive side that makes my heart melt.

Q: If you could change something about your first book, what would it be?

A: I’d lighten it up a bit. Writing Cole’s story in False Impressions made me realize how much I love incorporating humor into my books.

Q: Do you eat comfort food/listen to music when writing?

A: Actually, when I’m on a writing binge it’s kind of like dieting. My fingers are moving so quickly across the keyboard; I don’t want to interrupt my flow so I don’t stop to eat. Or drink. Or go to the bathroom.

Q: How do you choose names for your characters?

A: In my first series, I used names that were on my baby name list that my husband and I couldn’t agree on. In my upcoming series, either the hero or heroine in each book is named after one of my nieces or nephews.

Q: Give one advice tip to an aspiring author.

A: Don’t stop writing. When you’ve written your first book, edit, edit, edit, and hook up with an RWA chapter. They’re the best. Attend conferences and workshops to help your craft. And then write the next book. And then the next. The more I write, the more I learn. I’m so glad I didn’t spend years trying to publish my first book. I actually wrote eight books before the first one got published.

Q: What genre would you like to try writing that you haven’t yet tried?

A: I’d love to write women’s fiction, but I don’t have a story developed yet. The contemporary romance stories fill my head quite easily.

Q:. Have you ever used an incident from your real life into one of your books?

A: Oh, yes, but not exactly as it played out. My fourteen year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes seven years ago. I tried incorporating it into my current WIP, but it was too close to home. Instead, I used Type 1 Diabetes as a way for my heroine in False Hope to find out about her birth father. It’s not the focus of the book, but an every day lifestyle that hundreds of thousands of children and adults have to live every moment of their life.

Q: How many stories are swirling around in your head? Do you keep a mental list, a computer file, or a spiral notebook filled with the ideas?

A: Too many. I keep a mental list of my ideas, but they usually branch from one book and turn into a series so the characters make a cameo appearance before “their” book. I keep a character spreadsheet with their traits, flaws etc. and think about their full story while I’m writing. I’m working on book 2 in my Rocky Harbor novels (I project six books) and recently came up with an idea for another series. So, do I write the six books in this series before beginning the next, or start the next series? Decisions.

Fun Stuff:

Q: What is your favorite holiday and why?

A: Christmas. I love decorating, lighting candles, shopping, wrapping, the smells, and reading stories by the fire. It’s cozy and fun.

Q: What are two things people might be surprised to know about you?

A: I love to run in dirty, muddy obstacle races. And the only reason I exercise regularly is so I can get away with sneaking obscene amount of chocolate into my body. I hate exercise, but I have no food self-control. So it’s a must.

Q: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

A: A secretary. I thought filing papers would be fun. Then in kindergarten I wanted to be a nurse. Taking temperatures and blood pressures would be fun, right? But then a girl in my class told me nurses have to give shots. Yikes! I’m needle-phobic (ironic that I have a Type 1 Diabetic in the house, eh?) so I quickly changed my career path. Interior designer, chef, baker, and teacher. Teacher won out but I do a lot of cooking and baking.

Q: Favorite food.

A: Anything chocolate. And lemon. And Italian. And Chinese. I have a hard time narrowing things down.

Q: Favorite happy memory.

A: My wedding day. The birth of my children. My first publishing contract. Watching my children play sports. Again, I can’t decide on one!

Q: Favorite drink.

A: Frilly flavored-vodka drinks (love martinis). Frozen mudslides. Green Cleanse Tea to help me detox after drinking the above.

Q: Hot summer days or chilly winter nights?

A: Hot summer days. But I couldn’t handle them year round. I do love my winter nights.

Q: What is the top thing on your bucket list?

A: Is it sad to say I don’t have one? I’d love to make the NY Times Bestseller list some day J

Q: If you could have a super power, what would it be?

A: I’d actually like a special toy. A remote control that allows me to pause, fast forward, and rewind the world. I can turn it up, turn it down, and change the “channel”. That would make me happy.

Where can we find you?

http://amazon.com/author/mariannerice

http://www.facebook.com/MarianneRiceaut

https://www.goodreads.com/MarianneRice

https://www.pinterest.com/mariannericeaut

https://twitter.com/mariannericeaut

Sign up for my newsletter J

https://www.MyAuthorBiz.com/ENewsletter.php?acct=MR1749155615

Recovering alcoholic and former party animal, Cole Tucker would be an idiot to start something with his newly hired right-hand woman, Samantha Chase. It figures he can’t seem to keep his mitts of the sexy, five-foot-nothing single mom who can toss a sack of shingles over her shoulder and rewire a house better than the crew from Extreme Home Makeover. Her incredible strength and self-confidence draw him in; something Cole has pretended to have for years. All he has to show for himself is his uncanny use of pick-up lines, a hand-me-down farm and some small-town rental properties. When he learns Samantha’s husband and daughter were killed by a drunk driver, the shame of his past experience with a DUI and near-death accident is the last thing he wants to mention to her.

Samantha has no problem accepting her new boss, flaws and all. His simple life is charming and exactly what she hoped to find for herself and her son in Newhall, New Hampshire. Cole wins her over by befriending her fatherless son and making her laugh again, something she hasn’t done in four years. When she learns about his shady past with the bottle, her heart tells her to forgive, but the painful memories of her past are too deep to overlook.

Excerpt:

Shutting off the ignition, Sam dabbed her lips with tinted Chapstick and hopped out of her truck. Loud country music bellowed from the right side of the duplex. Something about tequila and clothes falling off. Not exactly the song she wanted to make her entrance with.

Her knocking didn’t stop the music or bring anyone to the door, so she turned the doorknob and let herself in, following the music, or rather the voice of the slightly off-key man singing along to the country song. Spotting the radio, Sam turned it down slightly and cleared her throat.

“Hello?”

The singing stopped and a man emerged from around the corner. He paused midstride and stared. Mr. Tucker was not the bald, over-weight, wrinkled man she’d expected. It had been years since she felt any type of attraction toward a man. And this one, with dark coffee eyes and Patrick Dempsey dimples covered in a light scruff, did unfamiliar and unwanted things to her body.

“Did it hurt?”

“Did what hurt?” she asked, confused.

“When you fell out of heaven?”

Sam raised an eyebrow and chewed on the inside of her cheek, unsure of how exactly to answer. “It was a pretty big fall, but I made the landing.”

The man tipped his head back and laughed. “So what brings a pretty little lady around this grungy old worksite?”

Great. Already being talked down to. “We had an appointment.”

“We did?” He took off his ball cap and ran his arm across his forehead. “I’m pretty sure I’d remember setting up a date with you.”

“Mr. Tucker, I’m—”

“Cole. Mr. Tucker is my dad.” He turned his baseball cap around and put it on backward, giving him a boyish charm.

“Yes. Sorry. Cole, I’m Sam. You left a message on my phone to meet you here at nine.”

Cole looped his thumbs in the front of a pair of jeans that were worn and torn but fit him like a glove, and rocked back on his heels, studying her from head to toe and back again. She knew what he was thinking and wanted to ward off any doubt in her abilities. “I assure you, Mr. Tucker, that I am highly qualified. Probably more so than anyone else you have working on site. I’ve been doing electrical work since I was twelve—”

“Which was what, last year?”

“I may be petite, but I can carry my own.” Sam placed her hands on her hips and didn’t look away from his piercing stare. “I’ve been wiring homes for over fifteen years, I can fix any plumbing problem you throw my way, I can lift more than I weigh and know my way around any power tool you have. I understand your reluctance to hire someone like me … someone as little as me, but since your family name is so reputable in town, I assume you’re not the type to discriminate against women; so if you want to hire me on a trial basis, I would not object.” She folded her arms across her chest and cocked her head. He had a good ten inches on her, probably a foot, but she didn’t feel threatened.

The man squinted down at her and rubbed a hand across his jaw. “Okay, short stuff—”

“Sam.”

“Okay, Sam. We’ll give it a try. I have two more windows to put in upstairs and could use a hand. You ready to work?”

Sam looked at her watch and bit her lip. “I’ll give you an hour of free labor and then time to think about your decision.” She walked to the stairs and took two at a time, waiting for her new boss at the top. He looked reluctant but gestured to the back bedroom where she gave him the best hour of her life.