Can y'all believe it's July already? I mean, where'd the time go? This year is so half over, and I haven't gotten as much done as I would've liked. *sigh* Anyway. No time for the doldrums. July's here, and so is my Featured Author for the month: Marie Force!!
About Marie:
Marie Force is the author of
Line of Scrimmage and
Love at First Flight. Of LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, Booklist said, “With its humor and endearing characters, Force’s charming novel will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers, reaching far beyond sports fans.” Wild on Books said, “LOVE AT FIRST FLIGHT by Marie Force is most definitely a keeper. It is an astounding book. I loved every single word!” Her first romantic suspense,
Fatal Affair, is available June 21, 2010 from Carina Press. A third contemporary,
Everybody Loves a Hero, is due out in the Spring of 2011. Since 1996, Marie has been the communications director for a national organization similar to the Romance Writers of America. She is a member of RWA’s New England, From the Heart and Published Author Special Interest Chapters. While her husband was in the Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of two children and a feisty dog named Brandy. Find her at
www.mariesullivanforce.com, on her blog at
http://mariesullivanforce.blogspot.com, on
Facebook and on
Twitter. Marie loves to hear from readers. Contact her at marie@marieforce.com.
Now, without further ado, let's see what Marie has to say...
Q&A with Marie Force, drey’s Featured Author for July
drey: Hello Marie! I’m pleased to have you visit during the month of July as my Featured Author. Thank you for taking the time to do this! Let’s get started, shall we?
When did you know you wanted to be an author? What were you doing? Was it a gradual realization, or a “big bang” event?
Marie: Hi Drey. Thanks so much for having me. I’m so glad to be your featured author in July! LOL on the “big bang” event. Nothing quite so dramatic. I’ve always been a writer. I knew in high school that I wanted to go to journalism school, which I did. I spent a few years as a newspaper reporter after college and have been a professional writer and editor ever since.
drey: Can you share your first sale experience with us?
Marie: I sold
Line of Scrimmage to Sourcebooks in September of 2007. I was with my cousin trying to watch the season premier of
Grey’s Anatomy, except our phones kept ringing.
We were getting annoyed by the ringing phones, and then mine rang again. We almost ignored it, but then I thought it could be one of my kids, so I took the call. It was my agent calling to say that Sourcebooks was going to offer on
Line of Scrimmage. My cousin and I never did get around to watching
Grey’s that night. We were too busy celebrating!
drey: I don't wonder why! Even
Grey's doesn't compare to making your first sale!! *grin*
Who and/or what inspires your writing? How do you get from idea to pages?
Marie: I get a lot of ideas from reading and watching the news (somewhat obsessively). Other ideas just appear to me fully formed when I’m doing something menial like dishes or folding laundry or driving. I did a talk at my local library the other day and one of the questions was about where I get ideas. I said that I used to worry about running out of them, but now I worry about living long enough to write all the stories in my head.
drey: What do you indulge in when not writing?
Marie: I read. A lot. I spend time with my family. I love the beach and my dad’s boat. I watch the Red Sox just about every day this time of year.
drey: That's great! I can't wait to find out what your favorite reads are (in a few weeks)!
What is your favorite accompaniment to chocolate?
Marie: More chocolate!
drey: *laughs* Totally true.
Screen versions of your books: Which book(s) would you like to see on screen? TV series vs. Movie? Who would be on your dream team?
Marie: My readers want to see Line of Scrimmage made into a movie with Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon. I can definitely see that!
drey: Oooh, two of my favorite actors! It'd be fun to see them on screen together!
Electronic readers are becoming more affordable and available. There's been quite a bit of discussion about their impact on paper books, the environment, people's reading & buying habits... What's your take?
Marie: I think e-books are here to stay. I believe they are going to gain a bigger share of the market with every passing year. They give readers what they want when they want it, and in this digital age, that’s critical. A friend of mine is upgrading to the new Kindle and wants to give me her old one—I think because I said I wasn’t going to get one! LOL. I’m looking forward to playing around with it. After seeing an e-book through the publication process, from submission to the digital bookshelf, in seven months has made a believer out of me!
drey: On the publishing side--what do you think publishers and authors ought to do about the digital revolution? Jump in wholeheartedly, and blaze the path for others to follow? Watch from the sidelines till there's some consensus on what the new business model is going to be for the digital age? Cross their fingers that this is all just a fad & will blow over soon?
Marie: I don’t think people in publishing see e-books as a passing fad. The advent of the iPad—on top of the Kindle, Nook, and other devices—definitely signals a sea change in how readers access the written word. If you look at how the iPod changed the music business, you have a sense of what could be ahead for the book business. I’m thrilled to be participating in the digital revolution. It’s an exciting and interesting time to be an author.
drey: What are you looking forward to next?
Marie: I can’t wait to dive into the third Fatal book,
Fatal Consequences. I’m also working on a fun contemporary called
Posh & Naughty. And, in my spare time, I’ve got a historical going on the side that I’m calling
Duchess by Deception.
To bring this to a close, the Proust-lite:
- What is your idea of earthly happiness?
An afternoon with my kids and cousins at the beach.
- What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
The illness of a family member.
- Who is/are your favorite hero/heroine(s) in fiction?
Vivienne and Edward in Pretty Woman.
- Who is/are your favorite hero/heroine(s) in real life?
My parents.
- What sound do you love?
My kids belly laughing.
- What sound do you hate?
Repetitive noises. Tap, tap, tap, tap.
- The quality you admire most in a man?
Loyalty and reliability.
- The quality you admire most in a woman?
Loyalty and reliability.
- If not a writer, you would be a ... BORING person. LOL
- What is your favorite swear word?
Duh: Fuck!
Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you enjoy your visit here this month. Readers, stop by and say “hi” to Marie, and check her out (links above)!!!
Giveaway:
Marie is such a dear, she's giving away an e-copy of
Fatal Affair to one of you lucky ducks! To enter, comment and share a thought or two with Marie. Do it by 6:00 pm CST July 28th!